The Maiden Medallions: Beastkeeper

by Edward Shawn

  “Grim, but then I didn’t expect it to be easy. Marcus’s experience will help him avoid any pitfalls and he’ll have guides and some mercenaries to pay any...necessary toll.”

  The discussion over, Jeremiah contacted the W.A.R room. “Mr. Darrell, I want the satellite repositioned to focus on the Amazon region in and around Peru. James and those helping him will have to wait. We’ll revisit the matter when we’ve finished assisting Marcus. Let’s have it repositioned within the next twenty four hours. I want all tools available to help Mr. Quint complete his mission successfully.” After receiving confirmation that his instructions would be carried out, he hung up, then glanced at his watch.

  He didn’t have to wait long before the lab security informed him of Dr. Sanborn’s arrival. Deciding to ride his elevator to meet her, Jeremiah stepped inside and descended to the labs. The door opened and Grace pushed the occupied wheelchair inside.

  “She’s sedated?” Jeremiah asked.

  “Heavily sedated. She should remain dead to the world for at least a couple more hours.”

  He looked Susan over. Asleep in the wheelchair, her head slightly forward, she was dressed appropriately for cold weather. “Thank you, Grace. You’ve done everything I asked of you.”

  “I’m here at your leisure,” she said, pushing the wheelchair into Jeremiah’s office. Placing it next to the desk, Grace turned and stared unflinchingly at him. “Is this woman an enemy of yours? She looks harmless enough.”

  “No, she’s not an enemy. In fact, she’s going to be a big help to me.”

  “I see. Well, have a good trip, wherever it is you’re going.” Heading for the door, the doctor quickly left Jeremiah’s office.

  Gazing into the retinal scanner, he muttered his current password unlocking the door into his private quarters. Taking hold of the wheelchair’s handles, he pushed it through the halls and straight to the small room where he kept the crystal skull. Donning his winter gear, he performed the ritual and activated the portal to The Wayward.

  Stepping through the indigo tinted gateway, Jeremiah was greeted by the familiar plunge in temperature. “Which way?” he asked, glancing down at Susan still asleep in the chair.

  Follow the stairs.

  Jeremiah reached a wide spiral stairway leading under the surface. Peering into the dimness, he realized he wasn’t up to the task of trying to guide the wheelchair down without sending Susan and the chair crashing all the way to the bottom. “Hope you have a way to get us down because we can’t take the stairs–they’re too narrow for the wheelchair.”

  Then I will take her down.

  “Be my guest.” After his last uttered word, Jeremiah felt the tickle at the back of his throat followed by the urge to vomit. Turning his head upwards, the black stream of particulate matter spewed from his mouth and nose.

  Jeremiah collapsed to his knees. The trauma of Ebondust’s exit always left him drained. Rising from the frozen rock, he brushed the frost from his pants, then glanced around to find his symbiotic partner.

  The black haze hovered over the wheelchair. Lowering onto Susan, she rose slowly from her seated position suspended inside the levitating mass of churning ash. Now upright with her arms at her side and head drooped to the left, Susan was completely immersed in the rotating speckled cloud as it drifted down the stairs. Moaning softly, she remained asleep as the descent into the bowels of The Wayward began.

  Jeremiah followed them down. Staying close behind Ebondust, he proceeded with caution down the narrow and slippery steps, the bone chilling cold dissipating the deeper they went. A thin ribbon of what appeared to be liquid gold provided a source of light. It ran along the wall of the plummeting staircase and reminded Jeremiah of blood pumping through veins.

  The staircase straightened towards a landing, then continued downwards past the area of flattened rock. But it didn’t seem like his ally planned on descending any further; it stopped in front of a large tunnel extending from the landing platform.

  She is starting to waken.

  “How much further?”

  We are close. I will return for you.

  “What? Wait!”

  Ebondust and his cargo entered the tunnel, the swirling blackness melding into its surroundings, then vanishing altogether deep inside.

  “Crap,” Jeremiah muttered. “Who knew it could move that fast?”

  Unwilling to wait as an urge to explore took hold, Jeremiah stepped inside the tunnel. Lit by the same system of gold veins, the passage was circular and large enough for a being twice his height. He noted the smoothness of the walls, the perfect shape of the tunnel, and doubted it had been constructed by anything other than a mechanical process. Ahead of him, the tunnel veered off in separate directions: The left branch sloped steadily downwards, the right a continuation of the original passage.

  Arriving at the crossroads, Jeremiah stared along the length of each tunnel in search of a moving shadow signifying Ebondust’s return. But the tunnels remained quiet. Making a decision, he stepped towards the left passageway.

  Entering the sloped tunnel, he attempted to reach out to his partner’s mind but failed to connect. They needed to be in close proximity in order to communicate, which meant either Ebondust wasn’t nearby or that he was ignoring him on purpose. Perhaps he was too preoccupied to respond.

  A woman’s frightened scream drifted down the tunnel. Racing forward, Jeremiah followed the sound of her sobbing pleas to a hole in the tunnel wall. Pushing his way past thick vines hanging throughout, he stepped into an octagon-shaped chamber and immediately saw Susan strapped to an upright circular device near the back of the room. Shackled to the metallic framework by her wrists and ankles, Jeremiah thought it looked like she was attached to the side of a giant hamster wheel.

  “Help me!” she cried out, tears streaking her face.

  “My dear,” Jeremiah said, “it’s you who will help me.” He spotted his partner hovering next to a series of multi-colored orbs protruding from a wall. “Why didn’t you come for me?”

  There was no need. I knew you would find your own way. Let us begin.

  Unsatisfied with the answer, Jeremiah started to respond.

  But Susan spoke up. “Do I know you?” she asked, her sobs slowly subsiding. “You look familiar.”

  Jeremiah turned and faced the woman attached to the metallic circle of silver. “No, we’ve never met before,” he lied.

  “What do you want?” Her voice full of frustration, Susan was alert to everything going on around her.

  “I’ve told you, I need your help.”

  “How can I help you tied to this? Get me down and I’ll help you in any way that I can.”

  “You’ll serve me better up there,” Jeremiah replied.

  I am ready to begin the transference.

  “By all means.”

  Twin objects materialized at the center of the chamber. Susan strained against her shackles at the sight of them. Side by side on the floor, the flask-shaped containers were solid black except for a series of tiny diamond portholes encircling their bases. One flask was empty; the other contained a shimmering golden light swimming within.

  A hum began within the chamber and the room brightened considerably. Jeremiah watched Ebondust by the panel of colored lights. The creature floated in front of them, strands of its form stretching out and touching some of the shimmering orbs in the wall.

  The racket of grinding gears and straining metal filled the room. The circular device Susan hung from began inching forward. Jeremiah had missed it earlier but the large wheel was attached to a metal spoke jutting out through the back wall. Bit by bit, the spoke extended from its housing and pushed the metallic circle towards the containers.

  “Help me,” Susan pleaded. “Please! I’ll do anything, anything you want!”

  The metal spoke scraped against its stone casing as it continued pushing the giant wheel forwards. Susan sustained her cries for help, but Jeremiah had stopped listening.

  The gears clange
d and changed pitch as different components came online. The top of the wheel tilted forward ever so slowly. Susan wailed, the tortured sound of her ceaseless anguish increasing in desperation.

  All motion ceased as the wheel reached a forty-five degree angle. Susan, her body now positioned above the twin beakers, struggled fiercely against her bonds.

  Ebondust caressed a sequence of colored orbs as Jeremiah stepped back anticipating the soul transference about to take place. He had never witnessed such a thing before and imagined it wouldn’t be a pleasant experience.

  Her head arching backwards, Susan screamed, her torment ringing throughout the chamber. Drool dribbling from the corners of her trembling mouth, Jeremiah knew she was in a tremendous amount of pain as he watched her bulging eyes transform into glowing orbs of pure white. Shaking violently against her restraints, he thought she was close to breaking free. But then, the light in her eyes vanished, the screaming stopped and her head slumped forward, the last of the convulsions coursing through her body waning until she became quite still.

  A shiver passed through Jeremiah as silence replaced the pain wracked screams of a woman drawing her last breath. The wheel remained stationary, Susan dangling from her restraints like a rag doll. Wondering what came next, he looked over at Ebondust.

  Open both containers.

  Kneeling down, Jeremiah grabbed hold of the empty flask and pulled out the stopper. After unsealing the one containing the golden sheen, he retreated as a precaution and waited to see what happened next.

  The container shattered as a beam of golden light shot up into the chamber. Bouncing off the stone ceiling, the light-form wriggled all over as if searching for a way out.

  Jeremiah didn’t know what to make of the golden cord of light colliding repeatedly with the ceiling. “Is it supposed to do that?”

  It will find its way.

  His partner spoke the truth. The light strand wormed its way to the center of the room and gathered above the device holding Susan in place. Condensing its form, the light morphed into a large golden dewdrop hanging precariously from the ceiling.

  The drop of light released and fell onto Susan’s back. Scrambling upwards, it covered her entire head, then started seeping into every opening. As it penetrated Susan’s lifeless body, a glimmer appeared underneath her sweater. Soon after, a sudden explosion of white sparks erupted from her chest. Floating in the air above the empty flask, the tiny sparkles swayed in unison before spiraling towards the open container.

  The sparkles drifted down into the open bottle, and after the last one found its way in, Jeremiah picked it up and shoved the stopper back in place. Holding it aloft, he peaked through the diamond portholes. The cluster of sparks floated around like shining flakes of drifting snow.

  The unseen machinery behind the back wall started up again, the chamber filling with grating noise. The wheel retracted steadily as it moved back into an upright position. Coming to a jolting stop, the chamber shifted back into silence.

  Jeremiah started towards the wheel but received a warning.

  Step away from her.

  “I want to get her down.”

  The process is not yet complete.

  As Ebondust touched another orb jutting from the wall, Jeremiah felt energy brush over his exposed skin. Spasms coursed through the lifeless body hanging from the wheel. Lasting only seconds, he stared up at Susan dressed in the winter clothes he requested. Her body limp, her head drooped to one side, there were no signs of life; she remained dead to the world.

  Opening her eyes, Susan’s head jerked upright and she stared at Jeremiah through orbs of gleaming gold.

  His breath catching in his throat, Jeremiah quickly regained his composure. Meeting her gaze to establish his dominance, he found her new eyes extremely alluring. After a moment or two, he turned to question his partner about Susan’s transformation only to find he was alone in the chamber. Ebondust no longer hovered by the panel of lights, and at first glance, it didn’t seem to be anywhere around. But Jeremiah did notice a change in the room; the far right wall of the octagon chamber was missing.

  “Are you in there?” Jeremiah asked, moving closer to the opening.

  I am.

  “What are you doing, using the facilities? C’mon, we still have work–” Jeremiah choked on his last words as a large unfamiliar shadow appeared before him. Stumbling back from the opening, he didn’t know what to make of the immense two-legged creature stepping into the chamber.

  Jeremiah stared up into the face of a monster. It towered over him, and he was willing to bet his entire bankroll, it stood taller than any basketball player in history. In structure, the creature resembled a human being as he counted two arms and legs. The head was another matter entirely. It seemed to be a union of human and reptile with features more akin to a crocodile than man. It had a large protruding jaw with plenty of missing teeth. The scale-like quality of its skin looked mottled and dry and had actually crumbled away in some areas revealing flesh underneath reminding him of beef jerky.

  “What is this? W-What’s going on?” Jeremiah couldn’t stem the surge of rising fear.

  The large head bent forwards, its faded yellow eyes gazing down at him. Be at ease.

  Looking up into those dim and lifeless eyes, he realized what stood before him hadn’t been alive for quite some time. He also understood his partner had taken up residence inside of it, having momentarily forgotten Ebondust’s ability to inhabit both the living and the dead.

  “Why are you in there?” Jeremiah asked, annoyed by the whole affair. He didn’t appreciate being scared silly. “What are you up to?”

  I need this instrument’s strength.

  Ebondust shambled past and headed for the metallic circle holding Susan in place. She watched the monster approach. If she felt fear, if she felt anything at all, it didn’t register on her face.

  The stench from the lizard monster compelled Jeremiah to cover his mouth and nose with a handkerchief as he followed it to the stationary wheel. Having had enough of this place, he looked forward to returning to the comforts of home. The entire experience had become extremely taxing. Even the benefits to his health from the time spent inside the Rejuvenation Module didn’t help beat back the exhaustion creeping into his old bones.

  As Ebondust moved in behind the circle, Jeremiah gazed up at Susan and hoped all this trouble was worth it. His partner had guaranteed the effectiveness of this plan. A few hours from now, he would know if it told him the truth.

  From its position behind the giant wheel, the lizard creature grasped a handle and pulled it down. The metal bindings locking Susan’s wrists in place released. Her arms dropping to her sides, she stared at Jeremiah, her golden eyes reflecting his image. Clenching and unclenching her hands, she took hold of her left wrist and began massaging it.

  The shackles around her ankles parted and she fell heavily to the stone floor. The flask still in his hand, Jeremiah set it on the ground before hurrying to her side in order to assist.

  I will return.

  “Make it quick. I want to leave as soon as we can.”

  The monster walked to the opening, then disappeared through it.

  Jeremiah helped Susan up but her knees kept buckling and he struggled to keep her upright. “Can you stand?” he asked as the pair of them stumbled around in a drunken dance. He looked at her face–at those eyes hovering so close to his–and saw a glimpse of an emotion pass through them. But it was fleeting and vanished so quickly, he wondered if he just imagined it.

  Her mouth parted and she began resisting his embrace. Releasing his grip, Susan faltered but managed to keep her footing. Massaging her wrist once more, her mouth moved but she had yet to utter a sound.

  But that didn’t last for much longer.

  “Acc...acc...sessing–accessing linguistics, speech functionality deciphered and synchronized.”

  Jeremiah stared at her. He found her choice of words completely baffling. “What is she?” he mused aloud.
<
br />   A movement caught his attention. Ebondust had returned in his true form and was churning its way toward the panel of lights.

  “Reduction of pain receptors initiated.” Letting go of her wrist, Susan glanced around. Seeing Ebondust by the light panel, she walked towards the swirling cloud of blackened ash. Passing through its perimeter, she stopped within Ebondust and lowered her head.

  They were communicating, Jeremiah was sure of it. He didn’t like being excluded from the conversation feeling it necessary he be aware of every detail of the unfolding plan. But right now, he was just too tired to bother. In the future he would see if these incidents became a regular occurrence, and if called for, he would correct their oversight at that point.

  Susan exited the cloud. Moving without hesitation, the entity residing within seemed to have asserted full control over the body.

  She will lead you to the surface. I will follow shortly.

  “Fine. I’m more than ready to leave this ungodly place.”

  Jeremiah followed the being once known as Susan to the opening used to enter the octagon chamber. Before pushing the vines out of the way, he looked back in time to see the beaker on the ground fade into nothingness taking the sparkling fragments of Susan’s soul along with it.

  33

  Icy wind stung his face as he looked out over the white terrain from atop the sturdy horse. Snow-covered mountains cut a jagged line against the clear morning sky, and for a moment, James wished his companions could conjure up a camera. But then again, he wasn’t exactly on vacation.

  Bundled up in winter clothing Olivia provided, he sat behind her as they rode along at a leisurely pace. Micah followed a short distance behind on a horse rented from the stable, his Stardrop Orb darting about lending warmth to the riders and their steeds.

  Sheefa shook her head and whinnied. Releasing his grip around Olivia’s waist, James stroked the side of the majestic horse, sensing her impatience. She wanted to charge across the snowfield, not walk along at this measured pace.

  Taking full advantage of the fresh blue skies that accompanied the morning, they started their journey immediately after enjoying a meal Talkym had prepared. James liked Olivia’s apprentice. He was quick to smile and eager to please and both shamans seemed to appreciate his efforts.