by Adam Witcher
I grinned at that. The crowd wouldn’t be leaving without a spectacle tonight. The ground began to shake. First it was barely noticeable, then the booing ceased. For the first time, the crowd went completely silent.
“No need to panic, folks, just an earthquake.” The announcer didn’t sound sure of himself.
Cracks opened in the ground around me. With their energies close, I was able to see more clearly what I’d summoned. I couldn’t wait to see the looks on these people’s faces.
Three skeletal lions popped out of the first crack. Dirt clung to their teeth and exposed bones. One of them, a male with a tangled mane, let out a bloodcurdling roar. The crowd went into a panic. The lions prowled the grounds, licking their dead lips hungrily. Though intimidating, they wouldn’t be able to do much.
A long beak poked out from the dirt right before me, and the head of a giant pterodactyl emerged. I recognized it immediately from the images of the gladiators throwing great spears at it. It pulled its long, sharp body from the dirt and took to the skies with a horrific, echoing screech. Mud dripped from its long talons.
By the time that more claws, hooves, and talons had emerged from the dirt, the crowd had apparently decided they’d had enough. They mobbed the staircases, looking for an exit. The pterodactyl circled the arena as if picking out its prey.
Though tempted, I didn’t stop to watch each beast emerge. I knew what they were as I summoned them. Across the stadium, I saw what I was waiting for. The box was already being vacated. The man in the white coat was already gone. The last few wealthy patrons were heading down the stairs. I sprinted toward the opening where I’d come in. To my horror, I saw that a gate was being closed over it. There was no way that I was going to make it. I looked up to the pterodactyl and exerted my thoughts to it. I could feel it listening.
I need a ride.
It got the message. It flipped around in the sky and sped toward me. Just as we were about to collide, I leaped up onto its back. We shot up in the sky. From my aerial view, I took a look at the pandemonium. Most of the audience was gone, but many beasts took their place. Mammoth serpents slithered up and down the staircases. Firebears stomped the ring to rubble and breathed flames onto the ropes. Giant spiders crawled over each other. I couldn’t believe that I had summoned them. I sensed that there was a strong willingness in them, though, a fire that had only been reduced to a simmer when they perished here so many years ago. They were eager to be freed and were grateful that I had freed them.
The gate was almost closed, and there was no more time to waste staring at my creatures. The beast that I rode came to a skidding stop right before it and I ran to the gate and somersaulted under it. It closed behind me and clicked shut. I breathed a sigh of relief and left the chaos behind me.
My footsteps rang out through the tunnel like rock smacking against rock. Low lamps guided me. The announcer was nowhere in sight, and neither was Zantho. I wondered what happened to them in the fray. I passed by the stairs that I led up to the private box, but those were vacant too. I tried to keep myself steady and calm but picked up the pace. The tunnel ran onward for what felt like many hundreds of feet. Eventually I reached a corner where the path veered left. I peeked around the corner. Instead of the dirt path, the tunnel was paved with blue and white ornamental tiles. They were decorated with elaborate drawings of ships and animals. The light was brighter here, too. I could make out the patterns easily. At the far end of the hall, the path veered to the right, and I saw the flash of a foot going around it. It was clad in a sophisticated sandal with beads hanging from it. I was close.
I resumed my pursuit, this time taking care to sneak as well as I could. In the enclosed chamber, even the smallest of sounds carried. Once I was closer, I heard whispers from the group. They melded together into a cacophony that I couldn’t discern, but it blanketed the sound of my footsteps. I hoped so, anyway.
I followed them for what felt like an hour but must have been half of that. Each time we rounded a corner, I looked to see if the white coated man still led them. We passed many doors that bore elaborate locks and patterns. One by one, the wealthy patrons disappeared into them. Their numbers dwindled until only the man in the white coat remained, far ahead of me. He trudged onward. In the strange shadows of the tunnels, his arms almost seemed to have an inhuman wiggle to them as he walked. I wondered if he made this journey every day.
Eventually, he stopped abruptly. I almost ran around the corner and exposed myself, but I pulled back at the last moment. He stood before a huge black doorway, but there was no lock or even knob. He placed his hand on it, muttered a few words that I could not understand, and his hand glowed red-orange. The heavy door creaked and opened, and the man stepped inside. Once he had disappeared completely, I ran after him, but I was too late. The door latched shut. I ran my hand along it, but I was clueless. I cursed to myself.
I leaned against a wall to think. A thin beam of light appeared on the floor, so I looked up to see its source. Some sort of lamplight came through the keyhole of a round metal door overhead. A ladder led up to it. Was I in the sewers? It didn’t strike me as very aristocratic to walk home through the shit-filled tunnels of the city. Maybe that’s why they had to spruce it up with lamps and tiles, I thought with a grin. But if this was once a sewer, it seemed to be no more.
Not knowing what else to do, I climbed the ladder and pushed my way out onto the street. It was a quiet street, one that seemed familiar. I replaced the manhole cover and took in my surroundings. I laughed at the irony of where I was. Not twenty feet away, the library stood. It was still lit up. Boy, I really could have saved myself a lot of trouble.
With that thought, I heard the distant cries of the pterodactyls that now sounded like they were flying through the city. I felt a little bad for ruining the city’s good time tonight, but it was all in the name of justice. Surely the city watch and guards could take care of things. I’m sure they’ll forgive me eventually. At least they’d have a great story out of it.
Before making my way toward Camilla’s house, I took advantage of the abandoned area and changed out of my costume. Further out, the streets were abuzz, and everyone seemed to be talking about the same thing. I smirked at the stories I overheard.
“It was a dragon, a real life dragon!” one man insisted to a woman behind me. “He breathed fire on the guy who summoned him. Burned him right to a crisp, I saw it!”
“Zantho raised the monsters! That Blue Bastard was just some kinda decoy,” someone else said. “He rode on the back of one of those bird things. He wants revenge for us making him fight all the time. He’s gonna destroy the whole city!”
“No, you’ve got it backward!” The woman who responded to him was exasperated. “Zantho didn’t raise the dead. The city officials running the event did! Sales are down, they needed a more exciting show. It just got out of hand!”
I couldn’t wipe the grin from my face. A great story, indeed.
Chapter Eighteen
I heard the girls talking through the wall as I approached Camilla’s door. I was still beaming when I knocked and they went silent.
“There’s no way,” Lily said through the wall, “no way in hell.”
The door swung open, and I leaned against the frame. Camilla looked like she couldn’t decide if she was angry or ecstatic. Behind her, Lily just laughed to herself.
“You son of a bitch,” Camilla said. “How in the hell did you… Why was there... Goddammit.”
She rushed out and hugged me. Lily did the same.
“We thought you were dead,” Lily said.
“You,” Camilla corrected. “You thought he was dead. We had a bet going. I said he was alive.”
“It isn’t that I hoped you were dead,” Lily said. “It just seemed extremely likely. You understand.”
“I do. To be honest I would have probably bet on me being dead too. I came pretty close, if it makes you feel better.”
“So what the hell happened?” Lily asked.
I relayed the story and relished every detail. The looks on their faces when I described my deeds might have been even more satisfying than performing them. By the end, it was hard to pretend not to notice the lustful glow in their eyes. Camilla pulled out a jug of wine and poured us some cups. We sipped from them greedily.
“The lab coat guy, his name is Alastair Tholen,” Camilla said. “Can’t say I know much else about him, but you can’t live in Gragos and not know that name.”
“So you know where to find Tholen, but you just don’t know how to get in?” Lily asked.
I nodded.
“Gods, these tunnels,” Camilla said. “I can’t believe so much has been going on right under our feet. The rich abandon their houses and live in the sewers. What a strange time to be alive.”
“Who knows if they’re living down there,” I said. “But they’re certainly moving the krokum. This thing goes deep, literally. Maybe more people than we think can access the tower.”
“Anyone who can access the tunnels must have access to the tower, right?” Lily asked.
“Presumably,” I said. “If they can stand the stench and the tight quarters. But I bet Tholen has a means of getting in that are a bit more agreeable. We just need to figure out how to get that door open.”
“Well, we aren’t going to break in tonight,” Camilla said. “Hungry?”
I was ravenous. Camilla brought plates of turkey leg, asparagus, and barley bread. When I was done, Camilla poured more wine.
“So,” I said between sips, “you said you had a bet on whether or not I was still alive. I gotta know. What were the terms?”
Both of the girls blushed. Camilla giggled to herself.
“Well, if you were dead, and I won,” Lily said. “Camilla was going to have to let me stay with her as long as I want. She’d provide all the food, wine, and whatever else I could desire.”
“The idea was that we might as well hang out and be comfortable before the city is wiped out. Or we have to escape. On me, of course,” Camilla said.
“Makes sense,” I replied. “But unfortunately for you, Lily, I survived. So what do you win, Camilla?”
She giggled into her glass. Her cheeks flushed to a deeper red, and she fixed her dark hair behind her ears. “The deal was, if I won, I’d get to take you out for the night.”
I raised my eyebrows and took another sip of my wine, smiling.
“Auctioning me off, eh?” My stomach fluttered. “What kind of guy do you take me for? I’m a proper gentleman.”
“Somehow, I didn’t think you’d mind.” She reached over and put a hand on my thigh. She was right. I didn’t mind one bit. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Lily look away and take a long gulp of wine.
“I’ve got a little place I like to go at night sometimes,” Camilla’s voice went low and vibrated in my ear a little. With her bent over, my eyes were torn in their attention between her exposed cleavage and her infinite chocolate eyes. “What do you say we take these cups of wine and go check it out?”
I caught Lily’s eye, and her expression went soft. She gave a small smile, shrugged, and winked.
“A deal is a deal,” she said, then nodded to the door. I was amazed at her maturity, despite our flirtations. Seeing even a peep of jealousy gave me a little perverse pleasure, though.
“Keep an eye on the place, will you Lily?” Camilla said. “And help yourself to the wine.”
“Don’t stay out too late, you crazy kids,” Lily said. “We have a long day tomorrow.”
Camilla took me by the hand and led me outside. The streets were still humming with stories of the night, but I no longer cared to listen to any of them. All my attention was on the enticing beauty that guided me. Her grip was gentle, her fingers slender. They led to smooth, caramel-colored arms and a lovely petite frame that I imagined lifting in my arms and tossing onto a bed with ease. The night was warm, and a little sweat gathered at the small of her back. Above that, her long black hair bounced along with every step. Her slender legs, too, were hard to take my eyes off of. They shifted back and forth hypnotically. She didn’t talk much during our walk. Eventually, we reached a doorway that led up to a two-story building. It was a nondescript place, and I was surprised when she said that we had arrived.
“This is where you wanted to take me?” I asked.
“Almost,” she said. “When I was a kid this was a butcher shop. The butcher was a sweet old man. My parents used to send me here to pick up meats for the family. He used to let me up on his rooftop while he prepared the orders. There’s a beautiful view from up there. When he was done, I wasn’t ever ready to leave. So he’d let me come up here just to sit and look whenever I wanted. A few years ago, he died and the shop was abandoned. But nobody took it over, so I still come here from time to time.”
She led me to the top. The rooftop itself was empty save for a cot and some potted plants, but the view was indeed spectacular. Though not terribly high up, the building was situated in relation to the hills of the city in such a way that it seemed half of it could be seen. Gas lamps lit up the gothic spires in a dreamlike way. Off in the distance, mountains loomed imposingly. Their faded forms were only just visible in the moonlight. On the other rooftops, gardens, chairs, and tables stood empty. Nobody was visible, but we could still hear the mild din of the streets around us.
“During the daytime, the rooftops are full of people,” she said. “It’s like a whole second city up here. The only way to escape the chaos on the ground level.” We watched in silence for a moment.
I turned to look at her, to take in her skin bathed in moonlight. “You came to the Colosseum tonight. I thought you couldn’t bear to see Zantho fight.”
“Well, I couldn’t bear to not see you fight. It was quite a predicament.”
“I didn’t really end up fighting,” I admitted with a laugh.
“What you did was way more exciting than boxing,” she said.
She turned her gaze from the city scene and looked into my eyes.
“I’m glad you aren’t dead,” she lowered her voice and leaned toward me.
“I’m glad I’m not dead either.” I moved my hand through her hair. “If I was, I couldn’t do this.”
I leaned in and kissed her. The moment our lips touched, she grabbed hold of my body and twisted her hips closer to me. It felt like she was desperate for me to make the move, and when I did, the dam broke and it all came flooding out.
Our hands were all over each other, and before I knew that she was unbuttoning it, my shirt was off. She walked backwards slowly toward the cot, pulling on the waist of my pants so I would keep up. Our tongues got familiar with each other as we moved. She stopped moving and waited for me to make the next move. I put one arm around her trim waist and loosened the strings that held her blouse together with the other. It fell off onto the cot and her breasts gently swayed for a moment, her nipples grazing my own bare chest. With a quick motion, I swept her feet out from under her and let her topple onto the cot. I lowered myself down onto her as she worked my pants off me.
The only thing left between us was her sheer black pants. The fabric was thin enough for me to rip off of her in one motion. I suddenly noticed that she must have left the thong at home. She was completely exposed, her warm brown skin glowing silver in the moonlight. She was a series of rolling curves, and I chose to move my tongue over each of them. She let out high pitched sighs and groans and gripped me, her nails occasionally scratching into my back. I ventured down where she was sweetest. She looked at me, as though surprised, but then laid back and caressed my hair. As she got closer, she pushed and pulled, then held me down as she orgasmed.
She breathed heavily for a moment before flipping me down onto the cot and returning the favor. She slipped me into her mouth eagerly. As I got closer and closer to finishing, I pulled her by the arm, and she instinctively squared her hips on top of mine, slowly rubbing against
me. She smiled and bit her lip. I raised up onto one elbow and, with my free arm, lifted her up by the waist. She grabbed my shoulders, and with a little giggle and a hungry look in her eyes, she prepared to put me inside of her. In the last moment before she did, I glimpsed a view of the tower over her left shoulder.
I hope you’re watching us, I thought, grinning, you sick bastards.
Chapter Nineteen
I dreamt I was riding through a sea of stars with a pack of pterodactyls. They swooped through the galaxy, bits of stardust clinging to the tips of their wings. The one I was riding turned its head to me and opened its mouth to speak, but the only sounds it made were two sharp metallic bangs. I recoiled in confusion. It made the sound again, and my eyes flew open.
Lily stood over us with a mischievous grin. She had a pot in one hand and a ladle in the other.
“Wake up, love birds! We have a big day today.”
My arm was wrapped around Camilla. She and I both raised our heads. A part of me was terribly annoyed, but the other part of me knew I’d be doing the same thing in her shoes. I groggily stood up, a little embarrassed to be caught in such a vulnerable position.
Lily poured three cups of tea. We got dressed and gathered at the table.
“I don’t suppose,” Lily said with a smirk, “that you two discussed a plan on getting through that door during your little tryst last night?”
“We didn’t discuss much of anything,” Camilla smiled and blew into her cup of tea.
“Thankfully, one of us did some work,” Lily said. “Did you know that library stays open late?” She put a thick tome on the table. The title read Thiefcraft. “Who knew you could find such unsavory literature at a library? It worked out for us though. Take a look.”
She flipped it open to a page where an image depicted a mage waving his hands in circles before a great flat door.