Shimmer

by Matthew Keith

  Chapter 20

  Wordlessly, silently, the six of them climbed the steps in single file. The darkness of the tunnel loomed ahead, like a mouth ready to swallow them whole. No matter how much training he’d undergone, Alex was still nervous after his last venture into the labyrinth of catacombs. He and Tabitha had trained exhaustively in the art of moving silently, and although he found he had a natural talent for it, he was already second-guessing his skill as they ascended the steep stairs.

  Sixteen hours. That was how long an average tour at the Core lasted. Sixteen hours of complete, attentive silence—a long stretch for anyone, and Alex wasn’t looking forward to it. For the people of Domus it was simply what they did, as much a part of their life as going to school was for him. Alex vowed he was not going to complain his first time out. This was a test, and he knew it. A test of his resolve, fortitude, and ability. He would not, could not, fail because everyone would be waiting to see how he fared. For his father, the city’s opinion of him could mean the difference between life and death, and Alex wasn’t going to let him down.

  They entered the tunnel without pause or comment, a long length of twine passed back from Jonathan, who led the way. They would be traveling in darkness, so as to lessen the chance of any predators taking notice of them. Because there was no light, they looped the twine around their waists, forming a human chain so that they could more easily keep together.

  Jonathan set a slow, methodical pace, each step placed cautiously in front of the next. Alex knew that moving faster would be foolhardy, but for someone accustomed to the hustle-bustle of the world above it was an agonizing test of his patience. What’s more, it was a test of his courage. All he wanted to do was to get where there was light again, as quickly as possible. Try as he might to suppress it, the memory of the giant mole kept popping into his head, and each time he had to fight the desire to leave his place in line and hurry ahead.

  Soon the darkness was so absolute that Alex couldn’t even see the walls, though he knew they were only a few feet away on both sides. Jonathan never faltered, unerringly bringing them around turns, through intersections, up grades, and down slopes. Both literally and figuratively, Alex was forced to blindly trust the twine that was tied around his waist, and that only put him even more on edge.

  They halted several times along the way, twice for water and the other times as a result of the extreme caution being observed by their leader. Once, Alex heard the sound of something large shuffling through a nearby tunnel. It was all he could do not to blurt out a question, to ask what it was, to do something, as they silently waited for it to pass. When it was finally gone, seemingly ages later, Jonathan pulled them back into motion without a sound.

  Scores of twists and turns later, the red glow of the Core finally began to permeate the air, faintly illuminating the way. The change was so gradual it took Alex by surprise when he realized he could completely see again.

  At the entrance to the Antechamber, they stopped as three Domus warriors rose from a crouch and gave Jonathan a salute. Alex knew there were three others waiting in the tunnel on the other side, totaling the six Core guard that Alex and his group were relieving.

  Jonathan motioned to Alex and Phineas that they would remain at this post with him. Phineas scowled his displeasure at the news, but dutifully moved to a spot on one side of the tunnel mouth and crouched against the wall, his stone blade balanced across his knees.

  Alex watched as Tabitha, Abner, and Gideon crossed the Antechamber to take up positions at the other tunnel. Minutes later, the six Core guard who were going back to Domus silently crossed the Antechamber and began their long journey home, linked together by the same twine Alex and his group had used.

  Alex settled in across from Phineas and gave him a reassuring nod, earning yet another derisive scowl as a response. Alex frowned back, already tiring of the hot-headed young warrior’s attitude toward him. There was nothing he could do right now, but when they got back to Domus Alex had every intention of squaring him up.

  The minutes dragged by in agonizing slowness, the Core his only companion. Now that Alex understood how it worked, he could recognize it gently tugging at his consciousness. It was so subtle, almost imperceptible, that even when he pushed it out of his mind, it constantly crept back in and dominated his thoughts. At times, it made him feel so curious that he talked himself into going to get a look—just a look—to see what it was he was guarding. And then he’d have to firm up his resolve and push the thoughts from his mind and the process would start all over again.

  For hours they squatted there, staring into the empty Antechamber. Alex had known that this was how it would be. But the tedium of remaining still and silent, constantly peering into the dim red light, was torturous.

  To make matters worse, the muscles in his legs had begun to cramp until there was no way he could remain in the same position any longer. He carefully stood and began the series of quiet exercises he’d been taught to relieve tension. As he worked out the knots from his calves he glanced back at Jonathan. The Domus warrior was facing in the other direction, staring back into the tunnel they’d arrived through.

  Although Alex hadn’t heard it, Jonathan had also risen to his feet and was standing rigidly, like a bird dog on point, staring into the darkness. Jonathan turned ever-so-slowly and lifted a finger to his ear, the signal that he’d heard something.

  Alex tensed, remembering the mole. He turned to get Phineas’s attention, but the young warrior was already on his feet. That was good, except he was facing the toward the Core. Alex didn’t know if he should make an effort to get his attention. He certainly couldn’t call out, and moving to grab his arm or tap him on the shoulder would probably be an even worse idea if something was lurking back in the tunnel.

  Alex figured Jonathan would know what to do, but when he turned back, Jonathan was already facing the darkness of the tunnel again. The veteran warrior radiated tense readiness, his arm held out rigidly, his blade clenched tightly in his fist.

  Alex heard nothing, but if Jonathan believed something was there Alex knew he should make ready.

  Phineas still seemed completely unaware of their impending danger. He stared fixedly toward the Core, his blade now held loosely, the tip pointed toward the floor.

  Something was wrong. Phineas wasn’t acting right. All warriors were trained to stay alert. By now the young, hot-headed Edenite should have been well aware of Alex and Jonathan’s growing alarm.

  A short, muted, scuffing sound from behind him almost made Alex’s heart stop. After so many hours of silence, the brief sound of Jonathan’s foot brushing the stone floor may as well have been as loud as a gunshot.

  Jonathan was now crouched low, his blade held defensively, and he was slowly backing out of the tunnel.

  Adrenaline shot through Alex’s body. This was it. He raised his weapon, also dropping into a crouch and backing into the Antechamber. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Phineas had finally begun to move, but it was in the wrong direction. With a clatter, Phineas’ weapon dropped to the floor. He strode toward the red glow, where the floor sloped away.

  “Psst!” Alex hissed at Phineas. He didn’t know what else to do. This possibility had never been discussed. Jonathan had finally reached Alex, but his attention was fully riveted on the tunnel before them. Alex wanted to shout, to say, ‘Hey! Phineas is in big trouble!’ But he couldn’t. Surely Jonathan had heard the clatter of the sword on the floor!

  A light touch on his shoulder nearly made Alex yelp. He spun around and raised his blade, but checked the swing when he saw that it was Tabitha, Abner, and Gideon.

  Tabitha’s eyes were wide, silently demanding an explanation.

  With his free hand, Alex first pointed toward Phineas and then at Jonathan and the tunnel, giving her an almost-hysterical shrug. What do I do?

  Gideon signaled for Tabitha and Abner to go after Phineas, but they’d barely taken a step when a terrified shriek sounded from deep inside the tunnel. />
  All five of them spun, fanning out in the half-circle that was the standard battle formation for all Domus warriors.

  At first nothing else happened. Alex counted silently in an effort to calm himself, 1… 2… 3… 4… 5…

  Another shriek sounded, now much closer, and something moved in the darkness. It was still a long ways away, but it was definitely coming toward them. Alex could hear pounding footsteps now.

  Slowly, like ghosts materializing from thin air, the Domus warriors who’d previously been guarding the Core came into sight, and they were running for their lives.

  Alex squinted. One, two… there were only two of them. Why were there only two? Where were the others?

  “To arms!” the one in the lead shouted. “To arms!”

  “How many?” Jonathan shouted back.

  “Too many!” shrieked the one farther back in the tunnel. “They’re com—”

  He was never able to finish the word. Something unseen pulled him down by the ankles. He fell face-first to the floor and only had time for one brief, horrified look back at Jonathan before he was yanked backward into the blackness.

  The remaining Domus warrior finally reached them and plowed through their line like a game of Red Rover, collapsing on the floor in a quivering heap.

  “You will stand, Erikson!” Jonathan barked at the shaking warrior. “You will stand and fight!”

  Alex looked from Jonathan to Erikson and back again, his breath coming in rapid gulps. This was it. This was really it.

  Erikson propped himself up on the floor, sobs wracking his body.

  “You will stand!” Jonathan yelled and thrust out a hand, offering to help him to his feet.

  With great effort, Erikson pushed himself up onto his knees and clasped Jonathan’s forearm. “Yes…” he said, still disoriented but beginning to regain his wits. He pulled himself to his feet and his eyes scanned the group. “Where is your sixth?”

  Jonathan threw a look toward the Core, his face grim. Erikson squeezed his eyes closed and bowed his head, understanding all too well what Jonathan’s look meant.

  “I have no weapon,” Erikson finally said.

  “Here,” Alex offered, remembering that Phineas had dropped his blade. He went to retrieve it, but his hand had barely reached the hilt before he caught a flash of movement from inside the tunnel.

  There was barely time to turn his head, just the briefest of glimpses, before Alex was barreled into and flung backward. His arms arched behind him as he tried to catch himself, both his and Phineas’s blades clattering across the floor. The power of his attacker sent Alex sliding all the way to other side of the Antechamber to slam up against the far wall. He lay there, dazed, gasping for the wind that had been knocked from him.

  He’d been attacked by a thrall, and it was already rushing the others, moving in quick, savage lunges in an attempt to reach them.

  The others had squared off against the thrall, Erikson having bravely taken Alex’s place in formation barehanded. It snarled, furious, a constant blur of motion. No one spoke. The only sounds in the cavern were snarls and the shuffle of feet as the warriors waited for the perfect moment to strike.

  Alex shook his head to clear it. He knew he should be there with them. He scanned the floor and found both his and Phineas’s blades a short distance away. Scrambling up onto his hands and knees, he used the cavern wall for leverage and lurched to his feet. The pain in his side was agonizing. In spite of himself, he groaned.

  The thrall spun at the sound, as if remembering Alex was there, and Tabitha took the opportunity to strike. With a step forward and a long, overhand stroke, she neatly severed its neck. Its head fell to the floor with a dull thud, its body following a few moments later.

  “Phineas,” Jonathan said into the prolonged silence following the thrall’s death. He only said the one word, but they all knew what it meant: Phineas had abandoned them, and must be dealt with. Domus law stated that his life was now forfeit.

  No one replied, and no one met anyone else’s eyes.

  Alex retrieved the fallen weapons, feeling conflicted. Phineas was someone he doubted he would ever have called a friend. He was surprised that despite the young warrior’s strong Edenite beliefs, he had still fallen prey to the Core.

  “Who will go?” Jonathan asked, his voice deep and unrelenting.

  After another pause, Abner stepped forward. “I will go,” he said, not looking directly at anyone.

  “And I will go,” Tabitha stepped up next to him, her voice shaking.

  Jonathan turned to face Tabitha squarely, forcing her to look in his eyes. She met his gaze, but couldn’t mask the fear she felt for what she knew needed to be done.

  “No. You will not,” Jonathan replied quietly. Alex couldn’t tell for sure, but he thought he might have heard a note of tenderness in Jonathan’s words. Irrationally, it made him jealous.

  “I will go,” Gideon stepped forward, his voice resolute. “He was my responsibility. My initiate.”

  Jonathan gave Gideon a nod and clasped his shoulder.

  And it was at that moment that Alex first heard the voice of a Nocuous.

  It started as a low, throaty chuckle, barely discernible. It came from the same tunnel the thrall had burst from, deep and resonating, growing louder and louder until Alex was sure he felt the cavern vibrating to its rhythm. It was the most terrifying sound he’d ever heard.

  The group spun and gathered into formation, at the ready once more, Phineas all but forgotten.

  “Is that…?” Alex asked in a husky voice. He still stood rooted to the spot where his and Phineas’s weapons had landed, apart from the others, holding the blades awkwardly in both hands.

  “It is,” Jonathan stated in his deep, steady baritone. “Maintain the formation!” he commanded.

  Jonathan hadn’t taken his eyes from the tunnel, but Alex knew he was talking to him. Clenching his jaw, he put fear aside. “Erikson,” Alex said, holding out Phineas’ blade.

  Reaching out to accept the weapon was the last thing Erikson ever did.

  In a blur of violent motion, three thralls burst from the tunnel and slammed into Erikson. In a blink, they had him against the far wall, using their teeth and claws to tear into his throat, his torso, his eyes.

  Erikson’s mouth opened to scream, but in a matter of seconds all he could do was gurgle out his torment. He thrashed and flailed, but his attackers were far too strong. All his struggling did was encourage their savagery.

  The group of Domus warriors, now only four strong, spun and lunged forward in one smooth motion. A moment later, three heads were on the floor: two from thralls and one from Erikson—a mercy performed by Jonathan.

  To Alex’s alarm, the remaining thrall scuttled backward, directly toward him. It still faced the group, but if it turned he would be the first person in its path.

  “Ah,” thundered a deep, unnatural voice from the darkness of the tunnels. The thrall froze at the sound. The Domus warriors spun again, backing away in order to face this new adversary. Briefly, Alex and Tabitha locked eyes. She was terrified. To his surprise, the dominating emotion he felt in that moment wasn’t fear, but a desire to go to her, to protect her. He couldn’t, though. The thrall was now directly between him and the group.

  “And so it appears you’ve given me a need to replenish my servants.” The cavern rumbled as the Nocuous emerged from the tunnel, surveying the carnage.

  From its intimidating voice, Alex would have expected a giant to emerge from the darkness. Instead, a short, rather unimposing man stepped forward. Like the people of Domus, he was pale and thin, but carried none of the stoic tension that was the dominant trait of every person in the community. Instead, it strolled into the Antechamber casually, languidly, as if amused that these pathetic humans could have the audacity to consider mounting a defense against it.

  The Nocuous trailed his long, dirty fingernails along the wall of the tunnel mouth, scraping them along the rock. The gesture was a str
ange mixture of nonchalance and intensity, his body language carefree, but his keen eyes burning as he scanned the room.

  The thrall remained where it was, bent low and breathing heavily with its arms out, fingers curled claw-like.

  Alex ever-so-slowly moved backward until he bumped against the cavern wall. Once there, he began inching his way along the perimeter toward the rest of the Domus warriors.

  “Move no farther!” The Nocuous commanded sharply, cocking his head to the side as he zeroed in on Alex. His eyes narrowed. “You,” he murmured thoughtfully, his nose wrinkling. “You… smell different. Your fear… is desperate.”

  The Nocuous’s voice was deep, so deep that Alex swore it echoed before it emitted from the creature’s mouth.

  The thrall shifted and turned to face Alex with short, scuffling movements.

  Standing with the crude stone blade clenched in his fist, Alex felt panic creep in and was overwhelmed by a feeling of absolute despair. What was he doing in this place? What was he thinking? He was no warrior, he was a high school kid with slightly-better-than-average grades.

  He should never have come. If only he’d listened to his father and destroyed the suit he’d be going about his day, safe and unaware that the Under even existed.

  Alex gave a start. The suit! He was still wearing the suit, and the shimmer was right above him! He could leave any time!

  This wasn’t his fight. He wasn’t a Domus citizen and he sure didn’t have to die for their cause. He looked back at the group of warriors, going from face to expectant face, and knew by their expression he would die if he didn’t do something right now. It was in their eyes.

  Shifting his weapon to his left hand, Alex felt with his fingers for the activator on the laser pointer. He looked upward, at the ceiling of the cavern. The Core’s reflective red shimmer was there, rippling on the roof like gently-rolling red waves.

  Alex lifted his arm and curled his fingers downward.

  The Nocuous had taken note of Alex’s every move and, seeing Alex’s glance at the ceiling of the cavern, its eyes widened in understanding. It hissed, baring its teeth in an anticipatory and hideous grin.

  Tabitha had also taken note of what Alex was doing. “Alex, no!” she shouted in a desperate, panicked voice.

  At the same time, the other three Domus warriors, led by Jonathan, seized the opportunity and attacked.

  The Nocuous was unbelievably fast. He burst toward Alex in an explosion of movement so swiftly that there was no time to react. It was on him in a moment, its claw-like grip around his neck as it pinned Alex against the wall.

  The thrall, seeing the warriors moving against its master, flung itself at them, heedless of any personal danger. It took a deep slice to the shoulder from Abner as he attempted to claim his first kill and backed away, howling in agony.

  The Nocuous leaned in close to Alex, his black eyes inches from Alex’s. He sniffed him, a frown of concentration on his face, as if he couldn’t quite place what he smelled. Alex squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head, certain that he was living his final moments, but Tabitha screamed a challenge and rushed to attack, her blade a blur of motion. Behind her, Jonathan took advantage of the injured thrall and relieved it of its head in a single blow. As a single unit, the three warriors turned, roaring their defiance as they moved to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Tabitha. The Nocuous was finally forced to turn from Alex, slowly releasing his grip as he spun around, a slow leer spreading across his face.

  Alex was completely separated from the main group. He briefly locked eyes with Tabitha, but it was Jonathan who said, “Alex, leave! Use the suit!”

  The shocked look on Tabitha’s face must have been mirrored on Alex’s.

  “What you possess is far too valuable!” Jonathan shouted. “Depart now!” he commanded again.

  Alex activated the laser uncertainly, feeling none of the conviction to leave that he’d felt previously.

  “Go!” Jonathan roared, and rushed the Nocuous with his blade held high, the other warriors rushing in behind him.

  They were going to die. These warriors were willing to die in order to save him.

  He raised his arm and pointed the laser at the red shimmer, but he didn’t close his fist. Not yet.

  A scream drew his attention back to the battle as the Nocuous easily blocked Jonathan’s attack and, with a casual swipe, knocked the warrior across the cavern and into the wall. Jonathan slumped there, unconscious, possibly dead. The Nocuous pivoted smoothly, meeting the charge of the remaining warriors. It deftly lashed out, knocking Tabitha’s weapon from her hand, easily avoiding the blades of the other two.

  They were going to die.

  They were going to die and it would be his fault.

  Before he knew what he was doing, Alex shifted his blade back to his right hand. The laser winked out and he charged the Nocuous from behind. He didn’t roar or rage as he ran toward the Nocuous—he was too afraid. He swung with all his might, aiming straight for its neck.

  Just before the blade made contact, the Nocuous realized its own danger and whirled to face him, but it wasn’t quick enough. Alex’s stroke didn’t kill it, the angle was wrong after the Nocuous moved, but he managed to sink the width of the blade into its neck. As the Nocuous wrenched away, the weapon was yanked out of Alex’s hand, the blade still embedded there.

  The Nocuous howled in pain, outrage, and fury. It charged him, but Tabitha was at the ready and with a single savage swing, finished the job Alex had begun.

  The echo of its cries rang throughout the catacombs as the Nocuous’s head dropped to the floor, bouncing once before coming to rest, it’s dull, open eyes staring toward the red glow of the Core.