Twilight Elysium

Chapter 10: No offense but I'd die for Balalaila

Just like Balalaika but with another L instead of k

You were abruptly woken up by the force of your body hitting the ground. Your limbs were freed.

    "Go back to hell where you came from!" One of the people shouted. They pointed rakes and pikes at you, forcing you back. You stumbled over your own steps and scooted back. Suddenly, your body was enveloped in a strange, smooth gelatinous texture before you were forced out.

    Now, you were facing a gray stone wall you banged on it and yelled. Seeing how your efforts were useless, you turn around to see where you had been sent.

    You were surrounded by huge stone walls that made a corridor. The earth was damp and dirty like it had just rained. You stepped through the muck and made your way through the corridor.

    A small group of animals passed in front of you. One of the strange animals strayed from the herd and trotted up to you. Its white coat was covered in the gray mud, but it seemed pretty happy. It made a soft bleat to you and lightly headbutted your leg. A sheep? It got up on its hind legs and headbutted your hand as if trying to get you to pet it.

    You squatted down to its height, which prompted to to jump in your lap and nuzzle you. It bleated again, nuzzling your chin with its mop of messy wool. You giggled and pet the top of its head. Then, it jumped out of your arms and trotted behind you.

    "You won't find much back there, little sheep. Just more gray nastiness," you called after it. It bleated like it was talking back to you. You stood up and followed a few paces behind the small lamb. It sat down next to something and bleated again.

    The small sheep had settled down next to a leather bound book covered in muck. You sat down next to it, not caring about getting covered in mud anymore, and wiped the cover off. It was your book!

    "how did this get here?" you wondered aloud. You flipped through the pages to find that it was still untarnished. The little lamb gently nudged your hand as if to gesture that you turn the page.

    The sheep continued to give you directions before it landed on a page of Kars, Santana, and a bunch of sheep that looked exactly like the one next to you. You knew this story very well. It was about Santana and how he would take animals from Kars' study and play with them. The picture showed Santana in Kars' arms and one of the lambs in Santana's own. The lamb's left horn was platinum while the other was gold. It placed a muddy hoof on the sheep that was cuddled in Santana's tiny arms. 

    "Balalaila? What about her?" You asked, thinking yourself crazy for talking to an animal.

    The sheep bleated and wrung out its head. You scrunched up your eye brows.

    You rip off a piece of your pant leg and gently wipe the lamb's horns clean. Sure enough, both horns sparkled beautifully, even in the dreary atmosphere. Your eyes widened.

    "What are you doing here?" You asked. Rather than respond to you with another bleat, she trotted off again. When you didn't follow, she turned and looked at you.

    You picked up the book and followed after Santana's prized sheep.

~

    Balalaila led you through the many twists and turns of the maze before ending up in a small open area. There were carvings on the walls that showed some type of story. In the middle was an empty basin on a pedestal. She sat down in front of a small scripture on the bottom of the carving. You crouched down to read it, only to find that it wasn't any language that you had seen before.

    "I don't think this was meant for me," you said to her, "I think you have the wrong person."

    Balalaila nodded her head to the pedestal. You gently pick up the basin and return to your spot next to her. With a yawn, the tiny sheep lay her head on your lap. You held the dish in front of you.

    riddles and rhymes are completely ludicrous

    it's simple, use your blood, sweat, or tears

    i'm sure you can figure it out

     Your instinct told you that you had to fill the basin with your blood, sweat, and tears, but it told you not to. Besides, it said 'or'.

     You tangle your fingers in Balalaila's coat, causing her to gently nip at you. You giggle.

     "Do you know what this means?" you ask her, holding the dish so she could read it. You had no doubts that she was smart enough to read common. She was god touched, after all. The sheep shook her head and continued to nip at you. You contemplated the not-so-riddle for a few more moments before Balalaila gave you a particularly hard bite on the hand. It was enough to force tears from your eyes.

     "Ouch," you whimper. Balalaila sprung up and lightly lapped at one tear. She nuzzled your wet cheek. Could it really be that simple?

     You wiped one of the tears from your eyes and licked it. Suddenly, the world around you was filled with an orange color. The symbols on the wall stuck out in a bright orange color. The carving had exploded with newfound colors that highlighted each feature.

     The sheep licked your hand and nuzzled it gently. There were small teeth marks but nothing else. You petted her soft coat. She let out a breath akin to a sigh and furled up in your lap. You gently picked her up and turned your attention to the wall.
    
      I should be doing hw right now tbh