by Erik Weir
Bodies moved and hands clamped to one another in pairs. Victor pulled Lula along while the others followed. Soon, everyone was standing on a misty floor and walking. Victor mulled over the recent experience on Eddor. Before everyone fell to slumber’s embrace, they discussed their next course of actions in finer detail. The dragons, with Ida and Nerin, were to take the new acolytes back to Vala’s realm. When they were safely gone, Victor, Lily, and Dawn would proceed to Dark Spire for the next leg of their quest. Night agreed to stay behind to help portal Dorian to Vala’s realm when he finished working out the details for peace between the Slinger's and the Mage Authority.
Victor stepped along the misty path his thoughts floating back to Drogoss. During the celebration, the all-powerful god vanished. At first, Victor figured this was because he was an all-powerful god that he could do whatever he wanted, but something about the encounter didn’t sit right with him. A god that chose to not interfere for such a long time and then appears during a fight to interfere and declare peace? It bordered from welcomed to something bat-shit crazy. Was the resurrection so important that even the strongest god of the pantheon wanted to be a part of it or was there something else going on?
The realms are all bat-shit crazy. Why would this be any different?
“That’s funny coming from you,” Victor whispered under his breath.
I stopped trying to make sense of all of it a long time ago. Considering he is the first god of these realms, could we stop him from coming even if we wanted to?
Victor shrugged, unsure what else to say.
The group reached the edge of Vala’s realm. Victor, Dawn, and Lily waved to the others as they marched along and stepped through the oval opening, one by one. The three new acolytes gave Victor a shy smile before stepping through. Vindrel and Shyryth waved while Izy and Mildra blew kisses. Ida and Nerin smacked Victor’s butt on the way out, giving him a wink. When everyone was gone, the oval portal closed and darkness swirled once again.
Victor took one of Lily's and Dawn’s hands into each of his own and the trio walked along the misty void. It didn’t take long before another oval portal appeared and the three stepped through it. A starry night greeted the three as black sand shifted under boots. Victor took a deep breath, the oddness of realm walking no longer feeling odd. It had become second nature and he rather enjoyed the different scents of each realm. Eddor had a milky lavender scent he liked, while Dark Spire had more of a black cherry scent, mixed with edges of sulfur. It was not unpleasant, but it was interesting.
Turning his head to the right, Victor drank in the large circular city before him, a black spire rising up high in the night sky and a white crystal slowly turning. The crystal’s light beamed down until the edges touched the high walls surrounding the city. Victor could see tall, black buildings beyond the walls and when his gaze fell to the actual walls of the city, he noticed they were made of skulls all facing outwards, hollow eyes peering into his soul.
“Welcome to the Dead City of Normir,” Lily said and began walking.
Victor and Dawn followed, the man and elf studying walls and the large arched gate before them.
“Never been here before, what should we expect,” Victor asked as they walked through the open gate.
Lily led the way as they walked onto a cobblestone street. “The Dead King and Queen have resided here since the beginning of time. They stay neutral in the affairs of the realms and kingdoms, herding the dead to their next destinations. Since we are invited, they might have information on the reaming acolytes here on Dark Spire.”
Victor nodded when his entire body tensed. Several decaying people emerged from an alley and walked onto the street next to them. Blank eyes turned in their direction for a long moment before they continued on, almost indifferent to the three living souls walking next to them.
Lily glanced to Victor and smiled. “The dead don’t hurt anyone here, it is forbidden.”
“A dead city on a world where giant Elder Things walk, you think I would be less jittery by now.”
Dawn’s eyes held a glimmer of disgust as the dead turned and walked down another street.
Victor looked ahead to the giant spire in the distance, “It’s going to take us hours to reach the center. You think we could hail a taxi or something.”
Mist glowed along the streets as blue flames filled street lanterns. Hollow faces peered from open windows before the gentle rapping of hooves echoed off stone structures. Victor looked ahead, skeletal horses coming toward them, pulling a large carriage behind it. A man sat on the coach, flesh missing from his face and skeletal hands holding the reins. The ghostly carriage circled around the three and stopped, facing the spire in the distance.
A side door opened and a skeleton in a thick robe stepped out. “Welcome Vala’s chosen. My name is Neville Arclight and I have come to escort you to the King and Queen. Please step inside and we will be off.”
“Thank you, we would be happy to accept a ride,” Lily said, but Victor was already stepping inside.
The Blade stepped in and smiled at how roomy it was. Sitting down, a side cabinet opened with an assortment of crystal vials filled with various colored liquids. Lily and Dawn stepped in before Neville followed and closed the door behind him.
“Please help yourself to any refreshments we have to offer,” Neville said kindly.
Victor grabbed a large bottle, unplugged the stopper and poured into empty glasses sitting around the bottles. Hands moved with ease, placing a full glass in Dawn’s hand and then Lily’s hand. The carriage began to move as the three settled in, made a silent toast and drank in the amber liquid.
Victor’s nerves immediately relaxed. Neville sat, his skull giving no hint he was even watching them. The longer Victor looked at him, the more unnerving it became. Lily sat comfortably, but Dawn appeared tense, barely sipping her drink. The carriage began to move to the clip clop of skeletal hooves.
“Are you okay,” Victor asked the elf.
“I’m fine,” Dawn said flatly.
“Elves naturally don’t like the dead and death. They have spent their lives being near immortal so death isn’t something they dwell on,” Lily answered.
Dawn gave Lily an annoyed gaze before taking a drink. Victor glanced to Neville, but he seemed indifferent to Dawn’s demeanor.
“Is there a protocol we should follow when we meet the Dead King and Queen,” Victor asked, trying to change the subject.
Neville’s boney jaw began to move in response, “No protocol needed. The King and Queen know of your coming and wish to make it as seamless as they can. You will be brought to the throne room to speak with them.”
Victor nodded when a question popped into his mind, “So, Neville, how long have you worked for the King and Queen?”
“Over a thousand years,” Neville answered simply.
“Do you get any vacation time?”
“There will be plenty of rest for me when I move on from this realm to another,” Neville stated with no emotion.
Victor raised an eyebrow before Lily spoke up.
“Normir sits on a nexus point between realms. The dead often find themselves here for a time before they move on. Some stay for hours while others stay for tens of thousands of years.”
“Lady Brightblood is correct. Normir is home to lost souls. The King and Queen are the caretakers of these souls before they move on. It is a city of peace amid the chaos of the universe.”
“Since there is so much death, they must be busy,” Victor joked.
“Quite,” Neville said with nod of his skull.
Victor settled into his seat and took a sip before turning to Lily, “How did you…” the words hung in the air.
“You know I read a lot,” the succubus grinned before taking a long sip of her drink.
The rest of the trip was in silence, the only sound was of hooves on the stone street. Twenty minutes later, the carriage pulled up into a vast courtyard and slowed to a halt. Victor looked out the window to
see an immense gothic castle against one side of the giant spire. Steepled towers rose up like black spikes into the air while intricate stonework gave the structure an almost Catholic and Egyptian architecture.
The door opened as Neville stepped down and held out his boney hand. Lily was first, taking the skeleton’s hand and stepping onto the courtyard. Dawn was next, waving away the skeletal hand and Victor emerged, drinking in the massive castle.
“If I had goth friends, they would be in love with this place,” Victor smiled.
Neville raised a skeletal hand to beckon the three towards the vast steps leading to the castle. Victor looked around, admiring the stonework until he noticed skulls of various sizes made up the archway and the castle beyond. Light blue carpet created paths, leading to other areas but the main part of it led on down a cathedral sized hallway. Lanterns and chandeliers glowed with blue and yellow light, strange shadows running along walls as they made their way deeper.
The air was a little musty as the four entered the main throne room. Lanterns lined the walls but the room was so large, they appeared like small points of light amid the darkness. A raised dais stood with two thrones, side by side. Above them, a skull of a dragon floated, a ball of glowing light in its maw. On the thrones sat a man and a woman, dressed in fine crimson robes. Their heads were adorned with simple crowns while long white hair covered their shoulders and white skin glowed in the supernatural light. Black as pitch eyes peered down at them, but tiny smiles formed when they saw Neville brining in their three guests.
Victor looked up at the King and Queen before his gaze drifted to the side where five women stood. At least, the Champion thought they were women at first. With each step, their features and bodies sharpened into focus as they stood, heads bowed and gaze to the floor. Two stood out right away, mirror images of each other, they had gray wings, gray skin and long black hair. Thick tails hung down, touching the floor, but their feet held large two toed talons. At first, Victor thought they might be dragons, but they didn’t appear to have the same markings. Continuing to stare, he thought they looked more like the gargoyles he fought on Eddor but there was wisp of life to their bodies.
Next to the gargoyles, two more woman floated. One had long ears sticking out of long black hair. She wore a white dress that covered the rest of her except for her glowing white cleavage and neck. Next to her was a ghostly form of woman, but she had white hair and a sad expression on her face. Finally, there was a thin woman in black leather. Victor couldn’t tell if it was just stylized leather or battle leather. She clutched an arcane staff and a floppy wide-brimmed hat covered a direct view of her face. The sound of a clearing throat caused Victor to snap his attention back to the lord and lady sitting on their thrones.
“King Anubis and Queen Kali, I present you Vala’s chosen, Victor Hobbs, Lily Brightblood and Dawn Dreamweaver,” Neville announced.
Victor leaned toward Lily. “Did Neville just clear his throat? How did he do that if he’s just a skeleton,” the Blade whispered out the corner of his mouth.
Lily jabbed her hand hard against Victor’s hand while keeping herself poised.
Lord Anubis gave the three a gentle smile. “Welcome to Normir, we have been expecting you.”
Victor’s mind worked as he took a step forward, “Thank you for having us, Lord Anubis…like the Egyptian god, Anubis?”
The pale king gave an amused nod. “It would seem the best translation of who we are matches with your history from your realm. Lady Kali and I are more servants to the greater power of death and have had many transformations over the eons. I do not doubt we have visited your realm at one time or another, as such is our design.”
Victor turned his attention to the pale lady at Anubis’s side, “Lady Kali, the Hindu goddess of life, death and change. The two of you are rock stars of the gods back where I’m from. It’s amazing to meet you both!”
Lily and Dawn looked to Victor with curious eyes.
The Blade turned to his friends and gave them a wink and smirk. “I did a report in high school on the history of the gods. Earned me a B plus. I should have gotten an A, but I think the teacher didn’t like me.”
Victor turned back to the King and Queen. “It’s an honor to meet you,” Victor said and bowed.
“The honor is all ours,” Anubis kept his kind smile. “Tales of your crusade have reached across all the realms and even to us. The Queen and I have discussed on many occasions about the return of Vala and her chosen champions.”
Queen Kali leaned forward a little, her hands neatly folded on her lap, “You are the…rock stars of the realms, as you have put it.”
“We’re just trying to do our jobs,” Victor said with a confident smirk.
Kali’s smile grew a little wider as her eyes half-closed with degrees of warmth.
Anubis spoke up, “It is why we are elated you have taken time to visit our city. I had sent a message to Vala’s Keeper after we discussed how we can aid in Vala’s return. Once it was clear to us Vala had placed pieces of herself throughout the realms, we assisted on searching for each piece.”
Kali continued, “We had our servants searching all of Dark Spire to find Vala’s hidden acolytes. Little did we know five of them dwelled here in our city.”
Queen Kali held out a white hand to the five women gathered at the edge of the dais. “These five have resided here, under our protection, awaiting for your visit.”
The five women looked up, stark gazes all on Victor.
The Champion looked to them with a warm smile before returning his gaze to the King and Queen. “We thank you, but I do have to ask, why?”
King Anubis nodded. “An understandable question. Death is the natural counterpoint to life. One cannot exist without the other. Despite the plots and moves of the pantheon, Normir is a neutral city. We take no part in any squabbles among the many gods, but Vala’s death has added a wrinkle to our convictions.”
“Vala’s death had caused an imbalance, one felt throughout the realms. We here in Normir noticed the surge of deaths outnumbered those being born. Many who transverse death and end up here had no intentions of moving on to their next lives, forcing themselves into a celestial exile.
“Our city has slowly filled with those who refuse to move on. In time, the city will grow beyond the light of the spire and be in peril of the Elder Things that walk our realm,” Queen Kali stated.
Anubis leaned back, arms on the throne armrests, “We respect balance. That is why we could not sit back and risk others trying to steal away Vala’s precious acolytes.”
“We thank you for your help,” Victor bowed, unsure what else to do.
“Despite the outward appearance of Normir, we are not all gloom. You three shall be our guests tonight. Neville will show you to your rooms. We prepared a private wing for you and Vala’s acolytes. We will dine in our private dining chamber and see you off when you decide it is time to leave.”
“Sounds good to us,” Victor said out loud, but his mind wondered what did the dead eat?
Kali centered her gaze on Victor, “Tell me Champion, do you look forward to Vala’s return?”
Victor grinned, “With every beat of my heart.”
The Queen nodded.
Neville bowed, “Please follow me and I will escort you to your chambers.”
The trio followed the robed skeleton as they walked toward a large, half-moon opening. The corridors beyond twisted and snaked off in many directions. Victor found it harder and harder to keep track of where they were going. The insides of the palace turned into a maze, blue and yellow torches lighting the way. After fifteen minutes of walking, they reached a set of thick doors.
Neville waved his hand and the doors opened. “This is the guest wing. Vala’s acolytes will join you soon. Please choose a room or rooms and make yourselves at home. I will come to you when dinner is prepared.”
Neville turned and walked away, not giving them a second glance.
Victor was first to step
beyond the wing entrance. The corridor was wide enough for ten men to stand shoulder to shoulder. Long tables ran along the corridor on each side while vibrant tapestries covered the walls. In between each tapestry was a solid door. Despite the slightly musty air, Victor found the guest wing welcoming. There was a warmth here like heat was being pumped into the area. The Blade wondered if it was meant for the living and less for the citizens of this city.
Lily took Victor’s hand and pulled him along. Dawn followed, the tension in her shoulders easing down.
Victor knew what was coming. When she was silently bossy, it meant she was hungry and it wasn’t for food. The succubus pulled open the door and stepped inside, pulling Victor with her. Dawn followed and closed the door behind them.
The room was warm as a fireplace crackled within. Paintings covered the walls and a wide canopy bed filled the center. Lanterns glowed from the corners as a table held wines, breads, fruits, and cheeses. Gray stone walls were barely noticed as the room gave off a comforting warmth. The room held no windows and for a brief instant, Victor considered it was by design to keep the guests in or other things out.
Lily pulled Victor to the side of the bed, turned him around and began unbuttoning his shirt. “Take off your clothes.”
“I thought we were working,” Victor smirked as he shrugged off his coat and let it fall to the floor.
“We are,” Lily said matter of fact as she helped him undress.
Dawn poured herself a glass of wine, picked up a piece of cheese and made her way around the bed. She didn’t give the Blade and Shield a second glance as she sat on the other side of the bed and leaned against the backboard. Sipping wine and nibbling on cheese, she settled down as the Blade and Shield pulled their clothes off.
Victor eyed Lily as she knelt down before him, his manhood rising to the occasion. “It’s because of my B in my high school report on gods, isn’t it?”
The succubus took hold of Victor’s member and gave it a playful lick before looking up to him. “It’s a fucking turn on when you’re a knowledgeable gentleman.”