“It appears that way,” the Dragon agreed. “But this is just the beginning.”
Khalid shrugged, following the Dragon deeper into the chamber. He continued looking around, finding that some features were becoming visible as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He saw faint surfaces around him; subtle hints that other walkways were present, though not oriented in the same up and down fashion as their own walkway. It seemed all of the walkways were converging on a single point in the far off center of the chamber; each one originating from a different point on the outside.
“This is a strange place,” Khalid remarked.
Dagda chuckled. “Stranger than you think, Khalid. There are much stranger places, as you will soon see.”
“What, exactly, is at the center of this chamber?”
“The hub,” the Dragon replied. “It is where we will find the proper gate to our destination; to Theia.”
“Theia is the Moon, isn’t she?”
“The Moon is the bulk of Theia’s body,” the Dragon said. “But her core is at the center of the Earth, melded with the Great Mother’s. The Moon could be seen as her skeleton, so to speak.”
“How is she able to exist within Earth?” Khalid asked. “Wouldn’t there be some conflict between she and the Great Mother?”
The Dragon nodded. “Very astute, Khalid. There is, indeed, a conflict. There always has been. The face of the Earth was shaped by the whim of both spirits. Their ideas conflicted and created what we see today. If Theia did not exist, the lands would look much different than they do.”
“What about the creatures of Earth? Were they part of that conflict?”
“Only the sentient ones,” Dagda replied. “Theia had her own ideas of sentience. Her creations were shunned; banished to the center of the Earth or allowed to die off. This is not her world, and her creations did not mix well with Gaia’s. They are no more.”
“I see,” Khalid said, not fully understanding.
He would not question the Dragon, however. He would trust the Dragon’s words and be patient. Perhaps when this journey was over, he would understand more fully. For now, he would let the matter go.
“When I was a child in Khem,” Khalid began. “I heard stories of strange creatures that lived in the ground. Many types, it seemed.”
“Yes, there are many types. Here, in your lands, and in lands across the sea. The Druaga are among them.”
Khalid gasped. “The Druaga are not a creation of the Great Mother?”
“I created them,” the Dragon replied. “But their natural place is within the Earth. Theia’s creations, however, drove them to the surface. They have also traveled to other worlds.”
“Interesting. What sorts of creatures live within the Earth?”
The Dragon stopped suddenly, staring straight ahead at the walkway before them. Khalid saw what had caught the Dragon’s attention soon after.
Ahead, corpses lay strewn across their path. Though unidentifiable from this distance, it was clear that they were humanoid. Among them, strange, winged creatures were picking at their flesh, fighting over the scraps of what little, rotting tissue they could scavenge.
“My friend,” the Dragon said. “Your question is about to be answered.”
Khalid drew his swords, moving forward to stand behind the Dragon. In the distance, the flying creatures saw them, turning from their meal to gather in formation facing the companions. Khalid and the Dragon stepped forward, determined to clear their path. The creatures slowly stalked their way toward them, becoming clearer in the dim light.
They were reptilian in nature; somewhat dragon-like, but with fin-shaped wings that seemed to possess no membranes. The wings were also extra appendages, not modified forelimbs like the Dragon and his priests. The creatures’ tails were smooth and long, whipping about like menacing tentacles.
But it was their faces that startled Khalid.
They had no eyes, just smooth, tautly-stretched skin that was pulled tight around many fanged mouths. There was no distinguishing separation of head and neck; just the razor sharp fangs lining a round, jawless mouth.
“Frightening,” Khalid remarked.
“Yes,” the Dragon agreed. “But they are mindless animals. We will defend ourselves as necessary, but will cause them no harm. Though they do not belong here, we will not presume to remove them.”
Khalid nodded, resuming his steady pace as the Dragon continued forward.
“Knock them out of the way and move on,” the Dragon said.
As they approached, the creatures scattered, swooping around their flanks and attempting to attack from behind. Khalid turned, crossing his blades in front of him as one dived toward him. The creature’s claws came in quick, and Khalid spun and struck as the creature passed. His blade made a metallic clang as it barely scratched the tough hide.
The Dragon twirled his own blade, chopping downward as the same creature passed by him. The impact knocked the creature to the walkway and the Dragon finished it off with a downward thrust.
Khalid leaped past, spinning in the air and bringing his blades down at another creature diving toward the Dragon. A wing was severed and the creature screeched in pain, tumbling over the edge and disappearing into the darkness below.
“Go!” the Dragon shouted. The two of them dashed toward the pile of corpses, leaping over them and continuing on. Khalid saw that the corpses were humanoid, but pale gray and glistening like wet leather.
They were definitely not human.
“What are those?” Khalid shouted.
“I don’t know,” the Dragon replied, urging Khalid to run faster. “We’ll see a lot of strange creatures in our journey. Those are the least alien.”
Khalid grunted, picking up his pace. Around them, the flying creatures swarmed, diving sporadically to strike at them. Ahead, the two could see the surrounding pathways becoming more visible and converging on a large spherical structure. Khalid was amazed to see the shapes of the continents on its surface.
“It’s the world!” he exclaimed, his breath running short.
“Very good!”
“And it’s spinning!”
“That’s how we’ll find the path to the inner spheres,” the Dragon explained. He pushed Khalid forward, narrowly avoid a diving creature. The Priest stumbled, catching his balance skillfully.
“Not so hard,” Khalid protested. “You almost pushed me over the edge.”
The Dragon chuckled. “Don’t worry,” he said. “You would have landed right back in the same place.”
Khalid said nothing, but trusted the Dragon’s words.
“Do you see the opening?” the Dragon shouted.
Khalid looked ahead at the massive, spinning globe. Near their physical location on the face the actual world, there was a portal. It was slowly spinning into view, preparing to settle near the end of the pathway they were on.
“I see it,” Khalid responded.
“When it reaches the pathway,” the Dragon said, “jump through. We should reach it right as it opens up in our path.”
“Understood!”
The flying creatures began squawking loudly as the two neared the sphere. Curiously, they avoided getting too close to the structure, as if it were frightening to them. Khalid could understand. It was frightening to him as well.
The Priest saw the opening settle down at the edge of their pathway. For a brief moment, the giant orb stopped spinning, and a loud, metallic bang resonated throughout the vault.
“Jump through!” the Dragon shouted.
Khalid leaped with all his might. Behind him, the Dragon shifted forward, passing right through the priest and appearing before him. Khalid slammed into him, bouncing off and hitting the floor on the other side of the portal. The outer orb began spinning again.
Outside, the two could hear the flying creatures slamming into the outer orb. Apparently, some of them were hungry enough to brave the mysterious structure.
Khalid sat dazed, rubbing his head.
/> “Sorry about that,” the Dragon said, helping Khalid to his feet. “We’re inside the main vault. Look.”
Khalid turned to look at the inside of the giant orb. Several other orbs were suspended in the center, arranged concentrically; one inside the other. There appeared to be dozens of them.
“These are all the inner layers of the Earth,” Dagda explained. “We will seek out the proper portals and arrange them in the correct order. When the orbs are aligned correctly, a pathway inside will be cleared, and we can enter the gateway. It will be instructed to transport us to the proper layer if the orbs are arranged the right way.”
“Isn’t there an easier way to do this?” Khalid said.
“Of course, but in my imprisoned state, I cannot travel inter-dimensionally. I have to use the existing portals; ones I can physically go through.”
“I see,” Khalid said. “That is very inconvenient.”
“I agree, but this is how we must go about it. For now, we will rest. It will be some time before the layers arrange themselves in the proper manner. We don’t want to end up in the wrong layer.”
Khalid nodded. That was logical.
Chapter Seven
The banshee’s wails echoed through the forest near Aeli’s tower. Though the Druid knew the sound, she wondered how the creature had managed to regenerate. As far as she knew, the banshee had been destroyed over a year ago. Even when the banshee had regenerated enough strength to project her presence, Farouk’s friend, the black Defiler, had fed upon her energy. There was no reason, other than time, that the dreaded spirit should have returned.
Fearing the unearthly sound would frighten the young Jodocus, Aeli shut the windows tight. However, the expression on the young boy’s face told her that he had heard it. He did not appear frightened as she would have expected, but intrigued. An uncommon characteristic, she thought.
“Mama,” Jodocus said. “Why does the lady cry?”
Aeli sat next to the boy, putting her arm around him to comfort him. “I don’t know, Jodocus,” she said. “Perhaps she is sad.”
Jodocus felt her pain, and it was echoed on his own face. “She’s lonely,” he said. “Lonely like her father.”
“Her father?” Aeli repeated.
“The sad one.”
“What do you mean?”
Jodocus looked up into her eyes, his expression of sorrow obvious. “The man who walks the forest. There but not there.”
She knew he meant the presence that they all had felt nearby. The presence that prompted Farouk to cross dimensions. Apparently, the two were related.
“The banshee’s father is the presence?” she asked.
Jodocus nodded, smiling. “He misses her,” he replied. “But he’s afraid of her.”
Aeli knelt in front of Jodocus, looking into his eyes. She could see what he was thinking; that there was a reason the banshee was alive again.
“Why is the banshee here?”
“She was the enemy of the Lifegiver,” Jodocus said. “She tried to bring life back to her world, and she became lost. Stuck.”
“Stuck?” Aeli said. “Here, in this world?”
“Yes, mama,” he replied. “We have to help her. We have to bring life back to her world.”
“And how do we do this?”
“She came here to find the Other.”
Aeli sat back, feeling the boy’s thoughts enter her mind. He seemed to be showing her something, though she did not understand what it was.
In her mind, she saw two worlds traveling along the same path. One was Earth, she knew, but not the Earth that was familiar to her. Only the presence of the Great Mother told her that it was Earth.
Then, out of the darkness, another world strayed too close. The two worlds collided, smashing each other to pieces. The presence of another spirit was there, and it too cried out in pain as did the Great Mother. The other spirit was embraced within the Great Mother’s arms, hidden away in safety.
When the chaos had settled down, the bulk of the two bodies settled down into a restful state. The remaining debris wandered near the combined spirits, coalescing into a body of its own.
The Moon.
Suddenly, Aeli understood.
“The banshee was a druid,” she said. “She knew that another Mother spirit was here, and tried to seek it out.”
“Yes, mama,” Jodocus said. “But she couldn’t find it, and it made her sad. She died here, and can’t go home.”
“What happened on this other world, this other Earth?”
“The Lifegiver destroyed it,” Jodocus said. “Only the wandering man survived.”
“How do you know all of this?” Aeli asked.
Jodocus smiled, looking into her eyes. “The spirits of the forest speak to me, mama.”
Faeraon stood near his throne, his sword drawn and held out before him. Farouk was in the center of the large chamber, his staff pointed upward in an attempt to seek out the banshee’s direction. For some reason, he felt, she was fading in and out of existence. It was as if she was not able to stay in this realm, but was drawn to another.
“Her presence here is a struggle for her,” Farouk stated.
Faeraon nodded. “I feel it as well,” he said. “Her focus is torn between our worlds.”
“Is this typical?”
“No,” Faeraon said. “She usually comes full force. She attempts to steal me away.”
Farouk turned to him, seeing the sadness in his eyes. “Why would she do that?” he asked.
Faeraon stepped away from his throne and off of the dais, moving to stand beside Farouk. “I would assume she believes that by bringing me to her realm, she can save me… or destroy me.”
“We must seek her out,” Farouk said. “Her nature may answer many questions. She is more than she seems.”
Faeraon nodded. “Though I fear this will be our end, I feel that I am no longer bound to this place. I will trust what you say, Farouk. We will seek her out and confront her.”
Farouk thought briefly of the young Jodocus. “I think I know what it is that is drawing her away,” he said. “If my guess is correct, we may be able to put her to rest once and for all.”
Faeraon lowered his head in sadness. “She must be destroyed then…” he said, trailing off.
Farouk placed his hand on Faeraon’s shoulder in sympathy. “Yes, my friend. But only her malevolent form. Once that is destroyed, who knows what will happen. If you are still alive, then she must be as well; in some form or another.”
“Then let us proceed.”
The forest was misty as Aeli and Jodocus crept through the darkness. Their only light was the glow of the mist caused by the starlight above. Aeli knew it would be dangerous, but Jodocus was determined to go out. His reasons were unknown, but Aeli had faith that his soul—that of the elder Jodocus—knew what he was doing.
Jodocus held her hand as they walked, giggling at the twinkling fireflies that flashed around them. Aeli felt the presence of the banshee to the west, closer to the shore, but could feel that its direction of travel was constantly changing. Why it was hesitant was anyone’s guess. Still, she wondered how Farouk was faring across the dimensions, and if his journey had anything to do with the banshee’s appearance.
“The wandering man is ahead,” Jodocus said. “He’s with Farouk, mama.”
“I feel him, too,” she replied. “He is still crossed over.”
“He will be back soon.”
Aeli swallowed hard, noticing how the forest became gloomier as they neared the banshee’s lair. Both Aeli and Jodocus knew that she was not near and was farther to the west, but still the air hung thick and dreadful.
As they neared the broken, ghostly trees of her lair, Jodocus suddenly released Aeli’s hand.
“Jodocus!” she scolded. “Come back. Take my hand.”
“Mama,” Jodocus called out from the darkness. “I found her house.”
Aeli followed his voice, sensing him near the opening of her twisted hovel.
“She is not here,” she said.
“Her bones are gone, too,” Jodocus replied, bending over the pile of remains that lay just inside the opening.
Aeli knelt down, commanding her staff to glow to light the lair. There, as Jodocus had said, was a pile of dust. There were no bones as there had been in the past; only a few scraps of elegant cloth and some trinkets that the banshee had collected over the years. With no bones in sight one thing was clear.
The banshee had fully returned.
“We should leave here, Jodocus,” Aeli warned. “If she returns, she may be angry to find us in her home.”
Jodocus giggled, standing up to take Aeli’s hand. As they left the lair, he looked back, sensing the great sorrow that was there. It was not only the banshee’s sorrow, but that of some other creature as well. And the young boy knew that at one time, Farouk had felt that same sorrow and had come here to investigate. His energy was still strong there.
As if he was still present.
“The lair is almost identical to the one on my world,” Farouk said as he and Faeraon sifted through the ruins. “But I am confused. We should have encountered her on the way here.”
“She comes and goes,” Faeraon explained. “She may have sensed something in the other world and crossed over temporarily.”
Farouk shrugged. “I believe her nature is something more than you or I understand. The legends of my world say that banshees are the souls of evil women; spirits that warn of doom and guard the tombs of the dead.”
“My daughter was not evil,” Faeraon said. “But her lack of ability to return to our world must have driven her mad.”
Farouk stood, looking around at the ruins. “There are no material items here,” he said. “On my world, this lair is filled with trinkets and the corpses of her victims. It’s almost as if she is not really here in this world. Not fully, anyway.”
Faeraon nodded. “That is logical,” he said. “It seems to me that she is trapped on your world, or somewhere in between our two worlds.”
“She went in search of this other Mother spirit, but was unable to return?”
“That is what I have deduced after all of these years,” Faeraon replied. “I knew of her search by reading the tomes she had left in her chambers at home. I believe she was close to finding the answer, but it was too late. The life force on this world was depleted, and only the immortal survived. Even then, they eventually died out as well.”
Into Oblivion (Book 4) Page 7
