The Wanderers of the Water-Realm

by Alan Lawton

  Darryl took the lead with ‘Kingslayer’ held at the ready for they had been warned by Q22 that dangerous life forms might well be encountered during their climb. Whiteflower came next, closely followed by the wisewoman, whilst George brought up the rear with his trusty steel cleaver grasped tightly in his right hand.

  At first the ascent was easy, for the overhanging lip of the tear was a good Earth mile in width and the climbers had no difficulty in picking their way between the trees and shrubs that had established themselves in the debris spilling out from behind the damaged metal wall, but as they climbed ever upwards, the metal lip began to narrow and soon they were struggling along a crazy pathway that was only a few feet wide and almost impassably choked with vines and creeping plants.

  Even so, the travellers had completed over half the assent by the time the five suns reached their zenith in the sky and their rate of climb had also begun to increase as the lip of the tear began to broaden once again.

  Darryl calleda halt and together with his three companions he wandered over to the edge of the lip and stared downwards into the multi-coloured mass of the forest lying far below them. Perhaps the four climbers let down their guard for a few moments as they took in the breathtaking view, for none of them noticed the three nightmarish life forms that suddenly broke from a nearby patch of scrub and hurtled towards them at breakneck speed.

  It was George who first spotted the creatures and the former boat hand had hardly time to shout a brief warning before spinning around upon his heel to engage the first of the outlandish life forms with his steel cleaver. ‘Outlandish’ was the perfect word to describe the fearsome creatures, for they were each about the size of a large dog and were propelled along the ground at great speed by a mass of threshing tentacles growing from the underside of their black cylindrical bodies. The apparitions also possessed huge mouths that occupied almost the whole front portion to their torpedo-like bodies, crude gaping apertures that were murderously armed with long rows of sharp serrated teeth.

  At the very last moment the former boat hand side-stepped the first of the attackers and split the creature in half with a single massive blow from his cleaver, whilst Darryl, at almost the same instant, fell upon one knee and delivered a single murderous cut with ‘Kingslayer’ opening up another of the apparitions from one end of its torpedo-like body to the other. Tragically, the last remaining monster evaded Whiteflower’s sword stroke and laid open the tribes-woman’s chest and abdomen with its razor sharp teeth. Too late, the wisewoman’s dagger hissed through the air and buried itself in the creature’s side. And too late was the stroke from George’s cleaver sending it spinning down into the forest below. For Whiteflower of the Kev now lay upon the ground with the lifeblood draining from her body in a veritable torrent.

  The three surviving travellers were at her side in a moment, but Myra did not even bother to take the medical bag from her shoulder, for it was obvious that the stricken girl had only moments to live.

  Whiteflower had just sufficient strength to turn her head and address her lover for the last time.

  “Remember me!” She said, in little more than a whisper. “Keep me in your thoughts … and … I will … Still live …”

  The girl’s body gave a shudder and with a sigh, the last breath left her body.

  Darryl stood transfixed, as though suddenly turned to stone.

  “In the name of creation, no …” He muttered. “This cannot have happened … We were going to live out our lives together in Elfencot. We …”

  The young wisewoman moved quickly. She instantly delved into her medicine bag and drew out a vial containing a drug known to counteract the effects of mind-numbing shock and she forced the vial between her brother’s lips.

  “Swallow this potion.” She commanded. “And recall that we still have a long way to go, if we are to complete this climb before darkness falls!”

  “Aye, listen to your sister!” George added, firmly gripping the ex-boatmaster by the shoulder. “You must take hold of yourself and continue to climb. Else you will never live to see your home again and Whiteflower will have died for no purpose. Come man, put one foot in front of another.And climb!”

  Darryl shook his head and wiped the hideous creature’s body fluids from the blade of his sword, then turned and faced his two comrades.

  “Do not fear for mysanity!” He said, to their considerable relief. “My wits have returned. Come, we must bury Whiteflower’s body as quickly as possible and then continue upon our way!”

  The three survivors used their weapons to excavate a grave and buried Whiteflower’s body exactly where she fell, as was the custom amongst the Kev. Afterwards, they heaped rocks upon the grave to keep of scavenging animals and resumed their climb with all possible speed.

  Once again, the path narrowed and became thickly choked with vegetation and it was almost pitch dark by the time they reached the crest and staggered away from the edge of that terrible precipice.

  In the near darkness, the exhausted travellers blundered into the midst of a group of sharp boulders that afforded them some rudimentary shelter and soon they were fast asleep. All save Darryl, who remained on guard and wept quietly for his lost lover, until sheer fatigue clouded his brain and he to fell into an exhausted slumber.

  The travellers awoke at dawn and were amazed at the sight meeting their eyes as the light of the five suns broke through the rolling crimson clouds.

  About half an Earth mile from the group of sharp rocks that had sheltered them throughout the hours of darkness, there stood a huge plinth cast from some dark stone-like material. This massive erection supported the base of the enormous white metal spire that had long been their goal and appearing to reach up above them as far as the turbulent Water-Realm sky.

  The three survivors stood motionless for several moments as they viewed the ancient wonder confronting them, but their reverie was suddenly broken when the young wisewoman let out a gasp and clasped the palms of her hands to her temples.

  “Mother awaits us on the far side of the barrier.” She cried. “I am reaching out and touching her mind. The portal we seek is very near, or such a strong mental contact could not possibly be achieved.”

  She fell upon her knees, concentrated her formidable psychic powers and flung out a message in the general direction of the spire.

  “Mother!” She called. “Mother -- Mother ---- Should my thoughts reach you -- Then contact me if you are able -- Mother ---- Mother -----”

  “Mother ---- MOTHER!”

  The words echoed faintly in some remote corner of Hetty’s mind as she lay slumbering in the arms of her lover.

  “Mother ---- Mother ---- MOTHER!”

  The call was repeated over and over again, until the witch was forced to open her eyes and take heed to the message that was taking shape in her mind.

  “Mother -- Mother -- It is Myra ---- Your daughter -- If you can hear me -- Reach out ---- Reach out to me----.”

  Hetty was now wide awake and shook the red-haired policeman who lay at her side.

  “Myra is calling to me from across the void. They must be very close to the mouth of the return portal. I must attempt to contact my daughter, without delay; for there is much to be done before my kinsfolk are returned safely to their own reality.”

  The witch closed her eyes and projected a psychic message towards the nearby cave in the cliffs containing the exit portal from the Water-Realm.

  “My daughter ---- I will be brief -- For we must conserve our mental energies --- Position yourself as close as possible to the portal -- And in twelve earth hours -- I will attempt the ceremony that will part the curtain separating our twin realities -- Assist me as far as your powers will allow -- Reach out to me now -- If you receive and understand my message -- My daughter!”

  The reply entered Hetty’s mind almost immediately.

  “Mother -- I will do as you say -- Until later -- I bid you goodbye.”

  The light of dawn was now entering the cottag
e and enabled the wisewoman to gather together a collection of accoutrements that she packed into a leather satchel. She worked carefully and methodically for each precious item would be needed to carry out the desperately difficult magical ritual that lay ahead.

  Meanwhile, Angus Smith prepared the storm lanterns and the climbing ropes that he intended to carry down the cliff-side path to his intended rescue station inside the mouth of the cave.

  The sun was high in the sky before the pair had completed all the necessary preparations and the red haired witch straightened her back and turned once again to address her companion.

  “We have worked well and have time in hand!” She said softly. “So let us return to the comfort of our bed-sheets, for I feel a terrible cold gathering within me and I must, feel the warmth of your love!

  The policeman opened his mouth and was about to make a comforting reply, when the wisewoman silenced him by placing a finger to his lips.

  “Come!” She said. “Please do not say another word. Instead, let your love give me the strength that I so desperately need, my dearest, for I know that a fearful ordeal awaits me. And I am so terribly afraid!”

  Hetty’s words were fresh in her daughters mind as the young wisewoman turned to face her two companions.

  “We must move at once,” she said urgently, “and discover the shrine holding the entrance to the portal. Mother will soon begin the ceremony that will tear open the curtain for our return. My inner-eye tells me the shrine lies in very close proximity to the base of yonder spire and we should reach it without further delay.”

  Darryl and George immediately assented and the little party began advancing towards the spire as fast as the broken ground would allow, but the five suns were high in the sky before Myra pointed towards a small white metal structure lying in the shadow of the dark plinth supporting the great spire.

  “It is there, within that building.” She said, gasping from the physical exertions of the march. “My witch’s intuition tells me that we are now very close to our goal!”

  The trio advanced at an even faster rate and soon found themselves standing before the box-like metal structure that appeared to be protruding from the base of the spire. An open doorway, about twenty feet in height, offered a way into the building and Myra stepped across the threshold without a moment’s hesitation.

  Her two companions immediately followed and the travellers found themselves standing in a large room whose walls were made from the white metal of the ancients. A large semi-circular opening could be seen in the far wall and appeared to lead into a long tunnel whose walls were lined with the same metallic substance.

  The wisewoman moved closer to the opening and she saw that the tunnel was illuminated by the same light-source that had enabled them to travel down long sections of the old ruined bridge in the ‘Forest of Oblivion.’

  A strange and almost transparent blue-green haze seemed to dance fitfully, hither and thither, in the mouth of the tunnel. She stopped and ordered her companions to go no further.

  “We have found it!” She said quietly. “We have found the portal that will lead us back to our own world. I must contact mother at once and assist her in opening yonder curtain, but there is one last thing that I must do before I cast my mind across the void!”

  She slipped the travelling pack from her shoulder and opened one of its pockets revealing a small package that was wrapped in narr-skin. She opened the folds of the soft material and revealed three bracelets of burnished copper, each being encrusted with a score of beautifully cut jewels.

  “These precious stones,” she said. “Together with the Dark Priest’s diamonds, carefully hidden amongst the remedies in my medicine bag, will ensure that each of us has a prosperous future in our own reality, if we succeed in winning through the curtain. Quickly now, stow them away upon your persons!”

  Her companions stood rooted to the spot in amazement. “How did you come by such a collection of priceless gems?” Darryl asked, as he stuffed several of the pieces into the pocket of his narr-skin trousers.

  “From the Lady Livia!” She answered as she spread a length of cloth upon the floor in front of the shimmering portal. “Before she entered her bath for the last time, she begged me to accept her personal adornments, for she could not bear the thought of them falling into the uncouth hands of slaves, or worse, coming into the possession of her hated husband!”

  The witch turned her back upon her companions and knelt down upon the length of cloth.

  “Now my friends, I am about to contact my mother and the two of us will begin the ritual that will part the curtain and allow us to return to our own native reality. Stand away from me and do not interfere with the ceremony under any consideration, but you must both obey me without question when the time comes to move forward and enter the portal.”

  The young witch drew deeply upon her mental resources and cast out a message to her mother whom she knew would be waiting on the other side of the curtain.

  “Mother! -- Mother! -- Can you hear me? ---- Are you ready to begin the opening ritual?”

  The answer entered her head almost immediately.

  “Yes my daughter -- I am lying upon the ritual stone that is situated in the centre of an ancient stone circle -- Close -- Very close -- To the mouth of the cave from which you must all emerge if you successfully cross the curtain -- The sacred fire burns before me -- And in a moment I will begin flinging my energies against the fabric of the curtain -- Thus opening the way for your return -- My daughter -- Be ready to aid me with the power of your mind ---- Should I call for your assistance --- Once you have passed through the portal -- You will be greated by a man who is my trusted friend and lover -- Do as he says and he will lead you to safety --- Now I bid you farewell --- My beloved daughter!”

  Hetty’s consciousness disappeared from the young witch’s mind and she turned her attention to the shimmering curtain that had suddenly begun to thin and lose some of its colour. She also began sensing the agonizing pain her mother was beginning to suffer as the older woman began prizing open the portal separating the two realities. For a single minute that seemed to stretch into hours, the young wisewoman watched as the curtain gradually faded away until only an opaque disturbance remained to donate its presence. Suddenly, Myra sensed a violent increase in the level of agony that her mother was enduring and a split second later, she picked up the faint echo of the command which the older woman had cast over the void.

  “Quickly now ---- My daughter ---- HELP -- Help me to sweep aside this curtain --!”

  Myra responded instantly. She summoned up her entire reserve of mental energy and flung it against the failing barrier. For a moment the curtain maintained itself against the massive psychic assault and then collapsed entirely leaving the portal between the two worlds open and completely unguarded.

  The young witch leapt to her feet and sprang towards the mouth of the tunnel.

  “Follow me!” She called out to her companions. “The way is now clear. But the portal will close presently, so we must run for our lives if we are to reach our own reality in safety!”

  The travellers fled down the tunnel for a good quarter of an Earth mile and they eventually began gasping for breath and the pace of their advance slowed.

  As she ran, the wisewoman noticed that odd patches of the blue-green haze were beginning to re-form close to the walls and ceiling of the tunnel and she realized that the portal would soon become impregnable again.

  “Faster!” She gasped to her companions. “Faster or we are surely doomed!”

  The trio made one final effort and managed to redouble their pace and a few seconds later they passed out of the lighted metal tunnel, only to find themselves groping blindly down a dark and narrow underground cave, where rivulets of water trickled down slime covered walls of solid rock.

  Myra collapsed upon the soaking wet floor.

  “We have passed through the portal!” She gasped out to her companions as soon as she had gathered enough
breath. “We are now upon the planet Earth and within our own reality. Now we must find the man who mother said would guide us to safety!”

  “Ye already have, lassie!” Said a voice from the darkness and the sudden flaring of a storm lantern revealed the be-whiskered features of Angus Smith.

  “I bid ye welcome.” He continued. “Hetty has instructed me to take you from this subterranean place and lead you up the steep cliff-face to the relative safety of the Island lying above our heads. But ‘twill be no easy journey, for a storm of no natural making is raging over the sea and will seek to pluck us away to our deaths as we ascend the cliff-side path. Come now, if you are sufficiently rested and let us depart!”

  The returning wanderers followed the lantern-bearing policeman down the length of the cave until their ears began to be assailed by a frightful roaring sound echoing eerily from the rocky walls of the cave.