Of Ancient Passages: Chapter 17: The Eyes of Price

Morzak walks out of the dense shadows. His eyes grab to the wanted board. Fingers rip the paper away, straightening it nervously. He cannot believe his eyes. The paper is a wanted posting for Sol. The price is enough to bring many lowlifes and bounty hunters calling.

He spits on the dirt, fingering the pommel in his coat. Trouble follows anyone who eyes a wanted poster, with so much intent and interest. He is not surprised when a group of thugs follows him into the alley. They laugh brutishly at the cornered dog. He tips his hat and shows his eyes. They pull their weapons out.
The big man with the axe speaks.

“Give us your information and we will give you peace.”

A broad smile sweeps Morzak’s lips. He pushes his coat back and grips his macuahuitl and miao dao. “A wolf prances most in winter, howling up to the moons. Come and get me.”

They encircle him. His hands grip tight his weapons. Slowly he unsheathes them. At the sight of the mysterious weapons, they grow nervous. But numbers are on their side.

The moves are limbs being swung and blood drenching the street. Morzak’s weapons swing a bittersweet harmony. The prey had now become the hunter. Adrenaline pumps the fuel of fury in his eyes. A hunger for blood takes him.

He loses himself in the swing and hymn of his blades. Instinct infects Morzak. After a moment, control is taken back. All but one lies dead at his feet. The boredom make light of the situation.

The last curdles on the ground crying, pleading, hands locked in prayer. “Please don’t kill me.”

The blades are inches from the man’s neck. “You are no fun. My quarry is mine alone. Everyone who hunts him will learn that.”

Morzak brings his weapons together above his head. They crash down into the man’s skull. Blood and brains run. A feeling of disappointment comes. He should have drawn the battle out. A gust blows his coat. Tonight he will sleep tomorrow the hunt begins.

***

It has been only a day, already the sand creeps everywhere. The sun beats hot against the desert floor. The night brings a dreadful cold. They go from one extreme to the next. D’ereen wraps close around Sol. For once, he is glad to have her near (if only for the body heat).

They walk for a mad account of time. Until they come to a large stone. Much larger than the one in the cave. It is carved into a figure of grotesque and unknown origin. There is something both menacing and maniacally happy in its features.

Some ways passed the sand drops into a valley. Giant square cut steps lead down into it. They nor I know what makes them descend. Maybe in the hopes of finding Cruxib. Or perhaps the firelight sparks the curiosity.

As they descend, stark voices of brutal and alien dialects echo. They spy the figures that wear sanguine robes. Or is it that the bodies are so covered in blood? Hoods hide any traces of humanity. Gray gloves rob the texture or color of their skin.

Clinging to the walls, they remain near invisible in shadows. This place is no mere valley. It is an old burial place forgotten to but a few. Many evil men are laid to rest here. So as not to pollute the decent gravesites. Belvos, Vandora, Test, Karthos all have grand homes on the floor. Tombs rise high in a twisting spiral.

Tsuk describes the people below. “Savants. Liches. Vesekraug.”
The once red burning fire burns green. Bodies sway in prayer to their God. The green flames splash light on their shallow features. Scantly unhuman, disgusting, faces rock back and forth in an unnatural way. Heads bang too fast to be natural. Sol wants to disappear far from view of these things.

Sol looks away. “What are they, really?”

Alunda speaks in a lisp whisper. “Some are men, some are goblins and some are…more. One thing is certain; they bring a dark age to this world.”

A tall figure comes from the crowd. Its back is bent and where the arms should be, tentacles hang. Great strands of slime drip from it. Its voice is watery, bubbly.  Shouting a dreadful hymn, others join in:

A darkness we hope
Will never heal.
In madness
We will all abide.
Bringing forth
The chaos comes.
Rise o’ master rise.
In heresy
We thrive.
Rise our dark God rise.
Give us flesh
Rise and give us blood.
Let him come
He shall come.
All will worship willingly
Or be eaten by the rest.
Give us forth
Our hungers best.
Of blood,
Of bone
And all the rest.
Rise o’ great one rise.
In your honor
We smite for you.
Raping those
We leave alive.
Rise o’ father rise.
We give you
O’ our lord
Many virgin sacrifice.
We send to you ,
Any who would hinder
Your heavenly way.
Come forth our master rise.
Give us grace
In your light.
O’ I beg of you
In your malice.
Give us this our only way.
Rise o’ master rise.



Then it begins to speak in its gurgled tongue. “Give us power to serve you. We send you new sacrifices.” Someone hands it something. It raises a stone up. “This will be born of love. To help and save the world.”

Boos come. A person was taken from the crowd. Hands tie with holly and mouth gagged with mandrake. This is the only way to bind a malaphant. The tentacle creature grabs her. Such as she was Alexandra.

It speaks again with a twisted smile. The smile makes bile rise in Sol’s throat. “A stealer of the life force. Let all witness this transfer of fate.”

Sol whispers. “We have to do something. It is not by happenstance that fate curves.”

Tsuk shakes his head. “There are too many.”

“How about a distraction?” Alunda asks rubbing his staff. “Tsuk follow me.”

They vanish to the right. Hiding behind small crops of pyramids. D’ereen grabs Sol’s hand. The pyramids pull themselves from the ground. Thick roots cling to them acting as the legs. They go thrashing to the procession.

Vesekraug go running. All except the tentacle one. It knows an illusion when it sees one. The pyramids crash against it, vanishing.  In their shadows, a huge boulder pummels the creature. Black ooze splashes and bones splinter.

The stone rolls out of its feeler. Sol grabs it and stuffs it into his pocket. By this time the Vesekraug are running after them. They flee as fast as they can. Alexandra follows easily. Sol’s adrenaline is at an all-time high. The dunes offer no visibility.

They get them off their backs quickly. It is dark nearly pitch. For good measure, they stay at the pit of the dune. Everyone breathes heavy and a little easier. Everyone wrestles with what they have seen.

Sol removes the holly and mandrake from her. “There that is better.”

“You saved me. Why did you do that? I do not understand.” Alexandra wonders.

“Because we should. Besides I did nothing.” Sol says.

“You removed the holly and mandrake from me. You and your friends saved me.” Alexandra is fast. She hugs him. “Thank you.” The two female’s eyes meet. D’ereen’s stare is warning and dangerous. She lets go. “I am sorry but I cannot stay. I have things that must be done. Perhaps I will see you in the future.”

D’ereen lets her guard down, expecting her to leave. Instead, Alexandra uses her supernatural speed to kiss Sol. Her eyes look to D’ereen as she does it. As if to say, he is mine now. Then she is gone.

“You bitch!” D’ereen smolders.

Tsuk grins shaking his head. “Let’s get going. I don’t want to stay here.” They all agree.

After distance is between them and the Vesekraug, they rest. The night is full of suspicion. Tsuk stays awake for a long while. Until the night splashes into vague blues. The old familiar sun pokes up. It lightens his heart, if only for a moment. Because just as it comes up, so too must it go down.

***

Morzak walks outside the abandoned Exezla Fortress. Where has everyone gone? Wizards have always been interesting prey. The tracks change into a panther or lion. Intrigue grows. There are also the big birds tracks but they go nowhere.

The steps go into the trees, something rattles. He grabs his weapons, prepared. A kodama scampers from the brush. It makes strange clicking noise before running back into the foliage. Following he goes into the forest.

The kodama walks ahead, guiding the way. It ducks under close-knit Bradford Pares. Cautiously he moves through them. What he sees amazes him. A gigantic sword rises high, higher even than the tallest tree. Twisting and melded to it are a great many flowers.

On each side cherry blossom trees stand. A chill wind blows, scattering the petals. Leaves are of festive: reds and brown. A small pool stands in the middle of the glade. A smaller island rests in the center.

The kodama climbs into the cherry tree to be with the rest of its family. He ignores their gaze on him. The sun cuts through the leaves sending sprays of light to the pool. It is beauty unremarked, nature at its zenith. In this hidden and untouched place. There is a sense of the holy here, an earthy divinity.

Sitting down, he lets the full force of the glade rapture him. Hearing another rustling, Morzak does not move. It seems if he does, he will violate some natural law. A small herd of elk appears. All save the largest take no notice of him. The biggest (even by elk standards), walks up to him sitting by his side.

The elk’s voice is rich. Not to be classified by our standards. “I am the great spirit of this wood. You have been called to this place. By the spirits, the water and the trees, by the earth.”

Morzak’s voice is quiet. “Where am I?”

“This is the Shrine of Kishaia. The waters are magical. They are the seeing kind. My brothers and I are her watchers. She needs little guarding but she has given us this duty. She is choosy who she lets through her gate. I wonder what makes you so special.”

“I do not know or understand. What is so special about me? Why would I be brought to this place?”

He stomps his hoof. “It is not my right to know. Reach the island and find out for yourself. Touch not the water.”

“How do I cross?”

The elk shakes its head. “Some answers can only be gained by doing.”

The island is a good distance away. To reach it is near impossible. Morzak stands on the bank, thinking. Suddenly an urge to remove his boots takes him. Once off the water ripples. The more he edges his foot, the more it ripples.

When feet plunge in, no cold splash comes. Only the soft bed under his toes. Amazed he walks on. Behind, the water comes together again. Once he sets himself on the island, the water is together.

No mouth can be found for the voice. The plants glow as something speaks. “You will find Sol but you must not fight him.”

Standing firmly he replies. “I must. He has to be tested.”

“If you hinder him you hinder yourself. If you kill him, you kill yourself.”

Morzak reflects for a moment. “I will do what I will.”

The trees rustle fiercely. The glade hazes out. He stands on the trail. All of it grows fuzzy in his mind, as if it was only a dream. Sol is Morzak’s priority he must find him.

“I should get more rest.”

***

Before them is a sea. Ripping and stirring as water may but it is sand. A deadly trap to the unwise. These are rare but not uncommon. This one is impassable.

“What is this?” Tsuk asks.

No one answers. D’ereen picks up a rock and throws it near the water. It cracks and splashes. The consistency is like quicksand. The edges are fragile like ice. Yet it flows like water.