Chapter 20 - Myriad Secrets

  The Conjoined Activations make it so much easier for Alex to maintain the pace. One leap after the next, the Intent-movement steps chain together in a way he wouldn’t have thought possible. After just a few leaps, Alex would normally be feeling the drain on his spirit. But like this, the only thing straining is his focus. The scrub-grasses and scraggly trees blur past in waves, growing thicker and more dense the further they travel. Not only that, but growing greener, with other splashes of color intermixed.

  At the end of one leap, Alex steps down onto a small hill with Hara appearing next to him in sync. Instead of immediately stepping off again, Alex turns to look around. Grasslands. True grasslands, vibrant and green with lush trees scattered in groves rather than standing in lonely solitary vigil.

  Corvus stretches his wings and launches into the air. He had been riding along, lending his intent and will to the group’s momentum from the perch on the knapsack. Corvus doesn’t technically need the break or to ‘stretch his legs’, but the movement feels good, even for a being like him. He wheels overhead, gaining altitude in a lazy spiral. Just a bit further into the grasslands he spies a woodline, as if the trees were unwilling to spread into the fields en masse. And just beyond, a haze of darkness that hangs in the air like fog.

  “We are near the border. Two to three more leaps, and we will be on the edge of the grotto.” Corvus reports back to Alex and Hara, the telepathy making his voice as clear as if he were still within arms reach.

  Hara perks her ears, tail whipping back and forth animatedly. “This place pretty! So much green! Hara never see this much green!” She says, then pounces into the grass after some little sound that caught her attention.

  With a grin, Alex watches as the hound bounds about, chasing some poor little thing. “Yeah, it’s pretty.” He starts to say, curiosity nagging at him with fresh questions. “Hey Corvus, why is the area around the Nexus Point so, ah, desolate?” He asks, kneeling down to run his fingers over the ground. Instead of the rock and sandy dirt from before, he finds loamy earth. Proper soil.

  Corvus plummets from the sky like a black missile, arresting his descent with a flare of wings just in time. He lands gently on the knapsack before answering. “It is the influx of energy, and the motion of the souls leaving into the surrounding areas. Or at least, that is the way I understand it.” He almost sounds reluctant.

  Alex turns his head to look over his shoulder. “You don’t know?” He asks, surprised. It was only the second time that Corvus had ever mentioned not having a direct answer. Rather than be offended, the crow laughs it off with a shrug of his wings.

  “Many have dedicated their eternity towards studying the nature of Hell and its myriad secrets. Some even possess specialized Titles that aid them in understanding and research. But even so, there are some mysteries that elude us still.” Corvus says in good humor. He takes note of the look in Alex’s eye. That unsated hunger left by a question unanswered. The crow couldn’t be more pleased.

  Alex, just as unsatisfied as he looks, huffs and nods. “That makes sense, I guess. Maybe I-” His thought is interrupted as Hara comes bounding back towards them with something held between her jaws.

  Hara did it! She caught one! The hound couldn’t suppress the exuberance coursing through her. She held the squirming thing in her maw, doing her best to be careful. Its legs kick ineffectually in the air as she holds it by the chest. She doesn’t want to hurt the creature, she isn’t hungry. But the rabbit thing was just so fun to chase! She trots up to Alex, wiggling and wagging with pride as she shows off her catch. “ALEX! Hara got one!” She proclaims.

  Alex can’t help but laugh at the indignant look the big rabbit-creature was wearing. It looked like a normal hare, but with four eyes and wickedly sharp looking claws. It still gives a few half-hearted struggles, seeming to have almost accepted its fate.

  The hound gingerly sets the creature down and lets go with her jaws. Aside from the ruffled slate-gray fur, the critter is unharmed. It spins to glare at Hara before charging towards her and headbutting the much larger hound in the chest. Hara stumbles back with a yipe of surprise, then the demonic hare does it again! Hara scrambles, nearly falling over before she can get her paws under her again. She takes off back into the grass with the hare hot on her heels.

  Alex and Corvus share a glance, then break down cackling with laughter. A moment later, Hara comes dashing past them again, now with three of the creatures chasing her. One pauses to look at Alex and the bird on his backpack before bounding off to resume the chase. “Is she gonna be ok?” Alex asks between gasping breaths once he’s able to get his laughing under control.

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  “Oh most assuredly.” Corvus says, the mental voice allowing him to speak even while still crowing with amusement. “Those are mostly harmless, particularly to her. The stone-skin will protect her from the claws. Even so, I do not think they are pursuing her out of malice. It feels more like just a game.” The crow assures Alex as Hara comes around again, now with one of the hares in the lead, and the other two trailing behind the hound. “Though not sentient like her, the Lepori are quite intelligent creatures.”

  Alex watches the chase make a few more passes before Hara trots back up, panting hard. She collapses onto the ground in front of Alex as the lepori dash up, the lead one giving a few ineffectual headbutts on Hara’s flank. Then all three round the hellhound’s form and chatter at her face before bolting off back into the grass. Even being ‘defeated’, the hound is all grins.

  Alex leans down and rubs her ears. “Having fun?” He asks as Hara lets out a pleasant rumble. “Well, we should probably get going. The grotto is close now.”

  Hara wags a bit and gets up, giving herself a shake. “Hara never been this far before. All new.” She says, taking another look in the direction her playmates had run. “What grotto like?” She asks, looking past Alex’s shoulder to Corvus.

  The crow hops up onto Alex’s shoulder. “I do not believe I have the words to do it justice. It is magnificent and you will have ample chance to discover the wonder of it shortly.” He says with a coy tone.

  Alex looks between Corvus and Hara with a grin. “Well then, let’s go.” He says and turns back to their path. Taking a moment to sync their intents again, Alex steps off.

  It takes only a handful of short jumps for them to reach the woodline Corvus had mentioned. With no long sightlines, they’re forced to abandon the Intent-movement in favor of walking through the trees. The grasses give way to leaf-litter and vines covering the ground of what is quickly becoming a forest. But the forest doesn’t extend far.

  Within just a few minutes of walking among the trees, the everpresent light starts to shift. A veil of darkness permeates the trees and every shade and shadow starts to take on an inky solidity. Corvus hops off of Alex’s shoulder and swoops forwards, flapping to hover facing the dark border. A silent moment passes, the only sound coming from the rustling of Corvus’s feathers with each beat of his wings. Then the guise drops, and Corvus returns to his natural form.

  “The lord of the Abyssal Grotto bids us welcome.” Corvus says to Alex and Hara. “They have, however, requested that I not use my guise within their domain.” He explains as his wings settle around his shoulders.

  Alex steps forward, right up to the edge of the shadows beside Corvus. He can see shifts within, like curling eddies in mist, and he can barely make out the shapes of more trees hidden behind the veil. “So it’s safe?” He asks and Corvus nods. “Alright then.” Alex mutters with a touch of trepidation. Then he lifts a hand to probe in front of himself, and steps through the outer layer of the darkness.

  Corvus gives a little nod to Hara, then steps through as well. The hound however isn’t so sure. She cautiously approaches the edge of the shadows, sniffing and watching. She lets out a soft whine. She can’t see Alex or Corvus now, and she’s scared of that dark place. “Alex? Corvus?” She projects into the shadows, but gets no reply. “Hara scared.” She tries again. But still no one answers her.

  Then the inky shadows move. One of shifting shapes extends towards her like a tendril made of darkness. Hara lets out a yipe and dances back from the border. The snaking tendril isn’t moving fast, so she just watches as it makes a pointing motion towards her, then curls as if to beckon with a finger. It repeats the motions a few more times. Hara just watches, wide-eyed. Then the black mass shifts again to form a hand, offered down to her almost the same way Alex had greeted her.

  Hara takes a few tentative steps back towards the edge, watching that hand. She sniffs at it, but to her nose, it isn’t even really there. Then the hand waves her towards the edge with a very clear ‘come on’ gesture. Hesitantly, Hara accepts the invitation and steps through.

  On the other side, Alex finds himself in a twilight realm of shadow and gloom. But rather than feel oppressive, a sense of utter peacefulness settles over him. The trees could still be seen as silvery outlines. And as he looks down at himself, lifting a hand to examine, even Alex’s own body is just a black silhouette framed with a faint silver edge. Looking closer, that silver edging serves to highlight details, like the creases in his clothes, or the outline of his knife’s hilt. Despite the lack of light, everything remains clearly visible.

  Then Alex turns to see Corvus. The crow seems unaffected. Alex can still see Corvus normally, no silver edge, no shroud of blackness. Then Hara steps through too, similarly unaffected. “Whoa, this is really weird.” Alex says, looking around more. “I look like everything else here, but you two…” He trails off as both Corvus and Hara turn to look at him.

  Hara speaks up first. “Alex look different.” She says, then steps closer and sniffs him. “Still Alex.” She proclaims with utter certainty.

  Corvus chuckles. “Yes, it is still Alex. He just has not reached a threshold yet. Which means his form must obey the laws of the territory. We, however, have attained at least one. And thus, our identity rejects being altered.” Corvus explains, and even though he speaks to Hara, it answers Alex’s unasked question.

  Then Corvus turns his head upwards slightly and speaks in a louder volume. “The Waiting Breath, we thank you for your hospitality. The Carrion Lord bids you peace. It has been a very long time, my friend.” He says. No reply comes, at least as far as Alex and Hara can tell. But then Corvus continues. “Ah, yes. This is Alex, who I have a Deal-bond with, and our friend Hara. We are traveling to New Europa.” Another long pause, then the one-sided conversation goes on. “No, my friend, that will not be needed. This experience may prove valuable in its own right. Thankyou for the consideration, however.” Corvus gives a gracious bow, before turning to Alex and Hara again.

  “This land is owned by Shalmond, The Waiting Breath. I have known them for long ages. They offered to lift their touch from around us, so that we might see better, but I believe you might learn more without the intervention.” Corvus explains, once more using his lecturer tone.

  Alex looks around. “Lift their touch? Wait, are we inside their territory, or inside them?” Alex asks with a bit of confusion.

  Corvus chuckles. “Yes.”