by R. J. Wolf
“As far as Zoey,” Noll said and clenched his fist into a ball. He waited a few moments then opened it, revealing a small blue orb. “Give her this and tell her Noll sends his love.”
CHAPTER 7
THE FERRY
The troll ferry ran deep within the bowels of the city. It carried passengers across a spider web of narrow canals that networked throughout the magic quarter. A horde of trolls maintained the ancient looking boats and kept prying eyes away.
They were perfectly suited for the work. Trolls never slept, they never got tired and they could be fiercely violent when motivated. Beyond that, trolls were dumb, completely mindless creatures that were easily manipulated. And that was why the dwarves chose them.
They used simple binding spells to keep the trolls under control, working the straits they’d owned for centuries, allowing access to secret places that mankind had never laid eyes upon. The trolls were just the hired muscle.
Dwarves were shrewd and adept at business. The ferry was only one of their many ventures, but they kept a stranglehold on the operations. The fees were high unless you knew someone important and the penalty for not paying was death. Dwarves were the last folk you wanted to cross.
The entrance to the ferry system was an abandoned subway station. It was dark, and the air was wet, carrying scents of rotted wood and mildew. A short jaunt down the rusted tracks led to a set of stairs that opened into an expansive tunnel at the edge of a wide canal.
The stream of slick, black water didn’t look like it belonged there. It flowed gently down a winding path, the surface so smooth you could’ve mistaken it for a mirror. But the eerie liquid held ancient secrets beneath its depths.
Gary moved slowly down the stairs. Iron, dragon-shaped sconces held torches to the brick wall, casting an amber glow as the flames danced like ballerinas. A light breeze wafted down the corridor and while the smell of rot was gone it had been replaced with the unmistakable stench of trolls.
Gary neared the edge of the seawall and cleared his throat. He struggled to settle the shaking of his legs as he tightened his jaw and straightened to his full height. He hated this part, hated everything about trolls and all their tunneling brethren. Dwarves, ogres, hobbits, those creatures that could never take human form and were doomed to spend eternity hiding beneath the city streets. He hated them all.
“Here we go,” Gary growled. Something shuffled in front of him and he froze as a massive, half-naked troll stepped out from the shadows. He was nearly twice Gary’s height and as wide as a small van. His copper skin was leathery and rough, laced with strange runes that weaved across his torso.
A deep, raspy breath rattled from his chest as his muscles twitched in agitation. His cloudy eyes scanned Gary up and down then he huffed and took another step forward. Gary lowered his head and shuffled backward.
Thick chains jangled from the troll’s wrists. Shredded rags hung from his waist as sweat rolled down his arms and splashed onto the stone pier.
“Smash!” the troll blared in a deep, trembling voice.
He raised his fist into the air and let out a menacing roar. Gray fumbled into his pocket then pulled out the coin and shoved it toward the troll.
“Here…I’ve got it right here,” Gary pleaded.
The troll rocked backwards then let his arms drop to his side. He snagged the coin and plopped it into his mouth.
“Where go?” he asked.
Gary took a deep breath and held it momentarily. “Salem’s gate,” he replied.
The troll nodded then looped the chains around his hand and started to pull. A high-pitched scraping echoed in the depths then a wooden bow broke the surface of the water. Groaning, the troll continued to drag the chain forward, wrapping the slack around his arm. It didn’t take him long to pull the boat completely out of the murky depths.
The troll held the massive loops of rusted chain in his fist. His face was blank, his eyes reflecting the dancing flames that lined the pier. With his head cocked to the side, he stared into the obsidian liquid as drool fell from his lip like a yo-yo.
The narrow wooden boat ebbed back and forth in the dark water. The bow of the sleek gondola was shaped like an angel with a dagger through the heart. The sides curved inward like they were made from the ribs of some massive beast.
“Go,” the troll said and motioned toward the deck.
Gary nodded and stepped onto the rickety craft. It started to move almost immediately, and he grabbed the railing to stop himself from falling over. He glanced back toward the troll as he drifted away, then to the cold, black water below him.
As the boat carved through the canal the chain dissolved into nothing. Gliding across the surface, it picked up speed and started down a snaking path. There was no pilot and no apparent force propelling the boat, but it moved through the water with purpose.
The pier faded away until he was alone with the cold, dark water and his empty thoughts. Gary sighed then sat down on a wooden stoop near the middle of the boat. Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out a silver flask and took a swig. The enchanted whiskey was like fire, singeing his throat as he swallowed.
“Whew!” he exclaimed, his voice echoing out across the nebulous sea.
A chill sliced through Gary’s back as a slight breeze began to blow. He shivered then took another drink from his flask. He never felt at peace during the ride. It was too dark and even though he couldn’t see, he knew the shadows were brimming with danger.
The ferry ran across a mysterious body of water known to the magic world as the Aeternum Strait. It connected different worlds and dimensions, like one long supernatural highway full of nefarious hitchhikers and other perils for anyone foolish enough to leave the safety of the ferry. Things worse than trolls toiled in the dark, but Gary had no desire to go looking.
A dim light materialized up ahead and Gary could see the ripples of black water again. He took another drink then screwed on the cap to his flask and stowed it in his pocket. Wobbling, he stood up and focused his eyes.
Suddenly, a pier much like the one he left, came into view and the boat stopped alongside it. Gary slowly stepped onto the cobbled stone and yawned. Goosebumps crawled up his arms and he looked toward an unfinished, spiraling staircase that stopped after several steps.
He swallowed and reached his hand into his pocket, withdrawing the glowing, blue sphere that Noll had given him. He rolled it around in his palm, rubbing his fingers across its warm surface. It was the only thing that stood between him and Zoey and he didn’t even know what it was.
He suddenly felt stupid for even thinking that going to see her was a good idea. She was powerful, spiteful, and probably the one person in the world that Gary truly feared. Noll, on the other hand, was mainly useless.
As he stared at the orb he suppressed the urge to run back. Even if he wanted to, he’d need another coin. The boat had already sunk beneath the waves and the cold water was splashing up against the pier and rolling across the stone towards his feet.
There would be no turning back. Forward was the only way now.
“Damn it Noll,” Gary mumbled.
With a deep breath, he started up the spiraling staircase. As he moved up each step another one appeared above him. He followed them one after the other until he was suddenly standing outside on the sidewalk, facing a decrepit, skyscraper.
He looked from side to side at the drab landscape. The bushes and trees were lifeless, the grass dead and discolored. Everything had a faded tint to it, like all the life had been drained away.
Underworlders called it the gray, the 4th dimension. A world within a world, living just beyond the view of the rest of society in a shadow version of reality. Gary never understood why anyone would choose to live there. But with Zoey it wasn’t by choice.
Yawning, Gary wiped his face and swallowed down his apprehension. “Please be in a good mood,” he mumbled.
CHAPTER 8
THE LOST LETTER
Eric paced back and forth in th
e living room. He’d been at it for hours, jumping at the sound of every little bump or cat rummaging through trash cans outside. It took every ounce of his will power to not leave the apartment behind and wander into the streets. Anything was better than waiting.
“Come on Gary,” he grumbled as he fell back onto the couch. “Get back here already.”
Turning to his side, he tried to fall back to sleep. His stomach roared in angry protest, but he ignored it. Restless minutes ticked by then he sat back up and started pacing again, but this time he had a purpose.
Eric walked into the kitchen and opened the cupboard. He grabbed a cup and filled it with water from the refrigerator. Draining it dry, he refilled it several times then started rifling through the pantry for something to eat.
Gary’s place had little to offer in the way of nutrition. Eric ogled the sparse cabinets then grabbed a bag of half eaten Doritos out of desperation. He ate a few of the stale chips then angrily threw the bag away.
Walking back toward the bookshelf, he paused and stared at a table of old photos and strange clay figurines. He picked one up, a small boy dressed in blue overalls and a white shirt. The boy’s hands and feet were covered in a dense gray fur and his ears and other facial features had been altered to resemble a canine.
“Weirdo,” Eric mumbled and set it down.
He shuffled through the other items until his eyes stopped on a picture set towards the back. His mouth fell open and he reached out and grabbed it. He stared at the photo of the man that he hardly recognized. It was like staring into a mirror but seeing a stranger staring back. He knew he was looking at himself, but he had no memory of the photo and no memory of the person he’d been.
Standing beside him was an olive-skinned woman with green, golden-tinted eyes and wild, amber hair that fell just over her shoulders. She stared from the picture into his soul and he felt like he’d known her his entire life. It was an eerie sensation, but peaceful.
Eric gazed at her for a long time. He couldn’t remember taking the picture, but he could almost feel her touch against his skin as if she was standing beside him at that very moment. Somewhere deep down inside of him, he remembered her.
“Anna,” he whispered and stroked his fingers across her photo.
“Eric!” a voice screeched.
He jumped, and the picture fell from his hands and crashed to the floor sending flakes of glass across the room. Eric wheeled around, uncertain if the voice was real or in his head. He looked toward the door and waited, but there was nothing.
Shaking his head, he bent down and picked up the larger shards of glass and broken pieces of the frame. As he grabbed the picture and shook the glass off a folded piece of paper fell from behind the cover.
Eric picked up the crinkled paper and straightened it. It was letter and as he started to read the hastily, handwritten words he felt a surge of electricity shoot through his spine.
My Love,
I wish we had more time. I wish I could hold you, tell you I love you, feel the warmth of your touch once more. But this love of ours was too much for the mortal realm, so in my death I shall breathe life back into you. In my death I shall spur the fire that will lay waste to our enemies.
My heart breaks knowing that I won’t be there to kiss you and welcome you home. I know how lonely and out of place you must feel. But you will find your way, because I’ve set you free. The bonds that once held you are no more and I know no one will ever stop you again.
I’m sorry our time was cut short, but I know you will avenge me my love. Think of me often, I know you will. And when you find your strength, come back to me. I will wait for eternity to be yours once more.
This fire burns forever my love,
~Anna~
With a deep breath, Eric folded the letter back and stuffed it into his pocket. Sniffling, he wiped a tear from his face and felt the world spin around him. He’d felt like a stranger in his own body, but suddenly he’d never been so at home. He was found and now he just needed to find her.
Without thinking, Eric sat the broken frame onto the table and rushed to the front door. He grabbed the handle and felt a sudden jolt in his hand.
“I told you to stay put!” the sound of Gary’s voice boomed.
The door knob exploded, sending shards of flaming metal into the living room. A chunk hit the carpet and bounced, landing on the couch and set both aflame. The fire danced across the ancient fabric like it was alive, burning like liquid. Eric dropped his face and froze in shock.
“Damn it!”
CHAPTER 9
QUEEN OF THE GRAY
With wild eyes, Gary stared up toward the top floor of the gloomy, 40-story building. Half of the windows were broken and covered with tattered rags that danced in the wind. The other half were smeared in dirt and soot. Faded bricks crumbled slowly from the facade and fell to the ground like the building was in constant decay. Almost nothing thrived in the gray.
Just out of Gary’s sight, dark figures lingered in the shadows. Creatures clinging to the night, watching as the invader moved silently into their world.
Gary twisted his face and shivered as he felt another set of eyes pressing in on him. He could sense Zoey’s presence and was certain she’d felt his. At least she hadn’t tried to kill him yet, and that was exactly what he was expecting.
Biting his lip, Gary took a step toward the building then froze as a voice echoed softly inside of his head.
“Gary,” Zoey called in an airy tone. “It’s been too long. Come up.”
Gary felt his feet shift then he was suddenly being pulled through the air by an invisible rope. Everything became a blur of colors and blended images. The dead grass and barren trees faded, and Gary found himself standing in a poorly adorned living room, next to a winding, oak staircase.
Shabby, green carpet covered each step like a pair of baggy pants. The frayed threads rolled up along the sides and sagged around the corners.
Gary placed his foot on the first step and leaned forward. The rotting wood creaked and groaned from the stress. He grabbed the railing and started up the winding path.
“So primitive,” Zoey called from the landing above him. “But, it is nice to see you.”
Gary froze. Something was wrong. Zoey didn’t want to see anyone. She didn’t expect or accept guests and was never happy about anything.
“Everything okay?” Gary asked with a shaky voice.
Zoey smiled and beckoned him forward by curling her fingers. She turned to the side and her long, brown hair flowed over her shoulders and spilled down her back.
For a moment, Gary forgot just how malevolent she was. For a moment, he was stunned by her beauty. Zoey wore a laced, navy blue dress that hugged her torso then cascaded into a waterfall down her legs. Wind blew through the cracked windows and pushed the flowing garment around like it was alive. Her light, bronze skin and angled face looked angelic, but hid her vile nature. Gary had to remember, Zoey was a killer.
He paused at the top of the stairs and slowly forced a smile onto his face. Zoey considered him then stepped forward, her heels hitting the floor silently. Gary cringed, but she laughed and pulled him into a friendly hug.
“Gary,” she said warmly. “My favorite warlock. What brings you to the gray?”
“Uh…the, you see, there’s this…well,” Gary collided with words clumsily.
“My, my Gary. I’ve never known you to be at a loss.”
Gary shrugged then reached into his pocket. His fingers coiled around the polished stone and he felt a tingle of electricity run up his arm. Shivering, he released the orb and let out a muted grunt.
“Gary?” Zoey said. “What…what do you…” she paused, and her face flushed with anger.
A hint of realization glimmered in her eyes.
“No!” Gary cried, but he was too late.
A force shoved him in the chest and he flew backwards and landed on the steps. He rolled over just in time to avoid the armchair that smashed into the ground
. It exploded into splinters and showered his face with wooden fragments.
“You thought you could hex me!” Zoey roared.
Gary tried to push himself to his feet, but the staircase wiggled and curled as it turned into an enormous snake. The bulky coils wrapped around him and squeezed. The beast’s massive head towered over him, its fangs exposed, ivory daggers as long as he was tall.
The snake lashed out, but Gary managed to cast a weak defensive spell just in time. Air swirled around him, creating a shield. The serpent hit the invisible wall and reared back, hissing in annoyance.
“Inferni,” Gary croaked.
A fire erupted from his hands and engulfed the massive reptile, reducing it to a pile of ashes as Gary fell from its grasp. He hit the bottom floor and rolled over then pushed himself onto his knees.
“Zoey!” he pleaded. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’d never try to hex you.”
“Liar!” Zoey roared.
Like a leaf she floated from the landing above him. In silence, her feet hit the ground as she raised her arms overhead and began mumbling incantations. Gary jumped up and scrambled backward. His face was plastered with fear, his eyes beaming like flashlights.
“No! No, no! Zoey don’t do this!” Gary pleaded, holding his palms out to shield his face.
A blinding, white light had begun to emanate from Zoey’s hands. The air around her crackled with power and beads of sweat rolled down her forehead.
“You shouldn’t have come here,” she said in a demented voice. “Now, you will never leave.”
Gary fumbled into his pocket and grabbed the orb from Noll. He held it up just as Zoey charged toward him, her hands spewing coils of raw power.