Read Online A Different Kind of Despair by Nicole Martinsen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Nicole Martinsen
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can't speak with those."
"Not all spirits are powerful enough to
obtain, or retain, intelligence. The few that manage to last over
the course of many years become stronger, however. Some predate
even devils, like myself." Koronos pursed his lips at the thought.
"Ancient and unfathomable -you'd be wise to avoid them."
The tunnels changed again, going from misty
quartz to dark, dark ebony. The walls were rife with effigies of
cowled skeletons and robed figures. Many carried lanterns, guiding
the dead in an eerie procession through the halls.
"Where are we?"
"In the section of Nethermountain belonging to
House Thanos."
"This place is huge -why is it so
empty?"
"Because, little Shaman," said the devil,
lifting two fingers. "Marvin and his mother are its two sole
surviving members."
My eyes widened at him, silently demanding
answers.
The devil sighed.
"Thanos is unique among the
Six Houses. Unlike most necromancers, who are simple scholars,
members of House Thanos are highly trained combatants... once upon
a time," he amended, thinking of Marvin with a wry smirk. "When
certain experiments went awry, they were called in to rectify the
situation."
"You mean there's such a thing as a
necromancer trained to kill undead?"
"It sounds strange at first," he confessed.
"But I'm sure you saw Lichtenstein below. Certain beasts need to be
taken down, or else who knows how much damage they'll
inflict?"
Wooden beams and paneling became prevalent in
the oldest section of the halls. Koronos paused before a door. It
was left ajar, with just enough space for me to pass without
touching its surface. I shimmied my way in and walked up the stairs
beyond.
I found myself in an attic space, with beams
of moonlight filtering onto the floor. A heavy pall of dust looked
like a blanket of snow from the Grey. I wandered towards the back
until I finally saw a figure -an old woman, all skin and bones,
with two startlingly pink eyes.
"Miraj," Koronos started, "it's my pleasure to
introduce you to Lady Diana Galatea."
I furrowed my brow.
"You? You were
the one Marvin was in love with?"
Diana's spirit frowned
deeply. "Koronos said much about you."
The devil disappeared once I turned around,
searching for answers. He was just gone, with no trace of him ever
being there in the first place.
Diana clutched my arms with a strength that
belied her shriveled state.
"You need to leave Nethermountain."
"What?"
She peered at me strangely, narrowing her
eyes. "You're a Shaman. You should be able to sense, through touch,
how old I am."
"Four-hundred-thirty-two
years old," the answer tumbled out of my mouth. My brain caught up
with it seconds later. "Four hundred- ? How is that even
possible?!"
Diana's smile was a grim one.
"I," she said in her tight voice,
"was turned into a living Doll, and I stayed that way for centuries
until Marvin finally broke the curse."
"Is that how he lost his legs?"
"Yes, Miraj. That was how Marvin lost his
legs." She closed her eyes at the memory. "My spirit should have
passed over at that time, but it was bound here, to the coffin in
Nethermountain. At first I thought it was Koronos who was
responsible," Diana admitted. "But that couldn't be. Now that he's
under Marvin's control he shouldn't have any claim to mortal lives
from before."
I walked over to the coffin in question. It
was a simple wooden box, but there was a musty smell I found
vaguely familiar, like rotten eggs. No.
"Brimstone." I turned around. "This coffin was
made by a demon."
"And I know who." Diana looked on me in
earnest. "You have to get Marvin out of Nethermountain, Miraj. He
isn't safe here, especially not now that Mahlah has the
Eyes."
"Wait!" I hissed, waving my hands for her to
slow down. "Mahlah? Eyes?"
"The Eyes of the Leviathan," Diana murmured.
"An artifact of tremendous power. Mahlah is the Crone of Astheneia
-she was the one who made that coffin, Miraj. Mahlah is a
demon."
"Why would a demon want to harm
Marvin?"
"Because that's what
"Not all spirits are powerful enough to
obtain, or retain, intelligence. The few that manage to last over
the course of many years become stronger, however. Some predate
even devils, like myself." Koronos pursed his lips at the thought.
"Ancient and unfathomable -you'd be wise to avoid them."
The tunnels changed again, going from misty
quartz to dark, dark ebony. The walls were rife with effigies of
cowled skeletons and robed figures. Many carried lanterns, guiding
the dead in an eerie procession through the halls.
"Where are we?"
"In the section of Nethermountain belonging to
House Thanos."
"This place is huge -why is it so
empty?"
"Because, little Shaman," said the devil,
lifting two fingers. "Marvin and his mother are its two sole
surviving members."
My eyes widened at him, silently demanding
answers.
The devil sighed.
"Thanos is unique among the
Six Houses. Unlike most necromancers, who are simple scholars,
members of House Thanos are highly trained combatants... once upon
a time," he amended, thinking of Marvin with a wry smirk. "When
certain experiments went awry, they were called in to rectify the
situation."
"You mean there's such a thing as a
necromancer trained to kill undead?"
"It sounds strange at first," he confessed.
"But I'm sure you saw Lichtenstein below. Certain beasts need to be
taken down, or else who knows how much damage they'll
inflict?"
Wooden beams and paneling became prevalent in
the oldest section of the halls. Koronos paused before a door. It
was left ajar, with just enough space for me to pass without
touching its surface. I shimmied my way in and walked up the stairs
beyond.
I found myself in an attic space, with beams
of moonlight filtering onto the floor. A heavy pall of dust looked
like a blanket of snow from the Grey. I wandered towards the back
until I finally saw a figure -an old woman, all skin and bones,
with two startlingly pink eyes.
"Miraj," Koronos started, "it's my pleasure to
introduce you to Lady Diana Galatea."
I furrowed my brow.
"You? You were
the one Marvin was in love with?"
Diana's spirit frowned
deeply. "Koronos said much about you."
The devil disappeared once I turned around,
searching for answers. He was just gone, with no trace of him ever
being there in the first place.
Diana clutched my arms with a strength that
belied her shriveled state.
"You need to leave Nethermountain."
"What?"
She peered at me strangely, narrowing her
eyes. "You're a Shaman. You should be able to sense, through touch,
how old I am."
"Four-hundred-thirty-two
years old," the answer tumbled out of my mouth. My brain caught up
with it seconds later. "Four hundred- ? How is that even
possible?!"
Diana's smile was a grim one.
"I," she said in her tight voice,
"was turned into a living Doll, and I stayed that way for centuries
until Marvin finally broke the curse."
"Is that how he lost his legs?"
"Yes, Miraj. That was how Marvin lost his
legs." She closed her eyes at the memory. "My spirit should have
passed over at that time, but it was bound here, to the coffin in
Nethermountain. At first I thought it was Koronos who was
responsible," Diana admitted. "But that couldn't be. Now that he's
under Marvin's control he shouldn't have any claim to mortal lives
from before."
I walked over to the coffin in question. It
was a simple wooden box, but there was a musty smell I found
vaguely familiar, like rotten eggs. No.
"Brimstone." I turned around. "This coffin was
made by a demon."
"And I know who." Diana looked on me in
earnest. "You have to get Marvin out of Nethermountain, Miraj. He
isn't safe here, especially not now that Mahlah has the
Eyes."
"Wait!" I hissed, waving my hands for her to
slow down. "Mahlah? Eyes?"
"The Eyes of the Leviathan," Diana murmured.
"An artifact of tremendous power. Mahlah is the Crone of Astheneia
-she was the one who made that coffin, Miraj. Mahlah is a
demon."
"Why would a demon want to harm
Marvin?"
"Because that's what
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