Beneath The Mantle

by Ahimsa Kerp

“It’s meant to be drunk,” Ek Chuaj said. He hefted his spear. “Very well, I accept your paltry terms.”

  He had not finished speaking when Nala burst through the trees. He sprinted toward them, eyes wild, and skin charred and burnt in patches. “Why have you stopped? Run! They are too strong!” he shouted wildly.

  Nala skidded to a stop when he realized Ek Chuaj was there. He looked back and forth from Ek Chuaj to Doctor Gomez, as though he couldn’t believe his eyes. “How is this possible?”

  Ek Chuaj nodded once, solemnly, to him. One warrior greeting another. He raised his spear in the air.

  And then a burst of flame shot through the air. It just missed Nala, and instead hit a lone palm tree, instantly darkening the tough wood.

  Mind and Authority stepped slowly into view. They were stalking Nala, like a jaguar, but when they saw Ek Chuaj there, spear raised, they both stopped. The striped god growled a warning at them.

  “I don’t understand,” Keshav said. “Why he will fight aspects of Ra but not Ra himself.

  “Who’s to know why a god does anything?” Baruna said.

  “I imagine it’s a bit like stepping on two ants instead of trying to stamp out an entire anthill,” Doctor Gomez said.

  “Yeah, but if stepping on two ants incites the entire anthill, it’s not such a good idea.”

  “We should probably go now,” Keshav said.

  Nala reached them, still out of breath and body bruising from countless hits. Most of his goatee was burnt off.

  The aspects of Ra remained where they had stopped. Motionless, they almost blended in with the background. Their hawk eyes stared keenly at the god of chocolate and war.

  “I’m with you,” Stuart said. Baruna nodded, wide-eyed.

  “He can catch up,” Doctor Gomez said, after a moment’s hesitation.

  Before any of them had so much as taken a step, Ek Chuaj manifested before the two aspects of Ra. One moment he was beside them and, quick as blinking, the next he was not. He lunged at Mind and Authority so quickly there was no time to react.

  The point of his spear sunk deeply into the belly of Authority. They all watched, transfixed, as the manifestation of Ra sunk to the ground. His staff fell from his limp fingers.

  Stuart instinctively ran toward the fight.

  The striped god used his spear as a staff, blocking the powerful strikes from Mind.

  Authority had both hands over the gaping wound in his stomach, and his skin began to shimmer.

  Stuart was two steps away from the fallen deity when a hand clasped his shoulder. Nala stood behind him, his strong arms completely arresting all notion.

  “Let me go,” Stuart said. He could see the staff lying on the ground.

  Nala had misunderstood though. “I don’t know what they said to you. But you will not aid them.”

  “I’m not going to help them, you dumbass!” Stuart said. “Let go of me.”

  “Not possible. I will not let you make a mistake.”

  The others had not left. They were transfixed, watching the duel of the deities. Keshav motioned with his hand, like to a dog. Come here.

  Ek Chauj used his scorpion tail, flicking it at his enemy, to keep him at bay, but he was losing the battle, and he took several steps back. Mind swole with power, and his speed and strength grew by the moment. Even with tail and spear, Ek Chuaj was outmatched.

  “Don’t you see?” Nala said. “With only one manifestation, he will have more of Ra’s power. Nothing can stop him now.”

  Mind shot a blast of flame at Ek Chuaj, who barely dodged. The creature of Ra was then on him, swinging his heavy staff so quickly that Stuart could not follow the motion.

  “All right,” Stuart said. “No need to carry me. I’ll go back.”

  Nala did not relax his grip. “Good,” he said. “Hurry.”

  “Oh,” Stuart said, “just one thing.”

  Stuart had never punched a man in the dick before, but he figured it would be a good time to try. Nala was tall enough that he didn’t have to do much but punch forward, and it took the Selvagian completely by surprise. He doubled over and fell to the ground. Corporeal beings indeed, Stuart thought.

  Stuart broke free and grabbed the fallen staff. Authority’s body faded, almost gone now, as it vanished into a ghost-like form. Ten paces in front of him, Ek Chuaj was on his back, his spear broken in two, his scorpion tail cracked and limp. Mind was glowing now, filled with starlight. He raised his staff above his head, holding onto it with both hands.

  Ek Chuaj disappeared for a moment and then returned to the same place. From where he stood, Stuart saw the surprise on his face. And then light so hot and so bright poured into the striped god. His body began to melt away.

  “No,” Stuart cried. He aimed the captured staff and, concentrating, sent a burst of fire at Mind.

  The manifestation of Ra was caught completely unaware as the blast hit it in the head. It howled in pain, and the smell of burnt feathers filled the air. The creature leapt forward and aimed its staff at Stuart.

  Just then, Nala stood. “You’ll pay for that, little mortal,” he said.

  Stuart realized there was no apologizing, no rationale for what he’d done. Not to someone like this. He tried anyway.

  “Listen, dude,” he started. Mind had taken two more steps and Stuart winced, anticipating the heat of the attack.

  Nala took two steps toward him, anger blinding him to everything but his target.

  Fire hit the tall Selvagian, and his body, instantly, was merely ashes floating to the ground.

  Stuart readied the staff and shot another blast at Mind, just missing. The aspect of Ra hissed, and then leapt in the air. Stuart watched the fleeing creature soar away for a long time, until it was merely a speck on the horizon.

  He didn’t even know he was shaking until he felt arms around him. “Group hug,” Keshav announced, his voice full of false cheer.

  Doctor Gomez and Baruna were there too, and they held him until his body stopped shaking. Their bodies felt warm, and the touch of humans helped his heart stop beating so quickly.

  Stuart flung the staff away from him. It skittered onto the ground and came to a rest beneath a small fern.

  Doctor Gomez went to see the remains of Ek Chuaj.

  “I’m sorry,” Stuart said. His voice was harsh with emotion. “I got him killed.”

  “That’s nonsense, mate. You might have saved us all,” Keshav said.

  “Guys,” Doctor Gomez said. She was kneeling down in front of the striped god. “Come here for a second.”

  They found Ek Chuaj still breathing. His breathing was a steam train, his body half burnt off, but he seemed happy.

  “I got one of them,” he said. “Ek Chuaj remains the most mighty.”

  “Can we help you?” Doctor Gomez asked.

  Ponderously, with great effort, Ek Chuaj shook his head no. “I am not dead. Nor dying. It takes more than that to kill me. But I must withdraw for some time. I will return to you. I will not forget our bargain.”

  “I won’t either,” Doctor Gomez assured him.

  The deity’s body slid away, became insubstantial, seeped into the ground, soared into the air, and was gone.

  There was nothing to be done with Nala’s remains. A few ashes floated in the air, like snowflakes, but the man was gone. Even though he had been a prick, he’d certainly been brave, and had done well to protect them. Stuart wondered what he could have done differently.

  “I’m sorry, Doctor Gomez.”

  “Don’t be,” she said. There were tears in her eyes, but a small smile hid in her lips. “Keshav was right. Oh, and Stuart?” she said.

  “Yes?”

  “This constant use of Doctor feels terribly formal. You can call me Harper.”

  Chapter 17

  I have read a lot of travel blogs, but not a single one that started with something like this: today I witnessed a demigod fall in battle to two others. I grabbed the staff of one of them and shot fire at it until it
flew away in the sky. I punched a different demigod in the junk, and seconds later, he was burnt to a cinder.

  There were blogs like that out there but they are full of stories of chem-trails, mind-controlling fluoride, conspiracies of aliens, and inter-dimensional beings. Crazy people talk. Is that what I’ve become? A crazy person?

  That word no longer seems particularly relevant. Everything since I got to Argentina has been crazy, and that’s especially true these last few days. Hmm. I can’t really say days. It’s always the same here, that purple sky. Truth is, I have no idea how long we’ve been down here. We’ve slept, walked, eaten, fought, swum, walked again, and yet it could be two days or ten. When I think about the people we left on the ship, I worry. But their fate seems far away not connected to me, to us. Like when you hear a flood in Bangladesh just killed a million people. It’s sad but not on a personal level.

  I threw away the staff of Ra after using it to drive away our enemy. I felt dirty, sick from using it. But Keshav has it now. He argued—not wrongly—that it was better to have it and not need it than the other way around. Many are the perils of this land, and we are otherwise unarmed.

  After the battle, we were all tired, sick, and in shock, but it wasn’t exactly the kind of place you hang around. We left, walking slowly. With the wandering boots on, we could inherently find the way. The forest grew thicker around us, and we all felt the eyes of unseen beasts on us. We could here birds talking, creatures growling, things scurrying in the underbrush. We stayed on the path, though, and nothing confronted us.

  There was some thought of going back. The aspects of Ra left their ship. But somehow that made it all seem so meaningless. We must reach Graben. What will happen there is anyone’s guess. But they must know we are no threat. Hell, we’re not even knowledgeable enough to be pawns.

  Keshav and I talked about it on the walk. We’re not entirely sure we’re on the right side. Or that there is a right side. The agents of Ra, well they did lead a golem army against Selvage, but those golems weren’t really alive. They did kill Nala and drove away Ek Chuaj. But only after each attacked them.

  I wish I knew more about Ra. Not that our myths would be super helpful knowing about Omphalos. But is he like Zeus—blustery and hot-tempered but a dependable guy? Or is he like Odin—a sinister god, a plotting Machiavellian dude?

  I just re-read my last paragraph. Maybe I am going crazy, if these are my thoughts.

  We are camped out now by a small stream. Even in the light, it was easy to go to sleep. I have first watch, and I’m about ready to crash myself.

  But I’m worried. Despite being sunk, my camera still works. Good old Sony, plus that waterproof bag was worth the money. I checked it just now, before I started writing this. Obviously my journal is dry too, as are my extra batteries, and memory cards. Took a picture of the purple sky and blue brook. Put on a macro lens and took pictures of some orange flowers.

  But not once today—not when being chased by bird-headed men across the sea, not when confronted by them, not when a striped god with a scorpion tail who accepts offers of chocolate, and not even when I had a staff that shot fire did I even think to take a picture. My camera is—was—my voice. My Self. When I don’t even think to use it, what does that mean about me?

  Chapter 18

  It wasn’t the next day in any way other than perhaps euphemistically, but after everyone had rested, the four of them continued their journey. Stuart had some dried mushroom meat in his backpack, and though it wasn’t the tastiest of food, it settled their hunger pangs, and tasted better than it sounded. As they walked, they kept an eye out for the aspect of Ra to return.

  Their wandering boots moved more forcefully, more confidently in a westerly direction, and they followed them hoping it would pay off. Keshav and Baruna walked in the front and Stuart found himself walking next to Doctor Gomez. Harper, he corrected himself. It was easy not to mention what had happened, easy to let it go. But with death so close, there was no reason to be overly cautious. Besides, he could hear her crying.

  “Harper,” he said. It felt strange to call her by her first name again. She didn’t move her head, but her eyes shifted and met his. “I am sorry about yesterday.”

  She shook her head. “I have really bad luck with men. Two in one month are gone.”

  “Sounds more like their bad luck,” Stuart said.

  She was taken aback for a moment. “Of course,” she said. “I didn’t mean to imply otherwise. Anyway, Nala wasn’t right for me. It just turns out that’s what I like.”

  “I imagine you’ve never been hit on by a god before,” Stuart said.

  “Oh, I don’t know. Every fit young man seems to think he’s some kind of god.”

  Stuart smiled, but had nothing to say to that.

  “That’s the problem with being an attractive woman,” Harper continued. “You can get anybody you want, except who you want.”

  “My heart bleeds,” Stuart said.

  “That sounded awful, didn’t it? Forgive me. These past few days have been pretty rough.”

  Stuart could sympathize. She had lost more than any of them. The thought of Dean Maxwell’s sudden end still left him cold. He wondered how much easier this would have been if Maxwell was still alive. He’d had guns, wilderness survival skills, and would have been a leader to them all.

  “Still,” he said. “You’re kind of living the paleontologist’s dream right?”

  She frowned. “There’s a thin line between a dream and a nightmare. I’d have been happy looking at seals and penguins again.”

  “Oi, you lot,” Keshav said. “Look at this.”

  This was in fact a walled city. The stone walls were made of boulders, stacked up like marbles. They stretched through the forest, one lined up next to another, reaching ten meters high. The rocks had been treated, and some sparkled, others were clear, and entire sections were covered in moss and lichen. There was a uniformity to the differences, but to Stuart, it was like looking at a painting too closely to see the picture.

  “It’s beautiful,” Doctor Harper Gomez said.

  The stone city was part of the natural landscape. It had been created, of course. But there had not been the accompanying felling of trees, moving of earth, destruction of habitats that marked upper crust cities. This was the impression the city gave, though in truth, the four had only seen the outer wall.

  Mindful of his pre-sleep thoughts, Stuart reached into his backpack, and removed his camera from the container. He wished again for his tripod, but even if he had it, there wasn’t time. He snapped a few pictures of the wall, but without context it looked like bubbles, or strange grapes.

  An idea struck him. “Harper, come here.”

  “You’ve still got your camera?” she asked.

  “Uh, yeah,” he said.

  “It works? My watch doesn’t work down here. How does your camera?”

  “No idea,” Stuart said. “But if time doesn’t exist, perhaps that’s why instruments that measure it don’t work. Pictures work because they’re capturing things that do exist.”

  “That sort of makes sense,” Harper admitted. “In a weird kind of way. Wait, don’t you have a clock on your camera?” The star pattern on her shirt and trousers disappeared momentarily, leaving her wearing clothes so dark they were almost hard to see.

  “It’s been flashing 12:00 since we got here,” Stuart said. “That’s partly what led me to my theory. The rest of the camera works. In fact, here, let’s take a selfie.”

  “I don’t want to,” she said. “I look terrible.”

  “Oh come on,” he said.

  She sighed and stepped next to him.

  Stuart captured half-a-dozen shots, with the round stone walls behind them. “We look good together,” he told her.

  “Look, you’re not such a bad kid. But I’m an adult woman. I know what I want.”

  “I’m twenty-three. That’s hardly a kid.”

  She smiled a little wistfully. “I probably
would have said that too. I forget how that age felt. Like you’re grown-up, but really only a few years removed from high school.”

  “High school was five years ago!” Stuart objected.

  That bittersweet smile again. “Exactly. Five years doesn’t sound that long to me.”

  “You’re not exactly an old crone,” Stuart said.

  “I know. But I’m old enough. I want a family, Stuart. And a husband who’s there for me. And babies. A family.”

  Her interest in Nala and Maxwell made much more sense to Stuart. Even if she’d known they weren’t the exact right match, they at least fit the provider role.

  “Hey, are you lot coming or not?” Keshav asked. He sensed the tone of their conversation, and he grew more somber. “Sorry, hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

  “Nothing at all,” Harper said.

  “See any sign of anyone?” Stuart asked as they caught up with the honeymooners.

  Keshav shook his head.

  “I have a strange feeling about this city,” Baruna said. “Not just the architecture, but I feel like we’re being watched.”

  “We probably are,” Harper said. “The dwellers of Graben are supposed to be even more developed than Selvage and Omphalos.”

  “Well, are they going to invite us in?” Stuart asked.

  “I suggest we look for a gate or a door,” Keshav said.

  At that moment, they all froze as a low growl sounded from behind them. It was a menacing, primal sound. Stuart recognized it immediately.

  “Run!” he said. “It’s the death beast,” he said. Already he was scanning the city wall, looking for an entrance or a guard or any help.

  The others did not panic. Well, they hadn’t seen it before; Stuart was hardly surprised.

  “Stuart,” Keshav said. His voice was so calm. “Get behind me.” Harper and Baruna had both already done so.

  Stuart felt fear boiling within him and almost ignored the man. Then he realized what the staff Keshav held meant.

  The “beast of death and destruction” burst from some trees to their right. It loped at them, huge mouth full of razor sharp teeth. In two steps, it had gained half the distance to them.