Realm Wraith

by T. R. Briar

  “Let go of him!” Rayne shouted, grabbing at the scaly body with his hand. The startling electric sensation he felt as he touched it forced him to let go. The coils loosened, and he wasted no time grabbing Gabriel by the legs and yanking him forward. The snake hissed, baring long fangs the size of swords, eyes empty and cold.

  “Run!” Rayne screamed, pulling Gabriel forward. The latter followed, stumbling over his own feet. They could barely see each other in the thick fog, and to Rayne, Gabriel appeared as a dark shape in a sea of clouds. Still more snakes materialized, beasts so large there seemed no end to their long bodies. Rayne looked straight into their empty eyes, and saw within them a hunger that made his blood run colder than it already did. He backed closer to the trees, afraid to break eye contact with those Stygian rifts. His hand still clutched Gabriel’s arm, so he tugged him along. They’d almost reached the trees. Great trunks towered high above them, littered with rotting branches and black bark, but they seemed climbable.

  “Get up there!” he ordered. Gabriel wasted no time, gripping the decaying bark and hoisting himself upwards. Once he’d climbed up a ways Rayne followed, grasping rough tree trunk in his hands. The fog around them was twice the height of a person, but soon Gabriel had climbed free of its influence, and Rayne was getting close to the top as well.

  Another serpent broke from the fog, its head rising through the mist to eye level with Rayne. Startled, he lost his grip on the side of the tree and plummeted downward.

  “Mercer!” he heard Gabriel shriek. “Get back here! Don’t you dare leave me alone up here!”

  He fell flat on his back, and for once the landing sent painful shockwaves through him. It felt like he’d landed on something bulky that had shifted his back into a bad position. As he struggled to rise back up, the same snake charged towards him, and he frantically grabbed it by the jaw before it bit his head off. He tried to push it away, and couldn’t help finding himself making eye contact with the creature again. A moment of stillness passed between them, and the creature ceased its struggles for only a moment. This was followed by a massive wave of disorientation, and Rayne felt as if he stood not in one place, but everywhere all at once, seeing many things through many viewpoints, including himself, standing there. The moment passed, and he found himself once again staring at the giant snake, holding its jaws a breath away from himself. The sense of fear and impending doom began to fade as he stood, facing his enemy eye to pit, and he felt a slight confidence stirring. He continued to maintain his defensive grip with one hand, fumbling with the other toward the tree, where he felt the rough, coarse wood of a stray branch in his hand. He snapped it off and whipped his arm backwards.

  “Leave me alone!”

  With a scream, he struck the monstrosity with all the force he could muster. The strength of his blow brought on a rush of bewilderment, a dizzying sensation he suppressed beneath pure adrenaline. The snake glared at him as it reared back shrieking and, with a loud roar, it vanished into the dissipating fog.

  Rayne collapsed onto his back, only this time nothing on the ground obstructed him, just smooth rocky earth. The black rain continued to fall, splashing on his face, and he began laughing the maddened laugh of a man whose life no longer made sense. He wondered how much more sanity he had to lose.

  The clacking of Gabriel’s feet hitting the earth did not distract Rayne at all, his focus still lost. He barely even noticed him.

  “I did it,” he gasped. “It’s gone now.”

  He felt Gabriel’s confused stare upon him. “Mercer, what’s going on? What was that?”

  Of course his first question wasn’t concern for his companion’s well-being. Still on his back, Rayne rolled his head to the side.

  “That thing attacked me before. Whatever it is, it uses the mist to hide, and strikes with its heads.”

  “Its heads? Then, it’s just one monster?”

  “I think so. It’s hard to see anything but I caught a glimpse. They’re all part of one body.”

  Gabriel flopped over onto the dirt. “Darrigan lied. He said we’d be safe here.”

  “He said no such thing. He said we’d be safer. As in, relative to everywhere else.”

  “Quit making excuses! That thing almost killed us! He probably sent it to get rid of us for him. I think you’re right, he is harmless alone, but I bet he has demon friends that’d be more than happy to eat us.”

  “I’m not making excuses! That monster just shows up where it pleases! The first time it attacked me was in a completely different place. Darrigan probably didn’t know.”

  “What don’t I know?”

  Rayne sensed flowing robes of dusty smoke beside him, and there waited Darrigan, leading a shaking Apolleta.

  “He found you,” Rayne said. She nodded, happy to see him.

  “This creature came out of nowhere,” she gasped. “He said you sent him to find me. Then he grabbed me. I thought I was gonna die but he brought me here. I’m so relieved!”

  “How convenient.” Gabriel glared at Darrigan, venom in his words. “You show up after we’re safe from danger.”

  “Oh my, did something happen?” Darrigan spoke with both insincerity and surprise. “You look all right to me.”

  “You sent that monster, didn’t you? The thing inside the fog.”

  “I don’t control any monsters, mortal. Especially not creatures of the fog. This place is neutral territory free from any ruling god. Because there’s no overlords, it’s a gathering place for all manner of foul beings.”

  “You said we’d be safe here!” Gabriel wagged his fingers in Darrigan’s direction.

  “I said you’d be safer. As in, relative to anyplace else,” Darrigan snorted.

  Rayne felt Gabriel’s glare upon him again.

  Darrigan continued to speak, oblivious to their interaction. “There is no ‘safe’ place in the Abyss. This place is neutral ground, furthest away from any single god’s influence. The creatures out here are mere dregs, but they are still quite lethal. If you truly want to be safe, then you have to find redemption, so you never have to return.” He thought a moment. “Though I suppose if you somehow gained an Abyss Lord’s favor, you’d receive their protection. Their realm would become a safe haven for you. Assuming they don’t betray you the first chance they get. And of course, you’d never find redemption.”

  “Ally with a demon god?” Gabriel remarked. “You can do that?”

  “That sounds like a terrible idea,” said Rayne.

  “Well, if there was no hope of redemption, it’d be a way to keep us safe.” Gabriel tried to appear disinterested, but he seemed to be pondering the possibility.

  “It’s foolish. I’m not selling myself to an idea like that.”

  “I didn’t say we should, I just said the option’s out there. We may have no choice if we want to survive.”

  “Who are these demon gods?” Apolleta asked. She still seemed intimidated by the demonic presence near her. “Are you a—”

  “No, he’s not,” interrupted Gabriel. “He’s just some scavenger who steals people’s souls.”

  A sharp, glinting blade pressed against Gabriel’s neck. “What did I tell you about watching what you say?” Darrigan asked. He turned his leer towards Apolleta. “They are the overlords of this universe, and its creators. They are the Abyss, and the Abyss is them.”

  “Wh-what are they like?”

  “I’d like to know too.” Gabriel pushed Darrigan’s blade away from him.

  “I’m only telling because she asked, not you,” Darrigan retorted. “There are seven of them, all very powerful, chaotic beings. Most mortals have a difficult time even standing in their presence. Each rules over a different arena within the Abyss, separated by neutral areas like this barren wasteland we’re in now. These worlds suit their ruler’s nature, and they’re places of punishment for mortals who come here. ”

  “So who are they?” asked Gabriel.

  Rayne wasn’t quite as interested in hearing about a
ny of this, but with Gabriel and Apolleta already intrigued, he resigned himself and sat down to listen. He found the remains of the tree branch he’d used to strike the snake demon, and picked it apart in his idle hands.

  “First off there’s Othgar, the glutton lord. That’s where we were yesterday, with all the bity mouths. Picture a warped blob of flesh whose existence makes a mockery of what a biological organism should look like, with thousands of mouths, and you’ve got an idea of what sort of creature he is. And you, woman, I found you wandering around Azaznir’s domain. He’s the flame lord, a skeletal beast who personifies burning fire. Then there’s Tyris, the wind queen. Rayne just came crashing through her domain. There’s no ground there; she keeps the damned inside twisted little contraptions for her amusement. She is a many-armed goddess with a great lust for pleasure. Not your pleasure, of course. Hers.”

  Rayne winced, suddenly glad he hadn’t encountered her.

  “Let’s see, there’s Jigoruk, the wealthy one, he’s this poisonous stone beast with a mountain of rare treasure—touch it, and his venom turns you into a statue, and you get to be part of his collection. Ballijeran, the swarming. Imagine trillions of creepy crawly creatures under a singular mind; that’s her. And finally there’s Kaledris, lady of the trees. Nobody knows much about her; she hides deep beneath the earth, and an entire forest grows from her body.”

  “See, none of these sound like creatures I’d want to ally with.” Continuing to pick apart at the branch, Rayne’s hands paused for a minute. “Wait, ‘finally?’ That’s only six.”

  “There is no seventh. His realm is ruled by Tomordred, the great hell beast. He viciously attacks any who tread on his former master’s lands, and does not listen to reason. With no god to keep him in line, he cannot be persuaded to see us as anything but an enemy.”

  “So that’s why you didn’t want me to stay there,” it finally dawned on Rayne, as Darrigan had mentioned Tomordred’s name once before.

  “He rules over an endless ocean that’s said to have no bottom, filled with the damned. Beyond this sea lies a great field of ice where many more are eternally frozen. Tomordred stalks across this realm, seeking out intruders that threaten his solitude, and eating them.”

  Rayne stood up after putting the broken branch down. “As I thought, none of these seem like beings we should be associating with. I think it’s better that we understand why we’re here and try to atone.”

  “But I keep telling you! I haven’t done anything wrong!” protested Apolleta.

  “Same here! Everything I’ve done is justified!” added Gabriel.

  “We’ve all done something wrong! I know I have,” Rayne said. “I just can’t remember what it is.”

  “How convenient.”

  “At least I’m not in denial!” Rayne snapped back. “What is ‘justified?’ You mean you just bend your mind in all sorts of acrobatics to rationalize everything you do? Obviously you know you did something wrong or you wouldn’t be here!”

  “Maybe it is a mistake,” Apolleta suggested. “Maybe there was some kind of miscommunication. Someone else was supposed to come here instead of us.”

  “Do you really believe that?” Rayne asked.

  “I’ve done nothing wrong!”

  A dry, gurgling sound covered the end of Apolleta’s words, and she clapped a hand over her mouth and looked around.

  “Was that you?” Rayne asked

  “No,” she stammered.

  “Then something else—” Rayne glanced around. He saw nothing on the barren magenta landscape. His eyes darted to the side, towards the trees standing there. “Come out!” he called.

  The branches rustled, not by wind, but by pressed force as something moved out from behind them.

  “Another monster,” Gabriel spat.

  This creature was very small, hunched over and pitiful, its body white as dust, and nearly naked. It had a human-like shape, two legs, two arms, and a head, though its limbs were long and misshapen. It had no hair, and tattered rags covered its body in places. The face was the most inhuman aspect. There were no eyes, only black craters where eyes would normally be. Its barely visible nose pressed down flat against its face, and the faint remnant of a mouth had been sewn shut, rendering the creature unable to speak. Instead, it made horrific gurgles as it stared at them with empty sockets.

  “That’s not a demon,” concluded Rayne. “It’s too pitiful. This is a soul.”

  “In neutral territory?” asked Darrigan. “That seems unlikely.”

  Only Rayne had the nerve to approach the creature. He bent down to study it. It reached for him, but there wasn’t the same mindlessness. The face turned to him, sightless, eyeless sockets aware of him.

  “Can you understand me?” he whispered. “Even if you cannot see me, can you hear me?”

  The creature nodded, continuing to make gurgling noises.

  “You said Realm Wraiths who have been here for a long time become less human, yet still maintain their awareness, right?” Rayne asked of the reaper.

  “That is correct.”

  “Then this—no, she—” He could see they were a woman— “She’s like us. She still has awareness.”

  He heard a disgusted snort, and knew it was Gabriel even without turning around. Apolleta fidgeted uncomfortably, but her face held more surprise and fear than abject hatred.

  “This could be us someday,” Rayne continued. “You shouldn’t act like that.”

  Apolleta looked down, ashamed, but Gabriel did not change his stance or his facial expression.

  “He’s right, that is indeed a Realm Wraith,” said Darrigan. “Very advanced. Probably been coming here for years.”

  Rayne clasped her outstretched hand in his. It felt warm, a human warmth, something ebbing from his own soul. She also felt very wet, and there was a looseness to her muscles, like handling a soggy bag of oats.

  “Rayne what are you doing?” asked Apolleta

  “She’s one of us. We have to help her.”

  “But she can’t even speak. She can’t tell us anything, so how can we even help her?”

  “We’ll find a way to understand her.”

  As he held her limp hand in his, it passed through him, fading in existence.

  “You see?” he said. “She’s fading. She must be waking up.” He stared at the blank face and empty eyes. “It’s all right. We’ll find you again.”

  Rayne thought he saw tears streaming down her face as she vanished.

  “You’re too sentimental,” Gabriel scoffed.

  “Shut it. That’s going to be you eventually.”

  Gabriel’s expression changed to worry. Without thinking he reached towards the gash on his forehead, below the falling out patches of hair.

  “She looked so awful,” Apolleta said. “I don’t want to end up like that.”

  “Then you should figure out what you did wrong,” Rayne said.

  “That’s cold.”

  He ignored her and walked away.

  “Mercer where are you going?” Gabriel yelled out to him.

  “It doesn’t matter,” he mumbled. “I’ll be awake soon. There’s no longer any danger.”

  He didn’t say that he wished to be alone. He wanted to remember what he’d forgotten, but it was difficult, surrounded by people who refused to believe they’d done anything wrong. Now that Apolleta was with the group, he felt less of an obligation. He’d helped her as he’d promised. If she wouldn’t move further than that, it wasn’t his concern.

  Already his body was fading, being pulled from this world. He welcomed it, as anyplace was better than here. He glanced around the wasteland with half-lidded eyes, mulling over Gabriel’s idea that they ally themselves with a demon god. He had no desire to serve a higher being like that, but he did wish to be in a place other than the barren wastes of these neutral lands.

  His legs gone, he hovered above the land now, his body continuing to fade. He watched the land pass by him. Even as reality drew him away from the
Abyss, he felt the place he now stood shifting, as he fell through realms far past the neutral territory, and worlds passed him by in an instant. As his existence faded away he saw that same eternal ocean, before everything finally went black. Yet as he vanished from the world, he couldn’t help but feel something watching from the shadows. A great eye, leveled upon him, eying his soul like a feast.

  * * *

  Upon waking, Rayne spoke very little to both David and Levi. He moved himself to the living room and transplanted himself back onto the couch to watch television. They both seemed to sense something was wrong, but then, that was becoming normal.

  The phone rang multiple times during the morning, David answering each time, up until he had to leave for work. It was Gabriel, trying to get through to Rayne, but Rayne wasn’t interested in speaking with him any more than he had to, so he’d repeatedly told David to get rid of him, and stop trying to make him pick up the phone. Eventually, the calls stopped, and Rayne felt he could finally relax.

  He tried to enjoy his free time, but it wasn’t easy. He felt so tired, even though he’d only recently awakened. He was almost tempted to fall asleep again, to leave this world behind. An escape from oppressive reality, he rationalized. He was gripped by powerlessness in both worlds, but at least in the dream, he felt confident. In the dream, the rules didn’t matter. But he also knew the more often he returned, the deeper that realm would suck him in, the more twisted and unrecognizable his form would become, and the closer he’d slip towards insanity.

  He felt Darrigan’s presence before he even heard or saw him. It was familiar now, and it stood out, as he was not a creature of this world.

  “Get out of my living room,” Rayne growled. “I’m in no mood to talk right now.”

  “You really are rude. How did you know I was here?”

  “You’re too obvious. And who else would it be?”

  “I thought you’d be happy to see me. And it’s not like I brought Gabriel along with me.”

  “I know Gabriel’s awake. What about Apolleta?”