The Kingdom

It was possible that I could fend them all off given their weakened state, but could I stay awake forever in order to avoid being jumped? Would I not become like these crazed creatures if I was to be left down here?

No, I preferred death now, if that was the future I could expect down here.

I ran toward the dungeon wall away from the mob and began to climb. There wasn't much to grab hold of and from the polished condition of the stones I could tell that the attempt to climb out of this pit of Sheol was an often repeated practice over the years.

Despair filled me at the impossibility of my escape. I'd made it 10 or more feet up from the dungeon floor, but now it was hard to find a purchase by which to climb further.

I could hear those gathered below, who wished to feed on me, cackle with glee. I glanced down only to see that they were making no attempt to follow. And why should they, as no doubt this scenario was an often repeated event, with a likely often repeated outcome.

I clutched onto the slippery rocks with desperation. If I jumped off and fought I might be victorious in the short term, but not in the long run. The longer I spent in this pit the weaker and more delusional I would become.

No, as impossible as it was I had to keep climbing. I rested my head against the cold rocks for a moment and said, "El Elyon…… Kuri…… You told me that you would be here for me! I need you!"

"Do what I taught you."

"What?" I asked in disbelief.

"You heard me."

I thought for a moment and then I realized something. Kuri had made me scale far worse cliffs than this, but somehow, in the darkness and the pressure inspired by the hungry watchers below, I had forgotten how well I had been trained for such a challenge as this.

Through force of will and remembered experience I forced my breathing to calm down. My fingers unglued and I began to climb upward again. Growls broke out from below and from the sounds of it a few of them had begun to climb. I didn't overly care.

My hands were finding rocks not so polished now and with that came more confidence. Every once in a while I allowed myself to look up to the open portal from which the only source of light came. I was getting close, but I'd have to be a spider in order to walk across the ceiling to get to the opening in the floor above.