THE NIGHT WITCH JOINED THE REST OF THE PARTY in the confines of the narrow alleyway on the other side of the wall. She could feel the tugging of the winds from the swirling vortex behind her. Mallt withdrew most of the Shadow Magic she had fused with that of the Amulet of Hidden Ways. The little she left would hopefully be enough to strengthen the tunnel and prevent it from closing until they needed to return.
'Where is Holt?' the youngest girl asked, a hint of suspicion edged her voice.
'I am afraid Bredock is feeling a little under the weather,' she answered. 'We decided it would be better if he remained behind to guard the portal.'
'I hope so,' the girl replied. Again her tone was one of distrust.
She tempered her anger at her questioning. 'Do not worry. I have not harmed him in any way. He will be waiting when we return.'
In the gloom of the alley, she could make out very little of her miserable surroundings. The city wall arch away into shadow on one side and vast bleak edifices towered ominously on the other. High above she could just discern a patch of half-light against the all invading darkness. A misty fog of humidity hung in the air, coating everything with a slick layer of moisture. Underfoot a sluggish flow of filthy water appeared to be littered with the vast cities decaying detritus. it gave off a putrid smell of damp and decay as they splashed through it.
Mallt thought she would feel at home in a world of darkness and shadow but something about the city made her uneasy. It was a far darker, more alien place than back in the Fairy Realms. Cold and dead, the shadows here had lain dormant for countless aeons. That time had allowed whatever evil resided within this sunless tomb to fester and grow. The suffocating sensation of being watched by something unseen crawled across her skin. She felt it reaching out for her, its touch unpleasant even to one borne with the ability to manipulate the world of shadows. An icy embrace that sent a shiver through her body driving away what little warmth she felt. She fought against it, feeling a deep sense of relief when the sensation seemed to pass. Mallt cleared her mind and reached out with her magic. She cast it about trying to detect any trace of the spark she had become aware of back on the beach. It was there. An almost indiscernible trail that stretched off along the alleyway. It was intertwined with another form of magic she had not encountered before.
Daemon magic, she thought.
She pointed in the direction of the magical pathway and called out to Orin Cerne.
'This way,' she stated. 'But be on your guard, we do not know what lurks within these dark passageways.'
'Nothing good, I'll wager,' Orin replied warily. He signalled to the Sha-Hotha with a low whistle and with a string of nervous grunts the reptilian hunters wheeled away into the murk.
Picking their way through the debris and waste, they were making fairly good time. Mallt dropped back to join the children.
'Are you all well?' she asked.
'What do you care?' Jessica replied angrily. 'You've already tried to kill me once.'
'No child, I did not,' the Witch hissed, dark shadows momentarily clouding her pale skin. 'While the Wild Hunt may boast a somewhat tarnished reputation for carrying out certain activities. Slaying children is not one of them.'
Jessica glanced at the Elf, disbelief showed on her face. 'But you put that collar around my neck, threatened to strangle me if we didn't do what you wanted.'
Mallt nodded in agreement. 'Yes child, I did, and I am sorry for that. The Gnome is stubborn and needed a little persuasion to carry out the task.'
'That may be.' Danielle countered. 'But you will excuse us if we don't trust you.'
Before the Witch could reply they heard urgent grunts and coughs from up ahead. Orin listened for a moment then moved swiftly towards the noise.
'They have discovered something,' he shouted, effortlessly keeping his balance among the debris that littered the floor.
'Stay back children,' Mallt warned. 'Until we find out what the problem is.'
Tendrils of shadow wrapped about her body as she made her way forward. Ixil Driz moved to her side, his sword and axe held ready to counter any threat that may appear.
Just ahead she saw Orin leap atop a heap of fallen rubble. He crouched down and motioned for them to keep low and stay silent. More cries came from the Sha-Hotha, echoing throughout the alleyways. Beneath the calls of the reptilian hunters, she could hear other sounds, the high-pitched screeching and snarling of some creatures yet unseen. She crept up beside Orin and followed his gaze. Deep in the shadows, she could just make out the shapes of Rend and Flay. They circled warily, defending themselves against a pack of squat dark silhouettes that scurried and danced around them trying to keep out of reach of the Sha-Hotha's slashing claws. Each of these new creatures carried a glowing lure that marked their presence in the gloom. Even as Mallt watched, one of the creatures leapt for the throat of Flay, but the Sha-Hotha was quicker and caught the beast in its powerful jaws. It bit down and hurled the bloodied carcass away. Several more bodies lay about, victims of her hunters. But she knew that sooner or later these things would find a way through the armoury of tooth and claw and it would not end well.
'What are they?' Mallt asked.
'Nothing I have seen before,' Orin whispered. 'Foul creatures that haunt the depths of these airless catacombs.'
'Whatever they are, we need to get past them,' the Witch stressed. 'The trail we follow continues on the far side of those creatures.'
Raising a hand she summoned the Shadow Magic. Ribbons of darkness spun from her fingertips snaking their way across the space between her and the attacking creatures. Each tendril grasped a body, squeezing and tearing at the flesh. At the same moment, Orin and Ixil Driz leapt from the heap of fallen waste. Axe and sword made short work of many of the strange beasts but for each one that fell, others took their place. With powerful hind legs driving them forward, the creatures hurled themselves recklessly at their assailants. One slipped passed Ixil's swinging axe and fastened its jaws on his shoulder, its jagged claws seeking to rip into his chest. Luckily the rock hard plates that gave the Stone Troll its name were more than adequate to save him from serious injury. Ixil reached up and tore the creature away. More appeared until the whole alleyway was full of the jostling monstrosities. Orin looked on in horror as the seething mass fell on their own dead and injured, tearing them apart to try and quell their insatiable hunger. Gradually Orin and the Sha-Hotha were forced to give ground. Even Ixil, with all his strength and armoured skin, fell back.
Mallt sent out another wave of magic-this time in the form of dark razor-sharp blades-once again the shadows cut a bloody swathe through the horde, and once again more creatures poured in to fill the gap. She tried to strengthen herself by drawing on the darkness that surrounded her but unlike the shadows back in Ellyonia, they refused to respond to her calling. Instead, she felt them slipping into her thoughts, whispering and calling to her, seeking to subvert her with words of hatred and corruption. For a moment she almost succumbed to the temptation, but the spark of goodness that still existed within her fought back. She cried out, forcing the evil that was trying to manipulate her aside.
Mallt shook her head to clear it. 'We need to hold our ground Orin,' she screamed above the din of the creatures. 'We cannot allow them to drive us back any further.'
Then farther back they saw one of the things leap onto a block of stone. It was slightly larger and more muscular than the others, a bull of a creature that roared out a warning to those around it. The horde reluctantly broke off from the conflict but crouched ready to attack anew. The newcomer stretched to its full height and released a series of high-pitched screeches into the darkened, damp air. Almost immediately the call was answered, only this time from behind Mallt and her party.
She swung about, listening as the noise reached an ear-splitting crescendo.
'They are behind us!' Mallt exclaimed fearfully.
Eldon and the children heard the sounds of chaotic battle from the direction the Witch had taken. They long to join with them and put an end to whatever the problem was. It was proving yet another delay in completing the quest they had set out on. There was a brief lull and they hoped the fighting was over. Then the screeching started.
'It's all around us,' Jessica called out. She glanced back along the tenebrous passageway to where the answering calls were coming from. Dozens of little lights winked and bobbed in the darkness, coming closer every second.
'What are they?' she asked apprehensively.
'Get behind me,' growled Eldon brandishing his axe.
The children moved to stand behind the Giant, readying their weapons.
Suddenly a mass of squat ugly creatures surged out of the shadows. They shrieked in anger, driven forward by powerful legs, jaws snapping and reaching for their prey.
'Run,' shouted Eldon, bracing himself for the onrushing monstrosities.
They turned and sprinted towards the mound of rubbish the Witch had disappeared over. They climbed partway up and spun around just in time to see the first of the creatures leap at Eldon. He met them with a swing of his axe, slicing through their bodies, scattering blood and severed limbs in its wake.
'We can't leave him,' George yelled over the screeching attackers. 'There are too many for him to fight.' he raised the Frostblade and sent a burst of white fire into the advancing predators. The front line of the horde slowed, their bodies covered with a thick layer of frost. But others came on, leaping over the still forms of their companions. Beside him, Danielle started to loose arrows as fast as she could. Then Jessica released her magic into the midst of the pack. Howls of pain rose from the stricken creatures as the flames licked at their charred bodies. Twisted and blackened they tumbled to the ground. One, its body aflame, leapt at Eldon. He swung his axe once more, dispatching the beast before it reached him. The Giant grasped the chance and raced up the slope to join the children. But even under the withering hail of magic, the reptile-like things kept coming. Undeterred, more spilt out of the darkness behind the fallen. Spitting and hissing they clawed their way over the dead and dying, driven on by the call of the pack leader.
'How many of these things are there?' Danielle queried anxiously.
'Too many for us to fight, child,' Eldon blurted out. 'We must join the Witch and her companions, but I fear they are in no better position than us.'
Loosing one last blast of magic they ran for their lives. Cresting the top of the mound, they found Mallt and the others almost surrounded by a vast sea of the creatures stretching off along the alleyway. They clawed and bit at each other as they struggled to reach the trapped quarry.
'There's more coming,' George gasped as they reached the Night Witch. He pointed back up the heap of litter just as the first of the nightmare predators reached the summit.
The large beast, who appeared to be a leader, uttered a series of screams and screeches. It leapt down from its perch and snapping at any who came near, it began making its way to the front of the herd. The creatures fell silent and parted ranks to let the alpha through.
'What are they waiting for?' Mallt whispered.
'They have us where they want us,' answered Orin. He nodded towards the alpha. 'It is a clever one; I will give it that. It will give the signal when it is ready and they will rush us. But it looks like it means to have the first bite.'
The Witch turned quickly, looking at Jessica. 'These creatures, living and hunting in the darkness. Child, that trick you pulled back in the pass. Can you do it again?'
'I'm not sure, I suppose so,' Jessica answered warily.
'Get ready then,' Mallt told her. 'The rest of you; when I give the girl the sign, close or shield your eyes. Orin, do what you can for the Sha-Hotha.'
She watched Jessica closely, waiting for some indication the girl was ready.
The alpha seemed to sense something and emitted a piercing shriek of alarm. As one the creatures bound forward.
'Now!' the Night Witch screamed.
Jessica glowed bright, allowing the heat and light to explode from her body. It flashed brightly, bouncing off the alleyway walls, destroying the shadows and seeking out even the deepest recesses. Taken by surprise the horde fell away in alarm. Used to prowling the undercity in almost complete darkness the sudden radiance overwhelmed their collective senses. Blind and confused the creatures turned on each other, snapping and snarling they ripped and tore in a frenzy of flesh and blood.
Mallt struggled against the weakness caused by Jessica's magic. Even though she tried to shield herself against it. The light had wrested the Shadow Magic from within her. She managed to grasp a small portion, burying it away where the brilliance could not reach it.
'We need to go,' she gasped, staggering slightly. Orin noticed her discomfort and grasped her arm to steady her. She pointed. 'That way, quickly.'
Taking advantage of the turmoil caused by the blinding light, they raced forward. Eldon and Ixil Driz led the way, their huge axes cutting a swathe through the still bewildered creatures. With the Sha-Hotha and the children picking off any who sought to come near. The party fought their way through the teeth and claws that threatened to tear them apart given the slightest of chances.
From somewhere behind came a prolonged keening that gradually built up to a crescendo as others took up the call.
'They are recovering,' Orin declared grimly. 'We need to leave this alleyway now, or we all die.'
The Witch leant heavily on Orin. She looked around hopefully then spotted the partially open doorway in the base of a nearby structure. 'There! We need to go there, it will lead us to what we seek,' she gasped, pointing ahead.
The Elven Hunter called to Ixil Driz, directing him along the course Mallt had indicated. Without breaking his stride the Stone Troll veered to the side, Eldon followed. The voracious horde began to close in on them once more, regrouping as the alpha shrieked its primitive commands. Ixil reached the doorway first and put his massive shoulder to it. At some point, the entry had become buckled and for a moment it appeared to be jammed. The Stone Troll strained further and it give slightly. At that moment Eldon joined him, adding his strength. Together they were able to force it open just enough to gain entrance. Signalling to the children–who were busy using magic to keep the creatures at bay–to retreat into the now open doorway. Orin pushed Mallt through and ushered the Sha-Hotha in just as one of the creatures managed to evade the swinging axes and bowled into him. He went down beneath the ripping claws and rending teeth. Several others joined it sensing a kill. The Elf would have died there and then if not for Eldon. Seeing what was happening, the Giant leapt into the fray, his axe cleaving the skull of one while seizing another and hurling it away. He swung his axe in a vicious arc and for a moment the writhing mass fell back. Taking his chance Eldon grabbed the fallen Elf and hauled him through the door.
George sent a quick blast of white fire out of the opening, spraying the lead attackers with a layer of frost. Ixil Driz dived into the space and with Eldon's help, they pushed on the door. With a screech of protest, it slammed shut.
From outside the noises grew louder as the creatures; denied their prey, screamed and hurled themselves against the metal door. Jessica held up her wand and allowed a small amount of magic to cast a faint glow into the dark space. Eldon spotted some fallen metal poles littering the floor and used them to jam into the door frame wedging it shut.
'That should hold,' he said breathing a sigh of relief.
They slumped into the stairwell, weary with exhaustion, but glad to have escaped the dangers of the alleyway. Orin was the only one to sustain a serious injury. One of the creatures had raked him with its claws, tearing through his clothing, leaving jagged lacerations across his chest. Eldon bent close to inspect the wound and removed some items from his bag. He cleaned, applied a salve and bandages and told the Elf to rest awhile. Orin nodded his thanks. He examined the others, but except for minor cuts and scrapes, none appeared to have suffered any lasting damage.
'What do we do next?' Eldon queried, aiming the question at Mallt Rhakan. 'It is time we brought this quest to an end. It has dragged on far too long.'
The Witch sat at the bottom of the steps gazing up into the stairwell that stretched away into the darkness overhead. 'I agree, Giant. And end it we shall,' she pointed upwards. 'We go this way. What we seek is very close, I can almost feel it. But I also sense other things at play here, dark things. They are unclear, so we must be wary and not rush headlong into danger.'
Soon after, the group set off once again. They had rested for a few moments and then began the long climb. Eldon had fashioned two torches out of the rubble accumulated in the bottom of the stairwell. He lit them using flint and gave one to the Stone Troll and kept the other.
Ixil Driz took the lead, followed by Mallt, Orin and the Sha-Hotha then the children and finally Eldon guarded the rear. They made good time at first but the climb was tiring after their exertions of late. The higher they went, the more the air became thick and rank with the stench of death. It made the children retch and cover their nose and mouth with their cloaks. Suddenly Ixil halted, he raised his torch revealing the horror scene spread before him. Blood and gore slicked the walls and stairway leading to a mass of slaughtered bodies that obstructed the way forward.
Mallt pushed by the Stone Troll and stood among the dead. 'I know not what happened here mistress,' he growled.
The Witch studied the dismembered bodies closely. 'More of those creatures and I suspect these others are Daemons,' she surmised, more to herself than anyone else. Mallt reached out; using the magic sparingly. She smiled even in the midst of the dreadful sight that surrounded her. 'Good, it is not here, she paused and reached out further. 'They escaped this butchery and move on up.'
Leaving the carnage behind them, they continued to climb until finally, they reached the top of the stairwell. A darkened exit appeared ahead of them. Ixil extinguished the torch and slowly pushed the door open, ready for anything that should be waiting behind it. Nothing appeared and one by one they filed out into the rooftop.
The small company stood for a moment gazing out across the Daemon City. Within the barrier that pulsed with the blue-green energy, the huge metropolis lay dark and silent. Only in the loftiest spires did faint lights flicker hinting that life still existed in its cold, bleak confines.
The Night Witch strode across the roof to stand on the very edge of the precipice. She spread her arms wide and breathed in a lungful of unpleasant smelling air; it cleared her head somewhat. It was still polluted with the taint of something she sensed earlier, something she could not quite put her finger on. But still, she was glad to be out of the loathsome depths she had found herself in.
Mallt Rhakan stared towards the faraway bulk of a shadowy building. In her mind's eye, she followed the vague trail of glowing magic that stretched from the rooftop to the distant citadel.
Beneath her hood, her eyes grew dark, and a cruel smile formed on her face. 'So close,' she whispered to herself.