Jericho

Chapter Six

Lorelei

As I rode down the elevator, I continued to dry myself off the best I could with the hand towels Nicodemus had given me. The already challenging task was made that much harder by the dim light provided by the pitiful bulb overhead, which practically left me shambling around in the dark as I descended deeper. The loud, metallic scraping sound of rusty metal on metal was enhanced to near-deafening decibels by the narrow shaft as the elevator sluggishly made its way down the endless chute. After what felt like an eternity, the bottom of the elevator began to be illuminated by a soft orange glow; and the air was becoming increasingly warm as the light crept up my legs.

Soon after the arrival of the foreign light, the shaft opened up into an enormous cavern. The cavern was densely packed with rudimentary dwellings around the outer edges; the crude constructs were made up of rock and other minerals. Evenly spaced throughout the entirety of the cavern, were many gigantic iron girders leading up to the ceiling, which was lined with even more girders to help reinforce its integrity against the weight of the city above. At the center of the mass of buildings was a very large factory. Flames billowed from the factory and created an intense glow that filled the cavern with light. The factory was topped with a large metal pipe that led up and out through the southern wall.

The stale air filled my nose with the predominant scent of sulfur and ash. The roaring of fires could be heard throughout the great hall, even from here. The scene painted before me filled me with a sense of nostalgia; the city of Black Lake was rough, but not without its charm. Camila taught me a lot about it when I stayed with her briefly as a child. The city was founded more than three hundred years ago by the Red-Krag, a tribe of goblins. Named after the subterranean lake located not too far from the city. It was initially built as a mining outpost and foundry to refine precious minerals for trade. But after Jericho rose to power, and Anubis was established, supernatural beings began to be hunted worldwide. This caused many of the more civilized among us to seek refuge in sanctuaries like this. Black Lake, however, is unique. Rather than hiding in some secret grove or mountain cave, they hide in plain sight deep beneath the city of Portland.

The Red-Krag, although reluctant at first to allow others into their sanctuary, were quick to oblige. Seeing the potential for financial gain, they were goblins after all. With other species joining the outpost, it meant more laborers, which meant more productivity; and before too long, it grew exponentially, going from a small mining outpost to a large town, and eventually the city it is today. And thus the Red-Krag aristocracy was born. They were far from benevolent rulers, however, more like ruthless authoritarians. As they assumed complete control over the city with the help of an ogre clan acting as enforcers.

But despite the oppression of the Red-Krag, the denizens of Black Lake found some measure of happiness here. It provided security and seclusion from Anubis so they could continue to exist undeterred. And over time, through diplomacy, the refugees were even able to improve the quality of life under Red-Krag’s rule. It also formed an interesting melting pot of different peoples and species, creating a unique social and cultural demographic, which offered a wide variety of different goods and services.

The elevator screeched to a halt just as I finished drying off my legs the best I could with the last remaining towel, tossing it on the floor of the elevator with the others. I reached out to open the gate and took my first steps towards Black Lake. As I neared the city, I couldn’t help but feel something was amiss. Black Lake was normally bustling with activity at all hours of the day. But it seemed eerily quiet tonight. Where there used to be a menagerie of people swarming, there were now mostly barren streets. The few individuals I came across seemed dejected, and merely going through the motions of their routines with a listless endeavor.

Before long, I found myself in the bazaar, what I once remembered as being a jovial place where many would congregate. A place teeming with kiosks and carts peddling their wares. Succulent meats roasted over open flames, freshly baked bread, and decadent pastries. As well as a slew of other artisanal goods and trinkets of cultural significance. But what I saw in front of me now was a mere shell of what I had remembered from the past. Very few of the merchant's carts remained, and the few that did were mostly abandoned. Long gone were the crowds of eager patrons clamoring for their next purchase; long gone were the gaggle of young at play with one another, their laughter perfectly accented by the musical notes of faeries and satyrs.

As I made my way through the bazaar I noticed a young fair-skinned woman manning one of the few remaining kiosks. I made my way towards her inspecting the stall as I approached. A large sign above the pay counter read ‘Dahlia’s Confectionery.’ The faerie woman eyed me curiously as I approached. “Can I help you, ma’am?” She asked as she rose from her chair; Her voice, like most fair folk, was soothing and delicate.

“Yes, I think so, I am here visiting a friend. I was just making my way to her; and I couldn’t help but notice, well—” I paused, looking around over my shoulder. “Where is everybody? This place is a ghost town.” She looked as though she was about to say something but stopped herself.

“They are all probably working, ma’am. Is there anything I can get you?” I felt dissatisfied with the answer but decided against pressing the issue.

“What are you selling, Dahlia?” I asked, perusing her wares. The selection seemed pretty sparse, and what I could see appeared to be old.

“Oh, I’m not, Dahlia, ma’am; Dahlia is my mother. My name is Freya, I’m just tending the shop while she is down working in the mines.” She stated nonchalantly, but this struck me as odd; Faerie’s didn't usually harvest the minerals for the forge. The fair-folk were gifted by Gaia in many ways; manual labor was not among them.

“Oh, I’m sorry about that.” I smiled. “What are you selling, Freya?”

“I don’t have much, I’m afraid. All that’s left are some old Wyvern-Rolls.” She turned to the side, gesturing at a primitive-looking display case. Half a dozen small pastries remained in a glass case. flat dragon-shaped rolls were aligned neatly on the right-hand side of the counter. “My apologies for the subpar quality ma’am; our business has been rather poor lately, so we have had to stretch our stock.” As she looked at the stale rolls, I could see a look of embarrassment.

“That’s OK, I’ll take one please; It’s been a while since I’ve had a Wyvern-Roll.” I removed my pack, setting it on the ground at my feet. “How much are they?” I asked, kneeling to rummage through it for the small pouch of coins I had tucked away.

“Thank you, Ma’am.” She said with a more uplifted tone in her voice. “One gold.” I stood up and reached into the brown pouch, withdrew two coins, and placed them on the counter.

“A coin for your mother as well.” She humbly bowed her head as she retrieved the coins, tucking them away into a box underneath the counter.

“You’re very gracious ma’am.” She said before turning around to grab a pastry from the case. As she did, I placed the pouch in my pack once more before shouldering it. She hands me the roll wrapped in a crinkly piece of thin white serving paper. I accepted the pastry, thanked her, and continued towards my destination. Taking a bite of the stale roll, as expected, it was unsatisfactory. The once semi-sweet, light, and flakey roll that I remember was like a rock, being milled into sand by my molars; The nuance, flavor, and aroma of mild chili extract were almost nonexistent. Its signature filling of smooth jam made from berries had become congealed and chewy. I looked down at the roll with a grimace as I struggled to chew. I began to feel a sinking feeling in my gut. Something was wrong in Black Lake; it was a rough city sure, but things weren’t this bad the last time I visited.

I elected to cut through the Bazar and head down an alleyway. I was close to Camilla’s now; crossing to the next street here would put me only a few doors down from her establishment, The Kindred Cauldron. Halfway down the alley, just as I sunk my teeth in for another gritty bite, I began to hear the occasional flutter of tiny wings from above me. I looked up to see what I had already expected would be there. “Pixies.” I mumbled to myself, and lo and behold, there they were. A half dozen or so pixies could be seen lurking in the shadows of various crevices towards the top of the buildings. The bioluminescent blue glow from their wings slightly illuminated their small forms; boney frames barely the size of my hand and wrapped in dark leathery skin. They stood atop their perch glaring down at me through beady yellow eyes.

I have a love for most of Gaia’s creations, but pixies were among the few exceptions. They were small but boasted a wildly disproportionate attitude problem, vicious scavengers with an affinity for kleptomania. They are not inherently dangerous per se. However, I can attest to the fact that they do like to bite; and their mouths are overflowing with needle-like teeth. So, as unlikely as it is to be mortally injured by the initial attack from pixies, the unpleasant nature of it was a certainty. I was in luck though. There didn’t seem to be many around, and their boldness tended to grow with their numbers. With a group as small as this, I had little to worry about.

I looked ahead of me once more as I worked through the next tough bite. Exiting the alley, I was met by a welcome sight; only a few shops down and on the opposite side of me, I could see an old stone lodge with a sign out front reading “The Kindred Cauldron” the soft glow of candles shimmering through the windows lighting it up like a beacon of hope among the other dreary and vacant shops. With my goal in sight, I hurried across the street towards it; and before I could even make my second step, I ran into something that caused me to stumble a bit before catching myself; ‘unfortunately’ dropping the pastry in the process. The sound of a thud and a grunt could be heard and before I could even fully process what had happened, I heard. “Watch where you're goin, ya daffy dame!” I turned around and looked down to see a gnome sitting up on the ground rubbing his balding head as he looked back up at me with a snarl.

“I’m sorry sir, I didn’t see you there.” I said, reaching down to help him back to his feet, but he smacked my hand away as if it were an irritating fly buzzing in his bushy white beard.

“Oh Aye, didn’t see me, did ya? And here I thought the ground had gone cattywampus and I tripped over meself.” He spat darkly, his lilting brogue reaching my ears; reaching for his dark gray Phrygian cap. “Sod off will ya.” He slapped the cap back on his head with a frown before he pushed himself to his feet.

“I didn’t see you, I’m sorry that I ran into you.” I said, more than a little embarrassed. The stout gnome now standing at his full height, which barely came up past my kneecaps, turned around to face me with cheeks flushed with anger, and I could feel contempt for my very being permeating through his pores.

“Perhaps you should try using yer eyes next time, ya dunce!” He shouted, poking at my knees. A little taken aback at the level of hostility I had received over a simple mistake, I just stared back at him unsure of how to proceed for a moment. On one hand, I did knock him over, but on the other, he was being unnecessarily belligerent. As I processed my thoughts, I noticed something stirred in the alley behind the angry gnome. The pixies were now flying around the alley watching the gnome insatiably as they inched their way closer towards where we were.

“Oh no.” I thought to myself. There weren’t enough of them that they would try attacking me, but the mouthy pint-sized gnome on the other hand, was another story. “Hey, you should probably—” I attempted to warn him but was cut off.

“And you should probably kiss the darkest part of my lily-white arse!” I raised my hand, pointing behind him.

“But there’s—” I attempted to warn the stubborn gnome once more, but was again cut off.

“I said sod off! Or are ya deaf as well as daft?” the gnome said in a huff as he showed me away with his hands. Sighing, I threw my arms up in defeat.

“All right I’m sodding, I’m sodding!” I turned to continue to the other side of the street. Halfway across, I turned to look at the defiant gnome once more; he still stood there, arms crossed and staring me down with a c****d eyebrow. “I just thought you might want to know there are pixies behind is all.” His expression contorted from one of anger to one of confusion.

“You what?” No sooner than the words left his lips did the sound of demonic chittering laughter erupt from behind him; and as it did, I could see his eyes grow wide and what little color he had drained from his pale face. “Aw hell.” He said as he attempted to turn his head towards the alley. But just as he started to twist his neck, one of the pixies pounced on his head, pulling his cap down over his eyes. The remaining pixies whipped into a frenzy and began swarming over him in unison. The gnome thrashed and spun around wildly trying to get them off. But the pixie's tenacity could not be abated, and they continued their attack with both precision and brutality. The one on his head latched onto his bulbous nose with its teeth while ripping out chunks of his beard; while the others in the swarm were taking turns biting dime-sized chunks out of his flesh and rummaging through his clothes for anything small enough for them to take, or shiny enough to be of interest.

The sound of the gnome’s screams as he hit the ground rolling were muddled by the cacophony of flapping wings and sinister laughter. And just like that, as quickly as the attack had begun, it subsided with the pixies scattering in different directions, their insidious chittering fading in the distance. It didn’t look like they managed to grab much off of the gnome other than his cap, which the one that attacked his face slunk off with back down the alley. The gnome rolled onto his back groaning in pain. “Vicious b****ds.” He grumbled, clenching his nose.

As satisfying as it was to see the foul-tempered shrimp get what I felt was coming to him. I couldn’t in good conscience leave him out here in the state he was in. I made my way back over to him, and as I stood over him, I could see dozens of bloody chunks ripped out of both flesh and clothes alike. “Are you alright?” I asked

“Do I bloody look all right?” He shouted up at me with a glare.

Having enough of the stubborn gnome for one evening, I snapped back. “Look, I’m just trying to be nice. So, you can either accept my help and we can head over to The Kindred Cauldron where my friend works, and she can help patch you up. Or you can lie there being a stubborn old goat and wait for the next swarm of pixies that have a hankering for gnome tonight. Your call.”

He scowled up at me as he pondered my words. “Well don’t just stand there then, lass, help me up.” He said, outstretching his hand towards me. I reached down, wrapping my hand around his wrist and pulling him to his feet. As he got to his feet he began to wobble and looked as though he was about to fall over once more; I was unsure if it was due to blood loss, or the fact that his right leg looked like a side of ground beef with how badly it was mauled. Regardless, I tried to steady him, clasping my free hand on his shoulder.

“I’m fine.” He said, shrugging me off. “Let’s be done with this then.” He said as he began limping across the street towards The Kindred Cauldron; I walked beside him readying myself to catch him in case he fell over. It didn’t take us long to reach The Kindred Cauldron, and as I pushed open the door, I let out a sigh of relief. There were people here at least; thankfully, whatever mysterious malady had struck the city of Black Lake did not seem to be quite so prevalent here. “Camilla.” I announced in a raised voice, drawing the attention of the few patrons present. They glanced over briefly but seemed disinterested in me, or the bloodied gnome as they returned to their own devices. Some were chugging potion out of flagons as if it were water, others simply sat there in a daze as if they were a million miles away.

I helped the gnome towards the pay counter before saying once more. “Camilla, are you back there?” Eyeing the door that sat in the middle of the wall surrounded by shelves stretching to the ceiling, containing what looked like hundreds of vials and containers of potions. Suddenly the door opened, and Camilla emerged; her long golden dreadlocks encased in a series of blue and green beads rattled at her approach. As she undid her messy apron, tossing it on the counter, she revealed her teal tunic top with cold shoulder sleeves laced in a cross pattern.

“Lorelei is that you?” She asked. Her expression was a mixture of both joy and underlined concern. But before I could respond, she reached over the counter and threw her arms around my neck in a forceful embrace, nearly pulling me over the counter. “What are you doing here?” she asked insistently.

“I just came for a visit.” I managed to choke out despite her restricting my airway with her unbridled affections.

“A visit? that’s madness! You shouldn’t be here, my darling, Pup. It’s not safe.” She said, somehow managing to tighten her grip even more.

“My apologies, but—” I paused to gasp for air. “But right now, the only danger I see is the madwoman strangling me.” As I finished, she thankfully relinquished her grip on me. I coughed, rubbing my neck. I could see her gasp, holding her hand over her mouth.

“Oh my, I’m so sorry my dear, it’s just so good to see you. But—” She paused, looking around the room before leaning in closer to me. “It’s not safe for anyone here right now; especially outsiders. I am sorry, but you should go.”

I had known Camilla most of my life; she was a pillar in the lower class of the Black Lake community. She was among the first to settle here with the Red-Krag; she had fought long and hard for the rights of the refugees that settled in Black Lake. It was thanks to her efforts that Black Lake became a thriving city, where the refugees and the Red-Krag could coexist rather than some forced labor camp. In short, she had seen the best, and more importantly, the worst Black Lake and the Red-Krag had to offer. And for her to be this shook up over whatever the hell was going on; it was unnerving, to say the least.

“What’s going on here, Camilla? Where is everybody? And...” I was cut off by a tugging on the sleeve of my jacket. Looking down, I am reminded of one teensy detail I had forgotten.

“Excuse me, madam, I hate to break up this heartfelt and enthralling reunion; but if I could trouble ya for a wee moment of yer time.” The gnome interjected with a much more pleasant demeanor than I had become accustomed to.

“Is someone with you, Lorelei?” Camilla said as she peered over the counter to see the bloodied gnome. Her eyes widened at the sight of the battered gnome standing at my side with blood dripping down his leg. “Oh, my goodness!” She exclaimed. “Are you all right, sir?” She said innocently enough.

“Oh no. Here we go again.” I thought to myself, knowing exactly where that question would lead from experience.

“Oh, I’m just bloody dandy! What gave it away? Was it the gimpy leg or the fact I look like I had meself a merry ole roll through a bushel of cherries, ya git!” Camilla snapped back upright at his sudden outburst.

“Goodness, spirited little fellow, isn’t he?” She said, looking at me. I exchanged a knowing look with her before looking back down at him.

“He was attacked by some pixies. I figured you could probably help patch him up and maybe give him something for the pain.” I responded.

“Of course, I’d be—” But before she could finish, the gnome interrupted her.

“You left out the part where it was yer fault I was attacked by the wee blighters.”

“My Fault? I tried to warn you about them!” I snapped.

“If you hadn’t run me over with yer fat arse I’d still be on me way home happy as a clam!” I growled at the insufferable half-pint. But just as I was debating whether to punt him halfway across the room. Camilla cleared her throat before she placed her hand on my shoulder.

“Now, now, Lorelei; this man is hurt and appears to have lost a lot of blood. He is, obviously, not in his right mind.” I looked back at her as she stepped away from the counter and inspected her shelf of potions. She reached out and grabbed two of the vials and stuffed them in her pockets, making her way out from behind the counter, and knelt in front of the gnome and inspected him.

“What the hell are ya lookin at, woman? You ain’t never seen a gnome mauled by pixies?” he scoffed. Camilla smiled at him with a toothy grin.

“Quite a few since we have implemented measures to cut down their population; they mainly attack smaller targets; children, small animals, gnomes, and the like.” she said as she reached over to turn him slightly to the right so she could better inspect the wounded leg. “They got you good though, must have been pretty hungry.’

“Yeah, tell me something I don’t know!”

“Well, to be honest, I’m sure there are quite a few things I could teach an arrogant blowhard like yourself. But seeing as we need to get you patched up quickly to avoid infection, I’ll keep it simple and start with humility.” As she finished, she let him go and he turned to face her again. “For starters, my good friend here took time out of her night to bring you here so that I could help you; free of charge, I might add. And instead of thanking her, you choose to disrespect her. That’s not very polite. Or smart, seeing as I’m the only one left in Black Lake who will help a downtrodden gnome such as yourself.” He grumbled at hearing that and looked as though he was about to spew more of his bile, but before he could, Camilla, cut him off by raising her hand. “It’s not your turn to speak; I’m still teaching you about humility” She spoke calmly and sincerely. As she reached into her pocket, she withdrew both vials she had grabbed earlier. Displaying one in each hand for him to see.

“Now then, I will help you, but the level of care you will receive depends on you. I have a potion that will dull your pain and quicken the healing process. Alternatively, I have one that will heighten your senses, sight, smell, taste, and yes, even touch, which will magnify the pain you feel. Which potion I administer is up to you; unless you feel like you could guess which potion is the one that will help you.” The gnome had a look of concern at this. As he looked down at both vials of black liquid, each marked with an indecipherable symbol to me. The gnome hovered his hand over each of the vials, grunting as he did. Finally, he lets out a sigh of defeat.

“Fine, I’m sorry for being a t**t all right.” He muttered.

“I’m sorry, what was that? I couldn’t hear you.” I asked with what I imagined was a smug look on my face.

“I said I’m sorry for being a t**t!” He shouted up at me.

“And?” Camilla asked with a smirk.

“And thank you for helping me.” He said as he crossed his arms, scowling at the floor. Camilla giggles before standing back up.

“Good, perhaps you’re not a lost cause after all.” She stated as she made her way back to the other side of the counter. “Aubrie, could you come in here for a moment.” She asked in a raised voice as she placed the two potions back where she retrieved them from. The gnome looked perplexed at this.

“Wait, what about the potion?” He asked.

“Oh no, you don’t want either of those.” She stated matter of factly.

“But you said one of those bloody things would heal me!” he shouted, his temper starting to flare up once more.

“Correction, I said I have a potion that will help you; that doesn’t mean it was one of those you silly ‘git’.” She said, turning to face the counter once more with a grin on her face.

“Then what the hell were those?” he demanded.

“Well, one would have heightened your senses, as I said. And the other would have made you incontinent for about forty-eight hours.” Just as I saw his mouth drop, a female faerie emerged from the same door Camilla had earlier, clasping her hands together at her waist.

“You called for me, my lady?” Camilla turned her head towards her before responding.

“Yes, Aubrie. We have a gnome here in pretty bad shape. Would you be so kind as to take him in the back and begin treating his wounds? I shall be there momentarily to assist you.” Camilla asked.

“Yes, my lady.” Aubrie responded, bowing her head respectfully. She walked to the other side of the counter and gestured towards the door on the far-left side of the counter. "Right this way, sir." He began to limp his way past her, and she followed in tow. Letting out an exacerbated sigh, I leaned my back against the counter.

“I understand how you feel. Gnomes can be stubborn and tiresome creatures, but they mean well.” Camilla said as she made her way from behind the counter. “Even more so at a time like this; they don’t acclimate well to change you see.” She stated as she took her place next to me.

“Speaking of change; I think it’s about time you told me just what in the hell is going on here, Camilla.” I demanded as I looked over at her. She turned her head away from me, reluctant sorrow washed over her face.

“That’s not important right now. You must leave before the Red-Krag finds out you’re here.”

“Camilla, you're smarter than that. You know d**n well I’m not just going to walk away from this.” She sighed.

“I know, you always were the defiant and rebellious sort.” She chuckled to herself as she walked towards one of the vacant tables. “Come on then. We had better make ourselves comfortable.” I followed her to the table, eager to learn more about the peculiar circumstances that seemed to have taken root in the heart of Black Lake.