The Legend of the Gate Keeper Anthology: The Shadow, Land of Shadows, Siege of Night, Lost Empire, Reborn, The Trials of Ashbarn, End of Days

by Jeff Gunzel

  It was as if only now the paralyzing trance of seeing such a horrid creature had been lifted. Azek began to thrash, rocking the chair from side to side. “I’ll kill both of you!” he yelled. “Verck, you snake! I’ll open your throat and watch your life drain away! I’ll—”

  Zool moved in and hovered before him, his writhing tentacles reaching out like eager fingers. When they lifted away from his face, Azek stared into a lipless smile with no teeth. One by one the tentacles attached themselves around his face and forehead, each suction cup gripping flesh with a firm pinch. “Goodbye, old friend,” came Verck’s distant voice. Azek screamed, his head bobbing about as searing hot pain assaulted every nerve in his body. An explosion of white assaulted his vision, like being struck by lightning from multiple places simultaneously. Then...the pain stopped.

  His body suddenly felt cool again. He blinked once, twice, then opened his eyes. Blackness. He blinked several more times, trying to refocus his vision. Still, he couldn’t see a thing. Where am I? He tried to rub his eyes, hoping to regain some level of sight, but his arms only moved a few inches before thudding against something solid. I’m still bound? But no, he couldn’t feel the scratchy sensation or even the pressure of the ropes that held him before. He tried to kick his feet, but they only moved a few inches before striking a solid barrier. I can’t move! What’s going on?

  In desperation he began to thrash about like a fish out of water. His face struck the same hard surface, followed by his knees and chest. Turning sideways partially freed his arms from whatever was constricting them, but only by a few inches. The hard barrier seemed to be all around no matter which way he turned, and in the pitch-blackness, he still couldn’t see anything. He stopped moving as the cold reality of his situation sunk in. I’m in a coffin!

  Whether his eyes were open or closed, the view stayed the same. Total darkness. How had he gone from being tied in a chair a moment ago, to being locked inside this dark tomb? He brought his knee up again, somehow hoping for a different result, but it thumped against the solid cover. The impact forced fine sifts of grainy dirt to trickle down into his eyes and ears, verifying what he already feared. I’m underground. I’ve been buried alive!

  He stiffened up with his head and shoulders pressed back as far as they could go, trying to give himself as much space as possible. There was little to be found. His breathing increased, now coming in rapid short bursts as the panic took hold. The air around him began to grow hot and thick as he seemed to burn right through it. He swore the walls were closing in, squeezing his arms and tightening around his legs. No, this isn’t happening. It’s not real. It’s an illusion.

  Concentrating, he repeated the soothing reassurances over and over again. This can’t be real. After a time, he turned sideways again in order to free his arm, then again raised it slowly. His heart sank when it thumped against the lid. Against all logic, he had hoped this time it would prove to be an illusion. But still, he had managed to force down the growing panic before it consumed him. This alone was a victory in itself. He was thinking clearly again and that was the first step. I’m not meant to die this way. This is not my destiny! I must find a way out!

  Wriggling his hand, he managed to work it down inside his cloak. Azek breathed a sigh of relief when his fingers touched the handle of one of his daggers. At least some of his equipment was still with him. Both his elbow and shoulder thumped against the lid repeatedly as he struggled to get a full grip on it. Nearly having to contort his body, he finally slid it free. Using the limited space, he ran the blade across the top of the box several times until it caught a slight groove.

  Cramped in such a confined area, there was almost no leverage at all. Still, he pressed up as hard as he could while rotating the blade left and right. Once it carved itself deep enough into the wood, he began rowing in back and forth. The wood crackled and popped as it started to break away, a stream of loose soil flowing freely from the opening. As the dirt flowed faster, Azek began rocking the dagger even harder.

  It was now a race against time. The casket was filling up fast and there was no telling how deep he was actually buried. It’s either this or stay underground in this tomb. I’m dead either way. After a loud crack, one of the boards began to wiggle freely. So much so that the dagger was now too small to be of use. Abandoning his blade, he pushed against the board as even more sandy soil flowed down against his face. He squinted against the onslaught, pushing and pulling as it started to give.

  A beam of light broke through the cracked wood and sifting soil. The gleam was faint, but against the background of pitch-blackness it might as well have been the sun. With renewed energy he broke away more wood, clawing and scratching toward the spot of light. Desperately, he fought his way through the collapsing soil as it pounded his face like a waterfall, his mouth filling with moist grains.

  On the surface, loose soil funneled downward like a whirlwind of quicksand. A hand broke through the center of the spiral, clawing and grasping at the free air.

  * * *

  Anna finished her meal. It wasn’t much and her stomach still rumbled, but at least it was something, and she was grateful for it. Jayden took the plate from her lap and placed it back on the table. “Arkare would have me hung if he knew I was feeding you,” he said.

  “Don’t worry about that,” Anna said. “We have a deal. Remember? So far, you’ve kept your end of the bargain, and I promise to do the same. I won’t give you any trouble so you won’t be forced to do anything rash.” Shouts could be heard coming from outside. Her eyes lingered on the closed door. There was clearly a lot of commotion going on out there. As far as she was concerned, that was a good thing. Anything to make them forget about her. “Besides, it sounds like he has bigger problems to worry about.”

  The shouts from outside increased. Jayden stood up. His orders were to stay here and guard the girl, but it sounded as though he might be needed elsewhere. Ultimately he decided that ignoring a direct order was probably not the best idea and he sat back down. But even then, he continued eyeing the door nervously.

  “Did you ever work for him, Jayden?” asked Anna, trying to distract him from whatever was going on out there.

  “No,” he said softly. There came a long pause before he spoke again. “I mean...I’ve lived in Corper my whole life, but I was considered too young to serve when the Shadow was still in power.” Anna nodded. He did indeed look rather young. “Believe me, it wasn’t for lack of trying. Despite my mother’s warnings, I was determined to be a member of the wolves’ lair no matter what. She begged me to leave town and try and find work somewhere else. But as you can see, I didn’t listen. I knew this was my calling, and once I was finally of age, they took me in.”

  “I was under the impression the wolves’ lair and the town of Corper were one and the same,” Anna replied, genuinely curious of the politics here. “What I mean is, I thought all men who lived here were just recruited in, whether they want to be or not.”

  “Well,” he said, pausing a moment to consider her assumption. He shrugged, “That’s not exactly true, but it might as well be. There are families living in Corper who run their businesses separate from us. The problem is they are taxed heavily on their profits, simply for not being part of the wolves’ lair. If you are not one of us, then you had better prove to be a substantial source of revenue. The only money they make is from travelers passing through.”

  “And I assume those are few and far apart,” Anna added.

  “To be sure,” he replied. “Most of Corper’s income is generated through business deals lined up by Arkare. Jobs that need doing, because most people aren’t willing to do them. I think you might be surprised by the amount of ‘high-reputation cities’ we work with under the table. No one wants to get their hands dirty, so that’s where we come in. And believe me, there is no shortage of work.”

  “Like the abduction of one such as myself, all for the sake of turning a profit,” said Anna. Her accusing words remained masked in a modest
ly conversational tone.

  “Precisely,” he said, mirroring her dry tone. He pulled his chair up close to hers, smiling. “Allow me to let you in on a little secret. I know you’ve been sheltered from the real world for most of your life, but it’s time you learned how things work outside of your safe, closed-off existence. There are no good people in the world. Those who pretend to be pure of heart are in denial. Their self-denial isn’t even a ruse to fool those around them. Oh no. The lie is only for themselves. To trick themselves into believing that they lead noble lives. They desperately convince themselves the reasons they don’t lie, cheat, or steal is because of their sense of righteousness, and willingness to do good—a desperate trick of the mind designed to steer their consciousness away from the truth...”

  Anna stared into his confident eyes. Did he really believe what he was saying? And worse yet... Did he have a point? “And what is the truth?” she said softly, not sure she wanted to hear the answer.

  “They’re afraid,” he replied. “Afraid to follow their inherently dark instincts in order to advance in life. And not for fear of hurting a self-proclaimed innocent...such as you claim to be. Regret. Guilt. Remorse. They all stem from one lone fear. The fear of accountability. And that’s where we come in. A service that promises to remove anyone who stands in your way, and you will never...ever...have to answer for it.”

  “You’re a monster,” she said, shaken by his calmness. She suddenly felt foolish, thinking she had sensed any measure of humanity in this murderer. They were all the same, soulless black-hearted animals.

  “We’re all monsters,” he laughed. “It’s just that some of us embrace that fact. You can deny reality all you want, but not all of us were born into money.” Anna looked away.

  She was relieved when the door flew open and a man came rushing in. Anything to end this horrible conversation. “Jayden, there is big trouble out there,” said the short man with a scruffy beard. His eyes were wide with alarm, and his hands opened and closed nervously. “The entire town in on alert. Arkare says we need to move the hostage to a more secure location.”

  “What’s going on?” said Jayden, springing up from his chair. “All that commotion was caused by him? After all this time, you still haven’t managed to corner that traitor?”

  “Oh, they found him alright,” said the short man breathlessly. “The problem is, every person who has come in contact with him...is dead. By the gods, there is a trail of bodies out there! He even killed Nazzen!” Jayden’s face turned white. “We suspect he’s coming for the girl. We have to go!”

  “The Shadow,” Anna whispered, drawing their attention. Recent events had more than tested her mental limits. She had been taken from her family, witnessed more death than most see in a lifetime, and even now wasn’t sure what her fate would be in the coming days. But hearing this man’s desperate words dripping with fear...realizing that the legendary soldier just might be living up to his reputation...there was a new feeling seeping in. Hope...

  “Yes, that’s right,” she hissed, suddenly feeling bold. Anna dared to embrace hope, whether it was real or not. “There is no one to blame but yourselves. It didn’t have to come to this, but your brave and fearless leader dared to enrage the Shadow. And why not, after all? He’s in no danger, as long as mindless pawns such as yourselves are willing to lay down your lives in order to keep him safe. The Shadow works alone, yet he poses a great threat to the wolves’ lair. Doesn’t that tell you anything at all? Gentlemen, you’ve chosen the wrong side, and will more than likely pay with your lives.”

  “Arkare knows no fear!” growled the short man. “When he catches that worm, he’ll peel the flesh from his bones.”

  “He knows no fear,” Anna repeated, mimicking his voice while laughing. “Is that why he hides like a frightened animal while his loyal men fall by the dozens? Because this is all part of some intricate plan?”

  She laughed again, then turned her attention to Jayden, who had grown awfully quiet. “I believe I owe you an apology,” she said, her expression looking quite sincere. “I now see the wisdom in your words, and believe you might be correct. We are all evil on some primitive level whether we choose to face it or not. For instance, I was brought here against my will, by a man who was willing to sell me for coin. Yet, I find myself praying that he kills every man in this godforsaken village, and that includes you, Jayden.” She hardly believed the words coming out of her mouth, but there they were, and she meant every word. “And what’s more, I hope to be there when it happens. I want to look into your eyes as you take your last breath.”

  “Shut her up!” said the short man. “There’s no time for this. We have to relocate, now.”

  Jayden grabbed her by the arm, then roughly hoisted her to her feet. Despite his aggressive treatment, he didn’t seem particularly angry. “I like your spirit,” he whispered in her ear. “You know, under different circumstances I think you would have fit in quite well around here. The wolves’ lair could use a fiery woman like you.”

  “I would rather die,” she replied, her words dripping with ice.

  “That’s still a possibility,” he hissed. “You’ve caused us quite a bit of trouble already. It’s getting harder and harder to justify each breath we allow you to take.” They dragged her out the door. After a quick peek down the street, they carried her off to the next location.

  Chapter 8

  Verck watched Zool hover over the helpless assassin while he sat tied in a chair. The tentacles latched to his face and neck seemed to throb, pulsing as if pumping the life from his body. Azek moaned continuously, a torturous groan that resembled an animal caught in a trap, waiting to die. His damp face trembled while sweat ran from his temples and dripped off his chin. His dark eyes were rolled back, revealing nothing but an eerie pasty white. Zool’s large purple eyes moved about lazily, gurgling as if this personal encounter was somehow sensual to the creature.

  “How much longer before you break him?” asked Verck. “If I don’t report back soon, Arkare will become suspicious. You must speed this up.” Zool’s large purple eyes rolled towards him, and he began to coo and gurgle in his guttural language. Verck took a step back, looking none too pleased. “I don’t care if he is stronger than you thought, that only means you must redouble your efforts. Prove to me that the Krackanians are worthy of their reputation. Dig until you find his innermost fears. I want his darkest nightmares brought to life before his very eyes.”

  Verck pulled up a chair and glared at the assassin, his shoulders twitching as he moaned again, head rolling from side to side. Verck pulled out his dagger and rolled it around the top of his hand. “You know, old friend, I would love to look you in the eyes and tell you it’s nothing personal, but I’m afraid that just wouldn’t be true,” he said. With a slow, precise movement, he drew the blade across the assassin’s upper chest, a red line forming from shoulder to shoulder. Blood seeped down his front from the shallow cut, red lines chasing running droplets. Zool gurgled in protest at Verck’s morbid behavior. There was always the remote possibility that outside pain might snap the prisoner from his trance.

  “Never mind what I’m doing,” Verck replied irritably as he continued to trace the blade around in some premeditated pattern. “Just work on breaking his mind and leave the body to me.” He moved the blade across Azek’s chest and stomach, concentrating hard as if this were some brilliant work of art. The cuts weren’t that deep, but he had to stop every now and then to wipe away the blood so he could see his design unfold.

  “Just think, old friend,” said Verck, still paying close attention to his work. “If you had just let me assist you in your leadership role, none of this would have ever happened. I never wanted a position of power, only one of influence. To whisper into your young, inexperienced ear, and provide you with the wisdom of my years. To aid you, as well as the wolves’ lair, so we could move forward as a family and do what was best for Corper. So we may thrive once again as a town filled with opportunity.


  “But for some reason, you refused my generous offer, and the gods know Arkare will never see reason. So I’m afraid you have all forced my hand. Since neither of you will listen to reason, I will do what must be done. Once the others see what I am capable of, they will follow me from this day forward.” The bloody lines were beginning to merge into an image resembling a mountain range. He wiped away the excess blood once more, then tilted his head and gazed at his art. “I can only wonder of the horrors your mind is experiencing right now. The gods know I don’t envy you.”

  * * *

  Azek’s arm and shoulder burst up through the loose, sandy soil. He flailed about desperately before finally catching hold of a solid spot, then pulled up until his face broke through. The air was cool when he filled his lungs in a single deep gasp. Frigid and dry it burned going down, immediately triggering an extreme fit of coughing. But he didn’t care; the harsh coughing only served to remind him that he was still alive.

  He crawled from the hole and took in his surroundings. Considering the light that had poked through the ground originally, he expected it to be much brighter up here. But the only light source to be found was the moon. Even the stars could hardly be seen, swallowed up by a pitch-black sky.

  Once his eyes adjusted, all he could see was shadowed desert in all directions, a withered cactus here and there the extent of any evidence of life. For the most part there was nothing but sand and a few scattered boulders. A frigid breeze moved across the sand, causing him to shiver. He looked about, trying to decide which way to go, unclear if one direction was any better than another. The surrounding area all looked the same.

  Suddenly, the ground began to shake and tremble. The vibrations were so fierce that Azek fell flat to the ground, making no attempt to rise. Deep cracks formed all around him and sand and rock filtered down into the black crevices. Azek was sure he would be swallowed up, and did what he could to brace against the moving sand.