Lachrymore: Hollow

“A will is not meant to be made of iron. In this case, there is no room for adaptation. Fear is a mechanism used to spare our lives in some instances. It is unwise to ignore our natural directive, as it sheds light upon an unfolding calamity. A time for fear, a place for a steadfast resolve, but be mindful of which to utilize. Your undoing is one wrong decision away…”

The sand grew dense as the rain grew in its intensity. In the back of my mind, I felt it was a warning bestowed by the cosmos. I knew that this couldn’t be a benevolent sign. I was quite certain that this structure hadn’t been present the night of my arrival. I heard several voices shouting to me from the water. Glancing every now and again into the void, I could make out even darker shadows. I recognized the voice of Hargraves almost immediately. Followed closely by Killian.

“Kline, you bastard! We would have made it if you had paid attention!”

The insults grew as I heard more and more of my crewmates chime in. They had all blended in with one another, until they were all silenced by one soft, kind, killing voice.

“He’s dead, Ashton. You let him die, and decompose. He rotted in your arms. Now he rots your heart.”

That voice. 

Eyrsenna. My… my…

The voices began drowning out the soft one once again. None of this was happening. It couldn’t be. I had just seen Hargraves on the beach and I knew that whatever was pretending to be him wasn’t him. The island’s quirks were growing more… creative.  

Though I was beginning to understand the mysterious ebb & flow of Lachrymore. That is to say that there wasn’t much normal about it. Recalling my earlier encounter with that… thing, made me feel sick to my stomach. Whatever it was, it certainly wasn’t Risa Gideon.

Why?

Why were Kerrigan and the others treating her as though she were fragile? They know something is wrong with her. How could they not? I know I had no pre-cursive information regarding her life, but a blind man could see that she wasn’t entirely… human. Images of her sunken face and lifeless eyes flashed ceaselessly in my mind as I trudged through the thickening slurry of sand and rainwater. Keeping my footing was becoming increasingly challenging. As my breathing deepened I could make out some features of the structure in the distance. It appeared to be a sort of monolith. Interestingly, I could make out what appeared to be a crease at the base of the structure. Something akin to a door, or at least that’s what I thought. As I finally encroached on the enigmatic pillar, I saw a semblance of what used to be signage above the door. The symbols were unknown to me, yet I had a feeling I had seen them before, perhaps in a long forgotten dream, or perhaps my mind was telling me I knew what they represented as a way to calm my nervous system. As I stepped foot onto the atoll where the structure sat, I placed my hand on the door. I had remained entirely perplexed by the nature of its existence. Feeling the rough hewn wood brought me a small degree of solace, however. By touching this door, I now knew that something tangible laid before me. A quick glance down at the old axe in my right hand connected the final piece of the puzzle. I brought the weathered implement above my head and began to swing. Slowly, piece after piece splintered away from the arcane slab of wood. I could see relatively quickly that my efforts had been dashed. Behind the wood, laid a sturdy wall of stone. I continued chipping, and prying away the wood to see if there was a crawl space beneath the visible stone. With heavy breath, I set the axe down, defeated. The wall extended the entire length of the would-be doorway. Whatever I was looking at, it appeared to have been sealed off for quite some time. Through the deafening sounds of the rain, I heard something. Something that made my blood run cold. I was sure that I had reached my peak of madness. That was, until I heard it again.

A stifled giggle had been cast at me from the darkness. I spun around and saw two pairs of eyes staring at me from behind a sizable boulder. They appeared reflective, like those of a cat. They just stared at me, making small movements every now and again. What the hell were they? I was frozen in terror. In the torrential downpour, I could hear soft voices, speaking to one another. I felt as though they had been talking in my head, because there was no way one could hear voices this soft through such a storm. Yet… I could. They were speaking in a tongue foreign to my understanding. I raised my hand to wave, and to my surprise, so did they. Now typically, this would be a gesture of trust if it was returned to me, however, they waved at the exact time I did. Every motion I made seemed to be mimicked with alarming precision. As if I were looking at a mirror. I relaxed my arms by my side, and to no surprise, they did the same. I called out.

“Hello?!”, I shouted.

Nothing.

They just continued to stare at me. This went on for a minute before the being on the left raised its arm and pointed toward the door. I turned to look where they had gestured. The wood I had just chopped away had returned, unharmed to its original place in front of the stone wall. I jolted back in disbelief. My eyes, scanning the doorway for some sort of parlor trick. Alas, none was to be found. Turning my gaze once again to the figures behind the rocks, I saw that they had ominously disappeared. I called out once again.

“Hello? Hello?! Who are you?”

I heard the small giggle again, but this time it erupted into an echoing, uproarious laughter. I was under the impression that whatever was watching me was not present to aid me. As the laughter grew unbearable, I knew it was time to leave. Thinking swiftly, I pulled out a journal and began crudely scrawling the symbols above the door in it, as I knew I would forget them. As I took a final glance at the door, the two beings from behind the boulder were standing before it. Holding hands. They were… children. They couldn’t be any more than 5 years old. They looked dishevelled, and bewitched. An inhuman smile adorned the face of the left child and a distorted frown on that of the right. Their eyes seemed larger than they should be and to some degree appeared animalistic. An uncanny valley of features that left me feeling in the wake of danger.

“Kor they’in vas’drah sol”

(Many umbral shadow eternal realm)

(Hollow)

The words pierced my ears, though I knew not what they meant.

I had no time to ponder this cryptic message. The earth beneath me began to shake violently. I looked at the children and bellowed.

“We must leave this place! NOW!”, I demanded. They did not move an inch. They continued to stare at me. I rushed them and grabbed them to pick them up, but they appeared immovable like the boulder they previously hid behind. I pulled with all my available might, but they would not budge. With a blinding synchronicity, they placed their hands on my arms and I heard in my head but two words

“Vasha…”

    “Vali…”

As if they had never been there, they were gone. Right before my eyes. No lull in time or anything. Just gone without a trace. The sand holding everything afloat began to give way to the awesome power of the perpetual ocean. 

Leave.

Now.

Flipping a page in my journal, I wrote down what the children had said to me to the best of my ability. Immediately after, I began running. The part of my brain that was designated to logical thought processes had shut off. I was operating on primal survival urges now. I ran straight towards shore with a boundless, wild energy. Looking out at the swallowing ocean surrounding me, I could make out shapes behind the clouds. Illuminated only by lapses of lightning. They were biblical in scale. Almost as large as the structure I had just been hacking away at. They were moving. What the hell was laying in wait, beyond the pale? Lurking in the realm beyond that, which we could travel to? The riparians of my sand path were swiftly being swallowed up by the water. I moved as quickly as my feet would carry me. I turned my head around to see if I was being followed. Luckily, I wasn’t, however, I did see the two children standing at the edge of the atoll where the walking path met the land. They were pointing at the sign above the door again. The sign now barely visible behind the sickly, heavy haze. Though I could have sworn I saw it emanating a curious glow. A guttural, monstrous noise rose above the wind and thunder. I felt a primal fear swell into the marrow of my very bones. Creatures born of rot rose from the bubbling abyss, screeching and moaning, incomprehensible insanity. I could make out the brownish- red of old blood cascading around each and every one of them. They had been in a state of decay for quite some time. Something caught my eye. Amidst the carrion mass of sea-bourne nightmares, I caught the glint of something. It was swaying in the darkness. As I ran, I squinted to see what the gleam could be. I immediately fell into shock. The glint I was seeing…

Were the gold teeth of Killian.

I had been on the atoll for maybe ten minutes. How could the people in the water be in such advanced decay after such a short time? 

Faster.

Run Faster.  

“He trusted you, Ashton… and you let him die”

“STOP!”, I shouted.

For a split second everything froze in time. All was quiet. Sanctuary was captured in the walls of my mind. I let out a deep breath. The noise around me had fallen silent. All I could see was my goal. The shore. I closed my peripheral to the unknown. I felt the water swallow my feet. I let it soak in, but I did not stop. As if in slow motion, I saw one of those sea monsters lunge from the right of me. I brought my axe up and swung at it. I connected with it and it flew off into the depths. 

RUN.

FASTER.

Continuing on into the darkness towards the shore, I slowed my breathing and focused on longer strides. Instinctively, I looked up and just as a bolt of lightning flashed, I saw something I hadn’t previously. Another flash. What appeared to be the head of a woman was suspended in the air. Her spine and organs seemed intact beneath. Long, matted hair blowing in the rain. Between intermittent flashes, I could see rows of sharp teeth curling into a forced snarl.

There was no mistaking it.

The head of Risa Gideon awaited me on land.

The head appeared dead. Unmoving of its own volition. Something was inside of it. Controlling it. Piloting it. In the sand below was a pooling of some sort of caustic substance. A noxious smoke rose above it as it melted all it came into contact with. 

BE FASTER!

RUN FASTER!

The water had risen to my thighs. In a moment of weakness, I had lost my focus. I had let the feeling of the water cloud my strides. Looking down I could see that the path I had been on had long since disappeared. Panic flooded my body. The head hanging over me began moving haphazardly. Spilling corrosive fluid all over the beach. She was deterring me from returning. I was going to die here. Was it pre-ordained…?

“Like hell I’m dying here!”

The voice was mine. My conscience had spoken directly to me at that moment. I would defy death, by my own order. By any means necessary. Rapidly rising, was my briny tomb. As it rose past my waist, I still pressed forward. The head of Risa was still. Watching me. To my chest, the water rose. Still onward, I pressed, staring directly at her. Nothing in this world mattered beyond making it to the shore. I would not fail. I would not falter. To my neck, as if my noose. Steadfast, I would continue. One final flash of lightning, and I would be engulfed. Below the water I could see the endless horrors that lie beneath… and now they had full, unfettered access to me. I fought them off as best I could. Their numbers were too vast. A score of stained, sharp teeth and claws slashed at me. They moved much quicker than I could under the crushing weight. It would all fade to black for me, but I pushed as long as I could. Every slash I endured, I moved forward, one step at a time. I had no idea how damaged my body was, but it no longer mattered, as consciousness was escaping me, faster than life. My final vision?

A blinding gold light. Followed by a feeling of lightness. Effortlessly, I arose from the crushing sea and strode ashore. I felt an explosive energy radiate from my body before fully collapsing and succumbing to the black. 

When I awoke, it was still dark out. Looking up from the sand, I scanned my surroundings to see if I was still in any danger. Nothing. Not a trace of a single thing I had just witnessed on my way back from the monolith. Not even the rain soaked sand remained to reassure me of what I had just witnessed. Everything around me was dry. My axe laid a few feet away, and the ocean was eerily calm. The structure in the distance was nowhere to be seen either. This place was trying its damndest to drive me crazy, but I knew that everything that just happened, was real. I’ve had no delusion this corporeal before. Checking my body for injuries from those sea monsters revealed nothing. Not a single scratch. With a big sigh I dropped my head back in the sand and stared into the night sky. My thoughts were transfixed on that verbiage above the stone door. What could it mean? Those children muttered something to me.

“Vasha… Vali”

Were those…their names? I had deduced that the strange tongue they were speaking in, were the very same as the characters bore on the sign. I would have to return another night, when the tides were low to try my hand at studying it. For the time being I felt it would be best to return home and gather my thoughts…

Wait.

Home?

Did I really just call this place…?

I shook the thought from my head and pulled myself up from the sand. My body ached as I pulled myself up. An image flashed in my head. That golden light I witnessed, just before losing consciousness. I could have sworn that I saw someone in it. The faintest glimpse of a face. A woman? The thought was gone as quickly as it came. What a peculiar instance. As I made my way off the beach and back inland I couldn’t help but feel as though I had just opened up something far bigger than I could comprehend.

After walking for a proverbial eternity, I could finally make out the subtle shapes of the town’s buildings. Trudging on I saw a couple faint lights. Finally, I could rest. I made my way to the back end of town, where my property was. Crossing into the yard, I began hearing a faint voice coming from somewhere in the back corner of the property. A strange and unexpected wave of ease washed over me. Against all human nature, I oddly felt no fear upon hearing this foreign sound emanating from the darkness. As I approached the area where I was hearing the sound, I found that it was coming from the old well. The voice seemed to be repeating something. It was hard to make out, but after holding my breath I could hear the words it spoke.

“I am here. I am Shah. Kor they’in vas’drah sol”

It sounded like a woman or a child, though I couldn’t be sure of which. I listened as the voice repeated the phrase a few more times before slowly fading into obscurity. The last part. The part in a different language. That was what those children said to me. Perhaps it was them. Removing my hands from the edge of the well, I stepped away unable to glean anything more from the voice deep in its chasm. Heading inside, I shut the door and made my way directly to my bed, falling face first into the pillows, before drifting off to sleep. 

When I awoke the following morning, I could hear a commotion outside. While my property was situated a fair distance from the town, I could hear the voices of the townsfolk as if they were just outside my door. It appeared to be a panic of sorts. I quickly made my way out to the square where I found Kerrigan giving orders to some folks and consoling others. As I made my way over to him I found myself stopped in my tracks. The mountainous dunes of snow that laced the skirt of town had all but disappeared. Melted in the night. Just as quickly as it had come, it had departed. Such a radical change in weather was foreign to me. Even as a sailor, I had to admit that the patterns were completely nonsensical. Kerrigan spotted me in my wonderment and called out to me.

“Ashton! Thank God you’re alright! They didn’t cause you any harm did they?”

I looked at him quizzically.

“What… didn’t harm me?”, I asked. Kerrigan pursed his lips as he looked away.

“Right I suppose you wouldn’t know about them”, he stated as he cast his gaze to the quickly dampening ground. He continued, though I could tell he was struggling to explain.

“We call them Blightsprawlers. They crawl out of the shadow of night and attack. Typically we are ahead of this phenomenon but they came… early this year. They generally aren’t too much of a hassle, but when we are caught off guard, they are incredibly dangerous.”

I could see tears welling up in the old man’s eyes. Something was afflicting him deeply. I felt he was withholding it from me, so as to not let it go. Something was wrong.

“Kerrigan, what happened? What are we dealing with?”.

He looked me dead in the eye and with a stiff lip finally uncovered the secret he had not been willing to share earlier.

“They took Kinue”.

Immediately, I felt a cavernous sinking feeling in my heart. The burn of adrenaline surging through my veins. They couldn’t have. Not Kinue. She would have fought back, and she would have won. She couldn’t be gone. What about my promise to her?

Without a thought I bolted to Lind & Lockett. I had to make sure this wasn’t some cruel joke being played by the townsfolk. Due to the pace I was running at, I wasn’t able to stop myself short of the door and kind of just careened into it. The heavy wood implement separating me from the interior of the shop had no problem absorbing the impact.

“Kinue! Kinue, are you in there?!”. I heard nothing. Nary a whisper would console me, or prove that it had all been a misunderstanding. I wouldn’t get to see Kinue come out the door and say “Gotcha!”. 

The truth is a heavy burden to shoulder sometimes. Especially when you must carry it so suddenly. Wide-eyed and in shock I sluggishly made my way back over to Kerrigan who had since resumed delegating tasks between townsfolk. Noticing me, he placed a firm, reassuring hand on my shoulder.

“She was an incredible person, Ashton. All around.” He said.

“What do you mean… was?”, I retorted. His utter willingness to give up on one of his own so quickly made my stomach turn.

“It is a rare sight to see, Ashton. However, when a Blightsprawler pulls you into the grips of the night, you are never seen again. I’m sorry that’s just how it is.”

Something came over me in that moment. An overwhelming swell of rage. I pulled back my fist and struck Kerrigan in the face. He fell to the ground clutching his cheek. I had caught the attention of curious onlookers, seeking to understand what had just unfolded.

“So that’s just it then?!” I shouted, maliciously. “You see them dragged off like animals and you just decide their fate? You are nothing but a small man! A coward! You might as well lead these people to the slaughter yourself!”

I turned to the people now surrounding us.

“You swear fealty to this… insect, when he would just as soon write you off before even having the thought to come collect you from death!”

Turning back to Kerrigan, I said one final thing:

“She isn’t dead. You don’t get to decide that. I’m going to look for her”

I turned away and promptly began walking.

“You have no idea where they would have taken her, Ashton!”, he yelled after me.

“And we will never find that out unless we look, Kerrigan!”

With that, I stormed off. As I made my way past the pit, I grabbed the carving knife that was always left there, and made my way to the only creature that I knew harboured ill- intent. 

Risa Gideon.

I was still blinded by rage. In my warped and demented state I truly believed that the only thing that could bring me solace, was ending the life of Risa Gideon. Trudging through the now soaked long grass of the island I made my way to her home

Kill Her. Kill Risa Gideon. She did this. End her life.

My breathing became heavy as I trekked. As her home came into view, outlined against the grey, morning sky, I picked up the pace dramatically into a sprint, all the while the knife brandished in my right hand swaying wildly through the air.

Closer. CLOSER! 

I leaped onto the step. The sound surely would have alerted her. However, I would not be giving her time to ponder what could be going on. Instead of stopping on the stoop, I continued my barreling pace and crashed right through her door. Bewildered, I rapidly scanned the place for movement.

“Get out here, you bitch!” I bellowed. When I heard nothing, I grew ever more enraged. Swiftly kicking over any piece of furniture I could find. Somewhere within my tirade, I was stopped. Not by Risa Gideon, but something far more unassuming. A photograph. A simple photograph of Risa with an older gentleman. Seemingly her Father. Was this Edward Gideon? Carefully I folded up the photo and placed it in my coat. After casing every room in the place, I had begrudgingly come to the conclusion that Risa was not present in her abode. As I came down from my elevated state of unhinged, I gave a moment of pause. Something wasn’t sitting right. The night I find a mysterious monolith off the coast of Lachrymore, is the same night these “Blightsprwalers” come crawling out of oblivion? It felt far too eerie to be a coincidence.

And then it clicked.

I saw Risa’s head suspended on the beach near that thing. The structure must have had something to do with the appearance of the things that dragged Kinue away.

Navigating through the disaster I had spawned just moments earlier, I made my way out the front door. Leaving it open, just in case there was a miniscule chance Risa had been lurking in the shadows and was planning to ambush me while my back was turned. Looking down at the photo I had procured in Risa’s residence, I was given pause for thought. Seeing the faded smiles adorning the faces of both her and her father reminded me of a time before I had taken up a life at sea. 

My wife, Eyrsenna. My most treasured and sacred connection. There wasn’t a thing in this world I wouldn’t have done to see that radiant smile. I would have killed for her. Died for her. Anything to show my devotion. Any little whim she may have had, I would see it manifested. When we welcomed him into the world, I would see that smile one last time before she would bestow it upon him, and depart this world. Life had grown frigid. The vibrant colors that once graced my periphery, dulled like a photograph, left long in the sun. The sparkling newness of life gradually faded into torn, moldy wallpaper and matted, stained carpets. I swear I could smell the lingering rot of cigarettes in my new vision of this world. And him… His damn smile kept me awake at night. He would never drop it. I had no idea whether it was a message from her to carry on, or a mockery of the Gods, torturing me with her absence. 

My beautiful Eyrsenna. My endless love. I wish you had the answers. I wish you were still around to offer your wisdom, and oh, were you ever wise. He was all I had left of you. Regardless of whether or not he may seem strange or off-putting. There is no mistaking that his smile was once yours. I could never bring myself to harm the final ember of you that still burns. I promised you that I would carry on, and to that, I have remained true. When I get off this island, you have my word that he will be the first thing I go to see. I admit that seeing you on the sands of Lachrymore had me disheartened. I know this place shows a feeble mind a bounty of strange follies, yet I couldn’t help but notate an iota of truth to their rendition of you. I do not recall the death of our son as the beasts had fabricated it, unless the fracture in my mind had somehow torn a piece of him asunder. Even though this may be the case, I know that that piece rests eternally with his idyllic, timeless Mother. This pain will not cease, my love. There will not be a waking moment in which I feel the endless void that you once occupied. You have my word that I will not allow myself to fill that void. That place belongs to you and you alone. I will not patch or mend. I will ache to my final breath and beyond to show you my devotion. As for him… if my theory is true, he is eternally in perfect and balanced hands.

Looking up I could make out the monolith once again. It was a wonder that no one else had come across this. I, myself had to wonder if it had been erected just nights before by some unseen force. The waters surrounding the path, eerily calm. Unnaturally silent. It was strangely welcoming in contrast to my last visit, though I elected to remain cautious. Making my way down the sand bar, towards the door I had once torn down, I came across the same piece of wood I had seen the first night. The word ‘HOLLOW’ etched carelessly on the wood. Closing my eyes, I thought long and hard about the phrase I heard in abundance that evening. From both the strange children, as well as the voice of the well. 

Kor they’in vas’drah sol.

Honing in on the specific notation and pronunciation from memory was no easy task. I approached the door and made an attempt.

“Kor they’in vas’drah sol!”, I shouted. I let out a deep breath. Nothing appeared to change. In frustration, I kicked sand at the structure. To my surprise, the granules didn’t collide with solid wood. As a matter of fact, I didn’t hear them collide with… anything. Curious, I approached the door. Slowly reaching toward it. I stopped as my fingers were mere millimeters from the rough hewn wood. Something felt cold. The hairs on my neck stood on end. I was getting a nagging feeling that something was truly wrong. Slowly, I turned around. I was half- expecting to see the children again, but as my surroundings behind me came into view, I found standing before me the most shocking thing of all. 

Nothing.

The beach. The water. The salty air that occasionally tickled my nose. All of it was gone. Beneath my feet, a small patch of sand and a door. Behind me, endless black. As though nothing in this world existed beyond myself and the door. Slowing my breathing, I promptly spun back around and walked into the wooden door with my eyes closed. I had passed through something. It felt gelatinous, but beyond the sensation, I was not met with much resistance. Opening my eyes, I could see that I was inside some sort of Labyrinth or temple. Several torches lit themselves before me of their own volition. I could make out numerous twists and turns where the torchlight would cut out. This was undoubtedly a maze, and not a simple one. I could make out where the ground had given way to time. Buried for an indefinite period of time. There was no telling just how arcane this temple-esque place truly was. Grabbing the nearest torch I sought to scout further ahead. The warmth of the flame caressing my left hand, as though to comfort me through the sickening chill of this discovery. Brandished in my right hand, the knife I had picked up back in town. Though I feared it wouldn’t offer me much solace, I figured it was better than nothing at all. Careful of my foothing, I pressed forward. I hadn’t truly understood the sheer size of the place as I heard even the lightest of my footsteps echo throughout the biblical, labyrinthine structure. Coming to the first corner, where the ground was crumbling away, I peered down into the hole that had swallowed up the stone supports of ages past. As the darkness below stared back at me, I had pondered how many demises the hole had played a role in. Scanning the area, I found a small outcropping of stone, just within jumping distance. I was mildly concerned for its integrity and whether or not jumping was actually a good idea. Looking back towards the entrance of the maze, I had a lightning- quick thought of turning back and leaving, but it would have seemed that fate had different plans for me. The whole wall that I had entered through seemed to be barred by the same thing I saw outside… nothing. Just white nothing. The entrance was not blocked or obstructed. It was entirely removed from the fabric of reality.

Turning around I let out a deep breath and spoke to calm myself

“Exit gone. Just poof! Of course exit, gone! Why wouldn’t this happen?”

With an exasperated shrug I took a couple steps back and lunged towards the rocky platform separating me from the next bit of stable ground. It would appear that while fate was enjoying my suffering, luck was rooting for me, because the platform remained intact. I gave it a couple courtesy bounces, just to be certain. The gap between the platform and the next area wasn't quite as sizable. With a long step I was safely over the ravenous gorge. I would not be claimed as its next victim. I wasn’t out of the woods just yet though. As I had taken a couple more strides, I heard something chilling…

A raspy, echoing breath. One that definitely did not belong to me. As I heard the disembodied anomaly, I could make out at the end of the corridor, torches started flickering out. By rows of two or three, they would extinguish. After a few seconds they would re-ignite, and then the next set of torches would follow this pattern. Obviously I stood frozen as the mysterious extinguishing flames grew ever-nearer to me. As they did, so too, did the sounds of screaming and raspy breathing. Thinking quickly, I ducked between two raised mounds of stone. I held my breath as I awaited the flames to die beside me. Finally at the precipice of my anxiety, the flickering was just two rows away, when suddenly, it stopped. What followed was likely the most terrifying encounter of my entire time upon Lachrymore’s surface. The raspy, laboured breathing had formulated into a word. One. Single. Word.

“A…aaa...sh…ton.”

My heartrate hit the ceiling. The air was heavy with fear and malice. Something was hiding in the shadows of those extinguished torches, and whatever the hell it was… knew my name. I wasn’t sure how long I had held my breath at that point, but I had entirely ignored the burning in my lungs, begging and pleading for a hit of oxygen. 

“Just a little bit longer”, I told myself. Peeking around the rock a little more, I caught the silhouette of what was skulking in the mobile darkness. I was speechless. I had seen it on the beach. I was unable to be completely certain, or at least I thought so. As the entity swept over me I couldn’t help but to notice the overpowering aroma of vinegar…

It was clear to me now. This being was what remained of Risa Gideon. It was hard to believe that something like this could happen. I didn’t know her before all of this. She could have been a sweet, kind, caring person. She could have once carried a vibrance to dispel even the darkest of days. Who was to say? I felt a pit in my stomach at that moment. I hadn’t taken the time to wonder about her, or a lot of the other missing folks for that matter. They were people. Just like me, like Kinue, like Drake and Taliel. Even Kerrigan, though I wasn’t impressed with his handling of things. My only exchanges with Risa Gideon resulted in mistrust and violence. The thing floating down the hallway was no longer her. She was gone. All that mattered now was figuring out why I was here, and what I had to do. When she was far enough away, I came out from my hiding spot and took off in the opposite direction. I kept my steps as light as I possibly could. Rounding a corner with more numerous torches, it hit me. I knew when she’d be coming, and likely with this revelation, it would appear that she doesn’t like fire. It would only make sense considering her aversion to sunlight in our previous exchange.

I took a moment to think about the possibility of burning the entity, but quickly quashed the idea. She would likely extinguish any flame brought close to her. I would have to find a way to eliminate her. It looked like I had all the time in the world, considering my exit had just phased out of existence. I began to panic slightly. My breathing increased. I closed my eyes, hard. I tried to imagine being home. Back with my family. Slowly, I began to calm down. Pressing on I made a right turn in the maze and found that I had reached my first dead end. Though not all was empty here. Oddly enough, a table sat with a peculiar wooden box perched on top. Unlike its surroundings, this wooden box seemed wholly untouched by the throes of time and decay. As a matter of fact, this particular box possessed no signs of weathering whatsoever. It looked brand new. A rare sight on Lachrymore, I had come to find. Cautiously, I lifted its cover. A rolled piece of parchment lay inside. Unfurling it, I read its scripture.

“As the soul of the wanderer seeks its truth, the heart of the same being remains safe in the walls of the place it calls home. A soul that burns with passion shan’t ever be singed by flames of doubt, while the heart must be ignited for the soul to see the truth.” 

Well that had offered me a whole heap of nothing. I had no idea what to glean from the prophetic nonsense scrawled on the parchment. Disappointed, I tucked the sheet into my shirt and turned around. I heard some far off whispering. 

This was new. I hadn’t heard whispers until now. Could this be something else?

I boldly approached the edge of the dead end where I had entered and peered around the corners. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary. Swiftly, I made my way across the intersection of the maze. Pressing straight I made my way through until I came to a rather large clearing. The ground was covered in dying grass, dry leaves, and sterile dirt. A tree grew at its center with a crudely made swing hanging from its mighty branches. While this spectacle would leave most speechless, the indoor foliage that had withstood the insurmountable test of time, would take a back seat to what I had found near the back wall of the clearing. 

There, sitting like a dainty spring flower, was a body. A corpse devoid of its head. I had entirely expected to find dead in this place, but not one so fresh and recent. Apprehensive, I approached to see if the body could offer up any clues about an escape route. Though I tried to close my eyes as I approached, something magnetizing kept them open. Call it a morbid curiosity, or a mistrust of the dearly departed, I kept my eyes affixed to the immobile mass sitting eerily on its knees. My fear and disgust dropped ever so slightly when I saw that the body was not only separated from its head. Looking down the neck of the being, I could see that there was no blood to speak of inside. Actually, there was no blood anywhere. Not around the body, nor the surrounding area. Furthermore. The body cavity lacked organs. Everything was missing. Cleaned out, remo…

I stopped my thought from finishing. A truly horrific picture was being painted in my head. As I stared down the neck yet again, I found one thing the body wasn’t devoid of. A clear liquid filling the cavity almost to the top… This was

Risa Gideon’s body. Immediately, I understood what the parchment had been telling me. Pulling it out, I contemplated the words to be sure of my theory. Looking at her perfectly preserved body and the note, my eyes widened. I had the answer I was looking for. I raised my torch and brought it towards the remains of Risa Gideon, but just before I made contact, a piercing shriek bellowed from behind me.

Shit! I had been so engrossed in the body that I didn’t spend any time watching out for the head! Her ghastly screams filled every aspect of my soul with dread. I rolled out of the way as she charged towards me. The ghoulish visage crashed into the wall with such force that various cracks formed from the collision. I felt a searing pain on my right arm as I brought myself to my feet. Looking down I saw that something wet had grazed my arm. Whatever it was, had eaten away through the fabric of my shirt and was now burrowing into my flesh like an unrelenting subterranean creature. I ripped the sleeve off of my shirt to mitigate any further damage as I barreled down a corridor away from the looming nightmare in pursuit of me. Looking back I could see that once again, torches began going out behind me. I had to get back to her body cavity. If my hunch was correct about the note, I would have to incinerate the body to kill the head. Closing my eyes for a brief period, I thought hard about the maze and where I had come from and where I haven’t gone yet. I was able to visualize a top- down rendering of the maze. I would have to circle around and find the clearing with the box again. I wouldn’t be able to turn around. Getting around that thing would be nearly impossible. As I rounded a seemingly familiar corner, I noticed something strange. The ground appeared to be eaten away at. Small holes pierced the ground in a sporadic array. They had not been present before. I tucked away, behind a small wall. Once again I held my breath as long as I could. Awaiting the passing of the head. I could hear her raspy breathing again. It seemed as though she had entirely forgotten that she was chasing down prey. This time around however, as the head approached in the cloak of darkness, the torch space in which she occupied had stopped somewhere nearby my location. Slowly peeking up, I watched at the torches surrounding her light up her haunting, lifeless eyes. Her lips were peeled back revealing needle- like incisors, much like that of a snake. Her eyes glazed over as though they had lost sight decades ago. The woman Risa used to be had been completely consumed. Assimilated into whatever this monster was. What could have caused such a terrible tragedy to unfold like this? Eventually, the head carried on, once again dimming the torches to conceal herself. Rounding the final corner, I found myself at the foot of the clearing once again. I ran toward the table that the box was sitting on. Something had changed, however. The lid of the box had some writing crudely drawn on it. It read:

“The organs burn on contact”

I took a quick moment to look around and soak in the gravity of the note. It had delivered me several questions, like:

“Is there someone else here?” and “Who is leaving these messages?”

Regardless, I knew I didn’t have time to stand on speculation, and continued trudging through the maze until I finally reached it. The headless body of Risa Gideon. Still filled with what I could only assume was vinegar. I remained vigilant on my approach as I procured a new torch. Walking to the body I reached out with the torch and set the motionless cadaver ablaze. From somewhere off in the distance I heard an unearthly scream unlike anything I had ever heard. It grew louder until it grew unbearable. As though millions of tortured souls shouted in amalgam for mercy. As the bellowing came to a head, it ceased. All was quiet. Still. Leaving the area, I turned yet another corner and there she was. At the far end of an extensive straight-away within the maze. She had her dead unmoving eyes affixed to me. I didn’t know what to do. I thought igniting the body would kill the head, but she was still there. The screams once again filled the air as the head charged me. I closed my eyes tight and grasped at anything in my mind that may be of use in destroying this creature. I knew I had to avoid bites from those snake-like fangs, as well as the corrosive organs dangling below the head. I kept finding avenues of execution ranging from having the head consume its corrosive organs, to simply stabbing it profusely with the knife, still in my possession. However, once my eyes re-opened, something else entirely became my weapon against the beast. As the head flew toward me at alarming speed, I stood my ground. I had no idea how I came to the conclusion that I did, but I knew my only chance to rid the world of this accursed plague would not be squandered. As she encroached I shouted to the heavens. To anyone above who may hear the name of my apprehender.

“RISA GIDEON!”

The creature slowed, immensely, stopping directly in front of me. The ever- open eyes, staring into mine. She had stopped. Why? I was right in front of her. One quick nip and i'd be cut in half by those fangs. This was my moment. The time to reveal my ace-in-the-hole. Reaching into my shirt, I pulled out the photo of her and her Father that I had found hidden away at her domain.

“This is who you were, Risa. Remember this day? Remember this moment? Can you tell me who this is?”

The creature laboriously snapped its eyes to the small photograph. Through its raspy breath it sounded like it was trying to form a sentence. 

“Th…The…K…ey”, It said.

I had no idea what to make of that statement. The creature seemed transfixed to the photo, uttering occasional words relating to a key, before its eyes moved slowly back over to me before saying a couple more words.

“Gi…deon…F…fa…fath…er”

“Yes! This is your Father, Risa! Good! Do you want to find him?” 

It remained silent for a minute before turning its attention to its now-charred body. Its final word sent chills up my spine. Without breaking eye contact on her now deposed body. She uttered:

“A…a…af…ter…life”

With that, the very skin surrounding her bones began to melt off in a greasy, thick grime. Slowly, slowly she came undone before her final rattling breath echoed throughout the maze. As her moving ceased, every single wall in the winding maze shot down into the floor, revealing a large, open room. In the very center lay an unconscious Kinue Lockett. Atop her chest was a peculiar stone. One I had not seen before. I ran over to Kinue and lifted her head up. She was unresponsive. I called out to her, hoping I could reignite the promise I had once made her. As she lay in my arms, with barely a flutter in her pulse, I felt something behind me. Turning around, I saw them. Vasha and Vali. They were staring at me with wide grins on their faces.

“C-can you help me?! Please, she’s barely breathing”

The two children laughed and looked at each other and began running around the now-open room.

“N-no! This isn’t a game dammit!”

Still, they laughed and danced around us. Kinue felt like she was going cold.

“PLEASE!” I shouted, as the pair continued their jovial antics. They weren’t listening, they weren’t hearing, they weren’t understanding. Of course they weren’t. They couldn’t speak my language. I hadn’t once communicated to them in their tongue.

“KOR THEY’IN VAS’DRAH SOL” I shouted, frantically pointing down at Kinue. I repeated myself several times.

“KINUE KOR THEY’IN VAS’DRAH SOL!”

Finally, the children donned looks of concern, and rushed over to her. They began writing on her skin in black ink, chanting an incomprehensible mantra. I had no idea what it was they were doing, but I didn’t feel a hint of malice. I kept away so as not to interfere with their ritual. I watched as the black substance seeped into her skin. As this happened, the children fell silent. Looking at them, I begged for an answer

“Well…?”

They both looked me in the eye, stoicism painted over every line in their faces. Suddenly, they just turned and ran off into the darkness of the temple. I watched after them as they appeared to run right through a wall. Seconds later I would hear a long gasp from the mouth of Kinue Lockett. Bolting up, her eyes were bulging out of her head. I grabbed her and attempted to ground her.

“Kinue! Kinue, it’s me, Ashton! You’re okay, you’re alive, see?”

She frantically looked around

“A-Ashton?! Where the fuck are we?”

I explained to her that she had been taken by Risa Gideon to the temple. I told her I had no idea why, but that was indeed the case.

“I had always speculated…” she said ominously. “Nevermind. We should get out of here. I’ve had my fair share of creepy, recently surfaced mazes for the day. We shared a little laugh. A victory. A miniscule defiance in the face of our adversity. Getting her to her feet, I slung her arm over my shoulder, just in case she needed to balance herself. 

“Do you think you can walk?” I asked her

“Without question,” She replied.

I gave her some space and let her get her bearings about her. Once she had regained her balance, we made our way to the now-visible main entrance. This was a terrific sign. The reality that had once been swallowed, must have returned with the liberation of Risa Gideon. Without a word, Kinue and I exchanged a look before sprinting to the entrance. The ground beneath us began to quake as the room shifted slightly. The structure was collapsing. Barrelling toward the stone wall that I had come through, Kinue seemed to have a moment of clarity

“Ashton, watch out for the wall!” 

As she shouted this, I jumped through, knowing the falsehood of its appearance.

Spinning around to make sure she followed me through, I noticed she hadn’t come through. After a few seconds had elapsed, I saw a couple apprehensive fingers poke through the stone. I couldn’t help but laugh. As her fingers retracted back into the temple, her head poked out through the stone. I fell to the ground in an absolute fit of hysterics. 

“No, no. Ashton this isn’t funny. What the hell is this?”

I tried in vain to choke out an answer but simply couldn’t with the situation. After a minute I managed to compose myself just enough to remind her that the monolith was indeed collapsing and that she should stop fooling around and remove herself from it.

Finally, she was confident enough to emerge fully from the stone illusion. Looking back in awe she studied the structure as it began to crumble. I grabbed her hand and pulled her towards shore.

“We aren’t gunna want to be around when that thing comes down!” I stated.

She looked at me and nodded. Once again we engaged in a sprint down the sand bar towards the beach. The sun was peeking over the ocean line. Yet another oddity of this strange island. It was as though no time had passed at all since I ventured beyond its walls. Once we hit land, we just didn’t stop running. We ran through the sand into the backdrop of the forest and towards the town. Eventually, a thought shot through my head and I stopped dead in my tracks. Kinue turned and saw me halted.

“What’s wrong? Why are we stopping?”

I looked up at her 

“You go on ahead, I have something to take care of”

“Are you sure?” She prodded.

I offered a firm nod, and she just shrugged off my sudden change of energy and continued toward the town. She turned back briefly to shout something.

“Meet me for a drink after?!”

“Damn right!” I yelled back.

As I watched her disappear into the thicket of trees, I slowly made my way back to Risa’s home. I figured it best to honor her memory by reversing the damage I had done earlier. I once again pulled out the photograph of her and Edward as I made my way up the stoop of her abode. Opening the door, I looked up from the photograph and found that every unturned item had already been set back in place. Confused, I scanned the place to be sure I wasn’t losing my mind. I set the photograph down where I had earlier found it. Something felt off in this place. The once dust- laden walls seemed lighter. Cleaner. Everything had an air of newness to it, oddly. As though the cobwebs once adorning the life of Risa had been lifted. I elected to not question any further and made my way to the front door which I had also noticed had been set back on its hinges with no damage to speak of. As I reached for the door I heard a shuffling noise down below me. Someone or something was rustling around in the cellar. I approached a cluttered area of the kitchen and found that a trapdoor was laying in the corner, with a convenient path cleared directly to its opening. Naturally, I made my way over with a burning curiosity lingering within me. Swinging open the hatch, I was greeted with a rush of dust and stagnant air. The hole before me was dark, but I could make out a faint flickering emanating from somewhere within. Quietly, I made my descent into the cellar. As my boots hit the dirt, I swung around toward the source of the flickering. An oil lamp sat on the floor, burning away. Clearly someone was down here. Lamps don’t just light themselves after all. In the light of the dancing flame, I made out a figure cloaked in robes crested with an embroidery of a Raven. I could feel the person’s gaze affixed to me. We stood in the suffocating silence mere feet apart. Adrenaline coursing through me. Who was this? As the wind picked up around the house, the figure who had remained silent, finally spoke to me.

“You have deciphered the first encryption, Brother. I wish to congratulate you on your triumph over the first temple guardian.” The voice said. I responded. Perhaps I shouldn’t have. My curiosity was burning far too bright. A nagging in the back of my head kept telling me I was answering to a sacrament of sorts, but I could not hold myself back.

“Who are you, and why are you here in the home of a dead woman?”, I interrogated.

The person just barely visible behind the lamp responded in kind.

“I am known as Maliphon. A devotee to the order of Shah. I have come to the final place where the first temple guardian once knew life. To restore it. To honor it. To preserve her place in the history of this framework”.

“What could she have to do with this ‘Order of Shah’?” I pressed.

“You are… the newcomer, are you not?” He asked me.

“I am the newest to arrive here, so I guess that makes me your guy, yeah”

“And what might they call you?”He inquired. I was slightly uncomfortable with this unsanctioned meeting. I was pretty sure giving him my name was unwise, but against my better judgement, I told him. I wanted to see what this group was all about.

“Well, Mr. Kline, I am sure you have a myriad of questions. I would love to provide you answers, though our time is short. I must be returning to the Order”

“One question… Can I trust you?”

He remained silent. He seemed to be pandering an answer.

“That woman…” he started “That voice in the well. She is the one who offered you clues to gain entry into the first temple. She is our most valued asset in this ever-shifting realm of chaos”

This piqued my interest, as I had been wondering who that voice belonged to.

“We call her ‘The Atlas’, but she has shared with us her true name and has often regaled us with the tales of our great Lords, the Raven Gods of the Ancient Calbriani.”

I was stunned. I couldn’t wrap my head around this revelation. It seemed that there were indeed still things that could surprise me. I asked the cloaked man for the voice’s true name, and he replied softly. His words carried through the air like a Zephyr on high.

“Our messenger, The Atlas, has divulged her given name… as Harlow Vulpuris.”

THE END