Incarno

Chapter 4

It took a while for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. I was in the same room I had gone to sleep. Sigh. "What was that?" I whispered to my self. I could not remember the dream well but some of it still lingered. That felt wrong.

A light blue strip of moonlight entered the room through the gap on the curtains. The music was still playing but now it had changed to the tune of memory, the arc of the lost. A very specific tune I noted. It's beautiful melody reminiscent of the quiet cry of mourning filling the room.

I stood and walked to the door, carefully opening it in the dark so as not to disturb Seman. I turned right on the corridor opposite the stairs towards the door in the end. Not one floorboard creaked on the way. Once I entered the bathroom I turned the lights on.

The stark light contrast surprised me. The bathroom was terribly lit. The light reflecting of every shinning surface and the bathroom seemed to be made only of shiny surfaces. It took my eyes too long to adjust.

After the initial shock was over I headed for the sink, noticing my self on the large mirror next to it. I splashed my face with cold water and looked at my reflection. It was normal. The same as I had last shaped it. What did I expect?

I stood there for I don't know how long. The silence was welcome for now. All I could hear was my breathing.

Once I had relaxed enough, dried my face on the towel and turned off the lights I headed for my room. There I grabbed for Sue's basket. I hadn't checked it yet but I was feeling hungry, and somewhat curious. There had been something about her.

However that curiosity died down when I opened it. Nothing special was inside. At least I had something to eat. I pick one of the sandwiches to take a bite. Shiver. That feeling. Something was wrong.

Slowly I walked to the window peering out on the street. Something moved. Too fast for me to see in the dark. That same dark unease as before settled on me. This wasn't good. I turned to go to Seman's room and by accident tipped the basket spilling what was inside. Not paying mind to it I hurried to his room. Seman was asleep but his breathing was irregular. Before I had taken two steps in his room he was looking at me.

"What's wrong" he asked.

"I don't know Seman but I saw something on the street. Get up I don't like this." I said, noticing for the first time the tune of this room. I could not remember it's name but it wasn't a good sign. Those slow flowing notes turning into higher pitch. Danger.

Seman was already up and looking at me. "I can hear something. Outside. It's ticking." He said and before the words had died we both ran for the stairs.

The explosion made the house shake. The shockwave so strong it hit me like a wall. Flames were already engulfing the lower floor. We couldn't pass there. I pull him with me towards my room. "WE'LL USE THE WINDOW!" I shout, not sure how loud I was over the ringing in my ears. Seman winced at that but he nodded in a hurry. Somehow my room was mostly intact, a few wisps of smoke making their way in there too.

A glimmer caught my eye and before I could think about it I grabbed an orb that had fallen from the basket. I hadn't seen it before.

I pulled the window open and making sure no one was on the street I jumped from the second floor, landing on my feet. Absorbing the impact by rolling I was able to turn on time to see Seman jumping off too. His fall just as erratic as his shouting, but he managed to land without getting hurt.

"Do you have your car keys?" He asks while straightening up.

"Yes I never take them of my pocket." I ask, then pause. "Can you hear any of them?"

"I need to heal my ears wait a second" his face concentrated on nothing for a moment. His erratic demeanour replaced by one of control. "Alright I'll try now."
His eyes widened, mouth fell open. "There's too many..." he whispered as his knees seemed to weaken.

"It's fine Seman, just tell me which direction they are so we know to avoid it." I say trying to make him talk. There was something behind his fear.

He looks up at me "No Drin" voice much calmer than before. A cold calm. I had seen this before, long ago. "You go, find Buna, but I won't come. They dared ruin my house. Destroy decades worth of work. All my instruments lost. They DARED DESTROY LANA'S GIFT." he paused for a moment, gathering himself. "No one is escaping." He almost whispered that.

They were coming. "This is stu.." the look I got from him made me shut up.

"Go Drin, you know I won't die here. I'll come find you and Buna later." And as he finished saying that a dozen lacunae appeared on the street.

Suddenly it felt like cold water was running down my neck. All my hair stood up. There were more. At least twice as many were close enough for me to feel. Seman must have felt it too.

"Promise you'll escape if you think you can't handle all of them." I plead. It was pointless to try and make him stop, no one could convince him now. But he would keep his promise. He gave me a slight nod.
As if on queue the brutes started running. Their bodies quickly morphing into something else. Their movements graceful and wild. Their black coats becoming lighter, thinner, looking like shadows.

The rest of them started drinking their potions. Two of the segacious had arrows, dipping their heads in what looked to be poison.

Suddenly it was eerily quiet. I couldn't hear my own breathing. I couldn't feel my heart beating. Seman had raised one hand.
The tune of death started to play. Long careful whispers coming from everywhere. They filled your head. The brutes faltered.

The earth shook. With the start of the next tune all movement stopped. The tune of terror. The tune of quick high notes flowing in disharmony. The sound freezing you to your core. Seman had raised his other hand.
Quiet.
A single sound roared on the street. A light chuckle. So full of anger I ran. Faster than I ever had in my life.
The brutes were but a few feet away, not moving anymore, they're eyes frantically looking around. The arrows already flying through the air.

Both hands fell.

And as the maestro motions to the orchestra to start, a full symphony of tunes, tunes I will not describe for I will not take the risk, blasted through the street.

I turned around.

Seman stood there, shoulders and body showing pure control and concentration. But his eyes were not calm. There was something worse coming.

He must have protected me, for I saw the twitching figures on the street, bodies bent the wrong ways. I should have run faster. He couldn't use his full force with me around.

I didn't stop to second guess, there were more and I couldn't fight them in my state. All sound stopped again. He must be preparing for a second attack.

A few streets away now I was close to the garage where I had left my car. Thunder roared as I entered it, but there were no clouds.

Lights were already turning on from the houses nearby. People were waking up, wondering what was going on. Soon someone would call the police, but not soon enough to stop Seman. "That idiot" I hiss to my self. "He and his love for Lana, he could remember all his work word for word. But the idiots ruined what was left of her to him.". I just hope he survives. As long as he's alive I'll do whatever I can to save him. I owe it to him. But he needs to survive first.

The engine started and I headed for Bayswater. Hopping Buna was still there, and wondering how the lacunae had found me again.