Demiourgos (35 page)

“We must be quiet Rose.” He said softly and kissed her forehead.

“Something’s wrong.” She whispered, drawing the attention of all of them. “I feel magic at work.”

“We mustn’t stop.” Avreel pleaded to Liostro urgently, motioning for him to continue walking. She fell into step with them and placed her hands on the half-slumbering naarabi, casting a simple spell by whispering its words and making slight gestures. A soft light poured itself over Rose contrasting with the moving lights the three of them had conjured to see. “She’s right; someone is affecting her from afar. It would take someone or something very powerful to cast such a spell without being able to see their target.”

“A moment’s peace is all I ask the gods and yet we get none.” Liostro whispered harshly as they continued walking. “Can you do anything about it?”

“Not without stopping, Rose just hang on alright hold just a while longer.” Avreel began gesturing over Rose and rubbed a white line of a sweet-smelling substance across her head. “May the watchful lord look over you in this troubled time.”

Once she was through with that Avreel opted to pick up the pace rather than go with the stealthy option. Nina could keep the pace without much noise and Avreel was quite silent but Liostro’s armor was a detriment. Though it was light and strong it clanked every now and again as he struggled to carry Rose at the fast pace and stay quiet at the same time.

As they ran Liostro began laboring with his burden, he could feel the strain of carrying his armor plus Rose at the same time. Thankfully Nina took his pack which helped a little. After rounding the last bend in the long blank stone cavern Liostro finally called for a halt and set Rose down gently, collapsing next to her. “I can’t go on, I need a rest.”

“We aren’t out of the silent catacombs yet but we’re close, let me see what I can do for Rose while you catch your breath.” Avreel knelt down next to the fitful woman and opened her eyes wider, inspecting each of them. After that she cast a few minor spells and pulled a few strands of Rose’s fine fur out then burnt them in a small stone depression. “This is powerful magic, I don’t think I can stop it but I may be able to skew it a little.”

“Do what you can, we have to travel on.” Liostro managed through deep breaths. He sat for a moment and pulled his legs in, sitting down cross-legged on the ground. His breathing leveled out and he closed his eyes, attempting to regain his composure.

“We have to keep her awake, if we don’t she might not wake up again.” Avreel pulled a small vial out of her pouch and waved it under her patient’s nose. She was satisfied when Rose yelped and pushed it away from her.

Rose put a hand over her mouth at the outburst and then whispered. “That smells awful.”

“That’s the point, it shocks you awake.” Avreel went through several gestures as Rose fought to keep her eyes open and alert.

Nina was standing by the far corridor where they had come from watching the caverns. Since she was an elf her eyes were very keen as opposed to Liostro’s and with her training as a ranger she made the best lookout. A scraping sound down the long dark corridor caught her attention. At first it was either light or distant but as time wore on it grew louder and more pronounced. Anxiety grew as a large creature stepped into view; its body was covered in bulky brown plates almost the same color as the stone around it. The lizard-like being was long, about the size of two men put together walking on their arms and legs, disturbingly enough it had the same number of limbs too. Its head ended in a long flat plate that cupped its skull and left two beady eyes staring out over a long snout with a row of large fangs.

Nina walked backward slowly trying not to make much noise and approached Avreel. Leaning forward she whispered the description of the creature to the hooved elf and then to Liostro. Rose began to speak but Nina shot her hand out and covered her friend’s mouth tightly and put a finger across her lips. The nod she got was all she needed.

Avreel backed against the wall and leaned over to Nina and Liostro. “It’s a plated basilisk, they can’t see well but they have very good hearing and they’ll eat anything. Don’t say a word and don’t move a muscle. If it comes down to a fight they’re only vulnerable between the plates. And whatever you do don’t meet its gaze.”

As they all doused their lights Liostro drew his long blade. He held it against his chest then bent down and picked up a rock from the ground then stood tall and still against the wall. All of them followed in suit and backed up close to the rock barrier at their backs and waited as the creature waddled into view. The basilisk walked by them and it unintentionally gave them a wide berth, wisely Liostro held his breath instead of huffing out a sigh of relief. For a long time they watched the tunnel where the large lizard creature had disappeared before resuming what they had been doing.

Rose was fighting with the blackness that threatened to take her in. Someone knew what she had done and was attacking her in her moment of weakness. She could barely hear Liostro and Avreel whispering as Nina walked the perimeter staying alert. Rose did not know how long it had been since she had drawn so much power into herself but she was fast growing tired of people attacking her and using her for their own ends. As Liostro bent down to pick her back up she pushed his hand away and shook her head, her voice just a whisper. “I must walk on my own, it will keep me awake.”

“Just do so quietly.” Avreel said in reply with a nod. She indicated that Nina should take point with an imperious wave of her hand and took up behind the stealthy young elf letting Rose walk behind her and leaving Liostro at the rear.

Even though they walked silently there were sounds still ever present made by the stone around them and the denizens scampering about just beyond their sight. Rose could almost feel them eyeing her as if she were a meal on legs. Each step held a certain amount of dread that sent a cold shiver up her spine. Every now and again something would cry out in the darkness as a superior survivor or hunter closed in for a meal. The clomp of stone on stone made her turn her head to the side quickly only to see a set of small hairy legs edging just out of her radius. They walked for some time, each step counting for several beats of their hearts. Rose knew they could all sense the growing dread around them, something was wrong. She whispered as lightly as she could but even that felt like an intrusion. "There is a presence here."

"Quiet." Avreel replied while still walking, she did not even bother to turn around to Rose.

The air around her felt as if it was going to solidify and trap her at any moment. Even Avreel seemed on edge in this place regardless of her boasts of having been through the cavern several times. This stretch of the tunnel seemed more menacing than the rest of the entire journey from the city. In the distance the sound of water caught her attention. It was low at first, barely a whisper brushing up against the stone but as they traveled it became more pronounced and overpowering. The last turn was up ahead and she could see illumination breaking the usual dark curtain that had been in front of their eyes for so long.

Nina and Avreel arrived first and Nina sucked in a startled breath, her eyes going wide. Fearing the worst Rose peered around the corner and leaned against the slightly damp rock next to her. She also felt a shock to the system as she beheld the vast underground sea that Avreel had mentioned earlier. It was massive, so vast that Rose could not see the other side of the cavern. The roof of the cave sported massive stone pillars that had been worn down and shaped by the churning waters. She watched the shifting waves play around the exposed bases of the columns for a moment before movement caught her eyes. Leaning forward she spotted the strangest creatures; they seemed to be transparent and floating just above the surface of the water dangling long tendrils below lazily. "What are those?"

"Dangerous creatures, we call them Plasmorphs." Avreel turned her attention to her feet as she began to descend the slippery stairway that Rose had missed at first glance. It was carved into the side of the stone wall. "They float just above the water and catch any unfortunate fish that come too close to the surface."

"Fish?" Rose echoed, not understanding the term.

"Fish are creatures that live underneath the water." Avreel replied looking back at Rose with surprise, it didn't last long. "You've never left the desert have you?"

"There are things living under the water?" She said in amazement as she attempted to walk down the steps carefully with Liostro's help. Just as she was forgetting the darkness behind her a long, earth-shaking howl erupted from the catacombs they had just exited. The sound was otherworldly, as if a chorus of spirits were howling in agony. Rose stood still for a moment as she listened to the gravely bay echo across the waters and further. Noticing that everyone including Avreel was quiet she spoke up. "What was that?"

"I... don't know." Avreel said after a moment of pure shock. "I think it would be best if we hurry."

None of them wanted to argue the point so they all remained quiet and focused on descending the slippery slope. Behind them Rose could feel something stirring deeper within the caverns. Though it felt familiar the powerful presence scared her down to the core. She was startled to feel the beginnings of arcane energy building within her as the drained the unseen creature from afar.

"Rose is that you?" Avreel called from the head of the line as she and Nina nearly danced down the last few stairs and hit the narrow sandy shore.

"I'm not doing it on purpose, something is chasing us and it is forcing me to draw from it." She huffed through excited breaths and stair stepping. "It feels incredible."

"Quickly then, we must reach the harbor and hope one of the smaller crafts lay within." Avreel grabbed Rose's hand and made her run, somewhat hesitantly on Rose's part she noticed. "Tell me what it is Rose."

It took a moment for Rose to collect her thoughts. Though she was stemming most of the stream of forced power she could still feel a steady trickle creeping into her system. The intoxicating feeling was making it hard for her to stanch the flow. Each step that she took away from it made her burning need for it increase. She wanted to turn around and face off of with the creature. It was so close now that she could feel it calling to her; she had been the one to awaken it. "It is a dead godling.”

"That’s impossible, a dead god down here?" Avreel said in a heated tone. "The gods of the old pantheon all drifted off into the astral fade!"

"This is something different, something more primal and feral. It is the beast that lay dead and asleep in the silent catacombs." The sound of ecstasy in her voice frightened even her so she pressed them forward. The power she was drawing from the approaching creature had revitalized her body and more. "We need distance, I don't know what will happen if it gets too close."

"This isn't worth it; I should have just let my lord take my worthless hide and yours!" Avreel shouted angrily. "There, in the distance make for the docks and I will attempt to ward the area from evil, go!"

Rose wasn't one to argue, Avreel began casting immediately. In the back of her mind she knew it wouldn't hold the ancient creature long if at all but anything was worth a shot. Ahead of them they could see a long dock constructed of what seemed to be large mushroom caps with a path carved into the center of them. They were lashed together using a green rope of some kind and at the end of the dock was a huge vessel that was foreign to her eyes. It was brownish red in color and large enough to house a small army of elves. It was built using some sort of long planks and it was carved by the hands of an infernis elf from the look of the filigree. The vehicle was floating atop the water and moving with it simultaneously. The only way on was a long rope ladder hanging from the side.  The strange craft was moored with two thick lines tied to the dock. A small contraption with a long arm and a rope was affixed to the side of the ship presumably to load cargo. As a whole the ship was a work of art that was curved and angular all at the same time.

Rose balked a little. "What by the hells is that?"

"Aye, are we to traverse the water in it?" Liostro said as he approached and followed Nina up the rope ladder.

"It seems to be the only one here so I guess we have no choice. I've heard of ships and boats before but this is the first one I've seen." Nina replied to him as she crested the deck and attempted to get her bearings. "I have no clue how to start this thing off!"

"We need Avreel." Rose said as she looked around the deck curiously.

"You don't seem afraid." Liostro said with an arched eyebrow. When Rose didn't respond he deliberately stepped in front of her. "Rose! I said you don't seem afraid."

"There’s no need to be afraid." Rose replied almost mechanically. "The death eater merely wants to merge."

"What by the gods and demons is a death eater?" Liostro replied while he shifted his gaze from Nina to Rose alternately. When neither of them responded he sighed and raised his arms. "Well?"

It took a moment for him to realize that Nina was staring in awe and Rose had a look of rapture on her face that was troubling. He followed their eyes to the shore behind him where Avreel was running toward them faster than he had ever seen anyone run. In the distance stood a creature that was so eerily awe-inspiring that he ended up staring as they did. The death eater was large enough to consume an entire kurenai soldier in a single bite comfortably. Its maw was long and narrow and at the end of the snout was a white-faded nose that contrasted with the deep purple hue of its fur. The eyes attached to the other end of the muzzle were milky white like those of a corpse. Perched on its head were two long ears and a huge mane. The rest of its body was sinewy and sickly but covered with the same dark and almost black fur down to its long thin tail. What scared him the most about this massive beast were the two rows of teeth in both its bottom and top jaw. The darkness deep inside of its gullet could be seen when it roared and strained against the weak barrier Avreel had erected.