26

The Still Darkness

Scorpion finished talking with the azaeri commander then loped back to the group. He discussed something with Oydd, until Cricket, growing impatient, tapped the rudra on the shoulder. Oydd continued his conversation without relaying anything to the insect.

Finally, Cricket let out a loud huff, and Oydd turned to him.

Be patient. I'll tell you what is going on as soon as I know.

Well, what do you know so far?

Shisu took residence in the shell, along with another human. A man. They are not still there.

Then why does everyone seem so excited?

The azaeri are trying to talk us out of heading over. They say the structure is... he exchanged a few more words with Scorpion that the insect couldn't hear. Haunted, apparently.

Haunted? Cricket confirmed enthusiastically.

Yes. The rudra continued discussing the matter with the ratling, and Cricket wandered over to the edge to view the annexed shell.

The fog had settled down into the underground fields, which made the height seem more dizzying, without a visible bottom for reference. Three rope bridges crossed to different parts of the titanic shell, two of which were in dangerous disrepair. As the insect watched, a giant centipede—about ten feet in length—poked its head out of a hole in the shell, then scurried across the exterior, only to disappear inside another hole. Cricket crept closer to the edge, but felt a pit in his stomach and backed away again.

I thought you weren't afraid of anything, Jeshu's voice entered his mind.

Oydd and the ratling made preparations to cross, while Patches tossed the contents of her pouch onto the tower floor in a mild panic.

Oh... Cricket responded. Heights just make me feel sick. Is that fear?

Jeshu laughed.

The rudra joined in. He's also afraid of bugs, remember?

Ew! Cricket convulsed at the thought. Just the little ones. Big ones don't bother me. Cricket looked back over his shoulder where he had seen the centipede.

Patches ran up to the group with a concerned look on her face. She tugged on Cricket's lower elbow. I can't find it.

Can't find what? Jeshu asked.

My bag. It's special.

Oh! The caltrop bag! Cricket practically shouted. He opened his pouch and retrieved the green, velvet bag.

Patches scowled and leapt for it. Reflexively, Cricket pulled it up out of her reach, before stooping to hand it to her. I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you I borrowed it. He patted the mouseling on her head, but she jerked her head away and wiped his touch off, then snatched the small bag and scurried back to her satchel where she busily cleaned up the mess she had made on the ground.

When she had replaced all of the scattered contents back in her satchel, she scurried up Jeshu's leg and perched on his shoulder, still eyeing Cricket crossly.

Oydd, Cricket said, looking at the spiral shell, how do we know it won't fall?

Our weight is negligible.

But it's already so heavy. It has to be!

Not as heavy as the actual stalactites of that size, since they are not hollow. And they remain attached to the ceiling.

That's... actually a good point.

Oydd placed a hand on the insect's shoulder. Lead us out.

What? Me? Why do I have to go first? Cricket peered over the edge again, then eyed the precarious bridge.

You usually like going first, Oydd replied. Who do you think should go first?

Um... Cricket surveyed the group. Orth?

The worm is not here.

Where is he? Cricket asked.

Digesting, Jeshu answered. He ate almost an entire golem. I actually had to expend quite a bit of energy to keep him large enough that his stomach didn't pop afterward. Now, I think, he'll stay about the size he is.

How about Skunk? Cricket asked.

He is unwell, Oydd said.

Unwell? What's wrong?

You're stalling. Scorpion gave Cricket a very slight nudge toward the bridge, and the insect screamed.

Really? the ratling snickered. Why weren't you this scared when we were in the dangling cages?

I couldn't see the ground. I think it messes with my compound eyes, Cricket quibbled.

If it's too much for you, you can stay here, Oydd offered.

No. It's not too much for me. But... I should take up the rear. It's the most likely spot we'll be attacked.

It's really not, Scorpion replied. Still, the ratling approached the rope bridge first and sprinted across the narrow wooden planks at full speed, only stopping several yards out to look back, as if inviting the others to follow. Oydd set out at a brisk pace, clutching his metal rod with Bale's claw.

Jeshu hesitated at the edge next to Cricket.

Should we space ourselves out? How much weight do you think this bridge can carry?

It is safer to stay close to my side, Oydd answered. So I can catch you if you fall. I can easily lift your weight, but not from very far away.

The druid nodded as he took a few steps out onto the shaky bridge.

Cricket swallowed hard, pursuing the druid with trembling steps. He gripped the rope tightly and lifted his chin, so he couldn't see down. The bridge wobbled, and Cricket screeched, dropping to his knees. He held onto one of the ropes with all four arms.

Jeshu turned to encourage him, but the insect had already begun to crawl back.

Oydd asked me to head back, Cricket lied. He sent the message to just me.

I did not, Oydd replied. But the insect ignored him.

Good idea, Oydd. Cricket reached the tower floor and collapsed against the wall.

Oydd muttered something under his breath, but continued toward the shell.

A black centipede with a bright red head poked out from a hole near the bottom. It probed around the slick exterior with its yellow legs and antennae.

Very colorful, Jeshu commented. Mostly only greys and browns down here.

That's a bit over simplistic, Oydd responded.

Just my observation, compared to surface life. As he spoke, a second centipede tried to poke its head out of the same hole, knocking the first one loose, and it tumbled down into the fog, coiling and writhing as it fell—its numerous legs clutching at the air.

Scorpion reached the far side long before the others, but waited near the opening.

When Oydd arrived, he noticed a slick, black slime covering much of the interior, accompanied by a sweet fungal smell. With Cricket gone, the rudra closed the telepathic link to save energy.

"It's humid in here," he stated.

Scorpion agreed. "Is this stuff dangerous?"

"Let's assume so. Don't touch anything without running it by me or the dryad."

Scorpion scurried inside. Oydd drew a light from his staff with a word and pressed into the curving hallway. Planks of wood—from the surface, judging by their color—covered the floor to make for an even surface, and stonework covered some of the walls. Once inside, the shell seemed much larger than Oydd had thought from a distance. As they crept downhill, the slick, black slime became more prominent. In places, it gathered in mounds, resembling the druid's pumpkin patch back at the Crater, with thick, netted tendrils reaching from bulge to bulge.

"Smells like spoiled milk," Scorpion observed, taking care to keep his tail from dragging on the ground.

Further inside, the slime began to crust over and dry. Weightless black flakes drifted in the air and Oydd lifted his robe to cover his beak, looking behind him for the druid.

"It's disgusting," Jeshu said. "It might not be wise to breathe this in."

"Agreed," Oydd answered. A pulse surged from him, billowing the flakes away for some distance with a dome of force. Afterward, Scorpion kept closer to the rudra.

"I should be able to sustain this for a while."

Jeshu groaned uncomfortably, but nodded.

"Why does it still smell?" Patches plugged her nose with her paw.

"If it smells, then some of it is still getting in our lungs," Jeshu answered.

Oydd addressed the mouseling. "I intend to explore further. You may stay or go as you choose." He passed a ladder leading to a lower spiral as well as an archway carved into the shell, which headed for the center. However, he continued along the outer curve, following the source of the slime. The interior of the shell had long lost its sheen, and now appeared much like dried bone, although denser.

As they descended, the black tendrils thickened until some were as wide around as the rudra. A few of the tendrils ended in mouthlike holes, with clusters of smaller tentacles bursting from the tips.

All of the larger tentacles were dry and stiff as charcoal, as if the whole area had burned, though there was no other evidence of a fire. Oydd passed clusters with teeth growing from the exterior, and clumps of hair. He began to see more and more mouths—circular mouths at the tips, surrounded with fangs, as well as more dhampir-like jaws with flattened teeth along the length of the tendrils.

"What shit is this?" Scorpion asked in awe.

In response, Oydd only grunted. Scorpion turned to Jeshu, but the druid had such an intense, sorrowful look on his face that the ratling instantly looked away.

The tentacles deeper inside had increasingly bizarre mutations. Mostly they grew in clusters connected by roots—sprouting from the walls, and the ceiling, with plenty of room to pass in the spacious tunnel. But now and then an anomalous clump formed in the middle of the walkway, with more individualized features, like legs and tails and heads—seldom in the appropriate places.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Someone say something," Scorpion said.

A short silence followed before Jeshu responded. "This place has been touched by Chaos."

Oydd nodded. "I fear the same."

"It's like a summoning gone wrong, I think." The dryad reached toward one of the dark shapes instinctively, only to retract his hand at the last moment.

"Often, with a summoning, things come that were not summoned. Especially when dealing with the forces of Chaos."

"Chaos, like...?" Scorpion trailed off, not finishing his question.

"Meaning the ancient gods," Jeshu answered. "Ancient and unevolved. From before the world knew order. Primal forces."

"Some of them are more evil than the druid lets on," Oydd added. He passed a face rising straight up from the floorboards, made from the same blackened charcoal as the tentacles. "Though it seems the spell was contained, in the end."

The group came upon a room—a living quarters that looked like it belonged to a small child, though it appeared impossibly old. The floorboards looked petrified, and inches of black dust gathered in the corners and recesses. A shelf sat against one of the walls, covered with a collection of bright stones, shells, and carved figurines. Among them, one resembled a stone ratling with long ears and a bobbed tail. Oydd picked it up, inspecting it with curiosity.

"It's a rabbit," Scorpion said.

"A rabbit?"

"They're smaller than the mouseling," the ratling added. "And they can't kill anything. They just run."

Oydd set the figurine back on the shelf.

"Come here!" the mouseling's quiet voice shouted from the hallway.

Oydd left the bedchamber and followed the sound of her voice down a side hallway and into a much larger chamber with a massive summoning circle carved into the floor, perhaps ten yards across. Hundreds of tentacles grew along the rim, though the interior remained clear of any infestation. In the center, however, a clawed hand reached from the floor, fused directly to the aged wood. Unlike the other oddities, it appeared mummified, rather than charred, with the dried leathery skin tight against the bone and pulling away from the claws, which made them look longer and more menacing.

Against a far wall, a blackened skeleton fused with the stonework, reaching out with one of its hands as if attempting to grab something.

"Stay close to me, mouseling," Oydd counseled as he inspected the room. Jeshu knelt near the middle of the circle and ran a finger through the dust. He looked up at the skeleton. "Is this our summoner?"

"It's human, right? Do you notice anything odd about him?" Oydd replied.

"Like what?"

"How long ago would you say he died, based on the remains?"

"Oh," Jeshu answered in a bit of shock. "I would think hundreds of years if I didn't know better."

"The wood here is warped and even petrified in places. The skeleton is practically a fossil. Everything in this room appears older than the shell itself. How is that possible?"

Oydd heard a whisper, and despite his mental acumen, he could not discern whether it was spoken out loud or only in his mind. If it spoke a word, it was a word he did not know.

"We're nearly at the bottom of the spiral," Jeshu stated.

The rudra felt a cold breath against the back of his neck and he shivered. "What happened here?" He pried himself away from the skeleton to follow the druid, and together they came upon a pool of black water.

"Everything beyond this point is flooded," the dryad said. Black tracings marked the wall that appeared to be maps of Al Tsiroth—one of the entire cavern, with Agoth beneath it, and Sheol beyond that, though the map of Sheol contained gaps. And one map of the city of Al Tsiroth itself. Other scrawlings appeared half-submerged in the water and Oydd tried to make them out with no luck.

Loose leaves of parchment floated in the water that looked much more recent than the contents of the previous room—each filled with the scribbles of some language with which the rudra was unfamiliar, though he doubted he could decipher the poor penmanship regardless.

"I think we've seen enough for now," Oydd said.

Jeshu nodded and turned to leave, but Oydd stayed at the edge of the pool a moment, staring out into the black water. On their return, the rudra’s staff echoed oddly against the ground, in a mesmerizing way. He found himself walking toward the summoning circle with no real purpose. When the tip of his staff touched near the center, the sound hung in the air and grew in volume. It took on a concussive weight that beat against him, pressing then abating, only to return with renewed volume.

Time froze around Oydd, but the click of the staff still hummed quietly. Jeshu slowed to a stop, with his back toward the rudra, and soon a darkness came rushing in. The skeleton on the wall began to move, breaking away from the stone. It vanished and appeared closer, speaking in his ear. Oydd recognized the voice.

"Who is dead?"

"The azaeri witch, Baba Kesu," Oydd replied. "And Oydd Zephyrendum yet lives." He turned to view the skeleton, only to see that it now more closely resembled the wraith Izu, though not entirely.

"Ah, a narrow window," the wraith lamented.

Oydd shivered at the implication.

"Why did you call us?"

"I did not call. I did not intend to, anyway."

"You are the rudra known as Oydd?" the wraith confirmed.

"I... am." Oydd hesitated, then asked, "Do you not know me?"

"We know of the rudra..."

"But have we spoken before?"

The wraith vanished, only to appear several feet away with a confused look on its face. A second wraith appeared so close that Oydd faltered, taking a step back. This time, it appeared moments before the other wraith vanished.

It spoke. "We have not. Not us."

"I... never mind."

Another specter appeared, equally close. "Yes, it knows us."

A moment later, the first specter asked, "Does it know us?"

Oydd hesitated.

"It knows us," the new specter repeated with a wicked smile, as the other specter faded. "We know that, rudra... do not seek to instruct us."

"You're... out of sync," Oydd stammered. "It is difficult to understand you." Slowly, he comprehended that the wraith had already responded to his statement.

Suddenly one of the wraith's eyes grew wide, and Oydd realized that in his previous encounter, he had not seen Izu's eyes. These eyes were sunken into the wraith's hooded skull, but that was the only real difference. This wraith looked more... human.

"We are," the wraith answered an unasked question.

"Are you Izu?" Oydd paused then nodded to himself in understanding.

"Yes, you must obey..." the wraith disappeared and another formed nearby, speaking angrily, "You are bound to us!"

Oydd waited until the anger left its face, and he was certain it was done speaking. "I did make a deal with another being who called himself Izu."

"A deal with one is a deal with all. Tell us the agreement! You must obey..."

Strangely, Oydd felt no such compulsion. The wraith slowly vanished. This time, the hum of his staff faded as well, and the image of Jeshu began again to move.

Oydd studied the room. He saw the blackened skeleton still fused to the brick wall, unmoved. He lowered his head and followed the druid from the ruins.

*****

The azaeri are sending reinforcements, Jeshu reported. Mostly in response to the wild goblin infestation in the lower levels.

They haven't been violent, Oydd replied.

Who, the goblins? No, but they outnumber the azaeri currently. I don't think they are planning to exterminate them. They just don't want to be overrun. There are two nearby cities, not just the one we had heard of. I believe the azaeri had abandoned this outpost due to...

Due to the witch, Oydd finished.

They are... a superstitious bunch.

Oydd scoffed. That witch performed experiments on her own kin. I don't think superstition quite covers it.

Well, regardless, we can expect them to return in force. But as allies this time.

Which is good. It's not like we have somewhere else to go.

Cricket, who had been mostly silent until now chimed in. We could go back to Al Tsiroth.

Oh... Oydd mused, crossing his brows. I don't think we can. We are runaways.

No we're not! We came here on orders.

Confidential orders likely no one else knew, from a man who is now dead.

That doesn't make us runaways.

Yes, we'll just explain it nicely to the dhampiri, Oydd snipped.

I do think the dhampiri will view us as renegades, Jeshu said. Regardless, the Warrens are destroyed. We can't return there.

But that's my home... Cricket mourned.

You no longer have a home, Oydd stated emotionlessly.

Cricket frowned, and the rudra slowly noticed his own callousness. It can't be helped, he added more softly. We will have to make the best of it.

Jeshu continued his report. We managed to capture the axebeak, but not before two more casualties.

Is that what we're calling it?

What else? It's fitting. We've converted the ground floor into stables, and Orth is there as well. The goblin leader has agreed to tend the animals in exchange for the first two floors.

And how do the azaeri feel about that? Oydd asked as he walked into the portal room.

As I said, they are sending forces. The dryad shrugged. But I don't expect it will turn violent.

If the azaeri give any indication that it might, notify me immediately. The rudra climbed the stairs to the dormant gate. With a wave of his hand, he summoned the silvery, pinkish portal with a thrumming hiss.

Is that all?

Jeshu tripped over his thoughts, as if he wanted to say more, but settled on More or less.

Oydd waved Bale's claw and the portal turned jet black.

Good. I have something more pressing than minutiae. What do you see here?

Looks broken, Cricket said.

I actually thought that too at first, Oydd replied. And you, Cricket, can't hear the sounds from the other side, but we are looking at a location.

Where? Cricket asked.

Jeshu stared into the black for a moment before responding solemnly. Sheol.

Yes, the Abyss. Far below Agoth. My people call it the Silence, but Bax and I have heard some horrific sounds emanating from the darkness. Don't worry, the far side is closed off now, nothing can come through except for the cold.

That's a little unsettling, Scorpion replied.

I have located two gates, like this, with nothing but darkness.

And the red blob, Cricket added.

Red blob?

Well, you know... that color that's more red than red.

I do not. Do you see something when you stare into the portal.

Well, yeah, but it's just a blotch.

Cricket, I don't see anything. Jeshu looked around at the others, who shook their heads.

Just black, Scorpion said.

I can make colors for everyone if you want, Bax offered.

That won't be necessary. Cricket, what do you see? Your eyes must be far more sensitive than I realized. Perhaps you're picking up heat.

Just the one blotch, shaped kind of like a dethkirok. It wasn't there earlier. It sort of crawled up to the portal, but now it's just sitting there staring at us.

Oydd shuddered and closed the portal with another wave of his hand.

Why didn't you say something? It must have sensed us somehow.

Well, I thought it was just... like a distortion in the magic maybe? It took a while before I realized it was a living thing. You sure it couldn't come through.

Yes.

But not a hundred percent, or you wouldn't have closed it.

Oydd's thoughts stammered.

Jeshu hid a smile.

The rudra composed himself and continued, For those of you who weren't present—at this he directed his gaze to Cricket—inside of that massive crustacean, we found the vestiges of a failed summoning. Nothing as benign as an avatar, but perhaps one of the elder gods.

So, like, a stronger god? Cricket asked.

I cannot impress upon you how much more powerful. A force that may have brought the gods as we know them into existence on a whim.

Or even unintentionally, which I find more horrifying, Jeshu added.

And, Oydd continued, a force powerful enough to end the gods on a whim... or unintentionally.

So us too.

Us too, Oydd replied. Shisu, as powerful as we believe her to be, evidently lost control of the summoning and was barely able to contain the after effects.

What do you mean by after effects? Cricket asked.

Just imagine a terrible nightmare.

I kind of like nightmares, so...

I do too! Bax joined. So thrilling! And then sometimes you wake up and the horrors follow you into real life.

Bax! Oydd snapped, but almost immediately a look of concern crossed his face. Are you sleepcasting? Jeshu?

I can mix up an herbal sedative for him.

Oydd spent a moment retracing his thoughts, but gave up. The point is, we believe Shisu fled to Sheol for another attempt.

And that's bad?

And that's very bad.

So we have to go in there?

Not now. Not unprepared... but yes. I believe we do.