I'm Still Talking To Myself

XIII

"Greetings, Angel." The leader Zathat says. He speaks english. My surprise must be obvious. "Surprised, Angel? Yes, i know your language. It was easy enough to learn, considering it was created from ours." His voice is guttural, harsh, rolling the r's. The only comparison is a heavy metal singer.

"Yea. How, if I may ask?" I say cautiously. This one seems older, covered in scars marked by hairless patches and lines. He has a clouded over eye, and a large chunk is missing from one of his ears.

"Another Angel like you. A little man, frail. But that is of no consequence. What matters to me, is why you are all the way put here, far from where you obviously belong."

"My lord, please excuse my companion's brashness. We are in search of our friends." Jay has his head bowed and has stepped in front of me, using an arm sweep to push my back. It strikes me that this must have been something he picked up while talking to his superiors in the Cult. "My companion, Alex, has had revealing dreams in the past. He saw a location that he could only assume was in this area. As well, he has had dealings with... a certain being. The recorder of this being has left a number of hints, one of which coincided with Alex's dream. Which is why we headed here."

The leader raises an eyebrow.

"And who might this being be?" He asks, with his harsh voice. "A creature of great power, yes? Another Angelloid?"

Jay shakes his head slowly.

"No m'lord, more of a god-like being. His name is C'thulhu. The main source of our information was his scribe of sorts, Howard Phillips Lovecraft, who wrote and recorded the many things C'thulhu spoke of."

The leader's eyes grow wide, and every one of the Zathat and Suwat in earshot freeze. They turn incredulous eyes on Jay and I. Just as the leader begins to speak, Ichito clamps hands around my ears. I can make out muffled words. Arkhela and C'thulhu I can recognize, but I hear one odd one. "Bastet."

I don't have any time to research that name before the leader moves with surprising speed towards me, snarling in his own language.

"Arkhela, hork dari du firo C'thulhu!?" "Angel, where did you find C'thulhu?!" I can feel his hot breath on my face, as his muzzle is a fingers-length away from my face. I can hear a growl, from deep in his chest, when he breathes. His ears are pinned back, and I can feel Ichito tense up behind me.

"Kul'thos, grii Arkhela kaun'n holk firo C'thulhu. Hik hislep fith R'lyeh. Arkhela, wulth C'thulhu shooth tor lin?" "Kul'thos, the Angel couldn't have found C'thulhu. He lives in R'lyeh. Angel, was C'thulhu large or small?"  Its a lot to translate, but I manage. Kul'thos must be the leaders' name, and they must have had dealings with C'thulhu in the past.

"Hik wulth vital shooth, alm vital ath." "He was very large, and very strong."  I reply, as Kul'thos seems to calm down somewhat. Despite all my new powers, I feel very small amongst the Zathat.

"Pol kak zi niimaak." "Then it is true."  Kul'thos walks back to the throne, but remains standing. "Angel, my council must discuss this with more depth. For now, you will stay in the second level of the ziggurat, and will remain there until we see fit to call you. Be gone."

Ichito releases me and walks with Kul'thos, while Jay and I are lead back down the stairs. Thanatos follows. As we go lower and lower, I see different uses for different levels. Food storage, material storage, armory, servants quarters, kitchen. Near the bottom, the second to last level, we are thrust into a dimly lit area.

We are on the second level of the ziggurat, and I notice moderately lavish chambers, but with heavy locked doors, and cells to one side. We are placed into our own cells. Thanatos enters mine, and proceeds to examine the cell. There is a bucket with water, and a pit in one corner, a bed in another, and both our cells are separated half by a solid wall, and half by bars.

"They acted pretty hostile when we mentioned C'thulhu. What the hell?" Jay sits with his back against the bars. I sit with my back to him.

"I don't know. He's pretty ancient, if we can believe Lovecraft's writing. There's a chance that he quarreled with them. I heard another god's name, Kthanid, and I did a little bit of research."

"Oh yea, I forgot you could do that."

"Right. We'll have to find out more later, but I want to know where the hell we are."

I hear movement from the room across from my cell. It's an actual room, not just a cell. I see a Suwat, with his massive ears. He is dragging a chair, until he gets to the front of our cells. He swings it around, straddling it and resting his arms on its back.

"I am Hriik." He pronounces his name like he is clearing his throat. "I can speak your language not well. You are man?" Though very basic and hard to understand, he still makes his point clear.

"Yes, we're humans. How can you speak English?"

"I am not...allowed to say." He pauses with uncertainty. "But you want to know where you is, yes?"

"Yes, please tell us."

He grins, obviously happy to talk to people who speak fluent English.

"You in Fekhadn rooms." He grins wider when he says Fekhadn.

"And what does that mean?" Asks Jay.

"We are...How do you say? Suicide...no, death squads."

"Suicide squads? What the hell?" I say surprised and very worried.

"No, it is not what you are thinking. We are once criminals, theifs and murderers. But, we are now changed. We serve the goddess as...How do you say 'Special warriors?'" 

"Commandos?" Jay suggests.

"Yes! We are commando, who are strong and brave, and complete our mission, or die. No surrender, no failure. Death or success, that why we are called death squads, called Fekhadn."

I study his quivering ears, but have a hard time reading his emotions.

These are an interesting people. They seem to be highly religious, and very capable soldiers. This seems like an ancient social hierarchy, and this ziggurat only helps to affirm that.

I know. Where the hell was all this advice when I wound up fighting these things?

I'm mad at the voice. Although, now that I consider it, I hate it anyway.

"What did you do to join the Fek...fik...Fekhadn?" Jay has a hard time forming the correct words.

"I steal camel that is man's. From surface. I bring back with brothers. I not give water tax, and break surface rules. I either die or become Fekhadn. But I can speak no more. I must go, I have jobs." He stands quickly, and walks brusquely out of the room. I shrug at Jay, and we sit in silence.

Sorry to my readers for not updating. I was pretty busy and had some problems over the summer, and I will try to publish more regularly.

Comment and give me your feedback, or predictions of what will happen next chapter (even if its already published!)