by Tom Keller
"Sendy," I replied. "This is Meredith and Eddie Milagre. Siegfried you already know." I turned to Meredith. "This is the Aurae, Sendy."
All three bowed their head as I introduced her.
"Welcome," Meredith said. "Sendy, I was wondering if you could help us?"
"Of course," she replied after seeing my subtle nod of agreement. "What can I do for the Lady of the Water?"
"Robert has told me of your visit to the site that Malcolm discovered. I would like to see it through your eyes, may I?'
She looked at me warily.
"It's ok," I said as I stood. "Meredith is an ally and she has done the same with me."
"As you wish, then," she replied. "What is it that you would have me do?"
"Please sit beside me," she answered, patting the seat where I had just been.
As Sendy sat down Meredith turned towards her and grasped her hands. "Now, tell me what you saw and felt."
Sendy told her the story, Meredith asking the occasional question. When she was done, Meredith let go of her hands.
"Thank you, my dear." Meredith said as she stood, then turned towards me. "It is as you believed, the spell was indeed crafted from the water of forgetfulness."
"It also confirms that Marissa is behind it," added Eddie.
"Why's that?" I asked.
"For such a spell to be crafted requires that the water be gathered at its source, the center of the Underworld," he replied. "Since The Fall that way has been closed to all except the Lady of the Nereid. Only since the return of the High Fae could another do such a thing."
"And since neither you nor I have travelled to the Underworld that leaves only the enemy," Meredith added.
"That figures," I said. "What about the Demons?" Siegfried had told me that Demons lived in the Underworld. Good or bad that could be a problem.
"There are many gates in the Underworld, Robert," Meredith said. "Where the rivers converge is by the gate of Hades. That place can only be entered by the dead. Demons do not reside there although there may be other dangers."
"We have no choice. If she did lure a Weredragon here then the rumors of her searching for a Dragon all those years ago are true," Eddie continued. "Now we must assume that she found it. It would explain a lot about the wounds suffered by those attacked." He turned to Siegfried. "If such a Were has been captured we must free it if we can. But know this, if we cannot do so it must be destroyed, no matter the cost to the Elves. That is too much of a danger to leave it in the enemy's hands. We have lost enough Fae as it is."
"Much as I hate to say it, you’re right," I agreed. "But what about the forgetfulness spell?"
"That can be overcome. Meredith can explain."
"That is true," she said. "There are ways to counter the effect of the river's waters. I am more concerned with how to get in safely. The spring that once flowed there is long dried up and Sendy has said that no trees grow on this land. You will have to go there in person and find a way through the barrier."
"I believe I can craft something that will work," Eddie replied. "We have used similar spells in the past. But I, too, will need some of the water from the river Lethe to do so. Meredith?"
"I will go, but Robert must come with me," she answered as she looked towards me. "We will need to gather water from both the river Lethe and the spring of Mnemosyne for this to work."
I nodded in agreement.
"Siegfried," Eddie said. "He should not go alone. I don’t believe we should wait on this, either. Put a team together. When they return with the waters and I have crafted a counter spell, I want you ready to go with Robert."
"Agreed," Siegfried answered, then turned to me. "Your friend Malcolm seems to know much about the area, it would be helpful if he could assist me in planning."
"I'm sure that's no problem," I replied. "Sendy, can you ask Malcolm to help and then take him to Siegfried?"
"Of course," she said. "Where shall we meet?"
"Come with me," Siegfried replied.
As they left the office I turned to Meredith.
"When do you want to go?"
"Now is as good a time as any," she said.
"Then let's do it."
Chapter 15
I followed her into her office and waited as she closed the door and went to a cabinet and removed the scallop shell basin she had used before to transport us to the Nereid realm.
"You have your sword?" she asked as she filled it with water from a crystal pitcher
"Of course," I replied, removing it from my back. "One second… are we going to be naked again?"
"Yes," she replied with a laugh. "Why? You're not being shy are you? It's not as if we haven't done this before."
I'd travelled with Meredith to the Nereid realm before. In truth, it had been my first experience of visiting one of the Fae lands. Although it had been a shock when I appeared there fully nude, more so was the fact that I had changed into my Fae persona. What I wasn’t sure of was why my clothes hadn’t come with me. That hadn't been a problem when I went to my own Fae lands.
"No, I was just wondering. Will my sword be able to go through your portal?"
"Don't worry about that," she answered. "I will allow your weapons to be transported with you. As to clothes, I will find something appropriate."
"Good enough," I replied. It hadn’t answered all my questions, but at least I'd be armed. Since I was not quite sure what we were getting into I figured that was the most important thing anyway.
She reached out her hands and I took them in mine and then we dipped our hands into the bowl. With a flash we were somewhere else and I once again appeared on a sandy shore looking over a sea with water lapping at my ankles. This time, of course, Meredith was with me.
As I looked over at her I wondered again if I was ever going to get over this persona switch thing. Just a second ago I was in the office of a stately, but nonetheless attractive, 60ish looking female executive and now I was on the beach staring at a naked 30 something beauty who I knew in the back of my mind was the same 60ish looking executive I'd just been with. Of course, the fact that I now looked to be in my 20s didn't make the memory recall any less bizarre.
"I'll be but a moment," she said as she stepped into the water.
I watched as she seemed to melt into it and then she was gone. I took stock of my surroundings as I grabbed my sword and seax and stood up. The last time I'd been here I'd seen some of the Nereids in the water but this time I was alone. After a short wait she appeared again, now clothed in green, wearing what appeared to be some type of tight leather outfit with corset, blouse, pants and tall boots.
"I believe these will suffice," she said as she walked up to me, tossing me a bundle.
I looked inside and pulled out the same style of clothing, albeit in my size, and began to get dressed. Everything fit perfect and seemed to wear almost like a second skin, even the boots.
"I feel like a sea epic version of Errol Flynn in Robin Hood," I kidded as I slipped the second boot on and stood. "This stuff fits like a glove. I'm going to need to meet your tailor."
"You are dressed as a Nereid Lord going into battle," she remarked. "The leather is the finest the sea can produce and acts like an armor that will slow down most blades and arrows. You will also find that the color will subtly change with our surroundings. It is also waterproof."
Of course it is. Why shouldn't a Water Fae have waterproof wear?
"You will want this as well," she said as she reached into a pack and handed me a belt with sheaths for my sword and seax. She fastened one on herself and I saw that she carried both a sword and bow.
"Expecting trouble?" I asked as I fastened the buckle and extended my sword, sliding it into the sheath provided.
"I hope not," she answered. "But the lands we now go to have become wild and foul creatures are known to roam there. It is best to be prepared."
"Where exactly are we going?"
"I will explain all during our journey there," she said walking
back into the water. She stopped at about knee depth and placed her hands in the sea. A boat began to take shape, similar to those I had seen in my own Fae lands, but more complex and comfortable as well. As it fully formed she motioned me to board and after jumping on she turned the bow toward the sea. The water was like glass and soon waves swelled behind us pushing us forward like a surfboard. I sat back to enjoy the ride.
"Can I ask a dumb question?" I inquired after we'd been moving for a while.
"Of course," she answered as she sat down beside me on the plush sea leather cushions.
"We're going to a river right?"
"Yes," she replied.
"Why can’t you just transport us there?"
"Normally I would be able to do so, but as I said earlier, this place is within the Underworld, the old realm of Hades. The Nymphs's of the rivers we now travel to all perished during The Fall so I cannot ask them for entry. We must travel the old way to the outer bounds of the sea and then to the center of the Underworld via the river Styx. From there we will find the Stygian marshes where the rivers converge outside the gates of Hades. There we will find what we seek."
"It’s a good thing we have our own boat then," I said with a laugh. "I'm all out of coins to pay Charon, the ferryman."
"Actually," Meredith replied. "Charon plied the river Acheron and demanded payment from the souls to enter Hades only after Hermes brought the souls of the dead to the marshes of the Styx. We're going to have to work on your history. Especially since your line is so bound to that plane."
"I stand corrected. Wait, what do you mean my line?"
"Your ancestor Persephone was the daughter of Demeter and later the wife of Hades. Because of this your line is forever tied to the Underworld."
"I hadn’t really looked at it that way," I observed.
"Do not look so sullen," she said after a moment. "Hades itself is not our destination nor will we pass through the gate in any event."
"I'm not sullen. It's just that every time I turn around I learn something new, or something I should have known. It's a bitch when everyone knows more about you than you do," I replied. "But enough of that. How long is it going to take to get there and what can we expect?"
"Although the way is long forgotten many souls may still reside there. Those that could not cross the Acheron were said to be doomed for a time to wander the marshes, stuck between the living and the dead."
"Don't tell me we're going to be facing Zombies?"
"Zombies? Not exactly," she replied. "It is said that those that walk the marshes are mindless and have no memory or will. If any are still left they should not attack us, but could still be a hindrance. It is best to be prepared."
"Who says all this shit, anyway?" I said, thinking aloud. "Whatever… can they be killed if necessary?"
"As I said, they are neither alive nor dead, so I do not know if killing them is the right phrase. But, if you sever their heads from the body they should cease their movement. Let us first see if they become a problem before we become too concerned."
"If you say so," I said. I was going to ask more but the boat suddenly slowed, the smooth water beginning to turn to waves as the sky dimmed.
"We are approaching the boundaries of the sea," she said. "The entrance is close but we must slow as the way becomes more treacherous." Meredith stood and went to the bow, guiding the boat through the ever increasing waves with her magic. "Once we reach the Styx it will calm down." Suddenly, the boat began to heave and sway and the sky darkened. "We are almost there, you should hold on now."
I stood up next to her and grabbed onto the rail. In front of me was a maelstrom bordered by blackness. I grabbed tighter as she steered the boat towards its center and held on as we fell in. Expecting something like a bad rollercoaster ride, I was surprised when the violent storm disappeared and we once again sailed on smooth water. Releasing my grip I looked around and saw that we were no longer on the sea. Instead, we slowly glided down a murky river. It was twilight and mist was forming along the banks. It was almost impossible to see beyond the shoreline, even with my magically enhanced sight.
"Where are we now?" I asked as I sat back down.
"We have reached the Styx, the river of hatred," she replied. "Do not gaze too long into the water, strange things can be found there."
"How much longer to the marshes?"
"It is difficult to say, time has no meaning here and each experience it differently. There is also one more thing you must know."
"What's that?"
"Swear no oaths, even in jest or anger, while we are on this river. The Styx is sacred to the Gods and as a High Fae you would be bound by any oaths sworn, no matter how foolish or inadvertent."
"Good thing to know," I answered, promising myself I'd try not to say anything that would get me into trouble.
"It may be a good time to rest," she said, taking a seat and leaning against me. "The boat will let us know when we have arrived."
I took the hint and laid my head back, my arm around her. Comfortable, I cleared my mind and just drifted along with the waves. We must have fallen asleep because a sudden jolt awakened us. Meredith and I both stood and although the mists were thicker, I could see that we had stopped against a rock strewn coastline. Reeds and tall grasses grew beyond the meager beach and I saw a rocky path not too far from where we came ashore. Looking behind I could tell that we were no longer on the main river but must have turned down a tributary as the water wasn't much wider than a stream.
"It appears we have arrived," she said as she threw a pack across her shoulders and slid on to the rail, straddling the side of the boat. "Ready?" she asked as she slipped off the sides and into the water. I followed and within a few steps we were on the bank.
"What's the plan?" I asked.
"The rivers all converge here, at the Stygian marshes, near the gateway to Hades. Although will still have to cross the Acheron to reach the gate itself. First we must cross the marsh and find where the Lethe streams in so that I may retrieve some of the water. Then we must cross the river to the gate and find the spring of Mnemosyne."
"How will we cross that if there is no ferryman?"
"I will take care of that," she answered.
She began to enter the marshland and I followed. The air was thick and mists flowed around me drawing shapes in the dim light. Most disconcerting was the absence of sound as I knew it. Especially since the tweaks I'd gotten from the Dwarf in my own Fae lands. My sight and hearing was vastly improved yet even our steps seemed muted here. It was as if something drew the very sound out of the thick air before it could reach my ears. We'd walked a mile or two before she stopped and knelt, holding her hand up to caution me.
"What do you have," I asked as I crouched down beside her.
"Something is not right," she replied, pointing ahead. Where we had once traversed tall but lightly spaced scrub and grasses, before us the foliage thickened into a wall. Tightly packed scrub brush and vines blocked our path and the mist made it impossible to see more than a foot or two ahead. She pulled her sword and started to cut through but it was if the blade was blunt. That or the vines were more than they seemed.
"Let me try," I said, pushing my way past her. I pulled the sword of Cronus and hacked through the brush like paper. Whatever it was, it was no match for the sword I carried. A few steps later the way was clear.
"It is a wall," I heard her say. "But for what reason…"
"I think I can answer that," I said, not letting her finish. I thrust my blade forward and into the creature that was clawing its way towards me. It still moved and reached for me so I twisted the blade and cut upward. It stopped as soon as the blade split through its head. "I'm not sure about his memory but he was definitely not mindless." I bent to examine the creature. It had clearly once been human but something had changed it. It was now a hideous caricature of its former self. "If I was guessing I'd say that whoever or whatever crafted that wall was keeping these things in."
"Or
keeping us out," she countered. "No matter, we must get to the Lethe to complete our task." She started to move forward but I stopped her.
"How much farther ahead is it?" I asked. I could see more of these things ahead, just visible in the mist. Since they weren't rushing us maybe whatever was dampening the sound coupled with the twilight would keep them from noticing us or attacking in packs.
"It should be a short distance that way," she said, sniffing the air and pointing to my right a bit. "But I cannot tell for sure in this haze."
"Ok, then I'll lead. Stay on my back and yell if we need to change direction."
The ground before us was different as well. Although on our way here the earth had been damp, the way hadn’t been muddy. Here my feet sunk into the ground at each step. After a distance, Meredith tapped my shoulder.
"Behind us," she exclaimed.
I turned and saw three more of the creatures moving towards us from different directions, their hands outstretched. Meredith didn't hesitate as the closest clawed at her, severing its head with a swipe of her blade. I dispatched the other two and backed up to look for more. There were still others visible in the mist but they seemed not to be interested in us at the moment.
"So much for not attacking," I said, turning to her.
"Yes," she agreed. "This is most disturbing. Fortunately the riverbank is just ahead."
We slogged another hundred yards or so, fighting a few more of the creatures on the way when Meredith stopped at the bank and turned around.
"Whatever you do," she said. "Do not enter the water. You are not immune from its effects as I am." Then she crossed the bank and took a few steps into the river. I watched as she removed what looked like a large goatskin carrier and bent down to fill it.
"Got it," I replied, painfully aware that my boots were sunk in three inches of slimy mud. Since I hadn’t forgotten who I was, I was guessing that that didn’t count.
By the time she had it filled we had another small group of wanderers closing in on us. Like most of the things I'd encountered lately they weren't too smart. Unfortunately, they were still between us and the way back.
