Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="barsoomcore" data-source="post: 2421703" data-attributes="member: 812">"Johann."Dras tugged at the little cord around her wrist, looking up as Black called to the team and the wagon slowed.They came to a halt on a broad gravel driveway where another wagon sat, empty. The horses of that wagon whickered to the newcomers. All four horses tossed their heads and stamped, shying away from the house.The house had once been brightly whitewashed and neatly trimmed. It had not been kept in good order for some time. Paint peeled from the clapboard siding in long, waving fans. Most of the windows showed jagged teeth of glass, others gaped black and empty. Weeds grew up at the base, and vines had curled up around the railings of the verandah.Dras, Quinn, Ana and Black descended from the wagon and stared."Johann.""Did you hear that?"Quinn shrugged."Hear what?""Nothing."They moved as a group towards the verandah steps, boots crunching on gravel. The house sat at the base of a steep hill, nestled under straggly trees and with its rear facing a wide expanse of high grass, beyond which breakers crashed onto black rock.Black peered into the bed of the other wagon. He shrugged."It's empty."Quinn and Ana exchanged a glance."We heard in town that a big African gentleman with a walking-stick had hired a wagon and headed out this way. Could be Monsignor Domino, just ahead of us.""Great. So he's around here right now."The four looked around themselves. The house, the two wagons, the gravel drive, the sea beyond and the mountains behind. Away down the shore, to their right, rose a distant mound of stone that could only be the ruined castle of Bushiribana."Johann.""That, I heard."The high-pitched cry had come from within the house. Dras, Ana, Quinn and Black moved that way, only to stop at Dras' gasp.The front door of the house was smeared with a dark brown substance, drawing a crude cross in a circle. Stuck into the smears were black feathers, weather-beaten and half-stripped. A bottle of rum sat on the verandah floorboards in front of the door, next to a battered and torn top hat.Black could see Dras shaking. The young woman stared at the display, her dark eyes wide with terror."Proteje-nou, Papa Agwe, silvouple. Baron Samedi, nou ne gen lentansyon pas  derespe. Souple bayez-nou ton benediksyon et pemet-nous kontinye. Proteje-nou silvouple.""What is it, lad? You're not afraid of a couple of gew-gaws, are you?"Dras started at Black's touch. She shook herself and pointed."I'm not walking through that door. Baron Samedi has been here. This house is full of death.""Johann.""Well, there's somebody in there who's not yet dead. Maybe we can find a back door or some such thing."Black led the way around the corner of the house and towards the rear. On their right rose tall island grass, a wide field of the waving stalks between the house and the sea.They came around to the back of the house and found a door hanging open."Johann."Quinn led the way inside, one hand gripping the bell hilt of his cutlass. Dras followed close behind with her rapier out, eyes wide, and Ana came behind her, an arrow nocked on the string of her bow. Last of all was Black, more unnerved by Dras' panic and the strange totem at the front door than he'd let on. He looked around at the sky, the tall grass and the far-off ocean before stepping into the dark house.The foursome crept along disused hallways where dust and cobwebs lay thick. They found a narrow staircase leading up and followed Quinn to the second floor."Johann."The voice came from an open doorway before them. Quinn and Dras moved silently to the doorway and peered in. Dras managed to stifle a shriek at the sight, but her obvious distress brought Ana and Black forward.The room beyond was bare except for a single straight-backed chair upon the blood-washed floorboards. In the chair sat what had once been a young man, now mutilated with dozens of deep slashes all over his naked body. He stared at them, senseless but alive, his dull eyes filled with horror.As they watched, rooted with fear, he lifted his right hand, brandishing the razor it held and then slashed himself across the chest."Johann."Blood spattered on the floorboards. The pool of red was wide and thick and viscous."That's enough."Quinn raised his pistol and blew the unfortunate man's head apart. His body slumped and slid wetly to the floor. The razor skittered across the gruesome scene to lie at Dras' feet. Slowly, as if uncertain of herself, the young woman sank down and picked up the implement. Tied to the handle with a leather strap was a black feather."Lord Samedi."Black looked around."Well, that seems to be all there is to see. Perhaps we should be on our way?""You don't want to search the house for the skull?""If it were here, my dear Ana, I'm sure that Monsignor Domino would have found it and already left. He's not here, so neither is the skull."Quinn nodded. "What about the castle?""Yes, exactly. No doubt our heavy-set nemesis is there. Now, Dras, lad, let's have no more of this superstitious talk, shall we? We'll need you alert, lad."Dras shook herself and, still holding the razor, nodded."The castle. Let's go."It became obvious the castle had been designed to loom. Ruined and decrepit as the ancient structure was, it continued to perform its primary function well enough. Its sightless windows leaned out over the beach where the four approached.Dras stared up at the massive pile and muttered, "Why are we doing this again? Do we owe somebody something?"Quinn did not look over as he responded."A little late for questions. We don't really have time to get into a discussion right now.""Are you cognizant of the fact that we know nothing about what's in there, or who, or why they might want to cut us into pieces?""I'm cognizant of this: the sun is going to set in half an hour, and I don't want to be here when it does. Moving faster now.""Actually, I think I'll move slower. The guards have seen us.""Guards? There can't be anyone left alive here."Dras' response was a little higher-pitched than normal."I don't think they are. Left alive."The other slowed to match their pace to Dras', studying the leering apparitions in the gateway. Black frowned."What are they holding?""Rakes, I think. Perhaps they used to be gardeners.""I wish they wouldn't look at us like that."Dras laughed."Like how? They don't have any eyes, just empty, gory sockets where -- ""That's what I mean. I wish they wouldn't look at us like that.""Well, I think we can safely say Mister Domino is likely to be about. Let us dispatch these two and be on our guard."Quinn scowled but stepped forward, clutching his heavy cutlass with both hands. Black came up beside him with a pistol in each hand and took careful aim.The guards shambled forward. One collapsed at the impact of a pistol ball against its fragile skull while Quinn advanced towards the other, brandishing his cutlass. He spent a little too much time brandishing, however, for just as he prepared to swing, opening his mouth for a battle cry, the guard reached out with its rake and struck him solidly on the head."Ouch."Quinn stumbled back, clutching at his head. Black fired his second pistol and both undead guards lay stretched out beneath the crumbling stone towers.The foursome pressed nervously into the ancient courtyard. Ruined walls lay in piles on all sides. Across from them stood a decrepit structure, long and high-roofed. Beyond, the setting sun bled into the sea, casting long shadows across the courtyard. A low moaning that wasn't quite the wind nor the surf seemed to roll outwards from the building's tall windows.All four started as one of the now-inanimate guardians creaked and turned what remained of its shattered head towards them."The will of Six Thousand Men contests you. Six Thousand Men knows what you have come for and you will never defeat it. Six Thousand Men awaits you."The hideous thing crumbled into dust. Ana gestured towards the elderly building."In the chapel?"Dras repeated her friend's gesture."After you."</blockquote>

Verification