Jacob couldn’t understand the strange, smudged visages that he had awoken to. The fantasy world where he was a famous, seventies-style, rock-star seemed to have gone. There were no high-rise towers or bright city lights. No sounds of people or music at all. Nor were there any ruined, wayward streets like the world he inhabited last week, where he was a dragon-riding hero who flew through the air and slayed monsters, vampires, zombies, demons and ghouls and undertook quests to save his long-lost sweetheart and son.
Instead, he seemed to be in a place that only existed in wildest dreams of the drug-addled or perhaps those with particularly overactive imaginations. He’d awoke not to his four-poster bed but rather outside in the almost pitch-dark.
The sky surrounding him was that typical soft, darkish blue of the early evening as it prepared for nightfall, but this was the only thing here that appeared normal. The presence of three giant cat-like creatures that reminded Jacob of black panthers or leopards except with midnight-blue fur, dark-purple eyes, and silvery-black wings flying gracefully overhead rather definitively reinforced this. Jacob noticed that even from a very high distance they still looked a little too shimmery and blurry and he prayed his eyes were alright; he’d always had 20/20 vision when tested at school.
A beautiful bird with long wings bristling with an array of azure, scarlet, and indigo feathers, and a slender, white beak and neck, bumped into a dark, ruby-red owl with yellow and penetrating eyes, so it veered off angrily towards the felines flying nearby. The owl saw them and emitted a frightened, quailing noise and so rapidly that its bright wings become a fiery blur, fled straight into a large cloud.
Another huge creature that flew straight through a cloud nearby, was the shape of an albatross only much larger with a wingspan of several feet and seemingly-transparent. As if it were merely reflecting colours and their sheen; particularly the sky’s white-edged, deep waterfall blue off a pale, insubstantial, spirit-like form. It emitted a sudden, delicate, silvery cry like the toll of a bell and echoed its ringing across the landscape.
The clouds themselves were long and elongated, their wispy forms coloured the yellow, gray, and purple of nasty bruises. The strangest and more eerie kind though was dusty-red, and it was a fixture in nearly half the skies.
It wasn’t dust cloud though he told himself with confused but stern brevity because the weather was shivering, frozen cold. Bitter, chill winds shot throughout shadowy trees from which frost fell and seemed to shudder and to shiver and sway with each fresh array of cold in a gust.
Trees in spectacular charcoal-black cast darkness upon the ivory-white ground. Their leaves shone and shimmered silver. Snowflakes fell but something else fell too that Jacob felt hard-pressed to identify. Similar to mist or vapour but it could perhaps been a swirling white smoke.
The mysterious substance whatever it may be was of some concern. For it had swirled around Jacob with such heavy completeness that it literally was swathing him. A dense, white curtain that obscured easy breathing. He waved its mistiness away with swift, sweeping movements of his hands, taking a deeply grateful breath of cold, dank air.
He decided to explore. The long, thick grass he attempted to navigate soon became a heavy-handed nuisance. Vastly overgrown and far-reaching it shot up from the ground in heavy, dense, silver clumps that matched the tree’s leaves. For the leaves had the long, fine, drooping appearance of the grassy leaves that hang from weeping willows. Some smaller, wraithlike, white trees with shining black leaves, remained Jacob of ghost gums. The soil on the ground was an unusual reddish-gold.
Smatterings of snow and ice littered such golden-red ground, graceful, black trees, and beautiful silver grass in a frosty, blanket-like fashion. Everywhere he looked the snow and mist fell. Jacob had begun to realize that he could also hear the sound of eerie music with a tempest-like harmony coming from somewhere nearby.
It was very instrumental, for no voices or singing involved and the tune was unfamiliar, as were some of the instruments being played. Jacob could distinctly hear the sounds of a harp, a trombone, a violin, an exquisite high-pitched tune that probably came from a flute, and every now and then the chiming in of a smooth, piano melody. A stunning saxophone solo also played at regular intervals.
He looked with some dismay about him, trying to garner an explanation for this strange misty virtual terrain he’d been mysteriously transported to. The spooky music continued to play, and he noticed the rhythm was consistent, but the volume altered every few minutes or so in a pattern that seemed to go loud, soft, loud, soft... It was enough to put anyone in a state of perpetual bewilderment he thought, as his mind began to spin, and he felt dizzy almost nauseous.
Dazed to the level of illness he clasped at his head and turned around to the left, silvery mist and white smoke still dancing around his eyes. In this new direction, he sighted a large city up ahead, around thirty feet away.
Predominately silver and white as its buildings were pale and abundantly snow- and mist-covered, it appeared to be all large two-story, old-fashioned buildings made of smooth marble and ample pale stone adorned by vines. With still more of that long silvery amass of willow-like grass and imposing presence of tall black-barked, silver-leaved trees.
He spotted a granite and white marble cathedral, a stadium, and two temples that looked akin to something constructed back in ancient Rome. Next to the larger of the two temples lay a beautiful, dark-gray stone church with a steeple and black marble altar. The church’s stained glass windows reflected light like the arch of a rainbow in vivid shades with an unearthliness to them.
Sky-high, white Tudor pillars and intricately carved stone and marble statues (of children, animals a griffin, a large dragon, and a unicorn with long, delicate legs, a spiraling horn, and great, feathery-looking wings) as well as stone and marble statues of angelic men, women and children surrounded and stood proudly amidst the buildings.
One statue of particular eye-catching note was a beautiful, young nymph- girl in a hooded cloak. She had two birds an owl and a hummingbird perched on her shoulders. A curly-haired young child at her feet. Ivy snaked wild and unchecked around her and the other statues, creating intricate, organic patterns. She had large yet delicate-looking, feathery wings, a pointed rather pixieish face, and vines growing around her rippling, flowing dress and covered in bright coatings of snow, ice frozen to her meticulously carved form making her look quite the ice sculpture.
On her marble-white, ice-encrusted cheek the snow had melted somewhat and was running down her face like tears. A snow maiden that’s what she is, Jacob thought.
Next to the pale, glacial statue girl, the mist-strewn, outer edges of the city spanned out. Much of which was made up of old two-story buildings that rather resembled smallish, lightly-coloured towers, at least in Jacob’s mind. They were made of beautiful pale-gray stone or lovely smooth and pale marble. Most were unpainted, some though were, a light silvery or creamy colour. Most had chimneys, several turrets, and pale, pointed rooftops.
At the heart of the fogged city there loomed ahead, amidst the pale two-story houses, a huge, black fortress-like castle with an enormous, winding tower at the top, buttresses, and a surrounding moat. The castle rose up magnificent and imperious, far higher than all the other buildings and even the trees. Its immense presence silhouetted itself as dark as a shadow against the evening.
The entire city he realized as he approached it more closely, was surrounded by a still, luminescent water with a scarlet glisten under an oddly ordinary yellow moon.
To reach the city which, though not sure why, he knew for certain he wanted to do, he would need to cross the bridge over water that now looked more bluish; a beautiful, violet lake. The trees after he’d been walking through them and snow scatterings for roughly ten minutes, no longer completely surrounded the place in forest terrain. Instead, they seemed to have cleared somewhat creating a golden dirt path he could cross to reach the bridge, another dark-gray stone structure. This bridge bizarrely was wide enough for cars, but this world seemed clearly absent of them.
The grass seemed to be thinning out as he got closer to the city. Traipsing along sparsely-covered soil proved a hindrance in itself as was less solid than first appeared and stuck to his shoes like mud. The dirt path was also alas very uneven. It delved in all manner of directions like a rat’s maze and made itself all in all vastly complex adhere to.
Jacob after following it another four minutes or so discovered to his relief its many winding twists and turns had just about petered out. He could now see water that crossed directly to the edge of the city. Rows of black trees flanked left, right, and center near a water clearing. The shadow trees obscured easy vision of the glowing violet-blue lake; they also plunged him to darkness as he pressed his way through them.
One could see from this close to the white city, roses in unheard of colours such as black and dark blue as well as more standard red and purple ones, in thorny, silver bushes surrounding this city. Streetlamps adorned all the main structures, illuminating paved, white walkways decorated with midnight-blue stones, wine-coloured stones, and ones of the palest ivory and led directly into what looked like the city’s outskirts. The golden street lamps cast a great glow eerie on the city’s great hedges and trees. His eyes had adjusted a little more to the dark and he soon noted little light flashes of silver, white and fair-blues even purples on the tree’s leaves.
Horrifying or lovely either way it was clearly all a phantasmagorical dream, feverish nonsense. That much was obvious he told himself. He however upon coming to this conclusion, immediately began to doubt its plausibility. Dreams were never this vivid perhaps really, he just had taken some form of drug. Monovalent had warned him that how his mind interpreted the game would vary if he took any mind-altering drugs.
The Holo program as he understood it, created most of the shapes, structure, and scenarios but also utilized your own ability to create and interpret sights, smells, and sounds. it showed you the visual images and your mind would fill in the blanks. The computer created the bulk of the fantasy world with state-of-the-art virtual reality and brain wave-altering techniques. Sending neat little electric signals that tricked the brain into creating this fantasy world, with visual projections and detailed hypnotic storytelling on the computer’s part (it implanted and enhanced the details of the fantasy in the individual's head whilst being put into that kind of hypnotic, dreamlike, highly-suggestible state.
With higher consciousness temporarily suspended until they perceived the fantasy world as clearly as reality, yet allowed other parts of the mind to remain fully aware that it wasn't real. So through the trickery, the real world could be at any point be reinstigated without ever breaking the illusion.
The computer programming's induced hypnotic, hallucinogenic state was quite similar to being on drugs and made one more susceptible to manipulation.
Was largely up to the brain to rearrange these scenarios, images, and ideas into a world almost as real as reality. Yes, the machine planted the information and images in the mind and was basically tricking the mind into turning these computer images derived through imagery and computer graphics (of that person as rich or famous or in the middle of some supernatural quest game or movie-based fantasy) into a realistic world.
It employed its hypnotic storytelling and narrated to the brain about the world (it starts with you acting in a Broadway play or the amateur leagues when you are suddenly spotted by the scouters, you are the hero in a zombie apocalypse and the only survivor you must make it to the safe house) into one giant hallucination. The subconscious brain thought the confabulation was real, but the conscious brain knew it was not.
So, it did make sense that if you took drugs, it might confuse the signals between your brain and the computer creating a completely different fantasy world. Rather like how your mind fills in the blind spot in your eye by filling in the visual picture of the world you don’t see with what’s most likely to be hidden from view by the blind spot based on what you’re looking at next to and around it, i.e. if you’re looking at three-quarters of a leaf, it will replicate the missing part based on prior knowledge of what a whole leaf looks like from various angles. He even knew a trick that illustrated this.
You looked at a straight line with a gap down the middle but looked at a certain angle, the break in the line become obscured by the blind spot and your brain automatically assumed the line was whole and recreated the missing part in your head to fill in the gap. So, when you looked again, the line appeared finished with no sign of a gap. It was a really cool trick.
Regardless, there was certainly nothing great about the fact he had probably taken drugs and converted his Fantasy world into a living nightmare. Jacob really didn’t want to think he had indulged in substance abuse. He was the only one of his friends who’d steadfastly sworn off drugs. It did seem somehow, sort of possible however he had been persuaded into trying them. After all, it always had been very difficult to hang out as the only un-high teenager in his group of friends. Not unreasonable to suspect he might have cracked, he’d considered it before. He also suspected it was his best mate Joey who had made him try the ice or whichever hallucinatory drug was causing this trip.
God Damn you Joey, he thought to himself. This is what comes of having a best friend who’s on drugs half the time he reprimanded himself. Thoroughly convinced it was some kind of drug trip he decided to just sit on one of those large white stone rocks surrounding the outer edge of the city. And wait for the effects to subside.
The pale, smooth rocks he lounged upon were lovely he had to admit as sat, half-bored and half-afraid of what his imagination might conjure up next, (monsters, bugs burrowing into his skin) he’d seen all those scare-campaign ads. In fact, he looked around, and it struck him everything about this place seemed reasonably-compelling even rather aesthetically beautiful. My imagination is being quite kind to me, he thought. Feeling somewhat impressed with his psyche for constructing this and not a terror-scape. None of his friends ever hallucinated things almost awe-inspiring.
“What are you doing” a woman’s horrified voice broke through his dazed yet self-congratulatory thoughts. Jacob jumped he never expected people to be a part of his drug-addled fantasy. The monstrous, demon, shadow beast will be coming out to play soon dear; the woman said urgently shaking her dark head from side to side agitatedly. “Why aren’t you hiding young man?”
“Dem-on?” Jacob said in terror turning to face her. He should have known it couldn’t all be exquisite trees and buildings and pretty little flowers. It’s not real; none of it is, so therefore it can’t ever really hurt me he reassured himself unconvincingly.
The program Monovalent had created was so realistic feeling you could smell things intensely, see the fabricated world as clearly as though outside on a bright, spring day, experience pain and simulated death, and taste food as though it were really on your lips.
He realized the woman had just given him a very odd look. “Are you a foreigner?” She asked, “I thought the world outside the city had been all destroyed by the demon. The great Shiverla god’s servant’s attack was retribution for our recent human transgressions of greatest sin.”
Jacob asked her trembling slightly where he might go to hide.
“The creature doesn’t seem to like going in the castle,” she replied. “Unfortunately for us, the young queen and king live there, and they won’t let you stay unless you offer them something in return. The princess queen and her mate the prince king never got attacked by the beast because their bloodline is that of the Shiverla God’s appointed rulers and therefore their holy, true believers she explained to Jacob.
“They don’t let me in of course, though I too am a true believer. I guess it’s because I’m neither a holy person nor one of royalty” she said with regret. “Personally, I just hide in the abounded factory over there,” she pointed vaguely in the direction of one of the pale buildings. “The lakes frozen over so you can’t leave the island either”, she said. “Though it wouldn’t matter if you could, the world outside the palace kingdom of Shiverla is almost destroyed.”
“So, this city bears the same name as the Shiverla god?” Jacob asked her carefully.
“Yes, it was once Lord Eradiates dearest most treasured city. He ruled over the city’s inhabitants and treated us like we were his children. We worshipped him and gave due sacrifice and they got good fortune in return.”
“Few went hungry, illnesses were rare, and people were generally blessed. For several hundred years things were stable. Eradiates then so benevolent and kind even visiting with the royal family from time to time, often in animal form. The royal family are actually distant ancestors of the creator god Shiverlen sons and daughters. Lord Shiverlen picked out the most beautiful humans and trapped them in the heavens to be brides and grooms for seven of his thirty sons and seven of his twenty daughters”
“The first God of hell Aerius also possessed a beautiful human bride of only seventeen. Rarlen was trapped in hell with him and became as dark, aggrieved, and sorrowful as any of the sinful human spirits that are hell’s inhabitants despite her husband’s obsessive love and kindness to her. Merlina, Shiverlen's wife and the goddess of sacrifices chose Rarlen herself because her mother boasted that the girl was more beautiful than Merlina.”
"Rarlen’s mother prayed to the goddess of fertility and women, who answered. She made a deal with hell’s God Aerius on her behalf, that as the girl only ate half a peach from hell, she might live six months in heaven but still it became too much.”
It’s a slightly altered retelling of Hades and Persephone, Jacob thought. I’m dreaming of Greek myths.
“Shiverlen married the gods to mortals,” the healer was saying, “so their offspring half-human and half-god might become demi-deities who would travel down to earth and be kings and queens to keep closer watch over the world of man in the gods’ steed. Once the humans tasted the food and drink of heaven they were trapped there for all eternity. Unfortunately, all our omnipotent, regal gods perished in the Holy War except the Shiverla god.”
“He was once merely the god of Shiverla city but took over heaven when Shiverlen our creator died. Since that tragedy occurred five hundred years ago, the royal family, when they have served a hundred-year term, will ascend to the heavens to become full gods and goddesses. New Gods of war and famine and love and beauty, replace the ones lost. Gods able to perceive everything that goes on, on this green earth and even in Caralia our dear heavens. About ten years ago however people all across the world started to stray from Shiverlen’s teachings, to lose their faith and worship for some reason.”
“More than one mate for example as you well know, is an atrocity and rightly-forbidden. People are mated at sixteen and must live together for the rest of their days raising the one to three children permitted per family. However, people were caught cheating on their partners for life, can you imagine! Some abandoned their children, some claimed the gods didn’t exist, and others burned their statues and images and refused to work. For those who did work, some said people should be given more opulent food and bigger houses and luxury items if they were a factory owner or cultured musician, inventor, or water sanitation experts than if they worked in the offices, factories, education system, fields, or “merely” raised the children.”
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
“The book of Shiverla City clearly states however all men and women regardless of their labour or profession must be treated equally, work no more than six daily hours, four days a week, and own equal amounts of housing property. As well as have equal access to adequate food, water, and items of value and recreation. In our prosperous, well-populated, well-run society this of course more than manageable.”
“How can they not have seen that? How can they not revere the creator who gave us all this, even our very life and even kindly enough left us with rulers in charge of making sure we adhered properly to this regime of peace, prosperity, and equality? Whose divine teachings serve as a constant reminder to us of the right way, in case we stray or fall from the path?”
“The real reason for this apocalyptic destruction of our world however is undoubted that traitor Lauder.” Her eyes flashed angrily at his name. “In case you, don’t know the story, that boy Lauder was the most misguided of all the heathen non-believers. “
“What he did is surely what angered the great Shiverla so greatly as to punish us all. He first gathered vile followers, then staged uprisings against the religious and community structures of this world at the weekly palace gathering. Palace gatherings are mandatory, but he and his followers started purposely missing them and the sacrifices except for when they went to protest at them.”
“Then when they eventually had grown to nearly a thousand in numbers, he and his followers staged a revolt against the royal palace itself. Lauder and his group wanted to overthrow the teachings of the great Shiverla and set up an anti-religious, free market society.”
“Naturally Eradiates wrath, indignation, and retribution knew no bounds. He sent down his servant who usually resides in hell to quell the revolt and obliterate those responsible. The creature killed every last one of the rebels except Lauder, he managed to flee. Soon a demon an Ellthen as referred to in the New Shiverla testament we follow here outsider, came killing more people. Probably other sinners.”
“Within three months a message was announced by the Queen herself that the entire world was being visited, and many of their inhabitants destroyed by the Shiverla’s gods servant and only we remained, and we could be next if we did not renew our faith. The people in those places I thought were trapped in them the ways out of their cities blocked.”
“The people of Shiverla city did not renew their faith so beast did grace our beloved city as the Queen claimed but one week later. It took many people always disappearing after its rampages into thin air either in a shadowy cloud of black smoke or a scattering mist. The inhabitants responded by the promise of bringing Eradiates a sacrifice, namely the one who had angered it so Lauder, in the hopes of quelling its seething rage.”
“Lauder was eventually captured by the young king’s soldiers the Seintile who were created to serve as guards to the royal family. They dress in robes of black, are seven feet tall, ghostly-white with clawed hands and feet, and were created from the souls of inanimate objects who prayed for a living purpose and form. Oh, if you can’t find refuge seek a Floan.”
“Floan,” Jacob stuttered.
“Oh, dear Lord,” she muttered, “another child with no sense of history.”
“Sentient animals who raged at being denied access to heaven as deemed lesser than man. They took revenge in a years-long war; many humans slaying and stealing their souls for themselves until the Shiverlen said the battle needed to end and would grant them and all poor, lifeless inanimate things a spirit and place in the afterlife. Yet were punished for the bloodshed by being forced to protect any human they meet at any cost, even their own life. Find one. It will take your place one time if the shadow beast should find you.”
“There are actually a few Seintile over there,” she pointed toward the castle and Jacob felt faint as he saw what looked like a tall, slender man who suddenly turned around, revealing a face like a dead beast's, all lifeless, slitted eyes and translucent, matted fur. Lifelessly, colourlessy it turned towards him.
Japanese mythology and medieval royalty now, he thought in disbelief. It's spirited away meets England’s dark ages.
“Lauder was thrown in jail, and then rightly given to the creature as an offering of appeasement” the healer continued with her story.
“It was hoped the demon would thus cease wreaking havoc on our city. It continued though with a perhaps a justified dire vengeance for his and our insubordination. It’s rather outstanding that you do not know all about this boy;” she broke away from her story and stared at him penetratingly.
"Furthermore, you seem to scarcely seem to have even heard of the great city of Shiverla, yet it’s well-documented in our sacred testament in a chapter entitled The Book of Shiverla a Holy Tome of all the kingdoms of this land. Do they spread word and teachings of the Holy City in the outer realms they must,” she said her tone almost chastising him.
“For without them how can there be true believers out there? Shiverla City was and is not only God's favourite but also the most beautiful, and wealthy, and has the greatest prosperity of all the kingdoms. It even has the most exotic animals and plant life. You must already know from where you dwelled before though, that the other cities and villages don’t look like this.’
She commented all this with what appeared to be a heavily-rising suspicion. Jacob hastily-lied and said he did know the story, but his suburban village, or most of them had been destroyed in the Second Great War because people’s belief in the gods had started to wane. He was the only one who had been a true believer, he continued and that’s why he believed his life had been spared and he had been brought here.
He did not know how many if any other people in his land had survived. Jacob after finishing this elaborate fabrication was enormously impressed with his ingeniousness. He had come up with all this on the spot under great pressure how truly amazing. Take that Joey, he thought you always teased me for showing an interest in mythology, but it sure paid off.
He was relieved to see the woman seemed to have bought it and looked completely mollified.
“If the shadow beast spared you, perhaps some of us will be saved as well,” said the woman. We were worried this was the end. It would wipe us all off the planet and start humanity all over again fresh and pure and untainted and loyal to the gods.”
“If it refrained from taking your life out of mercy for your faith, perhaps the other faithful in this city will be spared. I was always a true believer. As a healer, I knew it was the divine entity who gave me my powers. I have tried to heal those attacked by the monster of the shadows but to no avail. I now suspect this is because they were heathens and blasphemous and not worthy of saving."
Jacob nodded and asked her if he could stay in the building with her. "No sorry, dear," she said ruefully, "I do wish you could but it’s full literally, you can barely move for the number who hides there."
“What about the other buildings,” he asked desperately.
She shook her head; "The creature has raided every last one and killed whomever or whatever was in them."
She then brightened and said, “Don’t lose hope; the creature may spare you again.”
“Thanks,” said Jacob “but I would really rather not take my chances.”
The woman frowned then smiled again but this time with less optimism. “You could try to catch the famed, beautiful but very elusive winged cat-fox. The young princess or Queen as she is really (she prefers the title princess for some reason you see, though it’s far less honorific and therefore inaccurate) is an impetuous thing. She has incidentally as luck would have it, promised that anyone who can bring her the reclusive winged cat-fox will have refuge at the palace as their reward.”
“If you have not heard of it since it is more of a local tale, the cat-fox was born when a red, fennec fox and a small wild cat had a spell put on them by the great Shiverla. He forced them to commune and create a green-eyed creature with a slender, muscular, and lean body shape. With large, slanted, dark-green eyes of a cat but the long, pointy face, large, pointed ears, and bushy tail of a fox. The creature's colour is red-gold because the fox is red and the wildcat is pale-gold. There is something human about it too, for its cry sounds eerily like an infant child’s and it can stand upon on its hind legs with ease.”
“What does she want the cat-fox for?” asked Jacob with curiosity.
The woman shrugged in a bored, slightly contemptuous way.
“She merely wants it for a pet as far as I have heard.”
Jacob nodded politely and thanked her asking “if she had any idea where he might locate this oh-so-elusive creature. For instance, had she been lucky enough to hear where it had been seen last?”
“You could try the grasslands sanctuary,” she suggested with a shrug.
“My dad said he used to catch sight of it from time to time eating the food people put out there. It’s basically a refuge for sick and injured animals that can’t fend for themselves so they're brought there by people to heal. However, it’s very common for perfectly healthy animals to go there for the free food, the bathing pond, and the shelter. Be warned it moves lightning fast; you’ll need to trick it or tame it to capture it.”
"As for tonight well, Marlen the most renowned musician in our city and possibly all the lands (we do have the most flourishing art and cultural scene as Eradiates chosen city haven) or so she broke off from what was originally talking about to say with a boastful imperiousness.
"It’s said the gods sometimes come here to listen to our finest musicians like Marlen play and see our greatest artworks and plays. Marlen is going to be staying over at the palace as the young king has a great fond love and appreciation of fine music. He is playing for him and the queen tonight."
"So, this means you can stay in the building with us today, in the space he usually occupies but he’ll be back tomorrow, so you’ll need to catch the fox-cat to gain access to the palace by then.”
Jacob’s expression became one of furtive relief.
“Thank you, I’ll do that,” he said, and she smiled at him and nodded and held out her hand.
“I’ll show you the way, child,” she said. “My name is Shiore by the way”
Jacob took a hold of her outstretched hand, and she pulled him up off of the pale, smooth rock. “What does the beast look like,” he asked her with interest; “for never did I actually view it in the dark days when it ravaged our home.”
“The beast is a creature of shadows and great, gothic beauty. It masquerades in many alternate but always exquisite forms,” the healer replied. “As a shapeshifter; it can be a scaled dragon, a giant silver farlen, a Mammalian butterfly, or even a spirit bird. Its eyes always remain dark-red. Its real form which we see less often is a tall, thin, skull-faced human with a dark, shadowy body and countenance who harvests your soul. m-err? cat? Jacob asked. The woman smiled “We only have them here In Shiverla city, their cats that live in the water, they have a long, scaly tail like a fish and often are seen playing with the pink sealien.”
“The sealien's colour is said to be that of a sunset; dark, reddish-pink and with short, downy fur. It is like a water version of the massoine. The self-same, large, dark, liquid eyes, small delicate ears, and round-cheeked but pointy-chinned little faces. Only the sealien’s face is narrower and more cat-like, its ears pointy. It also has even lighter water-resistant fur and four flippers instead of legs.
The seafox or merr-cat’s leggy, it resembles a half-grown foal or kitten. Its shorthaired coat is dark- spotted. Usually deep-blue but sometimes in pale gray. It has a long, fishlike tail made of dark blue-green or sometimes purple scales. It has four flipper-like legs similar to but more fish-like than a land animal and a long, muscular, slender body with a somewhat pointed face and large, fox-like ears. Its wide but slanted eyes, are somewhat violet and it can breathe both above and underwater, so it goes on land as well as the sea.”
“Sounds like their exquisite animals,” said Jacob.
“They are,” Shiore replied. “Come now, I’ll lead you to the building.” She began to stride along purposefully. “It more than ever takes the form of inanimate objects this beast, to trick you into getting close. So, it can attack you, off-guard. Sometimes, I heard, it even masquerades in the form of your shadow, or a human loved one, or an adorable kitten or mossumie. All to lure and lull you into a false sense of security then lo and behold before you know it, it strikes you dead, but it only strikes after nightfall.”
“Surely it is powerful enough it doesn’t need to resort to such a façade,” Jacob commented frowning.
“No, of course not dear,” she said sounding almost amused. “It’s fast as lightning and more powerful than any tidal wave or volcano. It’s a game to the shadows monster, it enjoys these vengeance-killing sprees don’t you see? One would expect no less from a creature of hell.” She gestured forward possibly indicating they should hasten onto the hiding refuge and stop their idle chat. She continued leading him down the white pathway with much ice covering the stone making it a slippery and awkward journey. It did however seem to be the only way into the city.
The healer woman was a fast walker and did not seem to have any trouble maneuvering her way around the heavily snowed terrain. Jacob was not so lucky: he nearly slipped and fell over several times, and she turned to give him a look of exasperation each time this occurred.
She probably uses magic; Jacob thought to himself resentfully, as no one could actually move easily upon grounds such as this. The mist-like substance that shrouded every place they walked did not aid him either. It regularly filled his eyes and mouth and nose making it difficult to see or breathe and he pushed through it with ever-growing frustration and impatience.
When they reached the city to his relief, not only had the mist lessened but he saw the ice had been cleared from the walkway somewhat and he trod the path with far greater confidence and rapid speed to keep up with the woman.
He at brief intervals wished he could stop to pick one of the exotic flowers or touch the willow-like silver of the ivy and grass to see if they were smooth or rough in texture but thinking of the beast gulped and hastened his slim, shaky legs to move rapidly onward, instead. The buildings all looked remarkably similar though were not, in fact, all pale gray or ivory-white merely most. Some were dark-gray stone, others pale, beige gold, and like sandstone. The castle alone however was of a pure, deep black and very stark in relation to the pale or colourful, other buildings.
The buildings were also all roughly two stories tall and roughly equal in size, the castle was easily twelve times that big and bigger than any real castle Jacob had ever seen. It was here, that the woman announced suddenly, stopping at one of the pale buildings. Soft gray-white with a creamy sheen and silver pointed roof with two turrets sticking up the top. Jacob also noticed a worn-looking, dark-gray plaque next to the building with a long, flowery-lettered inscription written on it. What does it say? Jacob asked curiously. The dark-haired healer shrugged read it if you want.
Trapped In a world of smoke and ice
Skies of swirling white
Upon the ground, mist fell
Lovely but harsh as purgatory
Or the waiting gates of hell
Of silver flowers, ice buildings, pale granite
Wander frosty, Mist-strewn lands
Find blue-haired Adora and relieve her of her hand
Vanquish valiantly an accursed demon child
Of blue-haired innocent and soul-smoldering vile
Leaving you our new king
To our fair city joy and glory bring
Jacob read it and frowned. ‘Cheery, little thing, isn’t it? Who is the person it wants you to kill? This Shiverla child? What crime has such a young girl committed that she deserves death? And why on earth does it harp on about how old the reader will be in the future, I mean I know it’s meant to evoke a stark contrast with the saviour’s timeless youth but still.”
“It’s an ancient fable, a prophecy,” the healer explained to him. “A great shadow beast will destroy the city of the Shiverla and all mankind unless someone not of godly blood kills the Shiverla child and establishes themselves as rightful ruler in her stead. However, the testament says she will not be born until after the beast has purged the city of all those who have sinned against Eradiates and his teachings. It has not happened yet as I know many who rejected the old ways of the Shiverla, are hiding from the creature in the town buildings still. It will get them eventually though,” she said with steady, cold indifference.
“What about the King and Queen though? They’re still alive. I thought these demi-deities were Eradiates appointed divine rulers?” Jacob inquired finally after a hefty pause in which he’d been trying to process all the contradictory information about this world and just ended up (not surprisingly) haplessly confused.
“This is true,” said Shiore, but our young lieges shall ascend to heaven; they announced yesterday that once the world had been purged of all its residing evil, they would dwell in a higher plane. The Shiverla God Eradiates when they prayed to him to stop this Great War and destruction apparently said that he would grant them their reward. They shall live in Carelia’s paradise as the new goddess of beauty and God of war but only once “the final living night of the last heathen traitor elapses”.’
“You mean they die? The last sinner I mean,” Jacob said.
“Yes,” she nodded her face completely devoid of any emotion.
“The royal child left behind and depicted in the poem is the young Queen’s long-prophesised coming daughter. The queen’s daughter will be half-cat and half-human and able to shift into full animal or full human form, but her real form is something in-between like her parents. She will be left behind on Earth when her parents arise to salvation. The events the fable predicted are slowly unfolding. Besides the arrival of the shadow beast, there are numerous whispers and rumours spreading amongst the people and in the court palace that the young Queen is pregnant now. If it’s true it most surely is a sign of their impending ascension to heaven, as a ruler is rendered barren until such time as they need replacing.”
“As the saying goes their job is to lead not to breed. If the saviour fulfills his task and overthrows her foreseen child, one of his numerous rewards will be he will not age anymore he will be “eternally young “as the rulers of Shiverla city are always blessed with eternal youth.”
“I get it Jacob said grim and macabre, but it creates a certain vivid evocation; the image of him seventy years from now still presumably a young man, while even the youngest child has become old and withered. Why not just let the little girl rule though? Or have someone reign in her stead till she grows up rather than kill her. She is the most entitled to the throne as royalty after all isn’t she? I mean I really don’t understand,” Jacob said.
“Normally that would hold true," said the healer but she will be no ordinary child. It is prophesized there will be something direly wrong with her, something tainted.”
Jacob was still haplessly confused. “So, she will be what evil? “Mutated? What precisely will be evil, wrong, or defective about her?” He asked.
“I do not know boy,” said the healer “the Shiverla testament writings are not clear on the subject....” She then frowned in a manner that told Jacob he would be wise to become quiet for a while on the subject, so he did.
He was about to follow her into the house when a flurry of movement caught his eye.
A small white creature that looked like a cross between a polar bear cub and a possum or perhaps a bushbaby, streaked past and began to climb the tree next to Jacob. It was a tiny, wide-eyed adorable thing with small, round, delicate ears shaped similarly to those of a teddy-bear, Jacob owned as a child. Its pretty, little ears were not chocolate-brown though like his toy bear’s had been but a lovely, snow-white on the outside and a delicate pale shade of seashell-pink on the inside.
Its entire body was coated in an abundance of fur in silky, snowy white curls. Heavy yet fine. Pale with a bushy tail that looked as if it would be remarkably soft to the touch. Like downy bird feathers. Its eyes as they swiveled toward him were unbelievably huge, round, and dark: engulfing more than a third of its intent little face.
It had seemed to walk on all fours when it had been running but stood up on its small furry legs when it reached a high branch and raised its pale, pointy head and looked at Jacob suspiciously all dark brown almost black, and rather expressive, pink nose twitching.
Shiore turning around briefly to catch what was going on seemed amused. ‘It’s cute huh? The Mossumie I told you about them earlier. You only find them here in Shiverla City it’s their only known native habitat. If you think that’s amazing, you should look up ahead into the sky she said pointing.
A silver-black Pegasus with great, dark, long-lashed eyes and a long, spiral-patterned, silvery white antler-like horn similar to a deer’s or antelope’s was flying over the clouds. “You’d have farlings in your region of course,” said Shiore but they’d be the typical affair pure white with silvery-white wings and a short horn. We alone get those with the elongated, spiraling horn and fur in a kaleidoscope of spectacular and wondrous colours vivid blue, silver, gold, dark red.’
“Yes,” said Jacob shakily trying to recover from the bizarre creatures he was seeing created from his goddam acid trip.
Up close, he had noticed the farling’s fur was much thicker and softer than a normal horse’s like the soft downy coat of an alpaca. Its face and slender legs were narrower and more delicate rather deer-like. Its glorious silky mane, long face, size and strength, and general graceful, muscular build were certainly reminiscent of a horse though.
Unbelievably huge, black eyes were alpaca-like too. The silvery-white one that had joined the other two in the sky looked like it was made of snow; its horn was like a white icicle or carved ice sculpture.
"The mossumie," he said to her, "has heavy dark circles around its big eyes, pale colouring, and a semi-upright posture which is much like a baby panda. Its sleek body, enormous-eyed, face that narrows to a point and scurrying movements are almost cat, bushbaby, or possum-like though."
“A possum, panda?” Said the healer frowning at him; “what kind of creatures are those.”
“Um there native to my homeland,” Jacob said quickly realizing his mistake, “one’s a type of bear, the other a small, large-eyed mammal.”
“Ahh,” said Shiore.
“It’s probably another of the mossumie cousins, they all look very similar but for example, Emanuel’s Mammalian butterfly is both insect and fennec fox-like with large ears and eyes with a feline yet slightly compound appearance. They’re diversely colourful. Rosy, blue-violet or sea-green. A subset of the species is smaller and cream-coloured at least usually, in the wild pale-gold ones have been spotted too.”
“They have large furry wings and both glide from tree to tree and fly.” A bit like large, furry, lightly-coloured bats, the flying foxes kind, Jacob thought.
“Another of their trademark features is pointy little faces. Fur is thicker and even curlier than the mossumie with a reddish sheen in sunlight. There’s something cat-like about them though and they look a bit like flying squirrels too particularly with that red-hued fur.”
“The Farlen is another cousin one that you may not have in your region since you did not recognize them when I described them earlier. The farlen has fur that is far finer and more delicate than its cousins. Very light silver with black stripes. It is also much larger and has a slender, elongated, muscular body and large, floppy, silken ears. Its big, soft eyes are dark-sapphire blue, and it has a long, pointy snout like a fox’s. Actually, I think possums and pandas might be those animals they told us were nearly extinct but a few still live in the outer lands and in the heart of Merclave city.”
Like all animals in Shiverla City around a third are born with wings and so can fly but the rest are what we call ground dwellers. Humans also are sometimes born winged it's exclusive to our holy region only birds fly in other suburban lands and cities and wherever you hail from.”
“I saw some of the non-bird or unicorn animals with wings said Jacob enthusiastically they're lovely. Their wings are amazing silvery-hued and almost transparent.
“Light and delicate and insubstantial as water. Human wings are the same”, Shiore informed him smiling so light they float rather than fly you into the air. “Up close they’re like feathery foliage,” she finished. “So have you ever seen a farling flying in your region, your homeland,” she then inquired of Jacob thoughtfully, though it’s understandable if you have not, they are infinitely rare anywhere except here where they are actually reasonably common.”
Jacob nodded and then gasped, gazing upwards seeing what he expected night sky bathed in starlight then felt a slick, sudden wetness on his face and neck …
“It’s raining,” the healer murmured.
Jacob stared up at the soft night rain. It was water but far from being clear in colour, it was as thick and black as ink. It fell first soft then with a great pelting at his feet as he made his way inside of the building and its promise of safety and shelter.