Secret of the Sunstones, Part 1: The Wanton Kingdom

Chapter XLIX : Ahriman

Lateday of Primoris, Ninth Day of Autumnmoon

Cedric spent hours looking over amended airship schematics with his foreman, Connor. The black box alterations didn’t affect integrity, nor did they violate any engineering principles. In fact, they seemed rather benign, and he didn’t have a good reason to object to them. Their functions were still a mystery, and he hadn’t approved the changes himself, but it wasn’t enough of a big deal to make a fuss. Nevertheless, he was committed to speaking with King Richard. Somehow, he’d have to make do.

He clasped his hands together. “Well, that about wraps things up.”

Connor seemed pleased. “So, what’ll yah do about the changes?”

Cedric didn’t want to answer directly. He had a different question in mind. “Say … were you treated to stricter-than-usual security this morn?”

Connor wagged his index finger. “Yeah, now that yah mention it. They gave me a military escort. Same with the whole crew. I suppose yah already know King Richard is in the Substratum today? They must be takin’ extra precautions.”

Cedric decided to play it coy. “Right, about that … if I could only catch a moment of His Majesty’s time, I could bring the issue of these new devices to his attention.”

Connor scrunched his nose. “That might be difficult, don’t yah think? He must be surrounded by all kinds o’ security. An’ he’s no doubt meetin’ with generals, back t’ back.”

Cedric figured that would be the case, but he was still determined. He knew how badly Richard wanted Zounds operational. If he could flag the king down with a critical issue, he’d have to spare some time. The problem was how to escape the notice of his military hounds. And for that, he’d need Connor’s help. And a bit of luck.

The Craftsman put on his best act. “It’d be a real pity to miss him. Those black boxes might look benign, but we don’t know what they do. They could cause mistakes and lead to countless delays. I’m not comfortable with that kind of risk on a design this scale. Are you?”

Connor frowned. He gestured toward a solider waiting by the stairwell. “See that gent, ova there? He’s been eyin’ us all day, and he don’t let a wan of us leave wit’out an escort. If yah want to find His Majesty, yah’ll need t’ get past ‘im.”

Cedric went for the clincher. “I intend to. With your help, of course, Connor.”

The foreman turned a few shades whiter. “Me? What do yah think I can do?”

Cedric smirked. He had to act with confidence. “Distract him! Say you saw someone wandering about, who isn’t part of your team. Ask him to check it out.”

Connor’s eyes widened. “Yah want me t’ lie? He won’t be happy if he finds out I’ve wasted his time. Have yah seen how strict they are ‘round here? I wouldn’t wanna get on their bad side.”

Cedric dismissed the concern with a wave of his hand. “That won’t happen. Just tell him you mistook one of the contractors. Surely, you aren’t familiar with all the new faces ….”

Connor drew a deep breath and scratched his head nervously. “Do yah really think it’ll help?”

Cedric smiled broadly. “I guarantee it.”

Connor’s face scrunched, as if he was deep in thought. He seemed to struggle for a moment, but he eventually relented. With his mind made up, he headed toward his mark with a casual saunter. Cedric made it look like he was busy by scanning some documents, but he watched from the corner of his eye. The foreman pointed to the back of the hangar, said a few words, and the soldier left to investigate. As soon as the stairwell was unattended, Cedric made his move.

His heart raced as he glided across the cavern. He entered the stairwell and glanced over his shoulder. By the grace of the Goddess, he made it without the guard noticing. His adrenaline carried him up the stairs. He knew he was taking a risk, but the danger made it thrilling. Worst case, if he ran into military personnel, he’d tell them he had to use the loo. They’d escort him to the surface, but they wouldn’t dare do more than that. He was a member of Richard’s senior staff. Architect of Angkor’s most important asset. He was Grand Craftsman! Now was his time to flaunt his power.

He headed first to the operations level, where he suspected Richard would be meeting with generals to plan the war effort. Before setting foot off the stairwell, he ducked into an alcove to catch his breath. He hadn’t spotted anyone, yet, which was good. He listened for footsteps, feeling like a secret agent from one of his books. It felt almost … invigorating! With the amount of traffic he saw on his way down to the hangar, he expected to hear the clamor of boots on stone from all directions. But, strangely, the corridors were dead silent.

He peeked his head around the corner and crept forward. He expected men in hallway conversations, officers between meetings, and lieutenants on errands. But … all he saw was an empty corridor. He was stunned. Lateday after supper would have been peek military activity. The area should have been bustling.

He figured they could be inside conference rooms, listening to presentations. But as he neared these rooms, he found the doors slightly ajar, and the interiors dark and deserted. Bewildered, he went room to room, like a honeybee to flowers. Some were closed off and locked, but he didn’t detect any noise inside. He grabbed a lantern from the wall to get a better look. But all he saw was a thin layer of dust atop the tables and chairs, as if it hadn’t been used in months. He felt chills.

The last room in the corridor was the War Room itself, supposedly Richard’s base of operation. It had a large oval table, maps along the walls, and various props for communicating battle strategy. But it was just as deserted as the rest. He slumped into one of the chairs, worried he might be losing his mind.

At last, he heard footsteps. They reverberated from outside, shaking him to attention. He doused the lantern and dove underneath the table to hide. He listened, waiting for them to recede. As soon as he dared, he crawled out and followed the sounds down the hall.

The traveler must have been in a hurry. Cedric removed his shoes and ran after him, gliding as silently as he could. The footsteps led back to the central stairway and proceeded further up the compound. He stayed far back to remain unnoticed. Fortunately, the traveler did little to conceal their movement.

The pursuit took him up to the training level, which included a large arena for soldiers to compete and hone their skills. As soon as Cedric exited the stairwell, he crept along the wall and peeked around the corner. He saw the traveler approach the arena’s entrance and knock.

A man answered the door and quickly ushered the first one inside. As soon as he entered, the door slammed shut.

Cedric stood with his back against the wall, wondering what in the Goddess’s name was going on. First, the Substratum had gone from crowded to deserted in mere hours, and now the only two men he had seen suspiciously ducked into a training arena. He wondered if something had happened to the king. He needed to find out more, without revealing his presence.

He remembered a nearby room. It was mostly a closet for storing training supplies, but it had a hatch that led to a mezzanine level above the arena. Trainers used it to hang props along a metal grill that wrapped around the room’s perimeter, but Cedric figured he could use the grill to get a clear view without being seen.

He climbed through the hatch, high above the arena, moving as quietly and discretely as he could. From his new vantage, he realized where Angkor’s military had gone. Not just the military. The room was dark, but he saw what looked like the entire capital, packed in one space. Men and women stood, shoulder to shoulder. Members of the palace, government officials, and all manner of the nation’s leadership. There must have been hundreds, possibly thousands, arranged like a can of fish. They faced a large stage, which must have been recently erected. And they all wore blank looks, as if in a trance.

A man entered the stage, wearing the robes of First Advisor. Cedric recognized Virgil Garvey in an instant. The rogue wizard held out his arms to the crowd, and they began to chant. At first, it was a hum. Even at low volume, so many people chanting in unison created an eerie din. But it evolved, slowly gaining volume and tempo. Cedric heard words, chanted slowly, in the same monotoned moan. It sounded like, “Ah”, “Rih”, “Man”, and they repeated, over and over. It was some kind of ritual, and it gave Cedric the creeps.

Virgil walked off stage, and to Cedric’s surprise, Richard Cromwell entered. The crowd continued their chant, ever louder: Ah, Rih, Man, Ah, Rih, Man ….

The king of Angkor spoke, but the words were from a foreign language that Cedric had never heard before. It certainly wasn’t any of the modern languages of Gaia. Nevertheless, it captivated the audience. They were enthralled. Each man and woman extended both hands and swayed to the rhythm of the chant.

Ah, Rih, Man, Ah, Rih, Man ….

It felt like a bad dream, menacing and nonsensical. Cedric didn’t understand the purpose. But he was afraid. Yet, mesmerized, too. As Richard continued his strange speech, the volume and tempo of the chant kept rising. The audience hollered, and the look on their faces was both pain and ecstasy.

Ah, Rih, Man, Ah, Rih, Man, Ah, Rih, Man ….

And then, suddenly, it stopped. The room went dark. The only thing left was a small light emanating from the corner of the stage. Cedric’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the metal grate and stared down.

At last, Virgil reentered, now carrying a tray with a small, white cloth. The Craftsman squinted through his spectacles, struggling to get a better look.

Virgil brought the tray to Richard, who removed the cloth, exposing an object underneath. It was a gemstone, standing upright on its edge. The king plucked the gem from the tray and waited for Virgil to exit. Then, turning to the audience, he resumed his speech in the foreign language.

The room erupted with cheers and returned to their vigorous chanting.

Ah, Rih, Man, Ah, Rih, Man, Ah, Rih, Man ….

Beads of sweat coated their foreheads, as if they strained every muscle of their body, every inch of their lungs, and every fiber of their being to bellow each word.

Ah! Rih! Man! Ah! Rih! Man! Ah! Rih! Man! ….

Richard raised the gemstone, which shined bright in a deep, sapphire light. It grew ever brighter, becoming a beacon that fully enveloped the king, and eventually the whole stage. And when it receded, Cedric witnessed what could only be described as a nightmare.

The king’s body transformed. His skin rippled and blistered, as if something from inside wanted to claw its way out. It turned coarse and gray, and thick horns protruded from the head and chest. But these didn’t just grow as new features. They sliced their way through, tearing the flesh apart as they emerged. The creature on the inside ripped Richard’s flesh to ribbons and sloughed it off to expose a monster that defied imagination.

The creature continued to transform. Its body elongated, extending a tail that looked like a gator’s, a set of tentacles resembling a cephalopod, and gills that fanned out across its neck. The face, resembling a shark’s, had a maw with rows of sharp teeth that stretched from ear to ear. Worst of all, it retained a small semblance of a man, with facial features in grotesque facsimile of the former monarch. Cedric felt his stomach twist in knots.

The abomination took a deep breath, and from its mouth came blue smoke, which it blew onto the crowd. The audience received it blissfully, hungrily inhaling every whiff.

Cedric was repulsed. Shaking uncontrollably, he backed away from the metal grill and crawled back through the hatch. Once he was back in the storage closet, his knees gave out, and he keeled over. He was nauseous, nervous, and cold sweat oozed from every pore. His life, his career, his country … all transformed into a nightmare before his own eyes. He was ready to cast it all aside. He was ready to run.

His only thought was how to escape this abominable evil, which stood mere spans away on the other side of a thin rock wall. He had to focus. To gather his wits. To survive. The room was a training closet, chock full of weapons. He scanned the walls for something useful for self-defense. He had never trained with most of them, but he grabbed a crossbow without thinking and fled the room. His body shook with fear, but he ran, as fast as his legs could carry him.

As he reached the stairwell, he ran headlong into a familiar face: his lawyer.

“Oh, thank Gaia, William. It’s you. We need to ….”

His trailed off. William stared back, his face blank, and his eyes aglow in pale blue.

A deep voice came from behind. “Where do you think you’re going, Mister Curtis?”

Cedric spun around to face General Phineas Blair. Beside him stood another familiar face. He shrank before the gaze of Angkor’s Bank Chairman.

Cedric’s voice came out several octaves higher. “Mister Reynolds?”

Tom and the general both had the same blue glow in their eyes.

The Craftsman was paralyzed. Frightened. Terrified! It was the same shade as that creature from the arena. That hideous blue mutant had somehow infected the entire leadership of Angkor.

He tried pulling himself together. “I … I was just on my way to the hangar. I … I’ve been working late on the k-king’s top-secret project. I was just about to leave ….”

“No, Mister Curtis,” William’s voice was hollow and flat. “I’d advise you not to move.”

Cedric heard footsteps. The clomping of boots on stone, ringing from all directions. The others were closing in. He was trapped!

“Out of the way, William. I order you to step aside!”

But his lawyer just stood there, a puppet under evil’s command.

Cedric braced himself. Men and women with blue eyes surrounded him on all sides. He looked to the left … to the right … watching as they approached, trapping him in the middle. He teared up, fearful for his life.

One man emerged from the crowd, wearing a smirk. He was the only one without glowing eyes.

“Virgil!”

The rogue wizard chuckled. “That’s ‘First Advisor Garvey’ to you.”

Cedric sneered, his fear slowly giving rise to anger. “You won’t get away with this. Your demonic rituals will bring this country to ruin!”

Virgil dismissed him with a curt wave. “Forget all that, Mister Curtis. We have other plans for you. Your Zounds design is quite important.”

Cedric’s eyes narrowed. “What are you going to do? Give me some of that blue smoke, so I’ll be under your control?”

Virgil very slowly shook his head. “Would it be that simple. Abaddon’s magic is quite good at controlling a man’s actions, but sadly it falls short of using the creative side of the brain. We need Zounds to be completed with its maker’s mind fully intact.”

He grinned. “With our slight modifications, of course.”

Cedric couldn’t help but chuckle between the tears. He would be a dead man if he didn’t comply, but he was beyond standing on mere principle at this point. Virgil’s demon might have already emerged through Richard’s body, but Cedric wasn’t about to let himself face the same fate.

“I’ll never finish Zounds. Take my life. Torture me. Wound me. But you’ll never have my soul!”

Virgil laughed out loud. “Dear me, is that what you’re worried about? You still believe the soul is some tiny, little spirit that will carry you into the next world, as long as you leave it clean and unblemished? Is that what you think?”

If the wizard intended to topple Cedric’s confidence, it was working. He slowly deflated in the midst of a crowded corridor, with hundreds of spellbound onlookers.

Virgil ceased his laughter, and his expression turned deadly serious. “I still have ways to make you comply. Let’s start with a couple of days in the old, abandoned dungeons.”

The wizard gestured with a flick of the wrist, and two of the soldiers from the crowd approached. They wrested the crossbow from Cedric’s flaccid grip and grabbed him by the shoulders.

He was easily overpowered, too scared to resist in any way. They dragged him toward the stairwell and down the steps. He could contain his fear no longer. He screamed. He cried. And he begged. Meanwhile, his former colleagues watched, faces blank, entranced in a spell, as he was dragged into the abyss.