by J C Gilbert
We only spent one night under the cracked sky. It was a clear night, which served only to accentuate the ruin that had come to this world. The stars just seemed to stop where the gashes were and continue on the other side. Lilly and I had arranged it so that her mom thought I she was at my house and my mom thought I was at hers. It was an old trick, but as long as we didn't make a habit of it, then it would probably be a good one.
After a morning march, we reached a rectangular lake, at the center of which was the largest temple that I had ever seen.
"This lake is man-made," said Trist. He was recovered enough now to carry his sword at his belt but seemed to walk with far more care than usual.
"Person made," corrected Lilly.
"Could have been gorillas," I added.
The road extended over the lake and toward the central fortress, however, the bridge had caved in half way over. Tharil set about having some of the Rams fell the straighter trees for repairs. These trees were particularly challenging to find in the overgrown forest.
We sat on the banks of the lake as we waited, taking in the surreal view. Trist seemed like he was trying to figure out how to make the temple defensible while Lilly made a daisy chain and sung the same Green Day lyric over and over. The day wore on.
I found myself standing up and walking to the water's edge. There was something about the lake which seemed to call to me. I peered into the watery shallows. The sky was reflected in its surface like a mirror. I frowned. There was something here, I could feel it.
Then I saw it. Reflected in the water, there was movement, huge, silver, and slithering. Aeoran, the World Snake, was emerging. I gasped and stepped back. My gaze whipped up to the sky, but there was nothing there, no snake, nothing, just the same damaged reality reminding us of what was at stake.
"What is it?" called Lilly. She arrived at my side.
I felt very silly. Had I imagined the whole thing? "Nothing," I said, "I just slipped, that's all."
The sun was high in the sky by the time we started moving again. It was not easy getting a whole city's worth of people over a narrow stone bridge, harder still to get them over the makeshift repair job. We were some of the last to cross.
On the far side, we were greeted by walls ten feet high, all of stone. The jungle had partially reclaimed the temple for its own. Walking inside was like walking into a secret forest, full of nooks and shadows. Trunk and root had conspired with time to pull down the temple structure, and yet still it endured. Inside the main wall, we were confronted with just how vast the space was. The main temple of Hallow Ben towered ahead of us.
"Why do you think they left?" asked Lilly as we walked down the central causeway. Dense jungle rose high on either side of us. There was movement in the shadows, but I couldn't quite tell what was there.
"I don't know," I said, searching the dark undergrowth.
"It was probably the trees," decided Lilly. "It's hard to even hear yourself think with all these trees. They keep interrupting me with how wild and picturesque they are."
"That made no sense, Lilly," I said, "but for now, the trees can be our standing answer."
"This place is much larger than I thought. I hope that the temple mountain is more defensible," said Trist. "We are going to need every advantage that we can get."
The inner temple rose up, grey in a sea of green. It appeared to have three levels, each level surrounded by walls and towers. There were no faces on these towers, but the architects had really doubled down on the snake motifs.
There was a scream and noise of commotion from somewhere further up the train. It quickly died down. "Tiger!" called a voice.
"I hope it got away," I said, but no one heard.
Tharil was adept at organizing the refugees into teams, each responsible for a different set of resources.
One older woman caught my eye. I recognized her as one of the people selling their wares at the market. There was something in her looks which made me think that this unrest had woken something insider her which had been long asleep. She looked alert, in control, and above all, ready.
We sought out Martin to ensure that we could keep abreast of the plans. "My time is drawing near, I can feel it," he said, pausing from hacking away at the vines which had infested an inner chamber. The evening light was long and fell into the chamber in lines and shadow
"There will be another way," I said, but he just shook his head.
"I learned that I would die for the glory of my god when I was eight years old. My whole life I have looked to this time. Trust me, it's coming."
Nearby someone slammed a shield into the ground. It was Darion. He seemed to be in a heated discussion with Tharil and the Raven patriarch.
"I'll be damned if I'm leading the Rams into those caverns, witch," he said with a snarl. His new scares made him look even more fierce. "What lies down there-"
"What lies down there is sanctuary," said Tharil. "Trust me."
"What's that about?" I asked Martin.
"Folks say this place is haunted. Folks say all the old Nadre ruins are haunted. I'm not really used to my old man believing in ghost stories though."
"And they are just stories?" I asked.
"I do get a funny feeling in this place," said Lilly. "I feel like there is something ancient here, ancient and passionless. I'll be glad when all this is over."
"We will defend the ruins," said Darion to the gathered refugees and soldiers with an air of authority. "Any Ravens willing to stand by our side will be welcome."
"Come," said Tharil, "let us start the descent."
The Raven patriarch bowed her head solemnly, and motioned for the refugees to follow them back out of the temple mountain to where the entrance to the catacombs was located.
"I ain't going down there," said Trist quietly. "Does that make me a coward?"
"It makes you not stupid," said Darion coming our way. "Well, mostly."
"Mostly Not Stupid," said Lilly, "we do original covers, available three days a night."
"She is not quite ordinary, is she?" asked Trist. Lilly prodded him in the stomach. He winced in pain.
"How long before he comes?" I asked Darion, who looked like the only person who wanted to be there.
"He will come tonight," said Martin in a daze.
"Come off it, lad," said Darion with a sneer, "you ain't the messiah, you are just a very disappointing boy."
"Thanks, Dad," said Martin. "I know you mean well, but those comments are not very good for my self-esteem."
Darion looked at Trist, as if for support and then back at Martin. He then made a strange grunt and walked his massive frame off toward a group of Ravens who had decided to stay, grumbling as he went.
"At least with Tharil gone we won't, um, get any interference," said Lilly.
"We will never see them again," said Martin. "We should prepare."
Trist stood up, took out his sword, and activated its beam. It crackled blue and white in the falling light. He looked at it breathing deeply. Then he turned it off again. "Nope," he said.
"I meant with meditation and prayer," said Martin.
"Nope to that too," said Trist.
"I will meditate with you," I said, "but I won't pray."
Martin smiled. "As long as you don't move and keep your eyes closed, then how will I know the difference?"
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
The sky was turning to a brilliant crimson, scarred as it was with gashes of jet black. At least the gashes hadn't grown at all. There were only a few hundred people around now, with the majority of the refugees going down into the catacombs with Tharil and the Raven patriarch. Most of those that stayed were preparing to defend themselves, though a few stayed for other reasons.
The tough old woman I had noticed earlier shook her head as her fellow citizens left through the walls. She made eye contact with me and smiled a crooked smile, and then turned her gaze on the gathering storm.
I climbed with Martin up a minor temple building and sa
t with him on a ruined step overlooking the forest and the temple wall. I had meditated a few times before after seeing a video about how it can help you relate better with anxiety. It helped a lot, but I always forgot that it helped, if you know what I mean. I think it doesn't give you the sorts of feelings that you will run or strive for, but gives you the ones that you happen upon during a pleasant walk.
I closed my eyes on the dying world and tried to focus on my breathing. My mind wanders off, as I think most minds do, but I have read that this is what is supposed to happen when you meditate. My only task was to notice that my mind had wandered off and then return my attention back to my breathing.
My mind wandered to Mom and what she was doing right now. It wandered to Mrs. Taylor, and to Hank. Each time I thanked my mind, and returned my attention to my breath. Then an image flashed before my eyes. I knew I was supposed to focus on my breath and did for a moment but then directed my attention back to the image.
I frowned. It was Elaine. She was just standing there, looking at me, concern in her eyes. I kind of wished she had been that concerned when she was alive, but whatever. My mind was way off track now. Was she saying something? I strained my attention to try and read her lips, but I couldn't focus. And then she was gone. I was tense, too tense. I tried to notice each tense area of my body and then return to my breath. There my attention remained until the screams began.
My eyes sprung open, I looked to Martin. He seemed not to have realized what was happening. I tried to shake him, but he was lost in some distant place. The world was getting darker now. I ran through the small temple building and out the other side to see what was happening. This building rose up from the main grounds of the second level, apart from the central temple mountain.
My mouth dropped open as hundreds of purple lights appeared in the sky from hundreds of armed gargoyles. There was a flash as their pistols tore through the night. My heart was racing. I looked about for Kuyr, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Maybe he wasn't going to come. I spun around toward the temple building from which I just emerged to see the hideous face of Kuyr.
"Peekaboo," he said, grinning with his unnatural smile and bulging eyes.
I recoiled and fell back, stumbling on a few steps, and then grabbing at a ledge to stop. If I had dropped even a foot more, I would have plummeted to my death.
Kuyr looked down at me for a moment. Buried in his chest plate was the Rose of the Raven, purple and glowing. Kuyr turned to go inside. I winced in pain as I got to my feet. I had banged a rib pretty bad. Still, I struggled on. I took the steps one at a time, my body and Hank protesting in unison.
I could just see Martin through the pillars of the temple building. "Of course you are going to die if you just sit there like that!" I yelled.
Kuyr glanced back at me and then continued moving forwards. I had to do something. "Mary, I'm sorry," I said. I then focused my mind on generating a disk of fire. It came to me surprisingly easily. The meditation had cleared my mind. I threw the disk at Kuyr. It hurtled forward, carving through vine and pillar alike. It then collided with Kuyr's back in spray of embers on. Kuyr kept walking.
There was nothing I could do but watch as Kuyr completed Martin's prophecy. There was no way this world could endure the presence of a second god. I grabbed for my book and looked about for Lilly and Trist, but they were nowhere to be seen.
"Hello, Death," said Martin. He was standing now and facing Kuyr with open arms. "I have been waiting for you."
Kuyr made a strange noise. Then there was a thud, and Kuyr hurtled backward, through the temple, and out the other side, barely missing me as he sped. He collided with one of the fortifications on the opposite side of the main temple with a crash. Martin casually walked through.
"I know you are not supposed to think while you meditate," he said, "but I'm just not sure today is my day to die. I just have this funny feeling."
"Feeling?"
"Yeah. Blind terror, I think they call it. I don't want to die, miss. Seems like it would suck all the joy out of life."
I laughed awkwardly, and he gave me a shy smile.
Then he flew.
Martin didn't fly like the Ravens flew, he just kind of floated out into the night. All about him the battle raged on as the remnants of Kanboor engaged the full force of Kuyr's army of gargoyles. I ran down the stone stairs best I could. I didn't like the idea of being far from Lilly in case something went wrong.
I was stopped at the bottom of the stairs by a pair of unarmored gargoyles. I darted to the right, trying to get past them without engaging, but they were too fast. I tried left, but they came forward. I didn't have time for this. I focused on the fire, and two beams erupted from my hands, blasting the stone creatures back.
I ran forward to where the battle was taking place around the main gate. The Ravens and the Rams had been pushed back inside. Darion and a few others were atop an increasingly large pile of rubble which I suspected was made up of more than a few gargoyles. A blue flash let me know that Tristan had found his courage, and I had found his sword.
I had to get to them, but there were hundreds of gargoyles between them and me, and they didn't seem to have noticed me yet. I pushed my back against a wall and tried to catch my breath.
My heart was racing now. I was all alone on this side of the battle. From this vantage point, I could hear the gargoyles chattering away and jostling each other, they may have been made of stone, but they still had personalities. A wave of guilt rushed through me, and I looked back to the charred rubble I had left at the foot of the temple.
I shook my head. I would just have to beat myself up about it later. For now, I needed to find my friends, get the chalice, and return to my world. If I could stop Martin from fulfilling any prophecies, then that would be an added bonus.
I found steps leading further up the temple mountain. I couldn't tell which way they would go, but there was a chance that they could get me around to the other side.
Inside it was dark. I lit a small ball of flame and let it hover a couple of feet in front of me. A few stray dust particles caught the flame and spiraled off towards the stone steps below. The sounds of the battle were muted here. I hurried forward, best I could, but it was slow going with the amount of vegetation which had broken in.
There was a crash as a gargoyle came careering through a wall, blue lightning rippling over its body. Carefully, I stepped past it and continued on my way. It seemed that I had chosen the right passage, as the battle was always on my right. I came to a passage that opened out into the night. I stepped out, and a chill wind caught my hair.
My heart sank as I saw that I was far too far up the temple mountain, and there were no steps down.
Then my eye was caught by a figure running. From this distance, I couldn't tell who it was, and due to the sound of battle, I didn't notice they were screaming until they were close, but screaming they were.
It was the Raven patriarch. She were running, all alone from back where we had come, back from where Tharil had led the refugees. I frowned, puzzled. And then realization washed over my body when I saw what she was running from.
An enormous serpent, silvery white and partially translucent, slivered silently through the ruins and after its prey.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Lightning crackled over the broken sky as the battle below intensified. I felt helpless, standing where I was, so far away from my friends, so far away from being able to help. There was another crash and dust flew up as Martin threw Kuyr down into the temple ruins.
Martin did not fight with any weapons, and yet he seemed to be beating back Kuyr bit at a time. Kuyr stood up in the small crater below and looked at Martin with those empty bulging eyes. Martin was breathing heavily. He was not that far away from me, and he did not look tired. It seemed to me that he could probably defeat this monster, but would it be soon enough?
Kuyr took flight again, directing several of his gargoyles to fly ahead. They swarmed around Ma
rtin's face, distracting him long enough for Kuyr to catch Martin off guard, Kuyr buried a talon into Kuyr's abdomen.
Martin hardly seemed to notice he had been struck. One by one, he removed the gargoyles from his face and threw them off into the distance.
"It ends here tonight," said Martin, "this time we will do it properly. This time there will be no coming back."
Kuyr smiled. "Keep saying things like that, and soon you will believe them," he said.
Shouts down below drew their attention away from each other and toward the great curling snake.
"That's not good," said Kuyr.
The snake devoured a mouth full of soldiers and gargoyles. Two refugees hid behind one of the temple walls, seemingly out of sight of the monster. From where I was standing, I could see that Aeoran was on the other side of the wall, slithering towards them. They thought they were safe there.
"It's coming!" I shouted. If they heard me, then they did not heed me. With a hiss, Aeoran opened his fanged mouth and devoured the pair from through the walls.
I became conscious that I was being looked at. Kuyr had heard me shout. Right at that moment, I wondered if he was recalling what I was saying about the end of this place. Martin seemed to have understood at least in part what was going on in Kuyr's mind.
"Your fight is with me," he said.
"My game is with whoever is the most fun," said Kuyr. "You are getting boring." He darted toward me. Martin followed after.
My heart was racing. I had no time to think. I rose both hands up, and power burst from me. A shimmering wall of red and orange light popped into being in front of me. Scarcely had I time to be relieved, when I heard the most awful sound I had ever heard. A thought rendering tear echoed through the temple as the ground opened up, revealing a chasm to nothingness.
Martin seized the opportunity while Kuyr was distracted. He landed a kick square in Kuyr's jaw. Kuyr fell back in pain, and it looked for a moment that he was going to tumble down to the ground.