Chapter 3 – The Luthi
As they approached the Luthi's lair, Kitty became increasingly unsure that this was such a good idea. She remembered the last time that she had been in their company, the feelings of inferiority that washed over her, enveloping her very being, as she stared up at the flawless creatures that were, technically at least, their allies. And this time she had company; Amanda and the Nightcrawler were coming with her, and would be looking to her for advice and guidance. It would be hard to give them any sort of advice or guidance while under the influence of the Luthi's glamour, but at least she had experienced this before; maybe this would inoculate her to their effect, to a certain extent at least. Besides, she was unsure where else to turn for advice. She had asked Austin already, who had provided her with a number of old books on demons, but little of the advice he had given to her seemed to relate particularly to the current situation. There had never been hundreds of demon-slayers before, so anything she read related to a slightly different situation, and might not necessarily apply to their current predicament. And anyway, it was becoming increasingly obvious that she would have to contact the Luthi at some point; she had to consider all sources of information that might prove useful in stopping the upcoming apocalypse, and it did help that they did technically owe her a favour for stopping the last apocalypse from ending the world, and with it, their primary food source.
"I'm not sure that I like the look of this place," said Amanda nervously, looking around cautiously in case someone – or more likely some thing – jumped out from the shadows and attacked them.
Kitty nodded, also looking around. The area seemed to be run-down, abandoned, with a very unwelcoming feeling in the air. Rubbish swirled around in circles, blown about by the wind. This was the sort of place that parents told their children to stay away from, and all but the most foolhardy would do so gladly. Still, as far as Kitty knew this was the only entrance into the Luthi's lair, although the exit was in a totally different place. She tightened her grip on her wooden stake, "If something bad happens, we can deal with it, no problem," she said, giving Amanda and the Nightcrawler a small smile. "The entrance to the Luthi's lair is this way," she pointed to an abandoned warehouse at the far end of the lane.
"The Luthi's lair is in there?" Amanda asked, "I kind of thought that they would have more of a luxurious place, from what you were saying earlier."
"It's just the entrance to their place," Kitty said, "at least that is, it's just the entrance that I am allowed to use. They live below ground, in decadence. I'm not even sure if where they live is technically a part of our world." She gave Amanda a small smile, "As I explained earlier, they're not exactly forthcoming with information about themselves."
Without another word, Kitty carefully entered the warehouse. It was very dark inside; the only light source was the sun shining through the door, which was momentarily obscured while Amanda and the Nightcrawler followed behind her. As her eyes gradually adjusted to the light, she noticed the perfectly round circle of darker black, on the dusty floor, at the far left corner of the abandoned room. She indicated for Amanda and the Nightcrawler to follow her over there, as she cautiously walked towards it. The circle of blackness was in fact a hole, leading straight down. She smiled at her companions, although she was unsure if they could see her do so in the gloom, "Down here," she whispered. She was not quite sure why she was whispering, but it just seemed to be appropriate, given their surroundings, "be careful as you climb down."
She descended carefully, feeling the metal ladder cautiously beneath her hands and her feet. She certainly did not want to trip and fall, embarrassing herself in front of the companions who were looking to her for help and advice. But it was getting lighter now, as she descended further. Odd, there did not seem to be any natural light source, but she could still see her surroundings. She was in a small room, made out of white marble. At the far side there was a huge golden door. By the door, there was what looked like a woman, holding a spear, and watching them carefully as they descended into her lair. She made no movement, no threatening gesture whatsoever, but still Kitty felt that she was a potential danger. You know her, Kitty reminded herself; that's just the guard, the one they call Shadow-shine. She's not a danger, not yet at least. Besides, Amanda and the Nightcrawler are watching you; they want to see what should be done now.
Kitty reached the bottom step of the ladder, and walked carefully across the white marble floor towards Shadow-shine. Amanda and the Nightcrawler exchanged slightly uncertain looks, and then followed her.
Kitty took a deep breath, steeling her courage. She could feel it already, as she approached Shadow-shine, even from this distance. The feeling of inferiority, the sense of worthlessness that always seemed to accompany anyone when they were in the company of the Luthi. She turned around, and noticed that Amanda and the Nightcrawler seemed to be affected by it too. Strange, she had somehow thought that Nightcrawler, being a demon, might be immune to the effect. Well, there was no point in worrying about that now; they were both looking to her for advice. She held her head up high as she reached Shadow-shine, trying desperately to at least portray confidence, even though she did not feel in the least bit confident. "Good morning, Shadow-shine," she said simply.
The guard looked at her up and down for a long moment, as though trying to decide whether or not this creature was worth replying to. "Is it?" she asked, after a long moment, "where is your evidence for this?"
Kitty tried to smile, but it was difficult, when under Shadow-shine's dark gaze. The guard had long black hair, in ringlets down her waist; flawless, almost white skin, and eyes that shone in the dark, and were the colour of tawny wine. She looked almost as if she had been painted, or sculpted out of marble, perfect in every detail. Yet, at the same time, there was just something wrong with the image, almost like one of those weird paintings where the people keep going up the stairs only to arrive on the same level on which they started. Or perhaps one of those faces that had been made on a computer, by taking away the flaws, and making the face perfectly symmetrical. She looked perfect, but there was something wrong with the image. Every inch, stared at individually, was flawless, but the whole just seemed unnatural somehow, lacking all the tiny flaws, the tiny imperfections, that made people human. But she is not human, Kitty reminded herself. She's just wearing that form, or perhaps I'm just seeing that form, but it does not quite fit. That's why it looks wrong, somehow. Kitty smiled back at her, trying to portray confidence that she did not feel, "I daresay that it is a good morning for some people of the world," she said, "statistically speaking, considering the amount of people who dwell upon the Earth, it would be very unlikely that at least one of them is not currently enjoying a good morning."
Shadow-shine gave her a long look, as though trying to consider her words. She's weighing me up, Kitty realised; not being exactly threatening, but seeing if I'm worthy of her time and attention. It's like when wolves from different packs meet each other. The first thing that they do is try to figure out each other, weigh up each other's strengths and weaknesses, see if they are worth joining, or if the pack should be run out of their territory. Fine, I know what she's doing; I just wish that I could do something about this crippling feeling of insecurity I get whenever I am in the Luthi's presence.
"Your logic," said Shadow-shine, after staring at her for a just long enough to make her feel uncomfortable, "is acceptable, all else being equal. Why are you here?"
"I wish to speak to your mistress, Queen Umbah," Kitty replied, "there's another apocalypse coming along, and I'm hoping that she might be able to provide me with information that can stop it."
Shadow-shine continued to stare at Kitty. They were about the same height, but nevertheless, she managed to look down on her. Like a cat, Kitty thought; they might only be able to come up to your knees or so, but they still manage to look down on you. I guess that's because they were worshipped as gods in Ancient Egypt, and so have somehow come to expect as much. The Luthi are much the same way.
"Ah, another apocalypse," muttered Shadow-shine airily, "they come around so quickly nowadays. You barely get over one, and there is another one just about to come."
"Yes, like buses," said Kitty sarcastically, "you don't see one for ages, then three turn up all at once."
Shadow-shine gave a little laugh upon hearing that, "Apocalypses are like buses," she said, as though tasting the sentence, "an amusing simile, I must admit. Very well, I will allow you to see Umbah; it is, after all, quite possibly your own funeral if you do so. But who are your companions?" she pointed her spear suddenly at Amanda and the Nightcrawler, who had been looking slightly bewildered during Kitty's entire exchange with Shadow-shine, like people invited to attend a ceremony full of pomp and ceremony, where someone forgets to explain the rituals and rules that must be followed. They looked at the spear-tip nervously.
"They are with me," Kitty explained hastily, "they are my companions, my friends, they go where I go." She stared at Shadow-shine, not quite defiantly, but in a way that made it clear that there was no room for argument. Shadow-shine gave Kitty a slightly withering look, then shrugged ever so slightly, "If that is what you wish, you may all enter together, after all, what difference does it make to me?" Then she looked Amanda and the Nightcrawler up and down, as though appraising them, and seemed particularly pleased with Amanda. She took a step towards her, "A most interesting specimen of your race," she said.
"She's a slayer, like me," said Kitty quickly.
"Is that so?" asked Shadow-shine, examining Amanda approvingly with her eyes, "I like that in a person."
Amanda gave Kitty a slightly helpless look as Shadow-shine addressed her directly, "Would you like me to feed upon your blood? It can be quiet a euphoric sensation."
"No she wouldn't," said Kitty, "neither of them would. Don't do anything to undermine the fragile peace we have here, Shadow-shine, we just want to see your mistress, that is all."
Shadow-shine turned her attention back to Kitty, gave her a derisive look once more, then shrugged, "As you wish," she said, "follow me," with that she led the way into a dark tunnel. It seemed to be inclining downwards, but it was difficult to tell for certain, because it was almost totally dark inside. Kitty could just about make out the tip of Shadow-shine's spear, and the glowing yellow of the Nightcrawler's eyes. Strange as it may seem, that was oddly comforting. She spoke quietly to her companions, "Can either of you see anything?" she asked.
"Not much at all," Amanda admitted.
"I can see a bit," the Nightcrawler admitted, "but there's not that much too see right now. We seem to be going further and further underground. The walls are made of earth, and we are in some kind of round tunnel. I can't see any immediate danger," he added.
"Let's just hope that it stays that way," replied Kitty.
They carried on walking for maybe five minutes, and then emerged from the tunnel into what looked like a huge cave or cavern. Gold and jewels seemed to cover every available surface, glittering in the dim light of two torches. It looked like a pirate's treasure trove, or perhaps a South American mythical city of gold. It did not look like it belonged in the 21st Century. It's fake, just an image, an illusion, just like everything else in this place, Kitty thought to herself. In the centre of the grandeur, there was a golden throne. Lounging upon it was what appeared to be a young woman, who, like Shadow-shine, had incredibly pale skin and very dark hair. She seemed to be watching Kitty in a manner that was almost feline, as though perfectly assured of her own superiority, but unsure as yet whether these new creatures were worthy of her attention.
"You have guests," said Shadow-shine, waving her spear vaguely in Kitty's direction. "They want to talk to you about another apocalypse."
"Another one," she yawned theatrically, "apocalypse's come and go, but I will remain. What is another apocalypse to one such as me?"
Kitty gave her a long look. She could feel that sense of inferiority building up again, threatening to take over her being, making her want to run away as fast as she could. But Kitty had been through this before, and knew that she had to set an example for Amanda and the Nightcrawler, who, she noticed, were looking nervously at each other behind her. She turned her attention back to Queen Umbah, and gave her a very small smile, "They could make things very inconvenient for you," she said simply, "Oh, no doubt you would survive, I am aware of that. I do know, however, that you drink human blood as your main food source. Were an apocalypse to happen, this food source would no longer be available, or at least, become much harder to obtain." She indicated Queen Umbah's domain, "Your…kingdom," Kitty was unsure if that was the right word, but it would have to do, "is luxurious, rich and prosperous at the moment. Why risk changing that? What have you to gain if an apocalypse were to wipe out humanity from the face of the Earth?"
Queen Umbah watched her for a moment longer, and then sighed theatrically, "I will adjust, as I always have, to the changing circumstances of reality," she said, "but you do make a valid point. What is it, exactly, that you want from me?"
"Information," Kitty replied, "there's an apocalypse happening, and I want to stop it. I want to know how."
"You are asking the wrong question, child," Queen Umbah replied.
Kitty turned around to Amanda and the Nightcrawler. They looked just as confused as she did. Kitty turned her attention back to Queen Umbah, "And what is the right question?" she asked.
"What has changed recently?" Queen Umbah asked.
"Well, I've come here a few times," said Kitty slowly, looking around uncertainly.
"Indeed, and why is that?"
"To stop apocalypses," she replied, "or more accurately, to get the information I need in order to do so. There seem to be a lot of them coming recently."
"Ah. Exactly," said Queen Umbah, her eyes smiling at Kitty mischievously, "that is what has changed. There has been a recent increase in the number of times that the forces of darkness have tried to send your kind to their own dimension, their own reality, to end your own. And why do you think that is?"
Kitty sighed. It did not look like Queen Umbah was exactly inclined to give her answers, but then again, when was she ever? No, she wanted Kitty to figure it out for herself; she would not give easy answers. Kitty could not help feeling a certain amount of respect for her attitude, regardless of how infuriating it currently was.
"No answer?" Queen Umbah asked, "You disappoint me, child. Perhaps your friends can help you. Why do you not introduce me to them?"
She's playing a game, thought Kitty, and I have little option but to play along. But what harm can it do? "These are my friends," Kitty said, "they will come to no harm while I live."
Queen Umbah nodded, accepting that, "Understood," she said.
Kitty did not feel exactly reassured by her tone of voice, but continued anyway, "I call this creature the Nightcrawler, because he crawls in the night," she indicated for him to step forward, which he did, although it was clear that he felt awkward and confused under Queen Umbah's penetrating gaze.
"A most unusual specimen," she said, looking him up and down, before turning her attention to Amanda, "and the other specimen?"
"This is my friend Amanda," said Kitty, "she is a demon-slayer, like me."
"A most interesting sentence," said Queen Umbah, "I thought that there was only one demon-slayer at a time."
"There was," Kitty said, "but then there was this really powerful witch, and she made it so that all potential demon-slayers would become actual demon-slayers. There are hundreds of us now."
"So what has changed recently?" said Queen Umbah.
"You mean the fact that there are loads of slayers?" Kitty asked.
"You said that, I did not," said Queen Umbah, getting off of her throne and approaching Kitty slowly, "nevertheless," she paused for a moment, and wrinkled her tiny nose, as though an unpleasant odour had suddenly assaulted her nostrils. She turned to Amanda, "Why have you got a rat in your pocket?" she asked suddenly.
"What, I don't have…" Amanda reached inside her pocket, and then groaned slightly as she pulled out Justin.
"That is a good question," she said, turning her attention to the little rat, "what were you doing in my pocket?"
The rat squeaked, and looked down, his small face contrite. Amanda shook her head. Then she explained, "Justin said that he did not want me to be with the blue show-off creature. He was feeling jealous that I was to be with the blue-show off creature, as he wanted my attention to be only for him. So he crept into my pocket when I was not looking." She turned her attention back to the rat, and stroked his head, "Listen, the Nightcrawler and I are friends, that is all. He and Kitty are clearly devoted to each other, and I would not want to get in the way of that for anything."
"That's stupid," said Kitty, just a little bit too quickly, "I don't feel anything like that for him, he's just, well…" her voice trailed off. The Nightcrawler himself just looked down at his feet.
"Oh come Kitty, even a rat should be able to see it," said Amanda, laughing slightly, "it's nothing to be ashamed of."
"That's silly," said Kitty, looking down to hide her blush, "and anyway, we have an apocalypse to worry about," she added, turning her attention back to Queen Umbah, who seemed amused at her embarrassment.
"Indeed," she said.
"So you're saying that the recent increase in demons trying to bring about the apocalypse is due to the increase in the number of slayers?" she asked.
"I did not say such a thing," replied Queen Umbah, "nevertheless…there is a certain balance, which has shifted, recently, in your side's favour. It would hardly be improbable that the other side would not push back."
"So they'll keep on trying to shift the balance back," Kitty murmured, more to herself than to anyone else, "and that means they will be keen to keep on attempting to bring about the apocalypse. I've barely stopped one, then I have to start working on stopping another."
"And of course, they only have to win once," said Queen Umbah, "no matter how good you are, how clever, how skilful, it is only a matter of time until you make a mistake. One that will be fatal, not only for yourself, but for your people too. I daresay you wish to prevent this disaster from happening?"
"That's why I came here," said Kitty, "fine, so we know why there are more apocalypses happening now than before, but how do I go about preventing this one?"
"I can only point you in the right direction, from there, what happens is up to you and your companions," Queen Umbah replied.
Kitty stifled a sigh, "I suppose it is the best I could hope for. Very well, lead the way and I shall follow."
"And that goes for your two human companions as well, does it?"
Kitty was about to protest that the Nightcrawler was a demon, not human, but something made her stop. They do not give straight answers if they can help it, but they hardly ever lie. Perhaps she was giving her a clue, a hint. Kitty looked around at the Nightcrawler and Amanda, who smiled their consent. "They go where I go," she said.
"Very well, young slayer, Then follow me," and with that Queen Umbah lead them down another dark corridor, to face an unknown fate.