Maroz 12 - A City Lost

Blood running down his scalp and into his eyes, Marinek Shamil half ran and half stumbled into the city gates. The faces of those who saw him were of pure horror. What do I look like? He wondered. The answer didn’t matter to him for long before he fell, face first into the dirt. I must not die. I must warn someone. I have to tell someone, anyone that Death himself walks the earth. He struggled to open his eyes and warn them but darkness overcame him. The last thing he remembered was the feeling of hands grabbing onto him.

The next Marinek awoke was in a large room with multiple beds, some of them filled with people who were groaning. One woman in particular thrashed her arms about every few seconds and shouted something about a dragon. Documis Tor’s house! Documis, known by most to be a genius, was thought by others to be a mad man. Still those who were too sick in the head to be left out were brought to him where he treated them. There were many rumors on the streets as to what those treatments entailed and most would give one nightmares to think about. There were also those who were near death with disease and brought to him, and a few were seen again walking the streets as if nothing ever happened. Very few!

“Ah so you are awake!”

The voice was of a man up in his years though calm and gentle sounding. Turning to see the man looking at him, Marinek sat up right and backed away from him. “Don’t touch me! Where am I? Who are you? What are you?” The man’s face looked like it was blanketed in scars.

What might have been a smile or a grimace passed across the man’s face. “I am Documis Tor. I saved your life. When they found you stumbling into the city, you had lost a lot of blood. Your blood, at least I assume it was your blood, covered you nearly head to toe. Twice you had awakened, screaming frantically about death, but it seems to me you don’t have to worry about dying now.”

At the mention of Death, Marinek had to fight down the urge to scream and he looked down at the shriveled stump for his left arm. Until that moment he had forgotten what had happened and he felt like his arm was still there. “No! I am not safe from death Documis. Neither are you or anyone else in this city and maybe in the whole world!”

“Well,” said Documis, “We all die sometime. Sooner or late it is bound to happen.”

“I don’t mean death in general!” Marinek shouted the words at the scar-faced man though seeing it closer up he realized there were not so many scares. Documis had two large scares that crisscrossed his face. “I am talking about Death himself! He is in that shadow and his demons killed one hundred and fifty men I had with me. He told me to warn you that he was coming.”

“And tell me son, why would Death want to warn me that he is coming?”

“Not you, everyone! He said to tell them that our swords and axes couldn’t harm him. He said that you couldn’t kill death!”

“Tell me something would you please?” Documis still was not believing and it was evident in his calm tone as if talking calm might have an effect on his patient. “What did this Death look like?”

“Zeebulis! He called himself Zeebulis. His skin was a pasty white like he had no blood and he wore a cloak that was rotting away. His eyes…” The thought of Zeebulis’s eyes filled Marinek with fear and he had to stamp it down to continue speaking. “He had no eyes. Just empty sockets of darkness and when I looked into them I could see souls. Souls were screaming in agony. Every fear I had ever had welled up inside of me and… why are you looking at me like that?”

Giving himself a shake, Documis found a chair and sat down. “I have had some patients crying about nightmares of a man with no eyes. They have been begging me to take them away from here saying he was coming for them.”

“Some of your patients? How many of your patients have had these dreams?” Marinek had an eerie feeling he did not want the answer to his question.

“All of them!,” Documis mumbled, “Well all of the ones who have been touched in the head.”

Marinek was out of the bed instantly trying to grab Documis by the collar. Once again he was surprised to find he had no left hand to grab with and he was forced to grab hold with his one good hand. “Listen to me old man. Zeebulis is coming and you have to warn the city council! Do you hear me? He is coming!”

“My son, I can assure you I will do no such thing so long as you are pinning me to the wall like this. Now unhand me and I will go and talk to them. That is if you will come with me.”

The walk to the council building was a long one and more than once Marinek had the urge to just take someone’s horse and race away to safety. Looking off to the east he could see the sky was dark. “How long was I unconscious?”

Documis walked on another half a dozen steps before realizing Marinek had stopped. “Four days. Why?”
Looking up at the sun in the sky, Marinek was glad to see it was still early yet. “That darkness Documis,” he pointed to the east, “that is Zeebulis and if he is this close in four days, he will be here by morning.”

The city council building was one of the larger buildings and was made up of mostly one large room with some smaller meeting rooms around the sides. The council itself consisted of ten people, five women and five men. Marinek had never been in the building and would likely never remember it for how much he was paying attention. Even standing at the desk of the secretary he had not even realized he was inside until her words broke through his fears. “What was that?”

“I said sir, that the council is busy and the next I can schedule you would be two days from now.”

Without thinking, Marinek reached for the woman behind the desk. I’ll wring an immediate appointment out of her neck! He thought. Only when he did reach for her all she had to do is scoot back out of reach of the stump he shoved towards her. Before he could move to grab her with his one good hand though, Documis put a hand in front of him.

“There are ways to handle this and violence is not one of them.” Turning his attention to the woman once again Documis leaned gently towards her and smiled. “I understand that the council members are very busy people, my good lady. Believe me I would rather not have to bother them but it is of utmost importance that I do see them and immediately.”

The woman smiled back for a moment before replying. “I suppose I could get you in earlier.”

Documis’s smile was cut short when she continued. “Perhaps tomorrow afternoon?”

Again Marinek moved to grab her and Documis stopped him and smiled at the woman once more before speaking. “Dear woman. The bloody ruined stump my friend seems to enjoy waving in your face? He received that from what is in that shadow crawling towards the city. We need to speak to the council or this city will be lost by tomorrow. So please tell me which office I would find the council in or I am going to start searching them one by one while my friend here returns to sticking his stump in your face.”

The woman was not about to be seen pointing out the office but she moved her eyes to stare at one particular door. The two men wasted no time in pushing through it to face a startled four women and three men eating their mid day meal.

“What in the blazes is this?” The man who shouted was a short puffy looking character with a bald head. “I will have you two arrested and hung for…”

“Now my friend.” Documis said to Marinek. “I will let you handle this your way.”

An hour later the two men walked outside frowning. Marinek was sure they would see reason once it was all explained to them yet they showed no signs of worrying about Zeebulis. “I cannot believe they actually think these walls will keep them safe. Well at least they have given us two hours to leave the city before they call the guards.”

“You can use those two hours if you like.” Documis said. “Personally I plan on being away immediately. I do not think I want to trust those pompous idiots to keep their word.”

Marinek nodded in agreement and the two men went their own way. Unfortunately the older man was right and before Marinek could finish packing, guards busted in his door. His hands tied behind his back he walked along quietly. Somehow he did not think it would make any difference if he protested they had not given him his allotted time.

Ushering him down the streets, others stopped and watched as they went by. Twice someone made a joke at his expense and Marinek ignored them. Their laughter only slightly registered with him as he tried desperately not to look at the approaching darkness as he continued to wonder how to get away. Next door to the Council building was a small stone building with small windows and it was inside there the guards took him. Ten cells lined each wall just barely large enough to fit a small cot. At the end of the hall was a guard with red hair was sitting at a desk.

“What’s your name? Where are you from and what did you do?” The words were spoken without much thought and the guard never even looked up from his papers as he asked his questions.

“Marinek Shamil is my name Samel!”

Instantly the guard looked up to see his old friend standing there tied up. “Marinek, what are you doing here? What did you do now?”

“I tried to warn the council that the city is in danger is what I did.” Holding his stub of an arm in front of him so Samel could see it he continued. “See this? It was melted off Samel. Not cut or burnt but melted! One hundred and fifty men with swords and axes died out there in that shadow to the east. I tried to warn the council but they would not listen. Maybe if they sent the whole of their army they might have a chance at beating this but I doubt it. Now all I want to do is get away Samel. Get away before the shadow reaches us.”

Samel considered the rumors he had heard about the looming darkness to the east. “I’m sorry Marinek, there isn’t anything I can do. I have a family to feed. If I let you go I would lose my job.”

“You won’t have a family to feed if you don’t get them away Samel.”

Samel only shook his head before answering. “I’m sorry Marinek. I really am. I will try to talk to my commander. Maybe he can get you released, but that is all I can do.”

Being guided into a cell, Marinek watched as his old friend left to find his commander. With nothing more to do but wait, he lay down on the cot and closed his eyes wondering how close the shadow was getting.

When a scream sounded out somewhere in the city, Marinek opened his eyes to a dark cell. How long did I sleep? More screams sounded, then those were followed by many more. In moments it sounded as if the whole city was screaming in horror. Lifting himself up to a small window above his cot, Marinek almost choked with fear himself. Demons of all shapes and sizes were swarming over the city. People ran in every direction while the demons killed at will. From one house across the road Marinek could see three larger winged demons dragging a woman into the street where they began to peel the skin from her body. Her screams nearly drowned out the rest of the cities as the torture went on. The sound of the cell house’s door opening brought Marinek around and he backed himself up against the far wall as a large demon with a ruined looking face walked towards him.

“I knew you were here. I could smell you. Once I have a taste of something I never lose it.” It was the same demon that had torn the flesh from his arm.

Through the ceiling, two writhes descended towards Marinek, their shadowed cloaks waving in every direction as if made of mist. Marinek looked up just as the closest started reaching out a long thin hand towards him and screamed as it clasped onto him. Its other hand reached inside of his chest and he could feel his very life being pulled out of him. Pain enveloped him but not so much as he would have expected and the room around him began to fade into darkness.

“No!” Lozimum’s shout caused both writhes to pause as they turned to see him. “He is mine for now! When I am done with his flesh you can have his soul, but for now he is mine!”

Neither writhe liked it but they both knew Lozimum was one of Zeebulis’s highest demons and neither would face him down. Releasing Marinek’s soul they backed away, passing through the wall to find another soul to take.

Once released, Marinek collapsed to the cot in a sweat, shaking from head to toe. The feeling of having your soul ripped partially out of your body then released was more than he ever imagined it could be. Rolling over he looked up to see Lozimum wrench two of the thick steel bars to his cell out and toss them aside. “Why? Why do you hate me?” Marinek was still shaking visibly as he tried in vain to reason with the demon before him.

“Why?” Lozimum looked confused at the question. “Is there a reason to hate? Hate, pain and fear, they are all we know in hell. You will soon find this out.”

Marinek’s screams were heard throughout the city but nobody noticed them over top of their own.

Continue to .... Maroz 13 - Conviction