by Daniel, Jake
Gwen glanced over at me curiously and furrowed her brow.
Luna's voice rose once more in little more than a seductive whisper. "Good luck, I'll be pulling for you to win."
I took a deep breath as soon as I could no longer feel her presence. I wanted to wait for the others, but I knew that wasn't going to be possible. I used my Sight to confirm that I couldn’t speak to any of them before continuing forward. I shifted my concentration to the spirit in my core and used my Earth Manipulation skill to bring several small yellow flowers to my palm. I plucked them from my hand and the spot where they grew immediately closed. I dropped the small flowers as we traveled along the path. I was hoping Dahlia would spot them when she arrived. I was the only one other than her that could create that specific type of flower, so if she saw it I was sure she’d recognize it.
I stood at the edge of the illuminated path leading into the forest in front of me with Gwen at my side. Before I even had a chance to think about it, I was pulled forward as if something had reached inside my body and clamped down tightly. Gwen was pulled a second later.
The force was much too strong to be from the dhampir. As soon as I stepped foot on the path the pressure stopped. I stood in place for a second before the force pulled me forward again, this time it almost sent me sprawling forward. I looked up into the air and held my hands out with my palms facing the air. "I get it."
We followed the path deeper into the woods, and each time we stopped I could feel the nagging force build as if it were impatiently willing me forward. After about an hour I heard something other than our own footsteps. Is that, carnival music?
Initially, I thought it was all in my mind. I hadn't been to a carnival since I was probably eight years old. The music became louder and we arrived at the edge of a large opening.
The smell of deep fried everything mixed with beer and popcorn filled the air. It was exactly how I remembered it. As I stepped out into the opening, it was almost as if the scene that was revealed to me was torn directly from my memories. Old rides which I'd been on countless times as a kid like the Gravitron, Scrambler, and even the Tilt-A-Whirl were all in operation, but lacked riders.
I stepped up to one of the food vendors and peered inside. Several racks of colorful bags of cotton candy and buttered popcorn hung in the window, as well as a huge sign advertising funnel cakes, but there was no sign of anyone who should’ve been manning the cart.
Gwen looked at me and furrowed her brow. “What is a funnel cake?”
I smiled slightly. “One of the most delicious things you’ll ever eat in your life. If we make it out of this, I’ll figure out how to make you one back at home.”
We continued on past the food and spotted several arcade games lined up in a row. It had been years since I'd played any sort of old school arcade games. Of course, as it had been with the rides, my favorites were included here as well, including Rampage, 1942, Ms. Pac-Man, and even The Simpsons.
A massive Ferris wheel suddenly lit brightly and began to rotate slowly as we passed the line of arcade games. I stopped and looked up toward the top where a single shadowed figure sat in one of the seats. The wheel let out a loud mechanical squeal which was soon replaced by even louder upbeat carnival music. The ride picked up speed, bringing the seated figure closer toward the bottom.
As I reached the base of the wheel I stopped and pulled out my knife, waiting for the figure to arrive.
The seat came down to the bottom and came to a screeching halt. All of the attached seats rocked back and forth violently with the sudden stop, except for the one that was now at the bottom. What I wasn't expecting, was for it to be empty.
A man's voice came from behind me. "Welcome, welcome, so nice of you to join us!"
I spun and faced a man with a long black leather jacket, complete with a merlot-colored dress shirt and a pair of black tailored pants. His white hair was short and styled in several messy points.
I stared into his dark red eyes. "Who are you?"
"How rude of me. My name is Cyprian Duradel. I guess you could say I’m the one in charge here." A smug smile rose across his face. "I can't tell you how excited I am that you and your friends have decided to join us." He walked toward Gwen and lifted an arm as if he were about to touch her face.
I stepped forward and grabbed for his wrist. He gave me an amused smile and flashed out of sight.
"Where is my brother?" I snapped and turned, discovering Cyprian a few feet behind me. My patience had already expired.
Gwen shifted and I could tell she was positioning herself for a strike. I also felt Jun adjusting, but she kept her camouflage intact.
I stepped toward the man and he remained motionless. "Oh, why would I tell you that? And ruin the surprise? That's half the fun."
"Fun? I'm not here to play your stupid fucking games." I took another step closer and held my knife tight, knowing he could disappear again at a moment's notice.
He paced a short distance in front of me, keeping his eyes locked on mine. “Anyway, I've had the pleasure of learning a lot about you recently. It's amazing what sort of information one is willing to part with under extreme… pain." His lips curled slightly revealing his pointed fangs.
"Let me see him. I'm not playing along until you can prove that he’s okay." Even though I wasn't exactly close with my brother any longer, I wasn’t going to let him turn into some sort of sick plaything. I felt the spirit churning in my core as I struggled to maintain my composure. Everything inside of me wanted to take the man out, but I knew that I'd risk getting not only my brother killed, but Gwen as well.
The man turned and called out. "You heard him. Let’s show him what he can win!"
Chapter Twenty-Three
Cyprian turned back toward me and clapped his hands sarcastically.
A flash of light appeared behind Cyprian and a massive curvy dhampir appeared, with Matt firmly in her grip. She was at least eight feet tall and had breasts the size of a fucking Volkswagen Beetle. She held him out for me to see. He was unconscious, with his mouth bound, but his chest was still rising and falling methodically. A second later another dhampir woman appeared behind Gwen and gripped her arms tightly. Gwen swung her head back and hit the violet-skinned woman in the head with her horn prompting a loud yelp. The dhampir pulled out a dagger and pointed it at Gwen's throat.
I closed the gap between us in a flash by using my Charge, and gripped the woman by her horn. As I held her in place Cyprian snapped his fingers and she disappeared, only to reappear next to him. He looked over at her with an amused smile. "Easy Elenora, the satyress must just be confused." Cyprian smiled and shook his head before turning back toward me. "I like her. I may have to keep her." Three additional flashes erupted from the ground, revealing three dhampir women, including Luna in her lamia form.
I tried to keep my breathing as steady as possible while Cyprian put on his show. I kept Gwen’s arm pushed up against mine. I was not going to let them separate us, and if one of them tried to apprehend her again, I’d kill them. "What do I have to do to free my brother?"
"Oh, I thought you'd never ask!" Cyprian turned and joined the women lined up behind him. "This carnival has almost everything you could ever want, but I think it's missing the last item. Something brand new to help you form a few new memories, at least if you can stay alive long enough to experience them. I like to call it Duradel Tower!"
He stepped back and carnival music became so loud that I was unable to hear anything else. A second later the ground began to rumble and a massive chasm appeared in the center of Cyprian’s carnival. A brilliant yellow light exploded up out of the ground, and a huge stone tower burst into the sky. It was several stories tall without any discernible windows or doors, just a huge column of solid stone. It actually just looked like a massive cock.
I shook my head and met Cyprian’s gaze. “Compensating for something?”
An unmistakable look of anger flashed across Cyprian’s face. I looked over to where the girls had
been standing before the tower appeared and noticed the giant woman holding my brother was the only one remaining.
Cyprian strode over to the giantess with a cocky gait. "To help you understand just how much confidence I have in you, I'd like to increase the urgency." He pulled out a knife and plunged it into my brother’s stomach. “I’d suggest you start.”
Everything happened as if in slow motion. The lights of the rides and games flashed around me but I could no longer hear the cacophony of carnival sounds. Everything blurred together and fell into the background as my eyes locked on my brother.
I seethed and clenched my hands tightly, which reminded me that I was still gripping onto my knife. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because I can." The man shrugged and pulled out a large key ring with several keys. "It's time to see if what everyone says is true."
"What would that be?"
"That you really are a Whitehall, and are fit to be king?" Cyprian shrugged.
"And if I am?"
"Then, I'll have a proposition for you." He paused and nodded up at the tower. A large clock appeared and the hands pointed where it would read two o’clock back home, although I wasn't sure if they followed time the same here or not. "Your time has started, I guess we will find out soon. You have until nightfall to complete your climb to rescue your brother." He held up the same dagger that he'd used to stab my brother and licked the blade.
I started toward him but was halted again after taking one step. "You lay another finger on him and so help me, I will kill everyone on this island."
He turned to walk away and a large arched doorway appeared at the base of the tower. "Good luck, Logan." A second later he disappeared.
Gwen and I were left to the sounds of the carnival behind me. Children's laughter, ringing bells, and ghostly calls from unseen carnies filled the air. I turned toward the tower and stepped to the entrance. I could barely make out the top as it stretched up into the sky.
I closed my eyes and was unable to use my Sight to see anything past the outer wall of the massive tower. I slung my rifle off of my back and brought a round up into the chamber. “Well, let’s get this shit started.”
Gwen was trying hard to keep a straight face. Although I could tell how excited she was, she was nearly shaking with anticipation. “I can’t believe they are letting me stay with you.”
I glanced down and Jun popped her head out. “Me as well. They had to have sensed my presence. Fairies have never been turned into dhampir, I’d imagine they’d love to try.”
“Something still seems off. You two need to stay as close to me as you can. If this is all one big game to them, then you can guarantee they have something in store for us as soon as we enter.”
I started toward the tower and the laughs of several of the dhampir rose over the obnoxious carnival music. The lights flashed faster, practically blinding me. A large figure dropped a few steps in front of me and I immediately lifted my rifle to shoot. I waited to see what it was, and thankfully I had held off. “Alysain?”
The griffon rose and met my eyes, under one wing was Isobel, and the other was Dahlia. “I brought them both to save time.”
Isobel nodded. “We couldn’t let you have all the fun without us. Alysain tried to have us stay on the ship for safety.”
Dahlia smiled and rushed over to me. “You can see we are not big on waiting around… sorry.”
I glanced at the girls and motioned us forward. I didn’t want to wait around until Cyprian’s stable of dhampir women reappeared. “I’m glad you’re all here. We need to hurry, though.”
I led the others to the front door of the tower which slowly creaked open as we neared. With Jun and my bonded by my side, I stepped inside. I didn't exactly know what I was expecting, but it definitely wasn't a room full of green Jell-O.
We pushed farther inside the tower and the door closed behind us. I passed over the last bit of unobscured stone floor and entered the small room. I heard a dull thud behind me a second later and saw the others trapped behind a layer of what appeared to be very thick plexiglass. Gwen pounded her fists on it, but the sound was muffled, and the partition didn’t budge. She used her Sight to communicate with me as I looked for a way through. “It’s not moving.” A second later I saw Dahlia try the door, but it was locked. “I’m so sorry, you told us to stay close, we just didn’t stay close enough.”
Jun peeked her head out from my armor and looked around. She glanced at the girls behind the wall and shook her head. “Looks like it’s just you and me.” She paused and ripped off her shirt, revealing her perfect, albeit on a smaller scale, breasts. “Whew, it’s getting a little hot in here, right?”
I closed my eyes again and this time was assailed by several strands of dark purple spirit. “Careful, Jun Bug, there’s a ton of tainted spirit here.” The strands flowed slowly through the green goo until each exited and sped across the room, eventually either sinking back into the goo or being absorbed into the fairy queen. I was able to keep most of it out of my core for now, but there was a part of me that wanted to let it inside, so I could feel that power again.
Cyprian’s voice rose throughout the room and I froze. “Welcome to Duradel Tower. Make it to the top and show that you are worthy to not only save your brother, but also rule over Aurilon. Fail and you and your precious bonded, along with everyone else in Aurilon, will join the ranks of my people.” He paused and laughed. “Doesn’t seem like there is any downside to either option. Oh, and your bonded are not allowed to help you from here on out. Don’t worry, I’ll keep them safe right where they are, as long as they behave. However, if you fail to reach the top before your time is up, they will be the first to join us.”
I didn’t respond but turned toward my bonded instead. I closed my eyes and tried to communicate with them by using my Sight, but something was blocking my ability from passing through the translucent barrier. Instead, all I could see with my Sight skill was their brightly glowing cores. Several incredibly luminous strands coursed around each of their hearts, before traveling down to their stomachs, changing hues, and finally exploding out through their feet. Each strand bounced off the walls for several seconds before being reabsorbed. The strands moved faster as I stepped closer, as if sensing my presence.
I locked eyes with each of them. They each gave me a determined look, albeit slightly confused. I motioned for them to back up and activated my Charge. I slammed into the barrier and it broke free, falling to the ground with a solid thud.
I pulled my bonded forward to join me and called up into the air. “Fuck you, Cyprian. I’ve had enough of this shit. You’re just going to have to try harder, cocksucker.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
The girls all looked at me with shocked expressions, and if I didn’t need to save my brother at that exact moment, I was sure their pants would’ve already been off.
Jun yelled out as she whipped her shirt over her head. “Woohoo! Take that, stupid dhampir man! Woo!” I could tell the tainted spirit had fully taken over. Jun was no longer only extremely horny, she had shifted to full-fledged bachelorette-party-reveler mode.
Gwen smiled at Jun and spoke to me under her breath. “I love Jun and all, but she may be wilder than Chloe and I put together!”
I gave her a smile and nodded. “It’s the tainted spirit. It apparently affects fairies much different than others.” I turned to Alysain. “Speaking of. How are you feeling?”
Alysain stretched her wing slightly and shrugged. “I don’t suppose I am going to be ripping off my shirt anytime soon, but I would be lying if I said I couldn’t feel its presence within me.”
I held out her wing and noticed the black patch around her previous wound was beginning to spread once more. “Let me know if anything changes.”
“I will, don’t worry.” She gave me a kiss and smiled.
I helped Isobel up next to me and noticed she already had her sharp claws extended, and by the look in her eyes I knew she was ready to tackle Cypria
n’s tower. She looked at me and furrowed her brow. “What? I may be a little excited, can you tell?”
I ran a hand along the back of one of her fur-covered ears which were standing at attention. “Yes, I can. Let’s get this shit over with.”
I glanced at all of them. “Don’t be surprised if Cyprian pulls some shit to try and capture you all again. Just stay ready, and watch each other’s backs.”
Each of the women nodded, and Jun, well, Jun tweaked her nipples and disappeared back inside my chest armor. I stepped forward and surveyed the room in front of us.
Each of the walls, the floor, and the ceiling were splattered with small gelatinous cubes. I kicked at one of the small cubes on the ground. It suctioned itself onto my foot. I kicked the air a few times and was successful in sending the cube flying across the room. As it landed it moved across the floor and joined up with a second cube.
I watched in amazement as the two joined another two, and before I knew it there was a massive green gelatinous cube perched in front of me. "What in the hell are you?!" I found an old rib bone against the wall and used it to poke the cube. The last thing I was going to do was let it disintegrate my hand or worse. I jammed the bone farther and left it inside the cube. It didn't respond to any touch. Through the cube I could see a doorway on the opposite side from me and a small glimpse of a set of stairs that led up to the next level. I just needed to figure out how to get us past the green glob without being sucked in and we could proceed to the next level.
Cyprian's voice echoed through the room. "Welcome to level one. I hope you realize by having your women join you, it will make things exponentially harder. If you are unable to proceed to the next level I'll be sorely disappointed; entertained, but disappointed."