Fairfax

by Jared Ravens

  Felix came to a clogged street filed with frantic people and dove into a brick building. He ran to the top, up through the stairs until he found the attic. He popped out onto the roof, almost losing his balance, and looked at Bautomet clearly for the first time.

  The Beast had hind legs like an animal and four arms flailing out from its severe looking torso. Its head, similar to a human with a long snout and vicious teeth flashing red and yellow. It eyes darted here and there, looking constantly for a new thing to amuse itself with and destroy. When it unfurled itself and rose to its full height it towered over the buildings around it. Its arm outstretched and its eyes widened into full orbs of reflected red, and it let out an awful scream that sounded like something a demented man would make in a torture chamber.

  Felix was frozen, awed into silence by Bautomet. This was what he had heard of in childhood stories. Though a great lake of blackness was between him and The Beast it felt as if it could swoop towards him in a matter of moments.

  He saw what it had howled at: police and military flooding the streets, attempting to block its way. Men and women carried pikes and swords as they strapped on makeshift armor of varying color and strength. From above he could see these men and women rambling aimlessly through the multitude of of streets, yelling at each other to go this way and that. The police knew the streets well and called to the armored men and women to come, but none wanted to go first. So they pointed, then waited, then pointed, then waited, a helpless batch of proud officers that feared they would be crushed with a single touch.

  From the countryside he saw the flames rushing towards them, torches of what he assumed were the guards that watched what came from the Edge of the World now marching to protect the capital. These guards had been looking in the wrong direction; this was from the south and it was not new.

  Felix watched in awe. Bautomet had escaped again. He was watching Death itself, or at least the protector of death, come to feast on the living. And it did this weel, grabbing left and right at any body it could find. It bit into armored soldiers and spit out their helmets so he could chew on their heads. He snatched them with his mouth and pulled them apart with glee. With every strike they made against it, Bautomet laughed, gleeful in the pain and blood that came from its scars. And when it ate too many bodies and it belched and vomited, spewing horrific acid from it nauseous snout.

  It was a spectacle of pure nightmare, a painting of horrific proportions. Burning arrows flew across the sky, illuminating The Beast in a patchwork of light. A face, a scowl, a body flying through the air, tossed by a flash of teeth.

  Felix's mind was numb, but his body reacted, descending from the roof and running down the stairs. The flow of the street was now reversed with military moving towards Bautomet instead of civilians running away from him. Felix now flowed with them. He saw fear in every face.

  He quickly found himself in the ruble of buildings, climbing over the bricks of demolished chimneys and door frames. Bautomet had moved away from the city as lines of soldiers formed in front of him, trying to contain him. Felix backed away, hiding behind the last remaining wall of a building. The Beast seemed to be had and the organization of the lines of soldiers seemed to be working. Then Bautomet stopped backing up. The line continued moving forward. They were threatening to stab him again but there was gleam in his eye; he saw something. He reached out towards the weakest point in the phalanx and, with a single light brush, thrust aside the whole of the center of the line. Men and women were thrown into the air like tissues and the police in the back of the line of soldiers let out a yelp. Many began to run, fearing it would turn and make a dash for them. Their faces were white and empty as they ran past Felix, falling over every obstacle in their path.

  The broken line of sliders tried stabbing at The Beast with halberts; Bautomet smiled at the pain and let out a demented laugh. He moved forward, thrusting himself back towards the city in great strides as if the people in front of him were no more than blades of grass. Before Felix knew it Bautomet was upon him, moving past the wall as Felix hid, a great stench of rot and sewage following him.

  The thunder of its feet passed by him, then moved on without a pause. Fearful and shaking, Felix slowly rose. Minutes passed. He feared that it would come back for him. He heard its footsteps further away. He peaked out and saw its back. Behind the Beast were soldiers, straggling to keep up with it, their faces bloodied and covered in mud. It was heading towards town, towards his parents. He had to get it to come back this way. He collected himself and scrambled among the ruins.

  He found armor from this body and that. Most of it was heavily beaten but still workable. He strapped it to his chest, letting it hand loosely from him. He picked up a sword covered in dark blood. He couldn’t remember the last time he had picked up a sword. Robertson was firmly anti military, and his parents reflected these values. What could they say now?

  A canyon of destruction lay in front of him. The giant continued to march towards the heart of the city. It had rolled over any obstacles in his way; nothing lay in its path.

  As Fairfax took his first, awkward steps in the bulky outfit he heard a rumble. At first he thought that it was Bautomet, running back towards him. But the sound was different, like thunder rumbling a constant speed. He saw the outlines of towering figures on the gliding over the ruined eastern edge of the city. He sucked in air as he realized who it was.

  He raced as fast as he could in his outfit, hoping to get closer to Curson and Atrios. Logic evaded him; either of these could crush him with a misplaced step. He didn’t care. He felt himself, finally, in his element. These were the legends, warriors in full armor here to defend their people. Curson, a half a body length larger than Bautomet, thrust down a mace upon him which Bautomet dove to avoid. It landed on a five story building, blasting bricks like shrapnel towards Felix.

  He lay down until it passed and then looked up to see Atrios swing a sword sideways into The Beast. Bautomet dodged again. It cut his leg but not deep enough.

  Bautomet attacked them, catching them off guard as they recovered from their attacks. He lit into Curson first, clawing at him viciously until Curons was forced off balance and fell to the ground. Before Bautomet could damage him further Atrios was cut at him. Batomet jumped at Atrios. His weight pulled Atrios forward into the ground. Bautomet jumped agility back and forth, alternating who he attacked, the father and son’s size advantage becoming a liability.

  From a distance flaming arrows and all manner of debris landing on The Beast as he wrestled with the two giants. The army was in a blind panic, throwing anything they could at Bautomet while he was down in the hopes they could help overwhelm him.

  Barrells of briman and cindle were rolled in alongside catapults. But when the soldiers attempted use the machines and it evident none were trained in its mechanics. Not a single barrel of the explosive mixture made it off the ground and the soldiers were left trying to fill bottles with the liquid to throw at Bautomet.

  Felix ran towards the soldier with the catapult and attempted to help assist him. After another failed attempt to pull back the bucket the soldier looked at Felix with a blank face, then fell to the ground and wept. Order was breaking down. People screamed in distress, hoping some mystical force would come and rescue them. Felix felt none of this. An etherial calm rolled over him. It seemed as if he was observing some horrific painting, that he was as far removed from the danger as if it was a happing an ocean away form him.

  He grabbed the ropes of the catapult and retied them, then ran them around the launching mechanism the opposite way. The bucked pulled back. He screamed for help. He pulled off his unwieldy armor and helped two woman put it in the bucket. He ran to lever of the catapult and pulled it.

  And nothing.

  As he scrambled to untie the rope on the launching mechanism, Spaulding's great beard appear in a flash in his peripheral vision. Gripping each other by the torso, Spaulding and Bautomet threw each other to the ground, tearing buildings down with
each landing, coming closer to the catapult. Felix ran the rope another way, his mechanics class lessons flashing in his head. He ran back to the bucket, where the barrel had fallen out of the launching device. Waves of armored men and women ran past him, retreating from the coming storm of bodies towering over them. Felix grabbed the barrel himself, pulling with everything he had until the edge of it tipped the side of the bucket. He was panting, drenched in sweat, and he felt the heat of bodies rolling towards him. He pushed the base of the barrel into the bucket.

  They seemed to come towards him in slow motion, a frightful tangle of three giants and creature. Felix had never fired a catapult before. Motion slowed, and he saw the bucket lined up directly with target. The Beast, finally outmatched, was being pushed chest first towards him. Bautomet saw him, eye to eye, and saw the barrel. It smiled.

  Felix cut the line.

  The barrel flew upwards as the bodies came downwards. It burst into Bautomet’s chest, splattering into a acidic cloud. Four giant bodies crashed onto the catapult. Bautomet’s body pushed Felix across the slick surface. When the motion stopped, he opened his eyes, expecting to see his body crushed under a giant’s body. He was on his back, his legs propped up on one of Bautomet's forearm. The Beast was momentarily stunned by the three bodies on top of him. The acrid smell of the briman filled Felix’s nose. He looked into the hideous, bloodied face of Bautomet. The Beast lifted his yellow eyes to Felix. It was not an ignorance. I seemed to Felix that it knew what was coming.

  And it smiled at Felix.

  "Bautomet..." It breathed out as growl, "Is not done."

  Its laugh was like the scream of a dozen animals. It squirmed its way out from the three bodies on top of it. The three Titans on top of Bautomet struggled to find their bearings, but they were too late. The Beast was nearly free. Felix scurried back as Bautomet reached out for him, laughing and coughing blood, his many arms trying to find a leg to grip onto. A claw bore down on Felix’s leg, causing him to fall again.

  The arrow flew over Felix as he turned back. Its flame burst into a blinding explosion on Bautomet's chest. An inferno was lit behind Felix. Wretched laughter came tearing through its screams. Felix scrambled to stand up as fast as he could, terrified as much of the flames as he was The Beast. The fire crept up Felix’s leg instantly, following the path of the liquid. He rolled to put it out, flailing on the cold pavement. Someone began beating him with a cloth. Images of Curson, mace in hand beating Bautomet’s wounded belly flashed before him, The Beast laughing maniacally, his eyes wide and red with glee.

  In the last moments of consciousness it was those sounds that haunted Felix.

  ~~~

  How are you?

  Oh…

  Nice for you to be here.

  ….

  You should rest.

  I don’t feel tired

  You had a question.

  I did?

  Yes. It is developing.

  You’re here to answer it?

  I’m always here, but you hear this better now.

  I’m thinking very clearly but there’s no question coming up.

  It feels like a story, look for it.

  Oh I know it. It’s about those small people that go to school beside my home.

  Yes, that’s it.

  I watch them every morning. They do a dance and I watch it. I look forward to seeing it. I even get up early. I don’t know why. I don’t even know any of them. I didn’t even know them when I was little. We don’t associate with them. But I feel so much from that little thing they do in the morning. I don’t even like dancing that much.

  You’re talking about the choholi. What do you think about when you see them?

  Well it feels really nice to be there watching them.

  Because the other thing on your mind is work.

  Of course it's on my mind. Who wants to go to work?

  I don’t work at all.

  I’m not you.

  You’re closer to me than you think.

  You’re saying I want to be free like them.

  They are not as free as you think, but they represent freedom to you. And why wouldn’t they? They come to your land, they pay no attention to anyone even if others make fun of them, they do what they must, and they leave when they wish. They are symbols of freedom to you and to a lot of people in that space you exist in.

  Oh, so they are there to show me what freedom is.

  No, they are there to be free and you and your fellow people are jealous of them because they are living what you want to.

  I don’t feel jealous.

  Maybe not too much, but you do want what they have.

  I agree with that. But is that my question?

  It’s a broader question you are sensing.

  OK, well, why do have this shit job and they just do what they want to?

  Again, the choholi are not as free as even they want to be, but they are more free than you. You are asking, ‘How do I get the freedom to be who I am as quickly as possible’. And you are always free to become what you are.

  Easy for you to say. You’re here, we are there.

  It’s all the same place.

  Doesn’t feel like that.

  It’s a choice you make to perceive that.

  It’s Celia’s choice.

  That’s what you were told.

  It’s what she says.

  She’s not entirely wrong. She has provided you with a valuable lens. But it is not the only way to see things. You have the ability to see things as you want, at any time.

  Like I just said, it doesn’t feel like that.

  Maybe not when you are conscious. But how does it feel when I say that, with you here with me?

  Feels logical here.

  Why is it different when you are conscious?

  It’s not the way things are there.

  The Choholi would have a different answer.

  What would they say?

  If you looked through their eyes, you would see that they see things differently, and you would understand that things do change depending on who looks at them.

  ~~~

  Still there?

  Yes. I was thinking. What do you see?

  I see that things you think are powerful are not as powerful as you think. And you are much more powerful than you think.

  I think I’d like that.

  You would.

  I’ll try to change.

  It would be good for you.

  Why do I feel so heavy now?

  Because you know it isn’t likely to happen.

  What’s likely to happen?

  That you’ll fight until you get through to where you’re going.

  And where is it that I am going?

  You’re asking the same question that you began with.

  ~~~~

  Alby Woods

  The vast doors of thick dark wood were tallest of any on The Hill, yet only a short man ever passed through them. The doors, dark brown and twisted with deep grain, sat at the end of a winding hallway, hidden in a forest of pillars, alone and majestic, the only entryway not made of gaudy gold or silver in the entire building. They clashed with everything that surrounded it.

  When the doors opened their dullness disappeared and a single line of blinding light appeared. It never bothered Genesee to look into this; bright lights rarely made him squint. But he was never thinking about the brilliance of this bright glow whenever he approached it. He would pick up last minute papers from his assistant and push other less useful ones onto another assistant. He would pull his jacket at the seams to flatten the wrinkles; there was always something else on his mind.

  On this day there was no one else around. He dismissed his butler and looked into the light, thinking about the words he had picked out so carefully. Today he looked directly at the image in front of him and thought: That light is really damned bright.

  As he walked in his eyes adjusted and he saw the walls of a cavern, damp and cool. The door sealed shut be
hind him and became a part of the grey rock. He closed his eyes and listened to the dripping water. He thought of his speech. There were three parts to it. He opened his mouth to start the first section.

  What has happened?

  The words vibrated through his skull, spoken in a way that could not be heard but only felt. When he opened his eyes the cavern was brighter, a light emanating from around around a corner.

  "Goetz, we've had a situation."

  “I know. What kind of a world are you managing?"

  "It was..." Genesee stopped. He couldn't say it wasn't his fault. It was always his fault. Even if it wasn't.

  "It was a failing," he sighed, getting it out of the way. "One we need to correct."

  The cavern was bathed in light from a source he couldn't pinpoint. He was growing hot but not from anything around him. The light became red but the temperature remained cool. Genesee took off his jacket and slung it on a rock.

  He had put off this meeting until he had something to say. The demands had come regularly: pounding on the door, dreams and visions in his waking and sleeping states, and the constant sound of voices echoing in his mind. He told Goetz he was working on it, but Goetz had no patience. Genesee knew why Celia had been terrible dealing with him. She lacked patience, just as her parent did.

  "Bautomet got out, but we have detained him."

  "But he got out," Goetz said. The walls were becoming red.

  "We put him down and he is detained. Nearly dead."

  "I felt a lot of destruction. Was there destruction?"

  Goetz had no physical senses so it experienced everything differently, as a feeling. Genesee sighed.

  "A lot of destruction. But I have a plan I need to go over with you. Something else happened.”

  Genesee had requested they all meet in the forest outside the city, a lovely area called Alby woods. Located to the east between Sigma and the desert, they could sit in an open pasture and see the leveled city with Sigma simmering under the mountain that shared its name. Genesee requested everyone to attend, and he wanted them all humbled. No one was to be gigantic. No human was to know of it.