The muck and grime sloshed around as she army-crawled through the tight space. The farther she went, the deeper it got, and the narrower the space became.
Maria felt like phantom hands were wrapped around her neck, choking her into unconsciousness.
Gotta keep going. No turning back now.
Mostly because she couldn’t.
The space was far too small for her to turn around. The only way to get back to the main sewer tunnel would be to crawl backward. She didn’t quite like the idea of being that particular tunnel’s personal mop. Her clothes were beyond ruined enough as it was.
Maybe I can find another way to the tunnels without getting noticed. I’m sure I can; I mean, I’m magic after all. If it comes down to it, I’ll just kick more of those Dragon Tongue’s asses. Huh…Dragon Tongue’s asses…somehow that sounds wildly inappropriate.
She thought she saw something moving in the distance so she halted, focusing her magical energy into the light emanating from her hands. She pushed herself to glow brighter and felt the energy drain from her body. The rules of her magic use were slowly becoming apparent to her. The more intense her magic, the faster it burned away, like a flash fire—as quickly as it started, it put itself out.
The brighter light didn’t help much—all she saw was about fifty feet more of the tunnel and foul-smelling muck. But she did manage to see a dead end of brick, shiny with grime.
“That’s it. Time to go back.”
She let the magic simmer, causing the light to dampen, and began to crawl backward. The muck now went up her pant legs. It was freezing cold and lumpy, like clay. Maria shuddered and tried her best not to think about it.
Then she saw something move.
Oh God, please don’t let that be a rat…or a Raffin. Not here, not now.
She lit up again, and saw the eyes of some creature in the distance. The two circles shone like gold coins caught in the blazing sunlight.
“Hello?” Maria said.
Talking to sewer creatures. What has my life come to?
But these didn’t seem like the eyes of any ordinary sewer creature. They actually seemed human.
“I saw you,” she called softly as the eyes vanished.
Or did I? The eyes were there and now they’re gone. Maybe the smells down here are seeping into my brain, and I’m going crazy… No! The tunnel doesn’t end. It goes deeper underground!
Maria, her hope renewed, crawled forward, her elbows and forearms splashing the muck this way and that. Luckily she was still wearing her leather jacket, and most of the nastiness wasn’t soaking in. Well, except for in her jeans…and her socks, which were sopping wet inside her boots.
“What are you?” she asked. “I’m not an enemy. I come in peace.”
Oh God, spoken like a true alien, huh? Take me to your leaderrrr.
The face popped up again. This time, Maria saw it in all its oddness, and the blue light didn’t do the thing any favors. It looked like a giant rat, its head nearly the size of Sherlock’s—and Maria loved to point out how big Sherlock’s head was in comparison to his body.
Eight long claws hooked onto the edge of the hole at the end of the tunnel.
“Hi, I’m Maria,” Maria said toward the owner of the claws, trying to gain control of her voice.
Man, I really have seen it all, haven’t I?
The creature looked at her warily, cocking its head, its eyes still shining like bright coins.
What am I doing? I can talk to one dog and now I expect every creature in the world to be able to understand and respond to me? Maria, you truly are getting closer and closer to crazy everyday.
“Hello, Maria,” the creature said.
Maria’s stomach flipped.
“I didn’t just imagine that, did I?” she asked herself. She would’ve reached over and pinched her arm if the fit inside the tunnel wasn’t so tight.
“No…at least I don’t think so. Am I imagining this? A human crawling through the pipes? Either you’re mad, or I am growing madder,” the creature said.
“How do you know I’m a human? See, that must be my brain manifesting this mirage, or I’ve finally passed out from the stench down here and am having some weird nightmare while thousands of rats and Raffins crawl over my unconscious body.”
The creature smiled. Two long teeth protruded over its bottom lips. “I assure you, neither of us is dreaming. Anyhow, the reason I know you are human is because I can smell Earth on you as plainly as I can see you. See, us Willens are wonderful at seeing in the dark.”
“Willens?”
“Yes, Maria; that is what I am, much like you are human.”
“Well, I’m actually a witch, but seeing as how I can’t put that on my driver’s license, I’ll probably just stick with telling people I’m human. It might take a while for them to get used to me saying I’m a witch. Hell, I’m not even used to that. Probably never will be. Though, I’ll admit it’s pretty cool to be able to light up all blue like this.”
The Willen chuckled. “I understand.”
“So you’ve been to Earth? I know this isn’t the most ideal time to have a conversation like this, seeing as how I’m currently wading through a river of Ashbourne’s sewage, but I’m honestly curious.”
“Yes, I’ve been to Earth. Quite a few times—I have family in Jersey.”
“New Jersey? You have Willen family in New Jersey?”
“Yes, wonderful Willens. You would quite like them.”
“Hm. I say this a lot, especially lately, but, man, my life just keeps getting weirder and weirder.” Maria shook her head.
She hadn’t pegged the Willen as hostile. At least, not yet...and she was one hundred percent certain that if the creature decided to come after her, she would be able to defend herself by way of magic, despite not being able to reach her sword.
Besides, time was of the essence. The longer she waited, the closer the deaths of her family and the knowledgeable Gnome came.
She wasn’t one to beg people for help, but this Willen wasn’t technically ‘people,’ and she’d do almost anything to get out of this foul-smelling place.
“Well, Mr. Willen—”
“Please, call me Leroy.”
“Leroy?”
“Yes, it is a name I adopted from Earth. I quite like it. If I were to tell you my real name, you would probably have a hard time pronouncing it.”
“Leroy it is,” Maria smiled warmly. “Can you help me? I seem to be lost in here.”
“Ah, trying to hide from the Dark Men who besieged the town, eh? They are vicious ones, I’ll say.”
“Well, not exactly. I’m trying to beat them.”
The Willen nodded. “Admirable.”
“Yeah, they’ve taken a few of my friends, and I aim to get them back before it’s too late.”
“Let’s hope it’s not too late then.”
“Exactly. So can you help me get out of here?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Oh, thank you so—”
“For a price, that is,” Leroy said. His lips turned up in what looked like a smile. Maria thought the Willen was cute in some weird way, despite being hairless and covered in skin folds. Then she remembered the last time she fell for an Oriceran creature’s cuteness—she almost had her face bitten off by a Raffin, about a mile off the ground.
“A price? Don’t tell me it’s a Milkbone. I’m not going down that road again.”
“Milkbone? Bleh. I’m not a purveyor of dog treats. Dogs are such foul creatures. No, I keep my diet strictly to whatever floats through the pipes.”
“Double bleh.”
I feel sorry for his wife, having to kiss that unsanitary mouth. And I thought Sherlock was bad.
“The price isn’t food, Maria. The price is your possessions.”
She eyed the Willen. “My possessions? We’ll see.”
What’s that saying? ‘Never bullshit a bullshitter?’ Gramps has taught me well enough not to fall for this creature’s
trap.
But she did need to get out of the sewer and get to her family before it was too late.
“Get me out of here, and we’ll talk. I’m a woman of my word, though. I’ll give you something.” Also sounds a bit inappropriate…
The Willen’s eyes lit up brighter than they had when she had shined her blue light on him.
“Fine, Maria, follow me.”
Leroy’s head disappeared down a hole, and Maria crawled through the muck until she reached the spot where she’d last seen him.
She peered into it, only seeing the faint outlines of a wet and rocky ground. Could be a big risk here, but what are my other options? At least it looks like I can stand down there.
“Come, come!” the Willen urged.
She let out a shaky breath and leaned forward, making sure she had a firm grip on the hole’s edge. She felt weightless for a moment as she toppled over and caught herself.
If my old gym teacher could only see me now, she smirked.
She lowered herself, and the sole of her boot brushed the ground. It was a great feeling, standing up again.
The Willen stood hunched over nearby, his grubby little hands working restlessly as he eyed Maria up and down.
She swiped away some of the muck from her jeans. It didn’t do much besides smear it into the material, but she felt better regardless.
“Thanks,” she said to Leroy, then she lit herself up a little less than before. The muted blue glow carried far in the new tunnel. As she studied the surrounding area, she quickly realized she wasn’t in a tunnel anymore…she was in a cave; partly natural and partly man—or Willen—made. Piled high in the corners were an odd assortment of goods. Mostly worthless junk, Maria noted, but as she watched the Willen look at it with his beady eyes, she saw that this junk was anything but worthless to him.
“Nice place you have here,” Maria remarked.
“Thank you. I’ve worked hard to acquire my fortune.”
Some fortune.
She noticed rotten couch cushions, old egg cartons, glass vases cracked down the middle, game pieces, muted gold coins, blankets, clothes, curtains, and so much more.
“I’m always looking to grow my collection. I want to be the wealthiest Willen in my family. Surely that’s a goal an Earthling like yourself can sympathize with?”
Maria nodded.
“And it seems I’m not far off. One of the Jersey Willens has gone soft, trading silly services like the relocation of his family for forbidden information.”
This piqued Maria’s interest. “What kind of information?”
“Oh, information from those secretive little Gnomes; something about the world in between. An Earthling half-Elf wanted to remove someone from that dreaded place, and my Willen relative decided it was a good idea to nearly trade his life for the information.”
Hope rose in her chest. “The world in between? Was this relative of yours successful?”
“Yes, but that’s hardly the point. The Gnomes can be nasty creatures when provoked.”
“Oh, I know all about that,” she said. “Unfortunately. So what was this information he stole about the world in between?”
“I would trade it if I could, Maria, but alas, I cannot. The Gnomes came back for those secrets, and those secrets they received. My Jersey relative is lucky to still be alive, that is for sure.”
“Damn,” Maria sighed. It’s never easy for me, is it?
“Of course you know Gnomes never tell their secrets. It’s in their DNA.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard something like that,” Maria admitted. “But right now, it’s not even about those secrets. If worse comes to worse, I can figure it out on my own.”
If it’s not too late. When was the last time you were contacted by Duke whether it be a dream or real life, Maria? She shook her head, trying her best to ignore the thought.
“Right now, it’s just about saving my family from the Dragon Tongue.”
“I see, I see,” the Willen replied, rubbing his hands together.
He eyed Maria as if she was a piece of food and he was nearly starved to death. It wasn’t in the creepy way that her former boss, Ted, had once eyed her—especially when she wore short-shorts to work that one time in the summer…which she never did again. No, the Willen’s eyes moved up and down, taking note of Maria’s possessions. Or so she thought.
“I need to get to the dungeons yesterday. If you have a price, then name it.”
The Willen lit up with a smile. “Oh, yes, I do, Maria. I have a price indeed. Please, empty your pockets.”
Maria did as she was told. Her grandfather and her dog’s life might depend on it—Frieda and the Gnome’s, too. From her pocket, she pulled a tube of cherry lip balm--which had probably been in her jeans for years--a few loose coins that had fallen out of her Aztec change purse, a toothpick wrapped in plastic, and her phone, currently close to zero-percent battery.
Guess that’s what otherworldly roaming and rolling around in gray water does to your cell.
“And what about the jacket pockets?” Leroy asked, sniffling.
“You want to look for yourself? Here.” She took the jacket off, revealing her dark shirt beneath. “You can have this one free of charge. After rolling through the pipes, I don’t think I’ll want to wear it again.”
“Thank you! Thank you!”
She handed him the stuff from her pockets, too. The Willen sniffed each item greedily, picking up everything besides the Aztec change purse and stuffing them into the folds of his skin. It was quite odd to see—perhaps one of the odder things she had witnessed since becoming a witch, and that was really saying something.
She was glad, however, that the Willen hadn’t taken the purse; since Joe had brought it back to her, it was now sort of special. “Dear to her heart,” if you wanted to get all sappy.
Maria looked at the Willen, smiling.
“Is that good enough?” she asked.
Leroy quit rubbing his paws together and pointed at the satchel over Maria’s shoulder. “Empty that.”
Maria shook her head. “No, my friend; sorry. That isn’t up for bargaining.”
“Everything is, if you want my help.”
“Well, what’s stopping me from just blowing your little hideout to smithereens?”
She allowed the magic to course through her again, lighting up the small cavern. The Willen took a cautious step back, but then tried that awkward expression that looked like a smile again.
“What’s stopping you, Maria, is your heart. It’s a good one—it does not take a genius to see that. You wouldn’t kill me in cold blood, unless I provoked you. So far, I don’t think what I’m doing counts as provocation.”
“My, such big words for an oversized rat,” Maria murmured.
“What was that?”
“Nothing,” Maria said. She tightened her grip on the satchel’s strap. “But this isn’t a bargaining chip.”
“Now I’m curious, Maria.”
“No reason to be,” she shrugged.
She feared that if the Willen saw the artifact she was carrying around with her, he’d get violent. Then perhaps she would have to fight back, and that wasn’t what she wanted. She needed to save her energy for the Dragon Tongue, and for busting Gramps, Sherlock, and Frieda out of the dungeons.
“Please, just a peek?” Leroy prodded.
Maria was about to shake her head when an idea struck her.
“If I show you, will you help me? I think it’s only fair, considering you took my cell phone. If you’ve been to Earth like you said, then you know how expensive those things are.”
The Willen didn’t answer for a long moment. His paws worked restlessly, as they were so apt to do.
“Fine,” he said. “I will help you; just let me peek. My curiosity is burning me up!”
Blowing her hair out of her face, Maria leaned forward, eyeing the Willen, and opened her satchel. The music box’s intricate carvings were hard to see in the dim light, which made it loo
k like a plain old block of wood.
But the Willen recognized it.
His mouth hung open, and a conflicted look rose on his face, as if he coveted nothing else in the world at that moment, yet he was beyond terrified of the music box at the same time. He fell backward, landing in a pile of rolled-up rugs whose designs made Maria think of the Oriental style on Earth.
“Why do you have that?” Leroy demanded.
“What? The music box?”
“Yes.” Leroy gulped. “It’s evil. Designed by the Arachnids of the Dark Forest, enchanted by dark magic. I know all about it; it’s a trouble magnet.”
She chuckled. “You’re telling me. But so far, nothing I can’t handle. Didn’t know anyone else knew about it besides the Arachnids who want it, and the trapped villagers who want me to use it to get them out.”
“Oh, Maria, this is a dark artifact. Not many would have the courage to walk around with it as if it were a regular object. I’m afraid if I put it within my skin folds, they might rot and fall off.”
She tried to put that last remark from the Willen far in the back of her mind, which proved to be quite a difficult task.
“So we have a deal, then? You’ll help me get out of here and into the dungeon?”
Leroy nodded. He moved across the room, to the right, disappearing around a pile of boxes stuffed with straw.
Probably where he sleeps.
“Follow me, Maria!” Leroy called, sounding as if he had already moved a great distance.
She jumped at the sound of his voice and wasted no time in catching up to him. They went through another tunnel; this one just as small as the one before, but otherwise dry.
It’s the small victories that keep us going. Then again, I do have to look at the tail end of a creature I only just found out exists, on a world I’m only visiting for the second time since I was born. And that is not a pretty sight.
Soon, she heard voices. They weren’t very lively voices, though; she could tell, even through however many inches of brick separated her from them.
“Just around the corner here,” the Willen whispered. “But keep your voice low; the place is crawling with guards.”
Good, the more I’ll get to use my sword.
Suddenly, the landscape of the sewers changed. The Willen rolled out of a drainage pipe, also long-dry, and Maria fell out after him. It seemed like she fell forever. When she landed she noticed how the light turned a hazy gray instead of black like it was above. She lit up her arms again and stretched, glad to be out of the small space. Leroy pressed his back up against the nearby brick. A constant drip echoed around the vast space.
Midwest Magic Chronicles Box Set Page 46
