Holy freaking underworld.

The dragon.

It is freaking out.

I stand right outside the Mainstay door, not daring to step a single foot farther. The beast flies high above the Mainstay, above each and everyone of my little idiot villagers who stare slack-jawed at the sky as the monstrosity soars.

You know where the hell the dragon came from? Yep. From Khorsheed and the Gods, gods lower-case g, I like to say. Lots of creatures and bastards of the worlds were sent to guard me.

Guess I’m that powerful. Or terrifying. Or what? Why the hell would each God of Sky send a hellion creature to take care of me. Scare me into submission?

I was already encased in stone. My giant decayed molar is the thrown in the Grand Hall and just a small part of my gaping mouth of a mountain. I guess I screamed when Khorsheed shrunk me, mouth wide open.

But hell. That damned monster above. That was Khorsheed’s I think. I think. I don’t know, it’s been too damn long but locking that thing in it’s dungeon was one of the harder things I’ve done since I’ve been in the Underworld.

The other hard thing is to pretend to care about these idiots.

“Hohnair Mand?”

My Grief Room artist is a few feet away, eyes watery. He stares off in the distance instead of up towards the sky. What could possibly be so interesting?

“Yes, Chief?” he says, clearing his throat.

I motion for him to come inside and he follows like the little lost soul he is. I open the supply room door. “You know, I need you to secure the others.” The stale and cold air from the supply room, which is actually my hardened god brain, bothers me. Stinks really. “Can I trust you with this?”

The brow furrow and the head scratch. Typical stupid. “I’m sorry, Chief, but what do you mean?”

Oh, right, right, right. I killed his grandma who knew about this place once she pissed me off. I can’t remember what she did but I offed her as soon as she done it. Nebulae thinks I should keep a log, a notebook if you will, of treasons but I say to hell with that and I’ll just kill the bastards when I need to.

Let’s see, who else knew of this place? Maybe his mom but-

“You know, let me just introduce you to a super-secret place that no one can know about. Can you keep this a secret?”

He nods, eyes lowered. Atta’ boy. Give me some respect.

Through the supply room and to the back. The dungeon door is freshly wiped of dirt. I’d say this guy did it but by the look of his face, the one where se stares at the wooden door in the floor like he’s never seen a door before, I’d say it wasn’t him kicking dirt around.

It creaks as it opens and I nudge him to head down the spiral staircase. Maybe it could be Hohnair Mand. But damn, he’s my best artist and the way he paints the souls after Sac Day, they feed me so well I could even skip a month. I won’t but I could, is what I’m saying.

More junk fills this space of empty hollowed brains. And then, we get to my favorite place. Locked away creatures from the gods. We walk the hallway, cells on both sides. Some things live forever and some like the elephant of Manatua in Sky, they only live if the sun touches their skin so guess what?

The golden tusk piled on top of white bones is something I need to come back for. Whittle out a statue of me and Nebulae.

But anyways. “This is where the creatures that destroy stay. I’m not sure how the dragon escaped but this will now be your job. To ensure no one comes in and nothing gets out.”

His hands shake and his lips tremble. Maybe this kid isn’t like my Earth self after all. A nervous freaking wreck. The howls and the growls that rumble through the long passageways aren’t for the light of heart but come on kid, they aren’t that bad.

“Can you do that for me, Hohnair Mand? Because if you don’t, you have to die now that you’ve seen this place and you are the only villager I even trust.”

His fingers touch a cell bar. The creature in it hides in the dark. I wouldn’t touch it if I was him but then again, I don’t care.

“Sure. Yes. I can do this,” he stammers.

Of course, he stammers. Of course, he does.

The cold dungeon air burns my lungs with a deep breath in. “I’m going back up. Feel free to stay as long or as short as you like. But from this day forward, you talk about this place, you’re next up on Sac Day. Got it?”

He nods, just barely. Good enough for me.

A note on my Retire Room wall is ready for me.

My loving god,

The Nothosaurus Dragon has been released from your heart chamber. Its roar has reached Sky. My love, what have you done?

Love you with all my heart,

Nebulae.

I plaster it over. Damn, that’s a little harsh my love. Just a bit, don’t you think? I’m not fully me yet, just feeding on lowly souls and you expect me to keep my giant stone body guarded? Absolutely impossible. What’s not impossible is trapping that ludicrous animal screeching high above, vibrating my window. I’ve done it before and I’ll do it again – trap the idea, the memory, the thought of the Nothosaurus Dragon.

I guess, maybe the Gods didn’t send their own creatures from Sky to guard me. But if I steal enough of the ideas from Earth, souls will forget where they go back up to and stay with me, in the Underworld, forever breaking me from this stupid mountain.