It was just after sundown when the party was ready for dinner in the club car. The rift between Eason and Percilla was widening; Percilla was now on Marcelle’s arm for dinner, and she made pains to make the conversation as lively as she could. Eason was silent, and brooding. Gunther noticed it, as well as any, and spoke to Eason privately, while Percilla flirted with Marcelle.
“Eason”, Gunther said, “I understand part of what has happened with you and Percilla, but not all. I don’t ask to know – it’s between you two. But I must ask this: can you tell me, that you will not allow this to come between you and the expedition’s purpose?”
“I shall only do my best, and you know that’s the truth”, Eason replied.
“That will have to do,” Gunther said. “I need for you to patrol this car, and the car just behind ours. Marcelle shall head to the rear of the train; Contessa and I shall move forward. Be mindful of Percilla’s location – much might depend on it.” I had no chance to ask about this cryptic order, as Gunther had already moved off, taking Contessa by the arm, a look of confusion on her face, Gunther speaking low and quickly to her as they walked to the front of the car, and through the door.
Eason, resignedly, calmed himself and opened his eyes to the Sight, that new power that all of the Order of the Dragon seemed to possess. Quickly, to his other eye, he picked out the knights on board the train. A light to the rear was surely Marcelle; himself and Percilla in this car, Percilla’s radiance apparent; two lights moving forward were Contessa and Gunther; and three other lights were the knights from Budapest, of whom Gunther had mentioned. All else seemed…
…there, in the baggage car. Darkness, motionless, hidden but seeming to wait, a familiar darkness seen before – in Bern…
Fear rose in Eason’s throat as he cleared his eyes and bolted to the compartment door, to find Percilla opening it and standing in the doorway. Her eyes, at meeting Eason’s, were wide with dread. Surely…
“Cilla”, Eason gasped, “did you see?”
“Yes”, she said shakily, “but where are the others, weren’t they with you?”
“They went forward and to the rear”, Eason said, “It’s just us here!” The full meaning of his words sank in, and both their hearts began to quake, a sick feeling filling Eason’s stomach, the feeling of fear.
“Eason”, Percilla said, her voice shaking, “They’ve gotten on the train somehow. They got past Gunther – what are we going to do?”
Eason thought in a flash, “We stay right here. Gunther told me to be aware of where you are, and I’m here. We stay together until they return – Marcelle is closest, he’s just behind.”
Percilla, pulling on Eason’s arm, drew back into the compartment. As Eason closed the door, Percilla said, “Eason, I can’t defend myself, my shield is so weak. If They come through that door, I can’t stop them!”
“If it happens that They do”, Eason said, thinking quickly, “then They’re only coming one at a time. Maybe our shields together can bar the door. And your Sight is better than mine, so we can find Them, and learn if They’re coming or not.”
“True,” Percilla said, “and maybe we can hold Them off until Gunther and the others return, but when will that be? Surely they know? How could they not?”
“What if we warn them?” Eason said. “Yes! You can travel, can’t you? Find Gunther and the others, and warn them, somehow!”
“But, Eason, I can’t! I can only see and hear – I can’t touch anything, and how can I communicate to them?” Percilla said in a rising panic.
“You have to try, Cilla, you must!” Eason said. “Now, one thing at a time, dearest. First, use your Sight, and locate everyone.”
Percilla took a few gulping breaths to try and steady herself, and managed to See her surroundings. And she reported to Eason, “Right, there’s Marcelle, he’s just standing there in the car behind us, near the door. He could be watching the corridor. I’m looking ahead to the engine, and I see the three Budapest knights – and there’s two with them, that’s Gunther and Contessa, surely, they’re talking – no, now they’re moving, they’re coming back to the sleeper cars, they’re headed this way. We may not have to warn them, Eason, they’re on their way back –“
“What if they don’t know? Cilla, they may be walking into an ambush! We have to try and make them see. Can you travel to them, maybe the Inner Court can see you?”
But Percilla was already trying to clear her mind and begin the draining effort that was traveling. She slowly strode forward, the light slightly dimming, as she was now familiar that this was the mark of whenever a knight of the Order was traveling, and the conscious characteristic of the power. Her perspective changed, and she was moving swiftly up the passageway to the forward parts of the train. She passed through the doors as easily as a ghost, seeing into compartments as she went, other passengers totally oblivious to her presence, looking side to side as she entered the next car and –
- came face to face with a pair of darkened eyes and a slack-jawed blank face staring back at her blocking the passageway and raising two stiff arms to embrace her and she heard a voice scream in the silence as…
Eason was holding her by the arms as Percilla came to, the scream cut off abruptly.
“Eason – They know I’m here!” Percilla cried. “One of Them saw me, and reached out to grab me!”
“Where, darling, where is It?” Eason said.
Percilla struggled to think through her terror. “Two -, no, three cars up, I think – no, only two… oh, Eason, I can’t think, I’m so scared!” Percilla collapsed into Eason’s arms, quaking from the sight of the Enemy so near once again.
But Eason seemed to have become a pillar. Hard and cold, he looked down at Percilla’s wide eyes. “You’re certain, that it was ahead of us?”
“Yes”, Percilla said, “but that means They’re between us and Gunther – Eason, where are you going!!!”
For without another word, Eason opened the door, and plunged into the passageway, walking steadily forward, glancing in each compartment as he passed, moving toward the front of the car, and as he was feet from the door, it opened and into the passageway stepped the now familiar form of a revenant – not a child, but a young man of early twenties, or was, before the mysterious Thing that now inhabited the body entered in.
Eason acted without thought, thrusting both his hands together, summoning power from his heart like Gunther had instructed. The result was immediate. The blue light of the shield formed between his hands, and spread with his spreading hands, into a round azure disk before him. The revenant hesitated at the sight of the shield, but slowly pressed forward, touching the shield, Its hands bare inches from Eason’s – but It could come no closer. A silent wrestling match began, the revenant shoving forward, Eason shoving back, back and forth the two combatants pressed upon each other.
Percilla was fighting her own battle, with the horror that the revenant doused her spirit in. Struggling through the panic, Percilla calmed herself enough to regain the Sight, and looked all about her – the blue and black forms of Eason and the revenant close by, and behind her…
“Hold fast, Eason, I’m with you!” Marcelle cried as he slid past Percilla, moving quickly to join Eason in the struggle. Marcelle slowed though, seeing that Eason had the revenant absolutely blocked by his superior shield. Eason was simply holding his hands against It, and It could not move at all.
“Eason”, Marcelle said, “you hardly need me at all, look at you, mon ami! Amazing, one Outer Court night against the Enemy!”
At that moment, through the door behind the Thing burst Gunther, Contessa and the other knights. Gunther pulled up short, seeing the duel between Eason and the revenant. But Contessa slipped past him in the narrow passageway, her empty hands suddenly bearing two shining daggers in her clenched fists. Almost faster than the eye could follow, Contessa whirled both daggers in her hands, inverting them to pointing down, and raising both above her, plunged both daggers into the revenant’s shoulders, burying them to the hilts. The revenant stiffened, then collapsed to the floor in a lifeless heap. Contessa again twirled the daggers in her hands, the points now up, examining both blades – no blood dripped from either dagger.
For the first time since meeting him, Eason and Percilla saw an expression of shock on Gunther’s face. “How did you do that!” he said to Contessa. “No weapon can harm a revenant, much less kill one!”
“Until now”, Contessa said, brandishing the daggers. “These knives are silver, and tempered in holy water as they were forged. Elder Vespici commissioned them a year ago, and I was only just given them for this expedition. It’s never been tried, but I have now proven their worth in combat. We have a new weapon, Sir Gunther!” she said with a gleam of triumph in her eye.
The triumph was short-lived, and ended with Percilla’s renewed terror.
“My God, They’re coming. There are more of them!”
All in hearing turned their eyes inward, and the Sight revealed the truth: in addition to the eight bright souls of the Order of the Dragon in the car, there were three spots of darkness, new and threatening, in the cars in front of and behind them. The knights were now surrounded.
Exciting stuff Sarge. Thanks.
WOW!! You keep me on the edge of my seat.
Gave me chills.....!
“WHAT!” the company gasped in reply to Gunther’s sudden announcement.
”We have to get off this train – now,” he said. “There were four revenants aboard, we’ve dispatched one, and three more coming. Whoever of the Enemy is creating them is on this train, and They know we’re here. They’re risking discovery, creating more than one revenant. They won’t stop until we’re dead, or They run out of passengers to create revenants. The best way to stop Them is to get off the train.”
“Where can we get off, we’re far from the next stop on the line –“ said Eason.
“We can get off the train at any place,” said one of the other knights, Sir Marcus of Budapest. “The train will be reaching a steep grade, and will slow down. We can safely jump the train, but we must move quickly. Everyone, back to your compartments, and gather your bags!”
In a nearly blind panic, Eason and Percilla rushed back to the compartments and began hurriedly jamming items in their luggage. Contessa was packed first, and stood watch in the passageway while Marcelle again bolted to the rear of the train. Gunther, Marcus and the others were seeing to what defenses they could contrive.
A cry from Marcelle sent the knights rushing back to the rear of the car. Gunther sprinted past the doorway, a determined look in his eye. Contessa stayed at her post, but kept glancing back to see what was happening. Eason stepped out to join here in the passage.
”Isn’t anyone watching the front of the car?” Eason asked aloud.
“Marcus and one of his are up there,” Contessa said. “The rest are clearing the back car. That is where we will have to make our escape. We’re just a rear-guard, to delay the Enemy further. I saw only one revenant to our rear, but two others that way,” she said, nodding to the front of the car. Are you ready, Eason? And what of Percilla?”
“I’m here,” Percilla said, carrying only one of her bags in one hand. “I fear I’ve packed too much anyway, so I’ll travel with just these essentials.”
“I’m set, as well”, Eason said, his bag slung over one shoulder, similar to Contessa’s.
“Very good, you two,” Contessa said. “All needs doing, is to wait for the signal from Gunther to leave –” But Contessa was cut short by a hideous scream from the front of the car. Around the corner of the passageway came Marcus supporting the other Budapest knight, but something had gone horribly wrong. The other knight was cradling his left arm, but it was shriveled and blackened, as if it was rotting off his body as he spoke. Marcus was shouting.
“The Enemy is upon us! A revenant got a grip on Augustus! We’ve got to get off NOW!”
Percilla was struck dumb with revulsion and horror. This was the damage the revenants might cause, if they came in contact with living flesh. She was frozen in place, but then squeezed herself back against the bulkhead, not wanting to touch the knight, Augustus, as Marcus helped him past her. Eason also looked in fear at the terrible damage the revenant had caused, and his voiced shook as he turned to Contessa.
“It’s up to us, isn’t it?” Eason said. “You and I will have to block the passage. They can’t pass through my shield, and your knives can destroy them! We’ll work together!”
Contessa noted the steel behind Eason’s shaking voice, and nodded once. “Percilla”, she said, “stay behind both of us, and watch behind us for Gunther. Warn us if he signals.” But Percilla could only gasp in fear as she pointed back up the passageway.
Around the corner slowly shuffled one of the revenants: a woman, or once was, a shambling thing with both arms out in front, as if feeling its way down the passage. The black empty holes that were once eyes stared ahead, seeing nothing and all. The mouth opened and closed, as it pressed closer.
Eason at once re-formed his shield, and interposed himself in the passage, blocking the revenant’s advance. Once again, the thing could not pass through the shield, and was stopped in its approach. Contessa was, this time, behind Eason on the wrong side of the shield, and could not attack the thing. Thinking quickly, she grabbed Eason’s shoulders, and steered him and the shield to one side, sliding along the windows and forcing the revenant into an empty compartment. A hard shove forward knocked the thing off balance, and it fell backwards onto one of the seats.
“Eason, MOVE!” Contessa shouted. Eason obeyed, backing out of the compartment, and stepping to one side. Contessa charged the doorway, both her silver knives in her hands, and lunged at the revenant as it was attempting to regain its feet. The knives struck true, one in its chest, the other in the shoulder, and the revenant collapsed at Contessa’s feet.
Eason, meanwhile, turned his attention back up the passage, watching for the next attack. Risking a glance over his shoulder, he noted Contessa sheathing her knives, but where was Percilla?
“Percilla? Cilla, where are you!” Eason called. “Contessa, where is she?”
“She must be headed for the rear of the train,” Contessa said. “And that’s where we should be. Let’s move slowly back.” And Eason walked backwards, step by step, back down the passage. Eason gave one last glance in the compartment where they were, and saw Marcus and Augustus on one bench seat, Percilla gazing in frozen shock at the terrible injury from the Enemy, muttering, “What did it do to him?”
“A revenant is a creature that draws life away from its victims,” Marcus said, “and adds it to its own. That’s why it’s important to either get away from them, or destroy them, and quickly. It leaches out life from whatever it touches. Augustus broke away, but not quick enough.”
“I will be… well, Dame Percilla,” Augustus rasped, “but I fear… I will lose the use of my arm…”
Percilla saw the stoic bravery of the knights around her, Eason guarding the passage, the others tending to injuries and watching as well. And a subtle change stole over her. All these people, these knights, were trying to protect her, and getting her to some goal accepted on blind faith. The injuries, the fear, were all burdens assumed by others on her behalf. And a burning anger arose in her: she would have no more of it. No one would further suffer on her account. And she would do something about it.
The reverie was broken by Eason’s strangled gasp, “Here comes the other one!”
Contessa was first out the door into the passage, beside Eason once again. The latest attack was the third revenant, but this one was a child of barely into its teens, a young girl not yet a woman – and never would be. The revenant was slowly approaching the party, arms outstretched, dull and blindly stalking them. Eason began again to form his shield, and Contessa’s knives whispered out of their sheaths and into her hands.
Percilla, who had just entered the passageway behind Contessa, saw the approaching danger and began seething in fury, a feral growl in her throat. Contessa heard the sound and turned; what she saw made her eyes wide in wonder. The same blue fire that she had seen in Percilla’s eyes when she traveled was present once more, but it was different than before. This was now a furnace of emotion reflected in those eyes, seething rage colored in blue fire.
Percilla bolted past Contessa and slid past Eason’s side before he had formed the shield properly. The surprise of seeing Percilla moving forward broke Eason’s concentration; the shield sputtered even as it formed. Contessa shouted in fear, and Eason’s face was a mask of horror as Percilla, barehanded, charged the revenant, her hands claws, her face contorted in anger.
The revenant paused in its advance, seeing Percilla with its empty eyes. Its arms reached out, a mockery of an embrace. Percilla reached for the outstretched hands. They made contact.
And a resounding BOOOM! filled the passageway and the car with the smell of ozone and singed flesh. A bolt of azure fury lanced from Percilla at the revenant, guided by Percilla’s arms onto the thing’s own. And for the first time, she heard the revenant make a sound. The revenant gave one long, low moan of pain, and plummeted to the floor, unmistakably destroyed, sparks playing over the face and hands.
Percilla was silent, glaring at what had just happened. Eason stared dumbly at the lifeless form on the floor, and also at Percilla. Contessa, as if waking from a dream, shook her head clear. And from the rear of the car came Gunther, Marcus supporting Augustus, and they beheld the scene in awe.
Contessa looked at Gunther and said simply, “The revenants have been destroyed. That accounts for three. What of the escape?”
Gunther was taking in the scene before him, and deciding quickly, said, “Marcelle and Rudolph are holding the fourth at bay. The passage is clear; we can escape at any time. Marcus, when will we reach the first grade that will allow us to jump?”
“Not for some time,” Marcus said. “We can make our exit off the train with some order-“
“No, we are not…” came a new voice, a powerful, commanding voice, and all turned to see Percilla, her eyes still gleaming with blue flame.
“C-Cilla?” Eason said, carefully, “ Dearest, what has happened to you?”
“We are not leaving this train,” Percilla boomed. “The Enemy that created those monsters is still here, and They will kill innocent people to try and get to me. I will not allow it. We will hunt down and kill the Enemy who is doing this.”
“Dame Percilla, you and all of us are in danger,” Gunther said. “We must get off the train before more attacks come –“
“The purpose of the Order is to do battle against The Enemy, is it not?” Percilla said, her voice rising in power. “We no longer need to run from them – Contessa’s knives can kill them and now, see what I have done! I will not run from them another moment. We have a chance to take the fight to Them, and I will no longer hide. Follow me, if you will!”
Percilla turned and stormed down the passageway, shouldering her way past the others, moving to the rear car. The others pressed to follow, Gunther striding quickly to catch up to Percilla as she stepped into the last car of the train. There, in a storage car stood Marcelle and Rudolph, the third knight from Budapest, holding the fourth revenant cornered by some crates. The thing kept reaching towards them stopped by the blue shield energy that the two knights held before them.
Percilla strode up and stood next to Marcelle, who watched her in amazement. She glared at the revenant, her eyes sparking blue once more, her voice deepened and laden with power.
“Creature! Where is your master!” Percilla addressed the revenant. “Tell me where I may find him!”
The revenant turned its sightless gaze toward Percilla, its head cocked to one side, as if it was listening. Slowly, its arms rose and made as if to move toward Percilla, but could not approach for the shields.
Eason came forward and stood next to Percilla. “Cilla, it can’t talk, there’s no use in interrogating it, they’re mindless!”
Percilla gave one growl, and moving past Marcelle, grabbed the thing’s arms in both her hands, as if to shake it into responding. The blue fire flared and Percilla shouted at the revenant, “Tell me where your Master is!!”
The revenant stiffened at Percilla’s touch, its mouth open and slack, and just like the others, crumpled lifeless to the floor, a marionette with severed strings. Percilla stared at her hands, and punched a nearby crate, cursing. Mastering her rage, she whirled on the others there.
“Right,” she said, “then we shall hunt for it. The Enemy can’t have left the train. We search, and we find, and we kill!”