The Sixth Gate

by K T Munson

  Her mother seemed more solid now, as though she were really there. Her form was kneeling by the tree and humming as she used a broken branch to carve something into the ground. Kerrigan hesitated only a moment before she walked across the open area, curious to see what her mother was doing. As she drew closer, she realized she was drawing letters, but so far it only said ‘roat.’

  “Will you make the first letter?” she asked, gesturing toward the ‘r’ as she worried the sticks into the ground.

  “I don’t know what it is supposed to be,” Kerrigan said, shaking her head.

  “Silly girl,” her mother said. “Let me show you.”

  Kerrigan knelt across from her mother, who still hummed. Kerrigan leaned forward with one hand on the ground and the knife sheathed in the other. Her mother carved the first letter deep. Kerrigan was mesmerized as the final letter was finished and her mother looked up with a happy expression.

  “There we are,” she said.

  Kerrigan read the word as she heard the stick break. When she looked back, her breath caught in her throat. Her mother’s face was hideously deformed, and her entire body seemed to be on fire. Her lips were curled back from her teeth, and her eyes glowed red. Kerrigan screamed, but the scream was cut short when her mother thrust the jagged broken stick ends straight down into Kerrigan’s hands and into the ground, pinning them. White hot flashes of pain shot up her arms, and tears welled in her eyes. She tried to pull away, but her mother kept her hands rooted in the dirt.

  “Know it, because it knows you,” she hissed, her voice filled with anguish. “He is coming.”

  Kerrigan screamed and woke up back in the tent. She sat up immediately and looked down at her hands. They were shaking badly but otherwise unharmed. Cav suddenly flew into her hair. Kerrigan gave a startled cry and quickly rolled away from him. Her throat felt dry as she disentangled from him. Standing on the floor, he cooed at her, looking worried, as she panted and tears streamed down her face.

  “Kerrigan?” Jinq’s voice asked her from outside the tent. A moment later he appeared in the entryway.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, pulling Cav against her chest. “I had a nightmare.”

  Jinq’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully, but he didn’t push the issue. Instead, he glanced back toward the village. Kerrigan did everything she could to calm herself, but her breaths kept coming in ragged gasps. Even though she wasn’t hurt, her hands stung as though she really did have sticks in them.

  “Go back to sleep,” Jinq finally said. She barely nodded before she turned over and tried to return to slumber.

  Yet sleep did not come to her as she released Cav and let him crawl up onto the pillow to doze against her forehead. His feathers tickled but she ignored it, her body too taxed to care. Instead, her entire being was focused on the dream. She could remember everything as though it had really happened, but the one thing that stuck out the most was the word her mother had carved into the ground. When she closed her eyes, she saw the word carved into her mind: Croatoan.

  Chapter 21: Lyreane

  Ki awoke to the Kemshi dragging him. He gave a startled cry when he landed hard on the ground next to his bed. He sat up, and the tiger gave him a pointed stare with the covers still in his mouth. Since the night of his first death, Ki had slept. The elders thought it was because his body was adjusting. He thought it was because he had almost frozen to death again afterward.

  Ki glared at the Kemshi, who dropped his bedding. They sat like that, Ki with one arm on his bed and the tiger with the pile of blankets at his feet. Neither moved for a moment as the tiger’s ears flicked back and forth. Ki narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, realizing the Kemshi was trying to tell him something.

  “What is it?” he asked, standing when he felt a tingling sensation pass over him.

  The woman’s face, his last target, flashed before his eyes. She looked terrified. The Kemshi turned toward the door. Pulling on some clothes and boots and picking up his weapons, Ki rushed over to the tiger. He jumped on its back and they rocketed out of the room. One of the elders flattened himself against the wall as they barreled by. The elder tried calling after them, but he was ignored by both mount and rider as they continued through the temple.

  If the woman died by another means, then his sword would not consume her sins. Without a new sword and without a sin on her soul, he could not save her. Her spirit would not be freed from its demonic burden; he could not release it.

  They burst out of the side of the mountain, the tiger moving recklessly along the rocky face. Ki held on and watched as the waterfall drew nearer. The rocks became slick, but his Kemshi was surefooted. When they reached the edge, the Kemshi jumped from the ledge. The waterfall thundered next to them as they plunged into the lake.

  The next thing he knew, they were breaking through ice.

  The cold settled in, its bitterness only amplified by the water. Ki pushed himself off the tiger and surfaced, resting his elbows on the shore as he glanced around to try to get his bearings. Reaching back, he helped the struggling tiger get its first two paws up onto solid ground as well. Heaving himself out, Ki tried not to dwell on the memories of nearly freezing to death. Once he knew the Kemshi was safely out of the water, Ki saw the fog.

  He ran down the road, reaching the edge as a carriage breached and another scream filled the air. Ki watched as a Weaver leapt from the top of the coach. The horse gave a terrible cry. Ignoring everything else, Ki threw himself at her, unsure if he was in time. He heard the carriage crash as he tackled the woman to the ground.

  She gave a surprised cry as he collided with her. He glanced down at her and saw she was on her side under him. He could smell her, sweet and feminine, and her almost red lips were slightly parted in shock. Her blue eyes were open wide, and her mouth open even wider.

  “Get up,” he said, all but hauling her to her feet.

  The fog clicked as the horse’s carcass was dragged away. When she opened her mouth, he covered it in case she was going to scream. She stopped instantly, quick to catch on. She stood there shaking next to him, but she didn’t run even when he removed his hand.

  The woman jumped when a shadow appeared but pressed her own hands to her mouth, stifling a gasp. The great tiger stopped when it saw her, and her hands fell away. Some silent conversation seemed to pass between them as her hands went to her sides. After a moment, the two hounds he had seen at the university appeared. He expected her to leave, but instead she turned to him, nodding her gratitude but still looking suspicious.

  When the dogs saw him, their tails went up in a defensive position and he expected them to attack. Instead, the woman pointed two fingers in the direction of the Weavers and they turned, their ribbon tails visible as they went into the fog. Ki glanced around as the Kemshi came to his side, but he saw nothing. The silence stretched out, and he could see that she was still shaking slightly. Despite her earlier useless screaming, she’d calmed down enough to be alert and was scanning the fog.

  With a sudden screech, a Weaver jumped toward them. Two ribbon tails shot out in unison as the tiger roared. The blades of the hounds sliced across the metal hide of the beast. Most of their blows were deflected, but one managed to strike the Weaver in its soft underbelly. Ki pulled the short dagger from his belt, having been fearful to pull it out earlier lest the polished blade give him away, and stepped forward. He thrust the blade into its eye. Green discharge spewed from the injury. The dying Weaver spat its noxious venom, which Ki deftly dodged.

  The acid melted into the dirt, and already the fog was starting to disperse, but it wasn’t gone entirely. The Weaver pushed itself up and tried to flee, but the tiger dove and clawed its underbelly, ripping the creature open. Its guts littered the road now, and its only movement was the twitching of its leg.

  The woman gave a sigh of relief, and Ki put the dagger back into its holder as the fog fully dissipated. He glanced to the right and yelled as a Weaver screeched and landed loudly in front of him. The woman let out a shor
t scream and fell backward as the Netherhounds lashed out once again, their tails slicing through the air above her head. The dagger left Ki’s hand and buried itself in the side of the Weaver’s head.

  The Kemshi leapt in front of him and started to drag the woman back by her collar. Acid hit the street a second later, right where she had fallen. Sunlight breached the fog and burned the creature’s leg. The Weaver screeched before it scurried away.

  “Thank you, Ashley,” the woman said breathlessly, and put a hand on the Kemshi.

  “Who is Ashley?” Ki asked.

  The woman looked up at him, both worried and confused. “Your spirit companion.” She used the tiger’s shoulder to get to her feet.

  “But he is a boy,” Ki said, looking at the tiger, who peered at him with annoyance.

  “Are you telling me you didn’t know his name?” she asked.

  “No,” he said, unabashed.

  They stared at each other, and the awkwardness settled in. Ki expected her to run like a scared rabbit. Instead, she straightened her back and looked at him inquisitively. He’d done his duty, keeping her alive so that he might kill her later. So now he should leave. Ki gazed at the tiger. Ashley seemed to be enjoying the woman’s affection. His head was turned to the side, bumping her leg, and he made no move to leave her.

  “Why did you save me?” she finally asked.

  “Your life can end no other way than my blade,” he answered honestly. The Kemshi straightened when she stopped petting him.

  She gave him a startled look, following by an appraising gaze. “Were it not for your intent, your single mindedness might be impressive.” Her words were biting as she moved away from the tiger and back to her Netherhounds. “I will never sin enough that your sword will work. Give up your endeavor.”

  “I cannot.”

  The Netherhounds made a rude noise at him as the woman touched their backs. All three vanished. Ki stood watching the spot where she had been and wondered how long it would take her to break. He was going to have to keep a close eye on her so that she didn’t get herself killed before he could do it himself.

  Chapter 22: Netherworld

  This place was getting darker by the minute, and Nanette could feel something watching her. It made her hair stand on end. As she wandered into the wreckage of the building behind her, she heard the wind sing. She had expected it to wail through this place, but instead it sung like an icy lake. It was unnerving to be so afraid and yet have the building whistle almost merrily at her.

  She wanted to cry, but knew, even as old streaks of tears covered her cheeks, that more than anything she needed to hide. With every minute that passed, the red light that basked over the land was fading. She had looked for the light source, like a sun, but it just was an endless drone of red. As a child, her father had read her stories about things that came out of the Netherworld to take bad children away. She didn’t know exactly what would come for her, but she knew that unless she hid, she wouldn’t last the night.

  Nanette picked her away across the ruins, tumbled pillars and broken doorways, trying to find a place that could offer her shelter. Oddly, she didn’t feel cold despite her wet clothes. She had always imagined the Netherworld, with its heatless light, would be cold. Instead it was strangely arid, and Nanette worried she would need something to drink soon.

  She stepped down into what had been the large dining area and ballroom in her world. She had only been in this building once, and that visit had been to this room. Despite the light cast through the fractured ceiling, she recognized the domed shape, which was a similar—but decaying—version of the one she knew. As she watched dust dance in the reddish hue, Nanette wondered if she would ever see the sun again.

  Glancing around, she noted that the tall ceiling was held up by four pillars. The other two had fallen over, leaning precariously against another one that had shifted slightly but still remained upright. The entire roof looked ready to collapse. Perhaps instead of hiding, she should get to a high place. It was an alternative if she ran out of time to find a hiding place; she could already tell the light was leaving her.

  She ambled over more rubble before stepping into a clear part in the room. Kneeling down, she ran a hand over the dust. There, she could see where the perfect decorative flooring remained mostly intact underneath. Moving around the room, she approached a darkened area where the doorway was mostly blocked by a broken stone bookcase. Frowning, she crawled up to see if she could push through. She heard a strange clicking behind her and she moved, startled, closer to the door, her hands resting on the rocks as she tried to peer into the hallway to find sanctuary. She narrowed her eyes but saw nothing readily available. Suddenly, a series of clicks responded to the first in the darkened space in front of her.

  Before she could react, something slammed against the rubble, making her screech and fall back. Nanette landed hard, the wind knocked out of her. She gasped a loud painful breath of air and groaned. With barely enough time to comprehend her situation, she heard another thudding noise and a scraping sound of stone on stone. As she quickly rolled onto her side, she saw loose debris start to roll down the pile. Nanette shifted away just as a rock landed right where her foot had been—one that no doubt would have crushed her ankle.

  Nanette’s eyes widened when a head came through the new opening from inside of the pile. Rows of beady eyes stared at her, and bile rose up in her throat. Its legs frantically dug through the debris that kept it trapped as Nanette struggled to stand. It was some sort of giant metallic spider.

  Wobbling, she nearly fell over as she staggered over to the partially fallen pillar. Behind her, more creatures’ ticking noises joined the first. The creatures screamed at her, and the whole ruin shook from their struggle to get free. Dust filled the air, making her cough as she pulled herself onto the diagonal column. She tried to keep from crying, but the tears fell anyway. Nanette was halfway up when they burst through the blocked doorway.

  Biting back a scream, she scrambled up the column and onto another one that leaned against the wall for support. One of the spiders saw her and clicked away, its metal feet hurrying across the floor. She stifled another shriek as it started up after her. Others below her awaited her fall. The pillar shifted slightly, and she threw her arms around it, trying to keep hold. The spider-like creatures gouged part of the stone with their metal armored legs, but Nanette saw the one behind her was struggling to follow her. One spat at her, but it missed her as she continued up. Solid stone turned into wax where the creature’s acid had landed. Nanette sobbed as she struggled to pull herself up along the column, her arms trembling so hard that it was difficult to even hold the stone anymore. Her nails scraped along the column and broke in her desperation.

  Nanette glanced back and screamed at how close the creature had gotten. As her hands connected with the top of the column, the creature scraped the back of her calf. She gave a cry as a flash of burning pain shot so deep into her leg that she imagined in horror that her bone was exposed. Blood flowed freely, staining the hem of her dress and the pristine white stone. Suddenly, the creature jumped toward her.

  Her grip slipped, and she fell off to the side as the creature slammed into where she had been. The crossed columns gave way under the weight of the spider. She smacked against the ground as another fell. Nanette heard stone scrape again stone in a thunderous crash as the creatures screamed. She coughed and rolled onto her side to try to calm herself down and catch her breath. In the dust, one of the creatures was pulverized by stone as the other half of the ceiling caved in. Hunks of metal and goo flew in every direction, some landing with a sickening splat next to her as she tried to blink the dusty haze from her eyes.

  Her breathing shuddered as the light began to fade. Only two columns and the ceiling remained on her side of the room. When the last rock fell, the room filled with silence. Her hair had come completely free and fell in front of her face as she pushed herself into a sitting position. Nanette was about to stand up when somethin
g jumped out of the dust and flew over her head.

  Nanette screamed as the injured spider-creature collided with the wall behind her. More of the wall gave way, crashing against two destroyed pillars. They had created a cave during the collapse, one the width of the pillar and a little deeper where a chunk of the ceiling had fallen in. With only a second’s thought, she began to pull herself toward it. Behind her, the creature began to get to its feet, but two back legs had been pulverized during the collapse, which hindered its movement. When it screeched at her she gasped, but she pulled herself into the hole. She was nearly to the back when the beast jammed its leg after her. The metal tip scraped against her already maimed calf, and her flesh burned where it cut through. She pressed her back against the furthest point as it spat at her.

  The room was so dark that she barely noticed the floor next to her fizzle. The acidic smoke it gave off filled her nostrils, making her gag. The creature rammed against the pillar, causing dust to fill her sanctuary. It scraped desperately at the entrance, but it was too large to fit. Nanette curled into a ball with her knees under her chin and started to cry. Her leg burned in both places from the creature’s attacks, and she shook from the pain and the terror. It wasn’t long before the darkness of the night was absolute and she passed out, listening to the creature try to claw its way to her.

  Chapter 23: Ashlad

  Malthael watched as face after face appeared in the viscous entrance of the gate: the old man of Oran, the stern Meridith of Tym Resh, the boy Troy with his light Hysteri dots, and the half-blind goddess-like woman of Lyreane. All five of them had never gathered outside of their schedule before; it was strange to see them all now. It made what was happening all that more worrisome. The reformed demon glanced behind him, wondering where his daughter was.