by Jeff Gunzel
“There is no way it’s going to end like this!” Jacob shouted. “After all we’ve been through...after we’ve come so far. There’s simply no way. I won’t have it.”
“I’m afraid you have little say in the matter, Jacob,” said Nima with a touch of sadness. The harsh edge in her voice was long gone. She wasn’t saying these things to be cruel, but simply stating the facts. The more they understood the situation, the better equipped they would be to deal with it. A light knock came at the door. “I’m so sorry...but it’s time.”
“What do you mean, it’s time? Time for what?” snapped Jacob just as Athel began to rise. She gently pushed away his protective hand from her shoulder and looked him squarely in the eye. Nima moved swiftly to open the door.
Athel ran her fingers through his spiky hair and whispered, “It’s OK, Jacob, I’m not afraid anymore. I believe everything happens for a reason, and if this is to be my destiny, then so be it.” His face twisted in rage as he looked over her shoulder and watched as men carrying chains began streaming into the room. She quickly placed a hand on his cheek, forcing him to look at her instead. “No matter what happens, I only ask one thing from you.” Her eyes were clear and her voice was calm as she spoke. “Please, remember me as I am now.” She rose up on her toes and kissed his cheek before turning toward Jade.
Jade cried as the two embraced, all the while whispering words of encouragement to her friend, who had proved to be impossibly brave. Athel drifted over to the group of men with her head high and fingers clasped behind her head in a silent surrender. A heavyset man with the same wicker helmet they all seemed to be wearing grabbed her arms and wrestled them down behind her back. He began wrapping the chain when he was struck suddenly on the side of the head. Nima’s eyes blazed angrily as she shook the tingling from her open hand. “Not here, you fool! Show some respect; her friends are watching.” She rolled her eyes over her shoulder and shuddered at the man’s insensitivity.
They all funneled through the doorway and slammed it shut behind them. The clicking of the heavy lock snapping shut seemed to echo off the wooden walls, but the long silence that followed seemed much louder. Jade and Jacob sat in near blackness as the lone lantern danced with a sickly flame, making ghostly shadows flutter along the wall. They stared helplessly at the thick door that had just swallowed up their friend, possibly to never return as they remembered her. The only thought that seemed even more gut-wrenching to Jade was the fact that she still had no idea where Eric was, or even if he was still alive. It was almost more than she could bear.
****
Morita and Zhou moved swiftly through the silver halls as servants scampered to get out of their way. The few who weren’t able to move in time dropped down to the floor with their faces pressed flat across the cold tile. It was clear to them that the normally calm siblings were in rare form this day, spurred on by something urgent—a dangerous scenario indeed. As it was, the two were extremely unpredictable on any given day. But when they were this visibly shaken, it was more than advisable to avoid them all together.
At least when the family was still whole, their mother and father, although still suffering from the same curse as the rest of the family, had a sense of morals and were able to control these two—to some degree, anyway. All but a handful of the servants had no idea what had become of them, and certainly no one outside the temple. All anyone knew was that authority seemed to have shifted down to the cursed children, a reality no one was comfortable with.
Through the silver hall and up a red tiled stairway they moved with a sense of urgency. Morita was the first to barge through the thick wooden door, her brother following closely behind. The startled creature in the room spun about in surprise as the two barged in without any notice. The odd creature’s head was similar to a monkey’s, with large pink ears and soft dark eyes that seemed to glisten with constant wetness. Its hunched body seemed thin and broken as is limped across the room using three limbs to hobble along while holding its left arm flush against its chest. The sickly arm was smaller than the other and clearly underdeveloped, as it constantly gripped its thumb. Its gray-feathered body puffed out like an angry songbird who had just shaken off a spring shower. It wore a circular glass mask around its dark wet eyes, strapped around its head with a black band. The sad-looking creature gurgled and grunted as it limped toward them.
The square-shaped room had the same red tile flooring as most of the other rooms and halls, but the bright yellow walls were a sharp contrast to the much darker floor. Thin gold and silver chains hung from tiny hooks in the wall and streamed down until almost touching the floor. They shimmered in the light of multiple clear spheres which held the blue glowing creatures, each one hanging from a gold-colored chain of its own, attached directly to the red ceiling. At the room’s center was a large object covered with a yellow canvas.
The limping creature hobbled up like a faithful dog and began cooing and gurgling while its dark eyes looked even larger behind its glass mask. Zhou turned up his nose at the pathetic beast before turning toward his sister. Once again she would be asked to communicate with a being whose idea of words more closely resembled the moaning of a dying animal. He always found it odd she was even able to decipher the random clicks and groans of some of these beasts, even the mindless sounds produced from his own father at this stage of his life.
Morita paid him no attention while looking down to the sad creature. “Hashiki,” she purred, as if speaking to a beloved pet, but all the while her unnatural yellow eyes flared with impatience. It was clear she was trying to remain as unimposing as possible. If the creature felt at ease, it was far more likely to give information freely, information they needed right now. “Am I to assume that father has already spoken to you about this disturbance he felt recently?” The creature gurgled and popped as it drew in on itself with shame, hunching its shoulders while staring at Morita’s feet. “I assure you everything is fine. Such actions are not forbidden. In fact, this is the sort of initiative I expect from you now. Father is...well...slipping, to say the least, which now means you will need to take on even more responsibility.”
Zhou rolled his eyes, flexing his massive chest as he stretched toward the ceiling. “Ask it already. Let’s see if there is anything to be concerned about or not. I have more important things to do than listen to that thing coo like an infant,” he said impatiently.
“Show a little patience, brother. You might actually learn a thing or two.” She turned her attention back to Hashiki. “Now, I want you to show us exactly what it was he felt. It might be nothing, but we still need to know.” Hashiki purred and cooed happily as it scooted back across the floor to the object hidden under the yellow canvas. With a quick tug from his good arm, the material fluttered down, revealing a three-pronged crystal figure rising up from the floor. Connected at its base, it sprouted upward into three jagged points, like a tree made of glass. The little creature popped and purred while waving them over, his feathers quivering with excitement.
Morita leaned toward her brother and answered his unasked question, “He wants us to touch the crystal as we observe the images it presents. He says that way we will gain an intimate understanding of what it is we see.” Zhou shrugged his huge shoulders and strolled over to the crystal. He didn’t fear much of anything, and certainly didn’t fear the toy of some feathered monkey. Morita drifted over to him, then both placed their hands firmly against the crystal. Nothing happened at first, until Hashiki placed his own pinkish hands at its base. The crystal instantly began to pulse with light, changing from blue to green then back to blue. Neither of them felt anything as they watched the light show continue on for some time.
Suddenly the colors within the crystal began to swirl in a spiral of green and blue, now with a touch of red and yellow as well. Soon the colored spiral of distortion began to take shape. The image of a huge ship being tossed around at sea came into focus as they felt the wind and rain driving against them, even though they were still warm and
dry in Hashiki’s chamber. They could see the faces of Jade, Athel, Jacob and Eric clearly now. They could even feel their thoughts, panic and fear flooding through them as the giant wave came crashing down, splintering the ship to pieces. But somehow they survived.
After another swirl of color, the images shifted abruptly to a village they were quite familiar with. They could see the Takeri Clan had apparently been harboring these foreigners and had not told anyone of their findings. But the source of the disturbance was not there in the village. “One is missing from the group,” hissed Morita.
“He is the source of disruption, not the other three,” said Zhou. “Whatever he is, he is throwing off the very balance of nature. No mortal should ever be able to do that.” He shivered at the remarkable finding, trying not to think about what a threat this could be to his current position of power. “I’ve never sensed such raw ability. He is clearly too dangerous to be allowed to live. We must find and dispose of this unnatural...thing.”
“I agree, dear brother. His friends will inform us of his location, of that I promise you,” she said calmly. They pulled their hands away from the crystal as the images swirled into blackness. Then her calm voice suddenly turned to ice. “The Takeri Clan has betrayed us. They think they are above our laws and can pick and choose when to report such important findings?”
“I will see to their punishment personally,” he barked as he flexed his chest. “I will make an example out of them so the other clans will think twice before displaying such bold treachery.”
The two of them left the chamber, once again showing outward calm. They moved down the hall before stopping at a large stone door with a green serpent painted on the front. Morita turned toward her brother. “It has been a trying day and we have preparations to make. I need to...relax for a while.” Zhou’s nose crinkled up with disgust. This was yet another one of his sister’s compulsions he just couldn’t relate to, but it was not his place to judge, either. The curse bestowed on this family years ago had affected each member quite differently, but he couldn’t help but think she might have gotten the worst of it.
“Very well, but try not to take too long.” He hastily moved on down the hall, not wanting to stay near her another minute. Morita placed her hands on the massive stone door and watched as it slid easily to the side. She entered the filthy stone chamber with an even filthier pool of murky water at its center. Large cobras slithered around the room, worming their way through their own filth and occasionally drifting through the shallow water.
Several sat up and hissed as she nonchalantly waded to the center of the greenish-brown water then dropped down to her knees as she held out her bared arms. After a minute or two, the first slithered its way into the filthy slime. It re-emerged near her side, hissing away with its neck fanned out aggressively. She slapped at it several times before it finally lunged, biting deep into her wrist. She blew out a sharp breath as both pain and pleasure surged through her body at once. Her tongue dropped from her open mouth, stretching down to an impossible length as it passed below her neckline then slowly curled back up as she used it to smooth her eyebrows one at a time.
With a moan, she began to stroke its head with her free hand before pressing it deeper into her flesh. Before long, the others began to slither into the water as well. She slapped at them aggressively, simply trying to enrage them so they would honor her with the same treatment as the first. One by one they bit hard all over her body, each pumping toxic venom. Poison to anyone else was pure ecstasy to her. Her yellow eyes began to pulse with light as she moaned in ecstasy. The veins on her neck began to swell and throb as the sweet nectar coursed through them.
Chapter 14
Athel’s face held all the emotion of a stone as they clasped metal cuffs around her hands, feet, and neck. The thick iron chains hung from a single steel post as wide as a tree trunk. She gazed around the damp room, wondering if these walls would be her last memory once her mind conformed. She did her best to beat back the dark thought while eyeing the rickety wooden planks surrounding her. It was clear to her these brittle walls would do nothing to hold her if the heavy chains failed.
Sparse mounds of damp hay lay about, spaced out across the loose dirt floor. The decomposing piles left a sour odor hanging in the air. She gazed up at the night sky exposed though a square opening in the roof. Rusted hinges attached to the side proved there must have been a retractable cover at one time, but it seemed to be long gone now. The cloudless sky revealed millions of twinkling stars that seemed unusually bright tonight. A tiny smile crossed her lips as she watched a shooting star streak across the night sky then wink out as fast as it came. How beautiful.
The men tugged at the chains, as if trying to convince themselves the thick black iron would be enough to hold her. Given how many times they made the links ring out over and over again, it would seem they weren’t convinced. “Enough,” said Nima as she waved her hand dismissively. “Now leave us. There is nothing more any of you can do.” An angry glare cut their protests short before they reluctantly funneled out the door.
Her gaze fell back to Athel as she leaned against the steel pole, dressed in heavy iron. Her angry look softened instantly as sadness filled her dark eyes. She reached out and embraced her as Athel’s arms remained limp, weighed down by the thick chain. “I need you to understand we mean you no harm. This is for the protection of my people, yourself, and your friends. If there was any other way...”
“There is no need to explain yourself,” said Athel in a voice calm as silk. “For days I didn’t know what was happening to me. I was certain I was losing my mind. I feared for my sanity, but more importantly,” her eyes rolled toward the door, “I feared I might hurt Jacob. If anything had happened to him...”
Nima pressed a single finger against Athel’s lips. “Shh. The only thoughts you should be having now are of yourself. You must focus on nothing else right now. I wish there was more I could do.” She kissed Athel’s cheek softly, and then turned toward the door. “I pray for you as well as your friends.” She turned back one last time. “You must fight with everything you have. I see great strength in you. I know you can get through this.”
Athel dropped to her knees as soon as the door closed, making the heavy iron chains ring out through the dark, dank room. She shivered as she looked up to the sky once more, now seeing a section of brightly lit moon peeking through the open roof. The chill only worsened as the minutes passed by. She sat alone, cold, and for the first time since being chained in this room...frightened.
****
They looked up when the door creaked open. Nima walked in with a sad look on her face. “Where is she? How is she doing?” Jacob blurted out.
“She is as safe as she can be. There is nothing more we can do. It’s now up to her. She will need to fight with everything she has if she is to keep her mind intact.” There was no frustration or impatience in her voice, only the same sadness she wore on her face.
“And I’m supposed to just accept that?” His hands started to tremble with anger. “I’m supposed to believe that her being chained up somewhere all alone is the best solution to this nightmare?”
“Fool! Don’t you understand? She is too dangerous to be near anyone when the change occurs. Hopefully her mind will remain whole, but if it doesn’t—well, let’s just say it would be best if no one is around.”
“You’re the fool!” he shouted as he jumped to his feet, shrugging off Jade’s hand as she tried to grab his shoulder. “This...change that’s about to happen to her—we can’t stop it, I understand that. But why does she have to face this alone? The goal here is to keep her current memories as grounded as possible, right? Then how is leaving her all alone in an unfamiliar place supposed to help?”
“But she is far too dangerous to...” Nima’s voice trailed off. She simply couldn’t deny the logic of his words.
Jacob was nose to nose with her in three strides. She met his burning stare with a level look but said nothing. A full m
inute passed before he broke the standoff. His icy stare melted as his voice cracked with emotion. “Please. She needs a friend right now, more than ever before. I...think I can help her.”
****
Athel sobbed softly in the dark as she knelt down on the cold dirt floor, trying to prepare herself for the inevitable. I have to be strong. Think of happier times. But a childhood spent being resented by her own father did little to provide such memories. Watching as he slowly lost his mind through the years was nothing short of torture. She sank down even lower to the ground as the reality of her situation began to sink in. She would lose her mind just like her father did. And what was worse, she would spend her remaining hours alone and friendless. Just as her memories would fade into nothing, she, too, would be completely forgotten.
She raised her head slightly as the door opened a crack. She could hear incoherent mumbling coming from just outside. Perhaps they were sending more guards to watch over her. Maybe they had just decided it would be more merciful to simply end her life. It didn’t matter anymore. Nothing mattered anymore. She raised her head a bit higher when she saw Nima peek inside. Their eyes locked for a moment before she turned back to whoever was standing behind her. Even with her sharpened hearing she was only able to catch phrases like “at your own risk” and “we are not responsible.” Nima peeked back in and simply said, “Your friend here is rather...persuasive,” then her head ducked back out before the door opened all the way.
Emotions surged through her as Jacob walked in wearing his ever-present smile. His light blue eyes seemed to sparkle in the moonlight, which was now as bright as it had been all evening. He ran his fingers through his spiky hair as he strolled up to her. The surge of happiness that swelled within her was quickly replaced by fear as he drew close. “Get back!” she shouted as tears streamed down her cheeks. “You can’t be in here. I can’t be trusted! If I ever hurt you, I would never forgive—”