Chapter Twenty-One: Like a Sock Full of Jingle Bells

I must have been stupid not to think of it before- stupid, or honestly a bit intimidated. Where would one go for information? The library. And what about when the library doesn’t have what you’re looking for? Quite simply- you go to a bigger library. And in Muortum, there is no bigger accumulation of tomes and scrolls and translative texts than the Grand Labyrinth. The unfortunate thing about the Grand Labyrinth….One- it’s dangerous (What isn’t nowadays?), and Two….well, Two is a bit of a doozy (gosh, ‘doozy’- am I even talking like Megan now…?)...Two is that the enchanted catacombs that contain every single thing ever published or written, are located beneath the Throat of the World….which is to say, beneath the palace where Lord Death has lived in solitude for many years now- shunning any sort of contact with the outside world. I don’t exactly know how he would respond to someone just popping in to use his library, but...do I really have any other choice? I’m sure he would allow me to use the Labyrinth if he knew it could save his realm and the mortal world below- after all, all of these demons are awfully suspicious....and lethal. Definitely lethal and troublesome for us.

I’ve heard rumors that Lord Death will kill anyone who dares interrupt his solitude and stand on his doorstep- but even if that is true, I would rather die than do nothing and continue to have these pesky demons show up all over the place- because eventually they will become overwhelming. Too overwhelming for the lessening number of Slayers, even with the Hunter Initiative going on right now. I once again convince myself of the necessity of this self-decided mission as I tuck a roll of yarn into my satchel.

“What are you doing…?” Kurai asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Visiting the Grand Labyrinth.” The air in the room grows still.

“Are you stupid or something?” His tone is positively incredulous.

“Stupid? No. Desperate? Absolutely.” I huff a lock of hair out of my good eye and look at him. “Well, Princess, are you coming or not?” I snap as I stride towards the door.

“You are...You’re crazy!” He sputters, but I notice he follows me anyway.

“Good dog.” I smirk as we walk briskly towards the long since overgrown path to the Throat of the World. The iron gate squeals loudly and stirs up a reliquit man that had been hiding in the bushes nearby, he starts screaming some nonsense about the ‘End of Times’, but we ignore him.

It takes a bit of effort to climb the levitating path stones, in all honesty. The circular grey stones are spaced over a foot apart from one another and each is six inches higher than the last, forming a very hazardous staircase up towards the sky, especially considering there is not a hint of railing to be found. Once we reach higher and higher altitudes, the stones start to get slippery. I almost consider turning back, but I grit my teeth and wipe the thought away. I have to remember that if everything I did was only ever because I wanted to do it and it would only benefit me, I wouldn’t have done a lot of things. Like taking on Kurai, or becoming friends with Megan, or even saving Winnie and those other kids. If it meant a bit of discomfort and possibly feeling like I would plummet to my death at any second- I would do it. After all, if the whole world turns into a monster- I would sort of be out of a job, wouldn’t I? So that’s what I’ll do. I’ll stop the whole world from turning into a monster, even if it means sacrificing this broken body, and sinful soul of mine, to do it.

“This is getting a bit...hard…” Kurai pants.

“Just a bit further- come on, this is important.” Then the nagging thought hits me- If the whole world turns into a monster, wouldn’t it be just like me at heart…? Wouldn’t that be better than this, than feeling like the ‘Frigid b*tch’ and ‘Ice Queen’ because people just don’t get it…?

“I can see it.” Kurai’s voice snaps me out of it this time. Up ahead we can see the silhouette of a drifting castle through the hazy mist of the clouds, it is still in the distance- but it is more than enough incentive to pick up the pace.

“Hurry up!” I call after, turning around and snatching his hand before he can slip off of the stone he barely caught, tripping oh so predictably.

“Th-Thanks…” He says breathlessly.

“No problem. But just for future reference- step higher, and jump further.” I pat his hand once before returning it to him and bounding up the steps, an incredible feeling of vertigo setting in. I don’t like these stepping stones- but I get the sense I will find something very important within the walls of the castle it leads to. That is, of course, if we weren’t killed on the doorstep. Speaking of doorsteps, with our new pace- we reach it remarkably fast.

“I command you to knock.” I nod towards Kurai, taking in the appearance of the looming double doors easily six times my height (in eight inch heels), with a huge knocker in the shape of a grim gargoyle head bolted to each one.

“You command me to? What makes you think I want to be the one to die?! It should be you! Technically you’re one of his soldiers! He would at least think twice about vaporizing you!”

“You’re such a pansy...I don’t know how Marianne finds you attractive…” But of course I really did, it was his unsettling wolf-like grey eyes, his messy dark hair, his rippling muscles and the soft curve of his lip. It was everything about him. Really I wanted him to knock so that maybe he wouldn’t see the terrible shaking in my hands. After all, the man I had admired and devoted my life to so long ago...he was right behind that door. Supposedly. I quickly reach out and lift the knocker, slamming it down hard two times. You can hear the loud sound resound through the vacant halls behind the large doors- but that isn’t what shocked Kurai and I, not at all.

“Oi! You lot can never leave well enough alone, can ye?! Get outta ‘ere!” The gargoyle head on the knocker opens its eyes and starts yelling at us. We both leap back and, rather embarrassingly, clutch at each other’s arms from the surprise. I mean- we had been prepared for anything- a vengeful death god, evil hounds sicked on us, poisonous gas, tranquilizer darts and other traps, even psychological warfare- but somehow everything didn’t include...this. This was definitely not included in the “anything” we had prepared for. I indiscreetly wipe the hand that had touched the knocker on Kurai’s back, as though I had touched something filthy. He notices, of course, but he’s a bit too distracted by the talking doorknocker to care at this point.

“Who are you…?” Kurai asks, shooting me a dirty look for wiping my hand on him. I just shrug.

“Whatzittooyah?! Gersh, ye got me head ringin’ like a sock full o’ jingle bells! What have ye got tah say fer yerself, Missy!” Apparently the thing is talking to me.

“I’m...sorry?” My brow furrows- does one usually apologize to a door knocker for using it to, I don’t know, knock on a door?

“Dern right ye are! Now git, you louzy young’uns! Befores I call the master to come and deal with ye hisself! He don’t like no trespassers!”

“There isn’t any need for that. I’m a Slayer, you see- I am here to use the Grand Labyrinth. I assure you it is of the utmost importance-” I try to speak civilly to the, uh...doorknocker.

“And?! Git in line girlie! Aint nobody here cares if ye a hunter, or a Slayer, or a freakin’ ballerina! Or what you’re here fer! If you wants tah come in ‘ere usin’ that logic- I may as well be a freakin’ fairy princess! Yah see any wand here?! Well?! Do yahs?!”

“No?!” I am starting to get very annoyed with this rude stone head. I scowl and take a few steps closer. “Now you listen here, idiot. You’re going to let us in here right now- because if you don’t, I’m going to rip you right off your mount and pound you with a mallet until you turn into the finest dust the world has ever-”

“What my partner here means to say is that she is deeply sorry for disturbing your rest.” Kurai interrupts, I shoot him such an angry glare it could make hellfire look cold. No, that is not at all what I meant. If I meant that I definitely would have said it in the first place! I did not come all the way up those steps to be thwarted by an infuriating doorknocker!!

“I apologize. She can be very abrasive at times. And she’s frightened-” I fail to see what Kurai is attempting to pull off here. “You see, she’s been fighting an awful lot of demons lately. And, well, you know Slayers- they always get so paranoid. It’s gotten so bad she can’t even sleep at night. We wanted to visit the Labyrinth to prove that it’s all just coincidence, that nothing strange is going on whatsoever. Surely you can understand? And take pity on me for having to deal with this behavior all the time- ever since her sleeping has become erratic.” Surely enough, the gargoyle is bobbing his head in agreement to Kurai’s argument.

“I do feel sorry for yeh- kiddo. But I can’t permit ye to- Hang on a gosh dern minute. Yer that girl from the graveyard- aren’t ye?” The gargoyle opens his eyes a bit wider.

“What?”

“Yeh! Yeh ye are! The one who saved all dem kiddos from that doctor in dat little town! Yeh Yeh! That was ye!”

“How do you know about that…?” I ask cautiously.

“My cousin, Willie, lives in dat graveyard! He saw ye! Told me bout some one-eyed gal who took down tree demons single handed-”

“It wasn’t single handed…”

“I can see why yeh would be paranoid, and I wish I could help the two of yeh but...Boss’s orders are strict. Dun’t let nobody inside. No matter whats. Besides, he be sleepin’. Wouldn’t want two young’uns wanderin’ ‘round in dere while the boss sleeps.”

“What if we were very quiet? Please good sir, I beg of you. We won’t wake the Lord, and we’ll be very respectful of everything inside.” Kurai prods.

“Welllllll…..” The gargoyle seems very conflicted. “Hmmm…..I guess…..An hour. Yeh twos gots an hour. If ye can’t find what yer lookin’ fer by den, yer outta luck. Now dun’t yeh get lost in dere or look at anythins you ain't s’posed to. My brothers an’ sisters can ‘elp lead yeh to the Labyrinth entrance, but once yeh get there- Yous on yer own.”

“Thank you so much.” Kurai says, the gargoyle closes his eyes and goes stony again as we hear a series of clicks from within the door. It creaks open softly, and stale dusty air sweeps over the two of us.

“Woah….”

“Yeah….woah...woah most definitely fits this situation…” I blink rapidly a few times, as though the scene will disappear in an instant.

Reviews

[EmaleighLynn]

AAAAAHHHHHHH NEXT CHAPTER I DEMAND IT.

I'm really excited for this book. Have you realized that? So excited. Aura is fabulous, Kurai is amazing, and the effing gargoyle is awesome. Go forth, my friend, and writeth more.