Cave of Swallows, A King of The Ghouls origin story.

Cave of Swallows

(A King of The Ghouls Origin story)

Part 1

The Decent

David tugged on the repelling line, the muscles in his arms bunching. A fine sheen of sweat coated his skin.

          "See?" he said. "Sturdy as hell. You're not going to fall."

Evelyn peered over the edge, taking in the enormously wide circumference of the cave. It cut into the surrounding forest, a huge mouth determined to gobble up the sky and everything in it.

          She frowned.

Their guide, Winston, nodded to her encouragingly, his dark eyes like chocolate jewels under the brim of a faded baseball cap.

          "I wish we would have vacationed with our friends along the coast," Evelyn stated unhappily.

          David smiled, blue eyes sparkling. "Where is the adventure in that?"

          "Touring the country, seeing the beach, that is the type of adventure I want, rather than jumping into a cave that literally looks like the gateway to hell."

          David grabbed Evelyn's waist, pulling her close. He continued to grin; lips curved upwards beneath a blonde mustache. "Where is the fierce woman that told me she wanted to see the world? Experience nature in its raw form? Was that just the wine talking? Hm? Is my baby Evie scared?"

          Evelyn tried not to smile, irritated that David was not only handsome but charming as well. When he looked at her like that, she'd agree to anything. Including jumping into the mouth of hell.

          She slapped his shoulder. "I'm not scared. And you know that I hate it when you call me Evie."

          Evelyn wiggled out of David's grasp.

          "Are you ready miss?" Winston asked. "Ladies first. I will descend beside you."

          "Yes." Evelyn took several steps back, her hands clasped around the thick line. She placed her hiking boots against the ledge, leaning into the harness.

          David watched, still smiling.

          "You owe me a message tonight and an expensive bottle of wine," Evelyn said.

          "Anything for my adventure woman," David replied.

          Evelyn shook her head and laughed, the small harness pressing into her hips. It felt tight and slightly uncomfortable. Although the feeling was more reassuring than annoying.

          Winston guided her, walking her through the mechanics of the equipment as she repelled down the rock wall. Moss dripped over the cave entrance, trickling down the brown rock as if the surrounding forest wanted to reach its fingers in, touch part of the mystery that emanated from the depths. A flock of birds fluttered by, white feathered bodies weaving within the void. Evelyn could hear her breath, this loud thing pushing through the silence.

          "Very good," Winston said. "See? Nothing to it."

          Evelyn nodded, concentrating on the rhythm she had

found. Push. Lean. Release. Push. Lean. Release.

          Above, David began his descent. A natural athlete and quick learner, David looked like he had been doing it for years. It didn't take long for him to pass Evelyn and Winston.

          "See you at the bottom baby!" He yelled.

          Evelyn rolled her eyes, continuing her slow but steady rhythm.

          "It's a marathon, not a sprint miss," Winston said, patiently remaining at her side.

          "You can call me Evelyn. Or Eve for short."

          "But not Evie?" Winston asked.

          She grinned. "No, not Evie."

          The heat pressed against her, the humidity making her skin prickle. She was glad she had tamed her long curly blonde hair into a tight bun.

          "Do people do this a lot?" she asked.

          "This became a popular destination in the late 60's and 70's. Our touring company took over in 71. We've been providing repelling tours for ten years now, and each year more people come to see the Cave of Swallows, in beautiful Mexico."

          "Anyone ever die?"

          "No miss. An occasional turned ankle. Nothing a little ice and tequila can't fix."

          "Right." Evelyn glanced over her shoulder. A beam of sunlight plunged through the chasm, illuminating the floor below, a mixture of rock and grass.

          "Where are you and your husband from?" Winston asked.

          "Fiancé," Evelyn corrected. "New Jersey. We go to Princeton."

          "Graduating soon?"

          Evelyn nodded. "Class of 81."

          "This is quite the vacation before graduation."

          "Might as well do it now," Evelyn said.

          "Absolutely miss," Winston agreed. "We are almost at the bottom. I will walk you through disconnecting yourself from the line."

          Evelyn's boots touched the ground with a soft thud. Winston disconnected himself first and then assisted her, unhooking her from the line and taking off the harness.

          "Oh," Evelyn said, placing her hand under her nose. "What is that smell?"

          Winston smiled. "The ground is coated in guano and moss. Waterfalls form during rainy season, creating a lush environment that fosters fungi and bacterial growth. Our longer exploration tours require a respiratory mask, but you'll be just fine miss."

          David smiled. "Grab your camera baby."

          Evelyn fished through her hot pink fanny pack, pushing aside a hotel key, a small flashlight and a tube of lipstick. Finally, she pulled out a compact Nikon.

          Winston indulgently took several photos of David and Evelyn. Once the couple was satisfied, Winston began the tour, leading them carefully around the circumference of the cave.

          "What you are seeing is called the main entrance shaft," Winston explained. "The depth is 372 meters, and its width at the largest point is 303 by 134 meters. Other shafts exist, some descending up to 500 meters."

          Evelyn carefully picked her way across the cave floor as she listened to Winston. He not only possessed factual knowledge of the structure, but also spoke about the local lore and the Huastec people, who had occupied the surrounding forest since ancient times. The combination of science and local history enhanced Evelyn's experience, creating an almost magical ambience.

          Evelyn gazed around her as she listened, drinking in the details. Green parakeets nestled along the walls, gathered together in small pockets of bright feathers. The foliage gripped the dark limestone, crawling upwards towards the circular mouth, the sky like a white eye high above. Evelyn loved the shaft of sunlight that plunged into the darkness, a powerful beam of illumination, stretching into the abyss.

          "Are there any waterfalls this time of year?" David asked.

          "Not many," Winston answered regrettably. "We are nearing the end of rainy season. There might be one, a little further in. Would you like to see it?"

          "What do you say baby?" David asked. "Want to see it?"

          Evelyn hesitated, not liking the sound of further in. David's face was full of excitement, his eyebrows raised as he waited for her response.

Evelyn forced a smile. "Sure."

She followed Winston and David further into the cave, the uneven ground beneath her feet gradually sloping in a downward arch.

She didn't like walking away from the beam of sunlight, a tether to the rest of the world. As the darkness increased, her heartbeat quickened, increasing to a steady gallop in her chest.

Winston flicked on a flashlight.

David slowed his pace, taking her hand. "You're not scared of the dark, are you?"

          She snorted and smirked, secretly relieved David had taken her hand.

          "Tread carefully," Winston said. "It gets slippery as we near the fall."
          David kept up at a quick pace, faster than Evelyn would have liked. She kept a tight grip on his hand, concentrating on her footing. Finally, the sound of tinkling water rose around them, the echo of it reverberating off the cave walls.

          "Oh wow," Evelyn said.

          The lighting was dim, but she could still make out the pristine details of the small waterfall. It cascaded down the rock like a watery curtain, moving silver against glittering rock.

          "Damn, isn't that something?" David asked.

          Winston shined the flashlight across the fall. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

"It is," David said.

"So pretty!" Evelyn said and then whispered, "Although now I really have to pee."

David looked down at her. "You have to pee Evie baby? I told you not to drink so much coffee."

"It was delicious and worth it," Evelyn said.

"So, pee," David said. "Go squat behind a rock."

"I can't pee here."

"Honey, there's bat shit coating the floor. I doubt a little urine will hurt."

Evelyn rolled her eyes, but the pressure in her bladder was becoming uncomfortable. "Oh alright."

Evelyn stepped away. David engaged Winston in conversation, asking about the first explorers that mapped the cave. Winston happily answered, launching into a detailed explanation with specific dates and early methods of exploration.

Evelyn listened as she navigated the slippery ground, not wanting to stray too far. She also wanted privacy and walked until she found a good place that was both dark and filled with several small rock formations. She quickly did her business, the moist chilly air clinging to her bare skin. Not wanting to step in the little puddle of urine between her feet, Evelyn took a large step to the right.

Her boots sunk deeply into moss, but instead of hitting the stone floor, her feet continued to sink. She stumbled, trying to get her footing. Her right foot suddenly punched through unstable ground, the sound of wood cracking.

"David!" she screamed as she felt her body plummeting into the sudden hole.

"Evelyn!" His footsteps echoed loudly in the enclosed space as he ran towards the sound of her voice.

Evelyn threw her arms out, desperately trying to hold onto something, but her fingers slipped through slimy moss. She kicked her legs furiously, only feeling air.

"David!"

David rushed forward, falling onto his stomach as he reached for her. His fists closed around cold air as Evelyn fell screaming into the shaft.

Part 2

The FALL

Evelyn's voice ripped from her throat, one long terrified wail as she fell. Her body bounced back and forth against hard rock, shoulders, legs, and arms repeatedly hitting the rough surface, until the impact folded her body in, forcing her to tumble. Evelyn closed her eyes and cradled her head, waiting for the final impact that would end her life.

          It never came.

Instead, the shaft narrowed and curved, the velocity of the fall forcing her through. She twisted and rolled for several minutes, eventually free falling once again, until her body smacked onto an uneven hard surface. Her right leg hit first, her femur breaking with an audible snap. Evelyn screamed as the jagged bone plunged through her skin. Disturbed rocks and debris tumbled down the shaft. Again, she cradled her head. The rocks landed all around her and mercilessly toppled on top of her legs. She yelled, the rocks exerting more pain on the break.

"Oh god," she whimpered.

The rocks settled. Silence and impenetrable darkness engulfed her. Her breath shot out in quick bursts, panic and fear filling her eyes with tears.

"Oh god…oh god…please." Evelyn began sobbing, the terror of her plight taking control. "This can't be it," she cried. "This can't be it."

The darkness was so dense, it felt like a tangible substance, plunging into her eyes. Evelyn trembled with pain, the fractured bone in her leg a continuous sharp burn. Aches throbbed across her entire body, bruises forming. She struggled to get her panic under control.

"Think, think, think," she whispered. "Ok." Evelyn exhaled through her nose, realizing her hands were free and had not been compromised by the rock fall. With shaking fingers, she reached down, blindly searching for her fanny pack. It was miraculously still around her waist. She unzipped it and rummaged through the contents, until her fingers touched the flashlight.

Evelyn flicked it on, the small light beam making her gasp in relief. She pointed it at her body and almost began crying again. Her legs were entirely buried in rocks. She tried to lift her legs but the pain in her broken leg was excruciating. She screamed, sweat breaking across her skin.

"Shit, shit, shit!" She pointed the light above her. It cut through a small area of darkness, but it did not reach any structures. She twisted her wrist, pointing the light at the ground next to her. Slowly she swept it over her immediate surroundings.

The light swept across brown dirt and rock. There was no green moss, no evidence of life that existed down here. She must have crashed through one of the deeper shafts. Her heart thundered as she realized how far she was from help.

David would find her. She just had to wait. How long could she last without water? Three days? Maybe four?

Evelyn continued to sweep the light across the floor around her. The beam suddenly illuminated a face, staring at her in the dark. Evelyn shrieked, so startled she almost dropped the light. She instinctively tried to get away. The motion yanked on her protruding bone. She yelled again, this time in pain.

She tightened her hold on the flashlight. Evelyn blew out a couple of quick breaths, hoping she had imagined the face. She angled the light back to the spot.

The beam washed across a man's face. Evelyn clamped her teeth together, forcing herself to not scream. She trailed the light over his body.

The man was emaciated, his ribs clearly visible under cinnamon colored skin. Long dirty black hair hung down his bare chest, rags clinging to his protruding hips. Evelyn continued to pass the light downwards, noting that he was crouched in a circle of white paint. The border of the paint was close to her, close enough to touch. Bones of small animals surrounded him inside the circle.

"Who are you?" Evelyn asked in a shaky voice. "Are you alright?" She held the light on him, noticing his light brown eyes held a thin circle of purple around the iris.

"Amon." His voice was raspy, the sound of a throat begging for a drop of moisture.

"Are you alright?" she asked again. "How long have you been down here?"

"A long time," he said. "And no, I am not alright. I am extremely hungry."    Evelyn shook her head back and forth, refusing to believe he was real. She was clearly concussed, hallucinating.

"You are struggling with your logic, wondering how this could be possible. I assure you that I am real," Amon said.

"I am not going to engage in a debate with a delusion," Evelyn said. "There is no way you can be down here, still alive. And the chances that I would land right beside you are incredibly slim."

"I am still alive because I am not human," Amon responded. "I am an immortal."

Evelyn laughed. "You are not immortal. My guess is that you are a manifestation of my subconscious, depicting my precarious survival situation."

Amon smiled and Evelyn noticed that his front two incisors were incredibly large and filed in razor sharp points. "You don't need to believe me in order for us to help each other," he said.

Evelyn's laughter subsided; her small flashlight beam focused on his mouth. "How do you propose we help each other?"

"Break this circle and release me," Amon said. "Your arm will reach."

"Why do you need me to do that?"

"It is trapping me," Amon said. "I cannot step passed the line. However, if you draw through the paint, the disruption will free me."

Evelyn eyed the circle, sweeping the light over it. There were additional symbols within the circle, characters she didn't recognize.

"If you are some great immortal, why can't you simply free yourself?"

"This circle is the work of magic, constructed by a powerful mage. Despite my strength, I am bound, subject to the magical laws of my realm."

"Magic. Right," Evelyn said. "Now I know I'm hallucinating."

"Free me and I will help you," he said.

"I'll wait for rescue."

"We are greater than 800 meters down," Amon responded. "The humans will not reach you in time. You will die of thirst first. The wound on your leg will speed the process. I can smell the blood. You are bleeding."

Evelyn sighed, struggling to keep her panic in check. "You are just an outer projection of my fears."

Amon sat down and crisscrossed his legs, balancing his forearms on his knees. "You are intelligent for your species. Do you study the sciences?"

"I'm a psychology major," Evelyn responded.

"The science of the mind."

"Yes," Evelyn said. She yearned for the familiar halls of Princeton, the comforting environment of her dorm room, the smell of the library. Her insides constricted with dread. The thought of possibly dying down here was terrifying.

"I must prove to you that I am real," Amon said. "Until then, our conversation will not be effective."

"How will you do that?" Evelyn asked.

Amon selected a bone next to his foot, picking it up. "If I throw this at you, and you feel it touch your skin, will that confirm my existence?"

Evelyn thought for a moment. Hallucinating tactile sensations was possible, but not likely in her situation. "It will help convince me."

"Alright," Amon said and then threw the bone with precision at her face.

It smacked into her forehead with a thunk and then clattered to the ground. Evelyn sucked in a breath through her teeth. She had not only felt the object collide with her forehead, but the weight and texture were accurate for the object. Her hands began to shake, the light bouncing chaotically over his face.

"Now," Amon said. "Break the circle and free me. You can do that by coating your finger in dirt and drawing a line across the paint. It does not have to be perfect. Only an interrupted in the circle is needed."

"What are you?" Evelyn whispered.

"I told you, I am an immortal," he said. "The first and last of my kind."

Evelyn squeezed her eyes closed, trying to fight the hyperventilation that was quickly approaching. She concentrated on her breathing for several moments, her mind reeling.

"This is not possible," she said. "It's not possible."

Amon sighed. "Let's follow that path of logic, since you are a higher functioning human. Perhaps I have become unhinged. Maybe my time down here has made me crazy and I have developed delusions, equating my survival to some type of immortality. If it is my belief that I need an interruption in this circle to be freed, why not indulge my beliefs? Draw a line through the circle so that I can help you. I will remove the rocks that are pinning you down. I will bind your leg, and we can attempt to find a way out together."

Evelyn processed his words, unable to ignore the sensibility of the argument. After several moments she said, "Do you give me your word that you will help me?"

"I give you my word," Amon said.

"If I draw across the circle," Evelyn said. "Then what?"

"First I will remove the rocks from your legs," Amon said. "Then I will drink your blood. Once my strength is replenished, I will change you. I will drain you to the point of death, but it will not be the end."

Evelyn shook her head, staring into the darkness above her. She refused to entertain the idea that this man was immortal. Although, a small part of her brain couldn't help considering the possibility. What if he was? Then he had been trapped down here for a reason. Then she was considering releasing a monster.

No. No. It couldn’t be true. He was just a deranged man. Sick. A schizophrenic with delusions of grandeur.  

"Why change me?" Evelyn asked, unable to quell her clinical curiosity. "Why not simply pull the rocks off and help me find a way out?"

"I was once a Pharaoh," Amon answered. "In the golden age of Egypt. I will not bore you with my memories of that time. Perhaps one day you will like to hear stories of my reign in the desert. For now, all you need to know is that my two brothers and I left this realm and entered another dimension. It was unintentional. One of our sacrificial rituals went wrong. We entered The Realm of Shadows, a dimension of darkness, filled with monsters and demonic spirits. My brothers and I were changed inside, transformed. We returned to Egypt as new beings. Immortals that needed the blood of others to survive. A mage from The Realm of Shadows eventually discovered our journey into his dimension as well as our return to this world. He followed, determined to end us. My brothers and I evaded detection for many years. Unfortunately, the mage was finally able to find us. The magic's from the Shadow Realm are powerful. Our only weakness. He trapped us, all in different locations. We are telepathic beings. I felt when my brothers died. They could not sustain themselves within the circle. I am the last of my kind, but I do not wish it to be so. You are beautiful to me Evelyn, a promise, a new beginning. I cannot merely save you. You were meant for me to change. That is why you have come here, placed so close to me."

"How do you know my name?"

"I plucked it from your mind, the way fruit is taken from the branches of a tree. Do not fear me Evelyn. You have my immediate love and dedication. I will not harm you."

Evelyn could feel her leg saturated in warm blood, a steady trickle that continued to stream down her skin. She wouldn't make it long with a steady bleed. Her only chance of survival was the man in front of her. Evelyn didn't know what to believe, but she was sure of one thing. She needed his help if she wanted to live.  

Evelyn kept the flashlight on Amon and with her other hand dug into her fanny pack, pulling out the lipstick. With one hand, in a way that only a woman could do, she popped off the cap and twisted.

Amon stood, his face filling with anticipation.

Evelyn leaned as far as she could, her leg ringing with pain. She placed the tip of the lipstick inside the circle, and then in one quick motion, she drew a red line across the paint. A shimmer rose in the air surrounding the circle and sudden wind exploded outwards, like an air lock being released. Evelyn dropped the tube of lipstick, her eyes wide with shock. 

Amon sighed, his shoulders relaxing. Evelyn kept the light trained on him as he stepped out of the circle and knelt beside her. "As promised," he said as he began removing the rocks.  

Evelyn whimpered as he took them off, the shifting motion repeatedly jostling her protruding bone.

"Shh," Amon soothed. "Pain will become a distant memory. A sensation you will never experience again."

He lifted the last rock off her and set it gently down. Evelyn immediately tried to sit up, but his hands were suddenly on her shoulders forcing her back to the ground.

"Let me up," she said, unable to keep the fear from her voice. "Amon, I just want to get up. You don't need to do anything else."

"Yes, I do," he said.

Evelyn struggled, but for someone so thin, he was incredibly strong. "Please, stop!" she begged, clawing at his hands.

"It's better if you don't see this part my love," Amon said. The flashlight was ripped from her hand. The light snapped out, plunging them into darkness.

"No!" she screamed. "Stop! What are you doing?"

Evelyn heard a hiss, and then felt her shoulders pulled upwards. Pain exploded in her neck as Amon plunged his teeth into her flesh. His sharpened incisors sank deep, striking nerves with numbing heat. Evelyn pushed against his chest, desperate. Amon held on, slowly lowering her to the ground, his mouth locked on her neck.

          Part 3

REALM OF SHADOWS.

Evelyn's limbs felt heavy. Weakness descended on her as the life drained from her body. The man in her thoughts was not David. It was her father, Henry Pierson, a college professor with kind eyes and thin circular glasses. She recalled the scent of his cluttered study, a mixture of tobacco and dust.

          Evelyn's eyes fluttered open. She was standing in a temple. Stone pillars arched into a starry night sky, the scent of burning incense heavy on the air. In front of her, dozens of stairs lead to a dais. Amon was at the top, sitting on a golden throne. Thunder rumbled in the distance, lightening illuminating pyramids.

          Amon rose gracefully and then walked down the steps. He was muscular, his cinnamon skin so beautiful it glowed. He was dressed in the golden finery of an Egyptian Pharaoh, his eyes lined in kohl. The storm gathered in closer, the thunder now directly overhead. A strong wind kicked up, swirling around Evelyn. Amon stopped in front of her, lacing his hands around her upper arms. His skin was soft, warm.

          "What's happening?" Evelyn yelled over the roar of the storm.

          Amon didn't respond. His eyes locked with hers, the wind increasing until it became a turbulent roar. The pillars elongated and the night sky lowered. Fire blazed in bronze sconces, yellow light flickering against stone walls. White muslin hung above her, draped over a bed. Evelyn and Amon writhed under the sheets, moaning in pleasure. The soft mattress gave way to hard ground, two points of pain burning deeply within her neck. Blood seeped down her skin, trickling in between her breasts.

          The wind suddenly stopped. Evelyn's feet landed on soft ground. Amon stood beside her, his hand still wrapped around her arm. A dark purple sky stretched in all directions, waves of thunder and lightening erupting within the clouds. The ground was littered with skulls and broken bones. Ruins of a stone edifice loomed in the distance, its broken pillars like jagged teeth.

          "Where are we?" Evelyn whispered.

          "The Realm of Shadows," Amon answered.

          "But I don't—"

          "Silence," Amon said. "Do not break contact with me, or you will be lost here forever."

          Evelyn felt something around her change. The air seemed to thicken, heating with a tangible static. Goosebumps erupted across her skin.

          "What is that? Amon, do you feel that?"

          "He is coming," Amon said.

          Evelyn's eyes widened. The impression of footprints had suddenly appeared in front of her. Small plumes of dust billowed into the air as an invisible creature walked forward. Evelyn's heart thundered with fear as it neared, its footsteps falling with rhythmic thuds.

          "What is it? What is it?"

          "Silence!" Amon repeated sternly, his grip tightening on her arm.

          A horrifying figure emerged in front of them. It was cloaked in shadow, its dark form constantly undulating between mist and charred flesh. Sharp talons and blood-stained teeth flashed through its shadowy visage, its eyes two blazing orbs of purple light. A black crown encircled its head, flickering in and out of visibility.

          "I have brought you an offering," Amon stated.

          The creature's voice sliced the air around them, the sound like ripping flesh. "So, you have. I am pleased at your return Amon, though the death of my children displeases me."

           "It displeases me as well Great One. It was the work of a mage from your realm. They have learned to travel," Amon said.

          The Great One screeched its displeasure. "The Order of Nima will be dealt with. I will obliterate them all."

          "What of the one within my world?" Amon asked. "I would see his end."

          "Fight fire with fire my son," The Great One said, and pulled a leather-bound book from its fluid robes.

          Amon dipped his head in gratitude and took the book. "I will avenge the fallen."

          "She will help you." The Great One pointed a clawed talon at Evelyn. "I will give her to my eldest child, my strongest Warrior, a true Prince of Night." The Great One tilted his head and began chanting in another language.

          Evelyn recoiled in terror, wanting to run from the hideous creature in front of her. Amon held her in place, his hand around her arm like an iron manacle. Her breaths increased to panicked gasps as another set of footprints appeared a few feet in front of her.

          Evelyn told herself that this couldn't be real. She was still in the cave, feverish from infection or blood loss.

          She shook her head back and forth, tears springing to her eyes as another figure materialized. This one was also swathed in moving shadow, but its form seemed to gather more darkness, as if it was composed of night. A smaller black crown encircled its head, its bright purple eyes centered on Evelyn.

          "She is yours my son," The Great One said. "Destroy the Mage of Nima and secure our realm. Enter into days of glory, to a world where blood flows in abundance."

          The second figure bowed its head and then screamed, the sound a rattling boom that shook the ground. Its form swirled, becoming nothing more than black mist. The mist elongated, rotating in the air, and then it dove straight at Evelyn.

          Her head snapped back as it plunged into her mouth and eyes. She staggered backwards, but Amon held her up. Evelyn gasped and sputtered, nearly choking as the demon entered her mind, body and soul. Her eyes rolled back, her limbs twitching, shoulders jerking back and forth. Finally, she became still and took in a long shuddering breath.

          Evelyn looked at The Great One, her eyes now bright with purple light. She bowed her head and said, "Father."  

           

*

Evelyn blinked, disoriented. She was sitting up in the cave, her hands pressed against the ground. Amon was kneeling in front of her, his hand wrapped around a thick book. Constant mist wafted from the pages, wisps of smoke that curled into the air. Amon was no longer emaciated. He looked the way he did in her vision, muscular, filled out.

Evelyn didn't need to ask if The Realm of Shadows had been real. She knew that it was. She could feel the Prince of Night curled within her, a demon of immense power. They were now one, symbiotic, intertwined for eternity. The thought did not frighten her. All she felt was strength, absolution, and a distinct need to feed. Her human life felt distant, unimportant. It soon faded from her mind.

"What now?" she asked. Evelyn felt her two front incisors, now sharpened and elongated, pressing against her bottom lip as she spoke.

"We leave this place," Amon said as he stood up. "We feed, and then we hunt The Mage of Nima."

Evelyn stood as well, her muscles fluid and at ease. Her broken leg was healed, and she could see clearly in the dimly lit cavern. Evelyn felt drawn to Amon and wanted to be near him. She stepped closer, placing her hands on his chest.

"I will never forsake you," Amon said.

Evelyn cupped his cheek, recalling the outline of pyramids and lightening against a stormy sky.

"I will take you there again my love," Amon said. "For now, we must go."

Evelyn nodded and followed him. Together they scaled a long winding shaft, their fingers elongating into talons. Amon and Evelyn climbed with deft speed, the incline posing no difficulty for their otherworldly strength. Once they reached the main floor, they leapt through the opening of the cave in one bound, landing silently onto the grass.

Amon and Evelyn descended upon the town of San Luis Potosi. None survived the slaughter as the two immortals satiated their thirst. Not even David and Winston. Evelyn tore into their necks, oblivious to their pleas of mercy, apathetic to their expressions of recognition. She added their corpses to the piles of the dead. The town had been forever silenced in one horrific night of bloodshed.

Amon and Evelyn continued their journey at dawn, the sunlight splashing across their skin, illuminating their terrible beauty. They ran, both splattered in blood, disappearing into the forest.

The search for The Mage of Nima had begun.