Maal The First Skull- Shadows of the Mind

by Theodore Packwood

  I ignored her.

  The evening earthquake had come and gone; it was very late by the time everyone sat at the one surviving table, which they moved away from its spot nearest the shithole. The smoke had cleared, allowing the exhaustion from combat and hauling corpses to show unmistakably upon the uXulu. Many of them put their heads down on the table without hesitation, resting until the food arrived.

  They had not expected it, but there was a meal, provided by a reluctant Jedd, following a tirade that had echoed from the kitchen. A woman had chastised Jedd for lending no assistance to Erigg. He and his son brought out a much more delectable meal than any they had served the Goor, but Jedd would not meet anyone’s eye.

  The uXulu were thrilled to be treated as guests for once, hugging each other and smiling. Erigg joined them with combed hair and beard, and a fresh tunic, as did a wet-haired, clean-skinned Reze’. She dropped her fangs into a mug after she sat down, unabashed at her prior behavior. There was little talk as everyone focused on eating.

  Jil meandered out of her dark niche toward the table, drawn to something unknown, but she stopped a fireplace away. Her mumbling seemed to comprise of two sides of a single argument, but I did not pay enough attention to determine what. I was far more interested in watching eXia cram food into her mouth.

  After the first round of food had been devoured, eXia stood up. She began to speak but was interrupted by a burp, requiring her to push a fist against her midriff and burp again. There were chuckles among the uXulu, and eXia rolled her eyes and shook her head, though half of her mouth had curled up. She sighed and began again: “We owe you a great debt,” she said loudly, so Tchurn could hear it.

  He had chosen not to join the rest. Instead, he sat on the floor next to the broken table he had previously occupied, and jammed his feet into his freshly-fed fire. He snorted and coughed on occasion, though his illness was less intense than the previous blueday. He faced away from everyone else, lost within his own nightmare as he stared into the fire.

  “‘Twas tha right thing ta do,” Erigg replied, looking up at her—in the eyes. “If I’d acted sooner, maybe yew would not have lost some of yer friends.”

  “Don’t belittle her statement!” aXarelle snapped. “The First Stone offers you a favor!”

  eXia glared at aXarelle, but turned back to Erigg. “We knew the risks. Without your aid, many more of us would have died. There is no shame in acting cautiously.”

  “Well, I...”

  eXia held up her hand. “Please stop. We are free!” she shouted triumphantly, raising her hands, her breasts lifted high. The other uXulu raised their hands and shouted “Free!” with her.

  Oh, what glorious breasts!

  It was Erigg’s turn to be embarrassed. “I owe yew a debt as well,” he said, looking away. “For takin’ care of Jilii.”

  “I wish that we could have done more for her. She was heavily abused.” She sighed, then looked directly at Erigg. “They raped her, Erigg. Many times a day.”

  Erigg’s face filled with pain and shock. “No!”

  “We have great regret over her abuse. Metal is weakness to us; we have no power over it. We could only stop them so many times.”

  Erigg’s face grew dark. “Seems like they deserved tha justice they got, though I feel we killed too many.”

  “There should be no guilt over killing them!” she said forcefully. “When we were captured, there were only eight collars. Jil and seven other young girls like her were chained to them. Jil told us four of them had already hung themselves. The Goor killed off the remaining three of her friends to make room for us. If there had been eight of us...” She trailed off, looking at Jil nearby. She frowned with worry. “I will not burden you with all of their other cruelties.”

  Erigg’s face fell. “They dinna rape yew too!”

  aXarelle laughed snidely. “They were afraid to! We were too tall for them, and they were afraid of us mocking them. And we would have!”

  eXia said nothing.

  “So why are yew lasses here? I thought Stonewalkers were just a myth ‘til now.”

  “We are searching for mates,” eXia said.

  Erigg’s face fell as he grew red in the cheeks. “Well, I cannot say I’m familiar with yer people too much.”

  “When we reach adulthood, we are sent out into the world to find suitable mates for procreation. We have no males at home, so we must travel out into the world. We travel in groups for safety, but...”

  “But a stone rolled the wrong way,” aXarelle interrupted.

  “I have already proclaimed my fallacy that led us here! Can we enjoy one evening of peace, after so many in servitude, Second Stone?”

  aXarelle sneered at her. “Tell that to oXellona.”

  “You dare!” eXia’s fists shook from rage, and her eyes narrowed. “Your jealousy is as obvious as a mountain, aXarelle! Your mother, the Queen, made me First Stone instead of you, and it has grated on you ever since!”

  aXarelle stood. “That’s because my mother is a fool! You’re not worthy of First Stone, and your poor decisions have led us to this nightmare. I’ll be sure to tell my mother about this when we return.” She walked off in a huff.

  The rest of the uXulu were clearly shocked. Chagrined faces exchanged quick glances, while others shook their head.

  There was awkward silence as Jedd brought another round of enticing stew, warm bread, and drink. Despite the tension, the remaining uXulu wasted no time in demolishing the food in front of them, rivaling the intake of Tchurn.

  Jil did not eat, nor did she move. A few spikes of Fear or Anguish came from her, but they vanished.

  After the meal, the Stonewalkers spoke of oXellona and their other fallen sister for a few moments, a few releasing tears as they spoke. When it came to eXia to speak of her, she remained silent for a time.

  “I heard you produce music,” she said to Erigg, her eyes upon him with a yearning intensity. “Will you play a dirge for her?”

  His face took on a cast of pity, and he nodded. His antlers came around, and he twined the inner points, as he had for Reze’s dance, but fashioned twelve loops of increasing length from finger to forearm before he finished. With a few strums and minor adjustments to the tension of some of the twine, he pinched the antlers between his legs so that the loops faced him.

  His fingers danced along the strings from both sides, and the notes floated out with soft expression. They were so delicate, and so quick to evaporate, it was difficult to hear them over the popping of the nearby logs. He breathed slowly upon his antlers, and it began to glow with a faint, white light.

  I was uncomfortable near it, and could not resist moving away, but his next notes came forth with purpose and clarity, undeniable in the quiet room. They were melancholy and ferociously sad.

  There was a day I wandered

  ‘Cross the mountains

  There was a day I sought

  So high and low

  There was a day I squandered

  Seeking love, my love

  That was the day I brought

  Your body home

  There was a day I went

  Up the hillside

  There was a day I made

  A new hole

  There was a day I spent

  Digging deeply

  That was the day I laid

  Your body low

  It was enough. The uXulu cried out at the end, raining tears upon their heavy breasts. eXia, who so vigilantly maintained control of herself, abruptly fell apart. Her wails echoed off the walls as her body shook with tremendous sobs. The uXulu gathered around her and held each other for quite some time. I caught even aXarelle wiping her eyes after the song, but her back was stiff and her arms crossed as she refused to join them.

  Reze’ stared at them with confusion, unable to comprehend the close bond they shared. Erigg put his arm around her and pulled her close to him, his eyes wet, his nose red. She leaned into him, but her eyes watched, unblinking.

&nbs
p; Soon afterward, the exhausted crowd split up. The uXulu brought down their furs and bedded down next to a fireplace across the room from Jil, two down from Tchurn’s. I could hear their delighted comments as they lay on the warm stone, piling furs on top of each other. In the passing of only a few soft, quiet moments, they were all asleep. aXarelle came to join them, but bedded down opposite from eXia.

  Erigg hobbled over to Tchurn, who had two dozen empty bowls, and even more mugs, piled nearby. Tchurn stared into the fire, his armor glinting red off its metal chains, furs heaped upon his massive shoulders. Erigg faced away from me with his head down, curly red hair spilling around his neck, leaning on his antlers, with a single hand on Tchurn’s shoulder. They stood like that for a time, their silhouettes a poignant image of loss. Tchurn reached up a hand and placed it on Erigg’s, and Erigg grabbed it fiercely.

  Reze’ came and crassly separated them, claiming she needed Erigg to help her sleep. She brought him to the next fireplace, in-between Tchurn and the uXulu. She had prepared a pile of furs near that fire and helped Erigg get comfortable, eager to undress him. He stopped her when she worked at his breeches, and she sat back in a huff. On her knees in the firelight, she began a seductive dance which included her hands caressing her own body, then Erigg’s chest. Soon she laid next to him, and slid under the furs, pressing her back against him. Rhythmic movements and panting—and hisses?—soon followed. After that a pair of loud squeals, before a series of exaggerated grunts escaped Erigg. I wished to approach them, curious to see how Reze’ applied her flexibility, but I could not move far from Jil.

  Well, well, said Magenta. Reze’ knows Erigg’s weakness.

  If only Maal knew all of his, added Carmine.

  Oh, how I Hated Carmine.

  You loathe only yourself, she replied.

  Whatever did that mean? It was nonsense, so I ignored her, again.

  The fires died down, both here and in the kitchen. I could only wander near the dark corner where Jil lurked, tethered as I was on such a short rein.

  I was nearly drained of Pith, having spent too much upon Jil, leaving my internal pool empty but for a small puddle. I felt vaporous, as if a strong breeze might blow the rest of my essence away. At times, a gust of wind would slither its way into the bar—I saw its effect on the fires—and I was certain I was actually being pushed by the wind, filling me with terror. Could I simply drift away forever, lost and forgotten, like a mote of dust carried away by a breeze?

  Worse still, I could see shadows. At first, they were nothing more than distorted silhouettes. With no warning The Nail surged into focus—the dreaded image of the towering Nail, superimposed upon my current reality. Around it appeared faint images of the hills of death, and the dark creatures with their angry, gnashing teeth. Their heads came up and saw me.

  I cried out. Jil was suddenly beside me, her eyes yet oily black. “Master?” she asked.

  “Help me!” I cried, pathetic in my desperation.

  “What is wrong?”

  “Do you not see them?” I pointed to the few creatures who were nearest. They approached as I frantically floated backwards, but their movement far surpassed mine. They and their environment faded in and out as they caught up, and thrust their needles. I screamed and Obsidian stirred.

  His Fear overwhelms him again, said Cerulean.

  Obsidian! cried Amber, sounding eager.

  Watch his true nature emerge as he whimpers and begs for safety, Carmine said with a sneer.

  “Master?” There was no urgency to her voice.

  The needles had punctured me—with no sensation but the barest of itch with my gut and chest. They faded, solidified, and stabbed me again. I winced, but felt only itches.

  “Are you under attack?”

  I laughed then. A cruel, mocking laugh that became almost manic. “Stab me again, foul creatures!” I taunted. They did, and only impaired me with itches. With colossal relief came a settling of Obsidian. I had avoided his rise. Whatever that entailed, I Feared it.

  “What creatures?” She looked at me with confusion.

  “Fear not. They cannot affect me here.”

  She looked around. “You are difficult to see now. What has happened?”

  “I forfeited too much Pith saving you,” I said, disgusted at myself. “It has resulted in the return of these creatures of shadow that now assault me.”

  “What is Pith?”

  “A storage of power,” I said, with some certainty.

  “And the drain of it causes you to be afraid?”

  “I am NOT AFRAID!” I boomed at her.

  Jil rocked back on her heels as if blasted by powerful wind. She flinched and covered one ear with her good hand, the other with her half-blackened forearm. “Your voice is quite painful.” There was no emotion coming off of her. “How can I restore your Pith?”

  I thought for a moment. “Who are you?”

  She was confused. “I’m Jil, of course.”

  “You act little like she does.”

  “I’m not burdened by emotion. Lust and pain are all that matter.”

  “You have said that before.”

  “’Tis all I can feel, Master. Why wouldn’t I seek more of it?”

  I pondered upon her answers. “Why do you serve me willingly, when Jil does not?”

  “I am…” Jil, she almost said, but caught herself. “Isn’t it what you demand of me?”

  “Yes. But how do you know this?”

  She frowned. “I can sense it, tugging upon me will. Like an urge ta mate, but without lust. ‘Tis somethin’ I must do.”

  “Where do you go when your control fades away?”

  “I don’t fade, Master. I just regain me emotions. ‘Tis hard ta think clearly with all that Fear and Anguish.” She paused for a moment. “But when I’m like this, there’s no emotions ta cloud me thinkin’.”

  An interesting development, but pointless, said Indigo. Of greater import is her willingness to serve.

  “Yew seem faint,” she added. “How can I restore yew?”

  I paused. How indeed? There was a direct correlation between using black lightning and the drain of Pith. What circumstance brought about its influx? Recent events had laid it bare for me, but I had not given appropriate attention to it. It was a simple conclusion after all: I was fed the most Pith when Jil was being injured.

  How much dare I tell her? I did not want her to know that the most Pith I absorbed was when she was being hurt. When black-eyed Jil retreated, the green-eyed Jil might do something foolish. “Only pain and blood will replenish my power,” I suggested.

  Jil looked around at the sleeping uXulu and the others. “Shall I kill them?”

  “No,” I said instantly, surprising myself. I thought upon my sudden reaction, then explained: “All but Tchurn seem sympathetic to your plight. They could be useful in protecting you.”

  “Should I kill Tchurn?”

  The idea appealed to me. “You might not be successful. He is formidable, even with illness.”

  “How then?”

  “I know not.”

  We were quiet for a time, thinking.

  “Master, I have an idea.”

  “Speak.”

  She did not. She merely looked up, beyond the remaining loft, into the darkness.

  I snatched at her idea, and I grinned.

  This is the end of Part 1

  Look for Maal: The First Skull: Part 2, coming in 2019!