Underside Chapter 18

Mitch walked with her in silence, weaving in and out of corridors that led deeper inward. He hadn’t ever imagined that his own mind would be quite this deep. The realization sent a chill down his spine. It took them a while, but they came to a set of double doors that stretched upward at least 10 feet. Amy stopped short of the doors and looked back at him.

“According to the book, Nithag is behind this door.” She said as she reached out to open the door. Mitch put a hand on her shoulder.

“What does the book say?”

She looked at him, confused. “What do you mean?”

“About this encounter. I know you read it. What does it say?”

“It says that you and I go toe to toe with Nithag.”

“And?” He asked.

She hesitated. “We lose.”

“According to what’s written, we lose? Does he take us both out?”

She hesitated again before she nodded.

“Then I need you to stay out here.” He said.

She went to protest, but he put his hand up.

“The fates say that we’re both going to be defeated. I know what you’re thinking. You think that if we don’t both fight him, there’s no way that we win.” Mitch studied her face as he spoke. “I am going to take my future, my destiny, into my own hands. This is where I rewrite the book. I’ll handle him.”

She reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. There was a jolt of electricity that seemed to pass between them. Mitch looked into her eyes and she put her arms around him and hugged him. As she did, he couldn’t stop himself from whispering in her ear. “I’m sorry.”

“I know.” She said.

He let her go and turned and walked to the door and put his hand on the side. As he did, he turned and looked back at her, took a deep breath, and then pushed the door open.

As the door opened ahead of him, a musty smell hit him. The air was heavy and damp as the door swung open. He took a step across the threshold and felt something change. The temperature dropped, sending a shiver down his arms as the hair stood up. His eyes adjusted to the room, which was dotted with a dozen small sconce torches at various points throughout the walls. Pillars with bodies chained to all sides were placed around the room. The visual hit him before he heard the wails of those people drift to his ears.

He walked forward, and the door closed behind him, thundering as it shut, making him jump. He walked forward, approaching the center of the room, when a voice boomed out, coming from everywhere all at once.

“Mitchell, I’m glad you’ve come. It took you far longer than I expected.” It said.

“Mitchell?” Mitch asked. “Have we reached a business relationship?” He was trying to keep his voice calm and even. It hadn’t set in on him what he’d done until the door had closed.

“Business, personal. Does it really matter?” Nithag said. His voice was dripping with malice. “I’ve been waiting for this moment.”

Mitch laughed. It helped to push some of those feelings of fear away. “You’ve been waiting? That’s sweet. I didn’t even know this world existed. Now here I am being told that you’ve been waiting for me. I don’t know that I’d be as thrilled about this meeting if I were you.” He tried to maintain a sense of calm in his voice, but he wasn’t sure if it came out that way.

It was Nithag’s turn to laugh. “I admire your bravado. However, I wouldn’t be so sure of myself.”

“Yeah, about that.”

Mitch had made it to the center of the room. He noticed a circle that was drawn around one pillar, one formed by bricks laid end to end like dominoes. The corners touching just enough to form the circle that encompassed the pillar and an eight-foot diameter circle. Mitch stood looking over the design while Nithag stood inside it, looking at him. After a few moments, a smile spread across Nithag’s face.

“What the hell are you doing?” Mitch asked.

“This?” Nithag said. As he did, he spread it arms out to encompass the circle he was standing in.

Mitch sat there with his jaw clinched, waiting.

“This is my power circle.” Nithag said. “Everything that dies in this circle.” He motioned his arms down to a slender body Mitch hadn’t noticed before. It was darker than an ocean night. “Then it becomes one with me. The power rolls into my vessel and I absorb it. It’s one of the many gifts that Master Ganith passed to me.” He laughed. It boomed across the room. As the laugh faded away, Mitch noticed three shadows emerging from various points around the room. They approached him, creating a triangle around him. The fear he’d been feeling settled back in. He knew what was coming, but wasn’t sure what he was going to do.

The three figures moved at Mitch with blinding speed. He tried to react, but before he could the three demons had circled around him. Two of them had grabbed his arms while the third knocked his legs out from under him. He tried to struggle, but couldn’t move. The movement slammed him onto the concrete, knocking the wind out of him. He coughed and then heard footsteps coming toward him.

Mitch struggled against the restraints, occasionally thrashing enough that the demon had to re-tighten their grip. A few moments later, the footsteps stopped next to him. He turned his head sideways and horror gripped him as he realized he was in the center of the circle.

“Mr. Benton, I’ve waited for this day. After what comes next, you will go down in demonic history as the catalyst that changes the world.” Nithag leaned back on his heels and crouched down. From this close, Mitch could smell the rotten eggs and sulfur permeating the air and burning his nostrils. The demon was standing close enough to him that Mitch’s hands stretched out behind it. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a small spark jump between his fingers.

Mitch focused on the spark and realized that the more he did, the faster the sparks jumped between his fingers, as if dancing to a beat that Mitch couldn’t hear. A heartbeat passed before a claw wrapped itself around his throat. As it did, Nithag moved in closer so that he was hovering right over Mitch’s face. For the first time, he saw the features in Nithag’s face. The pale yellow eyes vibrated in and out of focus. When he spoke, Mitch noticed the remnants of what should have been a mouth.

“Mitch, the soul that lies within you will be the sweetest of which we can consume.” He said, then laughed. As the laughter echoed, he inched closer. Mitch felt the grip around his wrist move again. At that moment, he took a chance and adjusted his hands just slightly. When the grips re-tightened, he felt the cold aura of the demons around him. This was the chance he had been looking for.

Nithag opened his mouth as a white light filled the section where the mouth should have been. Mitch felt his energy leaving his body and chose that moment to strike. He slapped his hand down on the demon skin and he yelled, “Ignis!”

The voice that came out wasn’t his own, but he didn’t have time to think about that as a blast of light radiated out of his hand. The cone of fire burst out of his hand and slammed right into the demon, pinning down the one hand. Mitch felt the pressure come off his arm. The other two demons looked over in confusion. There was a small release of Mitch’s legs. He slammed his legs and hit the demon in the chest.

He took a chance and spun his hand toward the second demon. As he did, he shifted his weight, twisting his lower body. He locked eyes with the demon and again threw his hand out and screamed again, “Ignis!”

The fire burst out of his hand again, this time more concentrated on his target. It came out in a line that connected with the demon’s chest. It knocked the demon backward, finally freeing Mitch.

What in the hell just happened? He thought than the demons were on him again. He struggled to get his hand free, slipping it around the demon to his left, and he shouted again. “Ignis!”

This time, the fire cut through the demon’s wrist like a surgical laser. He heard the thump as the body part fell to the concrete. He spun his arm around, putting his hand around the head of the demon on his right. As his hand hit the cold aura, he shouted, “Exorcismus!”

Mitch watched as white light erupted out of the demon’s mouth and two sockets he could assume were eyes. The pressure on his wrist loosened. Mitch spun and saw one of them barreling toward him. It flickered in and out as it sprinted. Mitch didn’t feel it coming as a solid object slammed into the side of his face. The pain was immediate; he reached up and felt a few chunks of skin missing. He drew it back and noticed the blood on his fingers. Another force hit him from behind.

There are too many of them. He thought, trying to assess the situation. Mitch twisted as he hit the ground, rolling to his feet in a motion. Cold wrapped around his head as a demon reached in and wrapped its claws around him. The pressure was excruciating as the demon pushed its claws into the side of his head. The force pushed him down to one knee. He tried to force the pain out, but he couldn’t. The world flickered black in and out as Mitch tried to reach his hand out.

The demon made a miscalculation and stepped too close. Mitch reached out and felt his hand break through the cold aura the demon presented. He twisted his wrist in a motion he didn’t recognize, felt the solid section of the demon, and shouted.

“Exorcismus!”

Light erupted around the room so brightly that Mitch had to shield his eyes. When the light faded, he tried to catch his breath and his heartbeat as they both thundered. The split second it took to gain his breath gave another demon the chance to close in on him. The demon was on top of him, the force knocking him to the floor.

A claw wrapped around his throat and choked him. His arms flailed against the surprise and he attempted to reach out for anything solid. His mind fell back on the training he had and he threw a fist out toward the pressure. The shot made contact through an icy veil. The punch knocked the demon off balance and some of the pressure slipped off his throat. He reached out this time with an open palm and felt his hand land on a solid object. He didn’t hesitate and shouted. “Exorcismus!”

The now familiar light burst out of the demon. His eyes had become accustomed to the bright light, and he watched as the demon disintegrated into nothing. Mitch took a quick breath before rolling over onto his stomach and pushing himself up to his feet. His heart was thundering now more than before, and his chest heaved in and out as Mitch tried to catch his breath. He heard a small, slow clap from behind him that had started to build. He turned to see Nithag clapping in the corner.

“Thank you Mitchell.” Nithag said. “Those soldiers that you killed, you did me a favor. When they died, their power, their very essence, came to me.”

Mitch looked down and noticed other circles around the room. In fact, for the first time, Mitch realized each pillar had these stone circles. They intersected at various points, drawn in such a way to never break them, but join them on borders. It created a labyrinth of lines and Mitch realized what he had done. His look gave it away as Nithag let out a laugh.

“That’s correct Mitchell. This entire room has fed Ganith and myself. We’ve sacrificed countless souls here. You just fed me three more. With their powers now combining with my own, I can feel the changes taking shape.”

The shimmer that Mitch had noticed brightened and illuminated the room. Nithag was fully visible for the first time, and Mitch felt himself shiver. Mitch stood rooted to the spot, watching as the vessel housing Nithag change. It took its original form and grew three feet up turning itself to nine feet tall. Then its shoulders expanded, making it as wide as a doorframe.

Mitch threw his hand out again and shouted, “Ignis!”

The fire shot out of hand and slammed into Nithag, who marched toward Mitch. The force slammed into him, but it didn’t knock him off his feet. In fact, it barely slowed him down at all. Mitch closed his eyes and focused harder on the fire in his hand. It grew stronger, hotter, and brighter, but still Nithag pushed forward.

Mitch took his other hand and shouted, “Glacies!” A blast of ice erupted out of his hand and shot toward Nithag. He moved out of the way as it slammed into the wall.

“Magical power, hmmm.” Nithag mused. “At the very least, I’m glad you can keep this interesting. I always thought that you were just some mere mortal.”

Mitch stood silent, staring at the demon shimmering in front of him. He threw out his left hand, calling forth the fire, then his right, ejecting ice from his palm. As he did, he moved toward Nithag, repeating the spells. The demon bounced back one step at a time effortlessly before sighing. It acted as if Mitch was nothing more than a small nuisance. Mitch watched this growing furious, then an idea hit him. He shouted, “Exorcismus!”

Instead of the white fire coming from his hand, a brilliant blue light burst out. It shot like a missile toward Nithag. This time, the demon rolled to the side. It was a subtle movement. This could be the opening I’m looking for. Mitch thought as he moved forward quick, using the silence of the moment to allow him to advance.

Nithag also sprinted forward, stepping through shadows. Mitch waited before throwing out his hand and feeling it slam into Nithag’s center. It was enough to stall him for just a split second. Befoe Mitch could react, the demon reached up and slammed a fist into Mitch’s stomach, knocking the wind out of him and pushing him to the ground.

Mitch blinked just in time for a solid kick to launch him upward. He flipped backward and landed on his back, and now he stared at the ceiling. His side exploded in a fresh fit of pain as Nithag kicked him in the ribs. He rolled onto his side, but another kick landed right in his stomach again, driving the rest of the air out of him. There was a pressure as a foot came down on his chest.

“Violence is always the human nature, Mitchell.” Nithag said. “I had to learn from the beginning how to handle myself. I know what you know, and more. Remember, I’ve lived in your head for a long time. All of that neat training that you’ve had. It’s bled into my own reflexes. That means that every move that you can think of, I will see it coming.” Nithag dug his heel into Mitch’s chest. He heard a pop, but in the motion he flung his arm up and slammed his palm into where the shin should be on Nithag’s leg. Ignis, He thought, not sure if it would work.

To his surprise, the flame once again shot through its intended target like a surgical laser. There was a moment where Nithag didn’t see what was happening. He lost his balance and Mitch flipped him over by the point of where the ankle used to be. The demon hit the concrete and let out a scream so loud that Mitch was sure that his head was going to explode. Before the scream faded, Mitch froze, one arm in place before aiming at the remaining arm and freezing it in place. Nithag struggled against the ice blocks. Mitch noticed cracks were already forming. He dove forward, wrapping his hands around Nithag’s neck.

“EXORCISMUS!”

There was a brief pause. Mitch was sure the spell didn’t work. Then he watched as the white light erupted through the demons’ eyes, mouth, and now worked its way through various parts of his body. Time seemed to slow down. With each passing second, another portion of the demon’s body seemed to crack away. As it neared his head, Nithag let out one last loud scream before he fell away into a pile of sand. Mitch rolled onto his back. His ribs were on fire, his heart was still thundering against his chest, and his vision was blurry. All this while, he was attempting to catch his breath.

In between the shallow breaths, he heard footsteps approaching. He raised his hand but didn’t have the strength to say or even think a single word. His hand dropped back against the concrete, and his vision faded to black.

Mitch stood there, the light fading down. From behind him, he heard the vehicles coming one after the other, almost in rapid succession. Then they poured in from overtop the hill. The voice carried to him again.

Help Me

This time, the voice wasn’t distorted; it came out clearly. Despite that, Mitch couldn’t place the voice, though he’d heard it before. He rubbed both sides of his temples, trying to think.

“What’s going on? Why does this keep happening to me?”

The wind blew sharply through the trees in answer. An unseen force was back, pushing him outward, trying to get him to push himself toward whatever destination lay ahead. The voice called again.

Help Me

“I don’t know how to help you.” Mitch almost screamed. The remains of his echo carried off as the wind picked up. The smell was much worse this time as it hit his nose. It permeated through everything, including his lips.

The taste of rot stuck to his teeth and seeped down into his tongue. Mitch couldn’t stop himself this time. He turned and threw up in the bushes. In his head, he knew this was another of his nightmares, but he couldn’t stop himself. He emptied the contents of his stomach all over the side of the road.

After a few moments, he leaned up and wiped his face off with his sleeve and the voice called again.

He’s leading you to the moment, a moment, where everything changed.

Mitch felt his body quiver, and he forced down another bout of vomiting before sitting back in the gravel. It took him a full minute before he could calm his body enough to stop the vibrating.

As he sat there, a few more vehicles passed him. When he felt good enough to stand back up, he began walking down the road. As he did, the sirens wailed again. Lights broke over the horizon and Mitch was sure that he was reaching the end of the nightmare again, instead it wasn’t headlights that shone in his face. A slew of blue and red lights greeted this time as ambulances and fire trucks sped past him with sirens wailing into the night. First, they passed him going one direction, and the sounds faded off.

It didn’t take long before the sirens started back up. They started from far off in the distance and as it got closer, the wails of the sirens carried voices with it.

We’re getting closer, help me!

The voice carried on the wind until it dissipated. Mitch watched as the sirens and lights once again disappeared. As they disappeared, the lights peaked over the top of the hill again. The lights were clearer this time. In fact, from where he was, he could see the emblem faintly illuminating in the moonlight. As the lights roared toward him, they caught a sign. Highway 61 It read.

An icy shiver went down his spine and he wanted to scream, but he couldn’t. Before he could do anything, the car was once again swerving toward him, slamming directly into his stomach. He didn’t feel it, though, not this time. The voice was filling his head again.

Help me, it said one more time before everything around him went back to black.

When Mitch woke up, he was laying against a wall. He took a breath and a fresh shot of pain shot through his ribs. He coughed, each time causing an explosion of pain to wash through him.

“Calm down.” A female voice said. Mitch blinked the fog out of his eyes, but the image wouldn’t come into focus.

“Amy?” He asked.

“Who else would it be?” Amy replied.

He laughed, but again his ribs cried out in protest.

“Lay there for a few minutes.” She said. He did as she told him. He felt a warm sensation wash over him. It started in his neck and flowed down his body. The sensation alternated between warm, then icy cold, and back. This went on for some time before Amy spoke again.

“I wasn’t able to heal everything, but I fixed a few of those breaks.”

Mitch laid there with his eyes closed. The cold concrete was under his head. His breathing wasn’t as labored as it had when he’d started himself awake. He let the silence linger for a few moments before speaking up.

“What the hell happened in there?”

He heard her rise and walk away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about?”

“Don’t feed me that line.” Mitch said. “I know you had something to do with whatever happened.”

“Didn’t you intentionally leave me outside so that you could rewrite your own destiny?”

Mitch took a chance to open his eyes. The room spun above him, so he closed them again. “I did, so the real question is, how was I casting spells?”

“Insurance.” she said, her voice flat.

“What did you do?”

“I passed you some of my power, that’s all.”

“I didn’t think magic worked like that?” Mitch asked.

“Usually it doesn’t. We’re in a unique situation here. For starters, we’re in your mind. That alone is enough to throw things into the unknown. It also looks like somehow your mind is situated somewhere in the Underside. That’s two strikes for bizarre circumstances. I didn’t know if it would work, but it was worth a try.”

“Is it all gone now?” He asked.

“I don’t know. It could be. There’s also a chance that the power is now burned into your brain. If that happens, there’s a chance that you could have it permanently.”

Mitch continued to lie there with his eyes closed, racking the thoughts in his head. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Thank you would be a start.” She said. He heard the smile in her voice.

“Thank you.”

Mitch tried again to sit up. He got his body to a sitting position before opening his eyes again. The room spun a little, but settled into place. He blinked a few times to orient himself. When he was sure that he wasn’t going to vomit he looked over at Amy.

“So if it wears off, how long does that take?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. When I got my power, I worked on it and strengthened it. They never went away.

“Is it possible to learn magic?” he asked. He asked.

“Yes, like any muscle, you work on it and it gets stronger. Magic isn’t in everyone, but sometimes if you can learn to manifest it, you’ll be able to use it. Think of it as a superpower that you can improve.”

He laughed. His ribs still hurt, but not as much as before.

“Do you not know much about magic?” She asked him.

He shook his head. “I knew it existed. That’s about as far as my learning had taken me.”

“Well, if you make it out of here, I can help you.”

He looked at her, puzzled.

“Later. For now, you’ve got a few more doors to unlock if you’re going to break the rest of this wall down.” She said, reaching down and helping him to his feet. “Let’s get you back to where you belong.”