Collapse

By Robert B. Hazelton

Disclaimer: The characters within are used without permission for the sheer non profit enjoyment of fans of the Gabriel Knight genre.

Chapter 4

Grace nuzzled into the deep cushions of the office chair, looking up to stretch her neck. Hours had passed since she began the search for information about Gabriel's latest case-- the database was still very new and the qualifiers that she had to go by were vague, a poor combination when referring to information storage/retrieval.

She glanced at the notes she had taken on vampires for him and frowned. Although it had been pretty simple to collect, she was a little dismayed at not even being able to present it. Oh well. Something else to store away for a future reference.

Shadows explored the room from the dancing venetian blinds over the window playing with the moon that spilled in. She glanced outside and contemplated a stroll when SIDNEY's chime drew her attention back to her search.

Compilation of Clause Ritter's Journal.

Russia 1655.
The reign of Alexcei Romanov.

A reformation of the Russian Orthodoxy brought about a schism in the church; one that supported the change, one that challenged it. The old believers were persecuted for their opposition and fled into the northern woods. A man named Airk of the old believers found his way to Germany where he plotted his vengeance.

Airk forsook God and turned to the ravings of a violent cult that had been terrifying German families for months. His charisma earned him status within the ranks of the eight men and he eventually was able to sway them to his cause. Through this end, his research began and the results had a horrible impact.

Clause had been investigating the cult for sometime and had finally found enough evidence to close in with a handful of men from Rittersburgh. But they were too late to stop the ceremony and arrived in time to see a wounded Airk flee into the woods along with the scattering of his followers.

The creature that had been summoned was a minor demon, sometimes referred to as a Maliphrae from early texts. The Maliphrae can only exist in this plane by the possession of human hosts, often destroying the spirit in the attempt. Only the very strong of will have survived their assault.

The Maliphrae have an acute weakness to silver, the purity of the metal being of utmost importance. It was through this focus that Clause was able to contain this creature for banishment. The Maliphrae summoned by Airk was torn from his body and placed within a solid silver ring, killing Airk in the process. The next step was to banish the demon back to its original plane but days before the ritual was to be performed, Schloss Ritter was breached by a thief and the ring was the only thing stolen. Though an investigation was performed, the thief was never named.

Grace contemplated the information a moment, starting as the blinds rapped the window. She couldn't tell if she was nervous, excited or exhausted. Probably a combination of the three. Pursing her lips, she snatched up the phone, dialing the number Gabriel had given her. The implications of her find placed him in more than a little danger...

Spinning. Noises piercing the skull, beyond hearing or senses... A vibration of bone, an unnerving creak of aching joints. Throbbing temples exploding with every beat of the heart. Sandpaper lids scraped slowly over tender cornea, replacing darkness with blurred light. Gabriel pushed himself to a kneeling position, fighting back nausea as he rubbed his eyes clear.

Focus grudgingly returned and he surveyed his surroundings. He was in a dark alley, paper and trash clung to the damp pavement and wisps of white steam fluttered above a nearby manhole. He shivered, closing his arms over his torso to fend off the chill and something occurred to him. He slapped his chest and scanned about feverishly. The talisman was gone.

A sound brought him out of his panic, something of a soft moan echoing from further down the alley. He squinted past the darkness, the unhelpful light from a street lamp created stars which danced before his eyes. The moan was growing closer and with each moment it grew with intensity and remorse becoming a wail. The painful cry was breathless and unending, as though the wind itself was bleeding its final death into an unforgiving world... Such was the fearful notions that gripped Gabriel's heart as he watched with a mixed horror/fascination for whatever made the sound.

Heartbeats passed, the light tricked his sore eyes and he rubbed them again, trying desperately to remove the agitation. As he opened his eyes, he realized the moaning was very close and he saw... it. Something floating above the asphalt. Transparent white cloth billowed in some otherworldly breeze. Black hair barely visible against its brownish gray back drop of the building and sky. A copper bloodied face, faintly familiar... almost recognized as something. Malia.

He cried out despite himself, turning to flee. But instead of the open alleyway, he found himself pressed tight against a brick wall, the end of a blind alley. He glanced over his shoulder, eyes wide at the apparition that was gradually gaining ground, closing on him. He turned with his back against the wall, hands pressed palms down into the cement.

Gabriel tried to close his eyes but found himself strangely drawn to witness the creature as it moved closer and closer... Memories flooded back, blanketing his mind and heart. This can't be right. There was no restlessness in her end. A breath a part and he screamed out...

Bolting up from the floor, grasping the talisman over his heart. It was dark in the room, the far off ringing of the phone brought him back to reality. Claudia was sprawled on the couch, still as death. Her arms dangling off the side limply. He crawled to his feet and reached back, touching the back of his neck... Nothing.

Confusion and revulsion mixed as he reached down and felt for a life sign, his trembling hand starting at how cool her skin was. The ringing of the phone had long since died away as the realization overtook him that she was quite dead.

Gabriel felt horrible. His head felt like a foreign object protruding from his neck, similar to the results of a drinking binge. Exhaustion raked through his body and he wasn't up to anything more than staring at the tiled floor he had paced not 24 hours prior.

But then Claudia had been alive. His first instinct was to feel responsible for her death, for not doing anything to stop it. Ridiculous. He didn't even know what he was dealing with let alone how to stop it. Worse still, he wondered who was in danger next... Grace? His grandmother? Himself?

His hand rubbed the back of his neck and he felt a cold sweat form on his brow. What had happened to him? Why did he pass out? He remember the pain... the numbing sensation that swept over his body like a warm ocean wave. It felt like claws rending tender flesh beneath their furiosity. A bit melodramatic, he thought to himself but the point was still evident. He was attacked.

He ran his finger around the circumference of the talisman and contemplated his next step. He should probably get in contact with Grace. Perhaps she had something more. He certainly had more for her to put into SIDNEY if she hadn't. The doctors should've finished examining Claudia... sufficiently enough for him to get back to the hotel he had rented upon his arrival.

A younger doctor strolled into the lobby from one of the myriad halls and approached Gabriel, sitting on the bench beside him. "So how are you feeling?" He asked, leaning forward to match Gabriel's posture.

"Like hell." Gabe responded, running both hands through his hair. "What did you find out?"

"I don't know what's happened to her. I'm afraid that the autopsy will have to tell."

Gabriel nodded and leaned back. "Whatever it was... I mean, I fell pretty hard. I don't have any idea how long I was out but didn't wake up til it was almost dark."

"You were probably very lucky. Whatever effected her probably got to you as well. But even the tests that we're running on you will take time to be at all conclusive."

Gabriel pushed himself to his feet. "I think I'm getting back to my hotel... You call me there if you hear anything?"

"Indeed we will. We have your information at the desk I assume?"

"Yeah." Gabriel looked down. "Thanks doc. I'll see you around."

"Get some rest, Mr. Knight." The doctor took his feet and they parted ways.

Gabriel took a cab back to the hotel, falling on the bed as soon as he was within proximity. He wanted desperately to call Grace but his senses weren't responsive enough for rational thought. Better to get in contact with her when he was awake...

He bolted out of the bed, sliding to the floor in an upright position, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Sweat secured his hair to his brow, his clothes felt oppressive beneath his coat. A brief glance at the clock indicated that he'd slept for nine hours. Not surprising. He hadn't had any real rest in almost twenty-four.

But he felt wonderful. Despite the general discomfort of his soaked clothes, he felt as though the pain he'd experienced at the hospital was nothing more than a nightmare, a play of the mind. Perhaps guilt? He wasn't sure.

He stripped off his clothes and hurried himself through the shower, wrapping himself in a towel as he finished. He grabbed the phone and dialed. "St. George's Rare Books." Grace answered, her voice filling him with a relief he was surprised to receive from her.

"Grace, it's me." He almost sounded cheerful but as he began, he recalled what had happened to Claudia. "There's been some problems here."

"I was getting worried. I tried to reach you yesterday and..."

"I'll fill you in Grace but more pressing is what you might've learned from SIDNEY if anything."

"I dug up quite a bit. You ready?"

"Shoot." He replied.

Grace related to Gabriel about the Russian Orthodoxy and the division created by the actions of the monarchy. She filled him in on Airk's plans of vengeance and Clause's involvement in the situation. Then she fell into the description of the creature that Airk's followers helped bring into the world.

"The creature they summoned is called a Maliphrae." He heard her rustle with some papers a moment. "It says that the Maliphrae are some kind of demon, parasitical in nature. They can only exist by possessing a human victim. But they wear them out. The energy they take from their host is enormous."

"How do you get em out once they've latched on?"

Grace sighed. "I haven't really found information on exactly how to banish them but I know that they have a weakness to silver, though with that I'm not even sure what sort of benefit that is or how you'd use it against them. Clause Ritter bound the Maliphrae to a silver ring but before they could get rid of the thing, the ring was stolen."

Gabriel grunted a response and ran a hand through his wet hair, contemplating. "What about the talisman? Could it be used to draw the thing out?"

"How so?"

"Well, I'm not sure. But I think that if you're right, this Mali-thing had taken over Claudia and yesterday when I sat down to interrogate her further, she freaked out. She gasped something about not being able to fight it then passed out.

"When I got up, I was... attacked I guess is the best way to put it. When I woke up, sometime later, Claudia was dead."

"My God Gabriel!" Grace's voice shuddered. "What happened?"

"She's... at the morgue now. They'll be performing an autopsy but if what you say is right, then she died because that thing left her body." His tone was solumn.

"If it left, then it's in someone else."

Gabriel was silent for a long moment, his hand touching the back of his neck. "It's me Grace." He spoke softly, trying to keep any tension from his voice.

"Gabriel..." She began. "But what about the Talisman? Why wouldn't it have protected you?"

"I think it is." He looked down at his inheritance and sighed. "The more that I think about it, the more I realize that I only saw the real Claudia that once when she fought through to tell me to get out. The fact that I'm still in control probably has something to do with the talisman."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Two things. Dig through SIDNEY some more. We need to find out how Clause dealt with this thing specifically. While you do that, contact Gerde and have her get into the library. Perhaps there's something still in hard copy."

"Will do." She was quiet a moment. "What do you plan to do?"

"I'm waiting for the autopsy on Claudia. I also plan to hit her house and snoop around a bit."

"I know I've already said it, Gabriel but... Be careful."

"I won't even be sarcastic, Grace. Thanks." He dropped the phone on the hook and got dressed in a contemplative silence, his thoughts drifting along with his emotions. The past, the present. Lost loves and forgotten dreams. The tragedy that his life had become. He scolded himself for the melodrama. He realized then that he was indeed fighting, ever so subtly to maintain control. He looked in the mirror and straightened his shoulders, his gaze defiant. "Don't think that I haven't been through worse."