HADAGERY, Book of Elysium

Chapter 11

Deep within the consuming blackness, he couldn't move, he couldn't speak, as the incredible fear gripped his heart, and the strumming palpitations were the only things functioning in this fragile plane. A steady hum began to vibrate between each palpitation, as the inaudible sound slowly grew louder, until the blustering hum could at last be heard. The rasping, roaring voice of the wind was now making sense, as the gusts collectively formed, and called out his name, Hadge...Hadge recognized his name, but couldn't be sure if he'd even heard a voice at all.

"Carrissa is imprisoned with Lillith." It was a confirmation that there really was a voice, which echoed from somewhere beyond his reach. Hadge in turn tried to speak, however thinking the words were as far as he got, "Who's there?" Uncannily the voice amended a more personal level, calling him by his name, "Hadge."

He desperately wanted to answer them, because it could be one of his friends, until a darker thought came to mind, "The Devil knows my name." The voice felt closer than ever before, as it continued to speak, "You can't save her now." Hadge would not give up on Carrissa, as he wanted so much to scream to the top of his lungs, and the agonizing word buzzed in his head, "Noooooooooooo!" He could only believe the voice was the doctrine of the dark, the insanity into nothingness, with the darkness trying to prevail in the end, but the end will be of his own making.

"Noooooooooooo!" Hadge sat up screaming, as he looked in all directions trying to find the origin of the voice, however there was no sound other than his own voice, and the steady pulsating of the burgeoning city. High and low the shiny blackness that amalgamated all of Xilbalba was erected around him, as the semblance of the alley was now gone, and a strange new enclosure had taken its place.

The ceiling appeared to go on evermore, as landing upon landing stretched as far as the eye could see, amassed with rows of brimming bookshelves, with each landing supported by artfully carved columns, all encased in a circular room.

Then Nibbs crawled from behind a nearby bookshelf. He was rubbing his head, groaning, "What happened?" Reybe trailed close behind, letting out a low growl at something in the room. "I don't...." Hadge started to respond, however faltered when he remembered the tall shadowy figure from the alley.

At once he followed the sound of Reybe's growls, sure something wasn't quite right, as his gaze fell upon an oddly lit column, and he knew someone was in the room with them. He jumped to his feet, with his dagger in hand, forcefully demanding the unknown assailant, "Who are you?"

The menacing figure stood stock still, with its back to them all, a sign who ever it may be, it was not afraid. After several long seconds the cloaked figure slightly moved its head in Hadges direction, titillating the encounter with a question, for a question, "The more important question is who are you?" Hadge didn't want to play games; angrily growling, "Why did you bring us here?" The strange figure scoffed, as if it were apparent, "To save your lives." Reybe grumbled at the idea, "Don't believe him!" Hadge was now even more confused, and simply asked, "Why?"

All of a sudden the shadowy figure turned to face them, man or beast you couldn't tell, since every inch of the figure was covered in a long dark cloak. The creatures tone assertive, "Because." It proclaimed, "I heard you were the Hadge."

Protectively Reybe began to lunge at the figure, still growling, "Demon!" Hadge yelled at the dog to stop, "Reybe!" He ordered, "No!" However Hadge had a creepy feeling there was more to this figure than met the eye, as he moved ever so cautiously around the room in hopes to glimpse what was beneath the cloak, and said, "Tell me about this so called Hadge."

Nibbs abruptly shouted from across the room, which had absolutely nothing to do with what was happening at the time, "I wonder if these are like the picture books you found in Harbinger?" Then he carelessly started to dust one of the ancient books.