I cracked my back and groaned aloud as we stepped through the hallowed halls of this monk temple. A ton of my fellow college friends turned and gave me a nasty look, pursing their lips with a forefinger telling me to keep quite. I grinned sheepishly and shrugged in response. It had been hours since I was able to walk up right, thanks to the four hour plane ride topped with the five hour charter bus drive down to our first stop in the International College Road Trip. Once every four years, the students in our college are given an opportunity to visit a remote area for a full three hour credit class. The trip was fun, and all we had to do was walk around, listen to the tour guides and take notes. No tests, no homework, just take in the atmosphere and relax.
I brushed a sweaty hand through my mop of hair, brushing back the brown fibers in order to see better. "This temple," began our tour guide, "was made in order to keep the world purified. In the vast halls you see on your left and right, contain some of the most dreadful demons in the world." he pointed in the needed direction. The chamber we were passing through now had many, many halls. Each hall contained several hundred doors. I wasn't too sure how far the halls even went, for they darkened the further down the hall went. "Many of the demons that are captured are placed in these prisons, sealed off with the strongest monk magic found in the world. Of course, these here are just low-level demons. We are not permitted to travel into the deeper parts due to the danger. Now if you would follow me..."
My mind began to wander as the tour guide once again began to explain the historical importance of this temple. I already knew the finer details of the building anyway. No one could say how big the temple actually was. It tunneled several thousands of miles underground, housing trillions of demons within it. The deeper one went, the stronger the demons became. Some even dared to say that the temple went so deep that it touched the tip of hell itself.
"The temple is powered by an awesome magic, located at the top of the temple." The guides voice found its way back to me. I looked up and began to pay attention again, hopping no one noticed my momentary mind lapse. "Long ago, before mankind had the power to subdue monsters and demons, we were protected by ancient gods. Our ancestors named these great deities the Golden Tribe. The Golden Tribe's power was so massive, that hell itself was purified every year. This meant that once every year the world would be purged of any dark thought, any monster, any demon. The humans could live in peace for one week of the year, thanks to the Golden Tribe's great power.
"Even when demons and monsters roamed the earth, mankind still had it easy. Cities were made to worship the Golden Tribe. In every city was a temple, and with that temple was a human who would speak to the Golden Tribe, an Avatar. These Avatars conversed with the Gods, and gained favors from them. The Avatars were able to build barriers around their cites and gift several humans with the power to fight off the darkness.
"And so humankind survived as such, off the Golden Tribes good will... for a time that is. One day the Avatars of the world tried to contact their deities... and found themselves unable to......"
Again my mind began to wander. I already knew the whole story. The Golden Tribe decided to turn its back on this world and left our kind to our own devices. Most of the world was destroyed, but one temple remained. The one temple that survived found a relic the Golden Tribe left behind and used it to seal away all the darkness in the world. That temple was this one.
So humankind was able to rebuild and now we live in a 'golden age'. Its been nearly two thousand years since that event.
Suddenly the tour guide stopped speaking. As I took in my surrounding I began to realize that we had entered the elevator and were heading back up to the lobby. I shrugged and began to let my mind wander once again...
*flicker.... flicker*
The lights dimmed and brightened ominously. Everyone in the group began to chatter among each other and an uneasy feeling started to spread. "Easy now everyone!" The guide announced. "I am sure the light bulbs just need to be changed, there is no need to-"
*KIISSSSH BOOM*
The elevator stopped and the area was thrown into complete darkness. Above us was the sound of people screaming, and the sound of large firearms being used. Our class went into full fledged panic mode. I too began to panic, but just found my way to the nearest wall and clung onto it for dear life.
*Do you want to live?*
I jumped when a sudden voice pierced the otherwise deafening sound of my class panicking.
*Answer damn it! Do you want to live?*
I couldn't voice an answer, and nodded dumbly in the dark.
*... well I guess its better than nothing. Hold onto something, kid*
Suddenly the elevator gave a lurch. Everyone inside screamed as it began to descend at a very fast rate. We were free falling.
*Woops, that wasn't right.* the voice chuckled. The elevator stopped again, sending everyone stumbling around, a few falling onto the floor. *Sorry about that, still trying to get the hang of everything... its been a while since I have been able to manipulate anything.*
Everything was still for a moment... then the elevator began to move down again, this time at its normal pace.
As we descended deeper into the temple, the voice continued to advise me. *Alright, your probably not going to like where you are going, or who I am. But I AM saving your LIFE after all. In fact, I am saving a lot of lives right now.* The voice trailed off mid-sentence, as if it were trying to gather its thoughts. *For shits and giggles what would you say if I told you I was a demon?*
My stomach lurched at the thought and I felt the room spin uncomfortably.
*That's what I thought...* the voice sighed sadly, as if reading my mind. *Look before you go off the wall or something, let me explain. Not all demons are as bad as the temple says they are. Sure the majority of us are, but some of us are just as pure as you humans. Well... maybe NOT as pure, but we aren't evil!*
The elevator began to slow down, it had only been a few minutes but I could feel the change in temperature around us. We were deep underground.
*The Gods... eer... your 'Golden Tribe' knew this. When they purified the land, once a year, our kind was left in tact. Which is why the world was repopulated with demons every time. But at the end of every purification cycle, only the purest demons were left. The only REASON why our kind turned evil again was because of YOU humans.*
The voice's tone turned hot and angry. *Your kind just hunted us down after every cycle! Determined to wipe our kind from the very planet! I mean, HELLO, we were children of this world too. Even if we were a bit twisted compared to you humans, it didn't mean we were inherently evil. This is why the Golden Tribe turned on you humans. They saw how you were, and left to leave you in our care. After hundreds of years being slaughtered there is no wonder why most of my kind went mad and began to kill your kind. And because of that, our evil brothers were born. Now more then ninety percent of our kind is the demon all of you humans picture.*
The elevator stopped and the doors slid open. In my line of sight I could see a very long and narrow hallway leading into complete darkness. The hall was devoid of any human touch. It was simply a long walkway covered in rock walls.
*I am at the end of this passage. It has taken several hundreds of years for me to build up enough power to break the seals from my door. I managed to corrupt the temples little 'relic' and now the entire area is in an uproar. Those weapons you heard? They were my evil brothers being released from their bonds. Of course I kept enough power in the 'relic' to keep the more dangerous ones at bay. Which means I am still stuck in my own tomb.*
The voice began to sound sad, and desperate at the same time. All the while everyone in the elevator, save for me, began to slump against walls or fall completely do the ground as if being driven to sleep.
*I will admit, this is a long shot. I looked for the right person to reach out to. You seem to have an open mind for things. I was hoping you could see the light in my words. I am not evil! My father was one of the strongest and oldest demons alive. He was friends with your Golden Tribe, and died trying to keep some of my more eviler brothers from slaughtering your kind. I should have hated you humans... I should have turned at the sight of my father being killed just to save you soft skins. But... in the name of my fathers honor I have decided to keep my devotion to your kind. Please, human, release me from my prison and I swear I will be at your side always. I will grant your every wish, your deepest desire once I regain my strength.*
I could almost see this creature kneel down at my feet as he continued his plea. *I beg of you, help me. Please*