by Marc Lindsay
‘This is insane,’ he said aloud, but his voice seemed to be coming from a long way off, drowned out by a static, white noise droning.
‘We have to hurry, we don’t have much time,’ Wendy’s voice called out, barely audible even though she was standing right next to them. Jason nodded and grasped the two girl’s hands within his own and they made their way towards the gates of Arl’yeh.
They stepped into the door, all three of them wincing as if they knew the spell would fail and they would slam into the gate, but the spell held and the most unusual thing occurred. The sensation was similar to moving through water, nothing prevented their passing but the air was thick and their progress slow. The gate was at least three feet thick and because of this Jason was only aware of his two friends by the fact of physical contact. Jason was the first to pass completely through followed by Selene then Wendy, who was holding her breath, letting it out in a mighty gust as soon as she realised it was safe.
‘Well that wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be,’ Selene said releasing her hands and drawing her bow and notching an arrow.
‘Yeah but considering the warnings, it’s not something I’m that keen on doing again,’ Jason said. Wendy remained silent but the proud smile she wore on her face spoke volumes.
‘Wendy, can you give us some light please?’ Selene asked. And Wendy immediately turned her book into a beacon of illumination, but what they saw in its limited glow was something out of a nightmare. Selene was already prepared for combat and it took but an instant for Jason to transform into a were-lion. Big, broad and muscular and using his alien clothing created a leather gladiator style armour, his teeth and claws gleaming in the light.
‘Stay behind us,’ Selene growled.
The interior of the city’s walls is what one would expect of an ancient civilization, stone and mortar dwellings and stairs, iron lamps, and timber doors and shutters, only at first it seemed as if everything were abandoned. The streets were quiet and empty, the lanterns unlit, and the timber mostly rotten or broken. The three explorers remained silent as they scanned the area around them. This place, which was referred to as the city of the dead seeming very apt. Then just as they were becoming comfortable with their current surroundings they started to see glimpses that proved they were not alone. A sudden movement in a window, the tapping of metal on stone echoing loudly. Then laughter that seemed born out of madness sent shivers through them.
‘I think we should keep moving,’ Jason said gruffly.
‘Any idea where?’ Wendy asked in a voice that was clearly on the verge of panic.
‘Well from what I could see of the shape of the city, we entered through the western side. We should try to keep heading east towards the heart of the city,’ Selene said, her eyes continuing to scan the area around them.
‘I think that makes sense,’ Jason replied. ‘Do you want to take the point and I’ll watch our rear?’ Jason offered. They moved slowly east, every shadow and noise making them twitchy and nervous, as they progressed along they caught more and more glimpses of the horrors that lurked within the city. Jason wasn’t sure if it was his overactive imagination but he swore he saw a tentacle coiling out from a drain nearby. The floating image of a shadowy wraith caused Selene to release a couple of her arrows with no effect. The only thing that did seem to work was light, which Wendy used on a pale faced ghoul who as it approached black bile spilled out from its mouth. The substance seemed to have a life of its own, reminding Jason of the creature from The Thing that he and Selene had seen only recently. Wendy had screamed and the light from her book had sparked brighter like a flare, the creature had shied away as if the brilliant light was radiating a heat that it couldn’t handle. Once Wendy realised this she used the book’s power to banish these beasties from their path. Not all of the creatures were thus effected but they didn’t try to approach either, large spindly monsters with misshapen bodies and freakish heads containing dagger like teeth. Those that the light didn’t affect received an arrow or two from the quick bow of Selene.
‘If we get out of this place alive, I swear I’m never watching another scary movie as long as I live,’ Wendy swore. The grim expressions worn by Selene and Jason seemed to back this statement up.
‘Look there,’ Selene said, pointing up ahead, indicating a tall needle like tower arising from the centre of the city.
‘I see it,’ Jason said.
‘I’m betting that’s where we need to be going?’ Selene said with genuine regret.
‘The deeper we get, the more of these abominations approach,’ Wendy said matter of fact.
‘I know. But as long as we stay close together and keep our guards up, I think we’ll be alright,’ Jason said.
‘I hope you’re right,’ Selene said as she released a stream of arrows at what could only be described as a cross between a shark and a man, it retreated, but only a little ways, the arrows only doing minimum damage.
‘We could have really done with the help of Custos and Vigil right now,’ Jason said wistfully.
‘You know they couldn’t, so it’s pointless dreaming about it, we just need to remain focused on the task at hand,’ Selene said.
It took them another hour of patrolling before they could clearly see the tower that they had been moving towards. If the city represented the nightmares of the human mind, then the tower was the focused insanity of that nightmare. Jason couldn’t describe the emotions that were flooding his thoughts, but the sense of dread he felt when he looked up at the tower was almost all consuming, he wasn’t the only one either as Wendy let loose with a choking sob at the sight of it in the distance.
‘Stay with us, we need you now more than ever,’ Selene said to the younger girl. Jason moved up closer and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze to let her know that he was there to protect her, both his presence and Selene’s words must have worked as she nodded and kept moving forward. The horrors from the pit were now coming more frequent and more grotesque the closer they got to the tower. Turning a tight corner they were confronted with a small army of cracked and damaged dolls, missing limbs and eyes. They staggered and crawled towards them, their porcelain forms scraping along the cobbled stone roads like fingers down a chalk board.
‘I don’t know whether to be infuriated by the noise they’re making or terrified at the mere sight of them. There must be hundreds of them,’ Jason said through gritted teeth. Selene’s only reply was to start firing volleys of arrows, her pinpoint aiming shattering everything she hit. The only problem was that the pieces continued to advance towards them in a slow unrelenting fashion.
‘GET AWAY FROM US!’ Wendy screamed and her eyes glowed with an unnatural blue light, holding the book out to her front in a defensive posture. A small hurricane wind ripped out from the young girl and struck the advancing army of dolls, hitting them with the force of a breaking dam. The dolls were picked up and carried away on the magical wind, their tiny bodies colliding with the city’s stone walls and road, as well as each other. The resulting fragments blew harmlessly away. Despite the fact that the immediate threat had now been vanquished, Wendy was still directing the hurricane wind down the street.
‘Wendy you can stop now,’ Jason yelled, struggling to be heard over the roaring wind. Wendy continued her onslaught.
‘Wendy. Stop,’ Selene called out, but her voice was ignored as well.
‘Wendy, you have to stop,’ Jason repeated. Grasping the girl firmly by the shoulders. ‘I SAID STOP.’
The glow left her eyes and the wind immediately died down, Wendy surveyed the now empty street.
‘They’re gone,’ she stammered.
‘Yeah, but who knows what other horrors will come crawling out next to replace them,’ Jason said.
‘And I don’t want to find out,’ Selene said hastily. ‘We need to keep moving.
‘Agreed, we’re nearly at the tower, hopefully there we can find the Icarus stone and get out of this God forsaken place.’ Jason said.
> They had three more encounters before they arrived at the tower, one was dozens of giant hairy spiders, their numbers and soul-less black eyes no match for the fire wielded from Jason in a dragon’s form. The second was demonic clowns, there was nothing appealing or comical in their makeup and clothes, but after a few well aimed arrows from Selene what was left of their numbers ran off into the darkness. The third and final encounter was an abnormally tall slender looking man, dressed in a dark ragged suit, bowler hat and bare feet, but instead of attack he introduced himself.
‘My name is Pollax and I know why you’re here,’ he said in a dark sombre tone. Despite his level of civility, they all remained on high alert. Jason motioned for the girls to remain back and cover his approach which he did cautiously, his were-lion form huge and imposing.
‘Your name sounds familiar but I know not its origin. You claim to know why we’re here, the fact that you’ve come to greet us here in the street means that our purpose has meaning to you. So which is it, for or against?’ Jason said. There was silence at first then a deep rich laughter rolled out from the figure known as Pollax.
‘Life and death is never that black or white, sometimes things are just that. I heard there was a trio from Perigord here in the city of the dead and I had to see for myself the sort of kids who would be brave enough to make their way to the tower of lost souls,’ Pollax stated clearly intrigued by the teenagers before him.
‘Well, now that you’ve seen us, you might as well hit the road, unless you want trouble,’ Selene warned.
‘I want no trouble and as for my intentions I only stand before you with advice. Is the Icarus stone what you seek?’ Pollax said neutrally.
‘I don’t know what the Icarus stone is, but if you have information about the tower, we would be glad to hear it,’ Jason said calmly. There was more laughter.
‘I don’t blame you for your suspicions, as this place has a way of twisting your perceptions and altering your senses,’ Pollax said.
‘Why do you want to help?’ Selene asked.
‘That is the big question isn’t it, I do have a reason to help, but it’s my own. And to be frank you really don’t have much of a choice in the matter,’ Pollax said.
‘I don’t think we need him or his advice,’ Selene said to Jason.
‘It can’t hurt to listen, after all it’s only advice,’ Jason replied.
‘Well said Master Page,’ Pollax said rather smugly. Jason stiffened at the mention of his name but he didn’t say anything, only a curt nod from Selene was an indication that she had picked up on this fact too.
‘When you enter the tower your senses will be assailed with unknown horrors,’ Pollax said.
‘Like that hasn’t happened already,’ Selene muttered.
‘What you’ve witnessed so far is only a dim shadow of the city of the dead, compared to the tower which is the magnification of its insanity,’ Pollax said.
‘Can you help,’ Wendy blurted out.
‘I can tell you that there is something that lurks within the tower that is also aware of your presence within the city and it wants you,’ Pollax said with dramatic flair.
‘What does it want with us,’ Wendy whispered.
‘It would gladly feed on anyone from your world, but you three, are special. It wants something else from you…….’
‘You’re scaring her,’ Jason warned.
‘Am I? My apologies, I merely wished to warn you that this entity has designs on you all and that caution should be practiced once you have entered the tower,’ Pollax said.
‘Do you know how we can defeat this beast?’ Jason asked.
‘Sadly no,’ Pollax replied.
‘This is getting us nowhere. His so called advice is useless,’ Selene countered.
That’s not the advice that I wished to give you. But if you’d rather I keep it to mys……’
‘Just tell us what’s on your mind,’ Jason interrupted tiredly.
‘Your presence here in our realm. Your entire mission is completely unnecessary,’ Pollax said.
‘I realise that you’re giving off this whole mystical, know it all, persona thing, but I really don’t think that you’re in a position or have all the facts in regards to us being here right now,’ Selene said.
‘Oh, I know more than you think, Selene Jaeger, Grand-daughter of Ursula, heir to the mantle of the Guild of Wolves and Champion of Greymeade,’ Pollax said.
‘Lucky guess,’ Selene shot back.
‘Why is it unnecessary?’ Jason asked.
Assumptions and misdirection. The answers that you seek, are where you left them. Coming here hasn’t solved anything only left you open to other problems,’
Awesome. An enigma wrapped in a puzzle served over bullcrap,’ Selene said.
Don’t trust anyone in this realm,’ Pollax said.
‘Least of all you,’ Selene said. Pollax nodded and a grin spread wide, too wide revealing a grotesque hideous smile.
‘Leave soon while you still can,’ he screamed, his voice hitting an unnaturally high note as his body began to stretch and expand.
‘Jason, get back,’ Selene yelled as she loosened an arrow at Pollax’s head the arrow hitting its mark, only for it and Pollax to disappear in an explosion of white fire. They attempted to cover their eyes from the blinding light. As their vision began to readjust to the dark an unusual sound invaded the night, a crunching, scratching, crawling sound, multiplied by a million.
‘What the heck is that?’ Jason asked.
‘I don’t know and I don’t want to find out either,’ Wendy said.
‘I think we’re all under agreement that we should get the hell out of here. Right now,’ Selene said, scanning their immediate vicinity.
‘Agreed, let’s get to the tower,’ Jason said, leading the three of them away from the approaching noise.
The tower was something out of the darkest abyss of mankind’s worst nightmares, at its base it looked similar to an ancient mausoleum only on a vaster scale, every surface a jet black polished stone. The external pillars had highly detailed carved faces covering its every surface their expressions horrified and screaming.
‘It reminds me of the witch’s cabinet,’ Wendy whispered. Selene gave Jason a worried glance. They slowly advanced towards the large expanse of stairs leading up to the front entrance. Wendy gasped when she saw that vertical riser between each stair had dozens of demonic skulls carved into the stonework and as Jason took his first step he noticed that each tread had satanic images and symbols carved as well. He hesitated for a split second before placing his weight upon the first step, wincing a little as if expecting something to happen, but it didn’t.
‘What were you expecting?’ Selene asked, noticing his expression.
‘Screaming or something, alarm like,’ Jason said.
‘Do you want to stop?’ Selene asked.
‘Um, yeah, but under the circumstances I don’t think that is an option,’ Jason said turning and continuing up the stairs, Selene and Wendy following close behind. They moved slowly scanning their way in like a military unit patrolling into enemy territory, which wasn’t far from the truth. At the top of the stairs there was a small open area under an open awning and beyond that a large opening with no door, only darkness and the unknown awaiting them.
Jason motioned for them to all move in close.
‘We don’t know what lies beyond that door or what horrors are awaiting us but we need to stay close no matter what. The moment we’re separated, we’re stuffed,’ Jason said, the other two nodded. ‘Wendy, we need light and plenty of it. Selene, keep anything that’s not us away. I don’t want us to be involved in close quarter combat if it can be helped,’ the two girls nodded.
‘We have no idea what the Icarus stone even looks like,’ Wendy said.
‘No, but maybe with your magical abilities you might be able to feel it,’ Selene said.
‘I can try,’ Wendy said and for the first time in hours looked confident and
unafraid. After consulting her book, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath and uttered a chant that was barely more than a whisper, she continued this several more times holding out her hand, palm up. She continued to chant until her palm started to glow, vague at first, it took on a strong circular pattern with an arrow at its centre. Jason thought it was a clock with numerals running around but on closer inspection they were runes. He realised what had now formed in Wendy’s hand was a compass infused within her very flesh.
‘Whoa, impressive,’ Jason said.
‘Will it work?’ Selene asked.
‘I don’t know, but there’s only one way to find out,’ Wendy said as she opened up her book and initiated the light spell, this time without an incantation Jason noted. A bright blue ethereal light lit their immediate surroundings, despite the comforting glow it did nothing to calm their fears. Jason led them through the door and into what he had no idea.
The first impression Jason had was of a M.C Escher picture, the one with the crazy staircases going everywhere, in the centre was a large open hall with a giant tree growing up through its floor, long black branches reaching up towards the roof which Jason had trouble seeing. No leaves or fruit grew, but on its branches hung bodies, some fresh but most long dead, their faces hidden by corded sacks, their near naked bodies covered in more satanic runes carved into the flesh.
‘My God, this place is……’ Jason’s voice trailed off
‘I don’t think God has anything to do with this place,’ Selene said.
‘Wendy, you’re leading us now, tell us where to go,’ Jason said. Wendy consulted her compass, watching the arrow move back and forward it stopped with a jolt.
‘Up there,’ Wendy said indicating one of the staircases a short distance off. Jason was the first to ascend, his hands clenching nervously as they slowly climbed the long twisted staircase, its bannister running near the branches of the tree, that and Wendy’s light giving them a close up look at the hanging bodies.
‘Uh, totally gross,’ Wendy said trying hard to avert her eyes.
‘I don’t think they’re even human,’ Selene said taking a closer look. ‘I’m positive they’re not human.’ Jason and Wendy took a second look, now noticing taloned hands and feet on some, others with unusual skin, fur, scales and the bodies that were completely decayed had inhuman skeletal systems.