There was another crash, a sound like pots and pans rolling across the hard stone floor. River couldn’t see much in the shadows ahead, but the sound seemed to originate from that direction. She pressed on, her finger resting on the trigger of her revolver. As she closed in on the end of the aisle, a shadow flitted across her path and vanished around the corner.
Chapter 8
River broke into a sprint. She almost ran into Loren at the end of the aisle, who was coming around from the right. The other Tal’mar warriors joined them. Together, they moved towards the rear corner. A doorway became visible in the dim light of their lanterns. Pirate leapt from the last shelf and alighted gently onto River’s shoulder. She gestured for Micah to bring the lantern closer. He handed it to her, and she stepped around the others, up to the doorway.
The lantern cast a small half-circle of light across the bare stone floor. River heard the sound of something tearing near the center of the room, followed by an animalistic grunt. She motioned for the group to move forward. They stepped into the room and fanned out, and began making their way towards the back. River had only taken three steps before the light of her lantern fell on a dark, humanoid shape. The creature was smaller and frailer than a human, perhaps five feet in total height. It was difficult to gauge the actual size because it was down on its knees, bent over. It had long, thin limbs, small pointed ears like a Tal’mar, and large bulbous eyes. The thing’s skin was charcoal black, and even from a few yards away, it was difficult for River’s human eyesight to separate the creature from the shadows around it.
“What is it?” Micah said in a whisper. The others ignored his question.
They surrounded the thing, moving slowly and quietly. It seemed to take no note of them whatsoever. The creature was entirely absorbed in the act of eating something. It made disgusting chewing and sucking sounds as it devoured its meal. River heard the sickening crunch of bone and the sound of tearing flesh, and she caught the stench of decay drifting through the stagnant air.
She took a few steps closer, holding the lantern high. Five feet away from the creature, it whipped its head around and fixed her with a horrifying glare. The creature’s eyes were reptilian, with fiery red and yellow irises and long black slits for pupils. It opened its mouth, baring a row of sharp fang-like teeth as it hissed at her. Pirate tightened his grip on her neck, and hissed right back at it.
The creature moved away cautiously, backing towards the wall, greedily clutching its dinner with both hands. As it moved, the light fell on the object in the thing’s hands, and River gasped.
“Is that an arm?” Thane said. “It looks like that thing is eating a human arm!”
“Devils,” Micah said, backing away. “We have to get out of this place.”
The sound of Micah’s voice spooked the thing, and it lunged forward, snarling, claws raking the air. River leapt back out of reach, crashing into Micah, and lost her balance. They went down in a pile. Pirate came out on top and he rushed forward to defend her, barking and growling at the hideous beast.
The creature reacted violently, throwing the dismembered arm at them. Pirate dodged the attack, but the limb struck Micah solidly in the face. He crawled backwards, an involuntary scream erupting from his lips. He batted at the arm and kicked the limb away as it fell to the floor. Micah leapt to his feet and made a disgusted, retching sound.
Loren loosed his arrow, instantly embedding the missile in the creature’s temple. It dropped with a thud. River stepped closer to examine the body.
“Webbed hands and feet,” she said after a moment. “I’m pretty sure it’s a male.”
“Never mind that,” said Vann, nodding at the dismembered arm. “What I want to know is where it got that.”
“The fishermen of Port Haven told stories,” Thane said. “Stories about the ghosts of the Forgotten abducting people who came too close to the islands. It must have been this creature they were talking about.”
“This monster couldn’t have been preying on the fishermen for all these years,” Vann said. “It would have to be more than a thousand years old. Look at the thing. It was already half-starved when we found it.”
“It’s not a monster,” said River. “It’s one of the Forgotten, or one of their descendents. That thing was human once.”
“I don’t understand,” said Micah. “How could a human turn into that?”
“Starfall, perhaps,” said Loren.
“Or a thousand years of inbreeding in this black cesspool,” said Vann. “I’ve heard stories of cousins marrying and giving birth to children without arms and legs, or worse.”
“Either way,” said River, “there may be more of them. From now on, we need to be more careful. Stay close together. Keep your weapons ready.”
“Maybe we should go back to the train,” Micah said nervously.
River shook her head. “No, if we return to the train now, we’ll still be trapped here. That will solve nothing. We’ll return when we find what we came for.”
“Stay close to me, small man,” said Vann, brandishing his cleavers. “Do that, and you’ll be just fine.”
Micah smiled weakly, his fears clearly not assuaged by Vann’s offer.
They left the mercantile and moved on. By this point, the group had exhaustively searched all of the buildings along the street, so River guided them down another road that led to the east, deeper into the heart of the city. Darkness closed in around them, and the two lanterns they carried seemed to struggle against the pitch-blackness of the cavern. River found herself wishing she had brought one more lantern, just to have a spare. If something happened to the two they had, the group might never find their way back to the train. Even the Tal’mar, with their powerful night vision, could only see objects in the darkness that produced heat.
The air became cool, and their breath turned to steam in the icy dampness. The cold penetrated their cloaks and coats, chilling the adventurers right to the bone. Over the sound of their boots and the rustle of their clothing, they could hear the constant noise of dripping water echoing around them.
The wavering lantern light illuminated the facades of decrepit and collapsed buildings along the streets. They passed a temple of some sort, with two broad doors hanging open on broken hinges and a tall steeple projecting up into the darkness, melding seamlessly with a stalactite that vanished high above. Farther down the road, they found the remains of a tavern, the windows and doors gone, the interior in a shambles.
Micah gave up trying to draw pictures with his stiffly frozen fingers, and instead turned his attention to something more warming. From his satchel, he produced his favorite pipe, with a long curved stem and a clay bowl bearing the likeness of the Woodsman, a mythical forest lord with a long beard and bright green eyes. As the match flared up, Micah began puffing on the stem. River fixed him with a angry stare, but the halfling ignored her.
River held her tongue. Micah’s smoking probably wouldn’t draw any attention that they wouldn’t have received otherwise. They were being watched; River was sure of that. She had already caught glimpses of the shadowy figures moving in the darkness around them, clambering across the rooftops, the bright unblinking eyes watching them from the shadows.
Thankfully, the creatures appeared to be timid, and only dangerous when threatened. River just hoped they stayed that way. As soon as she and her companions found a reasonable fuel source, they would be on their way. The ghastly creatures could have their Forgotten city and everything else in it. She just wanted to get back to dry land. Real land, not the smooth damp stone and eternal darkness of the cavern.
“Stop!” Loren commanded in a loud whisper. The entire group froze in their tracks. River glanced at Loren and saw him watching the street behind them, an arrow nocked to his bowstring.
“They’re gathering,” he whispered. “The creatures are losing their fear of us.”
“How many?” said River, peering into the darkness. Loren exchanged a glance with the other Tal’mar.
“Hundreds,” said one of the other warriors.
As if in response, a clicking sound on the cobblestones alerted the group to the presence of one of the creatures near the corner of a building, just a few yards to their right. Pirate growled and clambered up onto River’s shoulder.
The Forgotten creature moved towards the group, crawling on all fours, watching them intently with huge unblinking reptilian eyes. River held up the lantern and took a step closer. The creature winced as the light fell across its face, but it stood its ground.
“Look up,” said Loren.
River raised her gaze and saw a dozen black shapes hovering at the edge of the roofline. The creatures’ bodies were nearly invisible in the darkness, but their eyes glowed with a creepy yellowish reflection.
“Behind us!” said Vann.
River swung around, shining the lantern back up the street. She saw a wall of bodies and glowing eyes moving in their direction. She turned to see another group converging on the street ahead. Suddenly, the creatures were everywhere.
“They’re surrounding us,” Micah said breathlessly.
“Move!” River ordered. She pointed to a nearby building, and they all broke into a run. Loren reached the door first, He jerked it open with a screech, and ushered the others inside. Once they were all in, he pulled it shut behind them.
“Good choice,” Loren said, sliding the ancient deadbolt into place. “This is one of the few solid doors I’ve seen. We should be able to hold them off, for a while at least.”
“Doors won’t matter with all these windows,” said Vann, glancing around the room. “Now we’re trapped in here, like rats in a cage.”
“Why don’t you go back outside then?” said Micah.
Vann raised a fist threateningly, but Micah stared unflinchingly up into the cook’s face. River stepped between them.
“That’s enough,” she snapped. “We have enough trouble without the two of you fighting.”
She glanced around the room. They were in small cottage with a ladder leading up to a loft above. The main room contained a fireplace, a table and chairs, and a small cook stove against the back wall. A narrow doorway led into a pantry.
“There’s nothing in here to help us,” she said. “We’re going to have to fight our way back to the train.”
“How will we do that?” said Vann. “There are thousands of those things are out there!”
“Fire,” said Loren. “They’re not used to the light. It hurts their eyes.”
“We’ll make torches,” said River, glancing around the room. “This was someone’s home. There should be blankets or clothes in here somewhere. Spread out. Find anything that will burn. And see if there is a back way out of here.”
They did as she ordered. It was only a few seconds before they had gathered up a stack of rotting old blankets and towels. “These will burn,” Loren said, “but I don’t know how well. They’re damp from humidity, and rotten.”
“Give me a shred of cloth,” River said, kneeling on the floor. She opened the kerosene container and dipped the end of the cloth into the gelatinous liquid. She pulled it back out, tipped the end of the lantern open, and touched the cloth to the flame. It burst into flames instantly. She dropped it onto the floor and watched it burn for a few seconds before she stamped out the fire.
“Perfect,” River said. “Shred the cloth and tie it around some sticks. Use the chairs, and the table legs.”
The group set to work, and within a few minutes had manufactured a dozen torches. River poured the kerosene over the cloth wrappings, and allowed them to sit long enough for the oil to penetrate deeply. Vann stood next to one of the windows, watching the street outside.
“They’re closing in,” he said. “A few more minutes, and they’ll work up the courage to come in after us.”
“Then we won’t give them a few minutes,” River said. “Everyone take a torch. Micah, since you aren’t armed, we’ll need you to carry the extras.”
They gathered around the lantern, lighting their torches one by one, and then drew their weapons. The Tal’mar strapped their bows to their chests and drew their short swords. Vann tucked his cleavers into his belt and took two torches.
“The window in the pantry leads to an alley in the back,” said Loren. “It’s narrow and dark, but I didn’t see any of those creatures.”
“Maybe not,” said Vann, “but how quickly can they cut off our exit if they find us?”
“Very quickly.”
“Then we’ll move fast,” said River. “Everyone get ready. Micah, you stay in the middle. Be prepared to light up those extra torches. Everyone else, stay close together. If those things attack, blind them with your torches before you start fighting.”
She looked them over. “Are we ready?” They met her gaze with anxious stares. “Let’s move.”
They rushed to the back of the room and filed through the narrow doorway into the pantry. There wasn’t enough room for everyone to fit, so Loren warned the others to be ready and then threw the window open. He was out in a flash, moving up the alley with his torch blazing and sword flashing. Vann followed, then Micah and the other Tal’mar warriors. Finally, River brought up the rear with Pirate racing alongside. By the time she made it out, River could hear the creatures howling and snarling as they scrambled towards the back of the house. The group reached the end of the alley, and burst onto the street with a commotion.
“This way,” said Loren, turning to the right. The others followed his lead. As River exited the alley, one of the faster creatures caught up to her. She heard a vicious snarl, and felt claws ripping into her lower back and thighs. River turned, swinging the torch at the creature’s head. She struck it hard on the temple, and an explosion of flames danced off the head of the torch. The creature howled in terror, slapping at its face as it rolled away. Pirate took advantage of the opportunity to leap onto its back, and started gnawing on the creature’s neck.
River had her pistol ready, but she fought the urge to waste a bullet. She had a limited supply, and she had a feeling she would need them later. She commanded Pirate to come to her. He obeyed immediately, leaping onto her shoulder. River turned and ran to catch up with the group. They sprinted up the street at full tilt, only slowing when they came to another intersection and saw the creatures gathering up ahead to block their escape.
“Keep going!” River shouted, pushing through the group. She rushed forward with her torch held high, and charged into the crowd of Forgotten. As she expected, they snarled and clawed at her, but fell back in fear of the torch. Her companions followed River’s example. They pushed into the throng, using their torches to fend the creatures off. In this manner, they covered another hundred yards in just a few seconds.
The group rounded a corner and River realized that they had made their way back to the first street, leading to the edge of town. Up the slope, in the distance, she could see the faint greenish glow of the moss at the cavern’s entrance. All around her, the shadowy streets and rooftops seemed to come alive with movement. The creatures’ numbers had swollen into the thousands.
We’ll never make it, River thought. We’re only halfway there.
She glanced at her companions and could see that they were already tiring. The Forgotten were toying with them, lunging in to attack and then circling back out of reach, like wild dogs wearing down their prey. River heard a screech up above and glanced up just in time to see one of the creatures leap from a nearby rooftop. She raised her revolver, but by then he was already upon them. The creature crashed into the center of the group, bearing Micah down to the cobblestones under its weight.
Micah screamed and River heard the sickening sound of bone snapping. She holstered her weapon, afraid that a missed shot might cause more damage than good. Vann stepped forward. He dropped one of his torches, and brought a cleaver down on the creature’s skull, splitting it in twain. It dropped to the street, twitching.
Micah struggled awkwardly to get to his feet and a w
himper escaped his lips. He glanced down at his twisted leg and winced. “I think it’s broken,” he said in a cracking voice.
River looked into the halfling’s eyes and noted that his pupils were wide and he wore a vacant, perplexed stare. Micah was in shock.
“You’re going to be fine,” River said encouragingly. In her mind, she was not so confident. Micah couldn’t walk. That meant someone would have to carry him. But to do so would mean the loss of another warrior, and they were already facing overwhelming odds. She made up her mind to carry Micah herself.
“River,” Loren said in an urgent tone. “River, come over here.”
She glanced at the Tal’mar warrior, and he gestured up the street. River followed his gaze and saw a large shape moving in their direction. She stepped around Micah, up to the edge of the group, and squinted into the darkness.
“What is that thing?” Vann whispered.
As it drew closer, the creature’s features became visible. The monster was humanoid, like the other Forgotten, with dark skin and serpentine eyes, but much larger. It was stocky, muscular, and stood at least ten feet tall. It reminded River of the stories her mother had told her about the Kanters, the cannibalistic giants living in the deserts south of Astatia. River had not expected to find such a creature among the Forgotten. She threw a worried glance at her companions.
“Drop your torches,” she said. “Weapons ready!”
They circled into a defensive position, with their backs to Micah in the center. The Forgotten creatures backed away from the torchlight, only too happy to let their champion do the fighting for them.
Killing the Machine (Aboard the Great Iron Horse Book 2) Page 6