by Jana LaPelle
Spent, I lay my head back in the water, breathing heavily, I look up at the foreign reddish twilight and thank my creator that I survived the last hour in this realm. Slowly, I make my way toward the rocky shore. Suddenly, I remember Pip and look around me franticly.
“I’m over here, Mister.” Pip is in a clearing on the shore to my left, gathering wood to make a fire.
“Pip! Where do I start?” I bellow, as I make my way to our new camp site, staggering toward Pipperton, I prepare to scold him for following me.
“Don’t you start on me Mister, if it hadn’t been for me, you would have been eaten by the gorgers. You know I’m right. See? You do need a guide. Yous ignorant of the goings on here. How are you gonna make it to your kindred if yous left on your own? Now, sit down and warm yourself by the fire.”
I have officially been dressed down by a kid of maybe ten. Sighing, I relent, “You know your mother must be frantically looking for you, Pipperton. I need to get you back to her.” Looking up at the odd sky above, I ask, “Is it night or day? The color of the sky never seems to change here. How do you know when it’s time to sleep or rest?”
Pip cocks his head and gives me an incredulous stare, “Mister, that’s easy. All those that dwell in The Underworld adhere to an internal clock. We know when it is time to sleep and when it’s time to rise. I’m tired, but it’s not yet time to retire. We should rest, and as for Momma, I left her a note. Tomorrow is another day, and we’ve lost ground. The river took you further away from The Great Divide.”
I settle down with my back to a downed tree with the blazing fire in front of me. It feels so good, so warm and comforting. I shrug out of my soggy shirt and boots, leaving my pants on. I lay my shirt across a log to dry and place my boots close to the fire. I have Pip inspect the bite marks on my back, and they appear to be healing nicely. The water has cleansed them from any venom the bites may have held. Sighing, I settle back and say, “You’re right, tomorrow is another day. Just my luck that I’m going to have to make up for lost time.” Sighing again, I look over at my most unlikely ally in this unnatural place and say, “Pip, thank you. You’ve saved me three times now. I’m beginning to lose count. I’m not sure how I was lucky enough to have found you, but I’m grateful that I did. What was up with the gorgers and the river water anyway?”
“Momma says that our world may be harsh, but there are boundaries that some must heed. She says that those boundaries are there to keep the innocent safe from those that mean to do harm, from those that have been damned. The gorgers have been damned to walk through hell, never to be satisfied, always hungry.”
“So… they are souls that have been judged guilty of gluttony and their punishment is to wander this place, always ravenous. Their hunger never assuaged.”
“Mister, I don’t know that word but if it means they are always hungry, then yes.”
Chuckling, I say, “Yes, Pip, that’s what I meant to say. I’m assuming from the table that appeared in the clearing, that someone is feeding their hunger,” my tone growing more serious.
“Yep. That would be the prince of gluttony, Beelzebub.”
“That whole scene was just disturbing. No wonder your mother hides you away from the surface.”
Pip snorts a little laugh, “Momma has no idea how much time I spend on the surface. I watch from the trees, the comings and goings of all matter of creatures. This is the first time that I have actually interacted with any beings on the surface. Most don’t even know that I’m there watching, I’m really good at hiding myself away.”
Sighing, I decide to address that little tidbit of information, “That being said Pip, I need to return you to the borough, and to your mother.”
“Momma will understand. We talked about how much I like you, Mister. I’m still mad at you, by the way. You broke your promise. You left without saying goodbye. The only way for you to make up for that, was for me to see you again. You left me no choice but to follow you.” Pip looks down at his hands before looking back up at me unsure of how I’m going to respond.
I shake my head and smile, “Oh… Pip, I’m sorry for not staying long enough to say goodbye. I really am, but I’m thinking you would have followed me no matter what. Am I wrong?”
“No Mister, you’re not…, I…” Pip hangs his head, staring down at his lap.
“Well, what’s done is done. Hey, what do you say we make the most of this time? We need to eat, and my food rations are probably ruined. Why don’t you show me what is edible here in this strange place, I’m sure you’ve got a lot of knowledge in that little noggin of yours.”
Pip’s head snaps back up, and he slowly smiles back at me, “I knew you would come around. I have lots to show you.” He bounces up eagerly waiting for me to join him. I slip back into my waterlogged boots and shrug back into my damp shirt, wishing for dry clothing. Knowing that damp clothing is the least of my problems right now. First thing after we rest, I need to get Pip back to his mother. Paynga must be ready to burn me at the stake by now. I don’t even want to think about what Rhynik will do to me if he gets his hands on me. I have no doubt that what I suffered at The Morrígan’s hands will be nothing compared to what that demon will do to me.
“Mister, you’re not even paying me no never mind.” Pip scolds, pulling me out of my ponderings. “How are yous going to learn about The Underworld if ya don’t listen to your guide?” He huffs out, puffing out his chest just a little, standing there with his shoulders back looking all important.
I can’t help but laugh. The rumble starts low in my belly before it rumbles out of me, by the goddess, I love this kid. Mussing his hair, I have to agree, “Pipperton, you’re right. I need to pay better attention to my most exceptional guide. You have proven yourself very useful indeed. I would be remiss if I did not take advantage of our time together.” Smiling down at the little imp, I say, “Thank you, Pip, you have no idea how grateful I am that we met when we did. Thank you for making me laugh. It’s been a while, it seems like forever.”
Pip smiles a huge toothy grin back up at me before throwing his arms around my middle, hugging me tightly. My throat tightens with emotion, and I hug him back a little awkwardly, not knowing where to place my hands due to his wings.
Pulling away, Pip squares his shoulders. He’s all business now and he begins, “Well Mister, let’s go this way, I’m pretty sure there’s a few dragon fruit trees over here. I scoped them out as I flew overhead on the way down. It’s been a while since I’ve had dragon fruit, but if I remember correctly, the ones with the white flesh inside are bland,” he wrinkles his nose before continuing, “but still nutritious. The ones that have the dark pink flesh are sweet. Either will give us nourishment. Here they are. See?”
The bulbous fruit hangs from the limbs of the trees before us. The skin of the fruit is a bright pink, it looks as though it’s covered by scales, the tips of which are green. When Pip breaks it open, the fruit inside is a dark pink, almost red, and he bites into the pulp. The juice from the fruit courses down either side of his mouth. A moan escapes him as he hands me the other half, licking his lips. He shoves the other half of the fruit my way. It’s pink pulp looks foreign to me, but I’m hungry, so I take the offering and bite into the fruit in my hands. I’m pleasantly surprised by the sweet taste that invades my mouth. In Ashlinn’s words, its yummy.
Nodding, I say, “This is amazingly tasty.” He smiles back up at me and continues eating. I look around us to see if there is anything else that we could add to our meager meal. Pip takes flight and is gathering a few more of the ripe fruit, but there’s not much to be had from the looks of it. I wander a little further into the undergrowth and spy a berry bush. The berries are a bit darker than the blueberries from my realm that I’m familiar with. I quickly gather a handful and head back to where Pip is. As I break through the brush, I’m happy with my find and announce, “Look what I found, Pip. We have some berries to add to the dragon f
ruit.” I pick up a berry and make ready to pop it into my mouth.
Pip is by my side in an instant and slapping my hand away from my lips. “Mister, don’t! That’s blight. You can’t eat that! It’s poisonous. You could die!”
I stand transfixed, blinking at my poisonous find. I could die. He’s right. It’s at that very moment that I realize that with every step I take, I could make one tiny fatal mistake and leave my family on their own, if not for Pip.
(Alaric)
The next day passes by uneventfully. Pip’s knowledge of this place has been invaluable. He has shown me what I can eat and what to avoid. This morning we have fish, spitted and cooked over our campfire. Today is the day that I must get Pip back to the borough. His mother and uncle must be going crazy with worry.
Pip breaks through my thoughts, gaining my attention, “Hey Mister? Maybe we can talk my uncle into coming with us? That way you can have the guide you need. What do you think?”
I chuckle derisively, “Pip, nothing against your uncle, but he’s really not a fan of mine. I wouldn’t get your hopes up on that count.”
Pip sighs, “Then why not let me just come with you?” I can see the concern and fear for my wellbeing etched on his young face, and something else that I can’t quite put my finger on.
“You know why, Pip. We’ve been over this.” I pause and kneel down so that we’re eye level and smile, “You’re a good kid, and I’m really going to miss you. You’re so smart and loyal, I don’t know what I would have done without you. I think that my creator put you in my path when I needed you most.”
“I don’t know about none of that, but I’m glad I found you. You sure I can’t come with you, Mister?” Pip’s bright blue eyes shine with unshed tears.
“I’m sure. It’s not that I don’t want you to come with me. You know that I would welcome you and your mother in my home. I know that Ashlinn would just love you to pieces, but it’s not up to me. Your mother needs you with her. In fact, I’m sure that she’s very worried about you.”
Pip throws his arms around me and I hug the little guy to me. He whispers, “I know you’re right, but I’m going to miss you.”
“I’m going to miss you too. You know…, you’ve grown on me. Like a rash.” I add that last bit to lighten the mood.
“Mister, that’s not funny.” Pip punches my arm before laughing, “You know, I’m kind of the color of a rash.” He says with a little snicker.
Laughing, I ask, “How much further to the caves?”
“Not far now. Are you going to walk me down?”
Grinning, I retort, “I think we’ve established that you can manage on your own, but to answer that question, I want to make sure that you are back where you belong.” Pausing, I look around us, and ask, “We’re not going to the forest entrance, are we?”
“Nope, that’ll just get you in trouble with the gorgers again, Mister. I’ll not have you making that mistake again. Not sure what my uncle was thinking, ‘cept maybe that it is the closest entrance to the Great Divide. I’m not taking you to the entrance from the Fields of Punishment, either.” Pip grabs my hand as we walk along, swinging it back and forth, and says, “Do you know that I watched you walking in that very spot for going nigh on twelve clicks. The fields are funny like that, yous wasn’t gettin’ nowhere.”
“What do you mean, Pip? It felt like I had been walking for hours.”
“Yous could’ve been walkin’ forever, Mister. Yous just weren’t gettin’ nowhere. Good thing I found ya, huh.” He smiles brightly up at me. Funny. His once, alien looking appearance no longer seems unnatural. He just looks like Pip. The cute adorable kid that he is.
We’re coming up on a clearing when Pip halts suddenly and pulls me back under the cover of the dark and twisted trees. The open fields in front of us are at least two times as long as a football field in The Mortal Realm, or larger. I watch as several large beasts make their way out from under the cover of the brush on the opposite side of the grassland. The creatures are reptilian in nature with random tufts of fur that remind me of goats, until they look around at us and I see their strange faces. Their horns jut forward as they graze and to be honest, I have no idea as to what they are. Pip pulls me behind a tree, and I watch as a small squadron of noctorbeast descend on the open plain scattering the herd. Their riders leap to the ground, looking back toward where we stand, hidden in the dimly lit woods.
Pip whispers beside me, “Oh no… the slavers are here. We need to get out of here.”
“Pip, I want you to climb this tree and hide up in the branches. I’ll create a diversion and lead them away from you.” I whisper in his ear. He shakes his head and mouths the word no. Looking back at the menacing demons heading our way, I grab his hand and we retreat further into the forest before turning and running back the way we came.
From behind us I hear, “You can’t get away from us.” The reptilian like demon draws out the s in us before continuing. “We have you boxed in on all sides.” My skin crawls and I think how very snake like he sounds. I pull us up short as several other slavers step out from the trees into our retreating path. We’re surrounded.
I pull Pip to my side before saying aloud, “Listen…, let the kid go and I’ll go willingly.”
“No, Mister. I won’t leave you with the slavers.”
“That’s, not how this works. We want the imps. They have become rare, an imp child is even more so, but a young god is unheard of, your presence in our realm has been rumored for some time now. You and the boy will bring a hefty price. Mammon pays well for those of us that bring him the rarest of finds. So…, you see, both of you are coming with us.”
Weighing my options, I can’t really fight, I only have the one sword and its dull at best, not to mention that we’re out numbered. Doing so could risk getting Pip hurt. Nodding, I say, “Okay, but he stays with me.”
“That’s not for you to decide.” The male shoves me roughly from behind and both Pip and I stumble.
I glare back at him before turning and shoving the lizard demon so hard he stumbles backward, almost losing his footing. I pull Pip toward me and say, “He stays. With. Me. End of story! We’re going with you, so lay off!”
We’re at a standoff as we enter the clearing. I have just a moment to assess our captors. Reptilian is right, their skin is very scale like, so much so that they do not require armor, then there are their foreheads that forms a plate-like ridge that slopes backward and upward with multiple point-like horns that rise up from the back of their heads. Their hands are more like claws, and their eyes have vertical slit like pupils. Their masculine forms are heavily muscled, and I know that we are not getting away from them anytime soon.
The squadron shoves us toward the noctorbeast until we are kneeling in subjugation. I can tell that Pip is about to freak out, so I take his hand and assure him, “It’s okay, Pip. We’re going to be okay.”
“I’m scared, Mister. No one comes back after the slavers take them.”
I swallow thickly, as his words resonate with me. It’s clear that Pip knows more than what Paynga thought when it comes to these abductions. The slaver before me, quickly binds my hands as well as Pips. Then we are led over to the large crossover beast that they ride.
“Mister?” Pip’s voice trembles.
“It’s okay, Pip. I’m going to fight for us to be together. Trust me.”
The slaver beside me pushes me forward and says, “Keep thinking that you’re in charge, young god.” He says in derision, before continuing, “My prince, Mammon, will have the last say as to your fate.”
Chapter 14
(Alaric)
The Citadel of Depravity is astonishing, and from a distance, not at all what I expected. The city floats above the ground on a massive chunk of earth. There are at least six enormous chains that tether it to the ground below. As we draw closer, I see all matter of creatures that are groveling before the guards to g
ain entrance. This lofty city is bright and shining and in stark contrast to the land that it floats above. I can see the appeal for those that are resigned to live below the gleaming star that the city appears to be. The Great Divide is showcased in the distance. It’s actually quite close to the Citadel. I look over to see a wide-eyed Pip. He’s scared, and I don’t blame him for that.
A foreboding falls over me as we approach the citadel. From a distance, its polished buildings draw you in, but then you see the tell-tale signs that something is amiss. The nocturebeast’s massive wings beat up and down in a fluid motion and with every beat of their wings we draw closer for a better look. The city looks to be a luminous diamond in the dingy crimson skies. As we draw closer, I see that there are large flying scaled beast that circle the city. They appear to be almost serpent like in the way that they slither and undulate in the sky. Their leathery wings are pockmarked with holes. It’s a good thing they have two sets of wings or else they may be grounded by the perforations I see from this distance. Their mouths are giant gaping maws with row after row of jagged teeth, Then, all the sudden, one of them erupts with fire and brimstone to rain down on the ground below. Squinting I look toward one of the enormous chains that anchors the city to the ground and see that there are quite a number of people that are running away from the hellfire that is showering down on them. The sky demons converge and with a like mind they swoop down to continue their assault on those below. Their screeches bellow out in the sky as they hone in on their prey. It’s then that I notice their handlers that sit astride the beast. They are dressed from head to toe in armor as dark as soot and the only thing that stands out on them are the fact that their eyes glow an eerie orangey-red light, almost as if fire runs through their veins.