A Different Kind of Despair

by Nicole Martinsen

  "Four lines," Diana mused, impressed. "He's improved."

  I wasn't going to ask questions; I already knew far too much useless information that came along with the few tidbits I actually wanted. The abilities of a Shaman were terrifying to behold, and wreaked havoc upon me in droves when I used them.

  If only I'd told Koronos off an hour ago all of this could have been avoided!

  "Master," the creature groaned. "What is my name?"

  "Uhh Two."

  "Achoo. Achoo confirmed."

  Marvin slapped himself in the face.

  Diana cackled, "He never learns."

  All four of us, living and otherwise, turned to the doors. Someone was outside; just one soul.

  This individual didn't try to open the door, nor did they attempt to force their way through. Instead, I saw the outline of a form walk through it entirely, limned in the mysterious fabric of the Grey.

  "Spirit?" I questioned.

  As though in direct response to my confusion, that outline became solid. Marvin, Diana and I gaped at an emaciated woman as her heels clacked against the floor.

  Her eyes were pointed, and her black hair was streaked in a most unnatural way. We locked gazes, her and I. I could feel an undeniable connection to this older woman in my blood. Those were no ordinary grey strands from age; she bore those all her life. It was ori'tua -a moon mark. She was of the Shinya tribe.

  And if her body could pass through the Grey then it meant she was a Shaman-

  "-mother!?"

  Marvin waned at the woman's sudden appearance.

  Somewhere in the Great Beyond I knew Ayasha was laughing.

  Marvin's mother crouched over me, her thin lips pursed to the side.

  "Foolish girl," she scowled. "You're lucky you only grazed the Overflow threshold."

  Diana spotted my quizzical look, and set out with an explanation, "All magic users have an Overflow limit, where the power they try to channel exceeds their physical capabilities. It can maim a mage or kill them if they aren't careful."

  "You tell me this now?" I withered.

  The Shaman cast a hand across my eyes. "Lie still. The Morgue will be safe for a few minutes more." She craned her neck at Marvin. "As for you, my son, there's no way to escape Nethermountain at present. The Crone already stationed Soma brutes at every exit -including those leading to the Moor."

  Marvin pointed upwards, at the oculus above the Pit.

  His mother shook her head.

  "Wires coated with Astheneia poison; if you're not cut to pieces then you'll die of miasma alone."

  He came forward with his new golem in tow. I felt a twinge of joy at the concern I saw as he looked at me. I did my best to smile, but even the muscles in my face felt exhausted.

  "How come you're here, then? Actually, how did you even get in?"

  "The girl had the right of things," his mother said simply. "I'm Shaman of the Shinya people."

  "You're what? I thought you lived in Nethermountain since you were a child."

  "And so I have." She tucked an errant moon-marked strand back behind her ear. I studied her face, realizing its harsh hollowness was more the result of cosmetics than actual bone structure. "As did my mother and her mother before her. Nethermountain is rife with corpses, and where bodies lie their souls are apt to follow. This place is as much a center of research as it is a training ground for spirit mediums."

  A vein in his forehead twitched.

  "You couldn't have told me?"

  "The power could not be passed down to you, therefore the knowledge was irrelevant. You'd be more useful ordering that golem to keep sentry at the doors than bothering me with your asinine questions."

  Marvin was fuming, but he didn't talk back, waving Achoo over with his hand.

  I struggled to sit up. His mother helped me.

  "You may call me Formosa," she announced. "I heard the gist of your story from that imbecile father of yours -my condolences for both your loss and your unfortunate relations to that crude man."

  I cracked a grin, recalling the exchange between Larry and Leo earlier. Crude was certainly one way to put it.

  "Leo!" I gasped. "And Will! What happened to them?"

  "They're trapped with the others," Formosa explained. "The Crone had Astheneia runners summon necromancers from every House to her domain. I was there as well, but in a sea of people that large it was a simple matter to get 'lost' and slip into the Grey."

  "Trapped?" Marvin approached us once Achoo completed his orders. He helped me get on my feet. "What was her excuse to summon the Houses?"

  Formosa rose with uncanny grace, her every movement perfectly controlled, and in that sense, lethal.

  "Apart from Larry and your companions, no one else knew you'd returned to Nethermountain. You are also quite the changed man from the last time you were here. Even I, your own mother, barely recognized you," she snipped, tempering her glare with a frozen element. "We will discuss that, by the way -at a later date."

  There was a tinge of real fear in Marvin's eyes, something I found bizarre to put mildly.

  The bond between a mother and her children was deemed sacred above all others. Certainly, there was a time for discipline and order, but there was always love. By comparison, I felt nothing of the sort between Marvin and Formosa. There was grudging respect; more for civility and decorum than for one another. I wondered whether the Shinya tribe, in staying with the necromancers for so long, had deadened their compassion in order to better acclimate themselves to this world.

  "You don't seem surprised that the Crone is a demon," I noted. "I only found out moments before you arrived."

  Marvin linked a protective arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him. "Miraj has a point."

  Formosa snorted, "Had you never taken that Doll from its box you would have learned soon enough."

  "You knew the Crone was a demon?" he balked. "All this time and you didn't say anything to anyone?"

  The woman pressed her fingers to her temple with a scowl.

  "All members of House Thanos knew... before we were decimated, at least. That knowledge could be traced all the way back to Inval himself; Thanos was the only disciple he trusted with the information."

  "Lies!" Diana hissed in my ear. I motioned to the spirit, certain Formosa could see her just as clearly as I did.

  "Lady Galatea was too precious to him -and of a weak constitution," Formosa explained. "Thanos, while a brooding character on all accounts, had silence as a defining characteristic. Inval knew that if he told his pupil to take this secret to his grave then he would."

  "Obviously he didn't," Marvin countered. "Not if a whole House knew about it."

  "An order came with it," she replied, her tone clipped. "Thanos would become the policing force for all other Houses. When experiments go awry, when necromancers go mad from grief, when toxic environs are created as a result of careless hands and idiotic blunders, Thanos and all members of his House were called to remedy the situation. We are the only ones permitted to kill our own; the judge, jury, and executioners of Nethermountain."

  "That still tells us nothing on why Inval knowingly consorted with a demon," I stated.

  "It s known that the Crone of Astheneia was already living in Nethermountain when Inval struck a deal with her to settle here," Formosa explained. "Marvin, what does that tell you?"

  Marvin blinked slowly.

  "I can't believe I didn't see it."

  "See what?" I quizzed.

  "It's basic lore," he said, turning to me. "Everyone knows Inval struck a deal with the Crone to share Nethermountain. If he knew she was a demon from that point then he must've entered a Contract with her. We already know that he did something to rile the demons -that's probably where it all started." He glanced back as his mother. "Did Inval tell Thanos what he promised the Crone in exchange for living here?"

  Formosa nodded solemnly.

  "In exchange for the Crone's hospitality and guidance, Inval swore to resurrect Ayasha."r />
  Ayasha?

  Inval lived hundreds of years ago. Ayasha was the Womb of the World, ancient and unfathomable and-

  "-how?!" I demanded. "What was his relation to Ayasha?"

  "Of what little we know?" Formosa asked. "It's uncertain, but it comes down to two possibilities. The first being that Inval was favored by her; the second, he was infatuated. The Tribes were only just begun; it is more than possible Inval was descended from them."

  "He didn't," Diana disagreed. "Inval told me he hailed from the swampland to the southeast."

  "It doesn't matter where he came from or even what his relation was to Ayasha," Formosa snapped. "Not in these circumstances at least. The Crone has barred all other necromancers in the halls of House Astheneia. She revealed her true nature and threatened to slaughter them all if they didn't order their undead to search Nethermountain and bring Marvin back to her."

  She glanced at her son.

  "It's fortunate you didn't make a grand entrance. I only wish you'd sought me out first; I knew she was plotting something since she retrieved the Eyes of the Leviathan from Leo in your stead."

  Marvin sighed.

  Something was missing in all of this.

  "...if hardly anyone knew, then how was the Crone alerted?" I asked.

  Everyone looked at me.

  "Koronos," I answered my own question a moment later. "Koronos lured me to the attic to talk to Diana, enough time to leave Marvin unprotected."

  Marvin frowned at me. "What did I say about talking to him?"

  "He tricked me!"

  "He played on your emotions and you gave in to the temptation."

  "Silence!" Formosa yelled at him, slicing her hand through the air. "Koronos? A second demon? Explain this to me first."

  Marvin lifted the hem of his pants, exposing his skeletal shins.

  "I accidentally made a deal with him," he explained sheepishly. "If I could turn Diana human again then he'd become my servant until I died. I transferred her Doll Contract onto me and had Will amputate the part of me that changed in order to halt the process."

  It was comical to see Formosa's sour veneer crumble into an awed concern -suggesting that she cared more for her son than she was willing to admit.

  "Then why is Diana dead?"

  He flinched.

  Diana's ghost also sagged behind him, so close it was almost laughable, but too tragic to do anything but listen.

  "Turning human doesn't negate the years a Doll was alive. Diana aged to death in my arms."

  Formosa extended a hand, but curled her fingers and retracted it a moment later.

  "I'm sorry for your loss, my son."

  "Thank you, Mother."

  "Now tell me how Koronos relates to all of this exactly."

  Well, I thought. That was quick of her.

  Marvin must've been used to her manner of overturning the conversation like this. He extended his sliced palm and squeezed additional droplets of blood out in front of him.

  "Koronos, get out here!" he demanded. The blood turned into smoke as soon as it hit the ground. Koronos, in his human form, stepped into the light of the Morgue. His limey gaze glowed even brighter here than it did in the Grey.

  His sights lingered on me longer than anyone else, winking slyly in my direction. I shuddered violently.

  "First of all," Marvin started before the demon even had a chance to speak. "You are never allowed to hurt the people in this room -got it?"

  "Hurt?" the demon feigned innocence. "Perish the thought! So tell me, how might I be of service, Master?"

  "What is your relation to the Crone of Astheneia?"

  His unnatural smile tore across his face. "I see you're finally asking the right questions."

  "So answer them."

  Koronos ran a hand through his blonde hair, smirking at the ceiling.

  "Hierarchies and castes exist in all mortal circles -in one form or another. Hell isn't all that different in this regard. The good Crone, as you call her, outranks me."

  "Are you under her direct orders?"

  It looked like Marvin's question was a bit too close to the target. The demon's mouth twitched down.

  "Yes."

  "For how long?"

  "Since Inval arrived in Nethermountain."

  Marvin crossed his arms.

  "And what was your job?"

  A smile reluctantly returned to his lips. "I am not at liberty to say."

  "To your Master?"

  Formosa lifted a hand at her son. "Even devils have rules surrounding the deals they make. Older contracts must be honored first; doubly so if they're outranked by their own kind. Of course, you can also make a devil yours through raw power, if you have it at your disposal."

  Koronos' eyes lit up with a dangerous light.

  "Lady Formosa, you know us awfully well."

  Marvin's mother huffed. I marveled at her ability to level with the forces of Hell without batting an eyelash.

  "Despite her evil nature, the Crone did make for stimulating conversation over the years. The hag liked to gloat," she sniffed. Formosa took a bold set of steps towards Koronos, her skirt sweeping the gray floor like a curtain of midnight. "You knew about the coffin in the attic, so you must've known its owner and its maker. My guess is the Crone grew tired of waiting for Inval's life to expire. Demons can't directly interfere with a mortal they have a deal with, so that's where you came in. Diana was Inval's greatest weakness; you took care of that loose end quite nicely, didn't you?"

  Koronos' usual condescending presence disappeared for the briefest moment. He bowed low before the Shinya Shaman.

  "My Lady," he intoned. "I commend your brilliance."

  "Save your flattery for someone who cares," she snapped. "I know I'm brilliant. I don't need you telling me so."

  Marvin and I recoiled a bit at the blatant confidence of this woman. This, I realized, was what made her so intimidating. It wasn't her age or appearance, but the mere fact that she was absolutely certain of who she was and where she stood in the world. I was filled with envy and admiration all at once.

  "Miraj." Formosa looked at me. "How long were you and Diana fused?"

  I raked my brain. "Fifteen minutes? Twenty at the most."

  "Excellent. Marvin, order Koronos to step into the Grey."

  Marvin motioned to the demon. "You heard her."

  Koronos stepped into the realm of in-betweens, curious as to what Formosa was planning.

  The Shinya Shaman Mother snapped her fingers. Koronos made a startled sound as clouded chains bound him to the floor.

  "My kauna enables me to sap the strength of spirits." A wicked smirk spread across her lips. "Suffice to say living in Nethermountain has given me plenty of practice. Like this, you should be able to assimilate with him for at least an hour without breaking your Overflow threshold."

  Marvin grimaced at the idea. "Miraj, fuse herself with Koronos? What part of this idea is good?"

  "It'll prevent him from reporting our actions to the Crone, as a start," Formosa explained. "Secondly, Miraj acquires skills she would normally have no access to. We will need all the power we can get if we ever want to leave Nethermountain alive."

  I swallowed nervously, but approached the struggling demon by stepping into the Grey. I set a hand on his temple, and I could sense pure, unbridled evil just beneath the surface of his skin. If wandering in the realm of spirits was like moving through water, his being was like molasses. Thick and sticky and capable of murder with a single misstep.

  But, at the very least, we had to get Will and Leo out of harm's way.

  "You're smarter than this, little Shaman," he growled as I felt his essence mingle with mine. "You're far too young to meddle with me."

  Koronos faded, and I felt his being lock into my own. I released a painful screech as the power burned through my veins. It felt as though it lasted days, but I knew it couldn't have been more than a few seconds.

  By the time I felt reasonably stable I opened my eyes to
discover a set of newly cloven feet. A spiked tail twice the length of my legs, lashed around like an angry rattlesnake. The quartz walls, a convenient mirror if there ever was one, revealed a pair of ram-like horns spouting off the sides of my head. My eyes were the devil's limey, glowing green, and the kauna across my cheeks steamed like the acidic geysers of the Moor of Souls.

  "Very impressive," Formosa approved. "How do you feel, Miraj?"

  "Nauseous," I struggled. "But... stronger. Much, much stronger."

  "Excellent. You and I will raid House Astheneia in a frontal assault. In the confusion I would like Marvin to rally the other necromancers and retreat to the Hall of Six Houses."

  "Frontal assault? Miraj hasn't killed anyone in her life; you can't just ask her to do something like that."

  "But Koronos has," Formosa sighed. "She'll feel it as soon as she's there. A devil's bloodlust is nothing to scoff at. We have no more time for arguing. If we want to take down the Crone then we'll have to do it now."

  At the prospect of fighting I felt a surge of adrenaline. My hands, now two great red maws, twitched in anticipation. However weakened by Formosa's skills, the true nature of evil was ever-present.

  I ran a forked tongue across my newly sharpened teeth.

  "Let's go."

  11: Grave Tidings

  Marvin, Formosa and Diana struggled to keep up with me. I could sense a torrent of fear, and it guided my feet through the halls of Nethermountain without a doubt in my step. It was... delicious, like a banquet of savory meats and rare spices. My mouth watered. Violent images filled my thoughts with the same ecstasy I might acquire from listening to a symphony of the most heavenly music.

  Oh no wonder devils adored suffering! It was more addicting than I could fathom, and truthfully, the part of me bound to Koronos didn't care for the particulars. Blood. Screams. Fire. Agony. My heart fluttered with euphoria at the notion of what lied ahead.

  Enjoying yourself, little Shaman? I heard Koronos' voice in my mind. He didn't seem upset now that we were fused together. I'm not surprised. You're more sinister than you realize.

  The part of me that was still human came to a screeching halt. I waited for the others to catch up, using it as an excuse to argue with the demon.

  "Don't pretend that you know a thing about me."