The Curious Case of Jacob's Hallow

by Patrick Walsh

  The road took him out of the main village and to the edge of the great forest. The woods themselves had no name; they were merely a grim barrier that twisted around the northern side of the town. While some progress had been made at keeping new trees at bey, no one had dared explore the forest in years. Within the thorny branches and twisted vines were creatures that most could only see in their darkest nightmares. Just the other month the saw mill had been heavily damaged by an insect the size of a sea serpent. Three died, the survivors saying it was a millipede or some such thing with hundreds of skittering legs and pincers larger than a man. Old Bertrum owned the mill, one of Aza’s three employers. Sometimes he wondered how things would have played out if he had been there, if he’d be able to save those who lost their lives. Anger exerted off of him, twisting the salty air with fear. Crows on a nearby fence dispersed while a few stray dogs bolted from their meal. Tom’s father had used the attack to stir up trouble. He thought it was convenient that Aza had switched his working hours so close to the incident and peddled that lie to all who would listen. As if the old bastard really gave a damn about the town. As if Aza didn’t regret his choice every time he went into work. No, Tobias didn’t care and neither did his son; they were only out to help their own rotten souls.

  Despite all his efforts to calm himself, the anger stuck with him for most of his trip. It slithered and wormed around the area, striking fear into any cattle or unlucky animal in his wake. Even the plants seemed to tip away from him as he weaved his way around the fields and ever closer to Luke’s farm. It sat right on the corner between the dark forest and one of the great Twin Leviathans. If the woods were the barrier to the north, then the leviathans were the barriers to the east and west. Each one was a range of sheer, jagged rock that stretched from the depths of the forest, all the way past the harbors and out to sea. The two titans curved back around within the deadly waves, creating a large enclosure around the sides of the harbor. Within its spikes and extrusions were hundreds of holes, each one leading far back into the rock and housing yet more horrors. Most of these ones had never been seen, but their presence was felt by all who lived nearby. A mysterious noise in the night, a cow turning up dead, or even a missing child.

  Aza looked up at the sinister range, its rough outer shell resembling grey sharks’ teeth, or the claws of a crab. He could still see what remained of the old stairway, though it was far too dangerous to tread upon. Most of it was intact, but it hadn’t seen use in near twenty years. Its twisting body of wooden platforms and planks lead up what could be considered the least dangerous part of the leviathan. At the very top was a path, likely ruined and over run by now, that led all the way out to sea. At the far end was a tall, back tower made from a foreign stone resembling obsidian. Aza had been told it was a relic from the War of Eras, a conflict that supposedly spanned the entire continent a couple hundred years back. He didn’t buy into such a tall tale, but he couldn’t deny it had an almost otherworldly aura. It was visible every time Shaw’s ship left or returned to port and Aza couldn’t help but look out at it if given the chance. It was the tallest structure in town, looming over the great city hall and even Barnabee himself. Sadly, he wasn’t able to actually go there. At some point the great structure was converted into a lighthouse and that’s when the stairs were built. As Aza had heard, it worked fairly well until the creatures in the rocks became restless. One night they came out in mass and slaughtered the family that ran the lighthouse, along with a number of farmers unlucky enough to live near the rocks. The Night of Red it was called, the last time the lighthouse was ever used…. the last time the Nightwatch was ever deployed

  Despite all the fear he was giving off, Aza couldn’t help but shiver at the thought of what dwelled up there and all that had happened that fateful night. Though, if what he and Luke were planning came to fruition then those creature’s days were numbered. The days of all the monsters and demons that terrorized this town would be numbered. That powerful thought gave him a sense of pride and confidence, enough to snip off the tendrils of fear that slithered around him. As he pushed open the iron gate that marked the farm, he felt as if he could take on the world. In fact, that’s just what he and Luke planned to do.

  Chapter 3: A Storm is Coming

  Aza felt as if he were still tracking through the alleys as he navigated the winding paths of the Norfoss farm. On all sides were tall, tangled stalks of corn intermixed with some sour berry that Luke’s father had let overtake the bottom half of his crops. Maximizing profits, he called it. Aza didn’t object to what a farmer does with his own land, but Luke and his four siblings thought the old man had lost his mind. Aza couldn’t help but agree with their sentiment as he turned around a sharp corner and was faced with a tall wooden cross. Nailed, roped, and even chained to it was a grim looking scarecrow watching over the twisted field. He instinctively lurched back upon seeing it, his body tensing up as he prepared to run.

  “Aza!”

  He jumped again and spun around; this time he was ready to fight. Instead he lowered his arms and relaxed, taking a few shallow breaths as his fear washed away from him.

  “My apologies.” The tall figure spit a small reed out the side of his mouth and reached out a large, callused hand.

  “It’s fine.” Aza and Jack shook, his own hand now feeling as if it were trapped in a vice.

  “Seems like its been ages since I’s seen ya!” He continued on his path, beckoning his new guest to follow.

  “I suppose it has.” He gave a weary laugh. “These last few weeks have been a blur of ships, books, and trees. I’m not even sure how long its been.... you know where I can find...”

  “Luke? He’s been talkin about you, said he has sumthin to tell ya. Or...maybe it was sumthins..” He looked to the ground as if the shadowy dirt were hiding his missing answer.

  Aza perked up from his usual slouch. “What about?”

  “Ah dunno, I got a whole farm and four siblins to worry about. I’s sorry but these thins tend to slip.”

  “It’s fine, you have to feed your family.” Aza’s response was half hearted. His eyes now locked on a spindly figure whose twisted smile was hidden under an old field hat. It’s cross now looming over them.

  Jack looked down and saw the fear in Aza’s eyes. “Yeah, dad decided to try using em again after a flock ah crows attacked him.”

  “They attacked him? His heart give out for a second or did he pick a fight with them?”

  He rubbed his temple. “I’s not even gonna get into that stupid mess. He managed to kill one and the doc said it had been eating some kinda fungus; might turned em violent. Prolly wandered out to sea and picked it up on one of the wrecks.”

  “But isn’t it more dangerous to keep those things around?” Aza looked up to another ghoulish figure chained up over the field.

  “Ha! Once he gets an idea, yous have better luck arguin with the ocean. Sides, they’re tied up pretty well. If anythin tries to slither inside they ain’t gonna get nowhere...at least they shouldn’t.” He looked up to one, scratching his matted hair.

  Aza went to respond but a sharp turn, followed by a fork, revealed they had arrived.

  The two stepped out of the corn and into the heart of the maze. According to Luke, there was once a quaint farmhouse that sat at the center of it all, in the very yard he now set foot in. At some point in the distant past the cottage had been added onto, but the addition was never truly finished. The next generation added onto that, the next around that, then the next upon that. After countless years, what was once a simple cottage had been transformed into a large, mismatching patchwork of different homes. The strange building looked as if something had pulled a great many animals apart and then sewn them all together. Yet it wasn’t just a home. More had been added onto the sides, overlapping with the stray window or pillar. To the right of what could be considered the front was a decrepit stable with a few pale horses. Jack’s younger sister, Mabel, was emptying their trough. To the left was a small
furnace and a makeshift smithing station. Pounding away at a bent up piece of iron was none other than Luke Norfoss.

  Aza nodded to Jack and he in return. The two parted ways with the elder sibling disappearing into the house while Aza strolled over to his friend.

  “Luke!” His voice had an almost childlike excitement to it.

  He looked up from his work and smiled. The hot stake of iron was carefully set in a pool of water while Luke removed his gloves and began wiping off his sweaty hands. “Aza, feels like it's been a lifetime.”

  The two shook hands, Luke’s grip being much like his older brother’s though a little more forgiving. Like his brother, he was tall, strong and sported a crop of wild, straw colored hair. Along with his simple clothes and tanned skin he was quite the contrast against his ghostly looking friend.

  Aza laughed, “Almost. Are you busy today?”

  “Nah, been slow these last few weeks, an harvest ain't for another week or so assuming those weeds don’t choke em out.”

  “You mean your new miracle berries?”

  “Ahhhh, don’t even get me started on that mess. If Jack can’t sort it out, then it ain’t a problem worth fixin.” He threw down his rag and began walking over to one of the paths, Aza following at his side.

  “Ya never know, could work out in the end.” He glanced down at a few of the thorny weeds poking out from the edges of their path.

  “We can only hope. I love him to death, but I swear he’s losin his mind...” The farmer looked up to one of the grinning scarecrows and shook his head, fighting back his irritation. “Enough about this ol place; what have you been up to?”

  Aza shrugged, “Workin on Shaw’s ship, the library, Bertum’s mill. According to Aggie I’m woking myself into a grave, but I don’t see it.”

  He chuckled. “She might have a point. Though, yous still workin all three?”

  He shrugged. “Things keep commin up. Besides, I need at least a little more coin for the...project.” Aza’s eyes darted around the field in search of spies sent by who knows what.

  Luke smiled. “That reminds me, I got around to patching up the east wall.”

  “Really?”

  “After what happened at Bertrum’s mill I figured we should be at least a little sensible.”

  The two diverged from the path and pushed through a few spindly stalks of corn. Hidden was a small hole in the side of the leviathan, the rocks sharp and unforgiving. Luke led the way through the damp blackness followed by Aza. At first, they were hunched over but the tunnel quickly grew into a tall, narrow passage.

  “Sensible? When has that ever stopped us?” Aza nicked the back of his hand on a sharp piece of stone.

  “Ha, I guess you has a point.” Luke slowly felt along the wall until he came upon a familiar crevice. He took an extra long step, making sure to avoid the wormlike tendril that protruded from a jagged crack. “You ever wonder if anything used to live in here?”

  “I don’t think so.” His response was quick and a little sad. He too stepped over the bulbus tendril and continued onward for quite a ways, eventually seeing a sliver of light just ahead of his friend.

  The two carefully squeezed themselves through the narrow opening and onto the grey, wispy grass of the forest. The floor had been either burnt out or pulled up to patch the broken walls. Said walls were the ruins of an old saw mill. It’s previous owner used to live there and ran a small trading business, along with other projects. The wreckage they now stood within used to be over five stories high, using the back scales of the Leviathan as support. Now only the first and second levels remained, with much of the floor above having been collapsed. When the two had first come across this place, it had been an overgrown wreck long since forgotten by the rest of the town. Yet after six years of cleaning and repair it had become their secret base, the headquarters of what would become the new Nightwatch. The pair just stood in awe of it all, having been away for too long.

  “It aint nuthin short of a miracle we didn’t get ourselves killed settin this place up.”

  Aza smiled and shrugged. “You aren’t wrong, but I prefer to take it as a sign we’re doin the right thing.” He then walked over to a makeshift table, covered by a map of the town, and sat down on an old crate.

  Luke followed close behind and made sure to light the two lanterns hanging down from the ceiling. Most of the old walls that separated the rooms had fallen or been torn apart in order to patch more important things. It was only their meeting room and the storeroom that had any kind of separation or anything resembling a roof. “Was it only the mill, or you heard of any other attacks?”

  Aza was already marking the map with a black dot, the squid ink and quill still in working order. The whole thing was a tangled mess of inky dots, spirals, and Xs, each one representing a different attack. “Not that I can think of, but then again most people try an avoid me if they can.”

  “I suppose so.” Luke looked away, a bit uncomfortable. As someone that was able to make near anyone like him, it always hurt to see his closest friend never even be given a chance.

  “What about you, the other farmers have anything to say?”

  “There was an attack a few days ago, but I think only one person died.”

  “Who and where?” Aza dipped the quill in the viscous ink.

  Luke pointed to a few farms just west of them. “Lilly Maddox. One of those wolf things attacked her while she was helping her mom.”

  “Ah….” Aza shook his head. “It always has to be children…”

  Luke somberly watched as an inky dot fell over her home.

  “I recall hearing about some attacks at night while I was on the ship. I’m guessing more of those monsters are lurking around Cedric's Row?”

  “No... accordin to the rumors...it was at their own houses…”

  Aza went rigid. “They broke into houses?”

  “Yeah, at least that’s what people are sayin. It's been happenin for the last few months; supposedly they didn’t even have any lights going.”

  “Oh...that’s not good...:”

  “No, we ain't sure what to do. If those things from the sea start killin people in their own homes then who knows what's gonna happen next.”

  “They’ve gotten worse too. We can’t go a single trip now without something trying to sink us.” Aza was staring at the map, his mind trying to untangle things. After all this time there was no pattern or reason among the deaths, or at least none they could deduce.

  Luke didn’t have a response. He tried to speak but stopped. An uneasy silence then swept over them as if these deaths were all mere lies and speaking was the only thing that could make them true.

  Aza was the first to break the stillness. “What in the Abyss is happening?”

  “I don’t know. Attacks always pick up near harvest but never this much.”

  “Do you think…” There was a long pause. “Do you think we should start recruiting now?”

  Luke leaned back and looked around what could loosely be called a room. “I just don’t think we’re ready…”

  “But if we had more people we could speed this up.” He looked to the ink covered map, thinking of the girl, of Bertrum’s mill...the very ruins they sat in. “I’m just tired of being helpless to stop…. any of this…”

  “I am too, but if we send a bunch of people out into the night that don’t know what they’re doin we’re just gonna get more people killed.”

  “But at this rate the whole town’s gonna be ash before we can even lift a finger!” Aza’s eyes were still trained on the map.

  Luke jumped off his chair and backed away, an icy terror creeping towards him.

  Aza quickly looked up and his growing anger unraveled into fear and shame. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it!” He tried to calm down, but the unnatural energy remained.

  Luke did everything he could to keep his composure. “It’s fine, Is just didn’t know it could get that strong.”

  Aza rubbed his face, furious at himself
. “It couldn’t...but...but...it seemed like every year it got a little worse. Then these last few months...I don’t know what happened...”

  Luke stood in silence, wanting to console his friend but unable to get near him. “Well…” He put on a smile and tried to sound optimistic. “If you’re at the library tomorrow I’s can come by and maybe talk about recruitin. Now though...I’s think it’s better to focus on somethin else.”

  “Yeah...yeah I will be.” Aza pulled his gaze from the table and stood up. “Let’s check on the supplies.”

  They put out the lights and hurried out to the main part of the base. On the other end, against the rock wall, was the store room. Luke pried open the ill fitting door and lit another two lanterns as the darkening sky left little light to see inside. The two were confined to the front as most of the small floor was taken up by boxes and barrels. There were bags of blades fashioned from whatever they could salvage, four well insulated barrels of gunpowder, seven muskets, and an unknown amount of rounds scattered all about. Along with those were things like blankets, cantines, wax, ink, and other less offensive supplies.

  Luke pulled out one of the muskets and brushed it off. Aside from some mildew it looked to be in working order. He lifted out another one and handed it to Aza. “Wanna do a little target practice?”