The Undying God (31 page)

Kayla remained silent.

Valesius looked condescendingly upon
her as he strolled along the edge of the basin. He breathed vilely
close to her face, “These pools are intended to cleanse the spirit
of sins. I wonder, do you visit these waters so often because
something weighs heavy upon you?” His eyes narrowed treacherously.
“Are you... repenting for some offense?”

Apprehension grew in her eyes.
Unexpectedly, Valesius seized her wrist and yelled hoarsely,
“Answer me, woman!” She cried out and pulled away.

“What wretched sins have you
committed?!” he screamed. “What have you done that prompts you to
purify your spirit and flesh?!” He relentlessly pursued her across
the chamber.

“You have been
whoring
yourself!
Seducing the men with your displays in the cleansing
pools!”

“I haven’t done anything wrong!” she
denied. Tears filled her eyes as she tried to escape the priest.
Valesius grimaced and advanced. He wouldn’t let her leave until he
could be assured she had not been corrupted. And if she had
succumbed to the weakness of lust, he would punish her. A fist
brutally struck him in the jaw, knocking him against a
pillar.

He spun toward his
assailant.

“Ethan!” he spat, blood trickling down
his jaw. He could scarcely believe the young man had assaulted him.
Furthermore, he wondered how much Ethan had heard. Staggering back
from the pool with a burst of fear, he fled the chamber to warn the
others.

Kayla regarded Ethan in disbelief,
tears flowing from her brown eyes.

“What are you doing here?” she
sputtered.

She wondered if he had seen her
bathing. She darted into the halls, leaving Ethan in solitude to
wrestle with his conflicting thoughts.

Chapter 33

Arxu stirred from his rest within the
crystal-laden antechamber. Exhaustion blurred his mind, fading to
clarity as he adjusted to his surroundings. Nishka was not there to
greet him with a nurturing hand as she so often did.

Nonetheless, he was grateful for a
small measure of privacy. He gathered up the stones that spilled
out of his satchel. He could barely feel the magickal energy
quivering inside them.

He expected to find his companions in
the adjoining chamber but there was no sign of them. His shadow
stretched like a twisted caricature across the walls as he
approached the entrance.

Arxu squinted at the morning light that
jaundiced the cavern in shades of amber. He emerged from the
tunnels to join Nishka and Hrioshango. The darkling looked
uncomfortable in the rich daylight, wearing an expression of
unashamed disgust. Arxu stepped into the blinding dawn.

He preferred the luxury of darkness
that night brings, but he couldn’t afford to wait. Three days of
travel separated them from the city of Eternitas. He feared Margzor
would soon descend upon the temple to perpetuate his campaign of
violence. If they were to stand a chance against this deranged
murderer, they had to leave now.

Not once did Arxu notice the presence
creeping up from behind him in the cave. It skulked on all fours
along the earth, an anorexic figure with a jutting spine. Nishka
turned to speak to Arxu when she saw it. Her paralyzing scream
froze him in his steps.

“Oh my Gods—” Arxu spun on his heel as
the creature scampered backward with a shriek.

It was a humanoid with gray skin, a
fleshy beak, and bulbous eyes rolled into the back of its head. Two
curled horns protruded from its scalp, and an additional pair
jutted from its cheeks Its hands possessed six fingers each, twelve
clawed feelers that twitched and shuddered. Lastly, Arxu observed a
tail protruding from above its backside.

He felt too weak to engage the creature
in battle, but perhaps he could intimidate it into fleeing. Arxu
reached for the dagger at his waist but it was strangely absent.
Hrioshango spun around when he heard the monster’s piercing scream,
and he smiled warmly.

“Ah, so you have met Hrioshango’s new
friend!”

“What?” Nishka uttered.

“Yes, Hrioshango’s new friend! Gilith!”
He darted past Arxu and drew close to the cave dweller. Nishka
couldn’t take her eyes off the emaciated fiend.

“Gilith?”

“Well, its kind is called a Gilith,
Eyegadi for ‘ugly.’”

“That’s pleasant.”

“I knew you would agree! They are not
often found this far from the cities. Hrioshango believes this
poor, frightened Gilith has lost its way. They are normally drawn
to dark places and dead things, particularly catacombs. Perhaps
you’re closer to death than we all believed, Arxu!” The darkling
expelled a horrifying laugh.

“But Hrioshango is only joking...” he
murmured when he saw Nishka’s expression. “We wouldn’t want that at
all. Because Nishka cares about you—ahem, I mean, she
doesn’t
care about you—” Her threatening expression both
amused and unnerved Hrioshango. “Never mind. As I was saying,
Giliths normally seclude themselves in the catacombs and
necropolises of cities. Truly, blessed are we to witness such a
hideously wonderful creature!”

“Right... You can stay with Gilith if
you want,” Nishka said. “But I need to take Arxu to the city to
rest.”

“Which is precisely why Gilith is such
a valuable and chance encounter!” Hrioshango insisted. “I have
reason to believe the cavern tunnels lead to Eternitas. It may be
faster to travel this way with our guide.”

“Can we trust such a creature?” Arxu
inquired. The lanky Gilith turned its head at an impossible angle,
the gesture making Nishka’s skin crawl. To make matters worse, its
bulging eyes were still rolled into the back of its
head.

Hrioshango replied, “Don’t worry, it
won’t lead us to our deaths, nonetheless a macabre and painful
demise! I have confidence in Gilith. It saved me from one of the
more treacherous and less friendly creatures here.” The mention of
another
threat did not comfort Nishka.

“I think the road above will be less
dangerous.”

“Why do you insist on walking in the
sun for several days? I’m confident we’ll make good time in these
tunnels. Besides, I do not have—uh, Hrioshango isn’t on good terms
with—I lost my pass to Eternitas.” It didn’t take long for Arxu to
decipher what Hrioshango was really trying to say.

“You were banished from Eternitas for
your crimes.”

“You presume too much. Since when is
expressing anger a crime?”

“Since murder was deemed a
crime.”

“Yes, Arxu knows all too well about
releasing anger after his violent outburst at the
tavern.”

“You aren’t making this any
easier.”

“Hrioshango can’t enter Eternitas with
the guards present! I need a discrete way to infiltrate—er, enter
the city. Through the necropolis.” His suggestion was met with
deafening silence. Arxu contemplated the unorthodox
proposition.

“How long will it take to reach
Eternitas?”

“We must travel an entire day and
night,” Hrioshango excitedly said. “But we must go now.”

“No,” Nishka interrupted. “Something is
wrong with this whole idea. Arxu, you aren’t trusting this
creature, are you?”

“Are you referring to Hrioshango or the
Gilith?”

“The Gilith—well,
both
. I’m not
about to throw my life away and chase after that thing. We need to
discuss this.”

“No time for talk!” Hrioshango
screeched. “While you are talking, danger approaches the city!”
Nishka looked to Arxu for support.

“Nishka, please understand me. I don’t
ignore what you say; I do listen to you. I think this may be the
faster alternative.” Nishka was surprised that he actually listened
to her. That acknowledgment alone seemed to calm her.

“Okay...”

“Wonderful!” Hrioshango said. “Now that
I have entrapped you both in my conspiracy to infiltrate, it is
only merciful of me to give you some advice! Be careful not to
frighten Gilith. He has a very disarming scream. And he will kill
you.”

Nishka looked repulsed.

“In case he
does
turn out to be
a homicidal, bloodthirsty predator, how will he try to kill us?”
Hrioshango smiled delightfully at her morbid question.

“Giliths are particularly agile and
attempt to swarm their prey. Their ability to climb walls adds
further advantage. However, as you can see, he did not bring any of
his brethren with him. Now that we’ve finished discussing niceties
and homicide, let us follow our resourceful friend!” Hrioshango
addressed the Gilith and pointed into the black abyss of the cave.
“Lead us to carrion!”

Arxu didn’t expect the creature to
comprehend their language, but he was surprised yet again when the
monster scuttled away. Nishka looked as though she had just tripped
over a dead body.

“Carrion?” she asked.

“He said Giliths are drawn to death.
Hrioshango wants to infiltrate Eternitas through its necropolis.”
The young woman smiled with unease.

“How did we ever agree to
this?”

“The only way we would ever agree to
one of Hrioshango’s ideas: desperation.”

Suffocating darkness oozed through the
grotto. Every step forward was a mystery that could only be solved
by trial and error. Perhaps the next step would plunge them into an
abyss or carry them to safety. Just when Nishka thought her sanity
couldn’t take it anymore, something glimmered in the black
void.

The glow was accompanied by the wet
murmur of water, and she followed Hrioshango beyond the underground
valley. Pools of water met her eyes, illuminated by the same
ghostly tinge in the lake.

“Don’t get too close,” Hrioshango
whispered.

“Do you know what’s down
there?”

“Hrioshango knows.” His angular face
glowed suspiciously in the light. “It is best that Nishka does
not.” She considered the ominous warning and slowly
retreated.

“I see.”

“We cannot linger here. We must follow
Gilith and leave this place,” the darkling insisted. Lagging
behind, Arxu emerged from the tunnels and set foot on the narrow
walkway. He came to a feeble stop at the sight of the pools. The
eerie spectacle beckoned him, compelling him to plunge off the
precipice and enter the light.

Something discretely rose above the
water, an antennae ending in a glowing node. He could not tell what
kind of life form it was attached to, whether an animal or
subterranean plant life. He thought he saw two bulbous eyes peering
back at him from the primordial soup. The water flared like green
magma in a volcanic pit. If he concentrated, he could hear
something humming below. It reverberated in his eardrums, droning
subconsciously in the back of his mind…

He stuttered as Nishka gently took his
hand.

“Come on, Arxu,” she coaxed. He
continued to hold Nishka’s hand as they navigated the cavern,
following the figure of Gilith. The Nightwalker decided to
illuminate his staff despite his primal instincts. He feared it
would attract dangerous predators, but he could not see well
enough. Should he come upon a chasm, it would swallow him
whole.

Arxu peered into the distance, where he
could see Hrioshango’s silhouette wavering in the shadows. He
seemed all too at home in these dark and cold tunnels.

“Arxu, shine your light over there,”
Nishka said, pulling on his sleeve. The Nightwalker lifted his
staff as he roamed the passageway. Fluorescent crystal deposits
glistened on the walls, mimicking constellations in a blackened
galaxy. Amazement washed over Arxu, one of the few times he would
feel awe. He wanted to collect a specimen of the crystals, curious
to see what powers it possessed.

“Oh no...” Hrioshango breathed. Arxu
bristled at the tone of the darkling’s voice. Had they come upon
something? Arxu’s hand slipped from Nishka’s and tensed for a
spell.

“Hrioshango... must go...” He took a
tentative step forward, his nimble grace now replaced with
hesitation. Something invisible may as well have pulled him forward
against his will.

Fear crept through Nishka as she
watched.

“Hrioshango… what’s going on?” she
asked. Without warning, the darkling broke into a run.

“Hrioshango!” Their guide fled into the
darkness, zigzagging around stalagmites with frantic
speed.

“We can’t find our way out of the
caverns without Hrioshango!” Arxu exclaimed. They plunged into the
tunnel in pursuit. The passageway widened and narrowed at random
intervals, as if shaped by an extraordinary creature.

“Where is he going?”

“Let’s find out!” Arxu couldn’t wrap
his mind around Hrioshango’s disappearance. The chaos magician was
notorious for impulsive behavior, but this went too far. Abandoning
them to this cavern was unforgivable. Their feet churned a shallow
pool of water as they charged into the void. Suddenly, the ground
ended in a drop.

“Damn it!” Nishka yelled. She seized
Arxu’s hand as he stumbled over the edge. With a cry, she fell to
her knees, but the weight of her companion dragged her forward. She
managed to clap her ankles around a stalagmite before the
inevitable fall.