The Broken Song

Chapter Thirty-Two

There were no words to describe it.

The first body was that of a small child, a young boy, though his remains were nearly too badly mangled to tell. His body was emaciated, his brown skin drained of all warm color and was now pale and cracked in various places. One arm was missing, and a foot as well, their ends jagged as though they had been torn away.

Her eyes trailed from the boy to the rest of the dismal scene. The silence surrounding this street was deafening. On their way, they had seen no one within five blocks of this place. The smell and unsightly appearance could only be one aspect of the reason no one came here. Guilt was likely the other. Being there, seeing the horror for herself, she could only imagine what the people of the Lower Town felt when they thought of the Well. If she had been a better person, like Ori or Idelle, she might have felt some sort of sorrow, or sympathy for those who felt they had no choice. But she wasn't. She was Elusia Vale, and she had no patience, sympathy, or understanding for anyone capable of committing such atrocities.

There was no viable way to count the dead. They lay strewn about the wide, elongated street as though someone, Master Talleron, had discarded them as though they were nothing. In a few places, the piles were taller than Duncan. Blood and innards coated the ground, painting a horrible picture that none of them were ever likely to forget. Lulu's eyes strayed to a particular spot, where the blood pool was interrupted, several long swipes hinting that a person had tried to crawl through the muck. Some of these people had been thrown here alive.

But for all the horror and anger the sight of the bodies created, that paled in comparison to the Well itself. When her eyes finally fell upon it, she felt as though she had plunged into a deep reservoir of ice-cold water. It felt wrong, out of place, and, indeed, it should not have been there at all. Never had a well stood on that spot, but there it was, seemingly sprung from nowhere.

Lulu took a step toward it. The ground beneath her groaned as though she walked on a warped wood floor instead of solid stone. Another step and a swarm of spiders crested over the Well's edge and spilled out into the street. Lulu paid them no mind, ignoring the few that scurried up her arm. Another step and the Well growled, a warning to turn back. But still, Lulu remained unmoved. As if sensing her determination, the Well's growl grew louder, filling the air before a sudden onslaught of blood and remains burst out in a horrific fashion. The smell that emerged was unlike anything they had ever encountered, worse than the sewers and the flaming corpse of the Virajac. There were several Light Wardens that had to turn away, heaving in disgust and horror. But Lulu steeled herself. Whatever lay within needed to be stopped. The fact that she had a personal stake in the endeavor was just an added bonus for her. Without a second thought to the matter, she plummeted into the Well.

*************

Ori stumbled. The power of the Well crashed over her, unrelenting in its sheer ferocity. It wanted her, and everyone around it, to know that within lurked a dark and dangerous wild thing that would devour them all if given the chance.

Her mind was spinning, head throbbing, and legs shaking. The power of the Well clamped around her so tightly it felt as though it would squeeze the life from her. Behind the growl emanating from the Well, she could hear whispers. They wriggled in her ears, enticing her closer even as the growl warned her of the danger within. It was an overwhelming sensation that was impossible to push away.

At her side, Idelle reached for her hand. They each slowed their breathing, heartbeats in sync as they, together, fought against the oppressive hold pulsing outwardly. But no matter how hard they pushed, the magic would not be ignored. And then, Lulu took a step toward the Well. Spiders cascaded over the edge. Pain shot through Ori's skull. Another step from Lulu and the growl grew louder. Ori winced as the power coiled around her throat. But, it wasn't until the next step that Ori lost her control. The blood and remains burst from the Well, and she could stand it no longer. Tearing her hand away from Idelle's, she raced toward the adjoining street. She could feel the sludge rising in the back of her throat. But the moment she turned the corner, she was met with an unexpected sight.