by Coleman Luck
High up, horses and riders flying through the air, half ghosts of flesh and darkness, streaming smoke, racing back and forth, roaring, thundering. And the insects were attacking them. By the billions they poured down from the sky, blanketing, stinging, blinding, burning. As they struck the horsemen, their tiny bodies flared, then dropped in avalanches of fiery death. Into the water, onto the pipes, glistening, dazzling, then gone.
“Do you see?” Mirick’s voice was filled with emotion. “My people are giving their lives. Look at them! Such bravery! The battle is hopeless, but they do not stop. On and on they die, the glorious legions. Their greatness will be remembered forever.” Then his voice broke. “And my place is with them…”
Suddenly, from high above, two of the horsemen plunged straight toward Tori. Instantly twenty of the Larggen veered to intercept. With a roar their bodies clashed. The horses and riders screamed. Then twisting and thrashing and covered with huge burning insects, they plunged into the canal, disappearing in an explosion of green flame.
Chaos!
The whole island was ablaze. Tori could hardly breathe. On and on she hurdled down the twisting canal. The breakneck speed and hairpin turns made her so dizzy that finally she did close her eyes.
Because of this she didn’t see what happened. But suddenly the sounds of war vanished.
Tori opened her eyes. They were flying down a black tunnel and the escort was gone. Only a single Larggen remained in front, lighting the way with the glow from his body.
“Where are we?”
“In a secret passage.”
“Where’d the other bugs go?”
“It’s safer now if our group is small. They went back to fight and die.”
“What were those flying horse-things?”
“The Army of Shadows. The hour of evil is upon us.”
Suddenly Tori yelled, “Wait a minute, what about Alex? Where’s my brother?”
With sadness Mirick replied, “He is among our enemies.”
“What? Stop, stop! We’ve gotta go back and help him!”
“I’m afraid that isn’t possible.”
“Why not?”
“He has chosen darkness and with darkness he must remain.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your brother is one of them now.”
“Those horse-things?”
“Yes.”
“We’ve got to save him.”
“That power is not in our hands.”
“But you told me I’d see him again.”
“And I fear you will.”
“We can’t leave him like this.” She was sobbing now.
“We must. There’s nothing we can do.”
“You told me the bugs were going to help him.”
“I said we would do everything we could, and we did.”
“I’m never going to see him again.”
“You don’t know that. Your brother’s life is in the hands of One Who Is Greater Than All…”
“You promised me, you promised…”
“I’m sorry.”
For a long time Tori cried. Finally she quieted. “Where are we going?”
“There’s only one safe place for you now: the Great Mountain.”
“Is it far?”
“A long way. First we must get to the surface, and after that there are still many miles to travel. It’s night outside, which makes the journey much more dangerous. The riders are creatures of the dark, and they’ll be searching for you.”
“Why?”
“You escaped from Lammortan and he wants you back.”
They flew on in silence. Finally Tori said, “You want to know something? I’m not afraid of bugs anymore.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“Could you tell your friends ‘thank you’ for saving me?”
“They heard and it fills them with pride. To them you’re a queen.”
“I am? You mean, like a bug queen?”
“No, just a queen.”
More silence. Then she whispered, “You know what I’m doing right now?”
“No.”
“I’m praying for my brother.”
“That’s the very best thing you could do for him.”
They had been flying for almost an hour when Mirick said, “There’s something that I must teach you, something very important. You must learn to talk without using your mouth.”
“What?”
“Soon we will enter a strange and frightening place, and the sound of your voice could make it dangerous.”
“What kind of place?”
“I’ll tell you more about it in a minute, but right now we have to learn a new way to speak. Start by thinking of me. Then think the words in your mind that you want to tell me, and I’ll hear them.”
“How can you do that?”
“It’s a unique attribute found in highly advanced moths. We call it attenuated cranial fibrillation, and it’s used only in times of great danger. Let’s try it. First, think of me, then talk to me without using your lips.”
“Okay, here goes.” She squinted into the darkness and concentrated hard. Calling Mirick, calling Mirick, hello Mirick, come in Mirick…“All right, what did I say?”
“You said, ‘Calling Mirick, calling Mirick, come in Mirick.”
“And I said, ‘hello, Mirick.’ Did you hear that?”
“Yes, I heard it.”
“This is fun. Is it like reading my mind?”
“No, I can’t hear you unless you think of me first.”
“Let’s try it again.”
“All right.”
“Here goes.”
“You don’t need to say, ‘Here goes.’ Just start.”
“Okay…” BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.
“Would you stop that?”
“You said to say anything.”
“Anything but buzzing.”
“I thought you’d like to hear some buzzing.”
“Would you like it if I started babbling stupid, meaningless words straight into your brain?”
“I don’t know, maybe.”
“Well, I don’t. To insects, buzzing is a very sophisticated language filled with an endless array of subtle nuances. When people buzz it sounds like very loud drooling.”
BZZZZZZZZZZZZZ…Tori laughed uproariously. “Okay, okay, I won’t do it anymore. I just couldn’t help it.”
“You are an amazing creature. In the direst of circumstances you maintain the ability to be monumentally irritating.”
Suddenly the Larggen slowed.
“What’s happening?” She tried to peer ahead.
“We’re almost there. It’s time to take a rest.”
The insects settled to the floor. After releasing Tori, they hovered a distance away, forming a protective circle. Mirick fluttered out of her hair. “Are you all right?”
“Just a little sore where they were holding me. But I’m fine.” She rubbed her arms and legs. As the whirring of the Larggen’s wings quieted, she began to hear something odd. From far away came an echo. And though it was very faint, it sounded like screaming and crying. “What is that? I hear something.”
The moth spoke gravely. “I told you that we would be entering a strange and frightening place. The island on the lake is miles underground. The normal passage that my people use to reach the surface is long and blocked with enemy riders. But there’s a shorter way. Do you know what a volcano is?”
“Sure, a mountain full of lava.”
“Well, there’s one up ahead, but it isn’t full of lava anymore. The fire went out a long time ago. Now it’s a giant shaft that goes down into the heart of the planet. To reach the surface we’re going to fly straight up through it. No matter what you see there, do not be afraid. Nothing can hurt you.”
“Nothing can hurt me?” Tori was struggling hard not to be afraid.
“That’s right. Now it’s time to go. Lie down.” Mirick nestled in her hair.
Stretching out on the floor,
she extended her arms and legs and the insects lifted her.
“Remember, when we reach the shaft, talk to me only with your mind.” Once more they began flying through the tunnel, and as the minutes passed, the screaming grew louder. Suddenly the walls disappeared and they were in dizzying emptiness. Heavy mist billowed around the Larggen’s wings as they started flying straight up. The shaft was feverishly hot as though they had entered a boiling wound in the flesh of the planet. And the heat reeked with a cloying stench.
It’s so hot and it smells in here. The words almost came out of Tori’s mouth, but at the last moment she remembered to say them with her mind.
“Yes, it’s quite unpleasant. I suggest that you think nice thoughts, maybe something about sunshine and flowers. That sort of thing.”
I can’t think about sunshine and flowers when it smells like I’m in a toilet.
“We’ll be out soon.”
The Larggen were flying hard, but the moisture dragged at their wings. And as the mist saturated Tori’s clothes, she grew heavier, which slowed them even more. They were pounding upward, but it didn’t feel like they were moving at all, just hovering in the stink.
The longer they flew, the more Tori became aware of the awful sound echoing far beneath them. It was like the thunder of a mighty ocean, millions of screams and wails and curses, rising, falling, surging with grief and rage. And it never stopped, never lessened. Every few seconds, a single shriek would climb into a pinnacle of despair and then vanish in the roaring. What are those horrible noises? Nothing that you want to know about. Try not to listen. But she couldn’t stop listening. And as she listened, a strange terror gripped her. It felt like the ocean was sweeping upward, like she was about to drown in a sea of tears.
Suddenly she knew something. Knew it with an awful certainty. Her family was dead! Her mother. Her father. Amanda. Alex. Everyone! Dead and gone forever. She was alone! In her mind, she gasped to Mirick, We’re never gonna make it. I’m gonna die here. I’m never going to see my family again.
“No! Stop thinking that way! It’s the air. It’s polluted with desolation.”
How much longer are we gonna be in here?
“Just a few more minutes. Make your mind think about other things. Fun things. Happy things. Think about those vile chicken streaks.”
Strips! Chicken strips! It makes me very sad that you can’t ever get that right. It’s such a small thing, and it would make me so happy.
“Okay, okay! Chicken strips! I’ll never say chicken streaks again, I promise. Just don’t cry!”
Tori looked up. She sniffled, but she didn’t cry. Instead, she began thinking about the huge insects, how brave and good they were, how they were trying so hard to save her. Suddenly she felt thankful. And the more thankful she felt, the more the sad thoughts began to drift away. Soon the screaming dimmed, and the air wasn’t quite as heavy, which allowed the Larggen to fly faster.
I’m feeling better now.
“Good, we’ll be out of here soon. Can you see the moonlight?”
She craned her neck. High above was a sliver of crimson. I think so.
“That’s the top of the shaft.”
Suddenly, from far away, there came a low mournful sound. It started like a moan, then grew louder and louder, until the darkness echoed with a bloodcurdling scream. Then it fell back into silence. Instantly the voices below grew silent too.
What was that?
“This volcano is called the Well of the Lost Ones, and it’s like a prison. Deep down, no one knows how far, are kept the spirits of people who did terrible things a long time ago.”
Do you mean ghosts?
“You can think of them that way.”
What did they do?
“Do you remember the dead children in the cavern when you awoke?”
Yes.
“These are the spirits of the people who sacrificed them to Lammortan. They’re kept in darkness until the day when their lives will be judged. But each night, one of the Worwil calls them out of their prison to make them remember what they have done. He sends them to the cathedral of Lammortan to worship the god they have chosen. I hoped we’d get out before the Call, but we didn’t, so we’ll just have to make the best of it. They’re very frightening to see, but they can’t do any harm. In fact, they won’t even know we’re here because they’re blind. But they have excellent hearing. And if they hear a child’s voice, it will drive them mad. That’s why I taught you how to speak without using your lips.”
The shriek came again, this time even louder. It was answered from below with a wave of fearful groans. Tori shivered. Are they coming?
“They’re getting ready to gush out. Now, I want you to close your eyes and don’t open them until I tell you. Is that clear?”
Yes.
“Do it now.”
She closed them.
“Remember no matter what you hear or feel they can’t hurt you.”
I’m going to feel something?
“Maybe a little bit of cold when they pass by.”
You didn’t say I was gonna feel anything.
From below came an eerie flapping, as though a million bats had awakened. The Caller screamed again and the flapping grew louder.
“Okay, they’re coming. Get ready.”
A moment later the shaft was swollen with a reeking presence, and flapping air pounded in Tori’s ears. Then something cold brushed across her face, icy strands slithering, creeping. She gulped and almost gagged; close by, a woman sobbed as though her heart would break. Desperately Tori tried to keep her eyes shut, but she just couldn’t. She had to see who was crying that way.
She opened them.
The dim glow of the Larggen’s bodies illuminated a river of shadows. Around her swirled thousands of ghostly shapes streaking upward. Heads, faces, arms, hair, things that had once been people, but now were phantoms. And it was impossible to tell whether they were men or women, old or young. Behind them and around them trailed streams of dusty filth like flapping shrouds. Suddenly one of the faces lurched within an inch of her own. Its eyes were blind and dead and its mouth hung open. Out of it came a stinking hiss. Tori couldn’t help it. It was too terrifying.
She screamed!
And not with her mind, with her mouth.
The response was instantaneous. The phantoms began shrieking and swarming around her. Their breath filled her nose. Their fingers brushed her skin. Over and over they screeched, “A child, a child, where is the child?”
Tori screamed again and the phantoms grew thicker.
Mirick yelled in her mind, Tori, stop it! Stop screaming! You’re making it worse. Close your eyes!
They were already closed, but it didn’t help. Out of her came choking sobs. And the phantoms kept swarming, their freezing fingers reaching, stroking, caressing.
Mirick yelled, “They can’t hurt you! Nothing can hurt you! We’ll be out of here in a minute. Hang on!”
It was unbearable! Now the voices were calling names, children’s names. Desperate parents overcome with despair, crying out for their lost ones. Another moment and Tori knew she would go insane. Then the scream of the Caller drowned out every other sound, and they were out of the shaft.
For a moment more the shrieking continued. Then it faded as the ghosts streaked off into the sky.
“They’re gone.” The moth breathed a sigh of relief.
Still sobbing, Tori opened her eyes. High above hung the crimson moon. Below yawned the blackness of the shaft. Extending away from it in every direction was a rolling crater, a vast wasteland of dirt and rocks that went on for miles, and the walls of the gigantic caldera were scarred with jagged cliffs.
“Go north! We’ve got to get out of here,” Mirick yelled to the Larggen.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I just couldn’t help it.” Tori struggled to control her tears.
“It’s all right. It was a terrifying place, and you were very brave. What’s done is done. Let’s just pray that their shr
ieking wasn’t heard.”
With a roar of wings the insects flew toward the crater wall. They were almost to the top when Mirick said, “Too late.”
“What?” Then Tori stared in horror.
Shadows were rising on the cliffs. Drifting shapes that suddenly took form. Above them appeared thousands of black horses and riders in a line that stretched for miles along the rim. The insects slowed and hovered, and Mirick spoke quietly to them. “Brothers, we can’t escape. You know what to do. Brave friends, be faithful.” Then he whispered to Tori, “They’re going to capture us. But I will stay with you no matter what. Just remember to talk to me only with your mind.”
The Larggen flew upward until they reached the summit of a cliff and flew forward. Instantly they were surrounded by the horsemen. With great gentleness the insects lowered Tori to the ground and released her. As she struggled to her feet, she saw how the Larggen chose to die—each picked a rider, then with all their strength, they attacked. With five terrible flashes, the insects dropped to the ground, their bodies and wings on fire. For a moment they writhed…and then they were gone.
In tears, Mirick whispered, “My brave warriors, I salute you. I swear that your lives were not given in vain. May you find peace in the heart of the Great Mountain.”
But there was no more time for words. The horses and riders parted, and in front of Tori appeared a stallion. Smoke swirled around his body, and on his back sat a figure wrapped in darkness—only his face was visible.
Towering over her in the moonlight…was Alex.
34
NIGHTFALL
Alex!”
Tori stared up into her brother’s face. Icy waves of hate almost knocked her down. A darkness like a universe without stars filled his eyes, and out of them drifted wisps of black mist. She had seen that mist before. It was the mist that had oozed from the frame on Bellwind’s wall, the mist that had crawled across the room and drawn her away to die. Now it covered her brother’s body like a shroud.
“Alex?” This time she spoke his name in a whisper.
Then she heard Mirick’s voice in her mind. He’s there, but he can’t hear you. Lammortan is squatting in his brain like a toad in a teacup.