“But guess what?” Marlin continued. “She’ll share them with Karna! Not only that, citizens of Harrow, Giants of Tor.” Marlin paused to press his index finger to his lips. He let go of Holly and rushed to one side of the stadium, then whispered loudly to those nearby. “She’s never known a man.” He rushed to the middle crowd, “Never once,” then to the other side, “She doesn’t know everything after all, does she?”
Marlin returned to centre stage, gestured to Holly, and proclaimed loudly: “A perfectly pure sacrifice, fit for the divine! Let’s hear it for Holly Hopkins!”
The crowd was ecstatic. They roared, and initiated a fateful chant.
“KAR-NA… KAR-NA… KAR-NA…”
The arch flared up. I jumped back and only barely avoided being set on fire. All eyes turned to the open water. I could not resist the temptation to do the same. And that’s when I saw the leviathan for the second time, gliding in alone from the edge of darkness: slow, steady and purposeful. I looked back to the two helpless Pips. Each struggled against a guard’s hold at the top of the stairs on the platform. Bobbin’s toes dipped in and out of seawater. With a smirk on his face, the guard holding the terrified soul lowered and then lifted him, again and again. The Pip’s eyes were as wide as the moon.
Bobbin and Holly also marked the advance of Karna’s Messenger. And they knew what it meant. One shove and a splash was all that separated them from certain death.
No one was coming to save them. It’s now or never.
The time for my distraction had come. I felt my pocket for the tinderbox. It was still there. I stepped back towards the dory, and bumped right into something big.
I turned around and saw only boots, and then I looked up. A giant stood there. He was of the mariner type, by his salt and pepper grizzled beard, his thick wool sweater, and the cap he wore.
He could not have seen me properly, but he hauled me up just the same before I could say “boo” and stripped the cloak right off my back. I yelped. I don’t know how I didn’t notice him. I got my distraction all right, but not the one intended.
“What’ve we got here?” he growled.
The giant’s actions did not go unnoticed by the audience. People pointed my way at the commotion as I struggled to free myself. They exchanged puzzled looks and a chorus of whispers quickly rose out of the stands.
The mariner had probably come over to investigate and became caught up in the fanfare as I had, standing in the same place I had chosen by virtue of its combination of superior view and superior cover so as not to attract attention. He stepped out into the open and held me up in front of him with one huge arm for all to see, like the catch o’the day. The giant looked to Lord Marlin.
“I caught yee another,” he boomed, “spying, he was.” Marlin was not even looking his way.
Yes, I had failed to keep a proper watch to cover that possibility; but how an ogre of a man snuck up behind me unintentionally, breathing hard, stepping heavily and smelling of fish as they often do, I will never know. Yet, there it stands as a true record of events that evening.
Marlin caught the draw of the crowd and followed their eyes to meet mine. “Well now, what do we have here?” he asked.
The crowd hushed. Karna’s Messenger sensed something was afoot, and slowed his advance.
“Two’s not enough,” explained the mariner, “but three morsels make a nice bite for this lot, I’d say. Found this one spying, and look!” The mariner held up the cloak, invisible side out, then spun it around and around in his hand so all could see the effect of the camouflage.
“Gan is spying on us!” yelled Taradin from the stands. His voice was weak and coarse compared to the other speakers. Then he coughed desperately. The two Elderkin looked to one another, nervously.
There were catcalls from the audience, accusations of all kinds, and derogatory remarks about Pips, the Elderkin, and Stouts; even Glooms were not spared. A cantankerous old man yelled out, “Gan has broken the Non-aggression Treaty, so why shouldn’t we?”
Lord Marlin raised his hand at the crowd. They hushed.
“What’s going on?” I asked, stupidly. I knew full well what was happening. Perhaps a part of me wanted to hear him say it, or perhaps I was buying time. It was just one of those things you say, and regret afterwards.
Marlin faced the audience, gesturing back to me. He addressed his people with the most sincere look on his face and concerning inflection in his voice.
“‘What’s going on?’ said the curious halfling. The sight before him seems to be baffling.”
The crowd laughed and jeered.
“Let’s help him figure it out,” grumbled the mariner.
“Indeed,” said Marlin, looking to the crowd for their approval. He got it.
“I’m not a halfling,” I started to say, but it mattered not. The remark was drowned out as the volume of cheering in the stadium soared to new heights; and higher still when the mariner hauled me to the platform, kicking and screaming, to join my companions. A new guard rushed on stage to keep me from going anywhere, as big and burly as the rest.
A small minority cried out in pity, including the doorman – I could see the empathy on his face. But most mocked me, and they mocked my friends. They went on to mock all Pips and their ilk. I got to hear how good it was that we possessed perfect memories, because otherwise we would be perfectly useless, and we were reminded of just how small and weak and scrawny we were compared to them. Someone thought we should have remembered how not to get caught.
Holly shook her head in disbelief at this final turn of events, at how badly things had gone. Tears were in her eyes. Bobbin quivered beside her, the pudgy rabbit in him lying low, hoping to be overlooked. The bravery he had shown against the bog queens had departed him that day. I could not fault him for it, under the circumstances. He was so very young.
For a long moment, the banter between Marlin and the crowd faded to something far-off and hollow, and my eyes locked with Holly’s. Nothing had worked out for her – ever. Once again, high hopes drowned in tears.
As the White Whale drew near, an expectant hush came over the audience. He was a wondrous creature to behold, really. Majestic. When his graceful bulk loomed at the narrows of the inlet, I thought it doubtful that a creature such as this, so worldly and inquisitive, could take part in the barbarism that was to follow. I entertained the notion that, perhaps, the entire production was just for show and we would all leave unscathed, laughing at such a ridiculous prank played on unsuspecting Pips. He once showed me kindness and I had thought him an ally. After all, he went out of his way to expedite my return to the surface world.
But now he’s hungry, I thought. Hungry for knowledge. And this is no joke.
I struggled against my captor, scheming to trip him up and topple him into the water. It was to no avail. He was too solid and the attempt was stifled by little more than a strengthening of his already strong grip. In retribution, the guard went so far as to dangle me outward above the water, feigning twice to let go. Again, I felt like the “catch’o the day.” If only I could slip out of his grip, flip into the water and swim away, like so many pickerel had done to me on the shores of Blackmuk Creek. If only we could all do that. But the leviathan waited.
Marlin very publicly commented to the guard. “We should let him go, don’t you think? Look at him, he wants to be free. Do you want to be set free, baffling?”
I did. And I tried. In my unrelenting struggle with the guard, the SPARX stone unsheathed and all Hell broke loose. It began with little more than a feeling of utter helplessness – helplessness against the man’s strong grip on me. I did not fight the cascade of emotions that followed, for I knew them to be true. Maybe I could have shaken it off, but not easily, and to what end? It was over. There was nothing left to draw upon, so I just let the emotions swell within, run their course, and break through to whatever lay beyond. Beyond was some kind of strength, an inner tap.
The sea was the first to hand over her will. Sh
e knew the lesson of the Dancing Pool. The cove water began to swirl. It swirled and rose to the level of the stage. A wide and shallow whirlpool thus formed. The leviathan arched his thick body and held his place at the narrows leading in, as though hesitant to enter. Water began to spill onto the stage. The guard holding me seemed bewildered. He put me down and stepped back.
There were calls from the stands that it was a miracle of Karna. There were stares of disbelief. Lord Marlin was optimistic. He took a step back as well, and made a grand gesture at the phenomenon.
“Behold the glory of Karna!” he said.
Marlin spun around to face the crowd. He walked hurriedly about the stage, addressing different sections as he spoke. “What do you think it means?” he said to one section. They did not answer. He went to another. “It means she is here, with us today,” he said to another. He looked to the high stands and gave them exaggerated, reassuring nods. “Right?” he said. The high stands were in agreement. Lastly, he approached the V.I.P. section. “She has come to deliver her message to you, personally.”
All the while Lord Marlin spoke, the whirlpool strengthened. All the while he went on and on about Karna, I pushed the limits and found new ones.
Violently, a great swell of water heaved up in front of the stage and thrust out to sea. Then came another, and another, mimicking a pattern I discretely traced into thin air with my hand.
Members of the crowd gasped. Some praised Karna. Others were scared, and called out “No, no.” Concerned mothers hurried out of the stadium, children in tow.
The high waves smashed hard against the forebody of the beast. The White Whale, wise in the ways of water, submerged as much as he could and made headway straight into the waves, rolling like a well-captained ship in a storm.
But the dance was soon over. Having run its course, the whirlpool ceased. The leviathan saw his chance. He pushed through the inlet and into the cove.
Lord Marlin had the crowd chanting. “KAR-NA’s WHIM… KAR-NA’s WHIM.” With an air of victory about him, he thrust his fist high above his head as he urged the crowd on. The charismatic lord relished in the excitement and soaked in the escalating feedback. He and the crowd were of a single mind, rejoicing in the anticipation of just how dramatically helpless Pips could be devoured.
Fury overcame me. Blood for blood, I promised myself. I glared at the vile fiends responsible – the nobles, Lord Marlin, the guards – and then I glared at their mob of followers. Just as guilty, I decided.
Angered over all they had done and what they were about to do, and in a mental state such as I had never known before, I cast aside my thirst for water and replaced it with a thirst to be quenched by blood alone – their blood. I hoped a dark hope, far beyond wishing for the simple freedom of my friends. And I imagined the gratification, as though I had a wolf’s jaw. In willful coherence, the SPARX stone opened up to me and offered something more than the mere guiding light provided thus far. She offered me poetic vengeance, and I accepted.
A flash of scorching rays burst forth from the stone, striking down our captors. The guards let loose their grips, and instead grabbed at their own smoldering eye sockets. Marlin’s own eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open. The crystal pulsed as waves of energy passed between us, blackening his shielding arms until they smoldered. He fell to his knees in agony, convulsing. When the stone finally went dark, Marlin’s charred body dropped. His blackened head dunked into the cold seawater.
Screams of horror erupted from the audience. Many shielded their eyes or looked away in fright. Some ducked behind the stands. Blank faces stared in disbelief, unable to fully comprehend what just happened. Holly and Bobbin were spared the touch of the intense light. The strike had been as precise as it was crippling. Only the guards and Lord Marlin had been affected.
Free at last, Bobbin pulled the gag out of his mouth, wriggled a hand loose, and undid the bonds on his feet – just in time. He leapt at another guard charging at us from the back passage. The portly Pip barreled into him straight on. His pudgy little hands gripped the guard by the neck. The two toppled into one of the pools and disappeared into its scintillating depths.
I undid the bonds on Holly’s hands. She pulled the gag out of her mouth and squatted next to Marlin’s remains to untie the rope binding her feet. “Lookout!” she said. “More guards!”
“And we’re out of Bobbins to hurl at them,” I replied. In all seriousness, the young Pip had bought us a few precious moments at a critical time.
Without the cloak, a clean escape was impossible. I had only my wits and the stone. I searched for dark thoughts – they came easy. I allowed them to coalesce. The chamber began to flicker. I allowed them to consume me. It went completely black.
Gasps arose from the audience and wild speculations circulated among the commotion. “She’s come for us all,” some said, and “A demon is among us,” said others. I reached for Holly. She was crouched over Marlin.
“Come with me,” I said, and took her by the hand. Together we fled to the boardwalk, relying on our keen memories when we got there to navigate along it. We made it as far as the arch, then slammed square into someone blocking our way. I immediately thought of the giant that had discovered me in the first place. The impact knocked us flat on our backs.
I lost concentration. The darkness lifted. The fire of the arch burned up bright in front of us, casting an eerie, orange glow over the depictions of horror and gore painted on the stadium walls. They seemed to come alive in all the mayhem, as if they had found their place. I felt as though the eyes of History kept watch as the events unfolded.
My own eyes met those of the fiends that blocked our way. Terror gripped me by the throat and squeezed the air right out of my lungs.
Wraiths loomed over us like black, crooked towers. I saw in their eyes and hateful expressions the utter emptiness of heart and foulness of soul that can only come by forsaking all that is good. I do not know where they came from or how they got there, but there they were. We scrambled backwards and then to our feet. But before we could retreat to the main stage, yet another wraith moved to block passage that way – the slave master himself. The only way out was the inlet, where the White Whale lurked.
Over the mayhem, Bobbin’s voice called out. He had popped his head out of the pool. “Hey ‘Bones,’” he said to the wraith leader. The wraith turned his head to look. Bobbin waved his hands hysterically. “Over here! Sorry I missed your funeral.” The Pip hadn’t seen what the wraiths were capable of. He didn’t know what he was dealing with.
Holly and I used the distraction to edge our way along the boardwalk, back towards the main stage. When the two closest wraiths came for us, Holly stopped them dead in their tracks. Her voice rang out, defiant.
“Dare me,” she said.
Holly had reacquired her SPARX stone from Lord Marlin’s burnt corpse. She dangled the pendant above her head and stared down the advancing wraiths. The stone was at its brightest. She put on a convincing act.
It was a stand-off.
“Get them!” said the slave master, no longer concerned about Bobbin. I heard a splash as the Pip dove underwater.
“We have them now,” he continued, mocking us with his wicked grin.
Death hung in a droplet of time.
Without warning, a buzzing sound filtered into the stadium. Whether it startled the wraiths, or whether they thought it was a message from the White Whale, I will never know. But all of them stopped what they were doing and fixed their eyes seaward.
Seizing the opportunity, I grabbed Holly by the hand. Our eyes met, and a kind of dare passed between us. Together, we ran and took a wild leap over open water from the boardwalk to the stage, bypassing the slave master blocking our way. It was a long jump, even by Pip standards. He glanced back at us over his shoulder. Pure bewilderment washed over his cadaverous face.
The buzzing grew louder and louder into a deep, resonating drone that echoed throughout the chamber. Something was coming. Screams arose
from the remaining show-goers as they scrambled for the doors with a renewed sense of urgency, pushing and shoving and trampling over one another as they fought for position. The dwarf tried to calm people down, but was overwhelmed. The leviathan, well into the cove, stopped to raise his ghostly horns. He oriented them out to sea.
From across dim waters, a dark cloud raced for the shore. Its swirling mass arced up at the mouth of the cove and poured through the arch – chaos on black wings.
Young cloakers – the face suckers – swarmed the stadium like bats, so thick they blocked much of the light. Those still trying to get out were sent into full hysteria, and even the wraiths were swarmed. A large cloaker swooped down out of the dark heights directly at the wraith commander. To his credit, the slave master did not yield, but snarled and stood his ground, batting the smaller cloakers aside as he prepared for the larger assault and readied an impaling swing. But the swooping cloaker contorted his body around the weapon’s blow and knocked the wraith into the cove. The wraith commander flailed and thrashed about furiously in the water.
With barely a passing thought, I willed the water in the cove to swirl again, whisking the wraith away.
A dozen cloak riders dropped out of the swarm. Mounted by Bound Ones, they swooped down this way and that, causing more and more panic and mayhem. The cloak riders showed no mercy for nobles and guards alike. Even the bystanders were not spared – a cloud of smaller face suckers broke off and flew through the stands, latching on where they might.
The larger beasts clutched guards in their claws and carried them up, screaming, then dropped them to smash upon the stone floor of the stadium. Lord Rhyale drew his fine rapier to fend them off – more suitable for ornamentation than real battle – and stabbed at his darting enemies. The Red Maidens and a handful of nobles mounted a coordinated defense, clustering into a tight group high in the stands, poking at the cloakers with polearms and spears as they drew near. But most of the high-born ducked down where they could, or massed against the clogged exits with the Harrowian commoners. Some escaped past the arch, only to find themselves blanketed by face suckers.
SPARX Incarnation: Order of the Undying (SPARX Series I Book 2) Page 25
