by Lee Magnus
Ten seconds.
The images continued to change.
Five seconds.
“Arggggg! Fine!” he said as he timed the final slide to match the image of the gruesome dog with a second or two to spare.
The old man’s eyes abruptly opened with an empty gaze. The back of the room expanded into a spacious arena circumferenced by large, crumbly stone brick walls. The bricks of different sizes were colored grey and black. They seemed to be merely stacked upon each other haphazardly until a solid wall formed. Torches provided dim but consistent flickering light which produced shaky shadows throughout. Only blackness formed the ceiling.
An eerie wind blew.
The old man fell off the chair to his knees. He painfully arched his back. His torso elongated. His head grew large as his nose projected outward with his mouth, forming a snout. Serrated teeth jutted from emancipated jaws. Clothes withered away as thick, blood-red fur grew from thin, pallid skin. Hands and feet twisted into white paws full of long sharp claws. Once complete its head reached high into the air and it roared – shaking the floor under Trey’s feet. A large ferocious beast of a dog stood before him.
Then it did what freaked Trey out the most, it began decomposing. The fur thinned and chunked off sporadically, blood dripping hunks slopped to the ground as it walked, large open scabs appeared across its face.
Standing as tall as an elephant, it released a thunderous howl.
“I think I made a big mistake,” Trey gasped.
Walking horizontally past the desk the Protector stared at its opponent. Ears cocked, blood-splattered white tail alert, menacing snarl exposed enormous fangs.
Trey stood motionless on the other side of the desk.
A flash of light shot across his eye reflected off something dangling from the collar made of scabby skin. The beast continued to move into position. The metallic piece on the collar continued to mirror firelight into his eyes, breaking all concentration.
The object shifted beneath a thick slab of rotting flesh before Trey could get a better look.
Trey eased past the desk into the sizable room.
Suddenly, hundreds of sharp objects fell from above as he entered the arena. He dove for safety under a ledge – several fatal strikes missed by inches.
“Knives from the sky! You couldn’t remember knives falling from the sky!” he shouted at Clievan.
He assessed several minor lacerations and determined he was in good shape. He wrapped the only bad one on his leg with material from his shirt.
The dog, seemingly uninterested in progressing rapidly, approached with care and stepped gracefully around the fallen blades. It somehow avoided the knife barrage.
“Knives, knives. What did he say about knives? Green handle! I’m looking for one with a green handle and black blade.”
Trey eyed the great dog, which continued stalking. “Back home, the neighbor’s dog would always chase me if I ran. Maybe if I casually walk and stay out of sight, I can find the knife without interference.”
Trey stooped, then slowly made his way around the perimeter of the room. The dog maintained a bloody eye on him and matched his direction. Trey turned, then swept another section of the room with the dog seeming to quicken its pace. Trey settled down watching closely. Looking around the room, he tried to see as much knife detail as possible but couldn’t make out many near the continuously progressing animal.
I’ll have to let him get closer to have a chance to search that area.
He waited. The dog tirelessly approached. Bloody drool hung from scaly lips. He was now close enough for Trey to view rows of grey and black teeth.
“It’s definitely a locket tied to a rotting skin collar ...and it has a keyhole! I don’t have any idea how I’ll find a key in this shadowy place or how I’m expected to get it into that locket. But dang-it, it’s a keyhole!”
He moved to the left as the dog became uncomfortably close from the right. Careful not to quicken his pace but to remain just ahead of the monster. He searched the new area but found no green handled knife or key for that matter.
“It must have fallen in the center. I’ll get eaten alive if I get that close.”
The dog continued a persistent pursuit.
Trey noticed several places along the wall where knives should have been but weren’t. He looked up and found ledges jutting out over the area.
I wonder if some fell up there. I could do a climb-up to reach those ledges. But I would need a running start. I’m not sure how my furry friend would take to that. The benefit, though, is that I may be out of reach if he gets frisky. I think it’s worth the risk. I can walk toward the center of the room looking the best I can, then at just the right moment I’ll dart toward the far-left wall, hopefully avoiding any unwelcome interactions with mister lively.
Trey gathered all the courage he could muster, then began walking the perimeter toward the Protector. Trey turned right toward the center of the room. The Protector matched his movements on an intercept route from the left.
“None of these have a green handle. Dang!”
Trey took another few steps as the beast neared. Just as he could feel its hot breath, Trey took one more step then turned on his right foot, then darted past the dog toward the left wall. The Protector lunged with a gaping mouth, barely missing Trey’s foot. The miss gave Trey the time he needed to reach the wall. He jumped, planted a foot on the wall and boosted himself onto the ledge to the left.
“Ha Ha! Didn’t expect ole Trey the wall climbing master to take you on did ya!” he said proud of his athleticism.
The beast lunged and snapped just above the ledge causing Trey to fall backward in panic.
He pushed himself against the wall and said, “That was too close,” as he wiped sweat from his forehead.
The ledge provided safety, but not much. The Protector released an unrelenting burst of deafening barks as it desperately tried to reach Trey on the ledge. It jumped and barked, barked and jumped. Bloody slobber slung everywhere.
No green handled knife here he thought trying to shut out the booming noise.
Claws frantically scratched the walls flinging hunks of debris several feet in every direction.
“I need to move before he rips this ledge down!”
Trey ran to the left, jumped off the ledge, then tic tac’d off the wall onto the next ledge. The dog jumped just behind him, snapping at his feet.
“No green handled knife here either. I can’t think with all that infuriating barking!” he screamed holding his ears.
He tic tac’d once again to the next ledge but this time the beast anticipated the move, nearly chomping him in midair. His nose bumped Trey which sent him sprawling over the ledge. He barely grabbed on with one hand and quickly climbed onto the ledge just as the mighty dog snapped again missing him by less than an inch. It resumed its inexorable barking.
“There it is! I can’t believe it! It actually exists!” he said elated.
He picked up the knife which was jammed into the stone ledge. He examined the details and was amazed at what he found.
“There’s an image of a key on the blade! This must be the key to the locket!”
His enthusiasm was short-lived as the thought of how to proceed weighed on him.
“Now, how do I get it in there?” he said out loud.
His head pounded from the animal’s sharp barks. He held his hands to his ears which seemed to do nothing to suppress the sound.
Another foolish idea popped in his mind as the dog continued to leap beneath him, snapping just over the ledge, barking ear-piercing barks and scraping chunks of stone away from the ledge causing it to become less steady by the second.
“This is a very bad idea,” he said just before he hurled himself off the ledge toward the massive beast.
Escape
Just as the Protector set its front paws on the floor, Trey landed on the back of its thick neck, grabbed the collar with one hand, then sliced it off with the blade in the oth
er mid-stride. He took two more steps down its back before turning a 180 flip off the rear end of the beast. He landed on the floor falling to his butt with the knife securely in the locket.
The Protector howled in defeat then, before Trey’s astonished and exhausted eyes, instantly turned into an aged wooden chest with a golden keyhole. It opened revealing a brightly shining palm sized geode. Trey shielded his eyes from the blinding light as he approached. He looked around, careful about traps but found none. He removed the Eye of Kartho and held it in his hand for a moment. A moment which illuminated his life experiences. A moment of triumph in a string of unbelievable circumstances a thirteen-year-old nobody from normal-town USA could only imagine.
He then placed it in a buttoned pocket extinguishing its magnificent radiance, returning him to an empty room with a confused flying cat and a small man with large digits.
Seth and Clievan fell to the floor in exhaustion. After a few seconds a cool breeze gushed through the enclosed room. Seth resumed his human disguise.
“Seth! Clievan! You guys are still alive!”
“Trey?” said Seth shaking his head. “I’m so glad you made it. What happened? I remember entering this room and then we…we had a fight? I remember someone yelling at me.”
“Good to see you again, bud. Did you get it?” asked Clievan eagerly.
“Yeah! I got it! It was so wild. I could have used you Clievan. I had to jump up a wall!”
“A wall? No Way!” He paused a second then said, “Maybe I should hold on to it. We can put it here in my buttoned pocket. Plus, if something happens, my grip is significantly better than yours,” Clievan said hopefully.
Trey looked at Clievan with a cautious eye then said, “It’s safe in my zippered pocket. Thanks for offering,” Trey concluded as he noticed Clievan fade into a disappointed demeanor.
Trey then told the story of what happened with Seth and Clievan staring in disbelief.
“That’s an amazing feat you just accomplished. Few others would have been able to complete it. I mean look at us, we barely made it through the front door,” said Clievan.
“Yeah. You saved our lives. I am grateful for you,” said Seth hugging Trey tightly. Clievan joined in.
“You guys are squeezing my guts out,” Trey wheezed.
Seth chuckled, then said, “Now, let’s go get Nick!”
Trey grabbed the sword from the floor, sheathed it then stepped through the rematerialized door onto the façade. Two crusty roggletts, waiting in ambush, secured him to the ground. Seth rushed out tackling one freeing Trey enough to escape. Clievan disappeared so he could move out of the building unnoticed.
Stumbling into the street, Trey and Seth became surrounded by dozens of hooded creatures. Several men lay in the street either unconscious or killed along with many roggletts that were clearly dead.
A tall man in a black cloak approached steadily – effortlessly – as if floating inches from the ground like an unchained wraith pursuing its next soul. The cloak drug the sand like the tail of a dragon stalking a hapless victim – seeming to move independently from its wearer. Dark rings encircled forebodingly black eyes that no light could penetrate. A long skinny nose protruded from a gaunt, pallid face etched with lifeless scaly skin. Raised before him in his right hand donned with various rings was a shiny, black, shoulder high staff topped with a small dark blue crystal sphere – his other hidden deep in the cloak. He wore no facial expression as he neared. Three roggletts followed pulling Nick along with them.
“Mr. H! Are you ok?”
“I’m fine Trey. Don’t give them anything!” Nick said before taking a blow to the back of the head.
Trey was scared, petrified. Intense horror overcame him. Disillusionment and despair filled his soul, as if he were in a pit of mud, sinking ever deeper. He hoped for death – which was surely to come effortlessly.
“Wallace Roberts – the third,” Commerand said in a college professor sort of way. “How nice it is to finally meet you.”
Trey’s stomach churned. He felt as if he would pass out.
Seth quickly snatched Trey into the air. Commerand waived the staff. White clouds swirled in the once solid blue sphere, bringing them crashing to the ground – ending the feeble attempt at escape.
“I sensed you were somehow – disguised,” Commerand directed toward Seth. “I thought your kind were only interested in helping yourselves,” he continued intriguingly. “What is it the boy has that you desire?” Commerand said staring deeply at Seth – slowly circling the tip of the cloudy staff.
“Nothing I want nothing from him,” Seth said holding the sides of his head. “ARRGGG! I-don’t-want-anything-from-hiiim! AGGGGG!” Seth screamed in pain as he rolled back and forth on the ground.
“Leave him alone!” yelled Trey, who had found his wits now that Commerand’s focus was elsewhere.
Commerand turned slowly continuing to hold Seth who wretched in pain with each movement of the staff. “What is it you have that he wants?”
“Go to hell!” Trey screamed.
Commerand swiftly became face to face with Trey, revealing deathly eyes and pale decaying skin. Green puss oozed from an open sore on his cheek.
Staring deep into Trey’s eyes as if he could harass his very soul, Commerand whispered with putrid hot breath and a scowl, “What do you know of heeell, boy?” Trey again became petrified with fear as Commerand continued, “Can’t you see? I am already there.”
Commerand glanced over Trey’s shoulder, then said, “Andressen’s sword! My lord will be very pleased to have it back at his side. It seems as if you are now it’s protector. Unfortunately for you, you cannot give it to me like you will the eye. This, dear boy, looks like the end of our pleasantries.”
The rotting sorcerer floated backward and raised the magical staff releasing Seth from its grip. He then waved it slamming Trey face first onto the road. He then flipped him onto his back like a short order cook would flip a pancake – Trey bounced with an audible OOOOFF! Trey tried to move but couldn’t, the force from the staff kept him pinned. Commerand then raised the pinky from the staff which unzipped a pocket and slowly fished out the eye. The eye rose for all to see. The brilliant light emanating from the artifact forced all but Commerand to shield their eyes.
“Finally, the time has come. The great king will be free. He will ravage you all and this god forsaken planet. You will beg for forgiveness but will find none.”
An engine from above roared to life as a plane nearly landed on the party. It descended onto the road. Sparky popped onto the scene blasting a grenade of electricity onto Commerand and nearby rogglets. Lyza hung out the door raining bullets from a submachine gun onto the crowd – scattering everyone. The eye fell onto the sandy road as Commerand was forced to defend himself.
Sparky popped to Trey – his bright loving eyes begged for approval. “Thanks buddy! I wondered when you’d show up!” His kitten mouth smiled, he released a joyful set of sparks then popped away.
Clievan rushed the roggletts freeing Nick. He then ran to help Trey and at the same time secured the eye in his massive grip. He received an approving nod from Trey just as Seth grabbed Trey lifting him above the commotion and out of Commerand’s range. Clievan seized Nick then hauled him in the direction of the plane.
“Get them!” Commerand commanded.
Dozens of roggletts closely pursued.
“Look at Clievan go! Dang he’s fast!” said Trey from above.
Lyza was in the door of the plane just outside of town ushering them to hurry. She leveled precise shots onto the trailing horde. Noting their pace, she yelled to Assauf, “Go! Go! Go!”
The plane began a slow acceleration just as Clievan arrived. He threw Nick through the door. Shortly after, Seth crashed in with Trey braced in his arms and invisible folded wings. The pilot fully accelerated lifting the group to safety.
“Holy crap that was good timing!” said Seth.
“We were trying to be quiet on the landing but sa
w you in trouble. Thought you could use a distraction,” said Lyza.
“Yeah! That worked great!” said Trey. “How’s Nick?”
“He looks pretty beat up but nothing major,” she said. “What were you guys doing there?”
“Initially rescuing Nick but also trying to keep Commerand from getting the eye.”
“The eye? How did you know he was there for the eye?”
“The Keeper told me. He also told me that Nick was gonna die.” Trey kept quiet about the demon key.
“He said all of that? You are very clever to get information out of The Keeper. Were you successful? Did you get the eye?”
Trey hesitated. He looked worriedly at Seth who nodded assuredly in return.
She repeated more directly, “Did you get it, Trey?”
“Yeah. Yeah I got it.” Trey felt as if he had been defeated. He remembered what Grandpa said about one of these people will deceive him. What if it was her? She saved them but he didn’t trust her.
“Clievan and Seth helped you?”
“Well. Sort of,” Trey replied.
“No, your hi….” She cut fierce eyes at Seth, stopping him mid-sentence. He paused, momentarily startled then continued, “We didn’t make it past the spell,” said Seth.
“So, you did it by yourself? That’s amazing!” she said refocusing her attention on Trey.
“Where are we going now?” asked Trey.
“You’re going home. I’ll relocate the eye, then put the word out that you no longer have it. You should be safe while Commerand expends his resources trying to find it. The sword you will have to keep. You must either keep it on you or hide it carefully. The spell only works if it is on you. Otherwise, anyone can pick it up just as Seth did in the Sea Troll cave.”