Demon Engines (An Illyana Passage Story)
Author's note: Been trying to come up with an Illyana Lovecraftian story. I think of myself as a very weak descriptive writer (dang I suppose I should read a book on creative writing or take a class) which makes creating a Lovecraft story rather hard.
Part 1: A long time after the world ends
The demon engines were running rough.
Ackerley and Taavi stood upon the high black stone wall that encircled the small isle that was mankind's last refuge against the ending of all. The wall that kept out the dark sea.
The two were dressed in monk robes. Ackerley was a white older man, short, bald with a long black and pepper beard and a bit of a pot belly. He was dressed in a burgundy robe.
Taavi was a tall white young man, mid twenties wearing a light blue robe. He had a neatly trimmed red goatee and a full head of shoulder length red hair.
The wall was thirty feet tall and make of a black stone. There were no beaches on the seaward side of the wall. Just the wall and the sea and there were no openings in the wall. One side held back the dark waters, the other side held fields of crops and trees. The plants look sickly and only mildly productive. About a mile away was a small town with a tall rectangular black stone building in the center (rather looked like the turbine building of a power plant minus the smoke stack).
It was neither day nor night, for the stars and moon and sun had departed centuries ago. Eaten was the general belief, but nobody really knew.
Everything in the sky was now an endless grey of pre twilight. Like high and featureless cloud covered all. Never dark, never bright. Just grey. The horizon was something unseen, visibility just faded away after a few miles; as if an ultra light fog covered everything. Much effort and magical energies were needed to keep the plants growing and producing sustenance for the survivors.
A black sea lapped lethargically at the walls with slow swells, like the beating of some monstrous heart. The waters gave the impression that they were thicker then ordinary water, but nobody knew what the strange liquid actually was (bad things happened to anybody who attempted to get samples of it). The few sea gulls that had survived the ending of the world quickly went extinct as they kept landing upon the waters and were promptly consumed.
Splotches of shimmery oily stains could be seen on the dark waters shimmering with oddly disturbing patters and colors.
The two liked to come to the wall, every week or so, on their walks about the small isle, to stare at what had consumed existence. At what was blocked by the wall which had been created due to the efforts of their order. A wall maintained by the power of the demon engines.
To confront the enemy as it were.
Most people avoided the wall and gazing upon the sea. Some claimed that they heard strange piping music. It was common knowledge that those who gazed upon it too long sometimes dove off the wall into the black waters as if answering some summoning.
No wind blew, but things occasionally stirred in those dark and dank waters. Things that betrayed their existence only by the ripples generated by their movements. And sometimes by bits of torn pale flesh that floated to the surface.
The air was think and heavy with the lingering stench of salty mildew.
Taavi spoke with a tone of deference and respect. "I am concerned master. Twelve hours ago there was yet another third level incursion in this week period, and it is only the fourth day period of seven. The engines have run rough ever since the last demon was thrust within".
Ackerley replied with the wisdom of an old and somewhat tired man. "The engines have run rough before. That one was strong, potent. Filled with evil and dark magics. The engines will take time to adjust. Take it as a good sign in that our might increases at last".
Taavi softly answered "And the deaths of Uday, Adamaris, and Obasi"?
"A great loss, so very sad. Two seventh level initiates and a level eight. Wrong time, wrong place. The order shall miss them. Rebecca is still well I hope"?
"Yes, seven month now. We are told to expect twins".
The older man chuckled. "Ahh, twice the grief for the price of one. Must you excel in all things"?
The young man was not distracted by the attempt to change the topic. "Master... have you ever doubted"?
"About..."?
"Everything. Are we ever going to succeed? All we have ever archived is stasis. Static. Unending stalemate while everything slowly... decays".
"Yes Taavi I have doubted. We all do at times. The labor is long and few of us have the gift. I wish the ancients could have saved more, protected more. But this isle was all that could be saved when the Dark Ones ate our world".
"My father sends his greetings and promises a bottle come the next high day".
"I look forward to cracking the seal and wetting my lips. Your father is skilled in the crafting of grapes and grain".
"What... killed them master? I... nobody will speak of it".
"A demon briefly gained access to our plane. A miss alignment in the harmonics. They were attempting to resolve the resonances when the creature manifested and slew them. The powers released in the slaying apparently cancelled out the harmonics and the foul creature vanished back to whatever hell it came from".
Taavi signed in remembrances and grief. "I shall miss Adamaris. I knew her well in school. She was one year ahead of me but... we loved briefly before... ambition came to dominate her thoughts. Master... I... I continue to be... frustrated at how slowly I rise when I'm...".
Ackerley smiled and patted Taavi on the shoulder. "The strongest of us all but still you remain a third level initiate".
"Yes...".
"As you know, rank is based not on one's power or abilities. It is wisdom and insight. You led the last summoning and captured the most powerful demon in generations. Higher levels of initiation will come once you understand certain things".
A tone of frustration. "What things"?
"As I have always said, it is different for everybody. If I knew I would share it with you. Only the two innermost circles of initiation fully understand. Only they promote. And I, but a seventh circle initiate, remain outside of those two final circles as I too lack understanding of things that I don't know about".
"And they do not say why".
"No... no they do not. They never do, not even those who promise to someday share. Such promises are... forgotten or ignored. I do not know why but they must have their reasons".
"You were on the upper observation gantry when the creature appeared. What did it look like? I wish to know... I'd like to kill it someday if I have the chance".
"Large, over eight feet tall, bipedal, massive tail, purple with one horn and massive teeth".
"Did it have a name? The harmonic beats should have resonated on a name for it to manifest".
The old man answered. "S'ym".
"One named S'ym tore them, and your old lover, apart".