by Shane Cogan
At first, each step was slow as she moved carefully between the jagged rocks. Missing a step caused another open wound. Don’t look down. Instead, she looked at her feet and hummed to make it easier. It seems a distraction. She walked backwards a few steps and then ran at the ledge and jumped into the air. She screamed and shouted. Whatever was below, I need you now. Then, in the corner of her eye she saw a flying creature. Except this creature’s skin was ruffling in the strong breeze. It has much bigger arms than me. ‘What are you?’ she screamed. But the creature was gone.
Just as Aluum had shouted at the creature, her feet hit the ground. She heard an unfamiliar noise. Rather than shouting she kicked and waved her hands. Down she went. She noticed small bubbles around her feet. Down she went further. Her mouth remained closed. Don’t speak or shout. Her hand clasped her lips. And then it stopped. Her body wobbled and she started to go upwards. She looked around for guidance as she heard bubbles close to her ears. She thought she had seen a shadow beside her. Up she went. She started to kick and wave and then her body stopped its beating and kicking. Aluum felt a gush of cold air on her face. She shouted for the first time, but her breathing was heavy and water spurted from her mouth. She kicked even more. Aluum saw rocks in the distance and she started to kick her feet and move her arms. The rocks came closer. But continued to kick until she reached the large rock’s surface. Climbing up onto its hard grey surface, she collapsed on it. Her body glowed. Just my skin. And no blood. She moved her lips and tongue around. Reaching down she drank some water from her hand. She immediately spat it out. ‘Ahhh. It tastes like the water from my eyes. What are you?’ Silence. Just the splashing of the surface against her body, as she lay on its surface. She watched as the water covered her body and then retreating, leaving her exposed. Again and again.
******
‘Please remain calm,’ Fareth said. He snapped on all the bright lights with a click of his fingers. He ran to the door and checked that the metal coated door was locked and sealed. ‘Nothing can get in here. No being or animal…,’ he said. Someone at the back of the crowd shouted: ‘but those things outside are not Atisian.’ A small male close to the King, with facial hair around his mouth, shouted: ‘they are from the underworld. They are the Kelpie. You said it yourself, Your Majesty. No door, silver, gold, zom or lom will hold those creatures back.’ The King glared back at the hairy man and raised his hands. ‘Calmness is what is needed now. I will call on backup and my brother. We just need to remain where we are until this is resolved,’ Fareth said. He rubbed sweat from his forehead and looked around. But no one else was sweating. A voice in the back of the crowd began to speak slowly. ‘Samarth is in the forest, in the same place that those things came from. You will not be able to reach him.’ ‘Who says such things and how do you know this?’ said Fareth. He looked around but could still not see where the voice was coming from. ‘I know this as it is my job, Your Majesty.’ Wormblack stepped out of the crowd and closer to the King. He was now standing beside the King. ‘Wormblack. Never ever have I been so glad to see a member of the Vanguard, even you. Wormblack gave merely a nod of approval. ‘Please, everyone go about your business. There is plenty of space down here and communication channels to use. Get busy. I need to speak with my council, Wormblack,’ said Fareth calmly.
‘What do you know about the Kelpie?’ he asked Wormblack. They were both seated. Fareth was rubbing his face with oil. Wormblack started to speak. ‘They are what?’ Fareth said, raising his voice. ‘Quiet, my King, or should we more away from the crowd some more?’ said Wormblack. How did you…?’ Wormblack cut him off. ‘That is not important. What are those things outside the solid door?’ he asked. The king frowned and added: “Yes yes…go on.’ ‘The Kelpie are shape shifters from the underworld. They hunt at night. They steal at night. They can only change at night. They only eat at night,’ Wormblack said. Fareth removed a cloth, after wiping his forehead. Drops fell to the floor. Wormblack’s eyes followed the drops. ‘They are of the ancient world. Long before we came to occupy the great planet of Atis…’ But the King interrupted him. ‘Ok. Enough of the history lesson. I need facts. What are they and why are they here?’ Wormblack reached for a glass from his bag. The glass sparkled with blue bubbles as he drank from it. ‘It is said that these creatures are only summoned by an underworld master and will only answer its call and only follow its demands. They can appear as many, like the insects we have seen. Or, more worryingly as one of us and change shape to an Atisian being,’ said Wormblack. ‘Oh, my. We might be in trouble. Just before I reached the door I saw those insects start to morph into another shape. It was of course dark outside. So I could not be sure,’ the King said. ‘And did that thing get inside here with you?’ Wormblack said. He looked around the room and noted a blue light was running across on the walls. He let out a sigh and his face relaxed. ‘No, it was still outside, as I closed that door,’ said the King. He added: ‘But I guess the door is no good as these spirits, these shape shifters, these Kelpie things can move through anything. Correct?’ ‘No. They move from host to host. It’s something to do with our eyes. If they catch a glimpse of you and stare long enough, they can control us. Plus, I note the correct light is running through the basement. They cannot penetrate ultraviolent lights,’ said Wormblack. The King slid back into a seat and let out a long deep exhaled breath and closed his eyes. Wormblack got up from his seat and walked towards a female handing out liquids. And handed it to the King.
The King was tapping his long finger and seated in the basement. His eyes remained closed. Wormblack kept one eye on the King in the corner of the room and motioned his hand, as one male tried to walk towards him. ‘Let our King be. He is in deep thought. I guess he’s communicating with his close circle. Return to the rest of the people,’ Wormblack said. He placed a hand on the male’s shoulder softly. The male blinked his eyes and walked on.
Samarth. I need you. We are in trouble at the palace. The Kelpie are surrounding us. You know what they are. The King’s face was still as he focused on his thoughts and words to that of his brother. Calling on all security staff outside the palace. Come fast. But be cautious. Wear the blue ultra light protector. He tried to contact his brother again. Samarth. We need you back at the palace. I think you are close by. Get in touch before you come home. It’s important.
******
The dark shadow looked around. All he could see was darkness. He removed the hooded cloak from around his head and stepped out of the entire cloak. There was a small nightlight from a nearby willow tree with a swarm of fireflies. It revealed a face with nothing. Its eyes were closed. ‘I must return. They have arrived. My time here must now end,’ the shadow said. ‘Wait,’ a small arm caught the large shadow. The fireflies were dispersed, as darkness took over. ‘You must be careful. It could be a trap….Samarth.’ But he was gone. He was now running through the forest.
C H A P T E R 24
Jackhaw’s
Using both hands, Tiuus dug his fingers deep into the soil to grab its leafy roots. He let out a loud gasp. Each hand gripped at its core, even tighter, his hands turning a light red. He heaved and panted. ‘Move it for all the gods of Atis,’ he said out loud. He released his hands and stood up straight. He wiped his forehead and reached for his water flask. He drank half, before releasing the rest of it over his head. ‘Ahhh. Much better,’ he sighed. He looked at the structure in front of his eyes. The wall is much higher than me. Any visible cracks are all covered in new vegetation. Maybe my directions are all wrong. The branch Tiuus was trying to pull away provided a glimpse of the edge of the gate. Covered in roots, branches and wild slopberries, the entrance was barely visible. He pushed at it again with his shoulder, with its hinges making the slightest of noises against the rough rock. Enough to get one hand through, but I have to move that large branch first. If I can snap the top half, it might budge.
Again, Tiuus placed his huge shoulders on the root and heaved. Harder. His face turned a bright red. Sweat was fa
lling from his chin. ‘Harder,’ he shouted out. His boots began to slip as he pushed on the roots main lifeline. It still would not budge. Firmer. He forced all his upper body onto it. Focus on all your minds energy on it. Concentrate. Ever so slightly, he heard a faint scrapping noise. The roots are weakening. Harder. A loud sharp crunching noise echoed around him, as the upper root broke free. His right foot slipped backwards, as the root gave way. It worked. He stood up. He moved the root away from the door and piled his shoulder on the large door. One last push. The hinges roared. They frayed open. My weight was too much for such an old door. He stepped through its opening.
On the other side Tiuus viewed a path clearer than the one before the door. More forests and more challenges ahead. He walked on. He thought back to the ice dog incident in his mind. It had been a week since he had left the little folk people’s house. We departed on good terms, but Tobo was concerned after the ice dog incident. He recalled his final words. ‘While I am forever grateful for you saving us, they will come back. They want you. Not us. You killed the leader of its pack. They will want their blood revenge. This is a sad fact, my friend.’ Tobo was clear to Tiuus. His mind wandered to the goodbyes to the kids. ‘What the…?’ Tiuus shouted as his right foot hit a large rock. Lost in my thoughts, I had forgotten to focus on the task ahead. ‘Stay in the present. Not the past,’ he yelled out. The forest trees nodded their swaying branches in reply. He tried to whistle for some birds. None replied. There was no other noise. Very odd. All of the wildlife is silent. He took a short rest on a small wall. He removed a jagged one on to the side. He let out a sigh of relief and pulled his right hand over to his left shoulder. He felt a hard lump. He massaged it for a while and stretched his left arm. He drank the last of the water from the bottle he had refilled at the last water pond. I need to find more water. He pulled out a piece of paper from his small backpack. It was a rough sketch. ‘Tobo’s map skills are worse than mine,’ he whispered as he smiled. He read the words written under the rough map and laughed. He turned it to face north and looked at that surrounding landscape. He nodded and put it back in the bag.
I feel I am on the right path; on the right direction. His last conversation with the family had again been about the Naiads. He looked up at the sky, as he thought about their name. He focused his eyes on the track ahead. In the distant, the sky was blue and less cloudy. Underneath he thought he seen the flat area. Could that be where these water Naiads creatures are? He recalled Tobo had said, ‘when the great Glow Mountain gives you a gap, like the weather, they have the power to change the landscape and with it the shape of our mountain. That is where you will find the Naiads.’ The words were echoing in his head. He looked again to the distant, just before clouds covered its secret, once more. ‘It has to be there,’ he said. He began to walk faster. Daylight was coming to an end and I need to find safe shelter soon.
A bird swooped close to Tiuus as his steps began to turn into sprints. Oh, a Jackhaw. Another Jackhaw bird swopped closer. ‘Strange, as no other birds had appeared to me until now,’ he said slightly panting. The bird let out a long squelching sound. Tiuus stopped quickly and placed both hands to his ears. The birds continued to make more noise and swoop down on the Manith. He looked up and saw that more had joined the initial two creatures. Tiuus began to run. Focus and run. He ran faster. He saw a gap in the forest and ran for a thick bush. There many birds now all piercing the air with their ringing sound. He glanced up. There are more in the air. One of the birds managed to hit Tiuus. He grabbed his neck where the creature had hit him and seen the blood on his hand. He reached the large bush and jumped under it for cover. It was a tight squeeze, as the bush cracked and crunched as he forced his way in deeper. He stopped and lay flat under its thick undergrowth. It was still daylight and Tiuus could see the birds trying to land on the ground and get under the bush. Tiuus had closed the entrance he made under the bush. The birds began to land close to the bottom of the bush and pick at it. Tiuus placed both hands on his ears. Their noise is deafening. What are they? He could see numerous bird beaks pecking at the soil around the bush. I’m surrounded. Be quiet and the birds will get bored. But the noise remained and he covered his ears.
The light was beginning to fade rapidly. I’ve lost count of the time. Focus your breath on the heartbeat and the mind on a game. Count. 1,2,3,4… He removed his hands from his ears. He looked around him and moved his body slightly. I know that noise. A slopberry bush. He felt dried berries all around his body. He rubbed his face and fresh red smudges greeted his eyes. He licked its juices. But the birds are not eating the berries. None of them attempted to eat them. Instead they are focused on me. A different noise. There it is again. Tiuus re-focused. He stopped shuffling his body around and listened. The bird’s noises are fading away. But not the new noise. He tiled his head slightly to pull the smallest hanging branches in front of his face apart. Dusk has arrived. A flash of light ripped through the fading light and close to the bush. He let go of the parted branches, slowly. It was getting closer. The birds are making a new noise. Scattered, but less frequent. Maybe now is a good time to run, as the birds are distracted. But then the light and new noises were upon him again.
He heard female voices. And the birds are calming down. Tiuus remained still and placed one hand over his mouth and closed his eyes. He took a long, deep breath. Keep your body still. He removed the hand from his ears and heard that the voices were muffled. The birds were no longer making a sound. He heard some light chatter, but could make out a few soft words and he saw the light coming closer to the bush area. He held his breath, as an insect was crawling across his face and he let it move around freely. The yellow light beam hits the bush without hitting the Manith’s body under the bush. He could see the yellow beam hit the soil around the bush and he thought he could make out a pair of feet under its light. He heard a voice and then another, so stretched his ears towards the sound. Still muffled. Tiuus ever so quietly tried to listen closer to make out the voices. Still lowered. Then the light came closer to the bush and he heard some footsteps, with a crunching sound under one of the feet. The light was close to his body and he held his breath, as he heard the other voice say something. There are lights now. ‘What do you think the birds were after?’ one voice said. ‘They are fishbirds. And they are way off their hunting area,’ the other voice replied. ‘Fishbirds belong to…’ ‘Wait,’ the other voice said. Both voices are females. ‘We should leave, as our nemesis will be out soon. If the Manith man is around, then he will fall under its spell. We need to return. The fishbirds have already gone home to our mistress,’ one voice said, its tone soft with each word spoken delicately. ‘And what of the little girl from the family that helped the Manith?’ the voice said, its voice harsher with laughter. Some more lights brushed the edge of the bush. Tiuus’s ears were alert, but his body remained still. More laughter. ‘Well, we killed most of them. And the little one won’t survive much longer,’ the other voice said. The voices became more muffled as the light beams faded. Tiuus heard a buzzing noise fill the air and then silence. Tiuus did not move. I need to sense outside the bush. Nothing. Just silence. No birds nor the females with lights. He shuffled out of the bush. Some branches caught his legs and arms. His trousers being ripped open by one branch on the bush. He felt its grazing on his leg. He pulled free and gasped at the air outside. He rolled onto dry land. He pulled himself up and brushed off the bush particles from his clothes. He wiped his hands over his face. The juices mingled with the dirt on his face and his eyes began to pour. He fell to his knees and placed his hands on his wet face.
C H A P T E R 25
Vufus
Samarth continued to pound on the door. Nothing. There are too many internal doors leading to the basement. It would be near impossible to hear anyone knocking. I’ve not heard again from Fareth, since I last heard his voice in the forest. Samarth had reached the palace, only to find it empty. Looking around again, the place was deserted, with no one or nothing around. The logica
l next place must be the basement. ‘It must have been an attack of sorts, but by whom?’ he asked as he walked away from the large black door he has been banging on. He looked at that door. It was reinforced with special metal bars, with electric pulses. Electrified, sturdy and solid. It appeared nothing had broken in or out? He walked around the courtyard and felt the early sun on his back. He walked towards an outline of debris at the main gates. Upon reaching it, he saw its charred outline. A skeleton. Not one, but three or four skeletons. Clean to the bone. Not a sign of flesh or blood, as if it had been stripped or cleaned away by something lethal. He half turned away, took a breath and held his stomach in.
He saw a necklace around the neck on one of the skeletons. Its interconnecting links no longer silver in colour but black and carbonised. He reached for the stone, turned its charred inner green colour over in his hand and read its words. He held his hands in front of his face and closed his eyes, his lips parting ever so slightly. He opened his eyes and walked away. Samarth walked to the palace’s main foyer. His feet crunched under him. He kicked the broken glass away with his boot. Looking around, he viewed the damage. Pictures had been ripped off the walls. Even the ancient statute of the founder of the Tarracullan in ruins. He shook his head. Yet no Atisians. No males. No females. Nothing. Just broken items. I have to get that basement door open. Fareth must be down there. He ran up the flight of stairs, skidding off some of the marble steps, his boots struggling to gain a grip. All around him, he saw damage. Whatever had attacked the palace had intended to damage every part of the building.
