Maxwell's Closet

by Steven Belskie

  Satisfied the cave presented no immediate threat, he struck a fire. The cave extended farther back. He was leery of what evil things might lurk back there, but the fire would keep them away, he hoped. They couldn’t keep traveling in the storm, that was for sure. According to the witch, the hermit’s house was a still a half a day’s journey from here.

  Along the walls of the cave were crude drawings. They depicted men battling monsters and large creatures. Inscriptions marked each picture though they were in some ancient language long since dead. They only added to the sense of dread such a dark confined place had already instilled within Max. He felt like an intruder in some sacred place, like a living person in a crypt.

  Blaise gathered his pack and prepared to leave. He strung his large ash bow and placed several steelhead arrows into his quiver.

  “Keep the fire going. There is more wood in the bag if it starts to burn out.” Blaise glanced toward the cave opening. “There is a small chance this is a bear cave. You must be on the lookout in case a bear should come. But you needn’t worry much; there is only a small chance.”

  A frightened look betrayed Max’s terror. Sweat began to drip down from his hairline. His hands shook as he clenched and unclenched them.

  “A bear?” he asked, his voice quivering.

  Blaise took one of the largest logs from his bag. It was as tall as Max but slender. It seemed strong and free of impurities. Blaise drew his blade and hacked at it crafting a rudimentary spear.

  He thrust it into Max’s hand. “Use this to keep bears away, and if one gets close hit it with some fire. That should scare it away.”

  Max didn’t seem to take any comfort in his weapon. He gripped it in his sweaty palm and he struggled to steady it.

  Max watched as Blaise’s figure faded into the enveloping blackness past the mouth of the cave. Howling winds and torrential rain beat against the cliff side. Trees bent in the winds like blade of grass. This raw display of nature terrified Max, and he retreated farther into the cave.

  Over the din a small shuffling almost escaped Max’s attention. From deep within the cave he heard footsteps. They pattered against the stone floor. His vision wasn’t the best, but he certainly could make out the figure emerging from the shadows. Toward the fire. Toward him.

  The creature glowed with a silver outline. Max knew the creature had been here sometime, but it was not his home

  It stood upright on two legs. A sword and buckler stood at attention in his arms. Upon its head was a crown made of twigs and rocks. Its head resembled that of an ant with a large bulbous back sloping forward into a narrow, vicious-looking mouth. Two large pincers clicked as the creature studied Max.

  Max leapt to his feet and thrust his spear forward into the air hoping to scare off the monster. His false bravado elicited only a chuckle from the creature.

  “Calm down, dear boy, I wish no harm upon you. I apologize for these,” he said holding up his sword and shield. “But not all who come here are as harmless as you.”

  “How do you know I’m harmless?” said Max. “I am a Tenton knight. I could slay you with ease.”

  The ant laughed. “There is no man who could slay me with ease. I am of a nature I fear is long lost from this world. I fear I have stayed on much too long.”

  The ant moved closer to Max. He stood at only half of Max’s height but his long pincers and hard armored body gave him a foreboding look.

  “Tell me,” the ant said, “what brings you to such a place?”

  “I am on a quest to retrieve the alphabet.” A glint of interest showed in the ant’s eyes, but he said nothing as Max continued. “We are staying here for the night to get out of the storm. Tomorrow we are going to try and find the next letter.”

  “We?” the ant asked, “There are others with you?”

  “Yes.” answered Max, “Prince Blaise in my guide on this journey. He is as mighty a man as I have ever met.”

  Max hesitated a moment before beginning to relay the story. The ant listened with a look of great interest in his eyes. Max recalled the events as he was captured by the orcs, as he escaped from their fortress, and as he wrestled the witch.

  “Tell me, Max, how did you find the courage to perform such acts?”

  “I don’t know really. It just seemed like in those moments I was no longer myself. Or I guess no longer just myself. It was like something or someone was helping me.” Max tailed off, embarrassed at seeming so cheesy.

  “In times of need our bodies are capable of extraordinary things. We can call upon strength we never knew we had and endurance we never dreamed possible.” The ant studied Max. The child piqued his interest, but he couldn’t find the reason just yet.

  Silence fell between the two. The ant seemed heavy in thought and did not appear to wish to continue the conversation. Max glanced anxiously behind him toward the cave opening.

  The ant spoke. “You know, I was a king once. My kingdom was vast and my people happy. Prosperity was known like nothing ever before in the kingdom. Our vast armies crushed our enemies, and our children grew in the safety and luxury of my empire.”

  The ant traced circles in the dirt with his finger. His pained eyes looked past Max out into the forest. Out into his empire.

  “We lived mostly in peace with your kind,” the ant continued. “There were of course wars over territory, but I tried my best to keep peace with the humans. Of course there were others who were of a different mind. I never believed them to be anything more than talkers, protesters, nuisances. But eventually rebel groups began forming and they carried out raids on human villages. Defenseless human villages. They wiped out entire towns, killing not just the men but also the women,” the ant paused, “and the children.” His voice trailed off.

  “What did you do?”

  “I did the only thing I could. I organized groups to round up and capture the perpetrators. They were imprisoned and set to be executed. But they had men on the inside. Some of the prisoners were killed but most escaped. Of course because of the raids the human kingdoms were preparing for war. I left the kingdom in the hands of my son and went with my closest advisers to negotiate peace with the human kingdoms. I was betrayed. My son had been the rebellion leader all along. He had our convoy ambushed. I watched as my advisers were brutally cut limb from limb and then eaten by his cannibal soldiers. Then they imprisoned me here and however the tale continued I played no part.”

  Max listened but occasionally glanced over his shoulder toward the cave door. Each time he did so he would grip his makeshift spear tighter and he would inch closer to the fire.

  The ant noticed this and asked, “What are you worried about, dear boy?”

  Max’s face grew red and he looked down, “I’m worried this may be a bear cave. It would be dreadful if I had to face a bear.”

  “Well, I can assure you this is no bear cave. I have been here for an awfully long time and I haven’t seen a single bear.” A look of relief swept across Max’s face. The ant frowned and continued speaking. “But I am quite certain that within a few minutes a bear shall stroll into this cave and you shall need to face it.”

  “What?” Max was bewildered. “You said this wasn’t a bear cave. Why would a bear be here?”

  “This cave is not just rock and dirt. Within it flows an ancient and devious magic. It is subtle, almost unnoticeable to those who enter within these walls, but it is ever present. This cave reads our deepest fears, and it begets them into our reality. My greatest fear was that I should never rule my kingdom again and so I can never leave.”

  Max was now sweating. His clothes were damp and his eyes stung from the salt. His grip was weak as his sweaty palms slipped and slid on the spear. He tried to swallow, but it seemed like an egg was lodged in his throat.

  He turned toward the ant. “You have to help me. You’re a king, surely you can slay a single bear.”

  “I wish I could, dear boy. But that is part of the magic. One may only face that which he most fears.”

/>   Max nodded in understanding. He knew he must face this challenge alone. He must save himself or he would die.

  He turned and faced the mouth of the cave. A large figure moved through the shadows. It approached. Its head pierced through the shadows. The bear was like none that Max had ever seen. Large bloodred eyes sat on either side of a long and tooth-filled snout. Plates of armor speckled the bear’s back, and a metal crest rose from his head.

  It cocked its head and stared at Max. It yawned, unafraid of this small boy clutching a wooden stick. As its mouth opened Max saw its long teeth measured almost the length of his finger.

  Max grabbed a torch from his bag and lit it in the fire. He waved it in front of himself, a warning to the bear. The bear lazily traced the arc of the flame as Max moved it back and forth, up and down.

  Tiring of the game the bear roared and charged forward. As his whole body burst from the shadows Max saw the enormity of the animal. The cave seemed to shake as the massive legs of the bear crashed onto the ground.

  Max dove as the bear swiped with its giant paw. Dagger like claws grazed his side, leaving deep gashes. He landed hard on his stomach as blood seeped from his side.

  His heart pounded in his chest and he felt his body strengthening against the pain. He felt blood pumping into his muscles and he felt stronger than he ever had. He leapt to his feet as the bear charged again. This time Max dropped to a knee as the bear leapt over him. Max plunged the spear into the bear’s stomach.

  The bear roared in pain as he landed on the spear, driving it even deeper into his stomach. His eyes seemed to burn with pure hatred as he charged for a third time at Max. Max tried to sidestep the beast and ram the torch into his eye, but this time he was too slow. The bear’s shoulder crushed into Max’s chest and sent him flying across the cave.

  Max gasped for air as the bear charged to finish him off. Max’s bloodied hands fumbled with the dagger that hung at his belt and it fell from his grasp. The torch lay a few feet to his left out of reach. Max was defenseless against the charging beast. He was going to die.

  As the beast reached out its paw to deliver a final strike a small figure jumped upon its back and thrust a sword deep into the beast’s neck. The bear roared and swung his leg gouging the attacker and sending him hurtling into the cave wall with a crushing thud.

  As the bear turned to face this new attacker Max rolled under the massive beast and yanked the spear. The bear growled in rage as it brought down two massive paws. Max dodged from underneath the beast as the cave floor cracked beneath the weight of the immense blow.

  Max felt the strength returning to him. The spurting blood slowed to a trickle. His rapid heartbeat and shallow breathing slowed. He charged at the beast. The bear roared a challenge and pushed off with its massive legs. As the beast opened wide its monstrous mouth Max jumped just above the snapping fury of the bear’s mouth. His foot landed on the snout and he rolled down the back of the armored animal. The bear’s weight fell onto the spear and did what all of Max’s strength could not. The beast fell to the ground with a thunderous thud.

  Max rushed over to the crippled body of his friend. The ant’s arms and legs were mangled and his armor was broken in several places.

  “How?” Max spoke only this one word.

  “In this world there are some of us burdened with greatness. There are some among us who can use nobility and courage not only to harden their spirit but to change themselves. You, my friend, are capable of such a transformation. I suspected it when you told the story of the witch, but I needed to see it for myself.”

  “But how could you help?” asked Max. “Why didn’t the cave stop you?”

  “It forces us to face our greatest fears. Our fears change. Once I realized what good you could do for this world I was most afraid it would not come to fruition.”

  “We have to find Blaise. He can save you. If we can just—”

  The ant held up his hand to silence Max. “It is too late for me, friend. But I pray that you may take your gift and use it to change the world. Take this now.” He handed Max a flat envelope wrapped in brown paper and bound with a yellow string.

  Max took the package and placed it into his jacket pocket. He watched teary eyed as this strange creature drew its last breaths.

  “You must leave now, Max, before the cave presents you with a new challenge. You must leave me. I am beyond saving.” The ant’s eyes closed and his labored breaths began to slow.

  Max stood. He was reluctant to leave his dying friend. But even now he could feel the cave beginning to claw through his mind, probing at his fears. He saw images of monsters and demons as he turned to the leave the cave. Terrible scenarios played through his mind, and he increased his pace. He felt the cave was close to fabricating another challenge, and so he broke into a full sprint. As he neared the cave mouth he dove out into forest just as it seemed a terrible image was being ripped from his mind into reality.

  He landed in a leafy bush. The damp ground soaked his clothes as water dripped down from the canopy above. He rolled over onto his back and felt something jab him hard in the side.

  He remembered now the package that his friend had given him. He quickly withdrew and worked quickly to untie the string. He unfolded the paper and withdrew a large brass X.

  He smiled, admiring the second letter he had collected. The beauty of the letter was breathtaking. The bronze was polished to a near blinding sheen. Gems were inlayed along both slashes of the X and the entire thing was outlined in brilliant silver.

  “Are you going to stare all day or are you going to speak?” X said.

  “You can speak?” asked a rather startled Max.

  “Well, I should certainly hope so, dear chap.” X laughed. “What sort of letter would I be if I couldn’t even speak? An illiterate letter! Well that would surely be a sight.”

  “How did my friend come upon you?” asked Max.

  “Well, I must say you were certainly not the first to come upon the cave whilst he was there. The man carrying me ventured in and shall we say he met an untimely end within the cave. It was not long after this that you came along and so here we are.”

  Max began to speak but X cut him off. “You know this is the longest conversation I have had in such a long time. I truly can’t recall the last time anyone has ever conversed with me. You see it’s not until we go missing; it’s not until we aren’t around that anyone cares about us. Surely you are only here... you are only concerned because you’re trying to restore the alphabet. I guess you fancy yourself some kind of hero. Truly and utterly disgusting.”

  Max flushed red with embarrassment and shame.

  “I only seek to help a kingdom escape war due to the tragic kidnapping of you and the other letters.” Max tried to muster a show of confidence and bravery.

  “What does the kidnapping of my brethren have to do with the outset of war?” asked X.

  “Well,” replied Max, “the king’s scribe is unable to accept a ball invitation from a neighboring kingdom without the use of the missing letters. And if the king doesn’t accept they will take it as a grave insult and they will respond with open war.”

  “Hmm. Is this so?” asked X.

  As X finished his sentence Max felt a blade of cool steel pressed against his neck.

  “Hand over the letter or I will cut your throat,” a harsh voice hissed. Max recognized it.

  “Blaise?”

  “Max?”

  The blade was lowered and Max turned to face Blaise.

  “Why are you out here? I told you stay in the cave.” The anger in Blaise’s voice faded as he saw the bloodstains on Max’s clothes.

  “My god! What happened?”

  Max began to recount the story. How he had met the ant, and how he told him of his life and then about the cave’s powers. He told of the battle with the bear and how the ant had saved him and how with his last breaths he had given Max the letter.

  As he told the story Blaise studied him. He looked just a litt
le bit different. He seemed taller and his shoulders broader. His once soft, rounded cheeks seemed harder and leaner. His forearms were more defined and muscular. His once childish blue eyes now seemed colder, almost icy.

  As Max described his friend, Blaise spoke. “An Arthropont. It was thought they had all gone extinct several hundred years ago.”

  Max looked at the cave mouth. “No, only a half an hour ago.”

  A heavy silence hung in the air as neither man spoke. Max struggled to suppress the tears he felt welling behind his eyes. The sadness swept through him like the tide, pulling and tearing at him, dragging him out to sea.

  X broke the silence, “I feel deeply for your loss, but we must not lose sight of the task ahead. Now I have information that will lead you to my kidnapper but I shall not divulge it until I am safely back it the comforts of my cousin’s home.”

  Blaise turned and spoke quietly to Max. “We can’t afford to take him back. Time won’t allow it.”

  “He isn’t going to cooperate unless he gets what he wants,” replied Max.

  Blaise clenched his fist in frustration. He groaned in anger and screwed up his face trying to control himself. He didn’t know what to do. They were too pressed for time; they couldn’t turn back and then come all the way back here.

  Then he remembered something and he smiled. Max looked confused. “What are you smiling about?” he asked.

  Blaise didn’t respond. He rummaged through his bag and withdrew a small pyramid-shaped box. He peeled back the flaps, and to Max’s great surprise a bird no larger than his thumb emerged from the box. Its multicolored wings fluttered rapidly as it flew fluttered about Blaise’s head.

  Blaise whistled and the bird snapped to attention landing on outstretched finger. Blaise scribbled a message down and attached a piece of to the bird’s leg. With another whistle the bird took off darting back and forth as it headed back to the palace. The bird high-pitched singing could be heard as it faded from view.