《Graveborne》


 Chimes

    Chimes


    Chimes boomed in the darkness. Zero¡¯s eyes snapped open. His raw throat raged against his ragged breaths. He felt his surroundings, finding his arms couldn¡¯t move above his waist. His elbows banged against hard stone. The pungent smell of rotting flowers bloomed. Zero¡¯s fingers splayed along the cold stone, lower back aching. Streching his feet, he came to the conclusion that he was in a box.


    The roof of his prison was soft. His fingers scratched against its woven pattern. Zero stabbed and clawed, his long fingernails tearing through the rough canvas. Padding fell from behind, layers of decaying wool turning to fibres at his touch. He sneezed.


    ¡°Which one?¡± A bored voice came from beyond his box.


    ¡°Here!¡± Zero called, awkwardly beating the top of his fist against the stone side.


    ¡°Stay still,¡± The voice commanded, ¡°Last person lost some bits.¡±


    ¡®What?¡¯ Zero thought, freezing. The canvas above him screamed as it tore, Zero waited with his eyes screwed shut, something cold and sharp touching his nose. Blood beaded at the wound. The stench of flowers was burned away by the acrid smell of lantern oil. A man with sharp cropped black hair stared down at him. It had been days since he¡¯d shaven, a black fuzz growing across his chin. Storm grey eyes peaked over harsh black bags. The face could only have been considered handsome in the most rugged, brutish way imaginable.


    ¡°It¡¯s your lucky day kid.¡± Silver eyes said, ¡°Happy Birthday.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got another one.¡± A female voice called. Silver eyes flipped the knife in his grip, holding it between his fifth and fourth fingers. He proffered the other three for Zero to take. Zero accepted, and Silver eyes pulled him from the box with incredible strength. The room was filled with small jars, clay pots and multitudes of chimes on long cords. There were many boxes like his own, laid in neat lines. A bell rang somewhere in the array, the woman moving with haste to its location. She hefted the heavy hammer she bore, shattering the stone lid of the box next to it. The woman looked at Silver eyes.


    ¡°You get it.¡± Silver eyes called. He slid the knife into its sheath. One side was a blade sharp enough to cut a hair in half longways. The other side had a blocked, serated edge to it. He opened the glass pane of the lantern with his free hand, then drew a cigarette from seemingly nowhere. Silver eyes took a long drag as he stared down Zero. ¡°Stop staring.¡±


    Zero looked away, then caught himself. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Silver eyes continued to stare him down. He loosed the smoke from the side of his mouth, the translucent grey swirling in the dark. He wore a plain white shirt over his heavy-set build. On his left shoulder a pattern was sown in black thread. Silver eyes shifted, and Zero lost sight of it. The woman clanked towards them, wearing half a set of plate. Vambraces, gloves, shins and shoulders all covered in metal. Her head was free. She was as thick as Silver eyes and half as pretty. The lines of her face were hard, framed by straw coloured hair.


    A smaller person padded at her side, wrapped in a black cloak. They kept their face hidden from the lamp light, shying away when Silver eyes stared at her. He took a final drag from his cigarette then stomped it out beneath his black boots. They stood in silence, listening for the telltale ring. Nothing came. The woman flicked a worried glance at Silver eyes whose face remained a stone.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving.¡± Silver eyes said, bored.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    The woman¡¯s mouth fell open. ¡°Only two? Captain, I know for a fact Sevens pulled at least four. Can¡¯t we wait, listen for more?¡± Silver eyes walked away, flicking a lazy finger upwards. Deep above them, a bell tolled, each beat a dying finality. The woman hung her head and followed, the small figure shadowing her movements.


    Whispers passed among the boxes behind Zero. He turned, coming to a dreaded realisation. They weren¡¯t just boxes. They were coffins. Meaty fingers dug into Zero¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You heard nothing.¡± Silver eyes said, pushing him towards the now lantern-holding woman. He produced another cigarette, sticking it between his teeth. The coffins remained dead.


    He tapped the centre of his forehead, then held his hand out to the coffins. He let the cigarette drop from his lips unlit, unstomped. He walked away in the silence of the damned. The woman led the party through crypt after crypt, climbing higher. She guided them amongst pitfalls, pressure pads and a variety of other traps.


    The musty damp that pervaded the inner sanctums turned dry. There was a surprising lack of bones, considering how many had been buried there. Zero did not want to know where they were now. Steel gates held closed by large steel links halted their advance. The woman pulled a ring of keys from her belt, selecting a rusted iron one. It slid into the lock with a thunk. The woman strained to turn it. Silver eyes waited as she grew flustered, then stepped in. Drawing his knife, he severed the lock from the gate.


    The woman looked at him aghast. ¡°That lock has stood a thousand years!¡±


    ¡°No. Gurd broke the original thirty years ago,¡± Silver eyes said, pushing the gate open. ¡°You two. Through.¡± He pointed a finger towards a hole in the ceiling. Rafters made of wood, bound together by rope and set apart by ladders made a winding path to the top. Neither Zero or the cloaked girl moved. Silver eyes shrugged, leading the way.


    The woman didn¡¯t follow, kneeling and clutching the two lock pieces close to her chest. She mumbled to herself, ¡°It can be fixed. Gata is lying. This is real. All real.¡± She swayed back and forth as though she was cradling a baby to sleep. Zero gave her a wide berth, the cloaked person following in his shadow. Chills prowled his spine when they moved too close. As if sensing his discomfort, they darted away.


    Zero opened his mouth to say something, but couldn¡¯t. What would he say? It¡¯s going to be ok? He didn¡¯t know where they were. Who they were. He didn¡¯t know how they got here, or why they were here. It took all the inner strength he could muster not to have a mental breakdown like the woman behind them. He took hold of the first ladder ¨C it creaked dangerously in his grip ¨C and began to climb. His muscles were weak, tiring before he had reached the fifth rung.


    ¡®What happened to me? I was never this weak. I was ¨C¡® A horrible feeling settled in the bottom of his gut. He couldn¡¯t remember. The more he tried, the worse he felt. He reached the first landing and wept. Memories slipped through his fingers like water. The framework of the rafters thundered and shook. Gata grabbed his shoulder in a sharp grip, snapping Zero to reality.


    ¡°Stop.¡± Gata growled. ¡°Don¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°How? Who am I? What am I supposed to do?¡± Zero shouted.


    Gata¡¯s grip moved from Zero¡¯s shoulder to his hairline, wrenching Zero to face him. His cold, bored gaze remained as he stated, ¡°Climb.¡± Gata released Zero, shoving him towards the next ladder. Zero took hold of the ladder, pulling himself up rung by burning rung. Gata followed beneath him, and when they both stood upon the landing, shoved Zero again. ¡°Climb.¡±


    The cloaked person climbed after Gata, until they all stood at the top. The woman remained down below, continuing to cradle the broken lock. He turned, staring out into the blinding sunlight that streamed through the hole in the ceiling. Zero followed him out, Cloak lingered in the dark. Zero¡¯s shoeless feet fell onto soft earth. He looked over a fertile valley, a town shadowed by the tomb, and a stone castle on the other side.


    Gata began walking down the steep incline, a dark forest between them and the township. He paused mid-stride and turned to them. He put another cigarette in his mouth and took a deep drag. With his left hand he scratched the back of his head absently. ¡°Welcome to Graveguard.¡±

 Gate

    Gate


    Dusk settled in, the fading golden light dipping the valley into a harmonious purple glow. Fireflies flowed beneath the leaves of the well-kept forest, alighting the many hues of the flowers at their feet. The world is not without its beauty, after all. Gata kept the two close to his person, hand never quite leaving the handle of his knife. The tip of his cigarette glowed orange, though it was accompanied by the smell of burning rosewood rather than tar.


    Cloak, as Zero had taken to thinking of them, remained enshrouded. He hadn¡¯t seen their face, though from a rough guess, they were at his shoulder height. Gata stood a full head taller than Zero, and thrice as thick. He would have seemed much more at home weilding a broadsword or warhammer rather than a knife.


    ¡°Gata, was it?¡± Zero asked, trying to spark conversation. Gata gave no notion of having heard the question, continuing to walk. ¡°Why is the town called Graveguard?¡± Gata continued to ignore him. Zero grimaced. It hadn¡¯t been the most intelligent of questions to start with. ¡°Why are we here?¡±


    ¡°Gurd.¡± Gata said, arching his back. He popped his spine, working his way up to his shoulders then down to his fingers. An easy smile rested on his lips, though none but he and the forest would know. Zero furrowed his brow in dissatisfaction. The lack of information annoyed him. Concluding he would get no more from Gata, Zero resigned himself to wait for whatever this ¡®Gurd¡¯ was. He looked back up the hill to where they had breached the mountain, seeing a light bobbing through the occasional gap in the leaves.


    Night had fallen thick and fast, a shattered moon rising in the starless sky. The opaque light shone through the treetops, illuminating the ground. Shrieks and cries carried through the forest on a burning orange glow. Gata kept his leisure pace. Soon after they broke through the forests edge to overlook the town. A single stone wall many metres high surrounded a hill. The town built itself to the peak in rings. Easily defendable, Zero realised, an absolute bitch to conquer. His head pounded and he tilted woozily.


    Cloak caught his arm to stop him from falling. Pale white hands with small pink nails gripped Zero¡¯s wrist. He righted himself, catching a glimpse beneath the hood. Violet eyes shone from within. She released him and shied away. Gata kept moving, unknowing or uncaring. By the time the pair had descended the last of the hill, Gata was standing before the gates of the town, speaking with another man. Zero strained his ears to catch their conversation.


    ¡°¡­ don¡¯t care if it worked or not. What are we supposed to say? The bells tolled and we only got two? They¡¯d take away your Captaincy, Captain!¡± The man exclaimed, throwing his arms wide. Four masks rested on his waist, fasted by a thin leather strap to a skin-tight suit of black material. ¡°And worse yet, the forward raiding party still hasn¡¯t returned.¡±


    ¡°Masks. Two.¡± Gata commanded, sticking out his hand.


    ¡°What?¡± The other man said, puzzled, ¡°Why?¡±


    Gata threw a thumb to the side, pointing at the approaching pair. ¡°He¡¯s odd. She¡¯s normal. Masks for both. Don¡¯t need anyone sticking their noses in.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re gonna stick their noses wherever you are, Captain.¡± The man replied. He did as asked however, selecting two masks. bBoth resembled painted skulls. Gata waved at Zero and Cloak with them. They were made of painted wood, strange runes were carved on the inside of the forehead.


    ¡°Wear these.¡± Gata said.


    ¡°What will we do about their clothes?¡± The other man asked, sliding a mask over his face. It resembled nothing that Zero could remember. Flakes of wood stood out at harsh angles. If you ran your hand down it, you would be cut to ribbons. Snake-like tendrils sprouted from the back of his head, coiling over his shoulders. The change continued down his neck, black suit turning to green scales with a yellow spotted underbelly. Beneath the mask, the mans eyes turned yellow, although he was no longer a man.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    A gorgon standing taller than Gata had taken his place. Black ink seeped through the gorgons skin until from neck to ankle the black suit reformed. Zero stepped back in alarm the man¡¯s fingers turned into sharp talons. The gorgon licked the air with its forked tongue. ¡°Thossse massksss will lasst only an hour from when I lasst touched them,¡± The gorgon said, ¡°I ssugesst that we hurry. Don¡¯t be frightened. The changess are only temporary.¡±


    Zero continued to hold the mask at arms length. Gata massaged between his eyebrows. Without looking at him, Gata bent Zero¡¯s outstrectched arm at the elbow, grapped the mask and forced it onto his face. Zero¡¯s eyes watered as the mask struck his already wounded nose. The inside was warm and wet against his skin. It pulsed with sickly life as it melted through his face. He tore against the sides, finding them smooth against his skin. The lips flowed of his. He clamped his mouth closed. Black spots dotted his vision as he panicked.


    Gata smacked Zero hard across the back of the head. Zero, shocked, inhaled. The mask washed his teeth with an oily film. He felt them grow long. Muscles bulged, bones splintered and reformed down his arms as they grew longer. His toes melded together becoming hoofs. A pair of rams horns grew from the sides of his head. A tuft of goatee budded on his chin.


    Zero opened his mouth and bleated.


    ¡°Not my finest work,¡± The gorgon said appraisingly tapping his chin with a long nail, ¡°But it will do. For now. Not many will be looking at you two anyway.¡±


    Zero turned to look at Cloak, who had, if somehow possible, shrunk even deeper within the grey fabric. Her violet eyes glimmered at she glanced at him, a light giggle stifled from within the hood. Zero felt the ridged horns growing from the side of his head. Ridiculous, he felt, they should have been far sleeker. Why? His head ached again.


    The gorgon offered one of his remaining masks to Gata. Gata stomped out a cigarrete and pushed past the gorgon. He beat his fist against the town gate, waiting for it to open. When it didn¡¯t, he drew his hand back flat like the edge of a blade, then rammed it through the planks of wood. The gate groaned in response. He lifted the beam from the other side, letting it fall to the ground with a soft thump. Pressing his hands against the wood, he forced them open.


    A man, a gorgon, a faun and a cloak walk into a town. Inhuman eyes in the courtyard beyond turned to watch the small  group enter. Graveguard, as Zero had suspected, was built to be a defensive hub. Within the outer wall, there was a higher inner wall. This was not constructed of wood, but of stone and mortar. A metal portcullis guarded over the inner gate, a slitted gatehouse looming protectively over it.


    Archers lazed above it, bows and quivers strung across their backs. Guards stood either side of the outer gate, their spears and swords already leveled at Gata. A humanoid with the head of a bull, covered in deep black fur stomped forwards. A large, double headed axe was strapped across his back. Leather trousers covered his legs down to his cloven feet. The grumble within his chest could be heard before it left his mouth.


    ¡°Gata. Explain.¡± Gurd boomed. His voice was deeper than the depths of the ocean, thrice as powerful than its crushing weight. Zero¡¯s knees quivered. Cloak slunk behind the largest object nearby ¨C Gata.


    Gata shrugged, cigarette hanging from his lips. The woman from the crypt finally caught up to them, offering the lantern. He lit his cigarette and took a long drag while Gurd approached. The minotaur stopped when his wide nose met Gata¡¯s.


    ¡°I tolerate your sacrilege only under the King¡¯s orders.¡± Spit flecked from Gurd¡¯s mouth, landing on Zero. Gata pushed Gurd¡¯s head to the side half-heartedly.


    ¡°No spitting.¡± Gata said, exhaling silver smoke.


    Gurd¡¯s head snapped back to its original place. He stared down Gata¡¯s bored gaze, then said, ¡°You two. Faun. Thing. With me. We have some talking to do.¡± Gurd waved them over then turned away. ¡°Whisper!¡± He bellowed, ¡°Open the damn gate!¡±


    The inner gate opened. Gurd led the way, only to find Zero and Cloak hadn¡¯t followed. Gata gripped Cloak by the scruff, pulling them before him. ¡°Follow.¡± He shoved them after Gurd and pointed. Zero took the que to follow as well. Gurd waited for them on the other side of the inner gate. When they approached, the corners of his mouth pulled upwards and his eyes screwed in the corners.


    His arms extended wide, cradling the city behind him. ¡°Welcome, Delvers, to Graveguard.¡±

 Pyre

    Pyre


    ¡°Gata is the cities Delver. He leads the Night Lantern corps in the surrounding region.¡± Gurd said, leading the way through a quiet marketplace. Stalls were barely more than rags with a few homemade goods laid on top. The haggard looks in the faces of the more human creatures chilled Zero to his core. Gurd knelt by one of the stalls, a large serpent coiled around jars of varying colours protectively. He pointed at a jar of green liquid with a canvas seal, then held up three of his thick nubbed fingers. The snake reared, gripping the jar in its mouth before laying it in Gurd¡¯s palm. Gurd pulled a necklace of teeth from his neck, holding it out before the snake.


    The serpentine eyes regarded it longingly, before waving its tail. Don¡¯t worry about it, the movement said. Gurd dropped the necklace on a dish before the serpent that held a number of buttons, and half a stick of chalk. ¡°Gata¡¯s people drove us to this.¡± Gurd growled, leading them away. ¡°The war was over. They hunted us. Hurt us. Gata is good, for a man. It is good our newest delvers are not men, being faun and ¨C ¡° He regarded Cloak for a moment, ¡°other is better than being men.¡±


    ¡°What about the woman?¡± Zero asked.


    ¡°Mira is not a human. She is a hag. Not an insult.¡± Gurd intoned. ¡°She care-takes the grave. Has for many Tolls.¡±


    ¡°What are we doing here?¡± Zero asked. Cloak fluttered around the corners of his vision, timidly inspecting the surrounding stalls wares, never moving close enough for the stall owners to call out to them.


    Gurd stopped mid-stride, hooves clopping to a stop on the cobblestone ground. ¡°Gata has told you nothing?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Zero said, relieved. Finally, he would be getting some answers.


    ¡°Good. He is doing his job.¡± Gurd continued walking. Zero opened his mouth, but found no words for the sight he beheld next. Voices climbed in volume, a cacophany of hissing, yawping and howling. The smell of sweat carried on a breeze of humidty extended from what Zero assumed was the town square. The pyre burned bright and hot in the middle of the square. It towered over the nearest buildings. The flames licked high into the night sky, burning away the cool night air with rage. It twirled and spiraled into a whirling tornado.


    Zero looked around, How is this not burning the town down? Then he spotted them, floating high above. Birds and Sylphs floated around where the fire was hottest, channeling it into a concentrated beam of heat. Zero turned his eyes to the centre of the pyre, the masks suddenly making sense as dreaded reality creeped in.


    The little that remained of the skewered bodies was charred black in the centre of the pyre. Multitudes of corpses fueled the blaze as monstrous creatures danced around the outside, hooting and cackling. Gurd looked upon the festivities with distaste. ¡°Come. We go to meet Whisper.¡±


    Zero broke his gaze away from the fire. He was sickened. He wanted to run. To scream. Logic gripped his fevered mind in a vice. No, they¡¯ll figure it out. Play along. Then we run.


    The side street Gurd led them down was quiet. Various shops lined either side, coloured silks displayed in their windows. The doors were wide, barely more than framed holes that had been torn into the walls. ¡°Not the most civilised time to arrive.¡± Gurd grunted. ¡°They were raiding our supply lines. Scavenging, no doubt. We offered peace in these lands to their king, but he desired them for himself.¡± Zero nodded. The dark alleys were more appealing than Gurd¡¯s company, though he doubted he could outrun the bull.


    The road began a steep incline, leading towards the true centre of the town. The buildings grew taller, taking on the blocky, stacked shape Zero had spied outside. His legs continued to burn as they had since the first ladder. Before long he was short on breath. Cloak lagged far behind them. How long have we been walking?, Zero thought, 20 minutes? More? He hoped Gata would arrive soon.


    Zero staggered to the top, heaving great breaths of the dewy night air. The pyre continued to burn a bright column of flame into the night sky, though much of its heat had been lost over the distance. Atop the hill was a hut of mud and clay, built amongst the rubble of a larger stone building. A flap of animal hide served as a door. Gurd held it open with the back of his hand.


    ¡°Come in, Whisper is expecting you.¡± He said, before disappearing inside. Zero hesitated. He could run now, take Cloak with him. No one was around. No one would see. Cloak arrived at the top of the stairs. They could take the back alleys, all the beasts were distracted by their macabre ritual.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Deathly cold fingers lightly gripped Zero¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You could do that.¡± A voice thinner air said. Zero whirled, reversing the grip into a wrist lock. He came face to face with a man. ¡°They¡¯d get you before you reached the gate. Most of the people here have greater senses than you could ever imagine.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± Zero said.


    ¡°No? Then what is written across your face but terror? Gurd may not see it ¨C or not understand what the emotion is after seeing it so many times, but I do. I was much like you when I first arrived here. My kind have never fit in anywhere.¡± The man said. He had pale blue eyes, almost like crystal.


    ¡°You¡¯re like me?¡± Zero said.


    The man chuckled. ¡°A sense of humour, I like that. By which do you mean? A faun? A human? A delver? You are many things, and also nothing. A blank slate to begin again.¡± Zero¡¯s face dropped. He knew. ¡°Of course I know. It¡¯s my job to.¡± The man paused, ¡°Their voices are quite loud aren¡¯t they?¡±


    He cast a disdainful glance at the pyre, ¡°Come inside. We have food, and drink. None of it human, in any sense.¡± His head tilted to the side, then turned away, eastwards. ¡°Gata will be joining us. Come, we have much to discuss.¡±


    Zero looked him up and down. The man was dressed plainly, a simple shirt, trousers and bare feet. He looked at the man¡¯s hands, finding that he didn¡¯t have a lock on him at all. The newcomers hand had done a half rotation in its socket without breaking, without Zero even feeling a movement.


    ¡°What are you?¡± Zero said.


    ¡°I am an actor, a doppelganger. A liar and a shapeshifter. My mother was fae, hence the thought speech. Though I must warn you, that question can be rude towards certain¡­ colourful races. And it is always prudent to introduce oneself first before asking anything else.¡± The man stuck forwards his left hand to shake, which became a second right. ¡°I am Whisper.¡±


    Zero took his hand. ¡°I am Zero.¡±


    ¡°How interesting,¡± Whisper said, one of his eyes extending from its socket on a stalk, surveying Zero¡¯s body, ¡°Not Tali¡¯s best work I must say.¡± Zero took a shocked step backwards as Whispers eyeball stopped a breath from his own. He almost tripped over Cloak who had crouched directly behind him. ¡°Now that you know a little more about me, how about you step inside? We¡¯d best explain to Gurd before you are, quite literally, unmasked.¡±


    Something within Zero had taken a liking to Whisper. He followed the shapeshifter. A tug caught the back of his shirt. Cloak pinched a small part of his lower back, holding onto it as she followed. Whisper held open the flap as they entered. The hut was large, a fire pit dug into the centre glowed with coals. As Gurd threw in a fresh log, sparks trailed with the smoke through a hole in the clay ceiling.


    Teired seats sunk into the earth down towards the pit, forming layers of concentric rings. Whisper motioned for them to sit on the side of the fire opposing Gurd. He then took his place on the only bit of decoration in the room, a worn and tarnished rug. A pitcher and platter laid to his left. Whisper sat cross legged, bit his lip, and turned to face Gurd, who sat on his right.


    ¡°Gurd.¡± Whisper said.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic.¡± Whisper continued.


    ¡°Why would I panic?¡± Gurd replied confused.


    ¡°I¡¯d much like it if you put your axe out of reach. In fact, hand it to me.¡± Whisper commanded in a friendly tone. Brow scrunched in confusion, Gurd obeyed. ¡°Good. Very good,¡± Whisper said, ¡°Now, newfound friends, why don¡¯t you take off the masks that Trick gave you?¡±


    Gurd stiffened. He snorted derisively as both Cloak and Zero reached towards their faces. ¡°Flea ridden cess,¡± He grumbled, ¡°I¡¯ll repay that Anansi someday.¡±


    ¡°Now, now, don¡¯t be in such a rush. We should be thankful to Trick, he¡¯s saved you a lot of trouble this time.¡± Whisper said. ¡°You should be able to take those masks off. The magic is fragile now, and you are in a safe place.¡±


    Zero felt around the furred contours of his face. He scratched at the edge of his jawline, feeling for the mask. He had almost given up when his nail caught on an unseen corner. Tugging at it, the mask came away easily. Pain wracked his body as his hooves became toes, his transformation coming undone.


    ¡°Give me my axe.¡± Gurd said, calm and slow.


    ¡°They are our delvers.¡± Whisper replied, arm morphing to hold the axe further away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if a human army is knocking on our doorstep and I¡¯ve got to kill them all with a carrot ¨C again. Hand me my damn axe!¡± Gurd growled, diving across Whisper. To avoid getting crushed, Whispers flesh melted into a puddle, running along his outstretched arm with frightening speed, then consumed the axe. A small mouth appeared on the ball of pale flesh. Gurd hesitated, disgust evident on his face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me invoke it.¡± Whisper said.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Gurd growled disconcerted. Zero couldn¡¯t look at Whisper. It made him feel sick.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to invoke it.¡± Whisper warned.


    Gurd stepped away from Whisper, then launched himself across the fire. ¡°I don¡¯t need an axe to deal with these fledgelings.¡± He cried, his half-a-tonne form landing before Zero. Gurd reached back, preparing to ground Zero into a splatter the shape of Whisper.


    He never got the chance.


    Gata gripped Gurd¡¯s wrist lazily, chewing on an unlit cigarette. ¡°Off-balance.¡± Gata said as he knelt by the fire, lighting the end of his cigarette in the coals. Gurd was forced to his knees as he did so, straining not to break his wrists. At a command from Whisper, Gata released him, sitting between Zero and Cloak.


    With a hateful glare, Gurd stomped around the edge of the fire, taking his seat beside Whisper. He then shifted further away as Whisper returned to a vaguely human form. A smile formed across his face, too many teeth like needles showing.


    ¡°Now that everyones all settled, lets have a chat, shall we?¡±

 Delvers

    Delvers


    ¡°I believe it would be best to get those questions clouding your mind out of the way before I fill in the gaps. Please, ask away.¡± Whisper said, drinking directly from the pitcher before offering it to Gurd. Huffing, Gurd ignored him.


    Questions swirled within Zero¡¯s head. The most prudent thought, escape, became a fleeting wish the moment Gata arrived. ¡°Who am I?¡± Zero asked, buying for time. Gata¡¯s eyes hardened as he stared down Whisper.


    ¡°You are Zero, a human, are you not?¡± Whisper deflected, taking another draught from the pitcher.


    ¡°Who was I then, before I died?¡± Zero pressed. Whisper coughed, spitting blue liquid onto the fire. It flared, sizzling as the flame turned green before reddening. Whispers mouth contorted into a smile once more.


    ¡°A clever one, you are. I don¡¯t know who you were. But you are right to assume that you died at some point. How long ago? Who¡¯s to say. Some resurrected overnight at the first few Tolls, some it has taken hundreds of years for. Though to be safe, corpses are never buried near their home towns. More than a few stories of loved ones becoming Delvers, and then tearing their old families apart by accident, have surfaced.¡± Whisper said.


    Zero sat back. His head throbbed. Don¡¯t remember. Yeah, right. You try that. ¡°What is a Delver?¡±


    ¡°Ah, now that is a fun question.¡± Whisper replied, patting the floor beside him giddily. ¡°Where to begin, where to begin? Ah, yes. There are three conditions to being a true Delver:


    ¡®One: Must have awakened when the bells toll.


    Two: Must have been inducted by the corps of the region.


    Three: Must have conquered a dungeon, slain a calamity, or performed a true miracle of the gods.¡¯


    ¡°Though most days, you only need to have awakened to be called a Delver. Gata here is the Captain of Night Lantern, he will be taking you under his arms for the time being. As for number three, I wouldn¡¯t suggest it. Not yet.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡± Zero asked, ¡°I¡¯m already dead.¡±


    ¡°And therein lies the problem.¡± Whisper sighed, ¡°When a person dies, if you are lucky, there is the rare chance of a healer nearby being able to bring you back. Something to do with soul binding. I¡¯m not a healer, so I¡¯m unsure of the precise art. But being a Delver, as I understand it, means that your body is made of your soul, or something similar. Your body dies, so does your soul. No returning from death then, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    Zero sat back. Permanent death. ¡°Why are the bells ringing?¡±


    ¡°A calamity is approaching. The human heroes slayed the previous ¡®Demon King¡¯ ¨C could be a queen, doesn¡¯t have to be a demon ¨C and fled back to their country. Though we have reason to believe they never made it back, it is certain the King died. Without his protection, we fear something we cannot face will soon arise. That is the reason for the Tolls.¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°You want me to fight some unspeakable horror, with the chance of me dying permanently, for a bunch of monsters who are currently roasting humans at the stake.¡± Zero laughed. Gata smacked him calmly across the back of the head.


    ¡°Humans aren¡¯t better.¡± He said.


    Whisper nodded thankfully, unlatching himself from Gurd who had been struggling to his hooves. ¡°Please don¡¯t use that word around here. It will cause¡­ problems.¡±


    ¡°Give me a reason to fight for you. A single reason. And I¡¯ll consider it.¡± Zero said.


    Whisper looked at Gata uncomfortably. A flicker of communication passed between them. The slight shift in Gata¡¯s sharp eyebrows seemed enough. ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to fight for us.¡± Whisper began, choosing his words carefully, ¡°I expect you to fight for you.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t a reason.¡± Zero cut in.


    ¡°Calm. Peace. I¡¯m getting to that. I fear you companion may have been an unlucky one, showing the signs already.¡± Whisper said, hand gesturing towards Cloak. They withdrew further within the hood, wrapping it tightly down around them. ¡°Sometimes the awakening doesn¡¯t work completely, we¡¯re unsure why. It is certain though, that all return to the earth from whence they came. If you don¡¯t stop the calamity in time, your body will return to rot and ruin. Fall apart, with you still living inside.¡±


    Zero¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°If I don¡¯t stop whatever is going to happen, I die anyway? What happens if I do stop it?¡±


    ¡°Then your soul remains intact as you pass from this world. The gods look favourably on those they send to aid us.¡± Whisper said solemnly.


    ¡°Do they? Talk to them often?¡± Zero mocked.


    ¡°Careful. I like you, Zero, but the gods are whimsical. They strike without warning and without mercy.¡± Whisper warned.


    ¡°What about you, Gata? Are you falling apart too?¡± Zero asked, standing and stepping in front of the man. ¡°And you, nameless person hiding beneath the cloak, scared of their own shadow. What about you, will you fight for these brutes?¡±


    Cloak shrank away from Zero.


    ¡°Your rudeness is impressive.¡± Gurd snorted, ¡°If I were surrounded by a town of unfriendly people, I would be sure to do all I could to piss them off, maybe not as bold as you though, man. Gata, take charge of your underling.¡±


    Gata gripped Zero by the back of his shirt, pulling him to his seat. His hand remained when Zero was firmly planted to the ground, stopping him from rising again. Shaking his head, Whisper poured the last of the pitcher down his gullet. ¡°Gurd, your lady did well this time. Best batch yet.¡±


    ¡°She will be pleased to hear that.¡± Gurd replied. His short bulls tail twitched on the stone seating. Even hunched over, his back muscles pressed against the row of seating behind. ¡°I think it would be best if Gata were to take fughe and the Cloak to their quarters.¡±


    ¡°No need for language like that, the boy is shocked is all. I remember when Gata first ¨C¡° He was cut short by sharp silver eyes glaring at him. Whisper swallowed. ¡°What I mean is, let him adjust. He was dead this morning.¡±


    Gurd stood, stomping around the Delvers menacingly. ¡°You¡¯ve spent too much time amongst them Whisper,¡± He warned. ¡°Axe.¡± Whisper pulled the axe from within his body, extending his arm until the rest of his body became thin like a cotton shirt. Gurd took it wordlessly, flung the flap aside, and stormed into the night.


    Whisper returned his body to the human it had been outside. Pressing his hands to his scrunched brow, he spoke again, ¡°That was incredibly foolish. It is on Gurd¡¯s authority Night Lantern operates here at all. You may wish to rectify the damage you did here tonight sooner, rather than later. His wife has a thing for Cherberries.¡± Whisper tapped the rim of the pitcher by his side.


    Gata shifted then spoke, ¡°He will.¡±


    ¡°Good, good.¡± Whisper cut in before Zero could say anything, ¡°My friends, it will be a long night for me already with this revelry. I don¡¯t suppose you could give me some respite?¡±


    Gata nodded, getting to his feet. ¡°Come.¡± He said, looking down at Zero and Cloak. Cloak rose to her feet quickly, peering at Whisper beneath their hood. She gave a small wave before darting up the steps. Whisper returned the gesture, then rested his eyes on Zero.


    ¡°Cherberry. Remember it.¡± Whisper said with a small smile. Zero turned, walking up the steps. He resolved to forget as soon as he could. The chill of night had set in full force outside, Cloak bundled her arms close to her body. Gata took the final drag from his cigarette.


    ¡°Follow.¡±

 Welcome Home

    Welcome Home


    Gata led them through the dark streets, down abandoned alleys and beneath shadowed underpasses. They further they travelled, the less signs of life appeared. They turned a corner, coming to face a square of houses. A fountain stagnated in the middle of the square, green moss growing through a large chip knocked out of one side. Lights flared within the windows as they approached the front door. Gata reached forward to pound his fist on the door.


    Mira opened the door before he could touch it, still wearing the same clothes she had been in the grave. ¡°Flicka told me what happened.¡± She said, her eyes boring into Zero. He looked at his feet. ¡°I¡¯m surprised Gurd didn¡¯t turn you to pulp.¡±


    ¡°He tried.¡± Gata said unamused, walking into the receiving hall. Zero and Cloak followed him in.


    Mira touched Cloak on the shoulder lightly as she passed. ¡°You come with me.¡± Mira said, ¡°You aren¡¯t the first to have had difficulties reviving. Trick is here somewhere, we¡¯ll get you all fixed up.¡± Mira smiled, her teeth were yellowed, black spots showing on several them. Her rough skin crinkled the wrong way, exemplifying her crow¡¯s feet. She took Cloak up a set of stairs that ran parallel to the hall.


    Directionless, Zero continued to follow Gata. They wound through the house, finding it far deeper than Zero had anticipated. Gata pounded on a door marked ¡°Gray¡±, though the ¡®r¡¯ had been burned out. A belt hung looped around the doorhandle. When no response came, Gata pounded on it again, hard enough to rattle the hinges.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming. I can¡¯t afford another one. Hold on.¡± A voice called from inside. Chains slid and a deadbolt was drawn. A single spectacled eye appeared on through the fraction the door opened. ¡°Yes, Captain?¡±


    ¡°Tour duty.¡± Gata said, throwing a thumb at Zero.


    ¡°I can¡¯t I¡¯m¡­ otherwise engaged.¡± Gray said, placing as much emphasis on the words as he could. Gata waved as he walked away.


    ¡°All of you can do it.¡± He called.


    Gray threw a dirty look after the retreating Captain. He pressed his spectacles up the bridge of his nose. ¡°Are you going to let him in?¡± Twin female voices said.


    ¡°Cover yourselves first.¡± Gray said, his face disappearing from the crack. Blankets and bedsheets fell as the door closed. The chain lock lid from its place behind as Gray opened the door wide. The room was small and dark. A candelabra sputtered low on the desktop, a double bed holding two women warmly beside it. At the foot of the bed was large wooden trunk. Gray pulled a stool from beneath the desk, sitting on it, his lower half wrapped in a blanket. Behind him was a large window, open to the cool night air.


    ¡°I¡¯m Gray,¡± He yawned. ¡°The twins are Lilith and Eishe.¡± He pointed to each in turn. Zero doubted he¡¯d ever be able to tell them apart. They were the spitting image of each other. ¡°Lilith is the prettier one, Eishe is the hotter one.¡± Gray continued. The Twins giggled to each other, Zero hazarded a guess at some private joke. A long, thin tail that sharpened to an arrowhead slunk from beneath the covers, draping itself over Gray¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Zero.¡± Zero said, giving a small bow. The women smiled at him. He felt the hot flush creep up his cheeks.


    ¡°We¡¯re hungry.¡± The leftmost twin said, trailing a sharp nail down Gray¡¯s skin, drawing a line of red from shoulder to elbow.


    Gray nodded, ¡°I know,¡± He said, ¡°You heard the Captain though. He¡¯ll know if I skip. He always does. Let me give the newbie the tour. I¡¯ll be back soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Promise?¡± The left twin said, licking Gray¡¯s blood from her nail.


    ¡°No. You¡¯ll have to take my word for it.¡± Gray replied. He moved to the foot of the bed, dropping the blanket on the floor. Zero turned to face the door, giving him privacy. The trunk clunked open and wheezed as Gray lifted the lid. Clothes fell to the floor in a messy pile as he dug. ¡°Where¡¯s my¡­¡±


    ¡°Still in our room.¡± The rightmost twin said.


    ¡°And my¡­¡± He continued.


    ¡°The roof. Last night¡¯s excursion?¡± The left twin said.


    ¡°Ah. Purple silk it is.¡± Gray said, pulling on a dyed nightshirt. He walked back to the desk, taking a stained amber glass. He skulled the contents then threw the remainder through the open window. Taking a candle from the candelabra, he squished it into the now empty cup. ¡°A little while, my queens.¡± He bowed, then kissed each on the centre of the forehead. They blushed, pulling the sheets over their faces.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Gray motioned for Zero to leave the room. Stepping out into the hall, he found it surprisingly well lit. The floor beneath his feet was carpeted from wall to wall, the walls themselves painted with old and faded murals, separated by supporting columns. The wall opposite Gray¡¯s door depicted a duel. A demon with elegant antlers wielded a pure white blade. Its body was strong, muscles taught and sculpted. The light of the blade shone through the demon¡¯s large bat-like wings, illuminating the outlines and colours of bones and veins in the wing membrane. The demon¡¯s face had been chipped out. Why? It¡¯s all so¡­ familiar.


    Zero¡¯s blood boiled unbidden when he looked at the demon¡¯s foe. A human man, handsome and strong, held a blade of shadows, meeting the demon with a head on charge. Contrasting to the demon¡¯s nakedness he wore a suit of silver armour, a blue cloak flapped behind him. Emblazoned on the cloak was a strange sigil, startlingly familiar.


    The door closed behind Zero. ¡°These paintings are the few that remain in Graveguard. When the king was slain, the people went into a rage. Destroyed almost everything remotely human they could get their hands on. They came to the courtyard and were unlucky that Gata answered the door. Took a while to get the stains out of the carpet.¡± Gray reminisced.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± Zero said, pointing at the demon.


    ¡°A calamity. We think he was the first. Hard to tell with the face missing. That though,¡± Gray said, pointing at the human knight, ¡°Is the founder of our order. The first Captain of the Night Lantern corps, Marvolio.¡± Zero turned to look at Gray, the sigil on the knight¡¯s cloak emblazoned on the left of his nightshirt. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve done this. Bear with me.¡± He looked up and down the hallway. ¡°I suppose we start with the kitchens. Then the bathroom. Best to warn you, anyone invites you back to their room? Don¡¯t go.¡±


    And with that, he led Zero down the hallway. They turned left, ¡°The houses in this square were made into one. The walls were knocked down when Gata arrived. Made us all one big happy family.¡± He said. They rounded a corner, where he pointed out the kitchens. ¡°Sprites make the food any time we need. Don¡¯t stay too long though, they eat our thoughts as much as we drink their wine. Ever had sprite wine?¡±


    Zero shook his head.


    ¡°You¡¯re missing out. There¡¯s some in my room. Drop by sometime, unless I¡¯ve got my belt on the door.¡± Gray winked. Further down the hall was the male bathroom. It was barely more than a hole over a pit that was routinely collected by a person Gray referred to as ¡®Kevin¡¯. He also pointed out the women¡¯s, stressing the point to never go in there. Walking back up the way they came, Gray showed him to the second floor. ¡°Library is on the other side, but Davomir is up to his studies again. Don¡¯t disturb him. He¡¯s a little on the odd side, even for us.¡±


    Gray led Zero up a flight of stairs to the second floor. As they approached the landing, Gray looked startled and backpedalled. ¡°Gray!¡± A girl in her late teens approached, hair aflame. ¡°The Twins had better not be in your bed again.¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t.¡± Gray lied, hands placating, ¡°Haven¡¯t seen them all night.¡± Flame leaked from the corner of the girl¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Is that why you burn like them?¡± She said.


    ¡°Burn?¡± Gray ducked, barely avoiding a ball of flame that sailed over his head. He pointed at it, a storm cloud materialising in mid-air, absorbing the fire and dissolving into mist. ¡°No powers in the house.¡± Gray reprimanded.


    ¡°You use yours all the time.¡± The girl complained.


    ¡°Mine won¡¯t burn the house down.¡± Gray continued, watching her ready another bout of flame in her palm. ¡°Fi, put the fire away. No need for magic. Besides, how could I have been with the Twins if I¡¯ve been showing the newbie around?¡±


    The girl paused at this, turning to Zero. ¡°I¡¯m Fi.¡± She said, extending a flaming hand. Zero looked at it cautiously. She shook it in the air, extinguishing the flames, and stuck it towards him again. He shook it.


    ¡°Zero.¡± He said, though she had already turned back to Gray. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. Where have you taken him so far?¡±


    ¡°Kitchens, bathroom, library, lounge, Guard den, Watchpost, actually, the library is a lie. Davomir was there. Didn¡¯t want to disturb him.¡± Gray lied.


    Fi huffed and stalked away. ¡°Mira is taking the new girl around now. Careful if you run into her, if you decide to visit anywhere a second time.¡±


    ¡°Will do.¡± Gray said. ¡°Thanks, Sparkles.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Puff.¡± She snarled before rounding the corner.


    ¡°I¡¯ll finish the tour with you tomorrow.¡± Gray whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to your room now. Got to get the Twins out of mine before Mira sees. ¡®Unbecoming of a Lantern¡¯ she says. Lousy hag just never gets any.¡± They walked at a brisk pace down the hall, following a labyrinthian path until they came before another door. Each name down its wooden face had been scratched through. Some a simple, neat line. Others had been completely gouged from the surface, rid from history.


    ¡°This is your room from now on. I¡¯ve got to fly, so see ya.¡± Gray said, turning on his heel and sprinting away.


    Zero tried the door handle. It was stuck. He jiggled the handle, finding it locked. Damn. He cursed. The hinges for the door were on the inside, he couldn¡¯t jack them if he tried. Half-crouching, he looked through the keyhole in the door. The inside of his room was dark. Zero looked up and down the corridor, listening for any signs of life. After hearing none, he shoulder-charged the door. It crunched open with a loud bang. The inner handle left a dent in the wall, the door hung loosely on its hinges.


    The inside of the room was plainer than Gray¡¯s, merely a thin woollen mattress on the floor. He crossed the room, drawing back the curtains that covered the window. Three moons shone in the sky, white, violet, and red. Zero opened them to the night air. He smelt the pyre burning in the city. He walked over to the door, only to find the lock broken. He closed it as firmly as he could, then laid on the mattress.


    Somewhere far away, Mira¡¯s muffled voice shouted ¡°GRAY!¡±. He tried to listen to the conversation that followed, only to find that sleep had already seized him.