17.

  Faelwen

  I awoke to the soft whimpering of Artemis close by. “Buddy?” My voice came out hoarse, barely more than a whisper. Relief washed over me at the sound of his voice, until I cracked my eyes open and found myself confined in a cage on wheels. My heart sank.

  The wooden frame rattled with each bump in the strange, uneven road beneath us. Our destination loomed somewhere ahead, unknown and ominous. Artemis lay curled in front of me, his face buried beneath his front paws, his tail tucked tightly between his hind legs.

  Buddy, are you okay? Say something, I thought desperately. His response was a trembling whine. Finally, his voice echoed in my mind.

  We’re doomed. We’re in the Underworld, Wen. We’re doomed.

  The name alone sent shivers racing up my spine. I slowly turned my head to get a glimpse of our captors. The cart was driven by a hooded figure, its gnarled hands clutching the reins. Each nail was long and wickedly sharp. I took a deep breath in and out to steady my anxiety. Panicking wasn’t going to help me here. We had to come up with a plan to escape.

  Ahead of the driver rode the Fiend on a black horse, his dark blue robe trailing like liquid night. Walking beside him was Ash, his posture hunched, his gaze flicking nervously back towards us. Our eyes met briefly. In this, I saw regret. A deep, cutting pain that I couldn’t bear to confront. I turned away, anger knotting my stomach.

  Ash had betrayed us. Betrayed me. I thought he cared. It was stupid of me to even think we were becoming more than temporary allies. Tears stung my eyes, but I wiped them away, forcing myself to focus.

  The endless road and the oppressive darkness of the Underworld stretched before us. Somewhere, I knew, the stairs to the surface were long gone. The sky here was perpetually shrouded in black clouds, broken only by the eerie glow of a pale red moon.

  How long have we been moving? I asked Artemis. He peeked from behind his paws, his golden eyes dulled by despair.

  In the Mid Realm, it would be midday, but here… the moon never leaves the sky.

  As I gazed at the crimson gloom, a faint shimmer caught my eye. A silver stream wove through the darkness like a fragile thread, lighting up the sky.

  Buddy, do you see that? I asked, pointing with my chin. Artemis followed my gaze, his ears twitching.

  Yeah… What is that?

  I thought you knew everything, I teased half-heartedly, but my voice lacked any real levity due to my anxiety. Artemis huffed and returned to hiding his face. Still, something about that glimmer struck a chord within me. The Weave. It had to be. A river of silver, flowing just beneath the surface of the Mid Realm.

  In order to escape I needed to know the layout. I let my gaze wander back to the small village we were driving through. The creatures here were a combination of horrors and beauty. Malformed horrors shuffled alongside the cart. Some like Malignus, others little more than rotting flesh stretched over bones.

  Among them prowled red-eyed wolves with jagged fangs and warped bodies. But there were also tall and gracious humanoid creatures with beautiful dark coloured horns on their heads sauntering past. They grinned, showing me their pointy teeth.

  My heart sank further as a shriek tore through the air, high-pitched and mind-searing. It reminded me of the Black Widow’s brain-melting wail. Instinctively, I scanned the shadows, half expecting the old lady with her tattered cloak and blackened claws. But the source was far worse.

  Up, up, Artemis yelped. I looked up. Above us, serpent-like dragons circled, their scaled bodies coiling through the air. Their heads were massive, each jaw lined with endless rows of dagger-sharp teeth. One descended, venom spewing from his maw, melting the flesh of the monster below.

  Another landed on a wooden house close by the cage. His strong hind legs crushed the roof beneath him, claw-like wings folding forward. I froze as icy blue eyes locked onto me. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. The creature’s gaze held me in a cold grip of pure terror as I crawled to the corner of the cage.

  Its jaws parted, revealing five rows of fangs as green venom pooled at the corners of its mouth. This was it, our end. I knew he was going to spew that venom on us, and we would melt away in this cage.

  But then the Fiend’s horse reared between the monster and the cage, his guttural, demonic shout reverberating through the air. The serpent hesitated, reluctant but obedient, and with a beat of its wings, it soared back into the sky. The Fiend turned to me, his black eyes piercing.

  “Do not ever look a serpent dragon in the eyes,” he growled. I nodded weakly, curling into myself as the cart trudged forward.

  ? ? ?

  We reached the castle shortly after the encounter with the serpent. A fortress of black stone, jagged towers stabbing into the air. Covered with spikes to prevent creatures from climbing the wall.

  The gates were adorned with bones, their yellowed surfaces glinting under the red moonlight. Flanking the entrance stood two statues of armoured figures, their antlers clawing skyward. Their faces hidden by a black helmet and their swords pointed downwards.

  Black birds with leather wings and long pointy snouts flew around the statues, screeching. The bridge creaked ominously beneath the cart, and below, red, boiling water churned.

  Pale hands clawed from its depths, their screams of eternal torment rising to meet us. I buried my face against Artemis, trembling.

  The castle walls were adorned with spikes to keep creatures out… or in.

  The cart halted abruptly. The Fiend barked commands in his guttural tongue, shoving Ash toward the castle doors. Ash cast one last pleading look over his shoulder, clenching his teeth before disappearing into the shadows. Then the Fiend turned to us, a wicked grin splitting his face.

  “Come, little Elfling. Or would you rather join the souls in the boiling river?” He grabbed my wrist, his touch icy and unyielding, and dragged me from the cage. Artemis was yanked by his fur and thrown to the ground. His yelp cut through me like a blade.

  I wanted to fight, but fear kept my limbs frozen in the Fiend’s grip. Two wolves the size of bears snarled at us from the castle doors. Artemis cowered at my side as the Fiend pushed me through the door.

  Buddy, I’m scared.

  Me too, Wen. Me too.

  Inside, the air was suffocating. Massive pillars lined the vast hall, and between them stood statues frozen in expressions of agony, begging, screaming and weeping.

  As if they were once living creatures, turned to stone. At the end of the large rectangular room, loomed a throne of obsidian, its surface gleaming in the crimson light streaming through a high window.

  The Fiend pulled me close, my head against his chest, his cold hand pressing into my arm. He put his other arm around me and leaned in. His cold lips brushed against my ear as he whispered.

  “Fear your mind, my dear. For how can you run from what’s inside of it?”

  A kiss as cold as death pressed to my cheek, and I took in a trembling breath. I knew exactly what he meant. No human could survive this much horror without losing their mind. Your own demons inside your head will be stronger here. You might start to see things that aren’t there. Slowly going insane.

  You have me, Wen, Artemis reminded me, his voice steady despite the quiver in his body.

  We’ll keep each other sane.

  We are pack, I responded, clinging to the bond between us.

  Indeed we are pack. His voice resounded in my head. I thought he would bring us towards the dungeons. But no. The Fiend had far worse plans in store. Artemis was hoisted into a cage, suspended by chains near the throne. The iron links clinked as he hung helplessly.

  Next the Fiend dragged me to his throne. I could see there was an iron chain attached to it. My stomach turned as the Fiend unshackled a lifeless body, a girl with blond hair. But then I heard her whimper. She wasn’t dead. Not yet.

  From out of the shadows a hooded figure appeared, his face hidden. Antlers were visible through the hood. The Fiend said something, and the figure bowed, dragging the girl from her place. She tried to struggle, but was too weak. Now I could see her face. It was bloodied, her eyes clawed out. I clenched my jaw. The Fiend turned to me, lifting my chin to meet his grin.

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  “Home sweet home,” he mocked and dragged me toward the chains that he put around my neck.

  ? ? ?

  The first days blurred into a nightmare. The endless wailing of tormented souls never ceased, and when it wasn’t them, it was Ash’s high-pitched screams. I didn’t know what he had done to earn such punishment, but the sound of his agony tore at my resolve. Over time, the screams faded, and I secretly hoped that they hadn’t broken him.

  During the days, I wasn’t entirely alone; the Fiend visited regularly, his wolves ever vigilant. And the same humanoid creatures I had seen in the village walked these halls too. The only difference was that these creatures were dressed in rich robes with intricate runic patterns, suggesting a higher status. But at night, everyone vanished, leaving me with the horrors. I began to understand why the girl before me had clawed out her eyes.

  The vast chamber twisted in the darkness. Shadows crawled with grotesque shapes, spirits and ghosts flitting aimlessly about. In the far corner, a woman with her back turned, clutched her long, dark hair and screamed ceaselessly.

  A boy clung to a pillar, his head grotesquely twisted, his bloodied green eyes fixed on me with murderous intent. He never moved an inch towards me. At night he would crawl from the shadows of the ceiling down the pillar, perching there to stare down at me.

  Then there was her. The giggling girl. She appeared sporadically, but when she did, the other spirits cowered, retreating into the shadows. Cross-legged in the hall’s centre, she stared at me with a face frozen in an eternal scream, her hollow eyes like black pits. Blood dripping from the corners of her mouth and this awful gurgling sound she could make. Her neck was broken just like her fingers and toes. Her broken body dragged itself forward with twisted, bloody fingers.

  I could never meet her gaze for long. The fear she brought was unbearable. Some nights, she came close. Too close. Her mangled hands would hover just before my face before she recoiled, disappearing with her haunting giggles. Those nights, I curled into myself, clutching Artemis’s silent, protective presence in my mind.

  The Fiend’s visits were no comfort either. Each morning, he came with his mocking grin, cradling me like a prized possession. I tried to hold in my sobs, my fears—every feeling I had. He only took pleasure in the fact that I was feeling so miserable.

  “You don’t have to endure this, my dear,” he would say, his voice smooth and taunting. “Stay here with me, where you belong and I’ll give you power beyond imagining. And you can chase those demons away.” My response was always the same: defiance. I spat in his face, my hatred burning in my eyes. His fury simmered as he stalked off, leaving me with the hollow ache of resistance.

  “Your loss.” I would hear his taunting voice in the hallways beyond. His words always left me questioning why he wanted to keep me here. “... Where you belong.” I didn’t understand those words.

  Over time, the throne room became my prison. The Fiend lounged on his throne, now dressed in elaborate green and purple robes, his necklace adorned with a skull. Strange markings adorned his robes, the smell of sulphur and decay hanging around him.

  He stroked my hair absentmindedly as his demonic guests reported on the chaos in the Mid Realm. The necromancers had laid siege in front of Westray. The High King had closed the gates, trapping the citizens inside, while the demons crawled into the city from the underground tunnels. The thieves guild were fighting the demons and defending the old elf city, Armenelos. Many demonic creatures didn’t even reach the surface.

  The Fiend listened, plotting his conquest, a predator lurking in the shadows of a distracted world. The high king was too busy with the Necromancers to even consider the idea that the Fiend was behind all the demonic attacks.

  Sometimes a human, trapped in this hellish world would appear before the Fiend. Begging to be released. Most of them ended up in the boiling, red water, or were tortured until they pleaded to do anything the Fiend would ask them to.

  I learned to be quiet and watchful. Enduring the Fiend’s presence and his wandering hands over my thin body. I had a feeling an opportunity would arise for me to quietly escape this place.

  That night the giggling girl dragged herself in front of me, hissing, her crooked hands caressing my face before she dragged herself back into the shadows. That was it. I had to get out of here.

  ? ? ?

  The Fiend walked in the next morning. Massaging the bridge of his nose. He placed himself on his throne again, leaning his head back. One of his minions appeared in front of us, wearing the black and red robes from my childhood memories. Bringing back a mixture of anger and fear. He hid his face from us and made a quick bow.

  “My lord, one of your prisoners has escaped,” he reported.

  “I’m well aware of that, fool! Search the place. No one goes in or out without my knowledge,” the Fiend hissed. My heart leapt with hope and dread.

  Ash? Artemis asked. His voice was cautious, unsure. I was just as uncertain. Memories of betrayal surfaced, raw and painful.

  You should be! He betrayed his pack. His friends…Artemis voice resounded in my head. The last words repeating itself. His friends.

  “Why don’t you come sit here with me, instead of busying yourself talking to that pathetic wolf of yours,” his melodic voice demanded. I could feel Artemis’s glaring eyes, but he didn’t dare to make a judging noise.

  Ignore him, Buddy. He’s just taunting you, I tried to comfort him. I didn’t immediately respond to the Fiend and he got impatient, tugging at the chains around my neck. I almost tripped over my own feet and sat myself down on his knees. He pulled me closer to him, so that my face was against his chest. With one hand casually on my legs, he caressed my cheek with his other hand.

  “I don’t understand why you don’t want to stay with me,” he crooned. I ignored him. “With those powers I’d give you…” he continued, “You could take revenge on the Necromancers for killing your parents.”

  My heart jumped and I clenched my teeth. How did he know that? A deep emotional part of me did want revenge on them. I could feel the anger rising in me again.

  “With those powers, you could end the war going on. You could find a new High King who accepts mages.” His words almost made me want to accept his offer. But my rational mind warned me. Another voice also echoed through my head. The same voice I heard when I tried to use the Weave as a magic source.

  “You’re mine!”

  “I… I can’t,” I answered, my voice barely hard enough for someone to hear. The Fiend chuckled.

  “I don’t think your patron minds if we share you. Besides he doesn’t know I too have a claim on you,” he whispered in my ear. My what? What was a patron? And what did he mean by his claim on me?

  Buddy, what does he mean? I send the thought to Artemis.

  “Asking your wolf for guidance, my dear?” The Fiend grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him. “You can’t hide from me,” he hissed.

  “Stop! Just stop! Stop taunting me, stop reading my mind!” I exploded and pushed him away from me. The Fiend just laughed at me and his grip on me tightened. Then through the laugh of the Fiend I heard the giggling of that creepy girl again.

  I slowly turned my head towards the middle of the room. There she sat. cross-legged on the ground. My entire body tensed up. What was she doing here? It wasn’t even night. Behind me I could feel the Fiend tense up as well. When I turned back to him, I could see his angry glare at the girl in front of us.

  “Who is she?” I asked, my voice quivering.

  “She’s my child,” he said, his voice void of emotion. “The result of a union with an elf. Stubborn like her mother, but strong. Too defiant for her own good,” he responded. I looked back at the girl and noticed her pointed ears.

  “What did you do to her?”

  “What I had to,” was all he said, no further explanation. He set me back on the ground and stalked towards the girl.

  The girl screamed and disappeared even before the Fiend had reached her. He sighed and turned to leave. Hitting the cage of Artemis with the point of his sword, so that it would start swinging. His shadowed figure fading from the room, leaving me with more questions than answers. Artemis whined and I felt sorry for him.

  ? ? ?

  The turning point came fourteen days after we arrived in the Underworld when Artemis’s cage crashed to the ground. I cringed looking around to see if anyone would come investigate the noise. When no one appeared, I tried to reach the cage, but the chain around my neck pulled me back.

  From the shadows a figure appeared. His clothes were torn and bloody, and his face turned away from me. But I recognized his appearance immediately. His tall, slim figure, the curly black hair and the way he moved. Ash.

  He unlocked the cage Artemis was in and made his way to me, his movements stiff as if he was still in pain. His familiar presence stirred conflicted emotions in me. Relief and anger warred within me.

  “Hey darling,” he whispered with a smile on his face as he unfastened the chain around my neck. His face looked butchered and broken. His lips were cracked and blue marks formed along his throat as if he had been strangled. His hands were shaky and some fingers missed their fingernails. No matter the wounds, I wasn’t sure if I could trust him. I recoiled, suspicion sharp in my voice.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m here to free you,” he smiled, creating a thin line of blood from his cracked lips. His face exactly as I remembered him underneath the bruising and cuts. My heart yearned for his touch, but what if this was a trap? What if the Fiend had ordered him to do this? I couldn’t think straight anymore with all the emotions stirring in me.

  The moment my freedom was secured, I lurched forward, pushing him away. I saw the hurt in his eyes when he grabbed my wrist and pulled me closer.

  “Let go,” I hissed as I tried to pull free but despite his trembling limbs he was still stronger than me.

  “Shush, my dear. He’ll hear us,” Ash hissed back. I looked at him, saw the slight panic built up in his eyes. His beautiful, enchanting green eyes. I traced the sharp line of his cheekbones with my eyes to his thin lips. The memory of his lips stirred a warm feeling in me. Tears sprung in my eyes. How could he hurt me so badly like that? How could he have betrayed me like that?

  “You hurt me,” I whispered, tears blurring my vision.

  “I know,” Ash sighed.

  “You betrayed me,” I continued. Ash clenched his jaw.

  “I did,” he admitted, his voice thick with regret.

  “I thought you cared for me. I thought…” my voice gave out.

  “I do!” his voice trembled. “I never stopped caring for you.”

  Despite everything, I let him hold me. His embrace shattered the walls I’d built, and I broke down, sobbing against him. Artemis nudged my hand gently, his silent urging a reminder of the danger.

  “We have to go,” I murmured, repeating Artemis’s mental words. Ash pulled me back on my feet.

  “I know the way out,” he said.

  Ash led me out of the throne room. His grip was steady and determined. The ghosts watched us, their empty stares piercing, but none moved to stop us.

  “Freedom waits for you,” a voice rasped from above, a haunting promise from the twisted boy perched high on his pillar. Shivers ran down my spine, but I gave him a silent nod in gratitude.

  Ash led me down a small corridor from the throne room. The big gate with the threatening fence loomed up in my memories. The crying creatures in the boiling, red water with their crooked and melted arms. Fear struck me like lightning.

  “What is the plan?”

  Ash noticed me trembling and gently squeezed my hand. “I know this place. It mostly consits of everlasting marshes with a few villages here and there. There are roads we can follow, unfortunately the roads are not safe. So, a safer way is to travel through portals connected to magical ley-lines. The Fiend gave us magical runestones that can open portals from the Underworld to the Mid Realm. I have one. It will reveal a golden path in the darkness. You must not, and I repeat, must not go astray.” He looked me stern in the eyes. I nodded. “Follow the golden thread, or you’ll find yourself lost in the darkness forever,” he continued. I nodded again.

  “Then lead the way, love.” His face lightened up and he kissed me softly on my head.

  “I will. I promise.”