by J. Thorn
“‘Slay the beast and ascend.’
“Okine charged the animal as it charged him. He jumped as high as he could and landed on its back. Okine dug his claws into the neck of the creature and reached underneath as far as he could. With his two forefingers, Okine gripped the main artery of the beast and ripped it open. Black, cold blood oozed from the wound as the beast’s front pummeled the ground. Okine fell from its back and watched its life drain into the dirt.
“‘Move on, great warrior. Move on,’ said the voice.
“The beast rolled onto its back in its dying moments, revealing the hilt of a polished sword. Okine gripped it and pulled the blade out. The weapon relented with a sucking sound so grotesque that Okine could not bear to look. He moved through the labyrinth until he entered a lair. That is the only way to describe it.
“Okine saw torches flickering on the walls with a raised platform in the middle of a cavern. Pelts of other conquests, puny and grand, covered the platform, and a sickly sweet aroma filled the air, much like that of a rose left to rot in a puddle of water.
“He felt her presence before he saw her. The woman’s long, dark hair flowed about her torso like a python wrapping its kill. A scarf of black covered her face except for her eyes. The woman looked back across a thousand years, eyes glittering with the hope of the living and the remorse of the dead. Okine stood transfixed, unable to flee and yet unable to look away. She appeared at his side, and the touch of her finger on his shoulder sent waves of lust through his body. Okine caught glimpses of her silken skin as she floated around him. He stared at the creamy white of her thighs underneath the translucent black fabric.
“‘If you survive my touch, I will send you to the surface, to rule forever.’
“Okine shrugged and dropped his sword to the ground, realizing that it would be of no use in this trial. He followed her to the platform and watched as she climbed on top of the pelts. She rolled to her back and spread her legs wide. Okine gazed into her sacred place and felt himself grow. She parted with two fingers and let out a sensuous moan that threatened to paralyze him. Okine drew in the lustful scent of the woman and watched as her cloak opened.
“As Okine approached, he caught the faintest aroma of the dead and knew what had to be done. Okine lunged for the wall as her hand skimmed the back of his head, tearing out a lump of hair on a bloody end. He thrust a hand out for the torch and turned to face the platform.
“The demon had transformed. She had shed her alluring skin for one of scales and fangs. The shriek coming from her mouth shook the walls of the cavern and knocked Okine to the ground. Without hesitation, he reached over and set the torch to the dried animal skins.
“The flames raced up the platform and engulfed the demon with flashes of silver green. The most foul odors rose on smoke that drifted across the low ceiling of the cavern. The she-devil’s screams forced Okine to drop to the ground and to cover his ears with his hands.
“When he stood again, nothing remained of the platform or the demon but a charred post and a smoldering puddle of black ooze. The voice returned.
“‘You have succeeded in passing the next level and doomed her to an ethereal existence within the mountain. She will forever wander it, destined to be heard, but never seen.’”
Kelsun’s mouth hung open. He licked his dry lips and shook his head. “Why would she help me?”
Samada laid his head down on the bedroll and turned away from Kelsun and the fire.
***
Samada refused to speak to Kelsun on the next two days of their climb from the depths of the mountain. He held his tongue as if the retelling of the tale had drained him of his strength. Kelsun’s energy returned with the physical exertion and sustenance, both provided by Samada. They maneuvered through the channels cut by ancient waters but left dry by eternal winds.
Kelsun felt the surface rising to greet him through the journey. The air lightened, and the mountain pushed him towards his rebirth.
Samada woke first and lit a new fire with the embers of the old. He pulled a satchel of leaves from his pack and dropped them into a cauldron of water to create an early morning tea. The lemongrass scent fought to mask the musky cave. Kelsun never asked where the supplies came from, and Samada gave no explanation. He looked at the sleeping boy in his bedroll, ignorant to the entire crucible and its significance. Samada sighed and shook his head. Innocence was a luxury bestowed on the oblivious.
“Why do you stare at me so? Why not slit my throat, if that is your intention?”
Samada shuddered at the voice and stood as if to prove he had not been rattled by the boy. “If that was my intention, your blood would have fed the mountain many days past.”
“A debt, or possibly an oath?”
The boy’s intuition strengthens with every step, thought Samada. “Tea is brewing, sent from my ancestors to nourish the day and chase darkness from the bones.”
Kelsun sat up in his roll and looked at Samada through sparkling eyes. His words sprang forth with renewed vitality. “Will I need to prove myself?”
Samada nodded without looking at Kelsun.
“Is the threat great?”
“It is best you drink the tea and feed your hungry stomach so that you are prepared for what the light of the Sun God delivers to your feet.”
Kelsun realized there would be no further conversation on the matter. He spent a few moments packing up his roll and accepted a cup of Samada’s tea. The steam lifted off the surface and wet his upper lip, a welcome moisture compared to the cold slime of the caverns. He sighed with pleasure and allowed the hot liquid to scald the roof of his mouth while avoiding his tongue.
Samada removed another satchel and unwrapped a piece of flesh. It appeared white and drained of blood, but otherwise unidentifiable.
“You’ve been hunting with the nocturns, inside the mountain?”
Even the words flowing from his lips are changing, thought Samada. “In a manner of speaking,” he replied.
He dropped the flesh into the cauldron, where it bubbled amongst the leaves. Samada pushed it around with a dagger, and it became lost in the rolling boil of the pot.
“You think of a sister, or possibly a past love,” said Kelsun.
Samada dropped the blade into the pot and yanked his hand back where the heat had seared the flesh on the inside of his wrist. He placed his mouth on the burn and did his best to draw the pain from the skin. “Your time in the mountain draws to a close,” he replied.
Kelsun nodded and sat back against the wall of the cave. He felt the chill through his clothes and closed his eyes. He saw her voice in his head and watched as lines of red and blue spun in circles. Kelsun allowed his inner sight to follow the lines and watched them dance around the essence of Samada.
“Sister. Yes, sister,” he said to Samada, who had retrieved his dagger and continued to push the meat around the cauldron in wide, empty circles.
“The meal is done,” said Samada. He stood and grabbed his pack. “I shall return at noon. Wait here and rest.”
Kelsun smiled, feeling the need to do so for as long as possible.
***
He stroked the hide of the beast and shuddered as it purred with a long, slow rattle. Samada’s hands caressed the scars protruding from the fur like dunes blown across the timeless sands. His fingers felt arrowheads and shafts of daggers broken from the past in furious battles and dire situations.
“He is almost ready,” said Samada.
The creature yawned, showering Samada with fine strands of saliva tainted yellow. The fangs curled back and under while the green eyes of the beast remained fixed on the torch in Samada’s hand. Its ears lay flat, and a black tongue licked the paws as if still a member of the common feline family. The tail of the beast swayed back and forth across whitened bones long devoid of flesh and muscle.
“You are not a sacrifice I make willingly. Your blood will not spill fortuitously,” Samada whispered into its ear. “You have served me well, and I will n
ot forget your loyalty.”
The beast shrieked and bellowed when Samada’s dagger slit the back of its front leg, above the paw. It whined and spun, licking at the wound and the betrayal. Samada backed away and grabbed another torch from the wall. He tossed it into the ribbon of black water that rushed past the edge of the tunnel. It hissed and hurried away with the other flotsam being pulled into the core of the mountain by the cursed water.
He observed the cat-like tongue lashing at the wound. Samada winced at the sounds it made and watched it limp to a corner. It was all he could do not to weep and throw himself into the current.
***
“We must go.”
“You’re late.”
“Leave all but this.” Samada tossed a dagger to Kelsun. The blade twirled in the air, throwing sparkles of light from the polished surface. Kelsun reached out and caught the knife by the hilt. A satisfied smile crept across his face.
“I am not fighting you, am I?”
Samada shook his head.
“But I am fighting your proxy.”
Samada’s eyes answered his question.
Kelsun followed Samada through the tunnels the same way they had done for days, all the while feeling the upward motion and tug of the mountain. At times, Kelsun listened to the wind chasing memories through the tunnels. He caught words and phrases that skittered through his head like autumn leaves blown across the meadows. Pictures came together like scenes witnessed from above, and then dispersed into a random collection of thoughts and whispers. Kelsun cried as the pain of those who had perished inside awoke in his own mind. They pleaded for release, knowing he could not provide it. They cried “Okine” as a warning or perhaps a ritual.
“We approach its lair. It has lived here for longer than man can remember. It has guarded the mountain and protected my people. If you wish to leave, find your place, you will need to destroy it.”
Kelsun tilted his head to the side, surprised by the tears rolling down Samada’s face. “Tell me what I need to know about the beast. I know it is part of your oath.”
Samada recoiled and sat on a rock. His hand reached up and twisted the arrowhead piercing his bottom lip. He chanted in a tongue foreign to Kelsun but with syllables that resonated in his memory. Samada unsheathed his dagger and stood. Kelsun did not move. Samada reached across his right shoulder with his left hand and grabbed hold of his braided hair. With the dagger high above his head, he cut through the hair and tossed it to the ground at Kelsun’s feet. Samada switched the knife to the other hand and repeated the process with the other braid.
“Place these in your belt.”
Kelsun did so without question. Samada pointed to the cavern. Kelsun’s eyes followed, and he heard a rustling noise followed by an incredible stench. The tainted wind smelled of feces, blood, and death. He pulled his cloak over his face and winced.
“You must go now,” said Samada before backing away into the darkness.
The beast sensed the presence of Kelsun and roared. The vibrations shook rocks from their resting place and threatened to shatter Kelsun’s ears. He bent over at the waist with his hands cupped on each side of his head, waiting for the bellow to subside. When it did, the creature hissed and spat.
Kelsun willed his feet forwards even though they felt like boulders fastened to his legs. He wiped the blade of the dagger on his cloak and used the back of his forearm to clear the sweat from his forehead. “My crucible,” he mumbled.
The beast responded with another fit, this time knocking chunks of rock from the cavern, and they rolled past Kelsun and down the tunnel. He stiffened and placed one foot in front of the other, moving ever closer to the lair of the wrathful beast. Kelsun stopped and closed his eyes. He commanded his heart to slow and coerced his breathing into even rasps.
“I will not perish in this forsaken place,” he said to himself.
The beast thundered the caverns and shook the mountain. Kelsun felt the hooves striking the rock beneath the gray dust and pictured the impending massacre. It turned the corner in a fury of brown fur matted with dark streaks of liquid and broken weapons. Hooves capped the end of thin legs driving the creature forward. It resembled a cat as much as a snowflake resembles a blizzard. Curved, yellowed fangs dropped from its jaw and curled underneath its face. The beast’s eyes shone with hatred and rage. Its ears came up on top of its head as it continued charging.
Kelsun looked down at his hand and the insignificant dagger it held before looking back at the creature. It covered the long distance of the tunnel with loping strides, giving it the appearance of a slow walk when, in fact, it approached rapidly. The cat-like beast opened its mouth and expelled a growl that rattled Kelsun’s teeth and threatened to shake them from his skull.
He bent down low and threw his body to one side as the beast ran past. Kelsun tumbled down a tunnel and turned to look back as the creature screamed. He scrambled over the scree and climbed towards the tunnel when a massive paw swatted through the opening, striking him square in the chest. The blow stunned the boy and stole the breath from his body. He stood and stabbed, laughing like a man prepared to turn the flood with a bucket.
The beast removed its paw, and Kelsun relaxed in the moment. However, the mouth of the creature reappeared, saliva dripping from its fangs. It turned its head left and right while struggling to expand the opening and pounce on its prey.
Kelsun ran outside of the immediate view of the beast’s one eye, which it had thrust through the opening of the cavern. He leapt upon a rock with his arm extended. The dagger bit into the nose of the creature. It paused and then sneezed, blowing mucus and blood in Kelsun’s face. The creature retracted its face from the hole and whined in pain, slapping its nose with a paw. Kelsun took a deep breath and ran through the opening.
He saw the beast licking its paws and tending to the stab wound and realized it would not pay him any mind until the pain subsided. Kelsun sprinted around the base of the cavern wall until he stood with his back to the flowing river of darkness, which pulled everything into the depths of the mountain.
“Here,” said Kelsun.
The beast stood and swatted boulders from its feet. Its eyes locked on his and it murmured like a cat, noises that were not feline and not human.
“Come on,” he said, tempting the monster.
The creature pulled back on its haunches and launched through the air at Kelsun. He waited until its rancid breath wet his face. As the paw of the beast cut through the air, Kelsun stepped backwards into the underground river. He thrust the blade of the dagger into the space between two boulders that acted as a containing wall for the river. He swung the other hand around while the current dragged his feet downstream. As it did so, the belly of the creature passed overhead. Kelsun heard the muffled cry as it hit the water, and he smelled the urine expelled by the beast when it struck the surface. The monster swatted at the river as the current pulled it past Kelsun. The creature’s head bobbed above the water two times and did not come up for a third. As it passed underneath the natural arch of the underground canyon, a tail broke through the surface.
Kelsun watched it go and swung his legs up and over his arms. He felt the blade slide between the rocks and closed his eyes in anticipation of striking the black chill of the river. He hung there for a moment, paralyzed by the image of the great beast swallowed by the river and the thought of what it would do to him. He reached out towards the top of the cavern floor but could not reach it. The cold crept from his toes and slid up his legs like a serpent. His arms shuddered, while his muscles convulsed uncontrollably. Kelsun looked down at the water and saw faces looking back. He saw the blank stare of death contained in the solid white eyes, the mouth of one held open as if pitched in an internal scream. Kelsun felt his fingers loosening on the hilt of the dagger and realized he would strike the water. He whimpered and hoped for a quick drowning, anything to avoid the monsters under the surface.
A brief second passed after he let go of the knife as his body droppe
d towards the surface. He gulped a final mouthful of air when a bolt of pain shot through his shoulder. Kelsun cried out in surprise as he hung inches from the surface of the river. He saw bony hands grasping at his feet as his body reversed direction and moved up towards the floor of the cavern. He turned his head from the oily current and looked into the face of Samada.
Samada pulled him by the wrist over the edge of the cavern floor. The sharp stones dug into Kelsun’s skin and tore thin lines into his chest and thighs, and he flopped into the dirt and rolled onto his back while heaving. He stared up at the ceiling of the cavern, shrouded in darkness, before turning to his side and closing his eyes.
“If we do not continue now, the spirits will emerge and drag us both back down with them.”
“Thank you, I must—”
Samada cut him off. “Not now. Get up and follow me. The souls of those trapped will tear you apart worse than the claws of the beast you just fought.”
Kelsun nodded and sat up. His shoulder ached, and he could not raise it above his head. Kelsun felt a click under his collarbone when he rotated his arm. The water burned the fresh wounds caused by the stones of the cavern, but Kelsun felt satisfied that he was otherwise unhurt.
Samada picked up two satchels and handed a third to Kelsun. He removed a hemp rope from under his cloak, where it had been fastened to his waist. He reached out and circled Kelsun with it, knotting the ends and completing the tether.
“Our final ascent is the most difficult. We need to stay together. The mountain will be angry that you have killed its pet and that the trapped souls have not been able to pull you under the filthy current. Because of that, it will prey on your mind and distort your emotions. It will show you things you wish not to relive and create things you hope you shall never see. Remind yourself that it is all illusion and that the surface awaits. If you fall to the guile of the spirit, you will be forever in its grasp.”
Kelsun nodded and saw the blade on the floor near his feet. He reached down for it when Samada kicked it into the river. Kelsun heard the splash, followed by a low moan.
