Pyre

“Gata is the cities Delver. He leads the Night Lantern corps in the surrounding region.” Gurd said, leading the way through a quiet marketplace. Stalls were barely more than rags with a few homemade goods laid on top. The haggard looks in the faces of the more human creatures chilled Zero to his core. Gurd knelt by one of the stalls, a large serpent coiled around jars of varying colours protectively. He pointed at a jar of green liquid with a canvas seal, then held up three of his thick nubbed fingers. The snake reared, gripping the jar in its mouth before laying it in Gurd’s palm. Gurd pulled a necklace of teeth from his neck, holding it out before the snake.

The serpentine eyes regarded it longingly, before waving its tail. Don’t worry about it, the movement said. Gurd dropped the necklace on a dish before the serpent that held a number of buttons, and half a stick of chalk. “Gata’s people drove us to this.” Gurd growled, leading them away. “The war was over. They hunted us. Hurt us. Gata is good, for a man. It is good our newest delvers are not men, being faun and – “ He regarded Cloak for a moment, “other is better than being men.”

“What about the woman?” Zero asked.

“Mira is not a human. She is a hag. Not an insult.” Gurd intoned. “She care-takes the grave. Has for many Tolls.”

“What are we doing here?” Zero asked. Cloak fluttered around the corners of his vision, timidly inspecting the surrounding stalls wares, never moving close enough for the stall owners to call out to them.

Gurd stopped mid-stride, hooves clopping to a stop on the cobblestone ground. “Gata has told you nothing?”

“No.” Zero said, relieved. Finally, he would be getting some answers.

“Good. He is doing his job.” Gurd continued walking. Zero opened his mouth, but found no words for the sight he beheld next. Voices climbed in volume, a cacophany of hissing, yawping and howling. The smell of sweat carried on a breeze of humidty extended from what Zero assumed was the town square. The pyre burned bright and hot in the middle of the square. It towered over the nearest buildings. The flames licked high into the night sky, burning away the cool night air with rage. It twirled and spiraled into a whirling tornado.

Zero looked around, How is this not burning the town down? Then he spotted them, floating high above. Birds and Sylphs floated around where the fire was hottest, channeling it into a concentrated beam of heat. Zero turned his eyes to the centre of the pyre, the masks suddenly making sense as dreaded reality creeped in.

The little that remained of the skewered bodies was charred black in the centre of the pyre. Multitudes of corpses fueled the blaze as monstrous creatures danced around the outside, hooting and cackling. Gurd looked upon the festivities with distaste. “Come. We go to meet Whisper.”

Zero broke his gaze away from the fire. He was sickened. He wanted to run. To scream. Logic gripped his fevered mind in a vice. No, they’ll figure it out. Play along. Then we run.

The side street Gurd led them down was quiet. Various shops lined either side, coloured silks displayed in their windows. The doors were wide, barely more than framed holes that had been torn into the walls. “Not the most civilised time to arrive.” Gurd grunted. “They were raiding our supply lines. Scavenging, no doubt. We offered peace in these lands to their king, but he desired them for himself.” Zero nodded. The dark alleys were more appealing than Gurd’s company, though he doubted he could outrun the bull.

The road began a steep incline, leading towards the true centre of the town. The buildings grew taller, taking on the blocky, stacked shape Zero had spied outside. His legs continued to burn as they had since the first ladder. Before long he was short on breath. Cloak lagged far behind them. How long have we been walking?, Zero thought, 20 minutes? More? He hoped Gata would arrive soon.

Zero staggered to the top, heaving great breaths of the dewy night air. The pyre continued to burn a bright column of flame into the night sky, though much of its heat had been lost over the distance. Atop the hill was a hut of mud and clay, built amongst the rubble of a larger stone building. A flap of animal hide served as a door. Gurd held it open with the back of his hand.

“Come in, Whisper is expecting you.” He said, before disappearing inside. Zero hesitated. He could run now, take Cloak with him. No one was around. No one would see. Cloak arrived at the top of the stairs. They could take the back alleys, all the beasts were distracted by their macabre ritual.

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Deathly cold fingers lightly gripped Zero’s shoulder. “You could do that.” A voice thinner air said. Zero whirled, reversing the grip into a wrist lock. He came face to face with a man. “They’d get you before you reached the gate. Most of the people here have greater senses than you could ever imagine.”

“I didn’t say anything.” Zero said.

“No? Then what is written across your face but terror? Gurd may not see it – or not understand what the emotion is after seeing it so many times, but I do. I was much like you when I first arrived here. My kind have never fit in anywhere.” The man said. He had pale blue eyes, almost like crystal.

“You’re like me?” Zero said.

The man chuckled. “A sense of humour, I like that. By which do you mean? A faun? A human? A delver? You are many things, and also nothing. A blank slate to begin again.” Zero’s face dropped. He knew. “Of course I know. It’s my job to.” The man paused, “Their voices are quite loud aren’t they?”

He cast a disdainful glance at the pyre, “Come inside. We have food, and drink. None of it human, in any sense.” His head tilted to the side, then turned away, eastwards. “Gata will be joining us. Come, we have much to discuss.”

Zero looked him up and down. The man was dressed plainly, a simple shirt, trousers and bare feet. He looked at the man’s hands, finding that he didn’t have a lock on him at all. The newcomers hand had done a half rotation in its socket without breaking, without Zero even feeling a movement.

“What are you?” Zero said.

“I am an actor, a doppelganger. A liar and a shapeshifter. My mother was fae, hence the thought speech. Though I must warn you, that question can be rude towards certain… colourful races. And it is always prudent to introduce oneself first before asking anything else.” The man stuck forwards his left hand to shake, which became a second right. “I am Whisper.”

Zero took his hand. “I am Zero.”

“How interesting,” Whisper said, one of his eyes extending from its socket on a stalk, surveying Zero’s body, “Not Tali’s best work I must say.” Zero took a shocked step backwards as Whispers eyeball stopped a breath from his own. He almost tripped over Cloak who had crouched directly behind him. “Now that you know a little more about me, how about you step inside? We’d best explain to Gurd before you are, quite literally, unmasked.”

Something within Zero had taken a liking to Whisper. He followed the shapeshifter. A tug caught the back of his shirt. Cloak pinched a small part of his lower back, holding onto it as she followed. Whisper held open the flap as they entered. The hut was large, a fire pit dug into the centre glowed with coals. As Gurd threw in a fresh log, sparks trailed with the smoke through a hole in the clay ceiling.

Teired seats sunk into the earth down towards the pit, forming layers of concentric rings. Whisper motioned for them to sit on the side of the fire opposing Gurd. He then took his place on the only bit of decoration in the room, a worn and tarnished rug. A pitcher and platter laid to his left. Whisper sat cross legged, bit his lip, and turned to face Gurd, who sat on his right.

“Gurd.” Whisper said.

“Yes?”

“Don’t panic.” Whisper continued.

“Why would I panic?” Gurd replied confused.

“I’d much like it if you put your axe out of reach. In fact, hand it to me.” Whisper commanded in a friendly tone. Brow scrunched in confusion, Gurd obeyed. “Good. Very good,” Whisper said, “Now, newfound friends, why don’t you take off the masks that Trick gave you?”

Gurd stiffened. He snorted derisively as both Cloak and Zero reached towards their faces. “Flea ridden cess,” He grumbled, “I’ll repay that Anansi someday.”

“Now, now, don’t be in such a rush. We should be thankful to Trick, he’s saved you a lot of trouble this time.” Whisper said. “You should be able to take those masks off. The magic is fragile now, and you are in a safe place.”

Zero felt around the furred contours of his face. He scratched at the edge of his jawline, feeling for the mask. He had almost given up when his nail caught on an unseen corner. Tugging at it, the mask came away easily. Pain wracked his body as his hooves became toes, his transformation coming undone.

“Give me my axe.” Gurd said, calm and slow.

“They are our delvers.” Whisper replied, arm morphing to hold the axe further away.

“I don’t care if a human army is knocking on our doorstep and I’ve got to kill them all with a carrot – again. Hand me my damn axe!” Gurd growled, diving across Whisper. To avoid getting crushed, Whispers flesh melted into a puddle, running along his outstretched arm with frightening speed, then consumed the axe. A small mouth appeared on the ball of pale flesh. Gurd hesitated, disgust evident on his face.

“Don’t make me invoke it.” Whisper said.

“You wouldn’t dare.” Gurd growled disconcerted. Zero couldn’t look at Whisper. It made him feel sick.

“I’m going to invoke it.” Whisper warned.

Gurd stepped away from Whisper, then launched himself across the fire. “I don’t need an axe to deal with these fledgelings.” He cried, his half-a-tonne form landing before Zero. Gurd reached back, preparing to ground Zero into a splatter the shape of Whisper.

He never got the chance.

Gata gripped Gurd’s wrist lazily, chewing on an unlit cigarette. “Off-balance.” Gata said as he knelt by the fire, lighting the end of his cigarette in the coals. Gurd was forced to his knees as he did so, straining not to break his wrists. At a command from Whisper, Gata released him, sitting between Zero and Cloak.

With a hateful glare, Gurd stomped around the edge of the fire, taking his seat beside Whisper. He then shifted further away as Whisper returned to a vaguely human form. A smile formed across his face, too many teeth like needles showing.

“Now that everyones all settled, lets have a chat, shall we?”