The Iron Cursed

by J. M. Briggs

  “Father, I have no doubt you have things to discuss. I’ll take care of the girl.” Flaitheas smiled and looked at him once again. “And our guest must be tired after a full day of travel.”

  “Yes, yes.” Eochu Finn waved a hand towards the door, already turning his attention towards Bradan who was stepping up beside the throne. “I leave them both to you, Flaitheas.”

  “Come with me,” Flaitheas ordered.

  Leugio nodded and didn’t hesitate to follow her out of the roundhouse. As the cool air hit his skin, he gulped down a greedy breath. His knees shuddered and he was suddenly aware of what a long day it had been. Flaitheas lingered next to him, giving him a moment, which left him both grateful and embarrassed. Then she started walking down one of the trails, the little girl clinging tightly to her shoulders.

  “Thank you for insisting that she wasn’t a Síd,” Flaitheas said. “I’m afraid that Father is becoming more paranoid every day about the them.”

  “Does he have reason to be?”

  “Well the story we heard from your village wasn’t the first,” Flaitheas replied. “We know that the Sídhe occasionally take children from time to time, but there really does seem to be more activity from them recently.”

  “I-” Leugio stopped and shivered. Something about those words made his stomach turn. It reminded him too much of Iúdás’ words about not being able to stop those outside of his own mound. Just thinking the name made Iúdás’ face appear before him: it had been so calm, even detached when he and Keelia came out. Were they all truly like that? What did it mean? “That’s not good to hear.”

  “I’m sorry,” Flaitheas apologized as they kept walking. “You’ve had a long day, and Father didn’t make it easier by springing his worries on you.” She adjusted the little girl in her arms. “You must want to rest.”

  “I’ll wait until the little one is alright,” he answered. Flaitheas rewarded him with a bright smile.

  16

  Dead World

  A landscape was forming around her. There were rolling hills, pastures, and a village made of wood and sod in the distance. Alex could see a larger, smooth hill that looked a bit out of place and inspired an odd desire to run in her. Around her, a voice whispered names that tugged at her memory, but Alex knew it was far too distant. The air was hot and heavy against her skin. She could smell ozone and looked up at a darkening sky. The voice grew louder, shouting a warning, but the other voices were returning. They had their own things to say.

  Alex brought her hands up to cover her ears. It did no good, they were inside: they were always inside. She screamed. The sound surrounded her, echoed through her ears and reverberated in her skull. Suddenly the ozone smell was gone and her skin cooled off in an instant. She stopped screaming and opened her eyes.

  She was back in the fog. That meant this was another dream, she realized with both relief and worry. Biting her lip, Alex tried to remember when she’d gone to sleep. Flickers of the last things she seen danced before her eyes, but nothing made much sense. It was difficult to remember, but Alex tried. They’d been making the new Gate. In truth, it was just a little thing in the rocks, but Merlin and Morgana had seemed pleased enough with it.

  A laugh echoed in the fog around her. There was a low, but familiar glow of blue. Turning sharply, Alex searched for any sign of another person. She recalled that laugh from the last time she’d been here. Swallowing, Alex rubbed at her arms as a sudden chill crept up her spine. The laughter rippled through the fog once more. Figures were beginning to appear in the distance. Memories of the last time she’d been trapped here spilled forth and Alex frantically shook her head.

  “Brekszta, stop this at once!” Alex shouted. Her words echoed in the vast darkness, bouncing back to her.

  The distant blue glow faded into the fog, but there was another burst of laughter. Alex turned around, searching for any sign of the Old One, but all she could see were the humanoid figures in the fog moving towards her. She dropped her hands and pulled on her magic. Dream or not, real or not, she just wanted out. The flicker of magic in her gut exploded, sending magic flowing up her arms and down to her fingertips. Gray sparks erupted from her flesh and illuminated the fog, pushing it back.

  “No,” Alex shouted. “No! I’m not doing this again! They’re dead! Their time is over! This is my lifetime and they don’t get to have it!”

  It had been the voices after she made the Gate. She remembered it now. They’d gotten so loud, so powerful that everything else had buckled beneath the weight of them. Even now she could hear growing whispers, both in her own head and out in the fog. They were pulling, teasing, and nagging her, trying to make her listen to them. But they weren’t saying the same thing; it was just a mess of different voices.

  Magic flashed out around her, swirling through the air and pushing back the dream. Alex slammed her eyes shut and let the magic flow. It was wild, barely controlled, with only her frantic wish to leave the dream to guide it. Maybe this was just another part of the dream: she didn’t know. The voices were quieting and the laughter had stopped. A sharp voice screamed at her, but the words were lost in the pounding of Alex’s own heart.

  Distantly there were other voices. People calling her name; not one of the other names, but Alex. Nicki’s voice and Morgana’s voice. They were calling to her and she tried to reach for them. Alex tried to call to them, reassure them that she was okay. She wanted to wake up. But the weight of it all was too much. Her magic stretched out around her, but there was nothing. Just a dull chill in the air. Opening her eyes again, Alex exhaled slowly.

  The darkness shifted. Gray magic rippled across an inky blackness that was sweeping in around her. It was a box, a cage, and yet the magic was changing it. Alex didn’t move. The air changed, thinning, and taking on a smoky smell. Her feet began to sink into the ground or floor or whatever it was.

  She’d used too much magic. The memory of making the Gate, the gathering of everyone’s magic and changing it to her own came back. Fear made Alex slam her eyes shut even as she tried to control it. This was just a dream, and the laughter was gone. None of it was real. Yet the pain wasn’t waking her. Alex clenched her hands into fists, trying to hide and hold back the small quiver taking over her limbs. Confusion wared with fear and her own determination that this was just a dream. It was all too blurred now.

  Something brushed over her skin, leaving tingles in its wake. All the hairs on her arm were standing on end. In the distance, a dull sound was beginning to rise. The ache in her chest was spreading, but Alex didn’t stop urging her magic to hold back the dark. It hurt. Part of her waited to wake up. That was how it was supposed to work, right?

  The dull sound was growing louder. It was a howling, but not of any beast. Behind her eyelids, the darkness was fading. There was some sort of light now. Her feet quivered, the terrain changed, but Alex stood firm. This was familiar in a way, but she wasn’t falling between dreams or memories this time. This was familiar and yet alien at once.

  Her magic stopped. It just stopped like a vacuum cleaner with the plug suddenly pulled. That strange sound was louder now and Alex finally recognized it as the wind. Small things hit her face and Alex tentatively opened her eyes as she shielded her cheek with her hand. Ash filled her nostrils. Alex coughed and looked around in confusion. Beneath her feet the ground gave way, layers of ash and soot compressing as she moved. Alex stumbled forward, trying to see something through the billowing smoke. It was thick in the air, rising into a dark violet sky that was caught in twilight.

  There was a small shrouded sun that was too far away. Debris circled it in a frightful ring, large enough for Alex to see the shadows passing over the deep reddish star. There were more massive fragments of rock closer to the planet, floating lazily across the sky like small jagged moons. The sun was low in the dark sky and sinking with every passing moment. Alex’s eyes widened and she gasped in surprise, earning a mouthful of soot for the trouble. In response, her magic flickered back to life
, though the ache intensified to a sharp pain running from her heart to her groin. Alex looked down at her hands. There was a faint gray glow around her skin, but as she rubbed her fingers together she wasn’t sure if it was real. This was some sort of dream: she may just be seeing her magic because she thought she should. Shaking her head, Alex pushed away the thought.

  “Hello?” Alex called, shielding her mouth with her hand. Her voice wavered and Alex turned to examine the landscape. If this was some sort of new dream then at least she had full control over her body. “Brekszta, is this your doing?” There was no answer except for the wind, blowing more of the ashy dust. “I demand you release me at once!”

  Nothing happened. The wind only howled and bits of ash hit her face. That alien red sun was setting, making the already violet color of the sky darken. Alex still didn’t move. Her feet sunk into the sooty ground, but she couldn’t muster the courage for that first step. Instead, she closed her eyes and listened. There was only the wind. Even the voices were gone. There were no whispers, no shouts or demands for her to do something. Just the wind. It was almost comforting, and yet it left Alex feeling like a boat off its mooring.

  Slowly the ache in her chest eased. Alex opened her eyes. It was even darker now and there was a layer of ash over her skin, giving it a gray and faded appearance. She couldn’t just stay here waiting to wake up. Shivering at the growing chill in the air, Alex made herself look around once more.

  Overhead thousands of glittering stars illuminated a purplish line in the sky. It stretched out into the perfect blackness of space with the stars growing dimmer and more spread out. Alex just stared, eying the line of stars curiously. This wasn’t Earth: none of the stars were familiar. It wasn’t another life or memory then; this was something else. But somehow, she still had her magic so she was still connected to her body. Alex tried to smile, tried to convince herself that this was really just a dream, but she didn’t completely believe it. There was a weight to the sky above her, heavy and vast while she was tiny. Fear bubbled up through her chest and Alex dropped her eyes, unable to keep looking.

  Taking another step forward, Alex tripped when her foot sunk into the ash once more. The ground was too soft– there was nothing holding it together. No rocks were visible: just the layers of a burned-out world. Wind howled around her, icy and sharp. Shivering, Alex rubbed at her arms and kept moving. Climbing to the top of a slope, Alex looked out at a desolate landscape.

  It was all black and gray. Small dunes of ash had been formed by the winds and up ahead she could see collapsed buildings. There was no movement and no sound except for the wind. She couldn’t even see any kind of vegetation, dead or alive. Another gust of wind was so strong that it made Alex stumble. Gritting her teeth, she sped up even as her feet slipped in the ash and headed for the remains of the buildings.

  They seemed to be made of dark stone, but Alex didn’t trust that. There was too much ash and she wondered if there had been some sort of massive fire or eruption. The stars provided just enough light for her stumble around as the last rays of the sun vanished. In her chest Alex’s magic was pulsing in time with her heart.

  Pushing the thought away, Alex focused on reaching the first of the buildings. A partially collapsed stone building formed an odd lean-to against another building. There wasn’t much space underneath the shelter of a half wall leaning against another, but it was something. The architecture was made up of domes and arches with evidence of painted murals visible on the protected interior. Yet it wasn’t familiar to her. She recognized the basics of the structure of course, but not the style from any history textbooks. The stone fitted together tightly even as it crumbled, without any sign of mortar or cement.

  Ducking into the small area, Alex pulled on her magic. It rose slowly to her command, but gray sparks appeared around her hand. Alex flexed her fingers and drew the flickers of light together into a glowing orb. A soft, gray shine surrounded her and Alex studied the mural. There was a landscape scene with rolling hills and buildings. The vegetation seemed to be a pale sort of reddish green, but Alex thought that might be age. Sadly, there were no figures to be seen in what remained.

  Alex grumbled under her breath. This was a strange dream, but dread was gathering in her stomach. Moving to the next collection of buildings, Alex stayed alert for any sounds other than the wind. She seemed to be alone, but a nervous tug in her gut made her worry. Why she was here was a mystery. Maybe this truly was just a dream: just a normal sort of dream brought on by magical exhaustion and Brekstza trying to meddle with her mind. She risked a look up towards the sky once more, noting the vague dark shapes of debris floating around the planet. Every so often more of the rocks blocked out the stars.

  Her foot slipped again as she reached another collapsed building. This one was sunk further down into the ground. Alex grabbed at the wall, but her feet slid in the ash out from under her. Hitting the ground, Alex threw her arms up to protect her head. The light orb she’d created flickered, but stayed intact.

  Sitting up, she noted in surprise that there was an empty space which her feet had slid into beneath the half-collapsed walls. They were leaning against each other with only a small area exposed. She frowned and looked around, silently sending the light orb higher into the sky. It didn’t reveal much, but as she stood up, Alex noticed that a few feet away the landscape changed. It was sunken in, roughly in the shape of a square. She turned her eyes back to the empty space she’d discovered and slowly worked her way forward. Her feet found a step and Alex brought the light orb back to her. Sending it forward, she peered down into the space and almost smiled as she found a staircase half buried by ash. While it was a mess, it looked intact, and as she shivered at another cold gust of wind Alex made up her mind.

  Staying low, she half walked and half crawled down the stairs, fearing slipping on the ash again. While she was sure that she was dreaming, Alex wasn’t confident in what damage Brekszta could inflict on her. She made it to a flat landing that was almost free of ash and tried to dust herself off. It was a waste of time: her jeans were heavy with gray ash and she felt filthy.

  Her light org hung in the air, casting a soft gray glow over the walls. Alex inspected them thoughtfully, but there were no paintings here and nothing else that seemed of value. She walked forward slowly, using her feet to tap on the floor before she put her whole weight forward. Distantly she could still hear the wind. In her chest, Alex’s magic was pulsing weakly, but still there. She stopped and inhaled slowly, focusing on her magic, but something about it was off. There was something wrong with it that she didn’t understand. Other than the light orb she wasn’t doing anything, and yet the magic was stretched out like she was doing multiple things.

  The hallway opened into a large room. Over her head, the ceiling was making small groaning sounds. There was a faint cracking sound, a bit like glass, and Alex didn’t dare think too long about that. Pulling on her protesting magic, Alex brightened the light orb to illuminate the whole room. It looked like a courtyard of some kind. Maybe a covered courtyard. There were several things that looked like planters, a toppled statue that was broken and a few collapsed hallways leading out of the courtyard.

  Alex wasn’t sure what to think. She’d been on the surface already, so this was below ground. Unless this was the original ground level… Shaking her head, Alex sighed. This was more Nicki’s area of expertise than her own. She walked further into the courtyard and risked another look up. There was only a thick black layer over her head and a strange, faint shine. Maybe it was glass.

  That didn’t make her feel any better. She moved over by the walls and examined them. Here the murals had been better protected. The colors were a bit faded, but she could see strange beautiful flowers painted across the surface. There were tall buildings, alien trees, and symmetrical designs. Her foot hit one of the planters and she looked down. There was a shriveled plant devoid of any color. Reaching down, Alex gently touched what remained of a leaf, but the entire thing crum
bled at the slight pressure, turning to dust in Alex’s hand.

  Everything here was dead.

  She jumped away from the planter, nervously brushing her hands against each other in an attempt to clean them. Alex hesitated for a moment but went over to statue. There was a small pedestal in the center of the courtyard where it had stood before it had fallen to the side. She could almost imagine a fleeing person knocking it over in their haste to escape. A

  Kneeling down, Alex picked up the broken-off head of the statue and brushed away the faint layer of ash from the face. Parts of it were broken, but enough of the face remained that she gasped. There was a pair of broken horns growing out of the forehead. The face was a little too narrow and fine for a human’s, it had pointed ears and while there was no color on the stone any longer, Alex knew that the eyes were supposed to be violet. She screamed and the head dropped from her hands, shattering on the old stone floor of the courtyard.

  17

  Her Screams

  The day had been going so well. True, Lance was now sitting on a nice patio in an attractive iron chair with Jenny right across from him and their feet occasionally touched as they shifted, but the situation wasn’t exactly relaxing. One they were a pair of college students suddenly camped out on a professor’s patio, two they each had iron daggers on the table by their right hands and three creatures bent on killing them could show up at any moment.