A Device Infernal VII

 A Device Infernal
Chapter VII: Unchanging Darkness

Well them giant spiders weren’t much of a surprise, what with all the other critters they had come across already.  Course, it did take burning down a sizable amount of forest to be rid of the spiders.

What they never expected was coming across that Elven Refuge, full of good food and dancing and beautiful Elven folk, giving succor to all them runaways.  Even bad old Shad Le Duc who had got lost and lost most of his men on the bayou found safety there.  Or so they thought.  For these were not Elves but Blood Suckers, Leech Folk, Vampires as they call them out east in Pon.

 Course I don’t think them vampires expected the fight they got from Vangeline’s friends.  Still things was getting a might dicey what with Servan being near killed twice. So it was a good thing that Brother Maksen's prayers were answered and Saint Sankari manifest herself as an avenging angel and plugged everyone of them blood suckers.

 So what do you say to an angel that just saved everyone’s life but thank you kindly. But there was no time for that, the Saint just tipped her hat and floated on up through the rafters.  On her way though she warned Brother Maksen that she couldn't help them no more and that she couldn't follow them to the dark places where they were about to tread but that he should continue to trust in Huisinga, the god of light and righteous change.

First thing, they tended to Servan who was back on his feet but feeling mighty poorly from where that vampire had near to ripped his throat out.  As it was, the nerves in his left arm were cut so that holding his long rifle was going to be a might troublesome.

Then they noticed that bad old Shad Le Duc was in the corner, cradling his man who had been killed by the vampires, tears streaming down his face.  Brother Maksen went to comfort him.

"This was my cousin Remy," Shad said. "We were friends, more like brothers, since we were young'uns. I forced him into this serf-hunting life, wanted to make him rich like me.  He just wanted to live his life in the Yando. Too many been kilt or suffering at my hand and just so I could be a rich man.  

"Brother Maksen, this god of yours, Huisinga, is the one who's causes change for the good?  Can someone evil as me change for the good? "

Maksen responded, "If you open your heart to those around you, put yourself in their place, the good change will come."

"Then let my heart be open," Shad said with determination. He laid Remy's body gently aside and covered it with his cloak.  He approached Servan and the others.  "I cannot ask you to forgive me for what I done at Salteon, helping Lord Alabrastre against that poor girl Vangeline.  But I do hope you will take this here pocket watch and the time-jumping dogs it controls. There's only one more time that this watch can summon them dogs, maybe their last time can be used for some good instead of the evil I used them for."

Then he looked outside and saw all the runaways who were frightened and confused, having seen their hosts turn into blood suckers.

Shad said, "I can start now.  Them folks won't last much trying to get out of Crimson Bayou by themselves.  I spent my life putting folks back in chains.  From now on, the rest of my life is going be helping them out of bondage."

And so they watched as bad old Shad Le Duc led those runaway serfs and slaves on the road to freedom.  They would be the first of thousands.

They set off again, the divining rod showing them further up the Bayou.  As they went, the land became drier and more desolate.  Ruins of unfathomable age could be seen.  The sky was dark and cloud-covered, making it hard to determine whether it was day or night.  After a time, the smell of sulfur and brimstone, and wormwood struck them.  Brother Maksen realized that they might no longer be on the terrestrial plane but in some twilight place.

After a long time, they saw some sort of settlement in the midst of the desolation.  Fiddlesticks levitated above the dead trees that surrounded them to investigate.

It was a fortress formed by high jagged stone pillars with walls formed of living thorns.  A large house, surprisingly modern stood upon a rocky summit in its midst. A multitude of ragged people staggered about in ceaseless obscure labor, driven by guards who were living skeletons.

"Zombi!" exclaimed Fiddlesticks. "We have come to the House of Death!"

"The great Soul Trap, the unchanging darkness," said Brother Maksen, remembering the writings of Saint Nonnus regarding the realms of the afterlife.

Scattered throughout were several large pits from which huge plumes of green smoke writhed.  The hordes of zombi tending them, adding baskets of some sort of substances to feed them.

 Then in the far corner, Fiddlesticks spotted a small field filled with rows of flowers, pale white in the dim light. The Crystal Lilies.

Fiddlesticks reported all this to the others.  They decided that Coralie would move quietly to a spot near the crystal lily field and, using her vine magic, create an opening in the thorn walls.  She would then rush in and snatch one of the lilies.  The rest would create distractions if needed.  Servan and Maksen would find a perch on one of the pillars from which Servan could fire down at any who threatened Coralie.  Sabeen, J'bili, Placeed, and Dewy would strike one of the walls on the other side of the fortress.  

But first, Fiddlesticks and Skeeter would march boldly in and ask to see Baron Cimitere and possibly ask him for one of the lilies.  They approached what appeared to be the only gate in the walls.  The thick thorns blocking it rolled open as they approached.

Thinking it might be helpful to have one of his "little friends" with them, Fiddlesticks summoned up an imp in the form of a winged spider, who he called Araignee. Much to their surprise, the skeletons guarding the gate indicated they could proceed.

They walked through what had been some sort of ancient temple or mortuary, more skeleton guards motioning them forward.

At the foot of the hill, they encountered two figures dressed much like gravediggers, the smell of things long dead hung about them.  They motioned for Fiddlesticks and Skeeter to advance up the hill.

A strangely insect-like major domo met them at the stairs to the house.  His oversized claw pointed for them to go in.

Two figures dressed in women's gowns, their faces obscured by masks stood on the front porch of the mansion.  One had a strong odor of decay, the other had tentacles peaking from under its hem. They held the door open.  Fiddlesticks rushed into the dark interior of the house.

Meanwhile, Brother Maksen took Servan onto his back and used the teleportation ring to ascend to the top of one of the pillars.

Coralie approached the wall near the lily field without being notices.  She cast her spell and the thorns began to roll apart before her.

Fiddlesticks ran to the second floor.  A dark figure greeted him, Baron Cimitere, the Lord of Death.

A chilling voice spoke out, "You were stolen from me! By rights you should have been here with me all along."

Fiddlesticks tried to keep his voice calm as he said, "That may be, Baron, but that's not why I am here.  I am here to save my love Vangeline who was cursed and I seek your great power."

At this point, Skeeter joined them, exclaiming when he saw the Lord of Death, "Golllee!"

Baron Cimitere offered them one of his lilies but only if Fiddlesticks agreed to remain here in the Baron's domain.  Fiddlesticks, aware of his obligation to Papa Crossroads, prevaricated, " I'm not sure that I am free to agree to that, I have other commitments." A look of anger appeared on the corpse-like face of the Baron.

He snapped his fingers and Fiddlesticks and the spider imp disappeared. Skeeter cried, "Where'd he go?  I want to join my friend!"  The Baron smiled...

Fiddlesticks found himself in a large cage made of bone in the middle of the courtyard. Two large figures were already within.  He suddenly recognized them as two of the Imperial Army hobgoblins who were searching for Servan and J'bili.  They recognized Fiddlesticks as well.

Before any words could be exchanged, the gate to the cage opened and Skeeter strode in.  "Baron said I could find you here, Fiddlesticks." But before they could react, the door was slammed shut on all of them, some type of invisible wall of force preventing Fiddlesticks rushing out the open gate.

Having been trapped, the pair then spoke to the two hobgoblins, Lieutenatn Sharf and his Sergeant Hrr'pr.  Surprisingly they were both still armed.  When asked about this, they said that the invisible wall protecting the bone cage that could not be harmed by ordinary weapons.  They also warned them from breathing in the fumes from the pits as they had seen several humans be turned into zombies after breathing it.  They were preserved from this fate by their hobgoblin stamina.

Fiddlesticks told Skeeter that one of the effects of "napping" for 3 months under the earth was that if injured he would teleport away in some random direction.  "Hit me with your whomping stick, please Skeeter." Skeeter swung the stick at the back of Fiddlesticks' head.

Deciding that the time was ripe for a strong distraction, Sabeen and Placeed took big gulps of the latter's Dragon Jumbalaya and breathed hot fire breath onto the thorn wall which went up in flames.

Having cleared a space in the wall near the lily field, Coralie rushed toward it.

Dewy had flown over the thorns and attempted to toss a magic grenade into one of the pits.

Having been hit lightly by Skeeter's stick, Fiddlesticks found himself teleported to the edge of one of the other pits. 

He quickly levitated away from the fuming pit and its zombi tenders.  He floated behind an incongruously mundane storage shed.

When Coralie reached for one of the lilies, two of the scarecrows guarding the field attacked her, screeching all the while. With difficulty she blasted them with her horse pistol. But more scarecrows and zombi staggered toward her.

The skeleton gate guards rushed through the flaming thorns and fell upon Sabeen and Placeed.

Servan attempted to shoot the scarecrows attacking Coralie but his bad arm interfered with his aim and he missed several shots.

Lt. Sharf told Skeeter that nothing could penetrate the bone walls nor the hard stone floor of their cell.  Thinking for a moment, Skeeter then lifted his whomping stick and smashed a large hole into the floor.  The two hobgoblins rushed to help him as he dug furiously into the dry sand below.

Servan's shots having revealed their location, the skeleton guards directed a horde of the zombi to attack.  Clawing over each other they formed a flesh ladder up the side of the pillar.

Maksen used a prayer of banishment and several of the skeleton warriors vanished.

Servan used Shad's pocket watch to summon the chronohounds to aid Coralie who was now surrounded by living scarecrows and zombi.

One of the zombi managed to reach the top of the tower and tore into Maksen's shoulder.  With Servan's aid, the walking dead was flung off the pillar. But the onslaught continued.

With the aid of the chronohounds, Coralie was able to hold off the attackers.  Then she noticed that the Baron's two gravedigger lords were coming to protect the lilies.

Two flying skeletons pounced.  One attacked Placeed who struck it down.

The other smashed into Dewy and the diminutive fairy fell unconscious and bleeding onto the dry stones.

Several skeleton guards had discovered Fiddlesticks and moved to attack him.

A large blast from Sergeant Hrr'pr's volley gun shattered several of the skeletons.  The trio had successfully dug under the cage, the invisible field apparently ended at the magically protected floor that had been shattered by Skeeter's whomping stick.

Sabeen and Placeed charged in to save Dewy.  The chef rushed to the fairy's side and fed her a healing remoulade. J'bili finished off the remaining skeleton guard.

Reunited, Skeeter and Fiddlesticks moved to help Coralie.  As they turned in that direction, the Baron's major domo and two consorts blocked their path.

As Sabeen entered the courtyard, she was confronted by a massed charge of zombi and skeletons.

Suddenly, Baron Cimitere appeared before Fiddlesticks.  "You should have accepted my offer.  You will stay here with me anyway and you shall not be zombi but one of the tormented for all eternity!"  The dark figure raised its clawed hand and a red glow appeared between the boney fingers.

Fiddlesticks grabbed his golden fiddle and jammed it under his chin.  His bow raced across the strings striking the great Secret Chord, known only to greatest musicians of the Yando, taught them by Patre Carrefour, Father of the Crossroads.

As the sound of the Chord echoed across the desolation, a voice sound from behind the Baron.

"Well, my brother, I believe it is time for a talk."

Before them stood Patre Carrefour himself, the second of the three great loas, Master and Father of the Crossroads.  

"My servant, Fiddlesticks here, has opened my path into your domain.  As I had planned all along." 

Behind him appeared a host of demons and imps, the dark watchers on the pathways.

"Now shall we discuss the souls of all these sojourners here that you have stolen from ME!"

To be concluded...