by J. Carrarn
—
Solus was in a brooding frame of mind as he trudged through the deserted and broken streets of Skulltown, pushing his hastily created prison-wagon. How dare they come here and destroy what we worked so hard to build? A soft, almost imperceptible vibration came from one of the ruined buildings and shook him from his dark thoughts. He stopped and fixed his gaze in the direction it had come from, hoping that it was an enemy, a target for his wrath.
It was a three-story stone building, partially collapsed, and the top of it had crumbled to the second floor, leaving just the first floor of the building intact. Debris had fallen in front of the entrance and sloped up toward the first floor. Staring at the building's remains, Solus did not notice any movement. He stepped away from the cart.
"Stay here and be on your guard," he ordered.
He did not wait for the Blackguard to reply and moved closer to the building. At the bottom of the pile of rubble, he paused, searching for anything that could have created the disturbance. He could find nothing out of the ordinary. He frowned. Had it been a loose stone? Irked, he kicked a piece of debris up the slope, sending it careening up and into the ruin.
A gasp came from the shadows in the collapsed edifice, followed by the sound of running feet.
Solus reached the top of the slope in a single bound, causing the ruined structure to shudder precariously. He ignored this and ran inside through one of the many gaping holes in what remained of the exterior wall. All the structure's interior walls had crumbled, leaving a rubble-covered open space inside. A grey zombie with red fur patches on its back pounced from the shadows and fled before Solus, leaping through another opening in the wall. Solus charged forward, trying to grab it. He had felt the stone shake where the zombie had landed outside. Without looking, he jumped through the same opening and into the alley below. There were only minor signs of destruction, and he saw the zombie almost at the end of the alley, heading toward the street. Focusing, he raised a hand, and a giant fist of rock formed directly ahead of the running shape, smashing into it and sending it hurtling backward.
Solus's landing caused a tremor to pass through the buildings, and dust and scree filled the air. Ahead of him, the figure slammed into the ground. It scrambled back up, just when Solus reached it, looking up at Solus with strange blue eyes. They had a vacant look in them, and the leathery face was likewise devoid of expression. Solus quickly snatched it up by its neck, raising the zombie off the ground, its feet dangling in the air.
Inspecting it, Solus frowned, puzzled by the seeming lack of consciousness in its strange eyes. Something is definitely wrong with this one. He barely finished the thought when the blue eyes snapped up, horribly aware and drilling straight into his.
"Are you the one they call Solus or one of his minions?" the zombie asked in an empty voice. The voice sounded like that of a skeleton, and it had a distinct female lilt to it.
Startled by the voice and the fact that the eyes were now scrutinizing him with equal parts curiosity and malice as it spoke, Solus had to stop himself from blurting out a reply. He had no idea who this was, but it didn't know who he was either. Perhaps he should wait until he found out just who or what this thing was and keep his mouth shut for the time being.
"I Skull. Who you?" he muttered, trying to keep his voice dull and simple.
"No. Skull is a skeleton. You must be Solus. The description fits." The voice was flat and emotionless, speaking matter-of-factly. Something about it sounded familiar. Solus couldn't put his finger on it.
"I sent this shell here to speak with you, to warn you about what was to happen, but before I could find you, this…" The zombie's eyes glanced around for a moment before it continued, "This city was attacked."
This time Solus could make out a hint of contempt, and then it hit him. The voice reminded him of Silt, hiding his emotions behind the facade of an emotionless skeleton!
Turning back to the cart, Solus dragged the zombie with him.
"Where are you taking me? Don't you understand it is important that we speak?"
As he looked at the ruined building that they had just come from, he focused. The loose stone covering the top floor moved, coming together into a single block. Solus left it to the side and leaped atop the now debris-free building, ignoring the zombie's voice.
He jumped down, landing next to the Blackguard. The black-armored skeleton had a hand on the cart containing the odd four-legged creatures.
"Let's go. We must find Drys," Solus said as he moved further down the street. He left the stone cart where it stood.
"What about this thing?" the Blackguard asked, tapping the cart, causing it to roll forward a bit.
Solus just beckoned him to follow. The stone prison sunk into the ground, disappearing beneath the street. The Blackguard followed Solus, quickly falling in step beside him.
"So, you have some sort of stone-shaping ability. Interesting. I don't recall seeing that class in the status window options." The emotionless voice shook Solus, and it took all his willpower to ignore it and continue walking forward.
She knows about the status window! Does she have one, or is she just goading me? Solus quickened his step, not noticing that the Blackguard had to run to keep up. The zombie stopped talking, quietly examining Solus with its horribly vacant blue eyes. Something about its gaze unnerved Solus.
As they moved deeper into the city, the destruction lessened near the older areas. When they arrived at the center square that bordered his tower, all the buildings were intact, and Solus quickly scanned them. All the doors and windows of the buildings were shuttered, but that meant little. He had a good idea why nothing had got this far, but no matter where he looked, he couldn't spot the one he knew would be there. Shrugging, he looked up.
"Norg, come on out," he shouted, his loud voice booming across the square.
For a second, nothing happened, but then a soft chuckle came from a building to their left.
"Glad to see you've made it back in one piece."
One of the stone shutters covering a window slid open, and Norg jumped through. He landed on the ground with a soft thud before getting up and dusting himself off. Then he walked toward Solus, pointing at the zombie that Solus was dragging along behind him.
"Where did you find that one? I thought I had taken care of all of them by now!"
"She was spying on me," Solus replied as he raised the zombie for Norg to inspect. Nothing had changed; the vacant eyes still stared at a point behind his head.
Norg frowned as he stepped beside Solus. After a moment of looking the zombie up and down, he scraped his throat. "That's not a she. Don't you remember what Drys taught us?"
"Drys… I have heard about him! Why don't you bring me to him? I am curious to see if the rumors are true!" it said in an unmistakably female voice.
Norg took a step back, goggling at the zombie in bewilderment.
Solus laughed at the startled look on his face. "Come on, let's go find Drys." He headed toward the central building, where Drys usually stayed during the nights.
"Err...he isn't there," Norg said.
Solus turned and raised an eyebrow at Norg. "Where is he?"
Norg pointed at the looming tower. "After installing that thing in your tower, he hasn't left its side."
Solus grinned as he imagined the sphere having to listen to Drys's constant prodding, answering his seemingly endless string of questions. Between seeing Norg and the image of an irritated sphere, his annoyance at what had happened to Skulltown was quickly fading. Taking long strides across the stone-paved square, he stopped and looked at the top of the wyrm tower. A soft blue light shone through the topmost windows.
Now, what are you up to this time, Drys?
A solid door blocked the only entrance into the tower, and it groaned as Solus shoved it open. He had reasoned it would be enough of a natural barrier for intruders. Those strong enough to open it would get in anyway, and this way, he wouldn't have to repair a broken door every time Skul
l came knocking.
It was dark inside the tower, but the winding stone staircase was like a green illuminating beacon to Solus. The tower was a single, immense tube, almost fifty yards in diameter. Except for the staircase, there was only a hole in the middle of the room. It led down into the massive cavern system below Skulltown, an area off-limits to anybody but him and Drys.
Looking up, he saw the roof and the square hole above. A pale blue light poured down from it.
"Something is odd about this building," the female entity inhabiting the zombie said. The zombie's head turned left and right to get a good look.
"It's not a building," Solus said with a grin. He wondered if she would figure it out as he moved to the staircase.
The steps were deep and high, perfect for him. Drys had complained about them, which was another reason to leave them just the way they were. He enjoyed teasing Drys now that the smart undead had lost control of his emotions. Chances were that he would never get the chance again after Drys evolved.
As Solus walked up the three-person-wide stair, Norg constantly increased his pace, trying to get ahead of him. The smile on his lips caused a row of pointed teeth to flicker in the light. Solus increased his pace, and so did Norg, and within seconds the trip up the stairs turned into a race.
The Blackguard's footsteps disappeared below them as they sped up.
A hundred yards before the exit at the top of the stairs, Norg was three body lengths ahead of Solus when one of the stone steps suddenly lowered. Norg stumbled, falling flat on his face against the edges of the other stairs. Solus ran past him and through the entrance.
"No fair!"
Norg's cry followed him as he marched into the open room that was once the head of one of the most massive worms he had ever come across.
A stone platform led between its gaping mouth, giving a beautiful view of Skulltown and the hills beyond the city. Stone tables dominated the rest of the room. Spheres and old-world gadgets lay scattered across them, trophies and souvenirs from Solus's adventures, and displayed on the wall was a massive metal hammer, suspended from a pin.
A curved stone slab, decorated with intricate patterns, stood on one side of the room, and on it stood the sphere. A bluish light emanated from it as it scanned the mana-field hovering in the air. Cables attached to its sides ran through the room and out one of the windows.
Drys stood in the middle of his mana-field, glaring at the sphere with obvious frustration.
"I will tell you this one more time; your simple patterns are just child's play!" the sphere said pompously.
"Fine! Then teach me! Don't just give me a pattern and then tell me to go away!" Drys shot back as his mana-field winked out.
"Oh my, you have actually found such a rare, high-level AI!"
The zombie's voice sounded intrigued this time, and Solus cursed. He was starting to have some creeping suspicions about who was truly behind those eyes, and he was beginning to regret bringing her to the tower.
Drys swirled around, his burning gaze moving between Solus and the zombie. As Drys inspected the zombie, Solus saw his frown deepen. Drys didn't speak but marched toward Solus and kneeled to stare into the eyes of the zombie.
"Who are you?" Drys said after a second.
"I am known by many names, but currently, people call me Scathia the Litch."
"Preposterous! Such a blatant disregard of good naming! Are you not ashamed of yourself?" the sphere loudly interrupted Drys as he was about to speak. A beam of blue light struck the zombie, scanning it.
"Ah, I see. You're using a variation of the puppeteering skill with a drastically increased range!"
Solus raised the zombie until their eyes were at the same height. "You are the one Silt spoke of, the skeleton that somehow managed to survive the purge."
A hiss sounded throughout the room. "Don't you dare to talk to me about that," she said. "If I get my hands on Silt, he will wish that he had stayed wandering mindlessly in the pathetic hole where I found him!" This time unhidden contempt and malice laced her voice.
Solus shared a quick look with Drys, who shook his head.
Drys walked back to the stone on which the sphere rested and sat down. He was quiet for a moment as he inspected the zombie.
"So... Why are you here?" he finally said.
Seconds passed as nobody spoke, and Solus's temper flared. Just when he was about to lose it, the voice returned, emotionless and calm again.
"I am here to invite you to join me in my city. There are many things I can tell you about the portals."
Solus stared at the zombie in his hand, his anger quickly replaced by curiosity. His initial reaction was to tell her he would go and see what she had to say, but in the last few months, he had discovered that it paid to heed Drys's advice. Taking a deep breath, he looked at the emaciated white-haired zombie sitting beside the quiet sphere.
Drys wasn't looking at him but still staring at Scathia's shell. When he finally looked at Solus, his eyes glistened.
"I think it would be a good idea to have Norg show her around the tower for a bit. That way, we can quietly discuss her offer."
Wondering what Drys wanted to discuss, Solus nodded and beckoned to Norg. The other had been quietly observing Scathia and shook himself when Solus called him.
"What?"
Wondering what was wrong with Norg, Solus beckoned him again and stuck out the zombie. "Take her and wait at the bottom of the tower until I call you. I need to speak with Drys."
"Sure!" Norg nodded with enthusiasm and grabbed the zombie, his long narrow fingers easily wrapping around the pudgy yellow face.
The zombie glared at him through the fingers, but its mouth was held shut. Norg turned around and walked off, pulling Scathia along behind him, and Solus stared after him in wonder. Why would Norg be so eager to take Scathia away? Hearing Drys clear his throat, he shoved the question away for later.
As Norg disappeared through the entrance, Drys got up and moved toward the Blackguard. "Follow him, and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. If he leaves the tower, let him leave but come warn us."
The Blackguard nodded curtly, turned, and left the room.
Solus waited a few seconds until he was sure Norg, Scathia, and the Blackguard were out of earshot.
"Why did you send them all away?"
Drys examined him as if he were pondering what to say. Finally, he sighed, a weary expression on his face.
"Two reasons. Firstly, Scathia is dangerous. Vingria has told me what little she remembers about her, and even that little bit is enough to let me know we have to be careful around her."
Drys turned to the sphere and pointed at it. "The second and more important reason is that Domain and I have discovered a way to stop those rifts from appearing in Skulltown. Therefore, it's better not to have a potential enemy eavesdropping on our conversation."
"Excuse me? While you might be somewhat more intelligent than most undead, you and I 'discovered' nothing. It was I that revealed the information to you!" The sphere sounded indignant, and the blue glow emanating from it briefly became darker.
"That's not important right now!" Drys shot back at the sphere before turning to Solus.
Solus just stood there, barely holding back his laughter and not even caring that the sphere now suddenly had a name.
"Oh? You think you can laugh! Well, why don't you just figure it out then!" Drys turned to leave.
Solus swallowed his laughter, realizing he might have gone too far.
"Wait. I'll stop it," he said, repentant, stepping forward and placing his great hand on Drys's shoulder.
"I understand how hard it is to keep this place running all by yourself, and dealing with these new emotions of yours must make that even more difficult. Perhaps if you evolved, they wouldn't be such a burden?"
Drys turned back, the anger fading from his face. "Yes, well," he coughed, sounding embarrassed. "I suppose I can explain it to you. And you are right. I'll evolve tonight."
&
nbsp; Solus sat down, so he was at eye level with Drys. "So, tell me. How are we going to keep those rifts away from Skulltown?"
Domain answered before Drys could. "It's simple, really. We only have to adjust the primitive barrier that Drys has created around the city. Instead of just blocking material things, we will be able to disrupt any portals as they begin to form. They appear to be random, natural occurrences that are triggered by an abundance of undead energy. My scans have shown a massive amount of bone-particles in the soil here, which explains the large amount of undead energy here."
A grinding sound originating from Drys pierced the silence. He clenched his jaw tightly as he stared at the sphere. After a moment, he seemed to get a hold of himself again and turned to Solus.
"What he said," Drys snarled before taking another deep breath and continuing in a less aggressive tone. "We should be able to modify the glyphs in a day. We will need to mobilize all of the Glyph Wardens to accomplish this, though."
Solus nodded, ignoring Drys's outburst. "Alright. Do it as soon as you can. Is Sig back yet?"
"He returned from a scouting mission yesterday," Drys grumbled distractedly as he glared at the sphere.
"Alright. Tell him to take charge of the adjustments to the wall and the barrier. He can consult with Domain to figure out what needs to be done."
Drys seemed ready to explode, and Solus raised his hand. "Enough, Drys! Go and evolve immediately so these outbursts are finally over. Have you made a choice?"
Drys glared at him for another few seconds before sighing. "I have."
"Remember what I said. Absorb as many mana-orbs from the vault as you can first." Solus shook his head in exasperation at Drys's snort. "You will thank me later!"
Drys turned and stalked away, grumbling to himself. Solus waited until he had left. He could still hear Drys grumble and curse as he walked down the stairs.
Was I that emotional as a zombie? He wasn't sure, but it didn't matter. Turning to the sphere, he saw that the blue lights were scanning the walls of the tower.
"Domain?"
A soft sigh echoed through the room. "Solus?"
Solus walked forward until he stood next to the sphere and placed his hand on its shiny surface.