Noctem
Chapter 1
When Bilbo heard the knock on the door of his apartment that night of storm, he knew something would change in his life. It was not that he was aware that his entire destiny would overturn drastically, but he sensed that something was wrong. So, he tried to forget the feeling of disaster, he put on his robe and opened the door. But it was worse for him when he realized it was Primula who needed him desperately.
Her curly brown hair was a mess because of the amount of water that had fallen on her and her body shook because the cold. And when Bilbo's eyes looked at her, he realized her hand was clutching another much smaller and helpless: Frodo's hand, her little son.
"Come in. I have something that you could use to dry yourself" He said. However, before he closed the door, he looked out into the hall, as if he was waiting for something or someone else to accompany them. Because, he knew that his relatives had not come alone; they brought something dragging, probably a problem that would eventually fall over him.
Frodo and Primula changed their clothes; Bilbo's shirts were too big for them, but at least they were dry. The young man looked at his cousin and tried to find the reason in her eyes that had brought her to his apartment before he started to ask questions, she looked completely hopeless and that was never a good sign. He wondered what could have been sent her there without even considering the idea of taking an umbrella or at least to protect her child from rain. Bilbo looked at Frodo, the boy looked scared but not as much as his mother but he knew the kid would forget everything soon, he was only five and it was easy to forget at that age.
"What is happen?" asked Bilbo, knowing that sooner or later, one of them had to start what appeared would be a painful conversation.
Primula's eyes narrowed, her face looked like she was going to dissolve into tears at any moment, but, as a good mother, she hid her pain to protect her son. Her mouth contracted and her eyes fell on Frodo. The child clung to his mother's legs.
"Come on, Frodo, I have chocolate in the kitchen, I'll give you some" Bilbo said, extending an arm towards him.
The boy smiled.
"Do you have marshmallows?"
"Of course."
After Bilbo left Frodo in the kitchen he sat down next to Primula. She covered her face with her hands; she looked pretty desperate.
"Something happened to Drogo" she announced, raising her head, before Bilbo could say something, "I start to think he's dead."
Bilbo looked at her a moment, trying to absorb the information he had just received. It had long ago he had no contact with his cousin, but he knew her husband had gone to work in one of the principal cities: Pentamerone.
"Calm down, you don't have to say things that you are not sure... Since when doesn't he talk to you?"
Primula let out a sob, but quickly covered her mouth, her eyes looked at the kitchen, and when she realized Frodo had not heard she discovered her lips.
"He sent me letters every week, Bilbo. He always did it. And it's been a month since his last letter, something happened to him and that was something very bad."
"But ... why letters? Wouldn't be better to talk on the phone?"
Primula watched him for a moment, then she shook her head, her lips were trembling.
"You don't understand anything about Pentamerone!" she exclaimed desperately exclaimed "It's a hell. You are not allowed to communicate but by letters, because they are responsible to review them before sending. You cannot use cell phone or internet for contact with your family. Besides ... they say ... once you enter you cannot leave."
Bilbo stared at her without saying a word. The truth was that he had nothing to say. All that came out of Primula's mouth sounded crazy, like he was watching a bad movie about mafia or some satanic cults... It could not be possible that in the XXI century as a free country in which they lived, there was a city that was closer to the time in which feudalism prevailed.
"How about I make you some tea and then you get some sleep? Maybe tomorrow we can talk more calmly..."
Primula frowned and wiped the tears that began to fall down her cheeks.
"I knew you wouldn't believe me."
Bilbo, who had stood up to bring some tea to his cousin, decided to sit. The sigh that escaped from his lips only made Primula feel more angry.
"I'm sorry, but try to understand me, that you said it's... crazy."
The woman took a deep breath, her cheeks showed it was difficult for her to control herself.
"I know, the first time I knew it I could not believe it."
"But... if he could not communicate with you, if as you say the city is hell" Bilbo said, trying not to sound incredulous "then why didn't he returned home?"
"I told you already, once inside you cannot leave the city. Also Saruman said he would be fine in there."
"Who's Saruman?"
"A wiza... A friend of ours" said Primula.
"And you talked to him about this?"
The woman shook her head, her curls were shaken around.
"I don't know where he is right now."
The young man stood up and began to pace the room.
"Did you call the police?"
Suddenly, Primula groaned in pain and began to sob. Bilbo hugged her trying to calm her. Suddenly they heard a few steps, she covered her face with her hair while the young man stood up and turned around. Frodo watched them carefully.
"Are you okay, Mommy?"
"She is just tired" said Bilbo. He approached the boy and took him in his arms. "And you must be tired too. Come, let's go to sleep."
Frodo did not resist and allowed his uncle to take him to the bed and cover him with blankets. The child soon closed his eyes and fell asleep.
"It would be a waste of time," said Primula, as he entered the room. It was as if the interruption had not occurred.
"What?" Bilbo looked at her, confused.
"The police would not help in there. They have their own ways to protect themselves" Primula said. "Pentamerone is the city that controls everything else."
Bilbo watched her closely, and then he sighed. He knew then something would fall on him and it would cover his life with shadows and sorrow.
"What are you doing here, Primula? What do you want from me?"
The woman stood up and took one of his hands.
"I know I shouldn't ask you anything, I know this is too much... but, please, Bilbo, I'm desperate... Please find him and bring him back."
"But you said that if someone gets in that place could never leave it."
"I trust you; I know you'll find a way," she interrupted, "please."
Bilbo stared at her; in her eyes he could see the fear, pain and despair. He thought that if it was true that Drogo was in trouble he could not leave him alone. He'd never forgive himself if something happens to him."
"I will find him" he promised and she smiled for the first time since she had entered in his house and hugged him.
"Thank you."
Bilbo had to make many arrangements the next day, before leaving, he asked for a University permission to interrupt his studies and let Primula and Frodo allowed to stay in his apartment while he was away.
When Primula left him in the bus station hugged him tightly. By her expression, she looked guilty for the favor she had asked him.
"Be careful," she whispered in his ear, "there are things you've never seen before. I will never forgive myself if something happens to you..."
"I'll be fine," promised Bilbo.
"No, wait, you have to listen," said she, taking him by the arm. In that place everyone are dangerous, you cannot trust anyone. And you have to be careful with those who are not humans."
He looked at her with confusion.
"I know you don't believe me now, but you will do it when you see them. Beware of those who call themselves skin-changers and be careful with the hunters too."
Bilbo promised because she seemed desperate. However, he beginning to have doubts about that information.
Upon he arrived at the station that was in Pentamerone Bilbo realized that he was one of the few who was going to stay in that city, most of the passengers who traveled with him were to take another bus to cross the city and move on.
"What is your next destination?" asked one of the women who were near the exit. No one could cross unless they go through an office.
"I want to stay."
Maybe it was just his imagination but it seemed that she was shaking.
"Are you sure? Not many travelers decide to stay here. And those who does it regret it quickly and then they can't... well you have to do many things to get out. And it's really hard, it's too complicated, you know paper work... It's better to save yourself that and choose another destination, I recommend..."
"I want to stay," Bilbo insisted.
She looked at him with some pity and then shrugged.
"As you wish," she said and gave him a document "enter to the office that is to the right, there they will tell you what to do."
Bilbo wanted to thank her, but she was already talking to someone else; he thought she did not want to turn to him. He approached a gray door and walked into an office that caused him some chills. A man in a suit came and snatched the papers from his hand.
"Why did you come to Pentamerone?" he asked sharply.
"I come to see a friend" Bilbo answered, a bit nervous.
The man frowned.
"And that friend is a hunter or a skin-changer?"
Bilbo remember the words Primula had said, however, that does not helped him to feel himself less confused, he had no idea what the man meant by that.
"I see by your face that your friend must be a human," the man said.
"Of course it's human!" Bilbo exclaimed suddenly, "what else could it be?"
The man laughed. Although he had erased his scowl, that smile just made Bilbo more nervous."
"You will not survive here," he said. "What part of the city are you going? Dale or Dol Guldur?"
"I don't know."
He sighed as if he had never encountered anything so exasperating and annoying.
"You are on time to repent. You haven't left the station so technically you're not in the city. What do you say? You turn around and I pretend that I have not received any transfer documets, okay?"
Bilbo frowned.
"I want to get in."
"Well, if you really want it... But I cannot let go until you decide which part of the city you are going to."
"Why is it so important? I cannot just walk out that door?" Bilbo pointed to a glass door, through it could see a wide street and several buildings around it.
"That is Swedenborg street, is the neutral street, I cannot let you pass by there," said the man, increasingly annoyed. "Believe me, that road is not safe for a human, unless for one like you."
The young man ignored those last words and tried to think what would be the appropriate place to start looking for Drogo. Suddenly that decision seemed more important than anything he had done and had no idea why.
Then he remembered that Primula had given him a paper with an address in the pocket of his jacket. He showed it to the man.
"Do you know in which part of the city there is this street?"
"Fortunately for you, yes" he answered sharply, pointed to a gray door, "enter in there; it will take you to Dale."
After taking a taxi that took him to a building quite old and dismantled, Bilbo wondered if he could find some information in there. It was all too confusing in that place; in fact, he started to miss his department.
He knocked on the first door to find a tall, thin man with a hooked nose.
"Are you coming to rent? Because I have an apartment that is available."
"Yes," he said after a while, since he realized he had no place to sleep. Also thought maybe if he lived in the same place where Drogo did he could more easily figure out what had happened to him. "But also I like to know if you have seen this person."
Bilbo took out one of the pictures Primula had given to him.
The man grimaced, stuck his head into the street, as he thought someone was watching them and after making sure no one else where in the shadows, he invited him to enter.
"I met him" he said, after sitting in an old broken armchair, "He rented the apartment 18-A, he was nice enough, he always paid on time. I'm sorry what happened to him."
Bilbo tightened on the wooden chair in which he sat.
"What happened?"
The man shrugged.
"I don't know, but it must be a terrible thing, because one day he did not return. But what I am sure was he had gotten into a big trouble. That happens to humans who dabble in business of immortals, so I keep my distance. And I recommend you do the same. Stop asking for him, you just will find the same problems that made him disappear."
Bilbo flinched, but stood firm, he would not give up now that he had come to the city.
"I have to find him, I just came here for that."
"Are you stranger?
Bilbo nodded.
The man studied him and sighed.
"I would tell you to get out immediately, but you cannot do it, so it is prudent that you stay away from troubles, don't talk with the immortals."
Bilbo looked at him, confused.
"I don't understand what you are trying to say with that..."
"Do you know what is a skin-changer, don't you?"
The young man shook his head.
"A skin-changer is a creature that has the ability to take the form of a human and an animal."
"You're lying."
The man bowed and took Bilbo's face in his hands sharply.
"If you want to survive here you have to listen very carefully."
Bilbo was surprised and frightened by the violent gesture, so he nodded. Finally, the man sat down.
"The hunters look like humans but they are stronger and faster than us. These two breeds are natural enemies, however, there are now a truce and Pentamerone is the place where lived the most of these things. This city is divided in Dale and Dol Guldur, the first, in which we are, is that which is governed by hunters, the other is territory that belongs to the leader of the skin-changers."
Bilbo was not sure if he could believe what that man was telling him, although Primula had already issued a warning. It all seemed too fantastic to be true.
"Are you sure you do not know anything more about him? Anything that can help me to find him?"
The man snorted.
"By the gods! Didn't you listen? I told you to stop asking about him. Do you want to die?
"I will not rest until I know what had happened to him."
The man looked exhausted.
"Okay ... I just know that he worked in Noctem. It was probably there that he got in trouble."
"What is Noctem?"
"This is worse than talking to a child, at least the children that born here know..." he said, rolling his eyes. "Noctem is a bar, the only neutral place in here, is on Swedenborg street. It means, that is the only place where you can find skin-changers and hunters. It's the middle of the city; there are no divisions in there. And it is, therefore, the most dangerous place of all Pentamerone. Do you hear me? Don't you plan to go there, do you?"
"I have to."
