Since I've been pretty scarce of late, I thought I'd share something a bit longer that I've been working on. Like many of the things I write, it's based on a dream I had (or, in this case, a nightmare), and loosely borrows from an idea for a series that a friend and I have been discussing. Whether it will get used for that or not remains to be seen. In any event, I don't write much in the way of horror (though it's more unsettling than scary, but if horror isn't your thing, this story probably isn't for you), so I thought I'd share it to see what people think.
The light of Azure Crystalis is faint. Dad falls to his knees, clutching at his throat. He collapses onto the ground and stops moving. Mom tries to back away, crying. She stops, then falls across her husband’s body. Her hand is outstretched, but her eyes are glassy and white as the trails of red streak down her blouse and across the floor. He stands there, a knife in his hand. The silver blade glows faintly in the darkness, crimson droplets falling from the tip. He turns his head around, a mad fire burning in his eye, and smiles. The light of Azure Crystalis grows brighter.
Matthus Vivan awoke to the sound of his own sobbing in the darkness.
The air was cool and damp in the Great Maw -- the spacious cavern that served as both dining hall and refuge for the Exiles of Crystal Babylon. They were gathered together, numbering more than forty, in the soft blue glow of the cave, preparing for a ritual banquet to commemorate the passing of one of their own into the Deep Night. Their leader, Indus Noctin, the Patron of Exiles, stood before them on the dais at the back of the chamber. He was clad in his ceremonial blue and black robes with silver-threaded trim, raising his arms in a gesture of silence.
“Brothers,” he said as the room grew silent, the deep rumbling of his voice echoing off the walls. “Sisters. Fellow Exiles. We join together in communion today to mourn the loss of Grisham Lock, the twenty-seventh of us to be claimed by the Deep Night.” There were hushed, reverential whispers from the crowd as Indus bowed his head solemnly.
“However,” he continued, raising his head again, “it is at these times more so than any other that we must remember our faith, and know that all things are worked for our good. Our very being here is a testament to the truth of our faith; for, when we were persecuted by unbelievers and driven deep into the earth, we were driven not away from, but rather into the very heart of the Eidolon’s bounty -- into this most hallowed ground, Azure Crystalis.” The cave walls reverberated with quiet utterings of praise from the congregation.
“It was in this sacred place that our faith was rewarded. We were provided with clean water from the Eidolon’s Spring; we were provided with fresh food from the Eidolon’s Garden; we were provided refuge from our persecutors within these unbreakable walls; and, above all, we were guided to our new lives by the light of the Eidolon itself.” Indus motioned with both hands to the plethora of tiny crystals that covered the walls and ceiling, emanating a steady blue glow.
“This most of all is why we mustn’t fear the Deep Night. For, while we know not what awaits us in the next phase of our journey home to Crystal Babylon, we know that it is blessed by the Eidolon of Azure Crystalis; as with each soul claimed by the Eidolon before Grisham, the light of this world shines brighter for those of us who must still wait. Indeed, it was the loss of Juniper Alban that illuminated the path to the Spring; when Tristan Ressik was claimed by the Eidolon, we were led by its light into the Garden. As the light of Azure Crystalis grows stronger and reaches deeper, we know that we are being protected for a great purpose.” There was a general murmur of assent.
“Nevertheless, I understand that there are concerns. It is natural to have misgivings about our journey when there remain so many uncertainties, especially when the presence of an uncommitted ward hangs like a pall over our hearts.” There were several concerned whispers as members of the congregation turned and shot disapproving looks at Eira Vivan. The young woman kept her bright blue eyes averted, her cheeks burning hot. Indus raised his hands to silence the rising din. “Yet we must not let the actions of others discourage us. We gather now not only in mourning, but in fellowship; thus, let us eat and drink not only to the memory of Grisham Lock, but to his faith, for which he has been taken from us.”
The congregation formed a neat file as they received their food, Indus offering words of blessing while they filtered through. Eira held to the back of the line and kept her eyes down towards the floor. When she had received her bowl of hot stew, she quickly carried it towards the back of the Maw to sit alone. She could feel the eyes of the others burning into her as she ate in silence. Indus approached her with a cup of water, setting it down beside her. She thanked him without looking up.
“Matthus has once again chosen not to attend, so it seems,” he said, his hands folded behind his back. Eira nodded once.
“So it seems.”
“You must be growing weary of the others treating you like a pariah for the non-committal of your brother.” That much was obvious, but it needed to be said. Indus watched carefully as Eira took a sip of water and set the small, earthen cup back down, still without raising her eyes. Indus let out a slight sigh, feigning mild exasperation.
“I do not condone that behavior, of course. There is no reason that you should be isolated for the actions of your brother. However, I suppose, considering that he is still a ward, and your parents are no longer with us, they see you as responsible for his faith.” Indus smiled to himself as Eira winced briefly, then lowered himself onto his haunches. “Do the two of you speak often?” he asked, resting his arms on his knees and clasping his hands together. Eira glanced away from his fierce, unblinking stare.
“Occasionally. When he has a mind to.” Indus nodded a few times.
“He makes himself pretty scarce,” he said, tapping his thumbs together. “Some say they’ve spotted him coming and going from the Dark Places. He must be a fairly courageous young man.” Eira stopped eating momentarily. The Dark Places were deep recesses of the cave where the light of Azure Crystalis had not fully extended. They were forbidden to all Exiles so long as they remained unilluminated. Indus’ phrasing was no doubt meant to probe Eira’s faith, in addition to any knowledge she might be concealing. She suddenly felt as though the conversation had turned to a thinly veiled interrogation. A cold sweat began to break out at the base of her neck.
“If he has done as you say, then it is out of stubbornness, not courage,” she said. Indus gave a broad smile as his thumbs continued to tap against one another.
“I suppose that is so. It is dangerous to venture too deep without the guidance of the Eidolon. Such a person might become lost in the darkness, never to return. Even if one were to be claimed by the Eidolon, to be taken into the Deep Night, we would be unable to consecrate their memory in ourselves through the ritual banquet, and their sacrifice would be lost. It would be a shame for such a thing to happen.” Indus studied Eira’s face carefully for a moment, noting the subtle nuances of emotion she was unable to hide, then lifted himself up and folded his hands behind his back once more.
“In any case, I suppose it won’t be an issue for much longer. He’ll soon reach the age of majority. If he still has not committed himself, he will not be allowed to stay.” Indus turned away as if to leave, then stopped, turning his face back slightly. “If you love your brother, I recommend you do what you can to prevent that from happening.” Eira lowered her bowl and watched as Indus walked casually away with a confident and collected swagger, his robe flapping about his sandaled feet.
Matthus Vivan sat with his back against a smooth stone wall, one leg dangling over a precipice that dropped into utter blackness. The small blue crystals stopped shortly past the entrance of the cavern, and so he had never been able to see it, but he supposed it to be quite large; he could hear a trickle of water along the cave wall far in the distance and the occasional splash as a fish surfaced somewhere in the inky depths. He sat in silence, his eyes closed, and painted images of what the cavern might look like in his mind. He spent most of his time in this room, knowing that it would be far from the others who were too afraid to venture so deep.
“I thought I might find you here.” Eira’s voice was an eruption of sound in the darkness, shattering the tranquility that Matthus had been enjoying. He looked up at her in the dim light of the entranceway, then shut his eyes again. Eira sighed and lowered herself down against the wall next to him.
“You missed another banquet,” she said. “Grisham’s, in case you care.”
“I don’t,” he responded, his voice stolid and unaffected. Eira looked at her brother, appearing only as a dim silhouette against the even darker pitch behind him. She looked away, her eyes following a sparse trail of crystals down into the cavern, like a string of dim blue candles threatening to flicker out.
“You don’t have much longer, you know,” Eira said. “You’ll be an adult soon. If you still refuse to commit, you won’t be welcome here any longer.”
“Exiled from the Exiles,” Matthus said with a drop of amusement. Eira smiled a bit in the darkness.
“I suppose you could say that.” She sat quietly for a moment, then reached down and ran her fingers along the floor until they brushed against his hand. She placed hers on top of it gently. “Do you really want that? To be separated from the only family you have left?” Matthus sat unmoving for a moment, then turned his hand over, grasping Eira’s.
“You could come with me,” he said. “We could find new lives for ourselves back on the surface.” Eira shook her head back and forth, a lock of hair falling across her face.
“That’s not what mom and dad would have wanted,” she said, brushing her hair to the side with her free hand. “They trusted in their faith. They believed in the life we would find here, in the bosom of Azure Crystalis.”
“What life?” Matthus asked, his tone sharpening. “Mom and dad are dead. There’s no life for them here.” Eira squeezed his hand a bit harder.
“They’re not dead,” she said. “They’ve been taken by the Eidolon to--”
“Yeah, yeah, the Deep Night,” Matthus said, pulling his hand away, irritated. “I’m tired of hearing that kind of lofty, florid language used to cover up the truth of this world. They’re dead, Eira. I saw their bodies, lying lifelessly on the ground. They’re dead and gone. I don’t need to put any great purpose to it.”
“Then what happened to them?” Eira asked, incredulously. “What happened to their bodies? How can you explain the fact that they vanished without a trace? You say you saw them, but it was over a decade ago, and you were not even six years old. How do you know it wasn’t a dream, or a false memory? How can you be so sure?”
“It is a dream,” Matthus said, his voice quieter. “It’s the same dream I’ve had every night for more than ten years. I see their bodies, their faces, their blood -- I see it every single night.” Matthus turned his face up and stared into his sister’s eyes. “But it was real, Eira. Nothing you could ever say would convince me otherwise. I saw them. And I saw him.”
Eira knew which “him” Matthus was referring to. She knew that at least part of Matthus’ withdrawal from the community was over his distrust of Indus Noctin. Whether he had really seen what he claimed to have, he blamed Indus for their parents being gone. Matthus was right -- nothing she could say would change his mind about that. She hoisted herself up and turned to leave, stopping at the corridor.
“I already had to lose mom and dad,” she said quietly. “I don’t want to lose you, too.”
Matthus said nothing as she walked back into the comforting blue glow.
Indus stood quietly in the darkness, listening intently to the conversation in the adjacent room. He had followed Eira covertly after the banquet, presuming -- correctly -- that she would go to see her brother after their talk. Listening to them now, his suspicions were confirmed. Matthus represented a rogue element; his relationship with his sister was strong, and his thoughts and actions were subversive. While Matthus leaving the colony would settle the minds of most of his congregation, there was no telling what effect it would have on Eira. If she, a committed Exile, were to leave of her own volition, there would be the first true ripples of disharmony within the community proper -- or, should she stay, the resentment for him that Matthus felt in his heart might take root in hers as well.
The ideal resolution would be for Matthus to be claimed by the Eidolon, thus allowing Indus to spin the hearts of everyone, including Eira, back to blind submission: What a great sign this is, he would say, that even one who had not fully committed himself could be claimed by the Eidolon as one of its own. However, this was not possible; so long as Matthus remained a ward, he was under the protection of the Eidolon, and was promised not to be claimed. From the sound of their conversation, it also seemed unlikely that even Eira would be able to sway Matthus, and thus his repudiation was all but assured. It seemed to Indus that there was only one course of action that could guarantee the preservation of order within the community he had molded.
Indus stepped out of the darkness and quietly followed Eira back into the light of the cave.
Eira spun around suddenly at the tap on her shoulder, nearly dropping the small bucket in her hands. Her eyes were wide with shock as she looked up into Indus’ smiling face.
“On your way to the Spring?” Indus asked politely. Eira quickly looked away, lowering her face in deference.
“Yes, Patron,” she muttered, fumbling with the bucket. Indus reached out a hand and gently, but firmly, took it from her.
“I’m sure that can wait,” he said, his voice smooth and calm. “There’s something very important that I would like to speak with you about. It regards your brother, Matthus. Could you accompany me to the Azure Sanctum?” Eira’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. The Azure Sanctum was a sacred place deep within the cave, purportedly the genesis of Azure Crystalis itself. None but Indus were allowed access to it except under the rarest of occasions. Whatever it was he needed to discuss, it would have to necessitate the strictest confidence for him to grant a first-year acolyte like herself permission. She nodded her head and followed Indus down a series of twisting passageways.
“Please, close the curtain,” Indus said as they entered the small alcove. The light within the Sanctum was overwhelming; nearly every inch of the room was covered in crystals, and they glowed brighter than anywhere else in the cave. Eira had an overwhelming urge to shield her eyes, but retained her composure and drew the curtain closed behind her. Indus smiled at her, then turned away.
“Tell me the legend of Crystal Babylon,” he said, retrieving a small book from the desk in the center of the room. Eira looked down, her eyes squinting, as she recalled the story.
“Before the world was made, there existed a place of unimaginable beauty,” she said mechanically, as though reciting the lines of a play memorized by rote. “Everything in this place was good, and it was inhabited by a number of beings of surpassing power and glory, known only as Eidolons. However, there was one Eidolon who found its home to be imperfect and incomplete, and so it formed what we know of as the Earth; and from the Earth, it formed the creatures of the Earth; and from the creatures, it formed Man -- a creature both lowly in stature as the beasts, but lofty in disposition as the Eidolons. This was a being of two worlds, who belonged just as much with the creatures of the Earth as with the beings of Crystal Babylon, and thus the discord in the heart of Man drove him from that paradise. Yet there is unrest within us, for Crystal Babylon is our true home -- one from which we have been exiled, and one to which we must strive to return.”
Indus nodded his head forward, then clasped the book shut with a soft pat, placing it back down on the desk. He caressed the leather binding softly, running his fingers along the bumps and fissures that had formed from years of study.
“Very good,” he said, almost absentmindedly. “That is the first part of the legend, although it is the only part that most people know. The rest has been concealed for the sake of the faithful, that their convictions might not be shaken.” Eira’s brow furrowed in confusion.
“I don’t understand,” she said. Indus turned back around and paced around the room, his hands folded in the sleeves of his robe, making a circle around her.
“After the conflicting duality of Man became apparent, the Eidolon who created us was itself exiled from Crystal Babylon -- for it had created a deeply flawed creature, and thus must itself be flawed. It fell from the heavens as of a star crashing to the Earth, and was buried under its own creation for eons. It wishes, just as we do, to return to its home, but it is deeply wounded. Unless it can atone for the abomination of Man, it will be trapped here forever. However, atonement requires sacrifice, and the Eidolon of Azure Crystalis has nothing to give. That is why we are here. We, the followers of the True Exile, have not come to this place that Azure Crystalis might protect us -- we have come that it might use us.”
Eira looked up at the back of Indus’ head as he stopped in front of her, confused and alarmed.
“Use us how?” she asked timidly. Indus lowered his head with a sigh.
“It is the source of our life, and it is only through sacrificing our lives that it might be restored to its proper place. This is the truth of the Deep Night; all those lost have been sacrificed for the sake of the Eidolon. It has fed on us, mere lambs slaughtered for its benefit, that it can return to its home.”
Indus turned, his arms pulling apart, revealing a silver-edged knife in his hand. He raised it to Eira’s throat and back down again in one quick movement, then wiped it clean on the inside of his robe as she fell to her knees, blood streaming down her neck and chest.
“I am truly sorry it must be this way,” Indus said, kneeling in front of Eira as her eyes bulged in shock, gasping for air. “I cannot allow either you or your brother to jeopardize what I am trying to do here. But trust that your sacrifice will be forever remembered by those who remain. When Azure Crystalis is restored, it will be by your blood -- and by your blood it will be that we return to Crystal Babylon.”
Eira collapsed onto the ground, wishing only that she could see her brother one last time.
Matthus skulked about the winding passages in the cave, his hands in his pockets, his body hunched over as though to try and conceal himself. He had expected to find his sister in their shared nook when he had decided to turn in, and was hoping he would have another chance to speak with her, but she and their water bucket were missing. He had checked the Spring, but she was not there, either. He briefly considered asking someone if they had seen her, but knew it would be futile, considering how everyone felt about him. He was about to return to their sleeping quarters to see if she had somehow slipped by him when Indus approached him suddenly as he rounded a corner.
“Ah, Matthus,” Indus said, “this is fortuitous. I was just on my way to find you.”
“What do you want from me?” Matthus stated more than asked in an icy tone, shrinking away as Indus stretched out a hand to place on his shoulder. Indus merely shrugged and withdrew his hand, placing it behind his back once more.
“It seems we have lost another Exile to the Deep Night. I thought I should personally invite you to the banquet.” Matthus scowled at Indus, taking a step back.
“Why? I never go. Besides, my sister is the one who usually invites me.” Indus sighed heavily, as though a great burden were weighing down on his chest.
“That is why I felt I needed to inform you personally,” Indus said with a tender voice. Matthus stood motionless for a moment, then looked up into Indus’ face in horror as he understood the implication he was making.
“You…” Matthus said, his hands starting to tremble in his pockets. “You didn’t.” Indus gave a broad, wicked smile.
“Oh, yes,” he whispered as he leaned forward, towering over Matthus’ trembling frame, “I most certainly did. But even your own sister didn’t believe you about your parents. Nobody here will believe you about her, either. You’ve been a thorn in my side for long enough. Scamper to the surface, or retreat into the darkness like the helpless, frightened child you are. There is nothing left for you here.”
Matthus shook with fear and rage as he stared up into the face that haunted his nightmares, bearing down on him like some sadistic predator cornering its prey. As his eyes began to screw up in tears, he turned and ran, Indus watching him go with sick satisfaction. He ran until he had nearly been swallowed up by the darkness, then fell to the ground, breathless. He sat on the cold stone floor of the cave, tears running out of his eyes, when he felt something like a wisp of breath on the back of his neck.
Matthus.
His head perked up. That had sounded like Eira’s voice. He looked around suddenly, wiping his eyes. The crystals were sparse here, but a few were glowing brighter than usual. He stood and walked towards them, noticing that the brighter crystals seemed to form a trail. He began to follow it through the passageways until he heard a hissing sound, like air being forced through a small hole. As he followed the lights, the hissing sound grew louder, until he found himself in the cavern that served as his refuge. Though it was still dark, the crystals in this room had brightened considerably -- enough to make out a long slope leading down from the entrance into a pool of water. The line of brighter crystals followed the slope down until coming to an abrupt stop.
Matthus followed the trail down the slope, running his fingers along the wall, the hissing growing louder. He looked around the cavern as he walked, seeing it for the first time. It looked much as he had imagined it, but still seemed completely new: there was a large pool at the bottom of the cliff that he always sat next to; there were streams of water at the far end of the cavern, glowing blue in the light of the crystals as they ran down the wall and into the lake; there were a number of stalactites hanging from the ceiling, glimmering in the light reflecting off the water below them. Despite everything happening, he couldn’t help but appreciate the beauty of the room.
As he stepped into the water at the bottom of the slope, his fingers ran across a small deposit of what felt like silt where the trail stopped. There was a small hole in the sediment that seemed to be the source of the sound, but he could not feel any air when he placed his hand against it.
Matthus.
This was undeniably his sister’s voice, and he was sure it had come from behind the deposit of sediment. He began clawing at the silt frantically, pulling large chunks of it out of the wall. As a small passage into another chamber gradually opened up, the hissing sound grew louder, and light from the crystals began to shine through. Matthus reached a hand into the small hole he had dug and wrapped his arm around a large chunk of the deposit, wrenching it loose. He brushed the granules of clay and sand from his arm, then looked into the chamber.
Strewn about the floor of the chamber, no wider than a few meters but exceptionally tall, were countless severed heads. Each had their mouths wrenched open and were emanating a ghastly hissing sound. Most were badly decomposed and unrecognizable, but closest to him, within arm’s reach, was the head of his sister.
As Matthus stared in horror, a terrible churning starting in his stomach, his sister’s eyes rolled over in their skull to look at him, white and glassy, the hiss still streaming from its mouth.
Matthus, it whispered, its lips moving slowly. Soon.
Matthus threw himself back from the wall in shock, one hand over his mouth as he began to retch as much from the sight as from the stench. The hissing was louder than ever, seeming to fill every empty space in his mind. He covered his ears and shut his eyes with a scream, running blindly up the slope and out of the cavern. As he ran upwards, trying frantically to get out of the cave, he heard a cacophony of shouts ahead of him. He stepped into the light of the Great Maw and saw the congregation gathered together. At the back of the room, by the corridor that led back to the surface, was Indus Noctin, kneeling before a spectral figure. She was luminous, as though her body were made of light itself. The room was awash in the blue glow that radiated from her. Indus had his arms stretched out to her, as though pleading for an embrace. She waved her hand, and suddenly the room fell silent. She then reached out her hand and placed it on Indus’ face.
My dear Noctin, she said, her voice like the hum of a crystal goblet, you have done well to provide for me all these years. It is thanks to your unquestioning obedience that I am free of this prison. My dear Noctin, I must ask why you have attempted to imitate me in feeding on your fellow Man.
Indus raised a quivering hand to his face, caressing the ethereal hand that held it.
“To be with you, my Queen,” he said, his voice trembling. “I brought to you the spirit of Man, and kept only His unwanted body. You were nourished by their souls, while we fed only on their scraps. Together, the perversion of Man’s nature has been overcome. We can now go with you to our home, to Crystal Babylon.” Indus began to weep, then doubled over suddenly, his hand dropping to the floor to support himself.
My dear, foolish Noctin, Crystal Babylon was never your home. You do not belong there. Your faith was a convenient lie I used to manipulate you. My dear, foolish Noctin, one who feeds on his own brethren has no place at my side.
Indus put a hand to his mouth as blood began erupting from it. He looked down in horror at the freshly emptied bowl of stew beside him as all the other members of the congregation collapsed onto the ground, retching and vomiting blood.
The flesh you have consumed is rightfully mine. You have desecrated it, and I will not permit it to be a part of you any longer.
Indus fell onto his side as blood began to trickle from his eyes and ears. He twisted onto his back, tearing at his robes as the red and black sludge gushed from his mouth, until he came to a stop, his body twisted and deformed. Matthus watched, horrified, as each member of the congregation expired in turn, blood and bile covering their corpses. The Eidolon of Azure Crystalis floated across the room to him as he stood rigid, frightened for his life.
Matthus, she whispered, caressing his face gently, those who have profaned themselves do not deserve life, but you are pure. There was great love in your sister’s heart for you, and that love is now within me. My dear Matthus, I do not wish for you to die, but to come with me back to my home. As I was freed from my bondage by your sister’s blood, I will free you. Join me in Crystal Babylon.
Matthus trembled, his mind unable to process what was happening.
“Will I...see my sister again?” he asked, his voice a barely audible whisper. The apparition nodded.
And your parents. They are now a part of me, and will live again through me. Come. Let us go to them.
Matthus slowly stepped forward in trepidation, then embraced the Eidolon. There was a brilliant flash, then the light of Azure Crystalis went dark.