Michael Foster - She Who Has No Name

Samuel pulled back the heavy bolt that had been pushed into place, and it groaned as he eased it out of its rusty slot.

‘Thank goodness!’ Eric said and stepped out, stretching his arms wide as if to relieve his cramped muscles. ‘I thought I was going to be left in there forever.’

‘What of your wounds?’

‘Much better. The healers have been coming every day. They cannot use their spells down here, so they cover me in their vile ointments and make me drink some wretched concoctions. I must admitthough,they do seem to work quite well.’

Samuel peered into Eric’s cell. There was a small bed, a bucket of clean water and a bucket for waste. It looked as though Eric had spent a lot of time on his cot, for it was littered with papers and notes.

‘At least you’ve kept yourself occupied.’

‘If it can be called that. I’ll go mad if I’m in here much longer. I need to get out and feel some magic! How much longer will you be?’

‘I don’t know. Not long,I hope. A few more days. This passage marks the end of the southern portion of the catacombs. I only have the eastern section remaining and I am hoping to find Balten somewhere there.’

‘Well,I hope so. What news from above?’

‘Don’t ask. Everything is going awfully, but if I can just get my ring,we can finally get out of here. I know where the Empress is and I’m fairly sure I can lure the Paatin Queen away from her wizards and overpower her.’

Eric nodded. ‘Then don’t forget me. You may need all the help you can get.’

‘I’m certain of it.’

‘Well. What are you waiting for? Go,’ Eric said, strutting back into his cell. ‘Lock me in and go find Balten. The sooner you find him, the sooner you can get me out of here. Just don’t get caught! You’d better get going. The guards check on me quite often and they’re due back soon.’

‘All right then. I will see you soon,’ and with that he pushed the door shut and locked it tight.

‘Samuel!’ Eric called from within.

‘What is it?’

‘I heard something shuffling around out there before. There are strange sounds from the tunnels, and I also heard screaming. Have you seen anything strange?’

Samuel immediately thought of the rumoured ghoul of the catacombs, but decided against frightening his friend. ‘I’m sure it is only the guards. But keep your lamp welllit, just in case.’

He could already sense some guards approaching and just managed to dart aside as they came sauntering down the passage. He waited for them to pass and crept back out, guided by his memory and sense of sight .

He made his way along the deep passages where few ever ventured and was about toheadback towards the main tunnels, when he heard something ahead. He stopped, silent, and felt a wizard approaching, so he slipped into a narrow crevice in the wall of the tunnel, opposite a set of bolted doors. Someone had been moving around in one of the cells he had just passed and so he had to be careful, moving with complete silence to keep his presence unknown.

The crevice was deep enough so that he could fit his whole body in and he wedged himself around a tight corner at the end so as not to be seen. Staying quiet, he poked his head out just a touch, enoughto see the telltale energies of the wizard approach, dangling like blue-green sparks in the air. Along with the normal points of energy, purple magic seethed and its stench burned into his nostrils. No natural light came to shine on the walls, so whoeverwas coming his waywas walking in perfect darkness. Either they knew these tunnels well, or they had some other means to find their way. He knew some of the Paatin had this traitbut,as the wizard approached, the vile energy grew denser until Samuel knew for sure who was coming.

‘Om-rah!’ he whispered softly.

Hulking footsteps clattered along the passageway as the arch-wizard neared and Samuel could hear his loud and forceful breathing. It sounded like a horse labouring for breath after a hard ride. A strange,guttural clacking followed and Samuel had no idea how the man could make such sounds.

He waited, perfectly still, and he could feel the enormous wizard’s steps reverberatingon the stone floor and hear his great bulk scuffing up against the narrow tunnel walls. The wizard had just reached Samuel’s hiding spotwhen, much to Samuel’s alarm,hestopped. Samuel could hear him standing there, still breathing heavily and shuffling about. There were some sniffing sounds, and he could hear the fiend moving around in front of the crevice.

Something sharp was pushed towards him and Samuel could hear it scratching around just on the other side of the protruding stones. He was safe behind his corner,if only the wizard could not reach too far.

He looked down, feeling a movement of air against his ankles, and noticed a hole in the wall by his feet. If it was deep enough he may just be able to push part of himself inside it. Still, he had no room to move and if Om-rah was looking intothecrevice, he would be seen as he manoeuvred himself into it.

A voice sounded from inside the cell and the scratching sound withdrew fromthecrevice. Om-rah turned about with a huff of air. It was a Paatin within the cell and he called out from his prison in a querying tone.

Samuel heard the bolt of the cell door clatter as Om-rah fumbled with it in the darkness. The prisoner continued to call out, more urgently, but the wizard did not reply. The bolt squeaked out of place and Samuel’s blood froze as he heard the great bulk of Om-rah hurry into the cell. The prisoner screamed, but his efforts were quickly cut short. Something wet slapped onto the floor and it was followed by a blood-curdling,crunching sound. Om-rah continued shifting about, slurping and munching frenetically, but the prisoner was ominously quiet.

Very slowly and very carefully,Samuel edged onto all fours. Painfully aware of every scuff and sound, he eased backwards on his knees and elbows into the hole as the arch-wizard continued his meal. He had seen something of the wizard before and he knew Om-rah was not entirely human, but this showed how much of a monster he had really become.

Thankfully, Samuel found that his hole actually continued deep behind him, forming a narrow tube that opened wide at the other end. Following it feet first, he found himself emerging from the hole, high up on a ledge that looked down on another twisting length of dark passage. Thanking his luck, he dropped down, leaving the horrendous sounds of Om-rah behind, and padded away to find his bearings. At least now he knew what had been killing people in the tunnels and would not have to waste any more time with thoughts of ghost stories.

It was another week later still when Samuel felt the Queen’s magic at work. He went investigating, as the bursts were becoming more powerful and frequent. The crashing sound of walls tumbling sounded after each flash of power and he was sure she was sending spells down upon her own palace.

Utik’cah was waiting outside her room, standing nervously,and Samuel hurried up to the anxious desert-man as carefully as he could. Already, he could hear Alahativa shouting and ranting inside.

‘What is she doing?’ Samuel whispered.

‘She is with your Emperor again,’ Utik’cah explained. ‘My Queen commanded that I bring him and she has been questioning him at length. So far, she has not killed him, but she has slain most others in the room. I don’t know what has affected her. She has killed most of her favourite servants. She is becoming more and more distressed with eachpassingday. I have the healers making potions to calm her, but today she will not take them.’

‘Let me see,’ Samuel suggested, but Utik’cah caught him by the shirt.

‘You risk death,’ he said grimly, but Samuel pulled away and strode inside.