HADAGERY, Book of Elysium

Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Harbinger.

Hadge gasped for air, as if death were knocking at his door. He sat bolt upright in his room beneath Grendlocke Cemetery, trying to focus out of the melee of darkness. Still he felt trapped somewhere between realities, between the light and the dark worlds. All throughout his waking ordeal haunting words rang over and over in his head, the murmurs of a dead man, “The book…. The book… The book….”

At last the murky trappings evaporated into the corners of his unkempt room. In that same instance he envisioned seeing the frozen face of a reaver staring back at him, from just beyond the connecting passageway. He gasped out of surprise, however not a sound had passed his lips. Then the dark figure glided silently passed his chamber door. Its filthy robes rippling as it stirred, descending into the depths of the caverns, and it was gone.

“No…” He excitedly exhaled. His head fell into his hands, still disoriented by the soama. Replaying the recent nightmares in his head, almost positive he’d somehow transferred the dream-like image of the reaver from Old Harrier Road, and replicated it into the doorway. Reminding himself of the fact, “Reavers don’t come to the Cemetery.”

Slow and painfully he arose, ambling warily to the entrance. Attempting to put this subject to rest once and for all. As he took that heart-stopping step into the murky walkway, feeling the unusual powdery dirt beneath his feet, just as something touched his face. He grabbed his small dagger from his belt, defensively extending it out in front of him. At once his eyes rested on the stray tree roots dangling through the cracks in the rocks, like black gossamer threads, every single one eerily moving from an unknown source. Soundly berating his foolishness, “You idiot.” Feeling relatively stupid, “I’m the reason the roots are moving.”

Quickly he scanned the devious walkway, discovering absolutely nothing. Bitterly thinking, “Imagine that.” As those irritated words resounded throughout the cavity of his skull, tormenting and twisting into something so unexpectedly familiar. “The book…” The lasting sound still ringing from his haunted memory, “The book…” Uttered the poor guy from the Old Harrier Road. He recalled the girl thinking the book was important, and he too had now come to believe the book was the answer to everything that has happened. Hearing the warring voices argue in his head, “That is.” He questioned, “If its real.” The last place the book was known to have been was in the city, and the city happened to be a very dangerous place. He hated to take a trip for something that may not even exist.

Hadge stepped back into his homely room. Everything remained in its place, clothes and books left where they’d landed. Uwee still asleep on his handmade bed, which he’d made from all sorts of scavenged items. Remembering how terrifyingly it was that they had barely escaped the deadly spiders. All thanks to the girl that spread those mushrooms across the ridge, or they wouldn’t be alive right now. It was curious how she’d even known to scatter the mushrooms in the first place. Finally clarity dawned upon his set mind, “Its all true.” As his demeanor turned stony and complacent, and his emphatic words were no more than air, “I need that book!” Deciding on the spot, “I have to go to Harbinger now. While Uwee is still out cold.”

Without a second thought he grabbed his small Novena military rucksack. It had already been packed for the previous expedition to Mount Ennead, and had everything he would need for this latest danger filled trip. Starting to feel intensely worried, knowing that Harbinger is full of monstrous creatures, and the dangers on this jaunt far outweighed what occurred on the mountain. He eyed Uwee the entire way out of the room, since he couldn’t risk having that grubb following him this time.