The Call of Kerberos

by Jonathan Oliver

  On seeing his wife's injuries anger boiled up in Silus. With a yell he put all of his strength behind his next attack. He could see himself in the pitch-black orbs of the thing's eyes as he leaned in close, the tip of his blade catching in a gap between scales. For a second Silus thought that the flesh there was too tough to penetrate, but then there was a sound like lobster claws cracking and the creature howled in pain. But before he could withdraw his blade, Silus's head was caught in the creature's claws and he went over with it as it fell.

  They landed heavily in the street, Silus sprawled across its body. Hot, sour breath blasted into his face as the creature increased its grip and began to speak.

  The words were guttural, harsh and not in a language that he understood. Silus fought to pull away but the pressure on his skull increased. The pain that arced between his ears was worse than anything he had ever experienced and he let out a keening wail, not quite believing that such a sound could be coming from him. The darkness that crowded his vision streamed from the creature's eyes and into his. The thing's words were clearer now and, just before Katya plunged her sword into its left eye socket, two broke through Silus's darkening consciousness.

  "Half-breed."

  The creature's arms fell away, releasing Silus's head. Katya helped him to his feet and he staggered a little, almost losing his balance as he pulled his sword free of the corpse.

  "Are you okay?" He said, seeing the blood running down Katya's face.

  "For now, but if we stay here we'll die."

  "I'm sure that the Nürn guard will have at least started to drive them back." But he wasn't, especially not when he remembered how Officer Springer had been kneeling in the road. "I love you Katya. We'll get through this. Come on, we don't have far to go."

  It was hard to see what was going on as they emerged into the open space before the harbour. The smoke was so thick in places that it obscured the fighting and the glare from the flames made it difficult to make out much more than the gleam of steel and the shine of wet scales. Three of the Nürn guard were squaring up against one of the creatures beside a nearby warehouse. Silus saw the short work that was made of the men - their blood arcing high up the planks of the building - and prayed that the creature didn't turn their way.

  It didn't. Instead it cocked its head to one side as though it were listening to something and then loped off into the smoke.

  Silus pushed Katya to the ground as the whoosh of a blade cutting through the air came perilously close. But no attacker barrelled from the smoke and he saw only a confusion of shadows as they got to their feet.

  One of the shadows stumbled into Katya and Silus was just in time to block the sword that swung towards his wife. Officer Stinton glared hatred at him before he realised that what he was seeing was not one of the demons from the sea.

  Silus gently lowered Stinton's blade with the flat of his palm. "Easy. Easy. We're comrades not enemies."

  The guard was covered in blood but most of it was not his own. The only wound that he seemed to have sustained was a long ragged gash on his left thigh. In his eyes, however, was a look that had gone beyond battle rage and into something that Silus didn't think the guard would ever recover from. He knew that look well. His uncle was a veteran of the last war between Vos and Pontaine and he had that self-same stare.

  "Officer Stinton, we need to get to the Ocean Lily." Silus said. "There's no way that Nürn can hold out against these things. If we can get to Vosburg we can come back with reinforcements."

  Officer Stinton didn't seem to be listening, unable to take his eyes off Katya. "I almost killed you."

  "Samuel, it's fine." Katya put a hand on his shoulder. "You didn't know. But we need you now. All three of us."

  The guard looked at the mound of her belly and, seeming to realise what a fragile position Katya was in, came back to them a little.

  And then there was a sudden stench and the sound of scale on stone as four sea demons stepped out of the smoke to surround them.

  Running at the creature nearest to Katya, Officer Stinton swung his sword, connecting with the thing's side and carving a gash that ran with oily, black blood.

  The creature staggered into one of its comrades, but its reach was long and it tore into Stinton's sword arm. Despite his wounds the guard retaliating with a cry, hacking at the creature again and again until its guts were coiling down around its legs. Finally the pain overcame him and he dropped his weapon.

  Katya stepped forward to finish the beast that had attacked Officer Stinton, ducking as it made a grab for her, driving her blade up into its throat.

  Silus shot her a warning glance to stay out of reach as he took down another of the creatures. He was surprised at the ease with which it fell and he wondered why the guards hadn't had more success against the sea demons. As he squared up against another of them it seemed almost reluctant to strike, instead backing towards its brethren.

  They showed no such reluctance when it came to Officer Stinton.

  He tried to reach for his sword, but was stopped when a taloned fist punched deep into his sternum. He was dead before he hit the ground. Katya cried out and swung at the creature but overbalanced with her attack, and soon the thing stood looking down at her.

  Silus was too slow to prevent his wife from being grabbed and now the fight was on a different footing. The two remaining creatures watched him, unblinking, making no move to finish what they had started. Around them the sounds of battle had stopped. The smoke was beginning to clear as a strong wind came in off the sea, revealing the smouldering ruins of buildings and corpses.

  "Let her go!" Silus yelled. "I know that you can understand me, one of you spoke to me. I'm telling you to let her go!"

  The sound of a staff tapping out a regular rhythm approached them as another of the sea demons stepped into view.

  Though this one was larger than its brethren it was stooped, its hide was tarnished and encrusted in places with barnacles and other molluscs. One of its eyes was a milky white and scars criss-crossed its chest as though it had faced battle many times.

  The creature approached Silus, laid a finger on his chest and regarded him intently with its one good eye.

  "What are you?" Silus said.

  "We are the Chadassa." The creature said. Its voice reminded Silus of the sea breaking on shingle. "I am Belck."

  The thing gestured for Katya to be brought forward and crouched down before her, running its hands over her belly, making strange crooning noises at the back of its throat. Some of the molluscs clinging to its hide opened up at the sound of its pleasure. Katya tried to draw away from Belck's touch, but she stopped struggling when her arm was forced further up her back by the Chadassa restraining her.

  Silus rushed Belck then, burning with the desire to cleave the creature's head from its body, but one gesture from Belck's hand halted the fisherman and another sent the sword tumbling from his grip.

  As the aged sea demon straightened and turned to Silus, Katya spat at it. "You touch me like that again and I'll break your neck! Nobody but my husband touches me like that."

  "This man is far more than just your husband. Our blood runs in his veins."

  "Silus is nothing like you freaks. Trust me, when Vos finds out about your little invasion you're going to wish that you had never left the sea."

  "Ah, but with the help of Silus we shall soon leave the sea behind anyway. All of Twilight shall be ours, and then shall come the time of the Great Flood."

  "Listen," Silus said. "I don't know what you're talking about and I'm not about to help you. I've no idea who you think I am."

  "No, you really don't do you? Allow me to offer an explanation."

  Belck stepped in close to Silus. The light of Kerberos faded from the creature's eye as he watched, the darkness intensifying until it was all he could see.

  And then Silus was looking back at Nürn, but it was not the place he knew. The church of the Final Faith did not dominate the town square here and the old stone
forts that dotted the coast no longer looked so old. What had once been crumbling, lichen encrusted brick now looked almost newly laid.

  Silus found himself standing by the rock pools not far from the harbour. In front of him a woman was collecting mussels. He called out to her but she didn't turn round.

  Having filled her pail she turned to leave and, as she did, she failed to spot the thing curled within the deepest of the pools.

  It rose up to meet her as her shadow fell over it.

  The woman screamed and staggered back, dropping her pail as the creature forced her into the sea,

  Silus didn't move but his point of view changed and he found himself following the Chadassa and the woman down beneath the waves.

  She struggled in the creature's grip, thrashing like a caught fish, but the thing didn't let go. It swam with her into a dark gash in the seabed, before surfacing from a pool in the centre of a vast cave.

  The woman was carried through an echoing darkness, illuminated by the glow of thousands of tiny thread-like worms which writhed over the cavern walls. Soon she stopped struggling and lay limply in the creature's arms. Her eyes spoke of the turmoil within, but she made no sound as the creature laid her on a bed of seaweed and cuttlefish bones.

  The Chadassa tore the remains of the woman's clothes away and then unfolded itself and embraced her like an octopus cloaks its prey.

  And now Silus saw her crawling from the sea, sobbing and naked. Blood trickled down her thighs.

  And now he was watching her lying on a bed and he could feel her thoughts as she screamed and sweated, the nuns surrounding and fussing over her urging her to keep pushing. But she didn't want to push and she prayed for death rather than the chance to see whatever foul progeny would emerge from within her.

  When the nun handed her the struggling, mewling thing, however, she didn't hesitate to hold it to her breast, overwhelmed with relief that this tiny creature was a he rather than an it. Silus sensed her fierce resolve as she swore to raise the child as her own, in defiance of that which had been done to her by the creature.

  Silus blinked and he stood before Belck once more.

  "Your ancestor," said Belck. "That child was your great great great grandfather. Our blood has been running in your veins for all these generations. Only now, however, has the line grown strong. You are special, Silus. You belong with us."

  "You're lying." Katya said.

  "No, and Silus knows that I am not."

  Silus did indeed feel that what Belck had shown him was true.

  "Come with us Silus."

  Silus looked at Katya and saw something like despair in her eyes.

  There was a thunderous bang and the air itself seemed to tear as Belck was sent tumbling across the ground. The Chadassa that had been restraining Katya roared in pain, flames erupting from its eye sockets as it cooked from within.

  Silus looked round for the source of the conflagration and was stunned to see Kelos standing at the prow of a small boat, shrouded with arcane energy as it rushed towards the shore. Another burst of that energy erupted from Kelos's palm, hurtling into one of the Chadassa as it flung itself at the mage.

  The creature turned into a fine mist before it could even reach him.

  "Get in!" Kelos yelled.

  Silus grabbed Katya's hand and they ran.

  Behind them, Belck was raising himself to his feet. The gem at the tip of his staff began to glow as he brought it to bear and, at the same time, the ancient creature emitted a sound that made Silus's skull ache.

  A line of fire tore through the air towards them, the intense heat from the attack singeing the hair on the backs of their heads as they tumbled into the boat. Once they were safely on board the boom swung of its own accord and the sails met the wind, pulling them quickly away from the shore.

  Silus turned to see Belck watching and, even from this distance, he could see the reflection of the flames in the creature's one good eye as the town burned.

  The prow of the boat was pointed towards the Sarcre Islands, and Kelos sped them across the water on channels of magic that left a glittering wake.

  "Silus help me."

  It was Katya. She was bent over, intense pain etched onto her face. Blood dotted the deck below her.

  "Silus, I think I'm losing our child."

  Chapter Six

  Katya awoke. Looking at the clock in the corner of the room she saw that it had only just gone eight in the morning, yet it was hot enough to be midday. She felt as though she had drifted through these last three days on Sarcre. Nightmares had painted the gaps between the moments of lucidity with lurid visions of sea creatures and screaming infants. Cradling her belly she was relieved to feel the curve of her flesh unchanged. When a kick responded to her touch she began to cry.

  There was a knock on the door and Silus entered. Three days growth of stubble darkened his already swarthy features and his eyes spoke of a severe lack of sleep. For all that he still managed to show Katya a look of pure love. He kissed her and put a hand on her forehead.

  "No fever it would seem. How are you feeling?"

  "Better. I think we're okay now."

  "Kelos and Father Maylan are mostly to thank for that. Do you feel well enough to join us for breakfast?"

  "I think so."

  Supported by Silus, Katya descended to the parlour. The men gathered around the table - variously eating, arguing and leafing through documents - were mostly unfamiliar to her, though she recognised Kelos as he helped Silus guide her to a chair.

  "Why thank you gentlemen, you're awful kind to a cripple such as myself."

  Kelos blushed. "I didn't for a moment mean to suggest... Why, I've seen you fight!"

  "Sit down, I was joking. I can't thank you enough for all you've done for me. And I apologise for not recognizing you other gentlemen. The last time we met I was in a bit of a state."

  Dunsany introduced Katya to the crew, each met her nod with a smile or a raised hand of greeting. Only Emuel didn't respond. He hadn't spoken to any of them since his vision. This was something that suited the men gathered around the table just fine. Their only hope was that when it came time to leave Sarcre, Emuel would rediscover his voice.

  "Without you, Kelos, we would be dead." Silus said. "But now that Katya has recovered I think that it is time we thought about going home. Nürn will need our help to rebuild."

  "I'm afraid that you'll find Nürn is beyond your help. I returned there myself just yesterday and it would seem that after you fled the creatures took their anger out on the rest of the town."

  "Oh gods!" Katya's grief was sudden and bitter and made the room swim. She leaned into Silus and he put his arm around her. "What were those things?"

  "I'm not sure," Kelos said, "but there were reports of similar creatures launching an attack on the Turnitia docks last month. There the devastation was on a much smaller scale however."

  "And Nürn," Silus said. "What have they done to our town?" Kelos's grave look told him everything he needed to know. "Everyone?"

  Kelos nodded. "As far as I could see."

  Silus and Katya no longer had any family in Nürn. Silus's parents were both dead and Katya's mother lived on her own in Allantia. A severe and bitter split in the family meant that they hadn't spoken in years. However, the loss of their friends and colleagues in Nürn had utterly stunned them and, for a while, they stared at each other in incomprehension, until Silus's anger boiled over.

  "But... What the hells for? Why did those things attack us?"

  "I don't understand it myself, but when I rescued you it appeared that the creatures had come for you specifically."

  "The thing with the staff called me 'half-breed.'"

  Emuel let out a gasp at that and everybody turned to look at him. Though they were braced for a return of the eunuch's visions, none came.

  "Yes, we have heard that term quite recently in fact." Father Maylan said, nervously eyeing Emuel.

  "That tattooed retard practically gave us all
a heart attack screaming about it." Jacquinto said.

  "He does have a name!" Kelos snapped.

  Jacquinto sneered but otherwise held his tongue.

  "Have you any idea what the creature may have meant by 'half-breed'?" Kelos turned his attention back to Silus.

  "It was just evil." Katya said. "Just a creature. It didn't make any sense."

  "The thing showed me a vision. But it may mean nothing. It may just have been leading me along." Silus said.

  "Even so," Dunsany said, "it was something important to them."

  As Silus explained what the thing that called itself Belck had revealed to him, Katya looked at her husband in bemused horror. For the creature to have thought that Silus was one of them was just beyond ridiculous.

  "I must say that it does seem unlikely." Kelos said. "For a start you display none of the traits of these Chadassa."

  "Half man, half fish!" Ioannis laughed. "One tattooed maniac, a renegade priest, two ex-members of the Faith, a pregnant lady and us. Yup, this is far more entertaining than sneaking in crates of booze by dusk."

  "Sorry, but you seem to be presuming that we're part of the crew." Silus said.

  "As Kelos has already pointed out, Katya will be well looked after here on Sarcre and you will be paid handsomely for your time." Dunsany said. "Besides, it is likely that the first expedition will only be for about four weeks. After all, we don't know that there is anything beyond Twilight."

  "Apart from sea demons." Kelos said.

  "Dunsany, have you ever been married?" Katya said. She felt an anger that was threatening to unleash itself on the people surrounding her, but as she spoke to the sailor, her voice was calm and level.

  "The sea is my mistress." Dunsany said.

  "Your right hand is your mistress." Ignacio said and Ioannis slapped the table as he roared with laughter.

  "You men are clearly a bunch of cretins!" Katya shouted. "What you are proposing is not going to be some jolly boy's outing, it is going to be your deaths. Firstly you have the Final Faith on your tail and, secondly, even if you do manage to make it beyond Twilight those sea demons are going to tear you apart."