Shifting Planes- The Complete Box Set

by Jeff Sabean

  Glowering at his friend, the gnome shook his head.

  “Negative. I saw some blood on the stairs, and the room next to the one I landed in had the door open and there was blood on the walls and ceiling in there, but no bodies, living or otherwise.”

  “So, we are possibly looking at an internal attack, the residents tried to board up the windows and doors to keep whatever it was out, but somehow it got inside, tore everyone to pieces, ate every piece of the bodies, then...what? Jumped out the window we came in as it is the only opening we have yet found? Then it wandered off to the next place, and somehow seems to have killed every single living being in Eskanda? Does that sound about right?” Aki finished, attempting to keep the confused look from his face.

  “Aye, lad, that sounds about right,” Bendiac answered for everyone.

  “Well, then, I would suggest we change our plans for the evening. Let’s board up that window, and let’s not make any more noise than we have or draw attention by starting a cooking fire. Let’s eat the cold jerky and bread we have already, do not attempt to drink all the ale in Eskanda tonight, and hopefully live to see the morning, when we can get a better look at the streets and make our way to the docks. Agreed?” Aki asked, making eye contact with each member of the group as he spoke.

  “All but the food,” Hankish grumbled. “There is no need to let the food go bad in this town when we are perfectly capable of eating it.”

  “Do you know what a parasite is?” Aki asked the miserable halfling.

  “No, other-worlder, I do not, but I assume you will enlighten me,” Hankish sarcastically replied, rolling his eyes and making a huge deal out of making eye contact again.

  “A parasite is an organism that lives inside of another living being, taking sustenance from the body of the host,” began Aki in his most professor-like tone. “Parasites are a natural part of life, or at least as far as I know anything is natural anymore, and most do not harm the host at all. You could live with a tapeworm in your stomach for years and might not even know it, other than the fact that you must eat more than you used to as it grows. They are never a problem, until they are.” he stated matter-of-factly, pausing to ensure he had captured the bard’s attention.

  “Zatus has explained to me that most of the stories I know as fiction actually have some basis in reality, and just happen to be the memories of a being who came from a different plane of existence. A week ago, I would have denied the existence of gnomes and dwarves, and yet here you all are, to include a friend whom I consider a brother.

  “Now, stay with me, I don’t want to say this twice,” he said as Hankish opened his mouth to interrupt. “I know a story about a type of parasite that becomes implanted in the stomach of a host, and after an incubation period the parasite bursts out of the stomach of the host, causing a very painful death. The parasite then would eat the host and move on to infect a new host in order to, ahh, spread its seed, as it were.

  “We do not know what we are facing here, but if there is a chance that there are parasites in the food, do you want to put it in your belly on purpose? We see no evidence of an entry into this building, just something from within that killed everyone present and presumably left through the second story window. Now, if you can give me a definite answer as to how it got here in the first place, I will admit I am paranoid and will start the fire myself.”

  The whole room had frozen in place, listening to Aki speak, and as he finished, they all took a collective breath.

  “So, rat jerky and the water we brought with us for a meal, you say?” Hankish squeaked, attempting to hide his discomfort.

  “Sounds about right to me, but first we should scour every inch of this place to ensure there are no hidden entry ways,” Aki replied, turning and walking toward the stairs to the basement. “We probably should search in pairs, don’t go anywhere alone until we determine what happened here.”

  “Seems to me that story had nothing to do with parasites in food,” Zatus whispered to Aki as the headed to the basement together. “What gives, Doc?”

  “I just didn’t want him to start a fire and give away our location, and he wouldn’t have listened to reason...” Aki grinned as they descended the stairs.

  Chapter 13 – You Have GOT to be Kidding Me!

  After searching the building, the group returned to the bar area and sat at a table together to share a meal of cold jerky and water. They all agreed that there were no other entrances to the building, and that whatever had killed the occupants had obviously escaped through the open window. Every room in the inn contained blood splatters from the floor to the ceiling, but not a single body part could be found in any of them.

  “It’s as if something ate them, bones and all,” Hankish reflected, chewing in his jerky with a disgusted look on his face.

  “Aye, and it left human-size footprints, whatever it be,” added Thrazzoun, having no problem with his appetite.

  “Why do you say that?” Mialin asked, a slightly shocked expression on her face.

  “Footprints in the blood,” the dwarf replied, taking another bite of his meal. “They be smeared a bit, but definitely human-size.”

  “Yes, I noticed that as well,” Zatus chimed in. “It would appear that whatever the beast is, it walks upright, perhaps dragging something behind, causing the blood on the floor to smudge its footprints a bit, but I could see the occasional boot print in the muck, which was either the killer or victim. Either way, there were humans here as recently as a day or two ago.”

  No one spoke.

  No one took a bite.

  No one moved.

  For several minutes, everyone seemed to be frozen in place, lost in his or her own thoughts, the ramifications of that statement still echoing in the silent room.

  “I ain’t signed on fer this,” Abugraic stated, breaking the silence. “In the mornin, meself and me brother’ll be headed straight out the front gate, skirtin’ around the orcs in the woods, and headed back to Terminus where we kin be spendin’ the loot we earned. Ain’t got no need to be dyin’ in this place.”

  Hankish solemnly nodded his agreement with his brother, as did the Brewdigger brothers.

  Aki looked to the sisters, waited a moment, and when neither moved he asked, “And what of you ladies? Will you be headed back to Terminus, or will you be headed to the docks with us to see about a ship to Harmonui?”

  Ja’ade looked at Mialin, paused, then carefully replied, “I do believe we will be following you to the docks. I have no faith that Jim’s treasure will be found if we have not discovered it yet, and this coming war will prove to have profitable opportunities.”

  “Not if ye’re dead,” Abugraic stated, once again putting everyone else’s thoughts into words.

  “Believe me, Master Dwarf, I am quite adept at continuing to live,” Mialin stated icily, staring at the dwarf with contempt.

  “If you want a large payout, you have to be willing to take large chances,” Ja’ade said more politely, disarming the dwarf before he started a fight with her sister. “We understand you fight from the shadows, and a war is not your ideal situation. We, on the other hand, find that we can thrive in such an environment, and are willing to offer our services.”

  “Bah, I’ll visit yer graves,” Abugraic muttered, turning away and signaling he had no desire to continue the conversation.

  With that, the group decided to sleep in the bar, as all the beds were blood-soaked anyway, and it was safer to stay close to each other.

  ◆◆◆

  Morning came, and the silence was overwhelming in the city. Not a single crowing rooster, or shuffling vendor on the street setting up their wares for the day, or baby crying. There were not even any flies buzzing around the pooled blood: there was just silence.

  “We need to figure out what is going on around here,” Aki reminded the group, staring out a hole between boards on the window.

  “Yerself maybe,” Abugraic reminded him. “Meself and me brother, and whoever else has so
me sense in the head, will be headed back out of town and puttin’ distance between ourselves and this place.”

  “Fair enough, let’s stick together to the front gate, then when you are out and safe, I will make my way to the docks with whoever chooses to stay and see about a ship. It would appear we will have our choice of any ship in the harbor, so the more who choose to come the bigger the ship we can appropriate.”

  “Bah, ain’t gonna talk me outta it, human. If ye were smart, ye’d be headed out with meself,” Abugraic reiterated, staring Aki in the eye. “I owe ye fer patching up me leg,” he continued, hopping on the formerly injured leg for emphasis, “and I don’t see how to repay ye after yer dead.”

  The statement hung in the air for a moment before Aki grinned.

  “Then I suppose you should stick with me and not let the orcs get you in the open,” he retorted, slapping the dwarf on the shoulder. “You are good in a fight, let’s stick together and see where the sea takes us.”

  “Have you ever seen a dwarf swim?” Hankish asked, a twinkle in his eye, as he pantomimed a rock sinking, then blew a raspberry indicating the dwarf swimmer splatting on the ocean floor. “We’re better off walking anyway. Perhaps our paths will cross again.”

  “Fair enough, I suppose we should get you out of town and on your way then,” Aki replied, reaching out to shake hands with the dwarf and halfling in turn. “Keep those communicators Zatus gave you back in Terminus: if you need anything, and it is within my ability to help, I will be there.”

  “Right. Don’t get all mushy on me, Doc,” Hankish replied, using the nickname he had heard Zatus use for him. “Let’s get moving.”

  Abugraic threw his portable hole against the wall, creating an exit to the street, and one at a time the members of the group stepped carefully through. A wind blew ominously down the street as Hankish came through last, pulling the hole closed and handing it back to his brother, carrying the stench of death from the docks.

  “Seems yer path smells worse’n mine,” Bendiac said, glancing over his shoulder at Aki and Zatus. “Ye sure ye won’t be joinin us on the road?”

  “Our path is clear, my friends,” Aki replied, shaking his head sadly. “Our family is to the North, headed to warn the good elves of Harmonui of the coming attack and to assist in any way possible. I will be joining them there.”

  “Well, don’t get all weepy, our paths go different directions here, so, bye,” Hankish stated, trying to show he was unaffected by the turn of events.

  The two groups said quick good-byes, and then went their separate ways: Aki leading his half toward the docks, and Hankish leading the rest back toward the gates. Unfortunately, they had barely made it a block in opposite directions when Aki heard an inhuman shriek, followed by Hankish screaming:

  “You have GOT to be kidding me!”

  As the four spun back in the direction the others had gone, whipping out weapons and preparing to defend their friends, they saw the other four barreling down the road toward them, Hankish leading the pack, with a group of a dozen hungry zombies chasing them. The zombies were not fleet of foot, dragging body parts behind as they slid along as fast as they could behind the running halfling and his dwarf companions.

  The two groups converged again on the street, taking up defensive positions as the zombies lurched their way down the road toward them.

  “Ahh, I have read fictional books about zombies, but must admit this is a first for me,” Zatus spoke up first, looking to the other members of the group for answers. “How do we kill something that is already dead?”

  “Simple,” answered Ja’ade, a fireball already growing in the palm of her hand, “Fire works well, although they will continue to eat you as they burn until it finally ‘kills’ them. Removing the head is a good way to stop them quickly, as is crushing their skulls.”

  “Is it true that if you are bitten you will die and become one of them?” Aki asked, staring at the walking undead coming toward him.

  “Yes. I would recommend not getting bitten or even scratched,” Mialin stated, a fireball also growing in her palm. “We shall burn the bodies, but you should take them down first, so they do not continue attacking you while aflame,” she finished, her golden eyes glowing with power as the fireball in her palm grew in intensity.

  “Uhh, dumb question,” Aki began, watching the slow-moving zombies shuffling toward them in the street. “If we have enough time for this conversation, why didn’t we just run?”

  “Good point,” Ja’ade agreed with a grin, tossing her fireball into the group of zombies, followed shortly by Mialin’s. The undead flesh caught fire immediately, creating walking torches of dead flesh and bones.

  “That’s our cue,” Hankish laughed, pulling his lute from his back and beginning a song that immediately made Aki feel washing over him, adding speed to his legs and breath to his lungs. “Let us run away and live to fight another day!” he laughed, running down the street and around the corner, the rest of the group right on his heels.

  As the group ran around the corner, they found themselves in front of a butcher shop, its sign smashed beyond comprehension. A barrel of apples stood beside the road, and Hankish rushed over to grab a few.

  “What?” he asked the astounded members of his group.

  “Just surprised you could think of food at a time like this,” deadpanned Aki, shaking his head.

  Before the witty halfling could retort, the swinging door on the front of the butcher shop burst open, and a huge monster burst through, knocking the barrel of apples over and sending Hankish tumbling back into the street. The beast stood well over six feet tall, its skin hanging off in large folds, giving the impression it had been quite rotund in life. One eye was hanging from its socket, the other struggled to focus on the group as it let out a bellow and stumbled forward, attempting to get a hold of the prone halfling.

  Aki swung his right hand, his tonfa spinning out toward the beast, and just before it connected with the side of its head, he willed the blade to pop from the side. It did not have the desired effect, and the blade simply stuck into the fatty flesh hanging from the side of the beast’s skull until he retracted it as the monster swung a hand at him.

  “No, I told ye, cut the head OFF or smash its skull, cutting it won’t be helpin ye,” Bendiac bellowed, swinging his axe just in time to cleave the arm that was reaching toward Aki.

  Rolling to his feet, Hankish put the axe head of his lute to work, severing the former butcher’s right leg at the kneecap, and causing it to tumble to the ground.

  Aki, recovering from his mistake, swung his left hand across, shadows blurring the movement of his tonfa, as he smashed the zombie in the side of the head, turning it at an awkward angle as it attempted to pull itself toward him with its one remaining arm.

  “Not today,” Hankish stated, lifting up on his toes as he swung his axe-lute over his head and brought it down on the beast’s neck, severing its head completely.

  “Now that’s how to kill a zombie,” the bard giggled, as he picked up an apple and took a bite, then spit it out immediately. “Figures, all that for rotten apples.”

  Chapter 14 – Run Away!

  Abugraic grabbed his brother by the arm, pushing him toward the road again.

  “Run,” was all he said, as the road behind them began filling with the undead.

  The group took off again, running down a side street, then turning back the way they had come when the way proved to be blocked. They continued in this fashion for a way, trying to work their way back toward the gate, but it appeared that the noise of the initial encounter had attracted all the zombies in the city, and they were piling out of every crevice the group ran past.

  Switching to the sword he had acquired in the caves, Aki ran beside Hankish, severing limbs that reached out for the bard from windows and doors, enabling him to keep up his song and enabling the party to run faster and longer than they would have imagined possible. Each time a way was blocked, they would have to back-track,
risking running into the horde of undead following in their wake.

  “You know, Doc,” Zatus began, laughing as he ran, “In all the zombie movies you ever made me watch, I always wondered why the people would be dumb enough to go into populated areas, knowing they were full of zombies who wanted to eat their brains. Now we’re the dummies running for our lives. I just want you to know, I blame you.”

  “Just shut up and run,” Aki replied, not in the mood for his friend’s twisted sense of humor.

  “Can you keep up with these little legs?” Zatus shot back with a grin. “I don’t have to be faster than the zombies, just faster than the rest of you!”

  The whole group slowed for a moment at that, as Hankish missed a chord and snorted as he laughed. He immediately began playing again, and shot a glare at the gnome, making it clear that now was not the time to interrupt the bard’s concentration. He was so focused on picking up the tune again that he did not realize he had led the group into a dead-end alley. They spun about, ready to head out again, when the first small group of zombies dragged their lifeless bodies around the corner.

  “Great,” Hankish said, allowing his song to end. “Now we have to fight our way out. Why couldn’t you just shut up and run?”

  “Now would be a good time to decide where we are headed,” Aki stated, watching the crowd grow at the end of the street and wondering how they would ever get through them.

  “Away,” Hankish stated, looking at the human like he had grown a second head.

  “Quick zombie question: can they swim?” Aki asked, ignoring the sarcastic remark.

  “As far as I know, no, but they CAN walk on the bottom of the water, as they have no need to breathe,” Ja’ade replied, catching on to Aki’s line of questions.

  “Ok, then our plan should be to head for the docks, Hankish,” he stated, waiving down the argument before it began. “We can take a ship, clear the harbor, and drop you off down the beach a way. If we run out the front gate, we will simply lead them en masse behind us, and will have to run indefinitely. If we can lose them from the ocean, we should be able to actually break contact.”