Quantum Heights: Book one of the Dead Path Chronicles

by Richard A. Valicek

  Dallas sighed with annoyance. “The government here decided to rename the streets, and it’s causing everyone confusion. Tillie’s Fine Watches used to be on River Street, but that street has been renamed ‘Rivers Road.’ Another street is now River Street. It was written down for the Council of Confidus incorrectly. People are still adjusting to the switch. And, what’s worse is they’re both major roads in the city of Koriston. So, you want to go to Rivers Road. And, the address is 467. Not 265, which you’ve got written down here; 265 is actually a barbershop. It’s a good thing we met. I assure you I am correct on this. Your father was misinformed,” said Dallas.

  Calista rolled her eyes at Caprius and mouthed, “Blah blah blah,” which made Caprius smile.

  Dallas droned on. “The man you want to talk to at Tillie’s Fine Watches is Mathis Wynings. I bought a pocket watch from him myself.” He pulled out his pocket watch and showed it to them.

  “All right then. I guess our next stop is Tillie’s,” said Calista.

  “Thank you for your time, Mr. Dallas Moore.” Caprius winked, handing back the watch. He and Calista shook hands with him and left the hotel.

  Caprius and Calista hailed a coach and took it to the address Dallas Moore had given them. In about fifteen minutes, they arrived at Tillie’s Fine Watches. “Worth meeting with that bloke after all,” smiled Caprius as they entered. The shop was filled with clocks of all shapes and sizes; they were nailed to the walls and covered every surface. Just as Caprius was about to speak to the proprietor behind the clock-riddled counter, every clock in the shop struck three and began chiming. The din was incredible. Calista’s hands flew to her ears. Caprius tried to speak, but the owner just shook his head, mouthing “I can’t hear you!” The ringing went on for thirty seconds. They had no choice but to wait it out.

  Finally, when it ended, they listened to the aftermath in the stillness until the owner, a lanky man with white hair and a long beard said, “What can I do for you?”

  “Do you have to listen to this racket every hour?” Calista asked the man.

  He smiled. “Every hour on the hour. Doesn’t bother me a bit.”

  “I’d go deaf in here,” said Calista.

  The man laughed. “We’ve got clocks of all kinds, mostly European. And, pocket watches galore. Take your pick.”

  “We are not here to make a purchase,” said Caprius.

  “Oh?” asked the man.

  “We are agents from Elysium on an investigation,” said Calista.

  “My name is Caprius Seaton, and this is my partner, Calista. We came to ask you a few questions.”

  “What about?” asked the man. He scratched his chin beneath the mass of white beard.

  Calista pulled out the pocket watch. “Is this one of yours?” she handed it to the man.

  He examined it closely. After a moment, he said, “Well, I’ll be damned.”

  “Is it yours?” asked Calista.

  “Nope, sure is not!” said the man.

  Caprius edged closer to him. “Take a good look at it,” he said.

  “I already told you it’s not one of mine,” said the man.

  “May I ask, what is your name, Sir?” asked Caprius. The man looked nervous and pressed his lips together. “Look, old man, two dead agents were delivered to us in caskets from Koriston, each holding a pocket watch like this one. So talk!” Caprius raised his voice.

  “My name is Mathis,” he said quietly. “As I said, this isn’t one of my pocket watches. But, I do recognize the markings. This is old Telusion, and these markings come from the cult of the undead. Such pocket watches can be found in Plaphorius. But, they aren’t made in Plaphorius. They’re just shipped there.”

  Caprius and Calista looked at each other. “From Plaphorius?” Calista asked in amazement. “Are you certain of this, Mathis?”

  “I know what I’m talking about. I recognize these markings, and it is Telusion. I’ve been in this business for over fifty-five years, and if I say it is the dark cult of the undead, then that is what it is.” Caprius and Calista were listening to him closely. The old man had their attention. “Okay, look…” Mathis gestured with his hands, “I know about the battle of Plaphorius and that the Elysians destroyed the cult a short time ago,” he leaned in and lowered his voice, “but I also know some of these vampires survived. And, I’m telling you, these pocket watches belong to them.”

  “You said they are not made in Plaphorius,” said Calista. “So, where are they manufactured?”

  “You’ll want to go to Jethro. That’s where they are made.”

  “Jethro!” Caprius and Calista spoke in unison. “But, that’s a long way from here,” said Caprius.

  “I know. But, that’s where the pocket watch is from,” said the man. He fingered the watch. “Whoever planted these watches on these bodies is giving you a warning: stay away, or you’ll be shipped in crates dead just like your other two friends.” He held his hands in the air. “I’m not telling you what to do; I know who you are, Caprius Seaton, and I know of the Seatons’ powers. But, something tells me that if you go to Jethro, you’ll be in a lot of danger.”

  He went behind his counter and began rifling through some things until he came up with a scrap of paper and a pencil. “The woman you’ll want to talk to is named is Enlora Renfield. You can find her in an art gallery called Delvingers. She will know exactly the shop you want to go to. I don’t know the shop’s name, but she does.” He whispered with a smile, “But, I have to warn you, she is very mysterious,” he said.

  “You’ve been very helpful,” said Calista.

  “I have faith in you Seatons. I know what you did in Plaphorius and abroad. But, remember, they know you’re coming, and they’re prepared for you.”

  Calista and Caprius walked out of Tillie’s Fine Watches, and Calista sighed. “We have to go all the way to Jethro? It’s so far,” she said.

  “I’ll check to see if there is a train that goes near Jethro,” said Caprius. He looked at Calista. “Why don’t you go back to the hotel and relax a bit. If there’s a train, I’ll buy tickets, and then I’ll come back and we can have dinner.”

  He handed Calista the key to her room, and she hopped into a carriage they’d hailed. As the driver snapped the reins on the horses, Caprius yelled “I won’t be long!” Caprius began to walk in the direction of the train station, keeping his eye out for another carriage. One after the other sped by, each full of passengers. He eventually gave up and walked the whole way through the busy streets.

  After an hour, Caprius reached the station. He went to a counter that had maps of Alamptria on display. The one he needed was quite detailed. He purchased it from the seller for a shilling and unrolled it at a table nearby. He hunted for Jethro, not having a clue where it was located. He ran his finger over the map’s surface, over railroad track markings and forests, until he found it at the outer lying edge. “I see why no train goes there,” he muttered. “Bloody well at the edge of the world, this place.”

  He folded up the map and headed toward the ticket booth. He’d have to buy tickets to Galdington, the furthest village the trains traveled to in the direction of Jethro. As he walked among the crowd, Caprius caught a glimpse of a familiar-looking man. He tried to remember where he knew him from, thinking hard. Then it hit him; it was Thornin Goncool. Thornin looked up, and the two men locked eyes. Thornin began to run. Caprius ran after him. Caprius dodged people, dog leashes, and baby prams, as he laid chase. He leaped over a bench and skidded around a corner, narrowly missing an elderly couple.

  Thornin ran out toward the station’s opening where the trains entered. He raced alongside the tracks, Caprius in close pursuit. Thornin turned around at the approach of a train to see Caprius gaining on him. Thornin grinned, took a running leap, and jumped over the track just inches in front of the train. He barely made it, the train tooting its horn in earnest, landing on all fours on the other side. Caprius stopped and, breathing hard, waited as each car sped by. When it passed and
went into the station, the Goncool was gone. Caprius punched the air, “Dammit,” he shouted. He didn’t see that Thornin had hid alongside another train, gone back into the station, and easily boarded another train, the one he’d needed, taken a seat, and picked up a newspaper, as if nothing had happened. He sat back and watched Caprius through a window as his train departed the station.

  Defeated, Caprius walked along the rocks between tracks back into the station. He came to the ticket booth and purchased two tickets bound for Galdington. Back outside amid the city’s hustle and bustle, he waved at a coach and was surprised when it pulled over. A young couple got out, and he got in. The ride was just long enough for him to catch his breath and think about his and Calista’s next steps.

  Caprius went directly to Calista’s suite. Her door was unlocked, so he went in. She was standing in the living room with a towel wrapped around her. Her shoulders, still wet, glistened. “I thought you’d be dressed by now,” he said, moving to the sofa.

  “I just got out of the bath,” she said.

  “Long bath. I was gone nearly two hours.”

  She smiled lazily and went to the sofa, where her clothes were laid out. She unwrapped the towel from her chest and threw it at Caprius. “Think fast!” she said and turned around. He saw her finely toned body, her curves, and all her beautiful flesh before she slipped into her tunic. “Calista,” said Caprius, he teasingly admonished her.

  “Oh, come on, it’s nothing you haven’t seen before,” she said pulling her arms through her sleeves.

  “Yes, well, Melina—not you,” he said. Caprius suddenly felt like a little boy again. Calista was so worldly and had been with so many. He’d only ever known the body of his wife.

  “So,” she said, flopping down across from him, “did you get the tickets?”

  “Yes, I did,” he said.

  “For what time tomorrow?” she asked.

  “Actually, we won’t be spending the night here. I got us a train for 8:05 p.m. tonight.”

  “That’s splendid,” she said as she fastened her belt buckle. “We can have a leisurely dinner and take our time getting to the station.”

  Caprius felt suddenly tired, imagining a dinner with Calista. They would flirt, she would look more beautiful by candlelight. “I think because it’s so difficult to get a carriage in this town, we should rather get to the station early, have a cup of tea in the lounge there, and dine on board. It’s an awfully long trip, so that would at least give us something to do.”

  “Very well,” she said, standing. She zipped up her valise, crossed her arms, and looked at Caprius almost by way of a challenge. “What do you suggest we do for the next two hours?” she asked.

  “Calista… I’m a married man,” said Caprius softly.

  She laughed, a light sweet laugh that made him smile. “I’m glad to say you’re not my type. I much prefer fat older men with receding hairlines and bushy eyebrows.”

  “Glad to say that rules me out,” said Caprius. He stood. “There is actually something we must do.”

  “What is that?” she asked.

  “I want to ask the concierge whether he knows anything about Lynin Chiles. Perhaps he left something behind, a clue of some kind.”

  Calista walked to the door. “All right, let’s go.”

  The concierge was apologetic. “I’m afraid Mr. Chiles departed without leaving anything,” he said. Caprius and Calista left.

  Chapter 10

  The Goncools

  The woods of Elysium were dense with snow-covered brush and trees. The escaped Goncools from Zaderack prison found refuge there, and because of the thickness of the wilderness, they built a roaring fire and guffawed over homemade brew one of them had killed a villager for on their way into the forest. They began to discuss their plan of attack against Confidus, the one responsible for imprisoning them.

  Just after dusk, one of the soldiers left their base camp to relieve himself. On his way back, he saw a “Wanted” poster for the Goncools’ capture. He tore the poster off the tree and chuckled at the rendering of himself and his brothers. He was walking back to camp when he noticed a number of posters nailed to trees. His eyes narrowed; off past a copse of oak trees, all peppered with posters, was a small glowing light. Then, he saw another and then another. They were bobbing up and down. Torches. Several of them. It had to be a band of soldiers hunting them down.

  The Goncool peered out from behind a tree. The soldiers were quickly approaching. He stood as still as possible, holding his breath. With the torch in hand, a soldier crashed through the brush and scanned the area. “Nothing here, carry on!” he shouted, moving on. The Goncool kept his spot and was about to run back to camp when he noticed another flame out of the corner of his eye. He slowly turned and saw a different Elysian soldier close by. The Goncool thought he could take refuge behind a larger tree with a hollow trunk, so he began to creep over, when a dead branch snapped beneath his foot. The knight’s hand flew to his sword. When the Goncool tried to lift his foot, the branch snapped again. The soldier was lightning fast; with a quick dislodge and swing of his sword, he sliced through the air. A deer suddenly bounded by, and he yelped, startled, and then laughed at himself. While he was recovering from the surprise of the deer, he didn’t see the Goncool unsheathe his own sword and bring it down on him until the sword was nearly upon his shoulder. He turned, realized it was a Goncool, and fiercely blocked the blow.

  The Goncool pulled back for another swing, but the knight blocked that, too. They pushed each other off, and the knight threw his torch to the ground. “I thought I recognized your face from the posters. Surrender!” growled the Elysian knight.

  “Not while I have a sword in my hand, Elysian,” sneered the Goncool.

  “Then, you shall die, Goncool!” The knight swung his sword and the fight continued.

  They held steady until the Goncool’s sword nicked the Elysian’s armor, and the knight was thrown back by the force. “Hear the crows? They are hungry for blood,” said the Goncool, breathing hard.

  Moments later, two other Elysian soldiers called out and came running. Now that it was three to one, one fast swing by an Elysian knocked the Goncool’s sword out of his hand. The Goncool fell back onto the ground, and the knight pointed his sword at his chest. “You are under arrest,” he said triumphantly.

  The Goncool inched his arm down and removed a flask of blood from his hip pouch. “Not if I can help it. I have my salvation,” he said. Trembling, he began to drink the blood from the flask.

  “What is that?” the knight asked the Goncool. The other Elysian soldiers had arrived on the scene and were staring down at the man, who was beginning to transform. “What is that?” he asked again, terrified. The Goncool’s skin was becoming ghostly white and his face twisted into a picture of abject horror. From the back of his body, wings sprouted. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them a moment later, they were glowing red. He had become a horrific vampire.

  “Oh, God,” whispered the knight whose sword was still pointed at the creature. The soldiers all took several steps back. Trembling, the closest knight swung his sword, which aggravated the vampire. It flew back and hovered in the air, flapping its wings. “Too late, Elysians. I now walk among the dead. All we Goncools share the same fate.” With those words, the Goncool flew toward them, knocking some of the knights over. Then, the creature flew off into the distance. The Elysian soldiers got to their feet to watch the creature fly away.

  The Elysian soldier sheathed his sword. “We know the rest of them are in the woods. You three, return to Castle Elysium and send more men.”

  “Yes, Sir,” said the soldier.

  “That was very brave of you, Gambner. Standing up to that thing,” said one of the soldiers.

  “It will take more than bravery to capture the rest. Now that we have spotted him, we know the others are nearby. These men will be hard to capture,” said the Elysian knight. “They must all be destroyed.”

  “The word is give
n. It shall be that. Death to the Goncools!” said another knight.

  “We must find them before they consume the blood. For if they transform into the undead, the task will be much more difficult.”

  “Gambner, this was more than just a vampire,” said a soldier.

  “Indeed, it was a creature of great power and strength. It has fled to warn the others,” said Gambner. “All right, let’s move on.”

  Meanwhile, the creature approached the campsite. As it glided down toward the Goncools, they all looked at him with fear. Before they could run, he quickly resumed his human form. “Barrister, we were specifically instructed not to drink the blood of Makoor until we have Confidus Seaton,” said one of his fellow Goncools.

  “I had no choice. I had a sword at my throat,” said Barrister.

  “It will be much more difficult to capture Confidus Seaton if we drink of the blood,” said the Goncool Fridel.

  “Not to worry, Fridel. We will capture our jailer,” said another Goncool.

  “I must warn you all. The Elysians are out there,” Fridel pointed, “within the woodland, in search for us. I have a plan. We will stay in these woods and let them hunt for us. We will stay well hidden but will ambush the Elysians. We kill four soldiers and take their uniforms. Then, disguised as Elysian knights, we will go to Castle Elysium, confront the king, and capture him. Confidus is to be brought into the woods. Here, we will give him a full dose of Makoor’s blood. Once he is one of us, our mission will be over, and we can consume the blood from the flasks. Confidus will become a devil of the pit, a true follower of Makoor. Then, Confidus himself will inflict his altered state upon all of Elysium.” Fridel sat back and dusted off his hands. “We need do nothing more; then, we can go about our business.”

  “It won’t be that easy,” said another Goncool.

  “I agree with Fridel; just follow the plan. It will work. Once we have those uniforms, the rest will be easier. I know this will work,” said Barrister. “But, I am aware that they mean not to simply capture us. My hearing is keen, and I know they mean to kill us all. We are a threat to their society. This is why we must stay sharp and focused.”