Descent Into Darkness (Book 2) Page 24

  Upward and onward they climbed, Ean looking back every now and then to take in the view and check on Azalea. The view left much to be desired, the fog and mist making it hard to see very far. Ean could barely see the top of the houses below or anyone pursuing them. Hopefully, they were high enough that the constant fog of the Deadlands put them out of sight from those below.

  Azalea seemed to be faring well. She marched on with a smile on her face, which grew slightly each time Ean looked back. The Yulari was handling the situation well, but of course why wouldn't she? She lived off of emotions like pain and suffering, which there must be plenty of down below. And yet at the same time, with everything she could be feeding on, Azalea didn't have that drunken stupor she usually got after overfeeding. Was she abstaining?

  Not paying attention to the path, Ean tripped and fell face first onto the ground. Instead of feeling the slope of the mountain beneath him as expected, the surface was a level plane. Barely catching himself with his hands, he gave a grunt as the hard stone ground scraped his palms. He expected to hear Azalea laughing at him, but he met with only silence.

  When he rolled to his side and saw what he had tripped over, vomit rose in his throat. It was a severed arm encased in red armor. Sinew and bone were splayed out from where it used to be attached to some poor man's shoulder. The blood was still watery and fresh, so whoever or whatever had done this might still be nearby.

  Jumping to his feet, Ean scanned the area for any sign of what had caused the carnage. They had reached a flat portion of the path, roughly the size of one of the houses below. There was a large opening cut into the mountain not too far from where Ean was standing with two lit torches framing it.

  And littered around the clearing were bodies. Or pieces of bodies. All wearing the same red-plated armor.

  Ean wanted to flee back down the mountain, but he couldn't move. His own fear had gripped him tighter than the strongest bonds. All he could do while he tried to keep from dry heaving was survey all of the damage done. Not only were most of the body's limbs torn apart, even the armor had deep rents in it. Whatever had done this was more of a monster than anything he could bring out of the Abyss.

  Azalea, of course, was unaffected, strolling between body parts and guts as if they were nothing. She stopped at a few, looking down at the bodies and nudging them with a foot before moving on. While Ean felt like he was going to pass out, Azalea looked as if this was as common as a stroll in the woods.

  "Eight, at least I think. These were the guards Zin had seen earlier."

  "Do you think the fighting down below spread up here?" Ean managed to get out before gripping his mouth and holding back the bile that wanted to escape.

  "No," Zin said, suddenly appearing near the mine entrance. "I came right up here as soon as the fighting started and found them already like this."

  "Such a brave imp," Azalea said with a dark laugh, "to go running off and leaving your poor friend behind."

  "I figured you could take care of him," Zin growled, "and it wasn't like I could do much against a mob of people and the Living Dead. And look, here you both are safe and sound, so I guess I was right."

  "Yes, luckily for Ean I was there to take care of him."

  "Enough!" Ean yelled, and immediately had to fight down another urge to retch. "We have enough to worry about now without fighting amongst ourselves. Zin, do you have any idea if whatever did this went into the mines or down to the village?"

  The imp shrugged nervously, its eyes focused on the ground. "I can't be certain, but there is a trail of blood leading into the mine."

  "Wonderful. We have something that can tear armored men apart in the mine and a mob down below that would love to string us up."

  "I can handle whatever is in the mine," Azalea said a bit flippantly. "So let's just--"

  "Really?" Ean cut in. "Could you have done this? Torn into these men like this?"

  "Well, no but..."

  "Azalea. We can't just rush in there without knowing what we are up against. What if it's a pack of...monsters...that did this? Do you think you could protect me and fight off a pack of anything?"

  "It would be tricky..."

  "It would be impossible and you know it. We need help."

  "Now wait a minute." This time it was Zin's turn to jump in. "You're not suggesting summoning something else are you?"

  "I am."

  "But you can't even control a Hound!" the imp yelled, and then seemed to calm himself. "Ean, there is nothing you have summoned so far that you control. That Hound you are so fond of almost came after you and your friends last time. And a Cruxlum, well they can sometimes be pointed in the right direction like you saw, but I wouldn't count on one right now for a guard."

  "Zin, we are out of options, and have very little time. I'm not asking your permission."

  Before the imp could reply, Ean knelt down on an open patch of rock and placed his bare right hand on the ground. With a thought, a summoning rune began spreading out from his hand, one he had done a few times before. Ean heard the imp hiss behind him as the rune took shape. Clearly he recognized it.

  Ean couldn't help but smile. So much easier than drawing the complicated rune by hand. Now if controlling the creature could be just as simple...

  A few shouts and the scraping of stone behind him made Ean lose his concentration for just a moment before he quickly regained his focus. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Azalea move back towards the path down the mountain. Hopefully it was nothing. He had enough to worry about with whatever had killed all of these guards, but if there was something coming up, human or Living Dead, they would be better off with four in their group than three.

  "Company is coming!" Azalea shouted from behind Ean.

  The rune flared once and then sank into the ground, creating a hole the size of a barrel top. A blue and purple mist filled the opening, making it impossible to see much past the surface. Ean always wondered if that mist was the Abyss itself or just part of the gateway between the two worlds. A question for another time. Bracing himself, Ean mentally prepare for the pain that came from a summoning.

  But the pain never came. Ean watched in surprise as a clawed paw reach out and clamp onto the stone ground. The claws dug into the stone like it was dirt, raking marks as thick as fingers. Another paw quickly followed, and then his hound's massive head poked through the opening. It took a quick look around for a moment and then pulled the rest of its enormous oily black frame free. And the entire time, the only thing Ean felt was the pressure of the Plague. Standing, Ean couldn't help but smile with relief. Was he rid of the pain of summoning forever?

  "I hope you know what you are doing," Zin murmured. The imp was suddenly standing right behind Ean's legs. "Wait, shouldn't you be wriggling around in pain?"

  "Yes, I should. Zin, I don't feel a thing."

  "Well, that's great and all, but we can celebrate some other time when there isn't a killer animal staring at the two of us."

  Ean nodded, turning his full attention to the Hound. The beast was looking around, its nose sniffing at the air every now and then. Glancing at Azalea, it paid a considerable amount of attention to Zin before finally resting its gaze on Ean. Despite the animal's relaxed posture, Ean couldn't help but feel it was just moments away from springing at him and Zin.

  "Here, boy," Ean said softly, frowning at his own timid voice. "Come here." This time there was a bit more authority in it. A small amount.

  The Hound looked at him for a moment longer, then walked over to the nearest corpse and began to gnaw on its leg.

  "I would laugh if I wasn't scared for my life," Zin said dryly, moving slightly out from behind Ean.

  "Yes, well, give me a chance here."

  "I would get a grip on the Hound fast," Azalea shouted over to them. "Those blurs are getting closer. And there are a lot of them. And most look red."

  "Right," Ean said, moving away from Zin and towards the Hound. He got within a few paces of the beast before it looked up a
t him. Ean froze. The Hound didn't growl or show its teeth, but Ean distinctly got the impression that he shouldn't get any closer. The Hound watched him for another moment as he stood there before returning to its meal. It seemed to be having a bit of trouble with the armor, which seemed to be too tough for the hound's teeth and acidic saliva.

  "Uh, stop eating and come here...now." Pathetic. If the roles were reversed, Ean didn't think he would even listen to such a wimpy command.

  "There, see?" Zin said, sounding a mixture of annoyed and worried. "Doesn't listen to you. Best to either send it back or just leave it here for those coming out the mountain to deal with."

  "Maybe..."

  "The rune..."

  Turning slightly so Ean could keep an eye on the Hound and look at Zin, he frowned at the imp. "What did you say?"

  "I said to send it back or..."

  "No, after that. About the rune."

  Zin cocked his head and gave Ean a weird look. "I didn't say anything about the rune. What are you talking about?"

  "I could have sworn you said something about--"

  "The rune...absorb...into yourself..."

  Ean froze. That voice certainly wasn't Zin's voice. It was much higher pitched, almost feminine, and very faint. Ean risked taking his eyes off of the Hound for a moment to look around the entire clearing. Azalea was still watching the slope, her foot tapping lightly on the ground. Although Ean was sure Azalea could change her voice just as easily as her appearance, he doubted it had been her that he had heard.

  Turning his attention to Zin, he found the imp staring at him intently. "You feeling alright, boss?"

  "Yeah, I just keep hearing this voice..."

  "Ean, now is not the time to come unhinged. Why don't you focus your attention on the giant eating machine behind you?"

  Ean found that the Hound had moved on to another body part, this time the torso. He was eating out of the armor like dried meat from a dog bowl. That was fine with him. As long as the Hound was eating, it was probably happy.

  "Take the rune...part of yourself..."

  The voice was so faint that Ean could almost believe he was imagining it.

  "Zin, if I said 'take the rune into myself,' what would you think I meant?"

  Again the imp stared at him funny for a few moments before responding. "Well, Ean, don't you know if you are the one saying it?"

  "Humor me. Did you ever see your old master do something like that? Absorb a rune or transfer a rune?"

  "No, but he rarely let anyone see what he was doing unless it involved torture or death."

  Frowning, Ean walked over to the summoning rune. It glowed faintly on the stones, the light barely fighting back the evening darkness. Kneeling down, he looked at the rune with no idea what to do.

  Am I really listening to some voice in my head?

  He placed his hand on the rune. As soon as he did, he heard a low growl to his left.

  "I'm not sending you home," he said, turning to look at the Hound quickly. The Hound was staring at him, its jaw dripping with pieces of meat. It looked at him a few moments longer, then either understanding or not caring, returned to its meal.

  "Alright," Ean mumbled to himself. "Take it in. I want to take it in." Nothing happened. Staring at the runes for a few moments longer, he began to laugh. Of course nothing was happening. Why would something he heard from a voice in his head work? He really must be going crazy to think that he could just absorb--

  The runes on his body came to life, glowing brightly and casting their dark azure light on the area. The summoning runes on the floor responded in kind, the light coming off of them just as bright as those on his arm. Ean felt something too, a connection between the runes on the ground and the ones on his arms. No, not just a connection. The runes on his arms were pulling at the summoning rune.

  The rune on the ground gave one last bright flash and disappeared. No, not gone. It was resting on the back of his right hand, much smaller, overlying the tattoos that were already there. Ean watched in wonder as it flashed a few times and then began to move. Over his wrist, up his forearm, across his elbow. It shimmered as it moved on its own, weaving in front of and behind his tattoos. Once it reached the top of his bicep it stopped, as if waiting. On cue, the tattoos that were already there began to shift and writhe, slowly clearing a space for the summoning rune to fit. Once a space was cleared, the summoning rune settled in, and Ean's other runes began intertwining back into it.

  By the time the tattoos had stopped moving, the summoning rune looked like it had always belonged there. It wasn't just a cosmetic addition to the design. Ean felt...stronger. Stronger than what small boost holding the energy from the Abyss provided. He felt more energized, like he could run for days. His sense of smell was heightened as well...and with all of the dead bodies lying around, that was a perk he did not particularly appreciate.

  There was more, though. He could feel the Hound. Not just the sense of the Abyss that clung to everything that came from that world. He could feel the Hound's satiety as it filled its stomach. Feel its desire to hunt and stalk prey. Feel its attention now move away from its meal and focus squarely on him.

  The Hound tilting its big head as if it had the intelligence to study him. Its dark purple eyes were almost invisible behind the black of its fur, but even at this distance, Ean could make out the red slits of its irises. A small bit of something hung from its mouth, which it continued to chew slowly. Ean felt a wave of curiosity wash over him through their new bond.

  "Here, boy," Ean managed to get out, waving the Hound over. It came without hesitation, padding over lightly to stand in front of him.

  "Watch him," Zin said, clutching at Ean's leg. The imp's claws dug into Ean's skin to the point where he was sure the slightest bit more pressure would probably break the skin. "Just because you've done something new doesn't mean it's safe."

  Ean nodded, keeping his attention on the Hound.

  "Sit."

  The Hound sat.

  "Down."

  The Hound lay down.

  "Roll over."

  Ean didn't actually expect the last command to work, but sure enough the Hound did one roll and then remained on the ground. Laughing, he reached down and patted Zin's back. The imp released his hold, but still remained behind Ean.

  "Come on, Zin, isn't this great? The Hound is finally listening to me."

  "Right... so you have complete control over it now?" The imp sounded less than convinced.

  "Well..."

  Control wasn't the right word. Ean could feel the Hound think about each command for an instant before following his directions. It certainly felt more compliant. But if Ean told it to go take a leap off the mountain, he highly doubted the Hound would follow. It was more like they had come to an understanding.

  "He won't have you as a meal, I think I can promise that." Was that disappointment he suddenly felt coming off the Hound? Best not to mention that to Zin.

  "You think? That's reassuring..." Zin mumbled, moving away from Ean while still keeping one eye on the massive beast in front of them.

  "If you two are finished playing with your new pet," Azalea shouted from her spot looking down the path, "you might want to think about what we are doing next. There is a large group of those blue freaks getting closer, and they look heavily armed."

  Azalea quickly took a step to the side, an arrow glancing off the stone where she had been standing a moment later. "And I don't think they are coming to apologize."

  Decision time. Stay here and face the mob or venture into the mine and risk running into whatever it was that had torn these guards apart. It really wasn't much of a decision, but Ean felt a little better heading into the mine with at least one more ally.

  "Let's go, hopefully we can lose them in the mine."

  "Easily," Zin said, starting for the mine entrance. "It might have been a long time since I've been here, but I used to know these caverns and pathways like the back of my clawed hand."

  Azalea p
ushed past Ean, moving towards the mine as well. "Unless of course they've already explored the entire mine and dug new paths of their own."

  Ean started after them, then paused and glanced back to the Hound. "Come on, then."

  The Hound looked at him, and then swept its gaze around at all of the bodies still lying around. Ean felt its reluctance at leaving so many easy meals behind. He wasn't positive, but Ean thought that if the Hound's belly hadn't already felt full, it might have ignored him. Thankfully it complied, and they both hurried towards the mine entrance.

  "ANYONE HAVE A LANTERN handy?" Ean asked as he peered into the mine. He had been the last to get to the entrance, following the hound to walk up to where Azalea and Zin were standing around, staring into the dark depths of the mine.

  "The three of us don't exactly need one," Zin said, shrugging. "But yes, we do have one." He gestured at the runes glowing dimly on Ean's body.

  "Oh, right." With some effort, Ean let the energy he was holding back flow through his body, lighting up the runes on his right side. The glow was strong enough to penetrate the darkness, but it also cast shadows everywhere. The effect made the sharply descending mine even creepier.

  Azalea grabbed Ean's hand and started pulling him down the slope of the mine. "Best get started so we can figure out how to lose the crowd behind us."

  So down they went into the mine, Azalea dragging him along, with the imp and hound close behind. They walked along quickly, the noise of their feet stepping on the stone floor making the only sound. They had yet to come to any branching paths or side tunnels. He had the eerie feeling that they were being watched by eyes sitting just behind the curtain of darkness ahead and behind them.

  He couldn't tell what the Yulari or imp was feeling, but the hound seemed completely relaxed. It loped along casually, sniffing at the air and occasionally looking back behind them. Every time it looked back, Ean felt a small pang of disappointment. Probably missing all of those easy meals. It seemed content to follow along, though, which was all that really mattered.