“You see how she worships me,” Nix told no one in particular. “The poor girl is delirious with desire.” Trix began snuffling with laughter.
“Everybody go to sleep!” I commanded. “We have a full day tomorrow.”
“At your command, beloved leader,” came Nix’s sarcastic answer. “We live only to serve you. Well, that and food. We live for food too, I suppose. And wine. We live for that. And maybe chasing girls. I definitely live for that. Also ……”
“Shut up, Nix, for heaven’s sake!” Thorn yelled. “For once in your life, stop annoying everyone!”
“Gotcha, Princess,” Nix sniggered. “I knew I could make you lose your cool. You’re so easy!”
“Go to sleep!” I roared, tightening my hold on Thorn, “before I go around and bludgeon everyone into unconsciousness.”
“Oh, so forceful!” Nix smirked. “I can see why Arugohumna has a thing for you.”
“Nix!” I threatened.
“Okay, okay,” he muttered. “Goodnight everyone.” Various renditions of ‘goodnight’ greeted this, and we all finally settled down to sleep.
Chapter 10
The next day ended up being very similar to the first in that we found nothing of importance. Nothing major, that is. We did find several building foundations however, but there wasn’t anything to distinguish them. Virtually all traces of what they might have been had disappeared over the centuries. After tramping around for the best part of eight hours, we settled down for another sleep. I performed a quick transfer to human, then returned to hear Trix saying, “I wonder if we’ll find anything in the third quadrant?”
“Hah!” Nix exclaimed in derision. “The Vile disappeared aeons ago, and I say good riddance! This is simply an exercise in wandering around in the wilderness.”
“It’s certainly not improving your temper,” Thorn observed.
“True,” Nix agreed. “I should be grateful that we’re not finding anything, I suppose. But it’s good to be out with friends and delusional fairies who can’t face up to their suppressed desires and yearnings.”
“Don’t start all that again,” I pleaded. “Didn’t we have enough of it last night?” My sentiments were echoed by the rest of the group, excluding Nix, who complained that we were all a bunch of spoilsports.
As we gradually fell into slumber, I imagined I heard, on the periphery of consciousness, faint sounds of music playing from somewhere nearby. I almost came awake to investigate, but I felt so drowsy that my urgent need to sleep overcame my curiosity. Thorn wriggled a little in my embrace, then sighed and relaxed. Her soft breathing informed me that she was asleep and I followed soon after.
I don’t know how I knew it, but my sleep seemed to be deeper than normal and I had a mild struggle to regain consciousness. When I did, I was somewhat astonished to find myself in different surroundings to those I remembered before falling asleep. Blinking my eyes in astonishment, I observed I now resided in some sort of a dungeon. Although it was fairly dark, I could see a cell door in front of me, complete with the obligatory bars and a large lock. Hastily, I looked around for my companions and found them, in various sleeping poses, strewn around me. I crawled over to Thorn and anxiously checked her vital signs. She appeared to be healthy, but unconscious. Nix and Trix appeared to be in a similar situation and I sat in the middle of my comatose friends to try and work out what had happened.
Okay, everything had been normal up until our sleeping time and then this oddness had occurred. Therefore, somehow, while we were sleeping, someone had transported us into this cell. But who? And where were we? It was all fairly mysterious and a little bit frightening. It’s always a worry when you don’t know the motives or methods being used against you. Then I recalled the barely audible music I’d heard prior to dozing. Surely that wasn’t normal in the wilderness. Had I imagined it? Perhaps. After all, I had been drifting into sleep and the mind tends to play funny tricks at that time. But supposing the music had been real? If so, maybe that was the answer to our present predicament. But why do such an odd thing?
It was at this stage of my mental deliberations that Nix awoke. “What the devil is going on?” he groaned, as he took in his surroundings. “Where the hell are we?”
“A good question,” I said, going over to him. “We appear to have been captured by a person, or persons, unknown. How do you feel?”
“Like I’ve been drugged,” he answered, shaking his head. “I’m having trouble waking up.”
“I think we’re all in the same boat,” I told him, as I heard Thorn and Trix stirring. I went over to Thorn and held her as she regained consciousness.
“Stephen,” she whispered, “what’s going on? Where are we?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart,” I answered. “We’re in a cell, and that’s all I know.”
“A cell?” she exclaimed, astonished. “How did we get here?”
“That’s another mystery,” I told her. “Our unknown captors must have put us in here while we were snoozing.”
“I’m finding it hard to believe,” she asserted. “Nobody sleeps that deeply.”
“I know,” I agreed, “that’s why I think there must have been something else involved.” I looked around and asked, “Did anybody hear any music before going to sleep?”
Trix shook her head, but Nix spoke up. “Now that you mention it, I can recall something like music,” he said, frowning, “but I thought I must have been hearing things.”
“Music?” Thorn questioned. “What sort of music?”
“It sounded like panpipes to me,” I commented, watching Trix closely.
“Panpipes?” Nix repeated. “As in ……. cogdommina panpipes, maybe?” he added, turning his gaze to Trix.
“Now, just hold on a minute,” Trix protested, becoming aware of our concerted scrutiny. “What makes you think that one of my race is responsible?”
“We’re not accusing you, sweetie,” I soothed, “but look at the facts. Everybody goes into an unnaturally deep sleep after hearing mysterious music. What does that suggest to you? After all,” I prompted her, “that’s how we met you in the first place, remember? You used your pipes to lull us into dreamland so you could steal our food.”*
“That happened to be a totally different set of circumstances,” she defended herself. “I was starving. This situation is nothing like that at all. We’ve been kidnapped! This is more than just taking a few sandwiches.”
“Granted,” I acceded. “But as far as I know, making people sleep with panpipes is peculiar to the elves, is it not?”
“I suppose,” Trix reluctantly admitted. “I’m just finding it hard to believe that any of my people would stoop to this. I’ve never heard of such a thing happening. I mean, what do they hope to gain?” She patted her pockets. “They’ve already stolen everything we have, so why put us here? It doesn’t make any sense!”
*See ‘Trix (3)
Chapter 11
Indeed, I couldn’t see the logic of it either. Once dispossessed of our possessions, pardon the wordplay, why bother to carry us away and deposit us in a cell? The sole faint ray of hope in all of this was that we were still alive. We could have easily been killed while helplessly slumbering, but here we were, still in the land of the living. I wondered why, but with no solid facts, or even fanciful facts, to manipulate into a workable theory, all speculation remained useless. Of course, that didn’t stop us from trying. A number of hypotheses were advanced, each more unbelievable than the last, but everybody knew we were simply passing the time until something happened to clarify the situation. And eventually, something did. There came an echoing tramp of feet along the tunnel and about a dozen figures, clothed from head to foot in black uniforms, stopped at our cell door. Every one of these individuals wore a helmet that concealed their features, so we couldn’t determine which species of humanoids they were.
“Well, one thing’s for sure,” Nix hissed at me, “they’re not cogdommina.”
I had to agree with his st
atement, mainly because of the height of the newcomers. Unless they’d been fed some growth hormones or something, they couldn’t possibly be elves. Trix was almost childlike in stature, while these black clad types were fairy height or taller. However, the most disturbing part of all this was the lightning-bolt-pierced-circle emblem embroidered on their uniforms. The others also saw this insidious logo.
“It’s The Vile!” Thorn gasped in horror.
“It can’t be!” Nix exclaimed. “It’s impossible!”
Trix simply stared at them, mouth opened in shock. Regardless of our individual reactions, we were roughly bundled out of the cell and marched along the tunnel corridor until we came to a large open room. Seated in the middle of this was a giant of a figure, taller than his compatriots because, even sitting down, he was of equal height to everyone around him. Thorn was still whispering “The Vile ……. The Vile!” to herself in a stunned litany as we were dragged forward towards the massive individual.
“What are you doing here in the lands of the Chosen?” he thundered. “Spies? We know how to treat spies! You’ve come to steal our secrets, haven’t you? Thieves! Admit it! You want to stop our conquest of the world! Well, we won’t let you. Our destiny is to rule! It’s our divine right, given to us by the very gods! The entire world once bowed down to our ancestors, and it will again! We’ll destroy anyone who opposes us. All races will accept our dominion or pay the consequences! So, you have nothing to say?” He chuckled obscenely to himself and addressed our accompanying delegates. “Take them away! They’ll talk soon enough once we’re through with them.”
We were frogmarched back into the cell and the door slammed shut, leaving us bewildered. “What the hell was all that about?” Nix enquired, scratching his head. “Who was that lunatic?”
Thorn’s self-induced mania had receded somewhat, thanks to the bizarre interview with The Vile leader, but she was still trembling in reaction to recent events. I stepped to her side, putting my arms around her and she sank gratefully into the security of my embrace.
“They’re still alive!” she murmured. “How is that possible?”
“They’re like cockroaches,” came Nix’s disgusted reply. “Impossible to kill, no matter how many times you step on them.”
“The Vile!” Trix shuddered. “I can’t believe it! It’s a nightmare! Last time they killed nearly everybody! Is it going to happen again? Is that their plan? How can they be stopped?”
“Well, we can’t do anything much about it,” Nix remarked despondently. “And anyway, no one can stop The Vile. Going on past records, they’re invincible.”
“So, we’re doomed then?” Trix plaintively asked.
“It sure looks that way,” Nix answered, morosely. “I can’t see any way out of this.”
“You’re not saying anything, Stephen,” Thorn remarked. “Is it really hopeless? Is Trix right and we’re all as good as dead?”
“It certainly looks bad, I’ll admit,” I told everyone, “but ……… ”
“But …….?” Thorn prompted, a slight annoyance showing on her face. “I wish you’d stop that tendency of yours to trail off at the end of your sentences, Stephen. It’s very irritating, you know.”
“Sorry, dear heart,” I apologised, giving her a contrite kiss on the forehead. “I know it’s a bad habit of mind when I’m thinking things through. But there are a few anomalies about this situation.”
“Such as?” Nix questioned, raising an eyebrow.
“I know it’s a hell of a shock to find The Vile still running around,” I began, “but I’m finding things simply don’t tally with what the records tell us about all of this.”
“What do you mean, Stephen?” Trix wanted to know. “The Vile aren’t dead. They’re here. They exist, and the ancient horror is about to begin again. What more is there to be said?”
“Everyone take a deep breath and calm down a little,” I commanded. “Okay, The Vile do exist. That fact can’t be denied. And yes, the records all talk about their brutality and merciless nature, but ……”
“Will you stop doing that?!” Thorn demanded, giving me a shake. “For goodness sake, Stephen, just this once, would you please finish one of your sentences!”
I gave her a guilty smile. “Once again, I’m sorry,” I announced. “It really is a terrible habit of mine. I’ll try not to do it again.”
“So, are you going to share your inscrutable thoughts, or not?” Nix enquired, sardonically. “We await your pronouncements with breathless anticipation.”
“Don’t be such a clever cat,” I remarked, severely. “It makes your face lose its usual dashing and handsome appearance.” Nix chuckled, and the rising tension in the group receded to some extent.
“Let me put a few observations in front of you,” I began. “First of all, you probably all noticed that The Vile Leader is a few sandwiches short of a picnic basket.”
“A few sandwiches short of …….?” Trix questioned, in a puzzled voice.
“I think Stephen means that he’s a bit loopy,” Nix explained, looking at me quizzically.
“Correct,” I agreed, nodding my head. “He’s obviously not sane. He ranted about a delusion of racial superiority and making absurd statements about his divine right to rule. A divine right to slaughter others? Utter hogwash! Then he demanded that we talk, but didn’t give us any time to do so. No, he’s completely off his head and where the leader is insane, how effective can his followers be? Madness is contagious, you know. And furthermore, did you notice how few Vile there really were? There can’t have been more than twenty of them all told. If that’s the sum total of their forces, I don’t think we have much to worry about.” I paused and looked around at their still-doubting expressions. “The leader might be big and scary,” I continued softly, “but look at him as he is now, and not through the eyes of previous history. Traditionally, The Vile are unreasoning killing machines, but try to forget what you’ve heard or read about them and concentrate only on what you’ve seen today.”
“But they’re The Vile!” Trix wailed. “They’re unstoppable, brutal and merciless!”
“And there are only a handful of them left,” I reasoned, “being led by someone who is clearly out of his mind. The Vile might have been all-conquering once, but now they’re just the debased remnants of a civilisation that imploded centuries ago. History shows us that cultures that run solely on military lines never last, and this present leader confirms it. Look at the Spartans and the Romans in human history, for example. Their militaristic way of life lasted barely four hundred years and yet, in their day, they were supreme. Besides, what nation in its right mind allows itself to be led by a madman? Irrational people make irrational decisions, and the logical actions of others confuse them. All we have to do is to keep our heads and we might be able to get out of this in one piece.”
Chapter 12
“That’s all very well,” Nix argued, “and I have to admit I’m not as panicky as I was, but what’s our present line of action? How can we get out of this mess? You’re always bubbling over with schemes, Stephen, so what do you have in store this time?”
“Nothing much so far,” I confessed. “As usual, we’ll have to play it by ear. It all depends on what the baddies want to do next.”
“In other words,” Trix said, with a grimace, “we sit around and wait.”
“I’m open to suggestions,” I told her. “Any ideas would be welcome.”
“No suggestions from this end,” Thorn murmured. “I think we will have to wait and see.”
“Something will turn up,” I comforted, drawing her into an embrace. “Doesn’t it always? We’ll be fine, you’ll see.”
She smiled tentatively at me. “Optimistic to the last, eh?” she said, snuggling against me. “You know, Stephen, one of these days it’ll happen that nothing will turn up to save our hides. It’s almost a statistical certainty. We can’t be lucky all the time.”
“I suppose that day is inevitable,” I agreed, giving h
er a squeeze, “but I don’t think it’ll be this time. If it ever does happen, beloved, then at least we’ll be together.”
“Yes, there is that,” she sighed. “It is a comforting thought.”
It wasn’t long before we were dragged out of our isolation again and deposited back into the throne room, or whatever it was. Something had been added in our absence and it took the form of a large, unwieldy machine, with flashing lights and twisted ribbons of snakelike wires.
“Behold the Extractor!” boomed the Vile Leader.
“What does it do?” Trix asked in trepidation.
“Exactly what it says,” she was told. “It’ll suck all your thoughts out and leave you a babbling shell.”
“And you’ve tried it yourself?” I asked, sweetly. “It’s fairly obvious that you have.”
This comment of mine didn’t go down well. The Leader surged to his feet in fury. Gods, he was tall! “Silence!” he screamed, waving his hands in the air.
“Stephen, what are you doing?” Thorn hissed at me. “You’re making him go crazy! He could do anything!”
“I’m counting on it,” I whispered back. “I want him to try that machine on me.”
“No!” she exclaimed in horror, clutching my arm.
“Let him use it on me,” Nix courageously volunteered. “I don’t have any ties like you two. I should be the one.”
I looked at Nix with sincere admiration. “You’re the bravest of the brave, Nix,” I assured him, “but it won’t be necessary to sacrifice yourself. I have a plan. It’s a gamble, but it might pay off if we’re lucky.”
“That’s the one thing about you, my friend,” Nix grunted. “You never seem to run out of plans, do you?”
I gave him a tight smile. “Just so long as they work,” I assured him, “then I don’t mind at all.”
Meanwhile, the Vile Leader was still stamping around and frothing at the mouth at my insolence. Obviously, he didn’t condone impertinence in the ranks, which was typical of most deranged people.
The Vile (6) (The Underground Kingdom) Page 4