Into Oblivion (Book 4) (23 page)

He now stood within one hundred yards of the tower, and glared at its massive spire in hatred. He knew what lay there; now and in the past. The great wizard Traegus had built it, and the Corruptor knew that the hated lich had returned. There was a strange sense about him, though. Something about his aura seemed different.

“Blasted undead fool,” Malthor cursed under his breath. “No more alive than I, but revered and respected. Vile.”

The Corruptor sat crossed-legged near the forest’s edge, focusing on projecting his consciousness into the tower among the gathered magic users. He felt Traegus—different as he was—along with Faeraon, Maedoc, a wild beast of the forest, and a woman and her… mentor?

No. Not an older being, yet… impossibly ancient. How could this be?

Jodocus was dead, he knew. The Devourer had killed him. But it
was
Jodocus—a different Jodocus; almost as different as Traegus was now. The child, he realized, was the source. But how?

What was happening?

Sighing, the Corruptor laid back in the leaves. He would wait until Farouk returned from whatever errand he had left to perform. Though soon, Malthor began to feel the growing presence of another spirit; one similar to Faeraon, and from the same realm. In fact, he felt more of them all around, as if they were shadows of the people who once lived on Alvheim.

How could he sense them here? They were dead from what he knew. The Lifegiver had stolen their souls and doomed them limbo. His magic had transformed their bodies into pure energy and banished them from reality.

Had The Lifegiver been mistaken? Had he misjudged the effectiveness of his powers?

“Damn you, Absu,” he cursed. “Damn you and your narcissism. You have failed yourself.”

Chuckling to himself, the Corruptor slipped into the restful sleep of the undead.

Chapter Twenty One

“Baphomet,” Khalid said.

“Baphomet?”

“Yes, that is his name. Before The Lifegiver came, many farmers began to make offerings to
Baphomet in order to greatly increase the yield of their crops and the production of their livestock.”

“Who was this… being?” the Dragon asked. “A child of Imbra?”

Khalid shook his head. “Not exactly,” he said. “He is a Djinn, a benevolent one at that.”

“I see. So when the farmers gave offerings he would use his magic to bless their crops and such.”

“Yes,” Khalid said. “But probably not out of the goodness of his heart.”

The Dragon laughed. “For what reason, then? What did the farmers offer him?”

“Ohhhh, portions of their yields, goats, their daughters.”

The Dragon chuckled again, covering his face with his hand. “Now that is a smart Djinn. He fancied human women, eh?”

“Indeed he did,” Khalid replied, smiling. “But he was kind to them. He lavished them with riches, the finest silks, gold jewelry. Anything they desired.”

“Well,” the Dragon said. “I’m glad to hear he didn’t eat them.”

“Not in the literal sense, no.”

The Dragon turned to Khalid in question, but saw only the man’s wry grin.

“Interesting,” he said, slowly grinning, but not truly realizing why.

Suddenly Khalid stopped, cocking his head as if listening. Dagda stopped as well, slowly realizing what had caught the priest’s attention.

There was a low hissing sound; long and drawn out. It was deep, resonant, and slightly rumbling in nature. It stopped for a moment, and then started again. This time, the hissing was louder and more forceful.

“What is that?” Khalid asked.

“We are getting closer to our destination, Khalid. I am starting to feel the presence of both spirits that are here. Theia is asleep; the other is… dead? Dead but somehow alive. Dreaming perhaps.”

“It is breathing, then?”

The Dragon nodded. “Yes, we must be careful not to anger it.”

The grotto began to widen, gradually opening up into another massive cavern. The jagged walls, ceiling, and floor were lit with an odd greenish-blue light that was interlaced with highlights of orange. Though the center of the cavern was obscured by the ruins of thousands of arched buildings, the orange light was apparently centered there. It shined up from behind the ruins, lighting them as if they were on fire.

There, on the far side of the cavern, was a massive throne. Upon it was a giant statue, exactly like the statue that was carved out of the pillar far back in the ruined city. But, this statue was more realistic. Though made of stone that reflected the multi-colored light, its realism was striking. However, it and the throne were encased in huge stalagmites and stalactites that had formed over it through the eons. It seemed like a prison of sediment, trapping whatever figure was depicted in an eternal prison.

Still, Khalid could not shake the feeling that this statue was something more. Something…

“Living,” the Dragon said. Khalid nodded slowly.

The two approached the near edge of the ruins. The crumbled arches seemed to surround a massive object that was the source of the orange light. As they got closer, it became obvious that the bluish lights also had their source from the object, or other smaller objects that surrounded it.

“This is definitely Theia’s Firstborn,” the Dragon said, seemingly overwhelmed by the power that was present. “I can barely breathe. I feel like I am in the presence of greatness.”

“Calm yourself, my friend,” Khalid
said. “You are not thinking rationally. This is an alien being. One that is malevolent and violent. You said yourself that being trapped here for billions of years would have a negative effect on any sentient being.”

“I did not word it quite that way,” the Dragon said. “But you are right. I must not falter. This being is why I am here. Not Theia. I know that now.”

“Can you absorb his life force?” Khalid asked.

The Dragon shook his head. “I am not certain. But if I could, his power would be more than enough to sever the connection The Lifegiver has with Gaia.”

“Sever the connection?” Khalid repeated. “I thought you came to gain strength to fight The Lifegiver.”

“I am beginning to think that my time is near, Khalid.”

“What do you mean?” Khalid demanded, facing the Dragon in defiance.

“My son is the one who will battle Absu, not I. My task is as the tasks of my brothers; to give my life for the sake of the Earth.”

Khalid choked on the Dragon’s words. “But… what will we priests do without you?”

The Dragon turned to Khalid, and the priest could see the love in his eyes.

“Khalid,” the Dragon said softly. “I am glad that you came to be my servant. But the time has come for me to return to my Mother. She needs my strength. Indeed, she needs the strength of all of her children.”

Khalid gritted his teeth, a lump slowly rising in his throat. “Dagda,” he sobbed. “You were my savior
; my salvation.”

The Dragon put his hands on Khalid’s shoulders, looking into his eyes. “You have made me very proud,” he said. “You have redeemed yourself a thousand-fold. You must now become the redeemer.”

Khalid shook his head, lowering his eyes. “Though I do not share your faith in me, I will do whatever you wish.”

“Good,” the Dragon replied. “Then help me awaken this beast, and we will kill it.”

Khalid nodded hesitantly, not sure whether killing a Firstborn was a good idea. But, if the Dragon had no qualms about doing so, who was he to argue? As Khalid himself had said, this was an alien entity. It did not belong here anyway.

The two of them crept among the ruins toward the center of the circle. There was no way around them, as the ruins stretched from wall to wall, and going straight in seemed to be a better idea anyway. As they traversed the columns and archways, they kept to the shadows. Though the only
visible sources of light were the bluish and orange lights themselves, there was also a strange ambient light that illuminated the outside surfaces of each ruin with a pale white glow.

The entire scene made Khalid uncomfortable.

“The closer we get, the hotter it gets,” he said.

“I noticed,” the Dragon replied. “But that is normal, I suppose. A Mother spirit would give off heat, even if it was trapped within the confines of an alien world.”

“Should we awaken her first?” Khalid asked. “That way she could exert some control over this Firstborn if he tries to kill us.”

“I don’t think he’ll be able to get free. He has sat there in that throne for millions, perhaps billions of years.”

“Still, his anger may strengthen him.”

“That is possible,” the Dragon agreed, stepping over a large collapsed column. “But I have no idea how to awaken a
Mother spirit.”

There was a sudden rumbling, as if large chunks of rock had shifted in the distance. Khalid and the Dragon both stopped, ducking behind the cover of shattered arches. The Dragon peered out toward the far end of the cavern, his eyes widening.

“What is it?” Khalid asked, frantically.

The Dragon fixed his gaze on him; his look was not good.

“I think our friend awakens,” he said.

Khalid dared to peer around the corner. The Dragon directed his gaze.

The statue’s eyes had opened.

The Prophet awoke in terror. She shot upright in her bed, her naked body covered in sweat. Her heart raced, and her mind squirmed with revulsion. It was a revulsion that was both sickening and pleasurable at the same time. As she sat in the darkness of her chambers, she focused her mind on a new presence. It was one that seemed to have awakened from an impossibly long slumber.

It was a presence of great evil; a primordial evil filled with hatred and vengeance.

“Kingu…” she whispered, divining the name from the Earth itself.

Who was this Kingu? Was it an Earth spirit? A demon? Was The Lifegiver aware?

Quickly, she dressed, pulling on her gown and fixing her crown upon her head. Her excitement grew as she raced for the door. Should she seek The Lifegiver’s council?

Igraina.

“Yes, master?” she replied, her hand still wrapped around the door handle.

Do you feel it?

The Prophet swallowed. “Yes, I do.”

Find it and destroy it.

“But…” she stammered.

I AM GOD HERE!!!!!

The Lifegiver’s voice boomed inside her head, causing her to press her hands against her temples to relieve the pain. She groaned, her teeth grinding with every heartbeat. Her chamber spun around her, The Lifegiver’s ethereal glow illuminating the walls and casting dancing shadows across everything.

“Please…” she begged. “Please. No more. I will do as you ask.”

Slowly, the room ceased its spin and the turmoil within her slowed. Breathless, she collapsed to the floor.

Good. Never question me again. You are mine forever.

“Yes, master,” she whispered.

Forever.

“What do we do?” Khalid asked.

“He doesn’t seem to be aware of our presence,” the Dragon replied. “We need to get closer, but quietly. We still have the element of surprise.”

“He’s huge. I don’t know what use I would be in battle against him.”

“Trust me,” the Dragon assured him. “He will be just as surprised and confused as we are.”

“Somehow I doubt that.”

The Dragon slipped from behind the arch. Khalid followed him, creeping over the rubble, and staying in the shadows. A low groan began to emanate from the far side of the cavern, causing them both to draw their blades. They stopped again, keeping their gazes focused on the giant. He appeared to be made of the same stone as the temple they had encountered before. He was pitted and eroded as the surrounding buildings were, yet still solid and unyielding. Khalid wondered how he moved.

The Dragon moved forward again, this time pulling Khalid into the same hiding spot with him.

“We should whisper now,” the Dragon said. “Although I don’t know what good it will do.”

As Khalid prepared to speak, the rumbling became louder. Pieces of stone fell from the ceiling, crashing into the ruins below. The floor shook, and many mineral deposits came loose and shattered on the floor.

Then, there came a deafening roar from the creature himself. The stalagmites and stalactites that had formed around him strained against his struggling. The smaller ones cracked and fell away, shaking the very cavern as they crashed down and tumbled away. Khalid covered his ears, shielding them from not only the rumbling, but the creature’s angry wailing. It was a deep sound, low enough in frequency to shake Khalid’s very soul.

“I have never seen or heard anything like this before,” he said. “It’s frightening.”

The Dragon nodded, keeping his gaze on the giant. Khalid dared another look, squinting in the gathering clouds of dust. The giant was nearly free, the stone formations that imprisoned it straining visibly under his strength.

The Dragon gently pushed Khalid back into the shadows, joining him to whisper again.

“Can you feel his power?” the Dragon asked.

Khalid nodded. “Yes, but mostly I feel my own fear.”

The Dragon grasped his shoulders again, calming him with his eyes. “Fear not, Khalid,” he said. “If he breaks free, Theia may awaken, too.”

Suddenly, the cavern shook with a force that knocked the two of them to their feet. The crash of stone split the air, it seemed, and Khalid could feel the pressure wave as well as the force of massive chunks of stone hitting the floor.

“I think he has broken free,” Khalid said.

Indeed, the giant was now leaned forward on his throne, his eyes glowing red as he scanned the cavern. His movements seemed slow as he reached out to pull himself up. The sound of grinding filled the cavern when he moved, and bits of rock fell from his body at the joints. It took nearly a full minute for him to stand, and when he did, he appeared as a god.

“Kingu,” the Dragon said.

“What?” Khalid asked, staring at the Dragon in question.

“That is his name. I can hear his thoughts.”

“What is he thinking now?”

“He knows we’re here,” the Dragon replied. “But we cannot let him find us until we are ready for battle.”

“Can you transform into the Dragon?” Khalid asked.

“Not yet. But I can feel my own power growing now. He is causing it.”

Kingu shouted loudly, his voice shaking the cavern again with its force. His words were incomprehensible to Khalid, but the Dragon seemed to understand him.

“What is he saying?” Khalid asked.

“He is telling us to show ourselves and give him our blood.”

Khalid grunted. “Why would something made of stone need blood?”

“He is unaware of our nature,” the Dragon said. “He believes we are his
worshipers. For some reason, he cannot sense that I am a Firstborn.”