And here I am again! :) OK, real quick I'd like to say that I'm sorry about all the delays and it's just been crazy in my life. Second of all, I'd like to thank all the reviewers: Fwirl of Redwall, Jarrtail, Quavera Tava, Firehawk, Adder of the Pit, DPBCLover, SgtHolton, DGShadowChocolate, and Ai-Am-Airan.
Another thing: I'm actually quite happy with what will soon unfold in this chapter... and in Guise later on. Also, from now on I'm going to stick with shorter chapters- somewhere alone the line of 4,000 words. I know some of you would be disappointed, but I think the quality would be much better if I narrow the scope just a little bit. ^^;
Into the Abyss
After walking for three days, Keetch never thought he'd see the end of these tiring woods- or Veil's cynical chattering. And it was mostly a one-way conversation. After all, who knew what Brink would say if he saw his companion talking to thin air? As helpful as he was in the past, Keetch had hoped that the apparition would've melted away in an instant, but the ferret seemed to enjoy the company. He especially enjoyed talking about how they were both exiles of Redwall, but the farther and farther they got, the fox noticed that Veil appeared less and less often. Perhaps the ferret's soul was affixed to the abbey? Places full of sadness and anger were what tethered these apparitions to the living world.
He'd never seen one, but Grack had told him of the horde of spirits and poltergeists she'd encountered- lost, hating, lonely spirits. She'd made them sound so ghastly, but at least Veil seemed much milder. Keetch pondered the ferret's past. He was obviously bitter about his death and at Redwall itself. But even if he had the courage to ask, Veil was nowhere in sight. And if he was here, the fox might've asked where the hell he was rather than anything else.
The trees here weren't rooted to the ground, standing regal and tall. Here, they were like sticks stabbed into mud, their branches thick and twisted into themselves like gnarled fingers. Keetch hesitated at the divide between the summer forest and the woods of damp, leafless trees. The fox frowned, tracing a claw along a smooth patch of charred bark.
"What happened to this place?"
"Burned it," Brink replied with a shrug. "About a season ago a bunch of us otters came here to end those mud-sucking toads. Burned their eggs and all."
All of them? It wasn't impossible, and Skipper certainly did seem the type to carry out the deed, and yet... it seemed unlikely.
"We shouldn't worry about them, though," the otter said, answering Keetch's thoughts. "We stormed th' place, burning everything to crisp. We shouldn't have a problem."
"Are you sure?"
"Trust me," Brink said, already setting foot in that foul place. "I doubt that any of those Greymorg soldiers would dare to come anyplace that looks like this. We'll be a lot safer here."
"And those toads, those things, are you certain they're all gone?"
"Dead as wood."
Keetch sighed and nodded, stepping into the crowd of skeletal branches.
Hallowed ground.
The fox snapped his head back, eyes scanning the wall of lush trees. No sign of the ferret. Hallowed ground would've explained why the spirit appeared less and less, but how was such a dastardly, grim place marked as sacred? Whatever this place was, it might have been something beautiful or historical in some very distant past.
"Aren't you coming?" Keetch flinched at the volume, hissing between his teeth in warning, though Brink simply shrugged it off and swaggered onward.
The first few steps were the hardest, planting his footpaws into the squelching mud, wrinkling his nose as his ankles got sucked down. All the while, he would glance one way and swear he'd seen a shadow or a face somewhere, but it was just a flitting image. Nevertheless, it made his hackles stand on end. Everywhere had a cold draft, everywhere the earth shifted beneath his paws no matter how sturdy the ground looked. Brink, however, hardly let the bothersome obstacles get in his way. He was always at the front, hacking away at reeds and vines.
It made Keetch wonder if Brink ever even had a sense of danger.
"I still don't like this place," he muttered, following doggedly after his companion.
"Well, marm, too late for that now."
"I can feel it everywhere. The air feels heavy."
Brink merely snorted at the statement, turning around and storing that bit of information for later.
"I still don't like this place..."
"Yeah, yeah. We'll get there soon, so keep your tail..." Brink must've heard something, and Keetch sensed the tension in the woodlander's stance. The fox froze immediately, his line of sight flicking between the woods and the the sword at the otter's hip. Slowly, the vermin mirrored his movements, letting his paw slowly slide towards the hilt. He licked his lips nervously, ears swiveling as Brink motioned him to stay low.
Keetch did all he could do, allowing himself to crouch right behind some withered fern. And carefully, the faintest shadows began to stir, materializing out of the gloom to reveal bulging eyes and throats, slimy skin, and broad mouths. The first time he saw them, Keetch had found their look to be simply hungry. Now it looked like a mixture of hunger and scathing hatred.
"Yeah?" The woodlander drew his blade, his mouth twisted in a grin bordering on revulsion. "You want to have another go?"
There must've been a score of them, all of them slowly advancing in a loose circle. Brink squared his shoulders and pointed his sword directly at the biggest salamander. "Keetch," he said slowly, monitoring the progress of the slimy muck-creatures, "Keetch, if you can, make sure you run the hell out of here. Run so fast that your tail can't catch up. I'll be right behind, so just run that way." He cocked his head to a gap in the wall of creatures. "It's the only way."
Keetch nodded, noticing how the monsters picked up the hint and slowly started to close in on their only escape.
"I TOLD YOU TO RUN!" That snapped the fox out of his daze.
Keetch dashed forward, baring his fangs as menacingly as he could while the mud sucked his run down to something more of a tottering gait. He was aware of everything: how the enemies' muscles tensed under their warted skin, the way Brink clenched his hilt in his palm, the way the toads kept licking hungrily at the corner of their mouths and eyes. But not once did he recall how their plump shape hid their true speed.
It happened all so fast. The very second Keetch recognized the poise for a leap, he drew his sword a moment too late and a rushing blow rammed into his chest. The fox screamed as he landed back to the ground, the massive toad right on top of him.
"Keetch!" It can't work the last time we were here.
A wrenching feeling was working up the veins of his neck. His head felt heavy- locked.
I haven't even gotten stronger.
Keetch was suddenly aware of the toothless maw clamped around his head, yanking upwards violently. He screamed again, his paws empty and clenched as he pounded hard against the pudgy mass.
No!
"Keetch! Get up! Get off of him, you gutless bastards!"
Already he could feel the mud sink as more toads and slimy cowards crowded around their new prey. Was this how far it was going to come? Is this their fate? Was this as far as his potential and powers could come?
"Not in the least."
Keetch blinked and found himself floating in a dark and empty space, the atmosphere heavy as if he was submerged in water. It wasn't that the pain or any of his strength was gone immediately. More like that it just slipped off and to the darkness. The fox blinked lazily and lifted his head, his eyes taking stock of the white orbs floating upwards. There was no telling where they came from in this mysterious abyss.
"I was so hoping I would meet with you," a deep voice echoed.
"W-who?" There was nobody, but if anything, the white orbs stilled and reddened, signaling a malicious presence. "...Veil?"
"Wrong." Keetch whirled as fast as this pressurized atmosphere would allow him. It was a large figure dressed in a scarlet and gold robe to accentuate his rich, blood-red fur. He stood straight and tall, his paws tucked casually in his pockets, a secretive smirk set on his lips.
"Vulpuz." The forbidden name spilled off the seer's tongue before he could think. The spirit shrugged and took a stride, but even with just one step, he was suddenly nose-to-nose with Keetch, staring down at him with slitted, orange eyes. Keetch flinched, some will stirring within him to hold the gaze for as long as he could. It seemed to last a good while, Vulpuz taking his time to take stock of his new "guest."
It must've been a minute or two, because right when Keetch was sure he was going to back down the spirit's eyes widened and an unexplainable pain exploded in the back of his mind. The smaller fox screamed, staggering away and holding his head between his paws. His mind was awhirl with scenes of death and destruction- so much blood, screaming, vermin and woodlander alike, wretched paws reaching out for a savior, so many eyes stretched wide in pleading fear, mouths agape in a cry filled with the purest of despair.
The screamings stopped and Keetch found himself on his knees, his paws pressed so hard against his skull he thought it would shatter. He looked down, panting and recovering whatever breath he could before he felt a presence above him. He looked up, quaking at the sight of the huge fox that stared down at him with a disturbing level of nonchalance. Slowly, the fox pulled his a paw out of his pocket and Keetch shut his eyes and turned away, preparing himself for more pain.
One second. Two seconds.
He opened his eyes and cautiously lifted his head. The fox was still standing over him, a claw curled around his chin thoughtfully as he grinned to himself, revealing white, unnaturally long, curved, sharp fangs. Keetch couldn't help but utter a small cry of fear as he noticed that there were two rows of those chiseled teeth in each jaw.
"Well this position is a lot more appropriate for a god and his underling, don't you agree?" Keetch kept his mouth politely shut while the robed figure continued. "So... you're in interesting one. I can honestly say I quite like you."
Silence.
"You know, you're right. Grack is an old nag and while I severely disapproved of some of your decisions... I think you at least shook some things up. Made things... fun."
Keetch remained speechless, which obviously irked his host.
"And you're very boring when you're scared shitless. You'd better say something before I actually pluck your soul from this safe little place and let the toads rip your innards out. You know that they like to slurp it right out of you while you're still alive."
"The toads!" Keetch's mind gave a little jolt. "Then Brink..."
"Is still fine... alive, anyways," Vulpuz finished with some distaste. "Any better questions?"
"No milord."
"None at all? Well that's strange," the god said to himself. "Usually my seers grovel and beg for me to impart wisdom on their behalf."
Keetch bowed his head. "M-m-milord, I apologize for my... ungrateful behavior... but I really must go. If I stay here too long I'm certain that my body would be mutilated and my companion would be killed."
"Well say no more," Vulpuz said with a shrug. "You're dismissed. Considering that you're going to be mauled to death, I suppose I would see you very soon anyways."
"Then why'd you bring me here?" Keetch asked before clamping his mouth shut.
"Now we're getting to the point," Vulpuz said, tucking his paws back in his pockets. "You see, I have a little proposition for you, Keetch. How would you like to depart this place with my power, eh?"
"M-milord?" Now Keetch knew he was treading on much thinner ice than before. Grack had told him of the powers of the spirit and how the deals of such beings were always kept, but could always be twisted. Whatever happens, he had to be careful.
"Just a little inkling of my strength, but that's certainly nothing to sneeze at. Certainly enough to get you out of this little spot of trouble you have with the toads and lizards, after all. Just a little temporary gift."
"And what do you want in return?" Keetch asked. Now was the dangerous part.
"Not much... just the one thing that you hold dearest to your heart. The one thing you care most about than anything else."
"And what would that be?"
Vulpuz shrugged. "Now Keetch, don't you know your own soul?"
"It's not..."
"Well it's certainly not that pathetic bunny or that otter, that's for certain. I can't directly take any form of life. It's against the rules. But to have you kill a loved one to trade spots in the Netherworld, I can do." The spirit paused, and then barked out laughter. "Ha! The look on your face! But, I know you wouldn't do it."
"Even to trade spots with a toad?"
"Can't do that either." He held both paws up, tilting one up and the other down to motion a scale. "Equivalent exchange- your soul for something you hold for about the equal value."
"I see..."
"So what do you say?" He whirled his paw in the air, a glass of blood materializing in his black-tipped claws. "Just a little sip. Whatever it is that I'm taking away from you, it won't go away without a trace. I'll just take a little bit- the same amount as what you drink from this glass." The seer narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the offering.
"You might as well. I don't see how you'll survive this swamp any other way. Try it." Slowly, with both shaking paws, Keetch took the glass out of the other fox's grasp. He grinned his venomous grin.
"Good. Now drink what you need, and remember- this is temporary."
"And this should get us- Brink and I, out of this mess with the toads, am I correct?"
"Yes yes," Vulpuz sighed. "Sometimes your loyalty can be interesting, Keetch, but it can get quite tiresome."
"And when I drink some of this, I don't completely surrender whatever it is that you're taking from me?"
"Yes, now drink up."
Keetch raised the glass to his lips, just realizing how small and fragile the container seemed. The lingering smell of blood and iron infiltrated his nostrils, making him all-too aware of what he was doing- striking a deal with the lord of the Underworld himself. He held his breath and took a full sip. It was somehow sweet and warm in his mouth and he smiled a little at the pleasant surprise. But then he swallowed, the liquid draining down his throat, leaving a bitter, numbing sensation that left his tongue parched. Keetch must've made a face, for the spirit erupted in a round of deep-throated laughter.
Slowly, the atmosphere began to change. The air didn't feel so heavy and thick. The orbs of light began to turn to its original white and float to the sky- wherever it was. And most of all, the older fox was fading, spiraling away into the abyss.
"Oh. Almost forgot," Vulpuz said, digging back into his pockets and producing something shiny. "You might need to use this later on." With a flick of the wrist, the tiny object was expertly tossed, plopping smack in the center of Keetch's palms. It was a rusty, dull, iron-cast key with a simple notched edge.
"But..." Keetch raised his head to ask another question, but there was nothing but the lonely blankness.
"KEETCH!" The fox's eyes snapped open to register the slimy folds of skin smothering his muzzle. He growled, flexing his claws and jabbing straight up, feeling the tips of his claws puncture the soft flesh under the toad's throat. Blood trickled down his arm, and Keetch shuddered. Whatever he had done, he'd never imagine that he'd be capable of doing something like that. Quickly, he withdrew his arm, kicking the dying beast off of him and getting on all fours, quickly spotting his sword just a little out of reach.
He reached for it when he cried out in pain, feeling something massive crush at his tail. He spun around, his claws gouging at the creature's eyes. He could feel the bulge of the eyeball the moment he touched the creature. He could even clearly hear the anguished hiss of pain as the lizard collapsed to the ground, writhing before a toad finished its life with a careless step on the neck.
The fox quickly reached behind, grabbing at the hilt of the sword and swinging it overhead, cleaving a toad's skull as if it was firewood. It was all so simple, he had no idea why he'd ever thought it was hard. Another toad was speeding to him on all four fat legs while another approached from the opposite direction and a third catching up at the same pace. The fox merely sidestepped the first two, allowing them to wrestle each other in confusion as he gutted the third.
It was strange, how everything seemed to happen so slowly. Everything was so readable- the enemies' muscle tension, the look in their eyes- their every move. Why was it so hard before? Why was Brink always so good at this and never him?
Keetch grabbed his medicine case from the ground, spinning so that the wooden box corner caught a toad right in the middle of its face. Brink was holding his own, but he was quickly tiring. For once, the role of hero would have to be swapped.
"Brink!" Keetch ran up to the otter, shoving his sword point through a soft throat and slicing through another. He'd never been this fast. Even without the injury to his leg he was never known this kind of speed.
"Keetch! Are y'alright?" he asked between ragged breaths before snatching him by the sleeve. "Quick. We have to get out of here somehow."
"Right." Brink's eyes widened with surprise as Keetch ran ahead of him, yanking him along by the elbow, practically dragging him along. "You said you killed them all, huh?" Keetch asked, as he leaped over the carcass of a salamander.
"I thought I did!" the woodlander answered defensively. "And there is a lot less here than there were the first time I came."
"I don't know why you always like to go against my advice," Keetch replied tersely, stopping only to plunge his knife through shoulder of a salamander, silencing its screams with a final stoke.
"I didn't know those damn mud-suckers are still alive!" Brink argued. "And since when were you so..."
"Keep moving," Keetch grunted, yanking the breathless otter the other direction.
"Look out!" Brink warned, but the fox had already noticed the toad that was about to land on them. In one swift motion that Brink couldn't comprehend, the fox had shoved the otter down, spinning in a circle and stabbing through the ribs. The impact knocked the toad clear off course, its dying croak one of surprise. Brink got up from the mud, coughing up the awful gunk in his throat before a set of surprisingly strong paws hauled him up and pulled him along.
Brink struggled to regain his footing, but each time his paws would be sucked under the mud and he kept looking back to see another wave of monsters chasing close behind. Suddenly Keetch stopped, practically allowing Brink to stumble over some roots and fall face-first into the ground.
"What?!" he sputtered, quickly getting back to his footpaws.
"It's a ledge of mud," Keetch said through gritted teeth. "It's too high for us to climb." Sure enough, the vermin was right. Blocking their path to freedom was a large wall of crumbling mud and fern that stretched more than triple their height.
"What now?" Brink panted, facing the oncoming enemy and holding his sword in both paws. Keetch narrowed his eyes, showing his fangs as he hefted his own sword.
"This isn't over. It cannot be over this way."
Brink swallowed, his mouth set in a half-grin, half-grimace. "Let's see who lasts longest."
"This isn't a game," Keetch answered evenly, though ever fiber of muscle in his body showed the crackling panic coursing through his body.
SSsssssssh-thunk!
An arrow embedded itself in a toad's skull, demanding everybeasts' attention.
Brink blinked at the archer in the trees. "...You."
"Yes it's me, now go!" Sarrow ordered, loosing another arrow on a monster.
"But the ledge-"
Thwap!
An arrow lodged itself in the face of the ledge.
"Are you crazy?!" Brink demanded. "Those mud-suckers are over th-"
Thwap!
Another arrow stuck itself diagonally from the last one, followed by another.
"Brink, Keetch," Sarrow called shrilly from her position. "It's a ladder! Climb the arrows up!"
"Dammit all," Brink cursed as he raced back to the ledge. He grabbed the first arrow, digging his claws into the earth to stabilize himself as he set his paw on top of it. He swore the arrow shifted under his weight, but he quickly placed his footpaw in the next one.
"Keetch," he called down as he grabbed hold of the third arrow. "The arrow is loose! And Sarrow, we need more!"
"I know!" she shouted, followed by another arrow that landed right above his head. Four more came in succession, each one lined perfectly. Brink clawed himself up, the mud threatening to give way and allow him to slip back down to the bottom. Nevertheless, the otter made sure he reached the top.
"Keetch!" he called down, leaning over and reaching a paw out to his friend. "Grab on!" Keetch raised his paw up, his head constantly turning back and forth between the dangling arm and the group of toads headed his way. Suddenly the arrow he was holding on to gave way, nearly sending him back down to the floor and into his inevitable doom. The fox dug his claws into the wall, clinging onto it like a flea.
"Reach!" Keetch looked up and then back down at the toads clamoring for their prize. He must've felt the wall begin to give way, for he flinched and pulled himself in so that his stomach rubbed against the earth.
"Keetch, just jump, dammit!" The fox obeyed, coiling his legs and springing up, barely catching hold of Brink's paw. The otter dipped forward, straining against the added weight as the fox struggled to pull himself to safety. "I've got'cha!" Brink said reassuringly as he hauled him up. However, when the fox's arm went over the ledge, his first word wasn't anything similar to "thank you."
"Behind!" Keetch gasped. The otter turned around, releasing his friend's paw to deal with the creature coming his way.
"Here too?!" he grunted as he stabbed through the gut. Another one was coming and Keetch was busy clawing his way to safety. "Sarrow!" Brink called. Instantly, a red blur zipped through the tree branches and skidded right onto the ledge, an arrow quickly notched into place.
Thwap!
The arrowhead made its mark, but right when the toad fell, two more had arrived to take its place.
"There're too many of them," Brink announced.
"Why'd you dunderheads even come here in the first place?!" the squirrel shouted, releasing another arrow. It hit a lizard between the eyes, its legs giving a violent jerk as they gave out from under it.
Keetch shook his head. For some reason his head was throbbing and a pain was flaring up in his chest. His mouth felt dry and he felt so fatigued, he just wanted to lie down and close his eyes. He didn't understand. When Vulpuz said that the strength was temporary, he didn't think it would last such a short time.
"Need more?" The fox's head appeared in the haze of his mind, his malicious grin seeming to set in a snarl. "You can drink deeper this time."
"Keetch! Keetch, what's wrong?" The image of Vulpuz disappeared and he was suddenly aware of an arm propping him up. He tried to blink awake, but the darkness didn't clear. He wanted to speak out, but his tongue wouldn't obey him. What...? "Sarrow, something's wrong with him." He felt his arm being flung around the shoulders of another beast.
"Then we're going to have to make a run for it- over there! Come on!"
"Of all times to black out, you have the worst timing, fox!" Brink shouted, slowing down to slice at another toad. They seemed to sprout from everywhere, their large glassy eyes raising from the surfaces of water and mist. They must've hidden a cache of eggs somewhere. They were certain they killed their King Toad, but at least a hundred of his children still remained. They were cowards- so easy to kill when outnumbered. They scattered and croaked when the otters stormed the place, squealing some noise when they caught fire. Brink never thought they could possibly make a sound like that.
"There!" Sarrow grunted. "There's a gorge there!" They skidded to a halt, looking between the murky water below and the army of toads quickly approaching. The other side was too far to jump, but they couldn't turn back.
"Those things can swim!" Brink protested.
"We have no choice." Sarrow didn't say anymore before she jumped in. The water was warm and it filled her ears and nose painfully. She opened her eyes, seeing nothing but murk. She stayed still for a while, hoping her body could bob up to the surface, but she felt she was drifting in space, being sucked down, down, down. She panicked, kicking and clawing at the water, willing herself not to scream.
A paw grabbed hold of her and she felt something encircle around her waist. She screamed right then, feeling air bubbles rushing against her face. And then they surfaced, gasping for breath and sputtering.
"Stupid tree rat!" Brink hissed, releasing her to hold Keetch's head above the water.
Plop! Plop! Splash!
The squirrelmaid squeaked at the toads that fell into the stagnant water, mud sleeking their bodies and their long hind legs kicking furiously at it, propelling them closer and closer to their prey.
"Oh Martin help us," she whispered, realizing that her bow was still clenched in her paws. She raised in protectively in front of them, wondering what good it would do. Even with knives attached at the ends, it would be a struggle to strike while keeping her head afloat, and her limbs were already tiring.
"Did you come alone?" Brink asked. Sarrow didn't say anything, but merely shuddered and drew ragged breaths as she steadied her weapon. "Did you come ALONE?!" he demanded again.
"Yes, yes I did!" she shouted back in a high voice.
The trio pressed themselves against the wall, panting as they watched their doom approach them. In all his dangers, Brink had always felt that there was just another corner to turn if he fought long enough- that there was some other plan to go with- but there was nothing. Not this time. Yes, Sarrow's sudden appearance lifted his heart, but that clearly wasn't enough.
The toads were quickly gaining, the slippery salamanders whipping through water while the lizards patiently flicked their tongues out at the sight. With one arm, Brink pointed his sword at them, with another, he held the unconscious fox. But while he was focusing on the oncoming attack, he felt the lightest tug on Keetch, a little ripple of water signifying its presence. Curiously, it happened again before Brink registered.
"Dammit, they're below us!"
Suddenly, Keetch was yanked out of his paws, water enveloping the fox's face as he was pulled under.
"NO!" The otter dove right in, pedaling his arms forward with all his might, trying to see past the muddy water, but nothing was there. No. Taken right from under me...
Something grabbed onto his neck. He spun in the water, trying to dislodge the creature, but it held fast. With one paw, he grabbed onto his attacker, digging his claws into its skin as much as he could. But the moment the creature's grip loosened, another had latched onto his arm, and then another was at his leg. The otter yelled, feeling the air bubbles escaping his lungs and rushing up to the surface. Already the added weight was forcing him to spiral down, down, down, into this endless abyss.
He struggled, kicking and squirming, trying to get rid himself of the parasites dragging him under, but more and more appeared, all of them grabbing onto his limbs and rendering him motionless. He kept spiraling downward, his lungs feeling like they were going to collapse and the pressure of the deep crushing his head. It was so dark, he couldn't even tell if he'd blacked out or if he was already dead.
Now the Vulpuz thing was a tad bit impulsive, but I think it could turn things a little interesting. Ok, so sorry for the delay in writing and I'll be sure to update sometime later. Man, I hate college. And yes, if I haven't yet reviewed a story, I will catch up to it later- I will!
