The tunnels kept sloping down. The air became colder as they descended, and water dripped along the walls and floors. Sometimes the tunnel was so slanted and wet, Cade had to sit down and slide. It was hard to breathe and wailing came from below, growing louder.
"I'm scared," Harmony whimpered. "I don't like those wails. Something bad lives here."
Cade was scared too. Sweat covered him even in the cold. "Can you smell anything evil, Tash?" he asked.
Tasha shook her head. "No. I've always been able to smell things of Nightmare, but I can't smell the scent of Nightmare here."
Cade remembered Starlight's words of a more ancient evil than Nightmare. Those wails did not sound friendly. He remembered the story of Winived, the mysterious ghost woman Galgev had encountered in these caves. There were secrets in Dream not fully known to even the gods.
"Ghosts," Harmony mumbled as if she could read Cade's mind.
The wails were loud and close now, mournful shrieks of ancient pain and sadness. A sickly gray light came from ahead, and Cade froze, raising his Dreamblade. The wails seemed to laugh.
"No blade can harm us, Creature of Life," came echoing, sickly voices from ahead, speaking in unison. "Leave this place. It is forbidden for you."
Cade clenched his fist around Sunclaw's hilt. Cold sweat washed him. "I won't leave!" he called out, trying to sound stern though fear flowed through him. "I wish you no harm, spirits of this cave, but I must pass through."
For Dream, he thought and took another step forward.
The sickly light flared, and three hideous spirits leapt forth, transparent and bluish, formed as old crones with snaggletooth growls. Harmony, Tasha, and even Starlight screamed. Cade felt himself go as pale as a ghost himself.
"Leave this place!" the ghosts shrieked, so loudly that the tunnels trembled. Their teeth and eyes blazed, bloated, filling the caves.
"Help, help!" Harmony called out, but Cade barely heard her over the ruckus and the blood pounding in his ears.
"I won't leave!" he shouted and swung Sunclaw. The crystal flowed through one spirit. The ghost screamed, her face ballooning to thrice its size, contorting with rage.
"He wields a Dreamblade, sisters!" the ghost screamed in agony. "Oh, sisters, a god of Dream has entered our dominion!"
The sister spirits hissed evilly. Their eyes were black holes of rage, and their wrinkled skin writhed with maggots. Their hair flowed around their sickly heads like serpents.
"Remember what happened to the last god who entered here," hissed one sister. "Remember what happened to Galgev, who met our sister Winived. His fate was not so kind."
"Nor the fate of your sister Winived!" Cade called over their shrieking. He remembered the Dreamsong. Yes, here were Phobetor's aunts. Here were the sisters of Winived, the ghost mother, who tricked Galgev into impregnating her. "Yor banished your sister, and I banish you now from these caves."
He swung Sunclaw again. The blade glowed and hummed and trembled. Sparks flew from the crystal as it sliced through a ghostly sister. The spirit screamed. Black fumes spewed from her mouth.
The pegacats seemed to gain courage from seeing the ghosts wounded. With cries of "For Yor!", the pegacats leapt into the fray, claws drawn. They sliced at the spirits. The ghosts howled. Their claws are of Elorian magic, Cade realized.
The spirits morphed and contorted, taking on terrible forms, their faces hideous studies of devilry.
"You know not whom you displease, Living One!" they hissed. They retreated for a moment, grew small... then lurched forward, bloating and bubbling, claws outstretched. One spirit grabbed Starlight with long bony fingers. The black pegacat struggled and screamed, but could not free herself.
"We have captured one, sisters!" the ghost cried. "We have captured a goddess of Dream. Oh, sweet day!"
Harmony screamed and flew forward. "Let her go!"
But the ghost sisters were already retreating, crying happy wails. "Let us bring the goddess of Dream to the Afterlife! Oh, joyous day!"
Cade and Harmony chased the sisters through the tunnels. The ghosts flew fast, carrying Starlight. The black pegacat was struggling and trying to call out, but the ghostly hands gagged her.
"Let her go!" Harmony cried again.
The sisters were moving faster than them, and Cade was losing hope. Just then the ghosts paused. They had reached a dead end, a tall stone wall dripping with water. Cackling, they chanted in an old language Cade could not understand. The wall quivered, and a portal of sickly swirling light appeared in its center.
"We bring a goddess of Dream," they sang. "A goddess of Dream for the Afterlife!"
One by one, the sisters disappeared into the portal, vanishing into the light. The last sister pulled in Starlight, who kicked and struggled and stared with terrified eyes. The spirit and Starlight vanished into the portal.
"No!" Harmony screamed and flew like a bullet. She whooshed into the portal just before it closed. By the time Cade reached it, the portal had vanished, and he was left standing before a stone wall.
The pegacats were gone.
Chapter Seventeen
Invasion
In the steeple of Til-Rath Tower, a mile above the writhing surface of burning stones and oozing fiends, Loor stepped toward the window. Black robes hissing, a faint trail of smoke rising behind him, the Prince of Nightmare gazed into the distance. From here, his home upon the jagged black tower, he could see for hundreds of miles.
His eyes stared upon horizons of flame and black mountains under a roiling red sky. He lowered his gaze to the red canyons, boulders, and plains of Nightmare. Nothing grows here, he thought, as he always thought, as he thought every day since he had left Dream a thousand years ago.
Things grew in Dream. The growing, beautiful things hated me. The growing, beautiful things wilted at my touch. Loor rested his gray, thin hands upon the window's brick ledge and lowered his head. He shut his eyes, cursing that pain in his chest, the sadness that refused to leave him, that forever pulsed at the bottom of his throat. Loor waited until the anguish passed, refusing to let it claim him. He forced himself to smile, a bitter smile, angry. Soon nobody in Dream will enjoy growing, beautiful things. Soon they will all be sad like me.
Today it began.
With a deep breath, Loor opened his eyes and looked to the ground below the tower. There, upon the burning clay earth, stood his troops. He had grown them slowly, over hundreds of years. We are ready. Five hundred monsters of Kar stood writhing, oozing, hating below. Each was a masterwork centuries in the making, an embodiment of terror. Loor let his gaze caress their horns, dripping fangs, serrated claws, burning eyes, deformed yet powerful bodies. He loved every one, these children he had kidnapped from bed so long ago, then tortured, mutilated, twisted into dark warriors. Soon you will strike against Ælor. Soon we will kill the elk and reclaim Dream, our birthright.
He turned from the window and left his chambers, traveling down the spiraling staircase to the base of his tower. In Dream, they had given him only fields of flowers, or forests of birches, or beaches of seashells, to live in. All these places had wilted at his touch, and his fellow gods could only show him pity. Pity! Loor barked a laugh. Sadness feeds on pity.
Phobetor had given him more. Phobetor showed him no pity. Phobetor gave him respect. Power. Instead of a field of dying flowers, his older brother had given him a tower of terror. In your name, Phobetor, I will reclaim Dream. It will be for you, who gave me all I have. For you, Phobetor, I will kill Galgev our father. For you, my brother, I will turn Dream into a province of Nightmare your empire.
At the base of his tower, Loor stepped out into the burning landscape, his boots crushing the slugs and bugs that carpeted the ground. His black robes swayed, and smoke rose in a trail behind him. He stepped toward the monsters and smiled as he gazed upon them. Here were Nightmare's finest, creatures of such horror, they caused humans, sound asleep on earth, to leap from their beds in horror, covered in cold sweat. Maggots crawled over the
ir pale, rotting skin. Pus dripped down their fangs and claws. Their eyes burned with dark fire.
"When I first found you," he spoke softly, "you were trembling children huddling under blankets, clutching your teddy bears." The monsters hissed and drooled, and Loor smiled thinly, gazing upon their serrated fangs and claws. He bared his own fangs, snarling, and his voice rose, echoing across the ashy plains. "When I took you to Nightmare, I gave you fearlessness! When I tortured you, I gave you strength. With my hammers and wires, I gave you power. And now, my children, you are ready, you are warriors of Kar."
In their claws, the monsters held dark Dreamblades, forged by Phobetor. Back in Dream, the god Tam would cut Dreamblades from the crystals in the Crystal Caves. Here in Nightmare, Phobetor cut them from crystals found deep in the black earth. Dreamblades--the only weapon that could kill a god of Dream. Loor carried his own, a shard of cruel crystal he named Tearfall, its hilt studded with firegems. Soon only we will fill the sleep of mortals, Loor reflected, a smile fluttering across his fox mouth.
"Today we return home!" he cried, and they cheered, howled, waved their weapons. Flames burned in their eyes and their growls shook the earth. The fires of Nightmare burned behind them, sending smoke into a swirling red sky where skeletal lizards flew.
Loor began to march, and the monsters followed, footsteps thundering, filling the air with growls and screeches and hisses. Their tails flapped and their claws flexed. Loor moved at their lead, cloaked in black, his face--the face of a fox, furless, covered with wrinkly gray skin--hidden in the shadows of his hood. He could not wait to see the gods of Dream again. They've always pitied me for my ugliness, for my curse which makes all life and beauty die. They will not pity me now. I'm coming home, dear family.
He led the monsters for a long time. Time became meaningless as they moved through the burning plains, oozing swamps, bleak black deserts, and craggy hills. Smoke and fumes rose around them, and bogs and sulfur filled the hot air with stench. Giant slugs, writhing snakes, cruel insects, and all manner of terror watched as they advanced.
When they reached the Mountain of Despair, Loor paused and stared at the towering blackness. Here, from this mountain, flowed the despair sleepers felt when filled with nightmares. Here was the place humans hated most; that place in their nightmares where all hope vanished.
They climbed the mountain. A single black flower grew from its crest, small and dainty. Loor had planted it a thousand years ago, when he had first come to Nightmare, fleeing Dream to seek his older brother. It was a reminder. A reminder of his curse, of the things that died around him in Dream. Beneath this flower he had planted, a thousand years ago, the Mountain of Despair had grown, feeding off his sadness.
Beyond the flower in the shadows of boulders and clouds, lay the tunnel--the tunnel he had carved, blocked, and kept secret all these years. The tunnel I crawled through to find my brother. A tunnel to Dream.
"As I left Dream, so do I return," he whispered.
Leading the monsters, Loor stepped into the darkness, clenching his fists as that old sadness, the pulsing anguish in his throat, returned. He forced himself to smile, banishing the pain. Home.
* * * * *
"Starlight!" Harmony cried. "No! Starlight!"
She flew through the portal, mists swirling around her, the wind flattening her fur. She narrowed her eyes and stared forward. Where was Starlight? But she could see no sign of her sister or of the ghosts who had catnapped her.
"Starlight!" she shouted again, but heard no answer. Perhaps I should be silent, she thought. I don't want the ghosts to hear me.
Soon the mists parted, and Harmony found herself flying through an astral plain of endless gray. She looked around her, but saw only gray swirls and smoky clouds in all directions, flowing endlessly. It was like floating in a stormy sky with no ground below. She gasped and gazed around with wide eyes. Suddenly her gaze caught a wisp of white ahead. The ghosts!
Harmony flapped her wings and pursued the white wisps. When she narrowed her eyes and stared, she could make out a black patch carried by the white wisps. That must be Starlight, the spirits still carrying her.
"I'm going to save you, Starlight," she whispered.
She kept flying, flapping her wings mightily. If the ghosts ahead saw her, they gave no sign. Harmony hoped that she was small enough to remain unseen. It's good that my fur is white. Maybe I just look like a wisp of fog. Many real wisps of fog floated around her. Harmony flew from cloud to cloud, trying to hide behind them as best as possible.
Suddenly she gasped. She realized that between the swirling wisps there floated transparent souls. Souls of humans. She had never seen a human aside from Cade before, but now she saw dozens of dead ones. The souls, barely more than wisps of fog themselves, floated upward, disappearing into the distant heights. They gazed at Harmony as they floated by, their eyes sleepy.
"I'm in the Afterlife," she whispered in shock.
She had heard of the Afterlife, the place where all souls--be they from Earth, Dream, or Nightmare--went after death. As she flew, following the wraiths who had catnapped Starlight, she stared around with wide eyes. She saw the souls of many old women and men, but some souls of younger humans, even of babies.
Suddenly she gasped. Floating up beside her came a dark, foggy soul in the shape of a wolf. The soul of Baelish, the Wolf of Kar. Harmony remembered the wolf who had guarded the laceleaf, and she shuddered. She did not like to remember that day. Baelish's ghost saw her, glared, and snapped at her. Harmony yelped and scratched, but Baelish's teeth dispersed against her like fog, and her claws tore through his ghost without harming it. He was dead. She was alive. They could not touch each other. The wolf kept floating up, glaring at her, leaving her below. Harmony shuddered.
She kept flying, butterfly wings churning the fogs, as the ghosts ascended around her. The spirits ahead flew fast, and Harmony was tired, but she would not slow down. I must save Starlight. Since Yor had created the pegacats thousands of years ago, to be pets to Princess Niv, the two had not been separated. Harmony loved Princess Niv, and she loved Old Twig Eater, and she loved her new friends Cade and Tasha, but Starlight held a special place in her heart. She thought her sister was the sweetest, wisest being in the universe, and if she could not save her, Harmony knew she'd die of heartbreak.
Her thoughts turned to Cade. She worried about him. Was he still in the caves? Would he find escape? Harmony wished she could return to help him. I hope he knows I'm fine, she thought. She swore that once she rescued Starlight, she'd seek a way back to Dream and find Cade. He needs me to protect him.
She remembered Cade's promise, that if he married Moonmist, she could be a pet to their children. She could not wait for such a day. She missed having a child to tend to. She missed those days when Niv was a girl and would play with her pegacats all day. Niv used to be so happy, Harmony remembered. But since Loor had left Dream, the princess seemed overcome with sadness and worry, and even Harmony and Starlight could not soothe her.
I hope Cade imprisons the God of Nightmare. Then we can go back to those happy days from before Phobetor was born. She missed those days so badly, she ached.
Far ahead, Harmony noticed a black shape forming, tall and thin. It was distant, miles away. The spirits flew toward it, and as Harmony followed, the black form grew. It looked like a fortress of jet rising from the fog, hovering in the endless gray. As they approached, Harmony saw that gargoyles, steeples, and iron barbs covered the fortress. The spirits flew toward its crest, where battalions overlooked the Afterlife like serrated watchmen.
Harmony flew as close as she could, whisking between wisps of fog. She could see the spirits clearly now. The hideous crones still clutched Starlight. When the spirits were not looking, Harmony darted out from behind a wisp of fog and flew toward the fortress. She hid under a gargoyle and peered up to where the spirits hovered.
"Welcome to your new home, goddess of Dream," hissed one spirit, spitting out her words disdainfully.
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Starlight tried to speak, but the spirits held their palms over her mouth. They laughed, a horrible cackling like hail against sheets of ice.
Harmony snarled and drew her claws.
One spirit pulled a rusty metal cage from above the tower. She hung the cage from the crenellations, shoved Starlight in, and locked the door.
"Comfortable, goddess?" the wraith hissed.
Starlight hung from the tower, her cage dangling. The cage was so small, the pegacat could barely move; she could not even turn around.
"Yor will hear of this!" Starlight screamed.
The spirits laughed, their hair flying, their rotten teeth bared. "You are in the Afterlife, cat," one said. "You will not see your king again until he is dead."
"Why are you keeping me here?" Starlight demanded, eyes flashing.
The oldest, most hideous spirit flew toward the cage and stared at Starlight with burning eyes. "That is none of your concern, living one. You shall remain here until we summon Loor to fetch you."
With that, the crone turned and flew away, soon disappearing into the distance. Her sisters hovered in circles around the cage, guarding it, chanting in their tongue.
Harmony remained hidden behind the gargoyle. She kept her claws drawn, and it was all she could do to stay put, and not shoot forward and challenge the ghosts. Just wait, she thought. Think, Harmony.
She tapped her claws against the gargoyle. So Loor has access to the Afterlife, she reflected. She had not known any god could reach Afterlife. Aside from possibly Loor, she and Starlight were probably the first Dreamgods to reach this land. Even Yor knew little about it.
She peeked toward Starlight's cage. The ghosts still hovered around it. How will I save her? Harmony did not know. Whenever trouble arose, Starlight was always the one who could handle it. Starlight was always the one who knew what to do. And if Starlight could not handle a problem, there were always the Big Folks--Tam, or Maninav, or even Yor himself--to take care of things.
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