by Adam Watson
***
Passing through the bottleneck was putting Dray on edge, if the crowd stampeded now, it would be an absolute disaster - there was nowhere to go, being crushed to death was a certainty.
On both sides were thick stone walls that jutted into the tunnel. As he passed through them he wondered what they were for; he had a feeling there had been a massive gate there at one time. It must have been a defensive measure. He was glad when they finally got through it.
The more he thought about it, the more disturbed he became; the words of an Oracle were akin to prophecy. ‘It’s in my blood,’ she had said. He could feel her certainty through the bond and felt he should ask her about it.
“How long before darkness and devastation come?” Even as he uttered the words, a titanic roar reverberated from one end of the tunnel to the other. The ground and everything attached to it trembled wildly. Dust flew up, and bits of masonry fell from the ceiling; the crowd went into a shocked silence. “Never mind.” The question seemed to have answered itself.
Another roar came from the back end of the tunnel and moved through the crowd like a gigantic shockwave; shaking the passageway and sending people to the ground. The air was thick with dust, and Dray coughed as he picked himself up off the ground.
"Are you all right?" he asked, helping the Oracle back up to her feet.
"Yeah, I think so," she answered. "What in the Seven Hells was that?" Dray grabbed the Oracle by the arm and pulled her closer to the wall.
"A prelude."
"A prelude to what?" A third roar, deafening and louder than the others, rolled down the tunnel bringing with it fear and an icy wind that smothered the light from one end to the other.
“That.” Smoke filled the room as the sconces smouldered. “The darkness cometh.” Dray could feel the crowd around them beginning to move; writhing like a fetid mass. He was worried that it could turn into a panic at any moment, panic would send them running. In the darkness, in such close quarters, there would be chaos, and in such chaos, death would come easy.
“We need to get back and behind those fortifications.” Dray motioned to thick slabs of wall that cut into the tunnel. They would be relatively safe there, huddling in the corner.
Those still behind the fortifications would be forced to go between them, funnelling them away from the tunnel walls and into the centre of the passage. Danger from behind would cause the crowd to push those in front, panicking them; the result would be a deadly stampede.
The best bet for Dray and the Oracle was stay put and hold their ground in the corner behind the thick stone wall. It would give them some shelter, and keep them free from the swarming mass.
Whatever the unknown beast was, roaring and sending the shockwaves through the crowd, Dray hoped it would pass them by as it followed the crowd further down the tunnel; then they could make their escape by going back the same way they had come.
The first signs of panic were creeping in, darkness had smothered everything, and now no-one could see a thing. The crowd remained quiet and listened out for danger, they all knew they should stay calm in these tight quarters, but restlessness was taking them fast, as fear grew unrestrained.
Suddenly a blinding light lit up the entire tunnel for a brief second; scorching hot, it seared all those it touched. It was extinguished just as quickly as it had begun - the screams that followed were from the realm of nightmares.
Something far down the line behind them was creating a panic, people were crying out desperately. The mass started to move forward, those behind pushing those in front. Devastation. The darkness had come, and now it seemed the devastation had arrived. The word repeated itself in Dray’s mind like a hypnotic mantra. Devastation, devastation, devastation. It was coming.
Whatever this thing was, it was coming now. The roar was deafening, the sonic boom lifted people into the air; chaos had come, and so had panic. The crowd was desperately trying to escape, but all they could do was run into the mass in front of them - it was the unlit stampede that Dray had feared.
The adrenaline flowed, his senses heightened. Through the bond, he could feel that the Oracle was standing behind him, backed up into the very corner of the wall. She pressed up against him, and he could feel that she felt safe. He liked that, he liked that she felt safe near him. He would protect her with his life - it was his duty.
"Don't worry Dray … Tempus is with us." Those words should have given him comfort, but instead, they filled him with dread. The last time she had uttered those words, an undying pain had followed.
"All hail mighty Tempus." The Oracle smiled, she knew he was being sarcastic, but at least his voice wasn't full of disbelief this time. “Let’s just hope my back can remain in one piece this time.”
“Then don’t jump out of any windows.” Dray smiled, the Oracle had a sense of humour after all. He held on to the switchblade tight. He knew it would provide little to no protection from what was coming, but it made him feel safer in that moment, and that was enough - for the time being.
There was room to move now, most of the crowd had moved away in a mad attempt to get further down the tunnel. Magical orbs stuck to the ceiling in various places, giving enough illumination to see by - it seemed that there were casters amongst the crowd. Dray wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. Yes, casters were certainly powerful, but in his experience, most of them had their own agendas. He hoped they would help if it came down to that, but he wasn’t going to hold his breath. Fucking casters.
“Stay there!” he yelled, pointing to the corner. He was going to take a peek around the wall, and the last thing he wanted was to be tripping over the Oracle in a mad dive for cover. “Don’t move!”
He slowly moved towards the edge, his back against the wall and switchblade at the ready - he needed to know what they were dealing with. Were they truly safe just staying in that corner? He had a bad feeling that they weren’t, but what else could they do? Run into the crowd, where they would get trapped, trampled on, crushed or a combination of all three. No, that would be madness, they had to hold their ground for the time being.
He neared closer and closer to the edge. It sounded like some gigantic beast was rampaging back there. People were screaming, the beast roared and snapped; it sounded like it was scooping up mouthfuls of the crowd at a time. Dare he look? He had a good chance of getting his head ripped off if he did, but he had to know what it was, he had to know what they were dealing with - he took a deep breath and stuck his head around the corner.
There was a blinding, burning light, it took a second for his eyes to adjust and for his brain to comprehend was what coming at him. MASSIVE FIREBALL! He pulled his head back around as quickly as he could and dove to the floor - the searing heat blasted past, missing him by inches.
He looked back. Bodies were lighting up, the stench of burnt flesh filled the air; choking and stinging its acrid bite. The people in the tunnel before him had been engulfed in flame - death was their best option now.
Even out of direct contact, the heat was intense. He felt like his skin was blistering. He was lucky he was not joining those behind him in a fiery death. He could feel hands tugging at the back of his shirt. It was the Oracle, she was trying to pull him back.
“Dray, quickly, you have to come back here.” Dray struggled up and clawed his way back to the corner. “Did you see what it was?” asked the Oracle, and Dray shook his head.
“I didn’t get a chance to see anything.” Another huge blast of fire rolled down the tunnel, incinerating everything in its path; burning corpses filled the passage. He could hear the thing stomping its way up the tunnel at speed, anything that had survived the burning would surely be trampled to death. “We don’t stand a chance against this, we have to get out of here.” The Oracle took Dray’s hand in hers and looked up into his eyes.
“We always have a chance, Dray. The power of Tempus is with us.” She looked down to his hand and motioned to the ring, Dray shook his head.
“No, I can’t control this power Kayla, it doesn’t come when I need it.” The Oracle nodded, she understood his reservations, after all, he hadn’t undergone the rituals that would give him the understanding and control he needed, but when they were this close together, there was one way to control it. She hadn’t wanted to do it again, but the situation left her no choice.
“Torac! I command …” but before she could say any more, a tremendous force crashed into the fortifications, shaking them to their foundations. Stone cracked and crumbled, and Dray slammed the Oracle back against the wall as far as he could. He could see movement behind him out of the corner of his eye and in his mind time slowed down.
Bright lights sizzled across the surface of Dray's eyes like azure lightning bolts; his right hand turned ice blue and burned like fire. Behind him, the beast raged. He looked into the eyes of the Oracle, there was peace and tranquillity there. His senses were heightened - his taste, his smell, his touch. He could feel her near him, against him; it felt good, it felt right. She was his duty, and he had to protect her.
The beast was huge, the beast was massive, it could not fit past the fortifications, but they were not safe where they were. Its head was through, its shoulders pushed and strained; the stone groaned and popped under the pressure. It blew another breath of fire down the tunnel, silencing the ever-loudening screams in the night - when it turned its head, both Dray and the Oracle knew that they would be next.
Dray closed his eyes as fire left the mouth of the beast; he could feel the heat coming. He knew there was only a moment to react, but there was a power inside of him that came from the ring.
Every bit of rage, every bit of strength, every bit of desperation focused into one blinding moment. His skin peeled and blistered as pain overtook everything. He wanted to let go, he wanted to die, but he had to act to keep death’s hand away from the Oracle.
There was a brilliant flash of white as the world around him raged; a torrent of fire and ice, a war of heat and cold. The beast was strong, the beast was powerful, the beast wanted him dead, but in that moment the power of a god flowed through his veins. He reached deep down inside of himself and pulled in more power from the ether than he could ever have imagined.
A wall of ice surged forth like a glacial tidal wave, freezing everything in its path. The reinforcement was hit from both sides like dual battering rams. The bitter cold seeping into every crack, every crevice, every tiny hole in the porous stone; filling it with a divine liquid that crystallised on contact, and weakening it to the point of breaking. The searing heat from the beast was so intense that it began to liquefy its side of the fortification - when the two extremes met in the middle, it caused an explosion that tore the wall asunder.
The beast retreated from the flying rock and ice, but Dray knew they had only a moment before its return.
“LOOK!” shouted the Oracle, pointing to the vast tear in the wall. “We can get up there.” One glance to where the Oracle was pointing and everything about the wall made sense. It wasn’t a solid wall, it was some kind of room.
From the inside, it looked as though there had once been a door and possibly some arrow slits that were now bricked over. Its purpose was definitely defensive, but it was clear that it had been abandoned and out of use for a long time. He had no idea where the makeshift stairs led, but they couldn’t stay where they were.
“GO!” he shouted, and pushed the Oracle ahead of him. “RUN!” The Oracle quickly scrambled up and over the rubble on the half-demolished staircase. “KEEP GOING UP … AS FAST AS YOU CAN!” Dray could almost feel the beast’s breath coming down upon him. He scrambled as fast as could, he wanted to get out of there before they both got incinerated. “RUN!” he yelled again, as much for his own benefit as the Oracles.
They ran up the stone staircase as fast as they could. It was dangerous, steps were missing, and others crumbled beneath their feet as they ran, but they kept going at a frantic pace; daring not to stop.
Dray had a quick glance down, he could see flame and fire blasting the spot where they had been no more than thirty seconds ago. “KEEP GOING!” He didn’t feel safe yet, not by a long shot. If the beast somehow managed to turn its head up into the cavity, it could send a flame straight up and at them. We wouldn’t stand a chance. “GO, GO, GO!”
The further up they went, the darker it got, and Dray still wasn’t exactly sure what this structure was. Was it part of an old tower? Perhaps. When the castle was first constructed it wouldn’t have been as vast as the great fortress that stood there today - this structure was likely to be part of the original fortifications.
It made a little more sense, but he still wasn’t sure. Whatever it was, it was old and ready to fall apart. Destroying half of the lowest level with fire and ice certainly hadn’t helped its stability - the fact that it had been built into the surrounding structures was probably the only reason it remained upright.
“Dray,” shouted the Oracle ahead of him. “There’s a door blocking the way.”
“Move!” he shouted, and the Oracle moved to the side as best she could. In Dray’s mind that door was coming down one way or another; there was no way he was just going to stand there and be roasted alive - time was of the essence, he had to make it count.
He ran faster and faster up the stairs, building up great momentum, he knew he would have to use all his strength to get through this thing. He could feel the heat coming from below, rising up the structure like a potter’s kiln; it was a reminder, one good blast upwards and they were as good as dead.
He braced his shoulder for impact, he knew this was going to hurt, but there was no time for an alternative.
‘BANG!’ The door fell away with so little resistance that he went running straight through it. He fell to the ground in a pile of dust and rotting wood - tiny wood beetles ran for their lives in all directions.
The door must have been there for an eon, which would explain why it practically disintegrated on impact. Dray coughed and spluttered as the Oracle helped him up. He brushed the rot and decay off of himself as best he could, and then ran down the corridor at speed - only when they were far away from that door did they slow down.
"I think we're safe for now," puffed the Oracle, she was bent over with her hands on her knees, trying to regain her breath.
"We won't be safe until we escape the city walls," answered Dray. The Oracle nodded, she knew he was right - until they escaped the city, there would be no peace.
"At least we've escaped that ... whatever that was." The Oracle was right. At least he was away from those flames, that monstrous head and the pain that confrontation would have brought - that was something to be grateful for.
Dray looked down the corridor, one way led back to the flames, the other led away from them.
"We can't go back down,” the Oracle continued. “Not with that thing down there." She stood up, still catching her breath, and they both began to walk down the corridor – whatever they were going to do, staying in one place too long was not a good idea.
"We need to find a way back up to the surface," stated Dray. The Oracle sighed, she didn’t want to go back up there, not whilst they were still within the city walls, but what choice did they have? They had no food, no water, no weapons to protect themselves - even the clothes they wore were dirty and torn.
"Then we should gather supplies whilst we’re up there," she answered. The pain of hunger was taking her in its grip, her stomach rumbled loudly and churned. Anything ... flatbread ... a dried biscuit ... even a half-ripened apple. She'd give anything for a half-ripened apple, let alone a fully-ripened one. "And soon."
Dray’s spirits were lifting, half the city would be completely abandoned by now, if not all of it. They should have no problems finding shelter, at least for one night, and supplies should be lying around everywhere; abandoned by their owners. The thought of lying down on an actual bed and closing his eyes to the worries of the world filled him with excitement - one night of rest and pea
ce, he could think of nothing better.
For the next hour, they traversed the maze of tunnels and corridors that formed the upper section of the city's sewer system, always searching, always looking for a way up. When they eventually found a ladder that led towards the surface, they didn’t hesitate in following it.
After a quick peek and a check for danger, they crawled out of the manhole and into the streets above. To Dray it looked as though they had emerged somewhere in the eastern side of the city, but it was hard to tell - wherever they were, it was dead quiet, so they took care to quietly replace the cover back over the hole.
The first thing that hit Dray was the smell. The smell of death and decay hung in the air like a thick blanket; both putrid and rotten. Overwhelming his senses, it caused him to empty his stomach on the footpath. The Oracle fared little better; she didn’t vomit, but she looked very queasy – rotting corpses littered the streets.
Apart from the dead, the place seemed abandoned. That didn't mean that it was, Dray knew better than that. There were likely to be survivors hiding in some of these buildings, and the Creed would almost certainly have patrols coming by every hour or so. They needed to take care, they needed to be quiet. They didn’t want to attract anyone or anything’s attention - if they were caught out in the open, it could very well mean the end.
They carefully made their way through the cobbled streets, Dray was using his sense of hearing as much as he was his sight. Any one sound could mean trouble, and an attack could come from anywhere, at any time.
About half a mile to the east loomed the great eastern wall. In the past, it had served the citizens well by keeping out countless armies. Now they kept the citizens in, trapping them like prisoners. Dray had lived in this city all of his life, and in the castle itself for most of it - now he just wanted to get out, and put both of them behind him.
They passed more streets and night began to fall. The coming shadows would bring with them cover in which they could hide, but they both knew they needed to find shelter soon – who knew what the darkness would bring? Ever since the attack on the city, the weather had behaved unnaturally. During the day it was peaceful and calm, but during the night great tempests would rage and storms would thunder.
