The Hall of Doors

by Phillip Locey

A handful of slowly moving streams of light coursed through the air near the top of the room, stretching like caterpillars, disappearing and reappearing after each body-length slide.

  “Phaerim, cover the light for a moment.” As the pommel of Phaerim’s dagger went dim underneath his shirt, Thaelios saw the iridescent streams more clearly, glittering like ethereal bands of silver across the black space overhead. Now that everyone else was frozen in wonderment, he could hear them more clearly: several voices overlapping but repeating the same phrases.

  “Khilterel pelenari. Yelen quentireth guriel.”

  “What are they saying?” Phaerim asked.

  Be’naj answered before Thaelios could think of a more palatable translation, “You are unwelcome. His hunger protects our secrets. You are unwelcome.”

  Almost instantly, Phaerim uncovered the light. “What in the Nine Hells is that supposed to mean? Whose hunger?”

  Thaelios never took his eyes off the shimmering entities, who grew dimmer with the competing illumination. “It’s an ancient dialect. The words may have different shades of meaning. Maybe we can communicate with them.” He stepped closer to the table and rested his hand upon it, feeling the need to be further grounded.

  “We did not intend to trespass. We come in peace. We are eager to share in your wisdom,” he stated in Eladrin. Instead of a reply, the silvery streams circled the ceiling and started floating away into the darkness beyond the further end of the table.

  “Where are they going?” Phaerim asked. “What did you say?”

  “I know I’m half-fey,” Dyphina added, “but this is a little eerie, even for my taste.”

  Thaelios tried calculating the possibilities of danger in his head, but if he didn’t act quickly, he might lose sight of the lights. “I want to see where they lead.” He followed with quick steps, hoping the others would join him.

  Jogging to keep up, he was vaguely aware of Phaerim’s trailing light as he trudged further into shadow. After reaching the end of the dining hall, Thaelios turned left and started down another long hallway with doors on either side. The lights continued whispering as they moved away, but too faintly for him to decipher.

  Finally, they stopped at the end of the hall, their dim light providing just enough illumination to expose an arched doorway beneath where they hovered. Thaelios halted, now that the chase was over, waiting for his companions to catch up.

  “Thaelios, the dagger is starting to wane,” Phaerim announced as he drew level. The others packed into the flickering halo of the dagger’s radiance, their breathing harried from the brief spurt.

  “You may need to re-cast the spell,” Dyphina observed.

  Thaelios remained fixated on the door at the end of the hall, however. “What do you think’s behind it?” he asked, already taking slow steps forward again.

  “Shouldn’t we address the light situation first?” Saffron asked firmly.

  Thaelios looked over his shoulder at the sound of her voice, but just as he did, the light from the end of the dagger gave out completely. He swiveled back to look at the door and, sure enough, the lights started moving again, this time out of view down an adjacent hallway to his left. He instinctively took two steps to follow, so as not to lose their haunting glow, when Saffron’s voice halted him again.

  “Thaelios! We need to see!”

  When Thaelios turned back toward his fellows, the darkness was complete. Even a few steps away, he could see nothing of them. “Alright, alright.” Cauzel’s spellbook was still on the bed in Trigilas’s quarters, and Thaelios closed his eyes to remember what he knew was a simple incantation. Before he could recall the words, however, the sounds of ragged breathing from his party was pierced by Be’naj’s panicked voice.

  “What is that?”

  Thaelios opened his eyes, a moment of confusion passing while he didn’t know where to direct them. A continuous, rough gasping sound drew his attention back down the hall where the shimmering lights had passed from view. In the blackness, two points of red light shined from where the gasping grew into horrible bursts like choked-off screams.

  “It’s coming closer!”

  “Cast the spell, Thaelios!”

  The red lights accelerated toward them down the hallway, bounding up and down like a rowboat on the roiling waves of an ocean. The words just on the tip of his tongue evaporated into the smoke of Thaelios’s dismay. He heard singing as he turned away from the lights to flee.

  “Move, move!” Phaerim urged as Thaelios collided with another body, sending a fresh surge of pain through his injured side. Cries, rapid steps, and a nearby thud filled his ears as they all scrambled to navigate the hall in complete darkness.

  A blossom of red fire suddenly bloomed into existence a few steps ahead of Thaelios, lighting up Saffron’s palm and the features of her face as she leaned forward to blow on it. He halted and turned to follow the flame as it launched past him, casting a pale glow along its route.

  Phaerim was rising from the floor between Thaelios and their pursuer, having tripped in the tangle of legs, but was nearly up again. The blossom streaked past him and collided in a burst of red against the body of a demonic aberration.

  The creature’s face seemed all teeth, other than its luminescent red eyes. It had numerous legs, all ending in massive, clawed paws, some of which were set on the floor while others pressed against the wall. The only thought Thaelios could conjure before the light dissipated in a sizzle of magic and bestial snarls, was that the thing chasing them looked like the twisted offspring of a hairless panther and some giant insect.

  With all light gone again, Thaelios continued his attempt to escape, guessing as best he could which way to go. Perhaps he could barricade himself inside one of the many doors they’d passed. That idea fled as Phaerim screamed in pain behind him. Thaelios swiveled toward the sound but didn’t stop running, promptly slamming into one of the high-backed chairs surrounding the great table.

  He tumbled to the ground in a heap, banging his head on the way down. Oddly, the jarring blow came with a burst of clarity, as he suddenly remembered the single word of the Radiance spell. He needed an object to cast it upon, and the only thing within reach was the chair. “Lucemi.”

  Illumination sprang from the wooden piece of furniture, and Thaelios grasped it with his good hand to pull himself up.

  “Over here, down these stairs!” Be’naj yelled. She was at the back of the room, leaning against the metal railing that protected three-fourths of the descending circular stairwell. With her white wings spread wide, she seemed a beacon of safety even though Thaelios knew she was unarmed.

  Dyphina streaked from the shadows to hustle down the stairs while Thaelios staggered around the end of the table, cradling his left arm with his right. When he reached the protective railing, he spared a look back to find what had become of Phaerim and Saffron.

  “Keep going!” Be’naj ordered. Phaerim hobbled closer, drastically favoring his right leg, and Saffron had picked up a chair to fend off the creature. Thaelios saw it grasp an entire chair leg in its mouth before his view was obscured by Be’naj’s wings as she hurried to assist Phaerim.

  Deciding the best thing he could do was clear out of the way, Thaelios navigated the twisting stone stairs, his heart in his throat and his mind desperate to think of a solution to their danger.

  Once his head descended past the edge of the upper floor, the world became dark again. Keeping his right hand on the central column, he followed the petal-like extension of stairs until the floor leveled off. He heard snarls and the sound of splintering wood from above, then the effort of Be’naj leading Phaerim down the stairs. Thaelios backed away from the base to make room.

  “Dyphina, are you there?” he asked.

  “I’m here,” she responded, her breath labored.

  “We’ve got to think of a spell to keep that thing from following us.”

  A sudden wail assailed Thaelios from the top of the stairs as Saffron came spilling down them. Looking u
p, the glow of the lit chair provided just enough light to reach the lip of the stairwell. The beast peered over the edge from one angle then another, though it made no attempt to descend.

  As his eyes adjusted to minimal light, Thaelios made out Be’naj helping a winded Saffron to her feet, while Dyphina tended to the reclining Phaerim. The creature continued vocalizing a repertoire of disturbing cackles and yelps, though as Thaelios watched and listened, they grew quieter and less frequent. Finally, the beast seemed to completely retreat, its whines replaced by the winces and exhalations of his friends.

  “Hold still so I can get a better look,” Dyphina commanded, though there was no bite in her voice. “Thaelios, can you give us some light?” she asked more sharply.

  “Are you hurt?” Be’naj questioned Saffron as Thaelios knelt beside Phaerim.

  “You’ve still got your knife,” he noted, reaching over to place a hand upon its pommel. “Lucemi.” White light once again issued from the dagger’s hilt, almost shockingly bright under the circumstances, though Thaelios knew it was no more brilliant than a torch.

  “There’s blood on it,” Saffron said, drawing closer.

  Phaerim’s face was beaded with sweat, and Thaelios spared a glance at his wounded thigh. “That doesn’t look too bad,” he lied.

  Phaerim snorted a laugh in spite of himself, following immediately with another wince.

  “We need something to cinch his leg…” Dyphina looked around in vain, for they were nearly devoid of supplies.

  “The bandages were with the camels,” Be’naj offered, though Thaelios felt they were all aware of their deficiencies.

  “Tear my sleeve, Saffron.” Dyphina lifted her right arm perpendicular to the floor. Saffron grasped the sleeve near her shoulder and ripped the cloth from it. At least they had been bundled in their warmer clothes when the sandstorm hit.

  “You should probably wash the wound, first,” Saffron mentioned as she handed the makeshift bandage to Dyphina.

  “With what?” Phaerim croaked. “We’ve only got a few swigs of water left in my bladder, and we’re not wasting it on my leg.”

  “I’ve seen a bite wound like that before, and it ended up getting infected. You don’t want to lose your leg altogether.”

  “Of course I don’t,” he snapped. “But what good will my leg be to any of us if we die of thirst in the next few days?”

  “Saffron’s right.” Thaelios had to butt in, feeling a little responsible for the injury. “Given how little water we have left, we’re going to have to find more to sustain us anyway. We might as well treat your wound now and put our efforts into replenishing supplies.”

  In the silence that followed, the women all nodded and Phaerim rolled his eyes, silently giving in. Thaelios turned his back as Dyphina and Saffron tended the wound. Though he heard more tearing of cloth and groans from Phaerim, his eyes assessed their new surroundings.

  He was standing on a curved dais that formed a semicircle against the north wall, centered by the spiral stairwell. Obsidian walls framed the rectangular room that easily stretched a dozen paces across. Four smooth gaps, more than wide enough to walk through, had been designed into the walls – one each on the western and eastern sides, and two on the southern. Curiously, however, an even wider hole had been smashed through the center of the southern wall, surrounded by debris from its annihilation.

  While still in Phaerim’s grasp, their source of light was too far to provide much detail, but the obvious devastation made Thaelios uneasy. He yearned to know what lay beyond this room, though the possibilities were admittedly frightening.

  “There you go,” Dyphina said at last. “That’s likely the best we can do until we find more supplies. At least the bleeding has slowed.”

  Saffron walked up beside Thaelios, joining him to look upon the ruined section of wall. “Thankfully that creature didn’t pursue us down here,” she noted casually, folding her arms across her chest. “Do you think that’s because it’s afraid of whatever did that?” She nodded toward the rubble.

  Thaelios shook his head. “I think this place is going to provide more questions than answers.”

  Saffron nodded silently, the truth of his statement offering no comfort. “We may not survive another attack, but we need to find food and water. Phaerim needs to be stitched, and fresh bandages wouldn’t hurt. I’m going to look around to see what I can find. Someone has to. I want you to look after the others; use whatever magic you can to help.”

  Thaelios looked at her, though she was still staring into the darkness. He didn’t know what to say, but felt ashamed for his relief that she’d taken the decision from him. Finally settling on “Be careful,” he placed his hand on Saffron’s arm.

  She finally looked at him and forced a smile. “Would you mind casting another light spell for me?”

  “Unfortunately, casting the spell anew cancels any previous ones.”

  “Oh.” She looked down at Phaerim and the others. “Would you mind sitting together in the dark for a while?” she asked.

  Dyphina snorted, “You must be jesting.”

  Saffron shrugged. “It’s either that or come with me, and clearly Phaerim shouldn’t move more than he has to.”

  “I could retrieve one of those chairs to burn,” Be’naj offered.

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Dyphina objected. “That beast is probably waiting in the corner to grab you.”

  “We’ll get by, Saffron.” Phaerim grimaced as he extended his dagger toward her. “You should take it.”

  That seemed to be the final word. No one offered additional arguments, given Phaerim was currently the most vulnerable. “I’ll cast it again anyway,” Thaelios said, “to make sure it lasts longer.”

  “I’d appreciate that,” Saffron responded.

  After refreshing his Radiance spell, Thaelios sat on a step of the spiral stairwell, letting his chin sag. Though not complex magic, the successive casting left him weary.

  “That’s odd,” Saffron said from the far side of the room.

  Thaelios lifted his head to see her pressing a hand against the air in front of one of the designed gaps of the wall, to the right of the pulverized section. When she brought the light closer, the previously unseen surface shone like glass.

  Shifting her grip on the dagger, she pushed with both hands against the air, but couldn’t penetrate it. “Some sort of invisible barrier.”

  Thaelios perked up, but continued simply watching as she slid right of the room’s corner to try another gap. This one she passed right through, and Thaelios could tell from the reflection of the light that the dark stone walls were nearly as thick as Saffron was tall.

  She passed beyond view, though he could still hear her footsteps echoing and catch the glow of her light as she explored the space beyond.

  “What do you see?” he couldn’t help asking.

  Be’naj stood and took tentative steps toward Saffron, though she looked hesitant to cross the threshold into the next room. “Are you in danger, Saffron?”

  “I’m safe enough.”

  Thaelios could barely hear her reply, and the light was all but out of view. “She’ll be alright, Be’naj. Saffron can handle herself.” He wondered if his words sounded as hollow as his confidence in them.

  Several long moments passed with only the sound of his companion’s breathing to keep Thaelios company. At last, the light returned, and with its brightness, Saffron.

  “What did you find?” Thaelios asked.

  “Nothing to eat, I’m afraid. One of the walls was nearly taken up by a flat square of blackness, like a huge painting. The surface seemed to be in motion, though almost imperceptibly. A raised basin sat in one corner, etched with a pentagram. A great wheel was mounted on the wall opposite the painting, divided into sections. Glyphs marked each one, though I couldn’t read them.”

  Thaelios was fascinated by Saffron’s description. “I might be able to decipher the writing … if you think it’s safe.”

  Saf
fron nodded and shrugged, then looked to Be’naj. “Are you okay watching the others?”

  “I’m not a child!” Dyphina protested.

  Be’naj bit her lower lip, but nodded in return.

  “It should only take a moment,” Saffron assured her, ignoring Dyphina.

  Thaelios gestured back toward the adjoining room. “Lead the way.” He followed Saffron into a chamber nearly as large as the one they were just in, though more square. Just as Saffron described it, Thaelios immediately made for the mounted wheel. He lightly grasped the edge – metallic and cold. Applying a bit of pressure, he was able to turn it, though it groaned heavily. A triangle at the top of the circle remained in place, pointing down to the selected section as they rotated.

  He brought the wheel to a stop to read the designations, which were thankfully scribed in the same ancient dialect of Eladrin he guessed the shimmering lights above had spoken. “Nirvana,” he translated aloud. “Elysium, Mount Celest—”

  “There’s light coming from above!” Be’naj called out in Illanese from the next room. “Who’s there?”

  Saffron abandoned Thaelios, rushing back to the others and taking the light with her. He followed but couldn’t keep up, his injury making it painful to run. When Thaelios returned through the gap, he saw a young human woman halfway down the staircase, holding a lamp and peering at Saffron, who’d stopped short beside Be’naj.

  “Nazee Saffron, ibit shurul?” the woman said.

  “Rhazine?” Saffron answered, taking another step toward the stairs. “Khalem ufaari nuhut?”

  The woman tucked her lantern closer to her body and hurried down the remaining steps, the heavy pack on her back bobbing to and fro as she descended. She was beaming widely and started spouting sentences in Begnari so quickly that Thaelios didn’t know how Saffron could possibly keep up.

  He hadn’t paid much attention to the prisoners they’d freed, due to his injury, but Thaelios surmised this must be the daughter of the Wolfspider. He couldn’t imagine what she was doing here, though she seemed pleased to have arrived.

  Saffron got in a few words of her own, though seemed surprised when Rhazine almost leapt upon her in an embrace, her lantern swinging precariously around Saffron’s back. When they separated, she turned to face the rest of the group. “Everyone …” Saffron said, “you may remember the young woman we rescued from the slave caravan, Rhazine.”