Chapter 6

As Sarah moved along beside the creature, completely under his spell, she gave up trying to fight for the use of her unresponsive body and instead walked down the corridor obediently. The area was brightly lit compared to the room she had been in and the harshness hurt her eyes. Blinking away the pain she risked a few glances around. Oddly there was no obvious source for the strange glow that lit their path.

She didn’t dare glance at the creature walking with her, as she knew looking at the nightmarish monster would scare her witless, instead, she focused on the doorways they passed. Most of the rooms beyond were dark but she could just make out some cages in them, making her think they might be similar to the room she had come from. She realised she was in a prison of sorts.

The walls and ceiling of the corridor were made from the same substance as the wall beside her cage and she could see now that it was in fact stone. Hard, solid stone without a join or edge to be seen. She realised that the prison hadn’t been built, or not by usual methods, it was a cave. The walls were smooth and perfectly formed making her think that it had been tunnelled out of the rock deliberately and she wondered why anyone would want to use a cave as a prison. The answer came to her quickly, they were hiding.

At the end of the corridor, they passed a large cavernous room. It was different to the prison cells by its vast size and also that it was well-lit, similar to the corridor. She couldn’t help but stare at the scene inside as she walked past. It confused her as it seemed so out of place in a prison.

In the middle of the space was a large table like in a dining room but without any chairs in sight. Instead of a meal being laid out on the table, the surface was covered in old-fashioned goblets, glasses and canisters, the type she would assume held alcohol by their shape. Her view of the table was almost completely obliterated though by the female creatures in the room. They were drinking from large goblets that they refilled and snatched at as they behaved in a barbaric fashion.

She noticed the women were all different in appearance. Some were young and lithe while others were old and skeletal but they all had long, silver-white, dishevelled hair that reminded Sarah of the dark flames that had surrounded her on her journey there. Wearing torn dresses of an array of dull colours from ghostly white to muted reds and greens they looked like angry fairies fighting over their beverages.

Her passing with the guard caught the attention of one of the creatures and she felt her stomach drop to the floor as the woman turned and looked at her with an angry gleam in her red burning eyes. Sarah found herself unable to turn away as she watched the creature’s deathly pale face writhe in agony as her mouth stretched open in an unnatural way. The drink she had been consuming dribbled from the creature’s mouth and down her chin. Her tattered dress was covered in similar splatters.

The banshee moved towards them with haste and if Sarah had been in control of her body, she would have scampered away in fright but the woman came up short at the doorway, unwilling or unable to come any closer. Instead, her deformed mouth twitched into an odd smile at Sarah’s revulsion, her sharp teeth gleaming in her mouth with the act. Sarah quickly glanced away from the creature, her eyes focusing instead on the strange designs on the wall above the opening. Holding her breath, she kept her eyes glued on the markings until they had walked past the door and left the celebrating creatures behind.

After the doorway, they approached a sort of ramp that created a slow, gradual climb upwards before opening to another corridor. She noticed that this corridor was similar to the one they had just walked through, made out of the same rock and with doorways leading off on either side. Keeping her eyes firmly on the path in front of her she refused to look inside any of them. Her mind was becoming too busy worrying about the possible outcomes once they reached their destination to take in much more of her surroundings anyway.

They approached another ramp, again upwards but this one turned before levelling out into yet another corridor. The pattern continued, ever upwards from the prison but the turning created a lopsided, spiral pattern making her wonder just how big the cave was. They didn’t see any other creatures as they moved through the building, it had an empty, hollow feeling in some areas as if they were seldom used.

Finally, after countless corridors, she and her guide climbed the final ramp and entered a large, intimidating room. There were no other doors leading off this room and the only entrance was the one they had used. At the far end, she could see more of the hateful beasts like the one she had been following but besides the few creatures in front of her, the large room was unoccupied, leaving it feeling barren and empty. Not that the beasts weren’t large and menacing, but the room was massive and she had the feeling it was meant to hold many more of the creatures. It felt like an important room of some sort, like a courtroom or a ruler’s chambers, a place where judgements would be passed and swiftly followed through. The thought terrified her more.

As they approached the other beasts, she could see the only furnishing in the impressive chamber was a large stone table stretching across the room, the carvings on its surface marred and barely distinguishable under the scars of use. The wall behind was bare save for some script that appeared to be burned into the surface, each letter nearly half as tall as her and spanning from about head height upwards. She had no idea what the symbols meant but she knew instinctively that they were important to these beings and that this room was important because of them.

Behind the table - her mind steered away from the term “altar” - stood three of the beasts. The room was silent, the footsteps of her guide and her own echoing out hollowly as they approached, and she wondered where all the creatures were. She could guess that with such a big room, and from what she had seen of the size of the dwelling, there would be more hidden away in the depths of the cave. Feeling glad that they hadn’t decided to make an appearance she focused on the problem of dealing with four of the horrible creatures, sure they were more than enough for her. She felt as if she was trapped in a nightmare, one that was terrifyingly real.

They stopped moving and she stood nervously beside her guide while the creatures growled and rumbled, communicating in a language she couldn’t understand and was sure she didn’t want to. It was obvious that they were talking about her by the way they were assessing her like she was some prized piece of meat and she wondered if this was how a cow felt. She immediately decided that if she got out of this alive she would consider becoming a vegetarian.

As they conversed she concentrated on keeping her shaking limbs as still as possible. The control from her guide had eased with the commencement of the discussion but it hadn’t eased enough for her to consider escaping, even if the fear that was buckling her knees would have let her try. Abandoning all thoughts of escape, as she knew she would be lucky to get two steps away before they caught her, instead she focused her mind on every detail of the room and the creatures in it. There wasn’t much to keep her interested in the room and it didn’t take long before she gave up on trying to decipher the script. Realising she couldn’t put it off any longer she faced the creatures themselves.

They were like nothing she had seen in either reality or fiction and they took her breath away with their absolute vileness. She wasn’t a fan of scary movies but she thought that the movie industry was selling monsters short, as the creatures in front of her could never have come from the minds of humans. They were huge, grotesque and deformed, the basic shape of a human with arms and legs and head where they were supposed to be but that was where any similarity ended. Their eyes burned with an evil that she could only imagine, the inky depths marred with a feral green that hinted at an eternity of pain for anyone the beasts decided to victimise.

Their skin was an oozing mass, a peeling layer hinting at the gore that lay beneath, covered with a slimy membrane. They wore no clothing, their shapes a bulky mess of deformity, lumps the size of a man’s head covering their body, blisters and swelling covering those lumps and all was enclosed by the slimy outer layer. She looked back at their faces, carefully avoiding their eyes, hoping to see something familiar that she could latch on to. Bile rose in her throat as she focused on the crater where a nose should have been, loose flaps of skin where ears usually were and the slit of a mouth, filled with sharp points like a shark. She knew there was nothing human about these beasts, they made all the other evil creatures she had recently encountered seem tame and almost normal by comparison.

Their guttural conversation seemed to go on forever and she wasn’t sure if she should be impatient for it to stop, at least they weren’t hurting her as they stood around talking. Still, she was tired, her legs ached and she couldn’t help hoping that they would just decide about her already and at least do something. Risking a glance at the dark depths of one of the creature’s eyes she hoped that whatever they decided resulted in a quick death, as she knew they would be capable of dealing her an agony her mind would never be able to comprehend. As if her wishing had worked she bit back on the fear awakened inside her as her guide moved towards her.

She felt her legs moving, felt the fatigue leave them as they once again became numb to her senses and began moving on their own accord. Following her guide from the room, she feared where the beast would take her. As they moved along the corridors and ramps hope began to spark inside her as she realised that they were going back the way they had come. She had no way of being certain that they were headed to the prison, only that they were constantly heading downwards and she hoped that it wasn’t also the way to the kitchen.

Following the creature back through the old dwelling she took more notice this time of the strange layout of the cave-like structure. Bracing herself she even looked into the doorways, surprised to see that some led to stairs going either upwards or downwards. She wondered why the creature hadn’t taken the stairs and looking at his sheer size decided that he wouldn’t fit. There must have been people-sized creatures living there at some stage and she became curious about the previous inhabitants and their way of life. Had they lived together peacefully with these beasts or had they also been evil, powerful beings? Remembering the ramblings of the mad creature in the prison cage she thought that it had probably been a servant stairwell until the servants became less useful and were eaten.

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Paying careful attention to everything she catalogued it all in her mind. It was a useful trick she had learnt to recall information later. It felt good to keep her mind busy and gave her hope as if the task of memorising the layout of the building would help her to escape. She was sure that Tom would be interested in any information she had found, that was if he had woken up yet.

They walked through a doorway and she realised they were back in her prison as she recognised some of the creatures she had briefly noticed on their way out. This time she was able to pay more attention but still couldn’t make out a great deal in the darkness. She missed the details of the first few cages before her eyes adjusted to the gloom, but in the next cage, she was able to make out a wolf. Thinking that it looked like any ordinary wolf, only bigger, she was surprised that it was cowering at the back of the cage as if in fear, its fur matted and grey as it trembled on arthritic limbs.

The next cage she passed contained a man, old and wizened and seemingly harmless until he turned towards her and she noticed his fangs. They couldn’t quite fit into his wilted mouth but the points sticking out still looked menacing to her. There were others she passed, men and women, all frail and scared. Remembering all the doors she had walked passed in the outside corridor, she wondered how many creatures were being held in the dark prisons.

She was almost relieved to recognise the ramblings of the insane creature, knowing she would soon be back in the safety of her cell. It seemed ironic to her that she would consider her prison safe but she was eager to be away from the vile creature that was walking with her, eager to have the use of her legs and free will again and also, she was eager to see Tom. When she finally saw him, she was sure that if she had been given the use of her legs, they wouldn’t have held her up. He was awake, standing against the cage, hands gripping the bars and his head down, the shadow of his dark hair hiding his expression. She didn’t need to see his face to know his despair, she could see it in every line of his body.

They moved towards him steadily. She would have moved quicker, would have run to the safety of the cage if she could but she still wasn’t in control of her legs. Sarah watched as Tom looked up at their approach and saw the look on his face that matched her interpretation of his body language. The look cut her as his despair reached her. There was a vulnerability in that look, something that she would never have expected to see on the face of the man that had always been so sure of himself.

The beast stopped in front of the cage to unlock it and she obediently waited beside him, only dimly aware of the creature’s movements. Instead, she was focusing on Tom inside the cage. She knew the moment he resumed his detached appearance, the moment he hid behind the magician’s mask, but she had seen that other side of him. His gaze swept over her quickly as if to make sure she was all right before the last glimpse of concern slipped behind the unreadable expression.

She didn’t have much time to register the monster’s intent before the door to the cage was unlocked and she was pushed roughly inside. Tripping in the haste of the rough handling as well as from the sudden ability to use her legs she quickly put up her hand to protect her face from the fall. Expecting to feel hard unyielding rock she was surprised when instead she felt strong arms and a warm body next to hers.

Catching her balance, she righted herself with Tom’s help. Looking up at him she was intent on mumbling her thanks but the words died in her throat from his nearness and the memory of his unguarded expression. At that moment she felt a strong connection to him. He had just seemed so human.

It was a heady moment but all too soon she was transported back to reality. Back to the cage, the dangers and the insane creature that was still rambling a list of menu selections. She moved away slowly, not quite looking at Tom, and put a few safe feet between them.

‘I’m glad you’re awake,’ she spoke without really thinking of the words but hoped that her tone would calm both the surreal moment and her raging pulse.

‘I’m glad you’re alive,’ Tom’s response matched hers in tone.

‘So … what do we do now? Can you use your magic and just teleport us out of here or something?’

Tom moved away, towards the door of the cage. ‘Unfortunately, no. I can’t use my magic here.’ He withdrew something from his pocket and she was relieved to see that it wasn’t his cards once again. She couldn’t see what it was he was holding. ‘But I’m still planning on getting out of here. Unless you would prefer to stay for dinner?’

Not waiting for an answer Tom moved over to the door and started jiggling the lock.

‘What are you doing?’ Sarah asked as she moved in for a closer look.

In answer, Tom moved away from the lock and pushed open the door with a flourish. ‘I’m a magician remember? I know a few tricks.’

In answer, she rolled her eyes at him and his ridiculous magic trick and pushed past him out of the cage. Oh yes, she remembered he was a magician and that was all part of the craziness she had become caught up in. Still, she couldn’t help smiling at his performance, his confidence might just be for show but it had certainly made her feel better.

As they moved through the room towards the exit, she tried to think of which way they should go. She had walked through the corridors in the building and was sure she would be able to find her way back to the large chamber but they didn’t want to end up in that intimidating room with those imposing monsters. Unfortunately, the little she had seen of the other rooms and stairwells didn’t give her much confidence in their escape. Still, she would have a better idea than Tom, as he hadn’t been out of the cage and had been asleep most of the time he had been captive, which was a scary thought.

Tom stopped at the doorway before peering out into the strangely lit hallway while she tried to peer over his shoulder, which was no easy feat with his height. Still, she could tell the coast was clear so far. The hallway peeled off in either direction and she felt anxiety well up in her at the thought of navigating it wrong. Tom started to move, careful not to make a sound. Suddenly she grabbed his arm, achieving nothing more than grabbing a handful of his sleeve but thankfully it was enough to stop him.

He moved his head slightly, still looking out into the hallway but also managing to angle his eyes her way in question. She was desperately trying to remember where she had seen the servant stairs on each level. It wasn’t easy with some floors folding back over the lower ones while others had continued straight but she had been turning the problem over in her mind and felt confident she was right. She leaned up to get close to his ear to whisper.

‘We need to go up,’ her words were a breath and she hoped he had understood. ‘I think there are stairs to the left.’

The nod he gave as a response didn’t reassure her but as he moved silently from the room, she noticed he had taken her advice and she had little choice but to follow. They slipped silently out the door and into the hallway. Sarah could feel her heart in her throat choking her as she tried to quieten her every move and even her breathing. She felt sure that the loudness of her breathing shouldn’t matter as the beasts could surely hear her heart which was beating so loud it sounded like a war drum heralding their approach.

She started to panic at the idea and in a moment of frenzy almost turned back to hide in her safe cage. Feeling Tom’s hand on hers she turned to face him, noticing the silent appeal in his eyes and the nod of encouragement he gave her. She focused on him, his assuring presence in an otherwise crazy world, as she slowed her breathing and gave in to the calmness she felt flowing through her from his touch. Only this time it wasn’t from his magic.

Tom continued to look at her until she nodded, confirming that she was feeling okay to continue before they moved along the corridor together. Sarah was relieved to see an archway further down, similar to the ones she had seen on the other levels that had contained stairs. She tugged slightly on Tom’s hand and motioned marginally with her head to indicate the archway on the left, hoping she was correct and that the stairs would be there.

Tom moved like a shadow down the corridor but Sarah, by comparison, felt her movements were clunky and awkward as she moved as stealthily as she could. Every noise echoed through the otherwise silent building and had her heart jumping up into her throat until she wasn’t sure if she would survive the short walk to the archway. It felt like an eternity before Tom stopped and she was able to collapse against the wall as she waited for him to peer into the gloom that it contained. She held her breath waiting to hear if she had been right.

He turned to her and nodded, a brief movement of his head that had relief coursing through her. She knew she didn’t have it in her to go back the way they had come. Slowly they entered the archway and she ran her gaze upwards, noticing the crudely cut stairs in front of her. The lighting was dim and the area appeared to be lit by the same mysterious means as the hallway.

They began their silent, slow ascent upwards. The steps were rough, some close together while others were deeper or too high, and the staircase zigzagged back oddly onto itself. It wasn’t exactly a spiral, it was too random and haphazard for that, but it got you to the next level in a pretty similar way.

Step after agonising step, slowly the next archway came towards them. As they approached it Sarah worried about finding the next flight of stairs. The staircase was dizzying and she wasn’t sure where they would end up but she didn’t like the idea of skulking through the hallways again. The stairs were hard work but they felt safer, especially as she was sure the evil creatures wouldn’t fit in there with them.

She held her breath as they slowly rounded the last bend and let it out again in a mixture of relief and despair as she noticed another earthen step peeking out at them a few paces away. There was another staircase leading up inside the archway they had arrived at and they would only have to quickly dart across the opening to reach the other set of stairs. Although she was relieved she wouldn’t have to walk the hallway, she knew it also meant dragging her tired body up more stairs.

They began their ascent again. Sarah lost track of how many stairs she had clambered up but she was bone-weary and she hoped they reached the top quickly. Unfortunately, they hadn’t even reached the next archway yet and as she climbed she began to wonder if there was one. Maybe they would be lost in the staircase forever. Telling her tired imagination that they would escape she took a tight grip on her emotions and doggedly followed Tom up the stairs. He didn’t even look tired.

Suddenly there was a noise on the steps above them. It sounded again and she grabbed Tom’s arm as she quickly placed the noise; something was descending towards them. She glanced around, already knowing they had nowhere to hide, the stairway was narrow with no archways leading off it and they wouldn’t make it back to the last corridor before whatever it was that was coming down the stairs reached them.

‘When I tell you to run, go,’ Tom spoke quietly, his whisper barely reaching her ears. His eyes never moved from the stairs above them.

Sarah tensed, as ready as she could be but unsure if she was ready for fight or flight. She didn’t want to leave Tom, especially if he didn’t have magic, but she knew that she would be useless to help him. They moved back against the wall, waiting for whatever creatures were descending the stairs to appear.