As she walked, her fingers slid into something cold and sticky clinging to the cave walls. She pulled her hand away with a disgusted grimace and wiped it on her already filthy robes. In the dark, she couldn’t make out what she’d touched, only that it was an inky black and the color remained on her fingertips even after she’d wiped it off. The endless humming continued to pick at her nerves, skeletal fingers strumming on the strings of her sanity.
She continued walking but she couldn’t stop thinking about her hand, about the inky darkness clinging to her fingertips. Her eyes seemed to move of their own accord, drifting to her hand every few seconds. The air became heavy, each breath a struggle. Her throat tightened, her heart beating faster and faster, pounding against her ribs. The buzzing intensified, the terrible sound drowning out all rational thought. She raised her hand in front of her face, watched as the inky substance began to move, crawling towards her wrist in twisting black tendrils. It was dark, so terribly dark. Black as the night sky. Corrupted.
It doesn’t exist.
“Kirheen,” Garild called nervously, but she could barely hear him over the overwhelming panic in her head, through the fog of fear suffocating her, thick and heavy as a blanket.
It’s not real. The Darkness isn’t real.
She tried to gain control of herself, but her thoughts spiraled out of her grasp, scattering into the dark. She heard those thoughts hit the ground and shatter, the pieces scattering into the unseen corners of the cave. The Darkness continued to creep up her arm and no matter how hard she scrubbed at it, it kept slithering over her skin, like vines suffocating a tree.
Turning, she stumbled back towards Garild. She could hear him whispering, but she couldn’t make out the words. Her knees wobbled and her legs gave out, and she crashed painfully against the ground. Garild was at her side in an instant, his hand curling around her arm and pulling her close. His eyes went wide as he touched her, and he quickly yanked his hand away. Thin stringy threads of corruption clung to his hand and he shook it frantically, trying to get the inky substance off his skin. It began to move, spreading across his hand and up his arm. “No, no, no,” he whispered desperately. “This can’t be real. This isn’t real.”
His panic further ignited hers and they huddled together in the dark, the darkness creeping further and further over their bodies. The buzzing had grown louder, and a strange prickling sensation could be felt against her barriers. It was a familiar feeling, one of someone trying to break into her mind. She knew what it was searching for. It wanted her fear, that deep primal fear that had frozen her heart, that had her huddling in the dark, wanting to run but unable to move.
She squeezed her eyes shut and pulled at her power, paying no mind to the amount of energy she was expending. With a burst of power, she strengthened her defenses, then extended that protection to Garild. The buzzing came to a sudden stop, the inky darkness on their skin flaking away and disappearing before their eyes.
Kirheen slumped to the ground, letting the cold stone beneath her cheek calm her nerves. She gained control of her breath as the minutes ticked by, her heartbeat slowly returning to normal. When the fear had finally passed, she crawled to Garild. “Hey, are you okay?”
He was huddled against the cave wall, but he looked calm and in control of his mind. “I think so. Allseer, what was that?”
“I don’t know. It almost felt like someone was trying to break into our minds,” she said, unable to suppress the feeling that they were being watched. “We should keep moving. I want out of here as soon as possible.” She helped Garild to his feet and slung the packs over her shoulder. “Hold on to the packs and stay close. I’ll keep our barriers strengthened as much as I can.”
When she felt the weight of his arms on the packs, she crept forward through the darkened chamber. With so little light, she had no choice but to place her hands on the slick stone wall, shuddering as her hand drifted across the wet surface. Though the terrible reverberating hum had died down, she could still feel a pressure against her barriers, a steady stream of energy just waiting for them to let their guard down.
As they pressed forward, her hand drifted into empty space, and she nearly fell over into the gap in the wall. She recovered her balance quickly, steadying herself so she wouldn’t pull Garild down with her. As they entered another chamber, she was struck by the feeling of entering a thick fog. Sound was distorted, echoing strangely through the room, drifting into an unsettling silence. There was a power there in the dark, something old and dangerous. The pressure against her barriers increased, and the buzzing could be felt more than heard, vibrating through her bones and making her hair stand on end.
She wanted nothing more than to be out of the cave, to be back in the safety of the sunlight, away from that terrible pressure threatening to burst through her walls. She hurried forward, going as fast as she could without risking a fall. The last thing she needed was for them to be injured, or worse, because of her haste.
Her foot struck something hard, and she watched a faintly glowing object clatter across the slick floors. It was long and white, and Kirheen stopped in her tracks as the realization of what she was looking at settled over her. She reached back, grabbed Garild by the hand and squeezed.
“What was that?” he asked, but she heard him gasp as he squinted and looked around the dimly lit room.
There were bones strewn across the cave floor, and several whole skeletons could be seen leaning against the cave walls. They were old and brittle, long since cleaned of the flesh that had covered them. The pressure in her mind flared and she was forced to pull deeper from her reserves to protect them. The bones littering the floor only strengthened what she already knew, that if that thing broke through, their bones would be added to the pile.
She found the next weaving corridor and quickly pulled them through, ignoring the pain that flared along her cheek as a protruding stone scraped across her skin. As they staggered into the next chamber, she caught a brief flash of movement from her right and flung herself forward, breaking away from Garild just as a man dove through the space where she’d been standing.
As the man recovered and turned towards her, she could see how terribly thin he was. The dirt streaked clothing that clung to his bony frame was tattered and stained. His cheeks were gaunt and covered in long, thin scratches. She could see a glint of madness in his eyes and he smiled, revealing blackened teeth, some of which were broken or missing entirely.
He let loose a sound that wasn’t entirely human and flung himself at Kirheen. The weight of the packs kept her from keeping her footing on the slick stones as he slammed into her, and she fell backwards, tumbling down an embankment while the fingers of her captor dug painfully into her arms. She landed on her back, the contents of the pack poking against her spine. Her breath left in a rush and she gasped for air, each breath sending shooting pains across her ribs. The man hovered over her and he grabbed her wrists and pinned them roughly against the floor. His face was mere inches from hers, his foul breath a cloying fog of heat and decay that made her gag.
“You can’t leave,” he laughed. “Akra will keep you here. You can’t leave. You can’t. Stay. Stay here with us. Stay.”
“Get… off… me,” she growled, struggling to free herself from his grasp. He was surprisingly strong for how thin and frail he looked, and no matter how hard she flailed, she couldn’t break out of his grip.
“It’ll take us all. The Darkness will take us all. It will find us, even here. You can’t leave. Stay. Stay with the hum. It’ll protect you.”
The fall and subsequent struggle had broken her concentration. She could hear the buzzing louder than ever, cutting through her skull like it was made of butter. The smell of the mad man’s breath and the endless hum grating against her nerves was almost enough to drive her insane. She needed to break free, to get away from it all before he pulled her down into the madness with him.
As the pressure in her head grew stronger yet, the figure above her changed. No longer was she l
ooking up at a stranger. Tomias hovered over her, eyes gone black with corruption. His teeth and hair were streaked with black, and the inky strands tickled her face as he leaned in close. “Stop struggling, Kir. This was always meant to happen. This is how it ends.”
“No! You’re not real!” she screamed, flailing wildly. Her walls were beginning to crack, the buzzing oozing into every fiber of her being. She was fading, slipping away into the cold, comforting embrace of madness. She was teetering on the edge and she’d just began to let herself fall when a loud crack echoed through the chamber. The illusion of Tomias shattered and the skeletal man looked down at her with a look of surprise before he slumped to the side and fell motionless.
Garild stood over her, hand holding a rock that was slick with blood. She felt his power flare, felt it wrap around her mind and push out the invading sound. The low buzzing hum retreated, and she scrambled to her feet, putting distance between herself and the mad man. Garild dropped the rock and ran to her side, finding her hand and gripping it tightly.
“Are you okay?” he asked frantically, his eyes wide with fright. “Did he hurt you?”
Kirheen shook her head. “I think I’m okay,” she lied. She didn’t feel okay, remnants of the sound still echoing through her skull. She added her power to Garild’s, strengthening both of their barriers. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Please,” Garild said and he kept hold of her hand as she led them through the dark. They entered another chamber much like the first, filled with glowing blue orbs and twisting glowing roots. It was a welcome sight, but the beauty of the cave was now lost on her. She’d seen the darkness lurking beneath and all she wanted was to be as far away from it as possible.
Across the room, a round chunk of stone glowed softly. As they approached, Kirheen could make out a delicately carved face, a match to the one she’d found before. The eyes began to glow blue as they drew closer, and Garild lurched to a stop.
“Did you see that?” he asked.
“Ah, children of the mind. You’ve survived your trials. I am pleased,” the voice of Akra exclaimed, her tone colored with genuine surprise. Garild looked at Kirheen, his brows raised in alarm.
“Trials?” Kirheen asked angrily. “Is that what you call that? What the hell is this place?”
“Many of your kind have passed through my halls unscathed. Others chose to let go, to stay where they could be safe, one with Akra. And those without your gifts, those invaders, those hunters, they were damned from the start. Unwelcome. Dead.”
Kirheen shuddered, the fragmented words of Akra making her uneasy. “What do you mean ‘those without your gifts’?”
Akra’s eyes glowed more intensely. “Empty minds and corrupt hearts. Empty husks with no way to see, to hear, to feel the mind. Not as you do. They were unworthy of power. Turn back before they corrupt you with their darkness.”
“No. No, we’re not staying another minute,” Kirheen replied firmly. “Open the way and let us through.”
“Are you so certain? It is not what you expect. Hunted. Swinging in the breeze. Picked clean, turned to dust. You will be hunted. Don’t go. Stay here. I’ll protect you,” Akra sighed, her voice seductive, a lover whispering secrets into her ear.
“Open the door, Akra,” Kirheen said again. Her words were toying with her mind, slowly melting her desire to flee.
“You were warned,” Akra replied grimly. The blue glow faded and the door rolled to the side, shaking the chamber and sending loose rocks plummeting to the ground. Light flooded the cave and they were forced to squint as they crawled outside. They were dumped out onto a rocky outcrop that overlooked a lush forest of green. Finding a flat spot, Kirheen swung the packs off her shoulder and tumbled to the ground, letting the sun warm her skin as she lay flat on her back, eyes closed.
Her body ached, covered in scrapes and bruises from their misadventures. The sun was warming her body, leeching away the hurts and settling her soul. Temporary as the relief would be, Kirheen basked in the warmth and welcomed the brief reprieve from her aches and pains.
Garild settled down next to her and pulled a pack close. Rummaging through, he muttered a curse under his breath, and Kirheen cracked open an eye to see what he was complaining about. He pulled out the water jug, now cracked and empty, and tossed it aside.
He grabbed the other pack and found an intact water jug, lucky enough to have survived the cave, and took a few cautious sips. He handed it over to Kirheen and she pushed herself up on her elbows and took the water jug, tipping some of the water into her mouth. As the cool water slipped over her lips, all she could think about was the horrors they’d seen in the cave; the bones, the inky darkness, and a rock covered in blood. Knowing where the water had come from made it harder to drink, and she forced herself to swallow before handing the jug back to Garild.
“We’ll have to make it last,” Kirheen said. “I’m not sure where we are, or if we’ll have a chance to get supplies soon.” Hugging her aching ribs, she got to her feet and turned to inspect the landscape. While they were on an outcropping, they were close enough to the tree line that it was hard to see what was beyond the forest. Kirheen studied the plants and trees, noting a distinct lack of the blue glowing wraith wood trees they’d grown up around. It was all earthy browns and greens and she felt like a stranger in an even stranger land. “We better get moving while we still have some light. Maybe we can forage up some food. How are you holding up?”
He was just starting to tug at the bandages wrapped around his hand and stopped. “Well enough for now,” he said. “Let’s just get away from this place.”
Kirheen couldn’t have agreed more.
CHAPTER 29
Everything began to look like food to Kirheen. Her stomach grumbled, her legs sluggishly moving her forward as she watched the forest with hungry eyes. She couldn’t remember how long it had been since they’d left the cave. They’d found a stream, and they continued to follow it as they moved through the forest, but food had been elusive. The plants she’d found she couldn’t recognize, and every small creature that passed she had to watch scamper off with drool flooding her mouth.
Garild was faring even worse. The momentary relief he’d felt melted away, and he went back to being lethargic and fevered. They stopped often, resting long enough for Garild to catch his breath. Kirheen had taken off his bandages, cleaned them, and rewrapped his hand, but what she saw beneath those wrappings filled her with worry. The skin had turned a strange ashen color, and the edges of the bite marks themselves had turned a crusted black. His skin had started to peel away and Kirheen knew she’d reached her limits treating his wounds. He needed a healer, and he needed one soon.
As they crept through the trees, Kirheen stopped in her tracks. There was something in the distance, nearly blending in with the surrounding forest. Her pulse quickened as she took in the shape of a nearby building, and others just beyond it. I’m seeing things, she thought, and she reached up to rub at her eyes. When she looked again, the structure was still there. She pointed through the trees. “Please tell me you see that,” she said to Garild.
Garild squinted, peering through the thick expanse of trees. He looked confused, and then he caught sight of something that made his jaw drop. “Is that… a house?”
“I think it might be. Maybe even a village.”
“I don’t…is this real?”
“I think it is,” she said softly. Something about the realization brought tears to her eyes, and she wiped them away with dirt and blood encrusted hands. A village meant food, shelter, and warmth. They’d gone so long without those comforts and the thought of having them back filled her with joy. It also confirmed what she’d been told. The Darkness wasn’t real. It never had been, and that meant that everything from her childhood had been a lie. She knew nothing of the strange world beyond Sanctuary and the thought swept away her happiness and replaced it with fear. “Garild, I think I should go alone.”
He turned towards her, his eyes narrow
ed. “Why would you do that?”
“Because we don’t know what we’ll find there,” she explained, hoping to avoid an argument. “We don’t know if the people are friendly, if anyone will be willing to help us. It could be dangerous and you’re in no shape to deal with that.”
“And you are? Kirheen, we haven’t eaten in days. We’re both exhausted. We should get some rest and go together.”
Kirheen shook her head. “We don’t have time for that! Garild, your hand…”
He looked down at his bandaged hand and grimaced. “I know. I know but…”
“Please, just let me go look. I’ll come back for you.”
“And if you don’t?” he asked quietly, his gaze falling to the ground. He was afraid, afraid she’d go and never come back, that she’d leave him behind to suffer. She’d hurt him and she’d never have that trust back. It hurt her more than she thought it would. She hadn’t realized how much that trust had meant, and now that it was gone, she found herself missing that closeness.
“Garild, look at me,” she demanded. He raised his eyes hesitantly. “I will come back for you. I’m not leaving you behind, not after everything we’ve been through.”
He glanced away quickly, his pain reflected in his tears. “Just come back,” he said and sulked away with the packs. She watched him sink down next to the stream and recline against the bags, staring off into the distance.
“I will,” she whispered, a silent promise he could not hear.
She took off into the trees, only slowing when she began to hear noise from the nearby village, when she could smell freshly baked bread and wood smoke. There was another smell, something closer and sickly sweet, like meat left to rot in the sun, and she wrinkled her nose. As she passed through a thicket of trees, she found the source of the smell.
Three bodies swung in a line on the outskirts of the village, a rope digging into the skin at their necks. There were two males and a female, all in various states of dress. One of the males had no clothing at all, and Kirheen stared at his body, torn between curiosity and disgust. His pale skin was covered in crisscrossing bloody lines and the fingers of his left hand were missing. The woman was missing an eye and her clothes were scorched. Her hair had been burnt and what little remained stuck out from her scalp at odd angles. The third and final body had a dagger sticking out of his chest. All three shared a similar feature, a red ‘x’ carved into their foreheads.
The Allseer Trilogy Page 25
