Gods From the Machine

by Andrew Ly

  “I can’t tell,” Nick said.

  “How can you be sure it’s not Bergice?” Paul stared warily at the door.

  “The ‘presence’ is different,” Nick said.

  “We have an obligation to deal with this situation now,” Paul said.

  Nick tiptoed to the door with Paul so close they kept bumping into each other. Paul twisted the knob on the door slowly. They glanced quickly around the area, paranoid at the thought of something suddenly popping out from the shadows.

  Much to their surprise, the room was nothing special. It was a condensed version of the Garrison library. The room was decorated with bookcases and cabinets with few furniture pieces for sitting and lounging about. Papers were scattered around a large desk in the center of the room. A chair behind it had been flipped on its side. Strangely, there was nobody in sight. Perhaps the voices they heard were nothing more than a heightened paranoia. However, that did not explain why Nick felt that familiar tingling sensation in his body.

  “I don’t see anything out of the ordinary, aside from it being messy. Graves must have made this into a private study.” Paul picked up a stack of papers, sifting through them. “Though he claims he hasn’t been down here in ages, someone must have found this room and made no subtle attempt to hide that they were searching for a particular document.”

  “This looks like a good clue.”

  Nick grabbed the folder splayed open on the desk and flipped to the front page that held the words “Soul Eater Project” scrawled across the center. As he turned the pages he saw multiple graphs and images of the Dolere Flos and the blueprints of Graves Tower. There were even maps of the Glenhaven region. He checked the log dates—all of this had been planned and calculated six years ago.

  “Nicholas, come take a look at this,” Paul said. Nick looked up to see Paul holding vials of blue liquid.

  “What is that?” Nick said.

  “It’s Doctor Numerous’ plan. He’s calling it ‘Soul Eater.’ Apparently he’s run quite a few tests already.” Paul showed Nick the test tubes that were each labeled “Soul Eater” with numerical numbers labeled next to them.

  “What could this possibly be?” Nick held up a vial to look closely.

  “How should I know? I’m a warrior, not a scientist,” Paul said.

  “It’s been recorded in these files which date back about six years ago. Sound familiar?”

  “That’s around the same time Doctor Numerous went rogue and was banished from Fyria’s Garrison,” Paul said.

  “Exactly.”

  Paul snatched the packet of papers that Nick was looking through and flashed it in front of Nick. Paul stuffed them into his coat pockets. “This may not mean anything to us right now, but if it’s excerpts from this journal he’s been keeping then it’s bound to be worth something to someone else. Whatever this ‘Soul Eater Project’ is, it’s been years in the making and we can’t afford to let it fall into the wrong hands.”

  A small piece of paper fluttered to the ground in front of them. They looked up simultaneously to find a giant rat-like man with large red eyes gazing down at them, and hissing menacingly. It was wearing a white coat over his dark brown fur. It dashed at them with its fangs bared, ready to kill. It was the demon Nick sensed!

  Nick and Paul jumped back as the rat dove at them. It missed and hit the floor, but the demon had managed to whip its tail after, narrowly hitting Paul, but catching Nick in the chest. Nick crashed backward into a bookshelf. The entire section of tumbled down upon him.

  Paul pulled out his sword and swung viciously at the demon. His metal blade clashed with the demon’s fangs, and they were locked in battle of strength. However, Paul possessed the superior might. He pushed the rat demon backwards, and struck its claws with the blade. The rodent’s arm thudded to the ground.

  The rat demon recoiled with a squeal and fell on the floor. It thrashed about, knocking down the rest of the bookshelves. It settled in a corner after a while, licking to its wound.

  Paul took the opportunity to close in on the demon with his sword pointed at its throat. “Well, well what do we have here? Vermeek, I had thought a demon as pitiful as you would have been long dead by now.”

  “Paul Evans! I knew waiting for Lord Bergice to return was a foolish mistake!” Vermeek hissed.

  Nick was back on his feet now. He went to stand next to Paul, blocking the exit to the room.

  “What exactly are you doing here?” Paul said.

  “Business that does not concern you humans!” Vermeek snarled.

  “I took your arm just now, but I can take much more if you anger me.” Paul stabbed the demon in the shoulder and twisted the blade, causing it to screech in pain.

  “You can torture me all you like, but there’s nothing you can do to me that I will make me betray Doctor Numerous! I will never talk!” Vermeek said.

  “Is that so? Maybe you have forgotten what Luxilight feels like?” Paul charged a glowing ball of light in his palm.

  “Wait a second, Paul. Let’s not go overboard and end up killing our only source of information. He came to this room to gather the files pertaining to ‘Soul Eater Project.’ I doubt Doctor Numerous would be too thrilled if he finds that his previous research was destroyed,” Nick said.

  Nick swept the vials of test tubes onto the floor. They broke on impact. The blue contents seeped into a nearby drain. The demon scrunched against the wall, eyes wide. Through his feral visage, Nick could tell that it was angering him.

  “I will not break so easily,” Vermeek said.

  “Fine. Paul, give me the files,” Nick said.

  Paul pulled the contents of the Soul Eater Project out of his pocket and slapped them into Nick’s hand. Nick lit the opposite arm on fire and moved it dangerously close to the documents.

  “Fire? Who are you?” Vermeek said.

  “Stop trying to change the topic, Vermeek. No more games. I know you were keen on getting this information, so there’s no use in trying to pretend. We’re running low on time and I’m not a very patient man.” Nick guided his fiery hand closer and closer to the files.

  “Wait, stop!” Vermeek said at the last second. “I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

  “Good choice.” Nick tossed the files back to Paul for safekeeping.

  “How are you able to control fire like that? I’ve never seen a human capable of controlling the elements,” Vermeek said.

  “You’re talking to Agrian, the Prince of Rage,” Paul said.

  Vermeek’s eyes widened. “A Crowned Prince? You’re just a boy!”

  Nick stepped closer, staring darkly at the man. “It doesn’t matter who I am, but what I need from you is information.”

  “I work for Doctor Numerous as his assistant, nothing more. I was never privy to any of the inner workings of his plans like Astaroth. What I do know is that he has long since completed the Soul Eater, and only requires the use of his special notes to put on the final touches.”

  “He’s holding a friend of mine in the laboratory. Take us there and you are free to go. Do we have a deal?” Nick said.

  “Lord Agrian, if you’re trying to rescue the girl he has imprisoned then I suggest you give up. Even if you manage to get past the obstacle Doctor Numerous has placed, the odds of you surviving an encounter with an Infernal are very slim,” Vermeek said.

  “We’ll take our chances, rat. Now what other obstacle has Numerous set to stop us? Was this maze not enough of a challenge?” Paul said.

  Vermeek was nervously shaking on the floor and clutching the stub of his arm. “There’s a powerful demon he’s summoned at the end. Far more powerful than the average one of its type, it has an unrelenting thirst for blood.”

  “There is no demon alive that cannot be defeated by my blade,” Paul said.

  Vermeek shook his head. “Even a master knight like you cannot hope to defeat this demon alone, Paul Evans. It will require more than the brawn of the Garrison. That being said, I will accept your o
ffer and take you to the girl.”

  “A demon’s word means next to nothing,” Paul said.

  “This is our best choice. Having a guide would be better than wandering aimlessly around this labyrinth,” Nick said.

  Paul sighed. “You better hope you’re right about this, Nicholas.”

  He grabbed Vermeek by the arm and yanked him to his feet. Paul wrapped his arm around the rodent and pressed the sharp edge of his blade to the demon’s furry neck. They left with Paul slowly escorting the demon out. Once back into the labyrinth, he kicked Vermeek in the back, holding his sword so the tip of the blade rested on his coat.

  “Walk. You’re leading the way. If you try anything stupid, you die.” Paul jabbed him in the back, careful not to actually impale him.

  “A-as you wish,” Vermeek said obediently. Nick felt a bit badly for the treating him so harshly, since the demon was already wounded, but it was the only way to ensure that it wouldn’t try to escape.

  The plan now was to use Vermeek as the access for the demon barrier that Doctor Numerous had said was impenetrable. And with Paul’s already extensive knowledge on the blueprint of the area, it was absolutely failsafe, just as long as the rat man stayed true to his word. Also, having a hostage put them at a much needed advantage.

  “You’re lucky you’re too pathetic to kill. If Nicholas wasn’t so weak I would have slit your throat the moment you tried to speak,” Paul said as they walked through the dark corridors.

  “Contrary to your beliefs, Paul Evans, demons are far more crafty than you humans moonlighting as holy beings,” Vermeek hissed. “Even with two full scale wars, we have survived total eradication, our resilience knows no bounds. One of our most powerful demons also hails from your Garrisons! You are the pathetic ones!”

  They bickered between themselves as Nick trailed behind, keeping his attention elsewhere. He thought of Alyssa and how it would feel to hold her in his arms once more, to experience the warmth he had been craving. How were they treating her in the laboratory? Even if they managed to make it to the end, could he trust Bergice to keep his word? A thought struck Nick, and he interjected their argument with a new question.

  “Vermeek, where has Bergice gone? He said he would to be here at the stroke of dawn for the project launch.”

  “When Doctor Numerous designed the Soul Eater, he did it with the intention of impressing the Crowned Princes. It succeeded in intriguing Lord Ozarael, but the demon king sent Lord Bergice as his extension to monitor the progress of experiment and report back the findings. I presume Lord Bergice has gone back to deliver the last report before it launches,” Vermeek said.

  “It feels like we’ve been down here for hours. How much farther till we reach the end?” Nick said.

  “You’d better not be leading us in circles,” Paul said.

  “We are almost there,” Vermeek promised.

  “What exactly is Doctor Numerous’ power as an Infernal?” Nick said. “There are four Infernals: Famine, Pestilence, War, and Death, but I haven’t found a single clear answer.”

  “He is known as the Infernal of Pestilence. Though I cannot say what his abilities are because he refuses to display any of his powers, unless provoked in combat. The only hint of an Infernal’s given powers is related to their namesake,” Vermeek said.

  “Pestilence? Nicholas, are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Paul said.

  “The Dolere Flos. It explains why he would be obsessed with poison plants, but why would he need to grow so many for all these years? What do they have to do with the Soul Eater Project?”

  Paul nodded. “Something tells me we’ll find out soon enough. First thing’s first, our task is dealing with the ‘trap’ he’s laid out for us at the end of all of this.”

  “What type of demon are we facing?” Nick said.

  “Have you ever heard of the Specter?” Vermeek said.

  “A Specter?” Paul said suspiciously.

  “They are demon guards. Highly resilient and very powerful. Doctor Numerous has placed one at the entrance of the lab and his experiments. The only way to bypass it would be to answer a riddle. It acts as a failsafe should any intruders stumble upon his research.”

  “I know what a Specter is,” Paul said with mild annoyance, as if suggesting otherwise offended him. “But I didn’t know Doctor Numerous had the ability to summon one.”

  “It is another ability reserved for the Infernals,” Vermeek said.

  “This is going to mean more trouble for us,” Nick said.

  “Are you up to it? I’ve never faced a Specter before without a group of at least ten men,” Paul said.

  “Maybe there are alternatives to brute force. Are you good at riddles?” Nick said.

  Nick knew a little about Specters. They were different than most demons in that they were intangible creatures used by higher ranked demons to guard their valuables and prisons. These Specters were designed to ask difficult riddles that were impossible to solve without knowing the answer beforehand. If answered correctly, they would grant safe passage. However, an incorrect answer, then they would manifest themself physically and devour their prey as punishment.

  “I am many things: a tactician, a genius combatant, but the one thing I am not is a riddle master,” Paul said.

  Nick and Paul followed Vermeek closely. After another series of twists and turns, he stopped in front of double doors at the end of the labyrinth. However here, Vermeek stood his ground.

  “Why are you stopping now?” Paul demanded. “If you’re trying to set us up…”

  A set-up would be hard to spring on Nick as he was on full alert mode now.

  “According to our agreement, this is as far as I will take you. After this room you will be at the entrance of the main laboratory. Up ahead and behind those doors is the girl you seek,” Vermeek said.

  “That was the deal,” Nick said.

  “However, I am also seeking Doctor Numerous. Perhaps, I will go with you the rest of the way,” Vermeek said.

  Behind the steel doors an incredibly foul stench hung in the air; it, attacked their senses. Nick twisted his face in disgust. Paul pinched his nose and cupped his hand over his mouth. Vermeek happily sucked the air up his nostrils.

  Paul turned to Nick. “Ugh, what is that smell?”

  “The refuse from the deceased left by the Specter,” Vermeek said with delight.

  The floor crunched as Nick walked past the tattered and discolored colors of former Garrison member uniforms. Curiosity took the better of him and he looked down to see the dead and rotten bodies of his allies. The odd floor feeling was due to being covered in their bones, and from the looks of it, they had been there for some time now.

  “Our brethren…used as fodder for this monster.” Paul said.

  It was strange, but after the initial shock to his senses, the stench no longer affected him. In fact, now that Nick had time to let it settle in, it started to give off a distinct aroma. Perhaps it was the demon inside him acting as a buffer, dulling his innate human repulsion.

  However, seeing dead people spread before him was another story. Memories from the Den of Pain came back to him, and he felt an intense despair like he had never before. It was earthshattering to know that these many fallen soldiers devoted their lives to protecting their homeland, and now they were lying in heaps underground like those hounds. Like dead dogs. They deserved better than this.

  One particular corpse stood out, looking more recent than the others. The clothing wasn’t like the others: it wore a red blazer, meant for a smaller framed body—a woman’s. Nick could just barely make out the nametag that read “Abigail,” otherwise known as Garreth’s secretary. It was painful to see how an innocent woman was mutilated and killed for merely being at the wrong place at the wrong time. She, like the rest of them must have had feelings of pure terror permanently stuck on their faces right until the end. This Specter was much more dangerous than he thought, perhaps more so than Astaroth.

  “The Spe
cter did all this?” Nick murmured.

  “Yes, my lord. Doctor Numerous insisted the Specter be properly nourished in order to be combat-ready for you,” Vermeek said. “He had been using prisoners from both Glenhaven and Hyperion to quench the demon’s blood thirst for years, priming the Specter with strength several times its original. With the way he’s been preparing this particular Specter, I don’t even think a force of fifty Garrison knights can defeat it!”

  “This is troubling,” Paul said.

  “Let’s hurry and get this over with,” Nick said. Knowing there were bodies lying around them made standing there unbearably uncomfortable.

  “Very well, now that my promise has been fulfilled I will be taking my reward!” Vermeek screeched. The rodent demon clawed at Paul, ripping his coat pocket and stealing the Soul Eater files.

  “You—” Paul said. They chased the demon, but its speed on all three legs made it impossible for them to keep up.

  They continued until they came across a giant red painted symbol on the floor. It was hard to tell by the sheer size, but the brush strokes and general look of it appeared to represent a demon seal, more specifically the Seal of Pestilence. There was something different about the seal this time. Instead of being black, it was red, the primary marker for a summoning. And inside the outline of a skull that was melting away, as if rotting.

  “He got away…” Nick said.

  “And now we’re trapped behind this seal!” Paul stamped his foot. “I knew we shouldn’t have trusted him!”

  “How did this happen?” Nick said.

  Paul lifted his foot with red slime covering the bottom of the boot. “The Seal of Pestilence is painted in red paint here. This has to be where it was summoned.”

  Nick took in a deep breath, and shook his head. “That’s not paint.”

  White smog began to fill the room from the floor, seemingly from nowhere. It crept in slowly at first, before coming up together into a thick cloud before them. The large cloud swirled and fanned out, becoming a maelstrom that tossed the two of them to the wayside.

  Nick staggered back to his feet. He stood wide-eyed as the cloud molded itself into a monstrous shape with giant arms coming out from a rotund body. After a few minutes, the smog dissipated to reveal its true form in the shape of a large, furry feline-like demon with two giant arms that reached around them like a cage. The arms had five long, sharp claws on its ends. Where its face might be was a gaping mouth with rows of sharp teeth that seemed to run across its entire head. Nick half expected the demon to topple over with such heavy and disproportioned limbs, but the lower half of the creature floated in midair. It was indeed an apparition, but a frightful one to behold.