Into the Madness

by Richard H. Stephens

  “None of your business!” Silurian propped himself against the wall and pulled his sword free. He nearly dropped it, it felt so heavy. “Be gone or feel the wrath of my sword.”

  Keen raised his heavy brow. “The only thing you’ll be sticking with that is your foot.”

  Silurian fumed but the man was right. He wasn’t sure he was able to sheath it again. It was frustrating being rendered useless. His temple pounded and his breathing deepened. It took him a moment to realize that the coloured light in the tunnel had taken on a brighter, light blue hue.

  Keen and Tygra’s eyes stared at St. Carmichael’s Blade.

  The ten runes had come to life. During the pandemonium in the lake cavern, he hadn’t thought about the magic his sword possessed—imbued in earth blood at the Serpent’s Nest. Curious it hadn’t made itself known while battling the aquacats and whatever that beast of a fish was.

  The hilt warmed in his hand. A comforting calm seeped into him, dispersing the woolliness from his head. The weight of St. Carmichael’s Blade lessened as newfound strength reinvigorated his body.

  He pulled back his shoulders and stood free of the wall. The pain in his leg made him squint but it no longer hindered his balance.

  “If you come any closer, I’ll stick it through both of you at the same time.”

  Melody’s surprised gaze fell on him as he pushed past her and confronted Keen.

  “A battle-axe and warhammer are poor companions in this environment, now be gone. I won’t tell you again.”

  Keen and Tygra glared at him for a tense moment. Keen nodded to Tygra and they retreated up the tunnel. Even with the combined light of Melody’s staff and his sword, the Kraidic warriors quickly disappeared into the pervading darkness.

  Silurian smiled triumphantly before he fell against the wall for support. If Melody hadn’t reached out to grab his elbow he would’ve slid to the ground.

  “Are you crazy? He could’ve killed you.”

  “Bah. He’s all talk and muscle. I’d have skewered him before he figured out how to swing that dragon slaying axe in this tunnel.” Silurian went to walk down the passageway but his leg buckled beneath him and he fell to his knees.

  Melody wasn’t quick enough to keep him from hitting the ground, but she helped him back to his feet. “Ya, I can see those hulks were no match for you.” She rolled her eyes and assisted him down the curving decline.

  The glow from Silurian’s sword waned and went out. Melody relieved him of his sword and slid it into its scabbard.

  Numbing cold seeped into his bones and that scared him. He needed the strength his sword offered but other than the brief interlude with Tygra and Keen he had felt disconnected with it since entering the Gimcrack. He had no idea what else lay in wait for them, nor did he believe the Kraidic warriors had simply abandoned them. If he was to be of any help to Melody, he needed to get better fast.

  Doing his best to walk on his own, he thought again of their mother’s words, ‘Travel east, up the Slither, and descend into the bowels of the earth. Seek out the Gimcrack.’

  The more he thought about it, the more he wondered what his mother had meant by, ‘Seek out the Gimcrack.’

  He stopped and faced Melody, the action clearly startling her. “Mom said, ‘Descend into the bowels of the earth and seek out the Gimcrack.’ I’d figured this tunnel was the Gimcrack. What if the Gimcrack is a creature?”

  Melody’s face lit up in wonder as she mouthed their mother’s words. “Hmm? You might be right.” She looked back the way they had come, flaring her staff and squinting. “I hope the Gimcrack wasn’t one of those aquacats we killed. Or that big fish.”

  “Ya, that wouldn’t be good.” Silurian spied the glowing red rune on the bottom of her staff. Its light blinked as it faced the way they had come. “What’s your staff say.”

  She frowned, following his eyes to the base of the dark wood. “That we keep going.” She spun the rune in question to face the decline. It intensified and shone solid.

  “Let’s go then, before I freeze to death.”

  Melody glanced back up the tunnel before thrusting her staff out between them. “Hang on.”

  The staff’s warmth, though welcome, wasn’t enough to drive the permeating cold from his bones. His damp clothing certainly didn’t help either—the cold seeping from the rock walls making their breath vapour visible as they descended deeper into the mountain.

  Melody pulled her staff free of Silurian’s grip and held up a shushing hand. The steep defile they slipped and slid down seemingly went on forever before it started to level out. Her staff wasn’t strong enough to illuminate the bottom, but the orange runes along its length had come to life. Something magical awaited them in the darkness ahead.

  She wasn’t clairvoyant like her brother, but she was attuned to her staff’s nuances. She’d never seen it react this strongly except in the Serpent’s Nest.

  She turned to tell Silurian but his nod stopped her. “I feel it too.” His sword glowed in his hand.

  “The Gimcrack?” She mouthed the words, rather than saying them out loud.

  “We’re about to find out.” Silurian limped down the last section of the slope.

  He stood straighter in Melody’s estimation. His sword was infusing him with strength, but she didn’t want him going first. She grabbed his arm and pulled herself ahead of him. She expected an argument but he remained quiet and that spoke volumes about his health.

  Gathering her resolve, she concentrated on the task at hand. If she allowed herself to dwell on their situation, she was afraid she might suggest they go back.

  The floor levelled out and the walls opened into a curiously, ovular shaped cavern, its entrance lined by uniformly shaped stalactites hanging from the arched entranceway. Corresponding stalagmites rose up from the tunnel floor, appearing like they could mesh together perfectly with the ceiling.

  She stopped to examine the peculiar formations. Running her fingers across the stalactite directly in front of her she noted its pale white surface didn’t match the texture of the rock around it.

  She nearly had a stroke when the stalagmites rumbled and rose from the ground, snapping at her hand.

  She stumbled backward into Silurian’s arms and they dropped to the ground in a tangled heap.

  “Who disturbs my domain?” A grumbling voice vibrated the loose debris lining the tunnel floor. Bits of rock chipped away from the row of stalactites and fell to the ground. Beyond the gnashing teeth, the floor lurched—a tongue-like rock lifted above the stalagmites and lapped at the spilled rock.

  “What is that?” Melody echoed Silurian, scrambling up the tunnel on her backside behind him to distance herself from the yawning maw of grating rock.

  She already knew the answer. The disbelief on her brother’s face confirmed he did too. The Gimcrack.

  She got to her feet and confirmed the red rune pointed at the living cave mouth—straight down the dark throat at the cavern’s far end.

  She helped Silurian up. Swallowing heavily, she took a couple of tentative steps toward the teeth. Getting as close as she dared, she said in a weak voice, “I am Melody Bowman, the Wizard of the North. I have come here at the behest of Mase Mintaka, formerly of Storms End, in search of the Tang Stone.”

  A hot breath wafted out of the cavern washing them in welcome heat—rank with rot.

  “I devoured the Tang Stone long ago and have suffered ever since. I rue the day that witch convinced me to watch over it.”

  “My mother asked you to—?”

  The tunnel shook under their feet. Dust shook free of the walls, billowing in clouds of dry wisps. “Your mother?”

  Melody put her palms against the walls to steady herself. “Yes. I’m Mase’s daughter. She asked me—”

  The tunnel heaved.

  Melody’s gaze flitted around anticipating the tunnel’s collapse.

  “Then you must extract the offending stone.”

  Melody frowned. “Extract it? Where is
it?”

  The stalagmites shook up and down. Did the cave laugh?

  “In the bowels of the earth.”

  “I-I don’t understand.”

  “I am the earth wyrm. Trapped within the living stone. The Tang Stone lies within me. Retrieve the offensive talisman and I shall be eternally grateful.”

  Silurian pushed past her. “You ate the stone? How do you expect us to remove it? Climb down your throat?”

  “I don’t think so,” Melody chimed in, squeezing in beside him.

  The tunnel shook violently. Chunks of rock fell from the ceiling.

  “Where is your mother? She promised to come back and free me.”

  Melody and Silurian glanced at each other. Melody forced a smile, unsure whether the Gimcrack could see or not. If it had eyes, they weren’t visible. “Um, our mother died years ago.”

  A slight tremor rumbled through the tunnel. The cave teeth resumed their open position, becoming part of the tunnel.

  They waited for a while before Melody asked, “What now?”

  Silurian looked at his sword. The runes shone brightly. He shrugged. “I don’t know. There’s no way we can go any farther. I guess we’ll have to go back.”

  “But mom said the Tang Stone might be the key to our salvation.”

  “There’s no way I’m going in there. We’ll just have to use what we have to defeat Helleden.” He shook his head at the cave and slipped by Melody.

  Melody studied the Gimcrack. She couldn’t wrap her head around what kind of creature the cave beast was. Phazarus never mentioned anything remotely as bizarre as an earth wyrm.

  Her mother would’ve known the dangers involved. Surely, she wouldn’t send her children to their doom.

  Silurian limped away. With his damaged leg, there was no way he’d be able to navigate whatever lay beyond the Gimcrack’s throat.

  As quietly as possible, she stepped over the row of stalagmites—walking beyond the Gimcrack’s teeth and onto the odd surface of its tongue—the sensation like walking on spongy rock.

  “Melody!” Silurian’s voice reached her from up the tunnel.

  She cast a scared glance over her shoulder.

  He limped down the tunnel faster than she thought possible.

  Grating rock rattled her senses. The stalagmites rose swiftly, interlocking with the stalactites lining the ceiling.

  “Melo—!” Was all she heard. The Gimcrack had snapped its mouth shut, muting Silurian’s scream.

  Paralyzed by fear, she waited for the cavern to devour her.

  The Gulch

  Pollard’s presence felt reassuring beside Sadyra as the slick path descended into the cool Gulch air. They had abandoned the horses a while back at Alhena’s insistence. He claimed they wouldn’t be needed where they were going and to bring them into the Gulch would have been cruel.

  Forlorn cries rose out of the fog blanketing the terrain as Sadyra absently wiped the dampness from her bow—her keen eyes scanning the mist.

  Behind her, Alhena’s staff shone brightly but did little to penetrate the mist.

  “An’ jus’ ‘ow are ya to find the tunnel, Pops, in this soup?” Olmar asked, his bulk almost lost in the fog not far behind Alhena and Rook. Of Larina, Sadyra couldn’t see, but her voice made her smile.

  “How do you think, Lunkhead? He’s obviously been here before. I’m sure he wouldn’t endanger us if he didn’t know where he was going. Isn’t that right, Pops?”

  Alhena’s face betrayed him.

  Sadyra glared at Alhena. “You don’t know where you’re going, do you?”

  “Not exactly.”

  Larina stormed forward and spun Alhena by the shoulder, her voice incredulous. “You do know this isn’t a safe place?”

  A high-pitched wail pierced the gloom close by.

  Sadyra nocked an arrow and spun to face the wall of mist. There was nothing to see.

  “I know whereabouts we are. I have been through here on several occasions. It is not an easy place to navigate. Have a little faith,” Alhena turned away from Larina’s scowl and pointed with the head of his staff. “This path should run into a body of water known as Splenic Splash. The trail will divert around its shore in both directions. If I am not mistaken, we will take the left fork.”

  Larina spun him back again. “If you’re not mistaken? That’s not reassuring. What if you are mistaken? The left fork, as far as I can remember, takes us deeper into the Gulch.”

  Alhena gave her a patient smile and shrugged out of her grasp. “That is the path we seek.” He started past Sadyra. “We must not tarry if we wish to be gone from this place before nightfall.”

  Sadyra glanced at Larina. Her friend didn’t appear happy.

  Rook joined Pollard on the edge of their vision. They waited for Alhena. The old wizard held out a hand to indicate they should continue walking.

  “Come on, Lunkhead,” Larina said to Olmar, “get waddling or we’re gonna lose them.”

  Olmar frowned but she didn’t notice. She’d already started down the remainder of the slope.

  Sadyra raised her eyebrows and reached up to put her arm around a portion of Olmar’s waist. “Let’s go Midge. They’ll be lost without us.”

  A series of yowls rose on one side of them—quickly answered by howls on the other.

  Olmar hoisted his black warhammer, searching the gloom. The residual light of Alhena’s staff paled in the fog ahead. The rest of the group were getting ahead of them.

  Sadyra walked sideways, her attention focused on the mist closing in behind. Sticks snapped and foliage rustled in every direction.

  Larina took a couple of steps back, pointing her partially drawn bow the way they had come. Silhouettes ambled just beyond the mist. “Who’s there? Stop, or I’ll drop you in your tracks.”

  Whoever approached didn’t answer.

  Olmar stepped in front of Larina, growling himself.

  Shadows as tall as the sailor materialized through the gloom. They were trapped.

  “Rina. Ready your bow and prepare to run,” Sadyra instructed and shouted over her shoulder. “Pollard!”

  She pulled her bowstring taut. “Now!” Her arrow had barely left the bow when she heard the wet thump of punctured flesh.

  A pained cry disturbed the chaotic still of the moment. Before she loosed a second arrow, another cry rang out. Larina had found her mark.

  Olmar stepped beside Larina and swung his hammer at the shadows encroaching from the side of the path farthest away from Sadyra. Two of the shadows doubled over sideways—the sound of crunching bones accompanied the dull thwap of his warhammer and grunt of exertion. He jumped away from the mangled bodies of what had appeared as animated corpses.

  Though unrecognizable in the mist, Sadyra knew they were no match for the number of creatures closing in on them. “Olmar! Rina! To Pollard!”

  She nocked another arrow and let fly. A cry of pain and a thud denoted that whatever she hit had fallen to the ground. Another shadow took its place.

  Larina sprinted past her.

  She turned to follow—Olmar’s hand on her butt propelling her into a staggering run.

  “Move it lassie!” he roared, his lumbering footsteps thumping down the slick trail.

  Guttural growls followed them. Ahead, the sound of a sword impacting a metal weapon rang out and the thick mist pulsed with an orange outburst as pained cries filled the air.

  Sadyra stopped suddenly, barely avoiding knocking Larina into a bog at the end of the trail. She caught herself and jumped sideways, worried about Olmar running into her. If he ran into them, they would be getting wet.

  Olmar veered at the last moment and swung his hammer at a creature about to club Rook in the back of the head.

  Rook’s attention lay on several human-looking creatures engaging Pollard down the path to the left.

  The creature’s head exploded in a cloud of gore as Olmar’s hammer threw its body into the air—the grisly mess splashing into brackish water.

&n
bsp; Without needing to convey her thoughts to Larina, both archers assumed positions to guard the hill they’d descended. Training together had instilled them with an innate knowledge of the other’s reactions.

  Larina had an arrow ready, calmly biding her time to use it on whichever adversary became the most dangerous.

  It took patience to not shoot at the first thing they saw. A knee-jerk reaction would reduce the attackers quickly, but if they ran out of arrows, their effectiveness at guarding their companion’s backs would be lost. Their quivers only held twenty, thin-shafted, mail-piercing arrows and five thicker-shafted, heavy-tipped arrows for puncturing light plate armour.

  The orange glow of Alhena’s staff illuminated the right path as a long-fanged beast, reminding Sadyra of a bear cub, burst out of the mist and charged at the wizard. Tracking its run, she led the creature and let fly, her arrow impaling the beast’s shoulder.

  The creature’s momentum carried it into Alhena’s thigh causing him to stumble toward the bog and release an errant fireball into the mist.

  Sadyra looked back. Pollard, Olmar and Rook had their hands full while Larina tracked another bear-like creature, killing it before it attacked an unaware Olmar.

  Sadyra’s fingers deftly located and withdrew another thin-shafted arrow. A larger creature in leather armour materialized out of the mist close to Alhena, a spiked club raised above its head.

  Sadyra’s arrow flew true, shattering against its side. The shock of the hit staggered the creature but the arrow hadn’t penetrated its armour. It likely wore pieces of plate beneath its leather. The extra protection had repelled her thin arrow and there was a good chance the leather would deter her thick-headed tips.

  The creature raised its club as Alhena turned into its advance.

  Sadyra feared that even if Alhena got his magical charge off, at such close range, he might get caught up in the resulting explosion.

  Without thought, she pulled another thin arrow, nocked it, took quick aim and released. The shaft entered the creature’s ear, spinning it to face her. Its club flew from its clawed hand, and fell, dead before it hit the ground.