Not Just Another Fae (Vegas Fae Stories Book 4) (20 page)

Even if all this were true, that wasn't what I had come for.
Reaching over to the suit of armor I lifted up the helmet and placed it on my
head. I held my breath. Nothing. At least nothing like what I was looking for.
No Helm of Darkness here. I took it off and placed it back on the armor. Well
this sucks! Now what do I do?

"This is going to be more difficult than I thought,"
I said, turning to Charlie, only to find he wasn't there. Leaving the room, I
went through the bed chamber and into the hallway. Hearing a commotion, I moved
toward the stairs. He was slinking down them, heading for whatever was making
the noise. I paused at the top and he looked back, then continued down the
winding stair as I followed, sword now in hand. He was standing when we reached
the bottom. Starting for the doorway, I could hear sounds and something
brushing up against the door.

"What is it?" I asked as he sniffed he air.

"More creatures," he said.

I moved to the door and listened. A cacophony of sounds came
from the other side. The moaning of Harpies, the bleating of goats, and the
occasional roar of a lion led me to be sure that there were many more creatures
than had been there before. Since the door was solid enough, I went back up the
stairs to see if I could get an actual view of what was going on outside. Going
into a chamber across the hallway from the large bedroom, I spied an opening
only partially covered by a curtain. Walking up, I slid the rest of the fabric
aside to see what was there. It was a doorway that led to a balcony. It
overlooked the road that lead to the Arch, the gateway to the Elysium Fields.

"Well that’s not good," I said as I looked out.
Not only had the Harpies returned, they'd brought their friends. While I
couldn’t see what was happening in front of the palace, there was plenty to see
on this side.

Magic shielded the road beyond the Arch. I could only hope
it still led to Elysium. There were three groups of Harpies and at least five
Chimera wandering around the front and even from here, it was a good 100 yards we'd
have to travel to get to it. Even more troublesome was the fact that the two
different groups of creatures were no longer fighting amongst themselves.
Instead, their attention was focused on the building... and us!

I headed back into the bed chamber and went to the window
located there. It was on the other side. I hoped to find an easier way to get
to the back side of the palace. There were no Harpies or Chimeras there, but it
wasn't empty. Shades, the ghosts of the once living, filled my view.

It was said that those not worthy to live in the special places
and those not sent to Tartarus existed in the afterlife as ghosts. Dwelling in
shadow as hints of the person they once were. Although they weren’t supposed to
be dangerous, they wandered the Underworld mindlessly as their fate in the
afterlife. Unfortunately, they were still an entity and as such, had some
semblance of form. It was rumored that some might retain memories from before,
but I don’t know if that's true. Shades packed the area behind the palace. Like
moths drawn to a flame, they were everywhere. So tight that they created a wall
of force blocking the back way out.

"What do you think?" I asked Charlie as he stood
on his hind legs looking out over the throng. "Without the helm, the best
I can figure is to head for the Elysium Fields. At least we'd have some time to
think about our next move without all this shit that's happening outside, or at
least I hope so."

"The Arch is not far and looks clear," he
remarked. "But we will have to fight our way to it."

Whatever magic was in this place kept the Arch clear. If
there were less of the Shades, I would have tried barreling our way through.
But as many as there were, it would be like running through molasses, and more
were coming this way.

"What do we have that we can use?" I asked as I
walked back into the hidden room with Charlie following. Clearing the desktop
with my arms, I put down my backpack, laying both swords on the table, then
fished through the pack for the Demon Queller. I pulled the sword of Cronus,
but as we were in the Underworld, it barely registered as anything more than a
blade; the usual electricity, although still present, was faint. I'd been
warned that might happen so I put it away. There was no reason to risk using it
since I had the other sword. Looking at the armor I had an idea.

"Charlie," I said, pointing to Hades' armor. "Since
we're going to have to fight our way out, I can wear this over my own Fae armor.
Hopefully, between what magic I can muster and the shield, I can block any of
the Chimera's flames. Any chance there'd be any armor around here that would
work for you? Maybe Cerberus wore something that would be useful; something we
can use to protect your back and flanks."

"I have not seen such a thing," he replied.

"Take a look around anyway, "I said. "Maybe
we can access the stables from here. There might be something there. I'll meet
you downstairs in a minute."

He nodded and left the room to search.

I started tossing parts of armor out of the case, then
grabbed the scythe and bident. As I placed them on the table, I knocked the bag
over and the Queller fell off the table. Wondering how Charlie was doing, I
bent over to pick it up.

As soon as I had it in my hand, it began to glow. Holding the
orb in my palm, I watched as it spun around and then raised a few inches into
the air. As it slowed and stopped, I saw the arrow pointing downward. I held it
in my hand and left the room, going down the stairs to where Charlie would be.
The arrow moved slightly as I rounded corners and I followed its directions as
it led me to Charlie.

"I have found nothing," he said as I walked into
the room he was searching.

"Well, I did find something," I replied as the orb
stopped moving. "I'm just not sure what it means."

"What does it do?" he asked.

"I was thinking of you," I said. "It started
spinning and the arrow pointed the way here. Let me try something else." I
walked out of the room and back to the front doorway and held it up again.
Thinking of Harpies, I waited to see what it would do. Nothing. I did the same
thing with Chimeras and Shades, still nothing. Then I tried thinking of him
again, and the arrow slowly pointed in his direction. "So... It won’t
point to the creatures outside, but it will point to you," I said after a
moment.

"What does it mean?" he asked.

"Well," I said. "I'm not really sure. But if
it was used to chase escaping Ghosts and Demons, maybe it seeks out things that
don’t belong; and if there's anything that doesn't belong here, it's us. Not
much help at the moment, but maybe we can use it when we find a way out of here.
Any luck finding armor?"

"No," he replied.

"You'll just have to stay close then. Oh, found this in
the armor room as well," I said I held up the scythe. "No Helm of
Darkness, but I think it's something Gaea might want."

"Perhaps it will prove useful then," he replied.

We went back upstairs and I put the orb and scythe away,
then dressed in Hades' armor. Carrying the bident and Demeter's sword, we went
into the other room. I had decided that our best chance, and least distance,
was out the balcony and toward the Arch. It was only a couple of stories, and
even with diminished magic, my Fae persona could take the fall. I pulled down
the curtain after peeking out over the balcony and took a few steps back into the
room. There were more Harpies now, but it didn’t matter. This was our only way
out. Besides, maybe they'd break our fall. I placed the helmet on my head and
held up the shield, then looked back at Charlie.

"You ready?" I asked.

He nodded.

"Here goes nothing!" I started running. When I
reached the balcony, I leapt.

We crashed into a flock of Harpies and the half birds
scattered. Having landed on my feet, I looked back to see Charlie right behind
me, snapping at one he had landed next to. I held up the shield and started for
the Arch. I'd only taken a few steps when the Chimeras attacked. I swung my
sword and lopped the head off of one, but another latched itself onto my arm,
its goat head bleating as the other head pulled my shield toward the ground. I
swung my sword and took off that head as well. The Chimera let go, and I saw it
rear back. I raised my shield just in time to avoid the blast of flame it
spewed from its mouth.

Going down on one knee, I quickly switched weapons and
jabbed the bident forward, the added length enough to spear the now one headed
Chimera. As I got up and tried to move forward toward the Arch, the Harpies
attacked. It was all I could do to keep moving as I batted them aside with the
shield. I tried using blasts of magic, but it just wasn't strong enough in this
place, with so many of them attacking. Charlie was holding his own, biting at
any Harpy that got close. Then I started swinging the bident like a bat, it's
sharp prongs cutting into any Harpy that got near.

For whatever reason, the other Chimeras had been stunned by
the loss of two of their members, and held back. Even so, Harpies continued to
claw and wail as we moved slowly toward the Arch. Although the bident was
having an effect, I was still clawed and cut in places where armor didn't
cover. At least two Harpies had clawed into my skin, one having pierced my own
Fae armor at my stomach when I lunged upward at several that flew down from
above.

Seeing we were now only a few yards from the Arch, I yelled
at Charlie to move faster and together we covered the distance, leaving a trail
of dead creatures behind us. When we were just a few feet away, I let out a
guttural scream and started swinging my shield and bident for all they were
worth, leaping through the Arch just as another flock attacked from the side.
As I crossed through, the Harpy that had clamped its claws on my arm burst into
flames. Dropping to my knees to pull the now burning bird from my arm, I saw
that Charlie had made it as well, a burning Harpy carcass on the ground in
front of him. I looked back, but there was nothing to see. The magic was hiding
the palace and the rest of the creatures. In front of us were fields of grasses
and grains. What was beyond that, I couldn't tell. Without the Helm of
Darkness, there was nothing we could do but search out the tower. At least we
were in Elysium. We couldn’t be any worse off than where we had just come from.

"Welcome to paradise, I think," I said to Charlie,
who was spitting burning Harpy blood from his mouth. Pulling off my helmet and
opening my pack, I grabbed a bottle of water and held it high as he lapped it
to cool his mouth and rinse the blood off.

"Let us hope there is something more palatable than
burnt Harpy," he said.

I took a drink myself, then used the rest of the water to
clean us up a bit. Standing, I picked up the bident and tucked my helmet under
my arm. "All right, let's see if we can find a way out of here."

We walked a few miles and eventually came upon a small
creek. Nearby, a man wearing a simple tunic sat, tending a fire as the cool
breeze blew. He looked up at us as we walked by.

"Well met, strangers," he said. "Seldom have
I seen travelers of late. Come, sit, and enjoy my fire."

"Thank you," I replied. "But we must move on.
Perhaps another time."

"As you wish," he said, then he smiled. "Of
course, you are dressed as one seeking the games. I should have realized.
Continue on, continue on. They are but up the road a way."

We went a few miles further, passing several others who
seemed to simply be enjoying the day. Eventually the road led to a small valley
with several fields, all of which were filled with men and women performing
various types of sports. One field held discus, another a stone ball. In
several, the people were fighting, but always as sport, and they congratulated
one another when one bested the other. One in particular interested me, as the
participants were fighting with swords in full Roman armor. We walked alongside
it and I stopped to watch the champion for a while. He had bested three others before
finally pulling off his helm. He bowed and patted his last opponent on the back
with a laugh, then began walking towards a table filled with food and wine,
where he sat down.

"You have great skill," I noted as I grabbed a
cup, then pulled some meat off a platter for Charlie. I figured of all the
places in Hades, the food here, at least, would be safe to eat.

"Thank you, my friend," he replied, draining his
cup. "Your armor seems formidable, have you come to play in the
games?"

"Not today...
my friend
," I said in reply
as I sat down across from him and began to share a meal with Charlie. "We
are merely passing through on our way to the tower and stopped to enjoy the
show. You fought well."

He nodded and went back to his meal. After a while he looked
back at me and paused, eyeing me strangely. "Do I know you?"

"Perhaps we met in a past life," I replied,
getting up from the table. Taking a last gulp, I put down my cup and wished him
well. Then Charlie and I continued on our way to the tower.

We walked through a lot of the place, watching people do
everyday things. No one was working, just enjoying the day. If you had to have
an afterlife, the Greek and Roman version of paradise didn’t seem too bad a way
to spend eternity. Everything seemed peaceful enough. Ok, it was a little
boring, at least to me. But I guess if I'd lived in those times, when life was
much harder, and shorter than today, I might have looked at things differently.

"Not exactly what I was expecting," I said as I
stood on the riverbank a few hours later. Across the stream was a circular
tower of white that rose into the heavens. It looked... I don’t know...
deserted. It sat on what I supposed would be called a cape, a small area of
land that stuck out into the river, which was itself, quite wide at this point.
Beyond it lay fields of golden flowers, but the tower itself stood alone on the
rocks.

"It appears he has abandoned this place," Charlie
said.

"Let's hope so, "I said, staring down at the orb's
arrow, clearly pointing to the tower across the river. "I’m not really in
the mood to face a Titan, especially the one who’s sword I now carry." I
scanned both sides of the river. "If I remember some of the maps right,
this should be the Eridanus. It's not supposed to be as bad as the other five,
but I'd feel better if we could find a way to cross that doesn’t include
swimming."

We walked along the shore for a bit, looking for a way to
cross. There were a few boats near the center of the river, but they were too
far away to hail. We were also unable to locate a dock or any that were pulled
up to shore. There was no bridge to be seen and none of the boats seemed to
notice us. I was just getting ready to try swimming, when Charlie pointed out a
sail coming our way, slicing through the water not too far out from the
shoreline. About 20 minutes later, it revealed itself as a high sided, four oar
rowboat, complete with a single square sail. As it ran up to the shore, the
sail collapsed and a man in full armor jumped out and walked toward us.

"I thought you might need some assistance," the
man said as he took off his helmet, revealing himself to be the champion from
the games I'd chatted with earlier.

"Strange to find you here, friend," I replied as I
reached out and grasped the hand he held out.

"Your mention of the tower intrigued me," he said.
"It is said to be empty now. I wonder, what quest could take you
there."

"One that I may not speak of," I replied.
"And dangerous as well. But the use of your boat would be
appreciated."

"I thought as much," he said. "But I do not
think you can cross the river unaided. The winds blow harder the closer to the
other side one sails, and past mid-stream, gales will form. It is said to be
nigh impassable. Perhaps I could join you. A second set of oars might make the
journey possible."

"That would not be wise," I replied. "It is
most likely a one-way journey and you have earned your place of rest here in
this place."

"It is said that those that earn the right of passage
to the Blessed Isles have lived three lives. In each their souls free of
darkness. Perhaps it is time I return to live another."

"Are you not happy here?" I asked. "I have
seen you fight in the arena. I would have thought such a life, well deserved
and earned, would be to your liking."

"So one would think," he replied. "Perhaps if
I recalled more of what I had done to earn this place, or faced greater
opponents, it would seem less dreary. But there is something about you that
brings up strange memories. I believe there is more that I must still do before
Fate would have me dwell in such a place for eternity."

I was about to argue further, but Charlie butted his nose
against me. I looked down to see him shaking his head. It was not unexpected.
But any decision was his to make. Truth was, I'd prepared for such an
eventuality.

"As you wish, friend," I replied. "Perhaps a
second set of hands will make the journey easier."

"Excellent!" he said, picking up his helmet. We
pushed the boat back after turning it around.

Charlie jumped on and got in the bow. We joined him a few
seconds later and began to row.

With the sail still down we moved against the wind. At
first, we advanced swiftly, the oars pushing the boat through the water with
ease. A moment later, things changed. The wind began to blow harder and the
waves increased, smashing against the bow as we went further into the river.
Eventually, the wind howled and the waves boiled up and over the sides of the
craft, filling it with water and making it harder to row.

"Faster," I yelled over the lash of the wind and
waves.

With a burst of speed, we rose up into the air and crested
the next tall wave, crashing down into the water before climbing another. Were
it not for my Fae strength, and my companion's fortitude, I doubt we could have
accomplished it. But although each wave pushed us back, we still made headway,
the oars catching the water and propelling us a few feet further each time
toward the other shore.

Just when I thought we would never make it, I heard a yelp
from Charlie. He jumped from the craft and clamped his jaws on the bow mooring
line. We scrambled to join him. As we leapt from the bow, the wind gave a last
howl. The rope broke and the boat was lifted up into the air and thrown back
into the river. I grabbed what was left of the mooring line, thinking it might
come in handy at the tower, coiled it around my arm, and threw it in my pack.
We were soaked and miserable, but we had made it to the far shore. We climbed
further up the rocks, the winds and waves subsiding, no longer violent since we
had passed beyond the water's edge.

"I'm afraid your way back may be more difficult,"
I said to my companion, as I looked out over the river, the waters now calm.
There was no sign of the boat.

"I do not think Fate would block my return should she
not wish for me to continue," he replied. Then he patted Charlie's head
before walking over to where I stood. "Since that decision has been made
for me and we are, at least for now, companions, I would learn your names.
Although much has been hidden from me since I came here, my name I can
remember. I am called Lucius."

Of course I knew who he was. It was only because I
recognized him that I even stopped to watch the swordplay. In his past life
he'd been one Lucius Camillus, a Senior Centurion in the army of Rome. He'd been
critically wounded in 280 B.C., the battle of Heraclea. There, through a twist
of fate, he'd been saved before death and turned by the Lilin. Before his true
death in a battle against Marissa's dark Mages, I'd hoped we had become
friends.

"I am Robert," I replied. "The hound is
Charlie."

"Well met," he said.

"To you as well," I replied. "Now, if it is
truly your wish to leave this life behind and accompany us, I can offer you the
return of your memory. However, there is no turning back should you so decide
to accept it."

"By your armor alone I knew you were of the Gods!"
he declared. "Fate indeed, has other plans for me." Then he got down
on one knee. "How then, may I be of service?"

"You can stand up, for one thing," I said,
dropping the fancy talk and helping him to his feet. "I am not the God of
the Underworld, although I wear his armor. Still, as much as I hate to say it,
I'm probably as close as you're going to get these days."

"I do not understand," he said.

"Trust me," I said as I reached into my pack to
retrieve the goatskin I'd brought. I poured a capful and handed it to him.
"Drink this and you will."

Although I'd brought it mainly in case I needed it for
Bernd, I had enough of the water from the Mnemosyne to spare him a capful. The
water from the source of the Titan's pool would restore his memory. I just
hoped I was doing the right thing. Of course it was a little too late to worry
about that now, I thought to myself as he drank it down.

He was quiet a minute and then suddenly grabbed his throat in
panic. Before I could react he relaxed, then looked up at me. "Bastard had
a hidden knife," he said. "I should have foreseen that."

"You saw an opening," I replied. "Kinda hard
to twist and duck when you're flying through the air. Courageous move, and effective.
It was all over after you cut the Mage down. Once he was dead, the Demon we
were fighting was released and the battle was finished. At least for the most
part."

"Wait," he said, grabbing his chest and neck.
"The Lilin. It is no longer present."