Chapter XXI

“Am I the only one who thinks this is creepy, skulking around in the dark hundreds of feet under the surface?”

“I told you, Dario,” said Emylas, “What you fear in the dark is nothing more than what’s within. If you’re creepy the dark will be too.”

Evalina held Dario’s hand tighter. “Don’t be afraid. I’m right here to protect you.”

It wasn’t just the dark itself that had Dario so worried. As Emylas held the lantern before them all Dario could think about was the dream he’d had, and the terrible creatures he saw. Then his mind lingered back to that voice. That terrible, deep voice that spoke to him in his dreams and when he felt weak. Every shadow seemed to have eyes watching them. Every echo, every drip, every whistle of wind sounded like distant whispers. Nothing about any of this felt right.

Dario’s bare feet splashed through the icy water of the caverns whenever the ground leveled out. On every slope he slid and struggled to keep his feet, determined not to go sliding off into the darkness below. The further down they traveled the larger the great caverns got, with spires of stone taller than any watch-tower he’d ever seen surrounding them. It was as if crystal titans stood guarding the underworld. Dario prayed that they would not go deep enough to encounter any angels. He’d certainly done enough to anger the Agalmite God by this point.

Further up ahead the stalactites hung like jagged teeth, and Emylas led them on, further and further into the mouth of the underworld beast. The wind made it sound as if the caverns themselves were breathing. Perhaps even moaning.

The lantern’s light flickered and the shadows fell over the shape of a skull carved into the walls of the cavern. At first Dario was certain that it was just his imagination running wild, but as he, Evalina, and Emylas drew closer to it he saw that it was, indeed, the shape of a skull carved into the wall. The skull was larger than a house, and parts of it had chipped away. The lower jaw was missing. Dario wasn’t sure if that was intentional or if it had broken off at some point.

“We’re getting close,” Emylas whispered.

Dario could swear he heard dragging footsteps up ahead of them. A shadow moved in the darkness. The sound of breathing. Dario’s own breathing? Evalina’s? No, whatever it was sniffed the air, as if searching for a scent. Dario was almost sure of it now, his suspicions about Emylas had been correct the whole time.

“Careful not to step on the mushrooms,” said Emylas, pointing at the ground.

“What? Are they poisonous?” Evalina asked.

“No, quite the contrary. They’re my friends’ primary crop.”

Dario and Evalina stepped carefully around the spores lining the ground. The mushrooms grew in unpredictable bunches, both on the floor and on the walls.

The tunnels narrowed around them again. Dario could feel the heat from his own breath in that cold underground. The only comfort in that choking darkness was the nearby warmth of Evalina’s body.

Emylas squeezed through one last narrow passageway and said, “And here we are!”

Evalina passed through the passageway next and gasped at the sight, making Dario all the more curious. He pushed his way through and when he emerged on the other side he saw the source of their awe.

The cavern was larger than the entire city of Nox, and sprawled out beneath them was a city made of clay and crystals. Emylas’ lantern reflected off of the gleaming stones and lit up only a small fraction of the underground city. There were bridges over the rivers running under the streets. Rope ladders led up to homes carved into the stalactites that hung from the ceiling. Spiral staircases wrapped around stalagmites pocked with tiny doors where the denizens of the city had made their homes.

Again, Dario saw the shadow of something crawling in the darkness. Hundreds of somethings, actually. And he heard the familiar, high-pitched shriek that he’d heard in his dreams.

Emylas set down his lantern and called out, “Mna umhlobo, ndize kuni. Ndiya kukhunga ukuba ngoncedo lwakho.”

A deep voice reverberated throughout the caverns. “Nika eminye kukukhanya iindwendwe zethu. Usiyazi ithe yanyaniseka ngenene ukuzisa unyana kum.”

Candles and torches lit all throughout the cavern. In seconds the light was so brilliant that it illuminated the entire, beautiful city. There were enormous stone pyramids with alternating patterns carved into them. Obelisks stood hundreds of feet high, with concave markings all over. The ceiling was a rich blue, with hints of orange and gold scattered throughout. The water underneath the city was the purest, clearest water Dario had ever seen. And off to the far end of the cavern was a great waterfall, constantly spilling out into the river.

The beauty of the city was soon overshadowed when Dario’s eyes fell upon the city’s denizens. True to his suspicions, they were the creatures he’d seen in his nightmares. Skin a pale shade of gray, no hair anywhere on their bodies, no eyes, over-sized ears, long fingers, spindly limbs. Dario shivered as he saw how many thousands of them crawled around in that city.

“We made it,” said Emylas before blowing out the candle in his lantern. “These are my allies, the ones who will help us-“

Dario let go of Evalina’s hand and seized Emylas by the collar of his tunic. “You bastard!”

“You’re welcome,” said Emylas.

“Dario! Let him go!” Evalina pleaded.

“You knew about Duat the whole time! Not only did you know for sure they existed, you’d already met with them!” Dario shook Emylas.

Evalina pulled on Dario’s arm. “That’s enough!”

Dario hung his head and released Emylas’ collar. Emylas brushed himself off. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you sooner, but you must understand; everyone who sees the people of Duat judges them as monsters on sight, without giving it a second thought. But they’re people, Dario. They’re human, just like you and I. They just look different because they’ve lived underground for the better part of a thousand years.”

“Human? How can you call that human?” Dario asked, pointing at one of the creatures of Duat.

“Do you say the same thing about a man burned from head to toe?” Emylas asked. “How about a woman born misshapen? If so you are far crueler than I realized, justicar, and it was a mistake bringing you here.”

Dario again hung his head in shame. Evalina rubbed his shoulder to comfort him.

“How do you know their language?” Evalina asked.

“It’s not very different from Ancient Subran, with some elements of Kufar scattered in,” said Emylas. “When you study ancient texts about magic and mysticism you can’t help but learn the language a little. Then I actually met them and they helped me refine my linguistic skills.”

“Interesting,” said Evalina. “What was that voice that called out before the whole city lit up?”

“Their leader,” said Emylas. “Come, both of you. If we’re going to get the people of Duat to help us we’ll need to speak with him first.”

“Who is their leader?” Dario asked.

“His name is Akhert,” said Emylas. “Beyond that...well, it’s best if he tells you his story himself. I can’t do it justice.”

Emylas led the way down the long staircase and through the city streets. The walls of every house and every building had strange old runes etched into them, and the people of Duat felt along the walls, their fingertips tracing the runes.

“The people of Duat call themselves the Rahmit,” said Emylas. “They are descended from several nomadic tribes from Subra and from the Kufar tribe of Arx.”

“The Kufar tribe?” Evalina asked. “I've never heard of them.”

“Not surprising. It's a part of Arxian history that the Arxians don't like to speak of,” said Emylas. “Back when their prophetess, Erelah, was still alive, and not long after she'd crowned their first king the Arxians discovered that there were people living in the mountains surrounding Arx. Erelah wasn't happy about that at all, so she went to them and told them that if they wanted to continue to live on Arxian soil they needed to submit themselves to her God's Law.”

“They refused?” Evalina asked.

“Of course they did!” said Emylas. “The Kufar people are a free people. They do as they will, love as they will, and hate as they will. The only relationship they have with spirits is a friendship, at most a partnership, never servitude. The Kufar people refused to bow to the Laws of some God they didn't even know, so Erelah went to war with them.”

As Emylas spoke, the three of them drew closer and closer to a large, golden dome. There was a doorway in the dome, tall enough for the three of them to pass through, far taller than the Rahmit needed. Rahmit moved out of their way as they drew closer, some seeming almost frightened when Dario drew near. Dario got a good look at the face of one of the Rahmit and was surprised at just how sad its expression was, even without eyes.

“The Kufar people selected ten of their most powerful sorcerers to face Erelah, each dressed in blood-red robes with gold trim. The ten sorcerers were slaughtered, but they bought enough time for the rest of the Kufar people to flee further into the mountains and fortify themselves. It wasn't long before Erelah was upon them again, and all their preparations were for nothing when she caused the ground to swallow them up.”

Dario said, “If they all died when the ground swallowed them how can the Rahmit be their descendants?”

“Not all of them died when they sank under the dirt,” said Emylas. “They fell into deep caverns and tunnels, and some survived the fall. After that some of the Kufar people found their way back to the surface and decided to live as Arxians, but others migrated west, realizing that they were safe from Erelah's wrath underground. They settled here, and built this city.”

The three of them stopped at the entrance of the dome. Inside, Dario and Evalina could see several figures clad in black armor standing at attention. The forms were surprisingly human, compared to the Rahmit. “Is that where Akhert lives?” Dario asked.

“Yes,” said Emylas. “That is the inner sanctum of the ruler of Duat. The Rahmit people love him because he gives them whatever they need, whatever they wish. If it weren't for him they would not have survived so long.”

“He's been around since the beginning?” Dario asked.

Emylas nodded. “He's been down here for almost one-thousand years at this point, but he's been 'around,' as you say, since 'The Beginning.' He's expecting to meet you. Evalina and I will wait out here.”

“No,” said Dario. “I don't trust you, Emylas. You're coming with me, and I'm not letting Evalina out of my sight.”

“I can speak for myself,” said Evalina, indignantly. “I'm staying out here.”

“Then I'm not going in,” said Dario. “Do you take me for a fool, Emylas? I will not be your sacrificial lamb to some dark god of the underworld-”

“Dario, still your foolish tongue and enter,” came that deep, reverberating voice from within the dome. In an instant Dario knew the voice. He'd suspected that it was the same voice before, but now he was certain. The voice from his dreams, from his visions, and that spoke to him when he fought the angels.

Dario took a deep breath and walked through the arched entryway. The figures in armor on either side of him saluted him with their swords as he entered. The blades of their weapons were as black as their armor, and would have completely faded into the shadows if it weren't for that slight gleam upon them. Their helmets had no eye-holes. Were they as blind as the Rahmit? No need for eyes in the dark, it seemed.

Up ahead, Dario saw a fountain, though where water should have been it flowed with blood. At the top of the fountain was a still-beating heart, and at the base of the fountain sat thirteen silver goblets. Upon the wall behind the fountain there was a skull, sitting on a shelf carved into the wall.

“You have finally arrived,” said the deep, booming voice.

“You're Akhert?” Dario asked.

“I am,” said the voice. “Though I was not always known by that name. My name was once 'Salvatore,' and many called me 'The Divi Filius.'”

“The Divine Son?” Dario asked in disbelief.

“The Firstborn of the Father, yes,” said Akhert.

“The same one who founded the Justicar Order?”

“Yes. I was given power over life and death, enough to rival the Father himself. The truth is, the Father did not wish to live forever. He wanted me to take his place as the god of justice, death, and destruction. He taught me to judge the guilty and make them pay for their sins. He was cruel.”

“Blasphemy!”

“Is it blasphemy that I speak ill of the Father? Is it not also blasphemy for you to argue with his son?”

“I don't believe you really are Divi Filius,” said Dario, folding his arms.

“Believe what you will,” said Akhert, “But it is true. I judged sinners on the Father's behalf, and put more than I can count to the sword. The more I killed, however, the more I realized how cruel justice truly was. No one in this world is perfect, Dario. Not one. Even the justicars, who spend their whole lives dedicating themselves to justice cannot truly live up to such ideals. The Father set the bar so high that everyone fell short of his standards. If I continued to dispense his justice I would have painted the world red with sinners' blood, and the Father would have been my last victim, for he too was a sinner by his own standard.”

“Why didn't you?” Dario asked.

“Because it would have been an awful thing to do!” said Akhert. “My Father was the first man ever to walk Erets, and my Mother the first woman. They had power over the forces of nature, power to change the world however they willed, and they passed that on to their children; me and my sisters. My Father, my Mother, and I were immortal, blessed to walk the world forever, but our descendants were not so blessed, and in their weakness they began to sin. My Father wanted me to purge the world of all sinners, leave only the most innocent children to start the world anew. Twice I butchered the whole world for him; once with fire and once with plague.”

“You're claiming responsibilities for the Great Calamities?”

“I am confessing my sins,” said Akhert. “And informing you of the Father's.”

Dario didn't want to believe any of it, but it seemed foolish for one who was lying to gain favor with him to do so by claiming to have done terrible things.

Akhert continued. “Twice he ordered me to destroy humanity so that my Mother could begin it anew, twice I did it. Then, about nine-hundred years ago, he ordered me to do it again, but this time I refused. I'd learned mercy. Too much of my Mother in me to end the world yet again. I left my Father's service and turned my attentions to serving humankind, to forgiving them their sins. From that day on I lived to serve, and to free people from gods who cared nothing for them.”

“You turned your back on the Father's justice and embraced a woman's mercy?” Dario scoffed.

“You're not one to judge me,” said Akhert. “The Father's justice demands that Evalina die for what she's done, and that you die too for your deeds, yet you have not only spared her but saved her life. You and I are not so different. The Father's worshipers came after me, ignorant as they were. They tried to kill me, so I fled south, to Subra.”

“You ran? I thought you had power over life and death,” said Dario. “Wouldn't it have been too easy for someone of your great power to win such a war?”

“Indeed it would, but it's silly to slaughter so many people who are trying to kill me because I refused to slaughter them, don't you think?” said Akhert. “In Subra I began to gather followers. I taught them to be free of all spirits who sought to control them, and how to harness the power of their own wills, just as my Father taught me. Through magic they learned to conquer death, to live forever in their bones. Some of those you saw standing underneath this very dome were alive back then. I call them Akhs. Their spirits live forever, bound to their remains so that they will not have to face the final judgment of any god. I conquered death for them, and asked nothing in return except that they let me serve them.”

“What did you get out of this?” Dario asked.

“Friends,” said Akhert. “Friends who loved me, who were grateful for everything I did for them. I loved them back then and I do to this day.”

“Then why keep them underground?” Dario asked.

“We were not safe on the surface. Our numbers were growing too quickly, priests and clerics of every faith in the world were abandoning their religions en masse to join my friends. The Ancestor Worshipers of Subra attacked us, so we fled north, into Arx. We were only there for a few months, building our homes in Negev, when the crown prince, Ari, arrived at our camp and told us that we had to either submit to their God's Law or leave. There was nowhere else to go, not on the surface anyway. One of our scouts discovered a series of tunnels leading deep underground, and I decided that if the surface world would not be hospitable perhaps the underworld might.

“I stood with our best warriors to defend my friends as the elderly and the children were the first to descend underground. That was when Ari came again. Again he demanded that we bow to the Law, again we refused, and so he attacked. I was slain on that battlefield, along with hundreds of my friends, but I cheated death. My friends took my remains down into the depths with them, knowing that my spirit was forever bound to my bones and my blood.

“We met the Kufar people down here. They had already started to turn pale and adapt to the underground. We shared with them a mutual enemy, and so they welcomed us into Duat. Ever since then I have acted as the spirit guardian for the people of Duat, protecting them from the world above.”

“If you're trying to protect them from the world above why call out to me?” Dario asked. “I'm a follower of the very same religion that tried to kill you in the first place!”

“They won't be safe from the world above forever. As the gold mines out in the West go deeper and deeper eventually the surface-dwellers will find this city. Besides, the people of Duat have been requesting something of me recently, something that I need the help of surface-dwellers to give them.”

“And what is that?”

“Vengeance.”