Chapter 41: The Catacombs
I was still weak. And I had no remaining cigarettes to dull the effects. My legs shook if I traveled above a walk. But I had to do this. I didn’t have anyone else to do it for me. I needed to get into the catacombs. I needed some physical evidence. I needed something I could use to prove my theory.
I would have preferred to try going down the Wyrdbrunnr again. The well had nearly claimed me many times though. And with nobody to back me up, using the old well again would be suicide. Which meant either the sea entrance or my father’s study. The sea entrance was as dangerous to me in this state as the Wyrdbrunnr. And so, I needed to get back into Castle Octavian. I wasn’t going to renounce Amy, not even now, so I needed another way.
I knew that Castle Octavian would be devoid of nobility. They would be at the wedding ceremony in the family’s church. So, I only had the house staff to manage.
I knocked on the door. Helen answered.
“Lady Ren? What are you doing here? The Baron has ordered us not to let you in.”
“I know. I need to ask you to do that anyway.”
“Why?”
I considered my answer. I could lie. But what lie could I come up with that would be believable or compelling? The truth would be compelling. But would it be believable?
“Helen, something very bad is happening. And I need your help.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that somebody in our house is conspiring with the Hyperboreans. They're planning an invasion. And I need to get into the catacombs to find proof.”
“How do you know?”
“I’ve had visions. I heard the conspirators with my own ears. And I’ve been the subject of three assassination attempts. One involving six men with axes.”
Helen hesitated, “I heard Lady Cecile talking about that attack. But that doesn’t mean you’re telling the truth. But you didn’t renounce Amy when you got caught. I didn’t think you’d be able to resist that pressure.”
“I should have abdicated. Left the family. But I was scared.”
Helen’s eyes widened, “You considered abdicating? You wouldn't have done that before. And you faced down a prince to protect a maid. Why did you protect me?”
“He would have hurt you, or even killed you.”
“That was the only reason? Compassion?”
“That and I hate Wulfric, if I’m honest.”
Helen smiled, “That I understand as well. But I’m sorry, I can’t let you in Lady Ren.”
She paused, and my shoulders slumped
“But I can forget to lock the door.”
And with that she closed the door. I stared at the door dumbfounded. Then I gathered myself and counted to one hundred and then opened it. I beelined for the Gray Room. Entering the smoking room, I saw great aunt Cecile. Sitting on her lap was Quincy.
“Ren kiddo, do you have enough herb cigarettes?
I turned and faced her.
“Shouldn’t you be at the party?”
“I’m not dignifying that farce by attending, kiddo. But my question stands.”
“I’m right out auntie, have been since Uncle Giles kicked me out.”
“Then here, I salvaged these for you. I was planning to have a servant deliver them. But I didn’t know where you were staying yet.”
“Thank you, Auntie, I appreciate it. Given what I’m about to do, you may have saved my life.”
“Do I want to know what you are about to do?”
“There is a war slave trapped in the bottom of the catacombs. I’m going to try and find her and lead her out. I’m also looking for hard evidence to prove the conspiracy.”
“Then let me walk you to the study kiddo. I’ll be your cover.”
Aunt Cecile set Quincy on the ground and led me to the study.
“I’ll wait in the smoking room until you return.”
I stepped into the catacombs. Once inside the catacombs, Aunt Cecile closed the passage behind me. I lit a cigarette and mounted it in my cigarette holder. In the darkness of the catacombs, even the red glow of the lit cigarette provided enough light. I could walk through the tunnels if I went slow. I examined my surroundings and saw a familiar wagging tail at my feet.
“Quincy!” I hissed, “You should have stayed with Auntie Cecile.”
Quincy, for his part, scampered up and pawed at the hem of my dress. He ran a few feet down the tunnel. Then ran back and pawed my dress again. And he turned and scampered back down the tunnel, turning back to look at me.”
“So, you’re coming with me, are you?” I said.
This passage entered straight into Gelliwic. So, I was closer to my goal right off the bat. I had never found the secret passage when playing the game. So, I had no idea how to reach Gelliwic from my father’s office. I wandered back and forth in the dark for forty five minutes with Quincy dancing around me.
I had been wandering in the darkness for so long that I was beginning to think I was never getting out of the catacombs. As I was losing hope, I began slowing down. Finally, I stopped. My cigarette burned out and I slumped to the ground in the darkness. In the gloom, Quincy nosed up to me. He nuzzled my tummy and crawled up onto my lap. I thought he was going to nestle in for a nap, but instead he began sniffing me.
“What is it, Quincy?”
Quincy continued sniffing for a minute longer. And then he hopped off my lap and began sniffing the ground.
“Quincy?” I asked, “Do you smell something? Do you know which way the people went? Can you take me to the people?”
Quincy looked back at me and barked.
I stood up with the aid of my cane. “I hope that’s a yes. Okay boy, show me the way.”
Quincy burst into motion, a little sausage with afterburners. I did my best to keep up with the little dog. But I needn’t have worried. Quincy would range ahead of me, and then hurry back to check on my progress. He led me through the twisting intestinal catacombs, and I lost all sense of direction. Until we passed through an ossuary I recognized. In Moonlight Hearts, the player traveled by selecting locations on a map. I had a vague sense of the maps of Octavo City and Myrddhin City. But I couldn’t find my way around either city using any in-game knowledge. The catacombs were different. The catacombs were navigated in the first person, like a mini game. In-game it was possible to find stat boosting relics in the catacombs, but also possible to waste time and lose story opportunities. Lynn and the Moonlight Hearts online fan community believed that the designers had hid something more significant in the catacombs. The fans believed that the catacombs would not warrant a separate user interface unless there was something important in them. And so Lynn and I had spent hours and hours wandering through the digital catacombs. We went through numerous save files and numerous playthroughs. If the catacombs held some secret, we never found it. But as a result, I knew the catacombs very well. All except the portion connecting to my father’s study. And now that I was in familiar territory, my mood lightened.
Once I had my bearings, I was able to make good progress. Quincy still scampered ahead and checked back with me. But now I knew the route he was using.
After another hour, we found ourselves approaching a well of light in the darkness. As I approached, I could see a lone laborer sorting wooden crates into two separate piles. Quincy growled and I shushed him. The laborer was a large man, six foot two I thought, and bulky with functional muscles. I did not want him seeing me. That meant stealth. I lifted my cane and widened my stance to distribute my weight. I didn’t know how to be stealthy. So, I was going by instinct.
I crept forward, trying to keep crates between myself and the man. I knew the risk increased as I got closer. Of course, my circumstances were not helped by my two-inch kitten heels. I debated removing them. But the ground was a mess of jagged pebbles. And so, I discarded that idea.
I could hear every sound my body made, every click and scrape as I walked. The man stopped and wiped his brow, and then leaned against a pile of crates for a moment. In the silence my footsteps sounded like thunderclaps to my ears. The man called out in a language I didn’t understand. After a minute, he switched English.
“Who’s there?” The man said, “Snorri? Valdi? Who’s walking? And why don’t you have a lantern?”
I stopped walking and waited in the darkness. Quincy hissed a growl in the silence.
“Who is there? There is no humor in this. Stop playing?”
I didn’t move and tried not to breathe.
“There’s no point in hiding, whoever you are. The tunnels aren’t that big, and I know you’re here.”
He lifted his lantern and began to search. I grabbed Quincy and ducked behind a crate and tried to make myself smaller. The man swung the lantern and stalked through the piles of crates. I couldn’t move, he would hear me. But I couldn’t stay still, he would find me.
And then the man stepped around a pile of crates to my left, and the lantern’s light fell across me. The man would turn any second. And he’d see me. So, I set Quincy down. I stood up and used my cane to give me stability. He turned and saw me. His mouth dropped open, and he stared.
“Who are you?”
What did I say? Try to lie? Try to bluff?
“I am Lady Karen Valeria Octavian. This is the estate of my family. The question isn’t who am I? The question is who are you? Because you do not belong here.”
The man stared at me. He shook his head. “That’s a shame. Because I can’t let you leave now. I’ll try not to kill you. Don’t want to get in trouble with the local lords. But yeah, you’re coming with me.”
He stepped forward and grabbed my left wrist, wrenching my cane from my hand. He yanked my wrist and I stumbled towards him. I bounced against his chest and fell to my knees.
He laughed and dropped to his knees putting us eye to eye, “Not a fighter, are you?
“Not in the way you mean.” I answered, “But I’ve already had somebody try to kidnap me once. And I don’t plan to go through that again.”
I raised my cigarette holder and thrust it and the lit cigarette into the man’s left eye. He screamed and reeled backward, releasing my hand. Before he could recover, I dropped my cigarette holder and drew the bodice dagger Fiona had given me. I jammed the dagger’s blade into the man’s throat. He gurgled but started to right himself. I withdrew the dagger and stabbed his throat again. He made uncertain choking sounds. I withdrew and stabbed again. And then stabbed again. I’m not sure when he stopped moving.
But when I finished, he sat on his knees motionless. His head hung from his body, only somewhat connected to the rest of the body now. I immediately lost my lunch. I’d never killed somebody before. I’d never seen anyone die in so much pain. I felt dizzy. I tried to stand up but found that too much. I remained kneeling and waited for the vertigo to pass. I noticed that my skin felt clammy, and I was sweating. Quincy licked my face, bringing me back into myself.
“I’m in shock.” I muttered. “Never mind though, I have things to do.”
Once the dizziness had faded enough that I could walk, I stood up. I lit a new cigarette and doused the man’s lantern. And then I set out deeper into the catacombs. Things were uneventful until I reached Mag Mell and the Hyperborean camp.
I stared at the hive of activity before me, considering how I was going to do this. The cavern bristled with tents and wooden crates which sat piled high into the darkness. I knew that I couldn’t sneak through the camp. I wasn’t good enough at that sort of thing. I was going to have to bluff. What was I looking for then? I was looking for notes or letters. Father was obsessive about documents. That was why the study was his and not Uncle’s, despite uncle being the Baron. He would have a place down in this camp where he stored the records about the conspiracy. He wouldn’t be able to resist the urge to document things. He used papers as weapons and armor. So, I would need to find his writing desk down here. How on earth would I do that?
I had an idea. My idea was risky. I knew how to play the part of the rival in all her domineering glory. I could do it. Could I use that to get what I needed? Maybe. Did I have a better idea? No, I did not.
And so, I positioned myself outside the light of a lantern. I sat down on a crate, and I waited. Eventually a Hyperborean laborer got close enough for my plan.
I called to him, putting every ounce of disdain into my voice that I could find, “You: Hyperborean. Come here. On the double.”
The laborer looked towards me and squinted. I stepped into the lantern light and pointed to the ground in front of me, “That wasn’t a request, commoner.”
The man flinched and hurried over, “I’m sorry my lady. Who are you?”
“I am Lady Karen Octavian. I am here, in this charming place, at my father’s behest. My father: the Lord Jean Octavian, needs his notes. He needs his notes on his agreement with your prince.”
“Yes, my lady,” The man said, “How can I help?”
I nodded, “Good man,” I hefted my cane, “I have walked down here. I have come all this way because I love my father. I have gone far enough. Do you know where my father keeps his notes?”
The man nodded.
“Perfect.” I said. “Go get the documents noting the details of the current agreement. They will likely be letters between my father, the Baron Octavian, and your crown prince. If you aren’t sure, bring it anyway. I will send you back with anything unneeded,” I paused, and then a thought bubbled in my mind. “Father wanted me to collect them myself. But I hurt far too much. So, you are doing me a favor. So, there’s a crown in it for you, two crowns if you’re quick, three if you're discreet.”
The man grinned, “Yes, my lady. Right away.”
He turned and jogged off. I shifted back out of the light and waited with Quincy. He was back faster than I expected. He carried a leather case. He saw me as he got closer.
“Here we are Lady Octavian. This looks like what your father wants.”
“That was quick,” I said. “Good man, here’s two crowns to start. Now let me see the case so I can confirm you’ve got what I requested.” I dropped two gold coins into his hand as he passed me the leather case.
I unbuttoned and opened the case. It contained letters. I went over them, looking for relevant information. Things that would incriminate the greatest number of traitors.
“Good. Good. Not relevant. Good. Good. Good. Not relevant. Good. Good. Good. Good.”
“Excellent work,” I said, handing him the two documents that weren’t incriminating. “Take these back and put them where father had them. He hates when people move his papers.”
“He'd left them piled up, my lady.”
“He swears they’re organized. Put them back as best you can. You’ve been a great help. Here’s your last crown,” I pressed the coin into his hand, “And I’ll give you one more thing. What is your name?”
“Lodden Halfrode, my lady.”
“Lodden, I have a bad feeling about this. The local lords are noticing that something is happening. They may catch on before we are ready to move. If that happens, hide in the Wyrdbrunnr. Do you know where that is?”
“No, my lady.”
I didn't know why I was doing this. I was helping a Hyperborean escape. But he seemed nice enough. And he had helped me. I felt I owed him.
“I’ll give you directions. Don’t tell anyone else. It won’t hide you if there are scores of you. This is a thank-you to you. In case things go wrong.”
“Thank you, my lady.”
I gave the man directions to the Wyrdbrunnr. And then I sent him to find it so that he wouldn’t get lost if he ever needed it for real. That done, I skirted around the outside of the camp. And then I descended into Cantre'r Gwaelod.
Finally, I reached the point from my vision where worked stones gave way to uncarved rock. I struggled to stay upright. I had gone through the majority of the cigarettes Aunt Cecile had given me.
“I was beginning to think you wouldn’t make it.” The middle-aged woman said, stepping into the light. We were deep enough that the air was salty with sea spray.
“I nearly didn’t. This is my second attempt. I’m not sure I’ll be much help getting you out. I can barely walk.”
“Do you know the way back out?”
“I do.”
“Then you know what I don’t. You are my way out.”
“Well, if you can help me stand, I can direct the way. I do have some questions first.”
Brianna nodded, “I thought that you might. We shouldn’t waste time, but I can answer one or two before we should go.”
“Why did they target me?”
“Because, in my visions I saw that you already knew that they were werewolves. They take the blood of the Royal family very seriously.”
“The blood of the royal family refers to Lycanthropy?”
“It does. The blood of the royal family runs black with lycanthropy. Drink it and you will survive the lycanthropy infection. And you will become a werewolf. They use it as a political bribe. The werewolves do not age and have much fewer weaknesses than a mortal human.”
I nodded, and the motion of my head made me stumble.
“Are you alright?”
I tried not to move my head, “No. I’m in shock. But we don’t have the luxury of treating me for shock right now. So, it doesn’t matter. When is the invasion?”
“They have lost several shipments of weapons and of men. They are about a month behind schedule. They intended to attack during the wedding.”
“And now?”
She nodded, “Now the plan has changed. Wulfric will leave for Hyperborea with his bride after the wedding. He will not be present for the invasion. If you wish to save your cousin, you must act quickly.”
“Crap. Alright. Let’s go then. Before I can’t walk at all.”
We made our way back through the catacombs. Mercifully this went without incident. But I found myself getting dizzier and clammier. Quincy began to whine as I weakened, and tried pulling on my dress with his teeth. We made it to the concealed door back into my father’s study. I prayed that nobody occupied the room and pulled the lever to open the hidden passage. The bookshelf moved to show an empty room.
“Come on,” I said, huffing to catch my breath, “Let’s move.”
Once the seer and Quincy were through, I closed the passage. We exited into the gray room.
“I need a sit down,” I gasped, and collapsed into a nearby wingback chair. I felt myself struggling to stay awake, “Brianna, I’m going to pass out now. My great aunt should be in the next room. Get her. She’ll help us.”
I didn’t hear a reply.
Read more in "Daughters of the Digital Empire," Available soon!
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