Everville: The City of Worms (3 page)

Chapter 3:

Moving Forward.

“Anika, did you read the university email?”

“Yeah, I read it. Looks like we have a couple more weeks ‘til classes start up, and Professor Samil is dead. I can’t believe it. Are you planning on going to his funeral?”

It was the first time that Owen had heard Anika speak without a frog in her throat since he had returned from Everville, and that at least gave him a little comfort.

“I think so. I see there was no mention of Dante, but I guess there wouldn’t be. It looks like I’ll be getting a roommate too, part of the university’s plan to make up for the storm’s damage to the dorms.

“I think it’s time we paid a visit to Cleophas and then The Keeper. I finally got a decent night of sleep, so we should get moving on a plan to help Dante. We have a little time before classes start up again. Hopefully we can figure something out before then. I’ll see if I can contact Cleophas, then I’ll check on some transportation. If we’re lucky, we might be able to visit him later this afternoon.”

“Sounds good. I’m going to go back to the hospital and watch over Dante. We can meet up later.”

Anika left Owen’s dorm and started walking back in the direction of the hospital. She tried to calm her thoughts as much as possible so she wouldn’t be stressed when she got back to Dante. Unfortunately, the general state of the campus only added to her stress, and by the time she arrived, she was once again battling back tears.

Anika sat down by Dante’s bed and stared at the intravenous bag attached to his arm. She moved her chair closer to him and reached over to pick up his hand. She held it, rubbed it, and briefly felt comforted by its warmth. Her eyes looked as if she were about to solve some great problem but then got lost somewhere along the way.

She then noticed the clear drops that were falling from the upright plastic bag, delivering Dante his nutrients drip by drip. They appeared to take an extra long time to fall. She imagined looking at the drips from the perspective of small insect able to stand on the water due to its surface tension, and wondered if this was what the rest of Dante’s life was going to be like, stuck in a hospital bed getting fed intravenously until his organs finally gave out on him, or he died of an infection from bed sores, waiting until they did.

Anika’s glossy, pink bag vibrated. She reached in and grabbed her phone. Owen’s name appeared on the screen, and she touched it to answer the call.

“Hey, Owen. What’s up?”

The frog in her throat had returned, and Owen could hear that she had been crying again.

“Cleophas is going to pick us up. We’ll meet you by the hospital lobby in about twenty minutes.”

“Okay then.”

Anika stood up, and for the first time she decided to take a walk around the hospital floor where Dante was located. She walked past the main hallway that led to the cafeteria and continued walking a little further until she noticed a small coffee cart manned by an older lady, whom she proceeded to pay for a steaming cup.

The moment the first drop of coffee touched her lips, she began to feel normal again, but that feeling only lasted a few seconds. She sighed and headed back to Dante’s room for one last visit before she left the hospital.

Just before she arrived at the room, she noticed the adjacent door was ajar and could hear the doctor speaking to someone. She glanced in and heard the doctor mention something about a coma.

In the room, Anika saw a man and woman in their late fifties or early sixties along with the doctor and a patient, who was lying on one of the beds.

Anika heard the woman say to the doctor, “I saw him moving. His eyes looked like they were about to blink. Has there been any change?”

“I wish I could say this was a positive thing, but the truth of the matter is that there has never been a case where a patient has been unconscious this long and returned to near perfect health, at least none that I am aware of. It just doesn’t happen.

“The brain is a delicate organ, and if it’s traumatized it’s difficult for it to recover. If the unconscious state lasts more than a few weeks, it’s almost always permanent. The movement you saw is more likely the body’s last gasp before it regresses. I think you should be prepared for the worst. If the nurse or I notice any change in vitals or other activity, we will let you know right away.”

Seeing that the woman was about to cry, the graying gentlemen standing next to her put an arm around her shoulder.

Anika saw the doctor spot her by the door, so she continued walking to Dante’s room, not wanting to appear as if she were eavesdropping.

After shutting the door and settling back in, she stood over Dante and said, “We’re going to get you out of this, Dante. I’m not going to let your mind rot away in here. We’re going to figure this out.”

Anika left the room again and entered the nearest elevator. She always hated the way hospital elevators smelled, so antiseptically sterile, and the ring that they made on each floor almost had an echo, as if acknowledging the presence of the empty hallways that went on forever.

Cleophas and Owen arrived in an old beat-up car. Owen got out and opened the back door for Anika as she approached.

“It’s good to see you again, Anika. I know this has been a tough time for you,” Cleophas said as Anika crouched her way onto the seat.

“It’s good to see you too, Cleophas, and thanks.”

Despite the long trip, the rest of the drive was a blur. She noticed a few bumps here and there, as well as a few objects that resembled trees or bushes, but everything else just melted together, like a dream one wakes up from and quickly forgets.

When they arrived, Cleophas escorted them into the main guest room of his home and then he went to get the journal he had been reviewing the day before.

“Owen, I heard the doctor speaking to this couple about their friend in the hospital. He said that people who stay unconscious for a long time don’t come out of it. He said it never happens.”

Anika’s face turned beet red and her eyes released a torrent of tears that poured out all over the end-table near where she was standing.

“What are we going to do, Owen? I swear—I swear if we—”

Before she had a chance to finish, her hand accidentally knocked the vase on the table off onto the floor, shattering it into pieces. Then she purposely kicked over the table and started pounding the wooden pieces with her fists until the top of the table was no longer able to withstand the abuse and collapsed inward.

“Anika …” Owen said as he placed both of his hands on her shoulders.

“We will get through this, and we will find a way to wake Dante.”

Cleophas had been watching the scene from the hall but had waited a few moments until Anika had calmed down before he came in. She looked up and noticed Cleophas standing there.

“Anika,” he said, “I understand what you are going through. I had to deal with similar feelings of sadness and rage when the same thing happened to Dala. With her passing, and the experience and wisdom that I’ve been fortunate enough to gain over the years, I’ve learned some very important lessons. Everything in the universe has a purpose, even violence, and there is constant renewal in destruction. Preserving and restoring goodness, truth, and liberty are worth fighting for, but uncontrolled hatred and unrestrained aggression serve only to further the agenda of the authors of deceit and confusion.”

Anika sat there a few moments thinking about what Cleophas had just said as Owen rushed off to get something to wipe the blood that he had noticed dripping from her hands onto the carpet.

“You’re right, Cleophas. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to smash your table.”

“It’s already forgotten. Let’s use that energy to focus on finding a solution, and I have an idea just how we might do that.”

Owen returned with a wet cloth and began wiping Anika’s hands. Cleophas then revealed his journal, and started discussing with them the details of what he had written. Owen nodded in acknowledgement while listening to Cleophas lecture for half an hour. By then the word ‘Ubaloo’ had been seared into Owen’s brain.

“Here, take this,” Cleophas said to Owen as he handed over the journal.

Owen felt a rush of adrenaline as a sense of assuredness came over him. At least now he had a starting point and something he could discuss with The Keeper. Everville was his next stop, and he wanted to leave as soon as possible.

Chapter 4:

Vengeance

The Keeper watched through the portal as Toe and the others followed the Ubaloo to the walls of Vermogen, but he could not see past the walls. Once the contingent of Fron disappeared from view, The Keeper turned his attention back to the land of the giants.

The giants had been preparing for quite some time for the great battles that awaited them, and they had dug deeper and wider than ever before, almost five miles below the brutal desert.

“Get the monstrum ready,” General Varrick, leader of the giant army, commanded.

“Yes, General,” two of the worker giants said in unison as they heaved and pushed the behemoth of a rock smasher into place. The monstrum was massive and difficult to move, but it was effective. It was an old-fashioned contraption made of two humungous wooden arms encased in metal shielding with a centerpiece that resembled a large pendulum comprised of dull cast iron.

A few moments later, they let out a great warning cry to all those in the area. When the centerpiece was released from the top of the machine, the gravity of its own weight created enough force to pulverize tons of rock with one smash. Upon impact, a massive amount of rock broke free and created a rockslide in the underground realm. A cloud of dust filled the immediate vicinity and created a white powder that caked the faces of all the creatures and giants in the area.

After the dust cleared, dozens of giants created a line starting at the pile of debris. They flung the large boulders in the direction of a manual assembly belt that was powered by brute force. The giants who operated the assembly turned large winders that were used to carry the smashed rock through miles of caverns. With amazing swiftness, the piles of rock that had collapsed next to the machine were whittled away to dust. It was a quick and efficient system.

After watching the troops work, General Varrick nodded in approval and headed off towards his study. As he walked, his feet created tremors each time they came into contact with the ground that could be felt all the way up to the surface. He sat down on his large stone seat and took a sip of water from the mug resting on the top of the table in front of him. As Varrick took his first drink, The Keeper’s image appeared on the surface of the table.

“Varrick, Oldrik and his followers are nearing your location, and are on their way to visit the Dark Forest. I need you and your men to delay them as long as possible until the Fron visit the point of origin and find out exactly how Them have managed to overcome our prior fix.”

“Consider it done, Keeper.”

“Thank you, Varrick. We are in your debt, and all those who reside in our realm are grateful for your efforts.”

General Varrick immediately informed the other giants of Oldrik’s location, and a group of three quickly climbed the underground cavern walls and punched through the surface. With the loss of their fellow brothers in the recent Fron battle, they were hungry for revenge. Even their huge muscles hinted of their eagerness as their powerful limbs catapulted them into the air across hundreds of yards above the surface of the brutal desert. With each landing, the impact produced tremendous force and a deafening thunder.

Oldrik and his followers had continued their journey belowground, but above the main level where the giants were currently residing. They were just approaching the river leading to The Valley of Darkness when they first felt the tremors.

“Stop,” Oldrik said as the shaking alerted him to the approach of the giants.

Just then, the three giants jumped one last time, the highest they had ever jumped. They reached almost a thousand yards into the air, and on their descent, they focused the position of their landing on one spot.

The impact created an earthquake that grew in intensity, building second by second, moment by moment. The ground could take no more of it, and for half a mile in every direction of the point of impact, the dirt surrounding it collapsed into the underground catacombs.

“Help us, Master Keeper. Help!” Elmer shouted as the ground above him came raining down.

Oldrik grumbled as Elmer and Calvin sought shelter by huddling around him. The collapse had cut off the path to the river leading to The Valley of Darkness, leaving Oldrik and company stranded but unscathed, at the bottom of a massive sinkhole that was now open to the torturous sun above.

The three giants landed at the bottom and surrounded Oldrik.

“You will not pass,” Borak, the largest of the three giants, said. Borak stood three times the height of the other giants, a real giant among giants. He had dark brown hair and eyes, with chiseled muscles, and a face that wore the scars of battle. A sturdy helmet sat atop his head, and metal chainmail armor made from the special stones in the underground realm of the giants covered his upper body.

“We will eventually. You can delay us for now, but we
will
move forward,” Oldrik said menacingly.

Borak’s eyes lit up with anger. He swung his fist in Oldrik’s direction, but it was no use. Oldrik had erected a shield with the power of his rod to prevent anyone from harming him or his followers.

Borak and the other two giants continued to expend significant amounts of energy bashing the shield that stood in their way.

“Your tricks won’t last forever, Oldrik. You’ll be sorry when we finally get to you.”

“You won’t get to me, Borak. Your strength is useless, and you will regret your stupidity in helping The Keeper.”

Borak bent down. Every sinew, tendon, and fiber of muscle in his massive thighs flexed, every hair stood erect as his legs prepared to launch him into the air. He jumped up as high as he could, and as he did, his body resembled a rocket once his feet lost contact with the ground. On his descent, he crouched his body and used every bit of force available to bear down on the top of the shield above Oldrik and the others. The impact made a deafening crackle and shook the ground, sending out tremors for miles.

Borak and the other giants continued to take turns colliding with the shield in what appeared to be a futile attempt to break it. Oldrik remained unfazed. All the while, his connection with the races surrounding The Other In Between had been growing, and by that time, he had been able to connect with the minds of the Fwaylan that resided in The Valley of Darkness and had mentally called upon them to help. Oldrik knew it would only be a matter of time before the Fwaylan arrived, and then he could continue his trek to the Dark Forest.

In The Valley of Darkness, the Fwaylan began to appear from behind the rocks. All across the valley, thousands of them started moving in unison. Their lumbering movement became a jog, and soon a gallop. From the top of the concave cliffs to the river’s entrance, an almost limitless herd of menacing, oversized canine-like creatures poured from all regions of the valley. The sound of their movement created a roar that filled the valley and echoed into the underground caverns.

The Fwaylan entered the river’s entrance and made their way into the underground caverns, appearing as a faucet flowing in reverse. It wouldn’t be long before they arrived in the land of the giants, and Oldrik sensed their approach.

“They’re coming for you now, Borak. I suggest you leave while you still have the chance to do so in one piece.”

Borak ignored Oldrik’s jibe and continued pummeling the shield. With one last attempt, the ground beneath the shield collapsed and the sinkhole grew to reach the new main level of the giants.

The walls around the giants collapsed and tons of rock piled up, covering much of the empty space that had existed before, but the area was limited to less than fifty square yards. General Varrick mobilized his men and started digging away the portions of collapsed tunnels that separated them from Oldrik.

Varrick removed the first stone that revealed the sunlight above and the position of Oldrik. A beam of light lit up the underground caverns where the giants resided and shined with tremendous brilliance. The other giants hurried to the same spot and started removing the rocks and tossing them aside. When the last boulder was removed, Borak and the other two giants jumped in the hole and took defensive positions surrounding Oldrik.

By then, the Fwaylan were only a few hundred yards off, so the general called for the archers, who proceeded to take their positions facing upwards to the entrance of the hole.

The growls and the stampede grew louder, and archers prepared to make their first wave of shots, but the blinding sun made it difficult for them to see the position of the Fwaylan. As a result, a few of the Fwaylan were able to make it through the hole before the archers could target them with their first volley.

Borak and the other two giants who had collapsed the hole managed to grab the few Fwaylan that had made it into the tunnels. Borak flung one of the creatures at a wall and leapt on it as it fell to the floor. The creature was no match for the massive size and weight of Borak, who crushed it where it lay. The other two giants did the same with the other two Fwaylan which had slipped through.

The small size of the hole and position of the archers created a bottleneck that prevented the majority of the Fwaylan from entering. General Varrick ordered the archers to stop the volley of shots but to remain ready if given the order to continue. The Fwaylan circled the hole without attacking, unable to make any real progress and not willing to lose any more of their kind. For the time being, the giants had successfully stalled both the Fwaylan and the movement of Oldrik, but it was unclear how long this would last.