The Journey Through Darkness: The Cruel Limbo
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Circle One: The Great Sea of Limbo
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Continued from Journey Through Darkness: The Light
Beheld we did the sorrowing sight beyond the lair of steam and smoke that so blinded our pass. A great dark ocean without the breaking of water nor the solace of winds lay before my guide and I as far as one's vision would take towards an endless bounty of raging storms ahead our distance. Far below rumbled the moans of bodies and naked flesh gathered like cattle by thousands amongst one another. These were men and women alike shrieking and wailing as if to surpass one another's own torments. From our ledge I felt such remorse and pity for the sight. " Serpent...of what cruelty do these suffer?" my guide gave into a satisfied chuckle as if tickled by my questioning " They suffer none yet. Look now westward but if only for a moment's time." A mass of smoke dissipated high above revealing a ruin of great towers crumbling in fatigue from centuries long passed before my own. Above them scattered many figures in between the carves drawing their burning eyes upon desolation far below them. Demons watched over these souls with cruel laughter and delight without patience of spreading their torn wings as to dive upon the helpless stragglers only to take them high above towards the great dark clouds and release them screaming to the filthy earth below. " Come now."
I was hushed along from my ledge with a crippling fear that stunted my feet each step. Our path had grown thinning and brittle having been walked by many before and worn. We were soon met by others vast and bare, their bodies carved in past wretchedness and trespasses of sin that of many I would dare not mention. Here in these crowds of the pathetic and crippled souls I watched such a scene of hysteria and bewilderment. Men tearing at one another others withdrawn and awaiting their fate in silent misery. " We tread upon Limbo, Mortal, do you not see these souls now in their shame? The foul children of the flames carry them higher above all else as if towards the heavens themselves but as they never accepted it into their lives entirely they are then dropped back to the filth they remained in their short lives. For these souls however Heaven would not accept and Hell would shame to have instead are left between both forever damned by their conscious. For them even punishment far below would serve far greater." a great crowd of eyes had gathered upon me now. Many tongues had been stilled with only the hush of the never settling cavern that bellowed a deep groan. " What of this is he clothed when none of us are permitted?!" one shouted from amongst this mass that grew bitter and of thorn as a great Lion is grabbed by it's tail. They were upon me with filthy hands to tear at my cloth and very flesh only to retract as a great horn sounded that shook the very earth. Murmurs of fear and regret had wrapped it's boney hands amongst this gathering as they wandered towards a broken and splintering dock of dark wood.
" Such thrill befell my heart. I remain disappointed at this climax yet onward we must journey. To this dock we follow." the Serpent hissed in disappointment as we drew forth to this ghastly edge. My eyes could help not but wander amongst this crowd towards such a gruesome and sickening sight as by the water I beheld infants cut of their screams as they were forced below the murky waters hand after hand by demons. I could not contain myself from such and exhaled all that were inside me to the filth below. " Of what place do the innocent of birth belong down here?!" I beseeched my guide " They are innocent!" I pleaded " Poor souls denied their true existence and choice. They met their fates before they were to be baptized proper and remain here with the rest without knowledge of right nor wrong only suffering. Behold as they are drowned in these dark waters as if to be truly baptized, their lungs filled with it's dark essence to be consumed for all eternity." " Serpent I do not understand! Why this fate? Why?!" " Though man is born of the image that he of such divine grace is set they are born belonging to the prince of all darkness and deceit for every child is born of original sin and must wander the path of righteousness by their choosing."
My ears cracked as if in two as that horn bellowed yet once more as out from the smoke drew near a large vessel of burnt black wood and rusted metal. At the mast stood a large figure as if set in stone " All ye who enter..." boomed a grave and deeply voice " ...Let no hope survive!" I drew towards my guide who proceeded to shrug me away " Guide..." my mind already spoke " The great river of hell Acheron. He who ferries the souls to their fates is that of Charon, a soul without pity nor enlightenment." as the serpent finished did the eyes of this monstrous figure lay upon me. Elderly was the form this man took yet so fit and grotesquely defined was his body somewhat concealed by his great and white beard. As this ship came to the halt of it's voyage so did the great moaning of fear from the damned begin. " Bury here now souls who have such hope of Paradise... such thoughts that will never be. I come now to lead you on your way towards the other side which awaits you all eternal torment amongst brimstone and ice!" as animals would gather to a slaughtering so did these souls crowd onto this ship in so great a number. So did my guide too enter as I followed behind with uncertainty " Neigh! Lesson your haste! This vessel carry not the weight of a mortal! Be gone I say from this passage for it will not take you any other way! Not here will you stay! Be gone! Be gone!"
Acheron stood between my guide and I. " Great Acheron I have not any other way to return! It is by divine fate I step here now! I beg passage I beg now for it!" " Neigh! No concern is a threat upon myself!" " Foolish Acheron be still now!" the serpent bellowed as he now took stead in my place of words " Can you recall a mortal treading upon such a vessel past thought? It is divinity that guides this mortal now and it is divinity that will strike you down without your will! It is not yours to question but to ferry without judge and steer us through this passage! Face consequence as it shall come otherwise." Acheron grew silent. The very wood of the ship swelled as if to break as the beard of Acheron shook so violently. He said no more and left us amongst the other souls. Our passage had been granted. The serpent let out a bellow of laughter and I unto him " Serpent what humors you so?" " See mortal, we serpents our truly worth our cunning as no such divine aid would have come for you then nor ever would!" With that I left his side towards the railing to watch the very last of the towers consumed by a great smoke. Upon those dark waters we sailed without wind on a vessel of the dead towards an uncertain path of great darkness.
The sloshing of the still black waters were cascaded beneath the moans of the writhing bodies who mourned the path of their fate as they too stared upon the dark waters we so traveled upon. One blasphemed the lord " Why cruel king on a throne of light do you watch without pity as I suffer such cruel a torment as so? I damn you! I damn you so!" and with a shrill cry through herself overboard into the waters which blanketed her entirely and was seen no more. Beneath these waves as time had come upon me I found followed us many hands without bodies of the dead reaching as if to drag all with them to the same fate. What a hideous display it was crafted for such a place as this. Above remained the great dark clouds that overshadowed us such in small number in comparison. Beyond far off a great distance did these break to reveal crimson sky and from it reigned flames of unholy light. It was as we drew near that these flames had formed a divide between these black waters and the shoreline of brittle black rock and stone. It was here the souls were slashed by Acheron with whip and hand forced from their inner dwellings and onto land where as they proceeded to scream their feet stabbed by the rocks. Alone stood my guide and I without such suffering as I was lead past such a display towards a mountainous tower of stone surrounded by a great storming cloud that cracked angrily.
" What resides within those walls serpent?" my eyes would not stray from it. " The passing of judgment on course of king Minos alone. Where all wretched wander towards eventual damnation at the crack of his great tail. It is here we now set course to. Still all fear, reason and pity for from here onward they are too far great weights of burden." my guide continued forth as I stood and attempted to fool myself into such thoughts.
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