Chapter 58 - Undamaged

  As the time wears on, Alex’s little collection of coins grows steadily larger. Occasionally he’d dip into the supply to pay for a good meal or a new set of clothes. And he’d started giving Uril a couple coins a day to help with living expenses for the apartment, despite Uril’raya’s objections. The incubus never talks about money, giving Alex the impression that Uril has more than enough. But Alex had insisted, eventually verbally cornering the goat with the age-old reason of ‘even if you don’t need it, it would make me feel better.’

  Then, after nearly three weeks working the job, Dale waves Alex over at the start of the day. The departure from the manager’s normal routine immediately had Alex’s full attention. Dale pulls him over to a counter holding a rather different package.

  “Alright, we got our first specialty order. This is headed for the sub-levels.” Dale explains. “The customer paid for the higher cost of Secure and Rapid transit, that’s you.” He pats the crate and Alex examines it to find backpack straps fastened to it. “This is going to the third layer, so you’ll need to take the shafts down. Pull out your map.”

  Alex unfolds the map and Dale points out a few markers on it, shaped like spirals. “These shafts connect the layers of the under-city. You’ll find the middle is hollow, all the way down. But there’s landing points spaced out so people can use intent-movement to hit the one they want.” Alex nods along, following the explanation easily. “Third layer, Maxwell Corridor. The rest of the address is on the slip.”

  After mentally noting the route to the shaft, Alex looks up from the map. “Is there a map for the under-city?” He asks, not seeing any markers on the one he has for anything below the surface.

  Dale sighs, and shakes his head. “Not so much. The shafts themselves kind of act as a filter. Faded folks just can’t make it down there, and the ones who can make the trip usually have other ways of knowing where they’re going.” He shrugs, then rubs his head. “The corridors are labeled at least. So you should be fine.”

  Alex winces. He’s not a fan of going in without some level of planning. Though he has to remind himself that he crossed numerous territories without a map. It seems he’d gotten a little complacent in the rough month he’d been in New Europa. “Alright, I’ll do my best.” He takes the slip off the crate and pockets it, then turns the parcel so he can slide his arms into the straps and heft it onto his back.

  The manager watches him, making sure the straps are securely fastened to the crate and that Alex isn’t strained too much by the weight. “They shelled out for both features, so this run is worth four times the normal. Make sure it gets there fast, and undamaged.” Dale’s emphasis on ‘undamaged’ doesn’t go unnoticed.

  “I’ll get it there safely.” Alex assures him, adjusting the package before checking in with his companions telepathically. “Seems like we’re going underground Hara, sounds like your kind of place. Corvus, can you direct me in the lower levels, or is that too much ‘direct aid’?” He asks, looking over at the crow perched on his shoulder. Telepathy is still an odd feeling for him to use, but with each bit of practice, it gets easier and more natural to use.

  Corvus takes his time before answering, only speaking up after Alex is out on the street. “That would not be direct aid.” He says with a chuckle. “In a manner of speaking, giving directions is the heart of being a guide.” With Alex settling into a daily routine that allows him to exercise the skills and abilities Corvus has been teaching him, the crow-demon has not encountered many opportunities to serve his primary purpose as the boy’s companion. But the consistent practice and honing of the capabilities still satisfies the nature of his Title, proving that stability and consistency have their own value as The Guide.

  For all the routes he’d been running across the city, Alex wonders why he hadn’t seen the shafts leading into the undercity before. From their locations on the map, he’s certain he’s gone right past them numerous times. And as he zeros in on the marked point for the nearest access, the reason becomes obvious. It’s a stairwell. His brain connects it to the concept of a subway-access. Striding over to it, Alex notes the wording etched into the signpost above it. “Undercity Access, Constance and Ninth. How did I never really notice this before?”

  Alex scratches his head, the stairwell wasn’t anything special, it doesn’t stand out. It’s the type of unremarkable normalcy that slides just beneath casual notice. Shrugging, he starts to walk down the stairs, slipping into the shadowed opening that leads below the street. His steps begin to echo in the enclosed space, and by the time he reaches the first landing the sunlight from above is overtaken by the slightly yellower glow of the lights set into the walls.

  Hara follows, her metallic claws clicking against the stone stairs. The confined space makes her imagine a deep den, particularly as the reverberations of sound tickle at her awareness of the stone surrounding them. For her, being below the surface is no different than any of the numerous tunnels weaving through Hell’s interconnected caverns. It feels more natural than the fake sky in the city by far.

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  It takes another set of stairs to a second landing before Alex steps out into the area containing the shaft. The circular room spans much of what would be a full block above, with another set of stairs leading up from the opposite wall. In the middle, there’s a raised rim of stone leading around the edge of an opening large enough to swallow Uril’s entire apartment building. As Alex approaches the edge, he can feel a light breeze being drawn into the shaft. The wind flowing into the open maw ruffles Alex’s hair and tugs at his loose-fitting shirt. It gives him the uncanny feeling that standing near the edge will cause him to get sucked into the shaft’s opening.

  Stepping up onto the lip, Alex peers down over the edge. Lights are spaced at intervals going down, and Alex can see the first landing point off to his left. Then the wind’s pull picks up just a slight bit. It isn’t enough to overbalance him, but he’s far from safe from its effects.

  In a flash, Alex’s mind conjures the tunnel openings around the territory of Last to Burn. And in his mind’s eye, the gaping hole is suddenly wreathed in flame. Sweat beads on his skin and the searing heat threatens to crack his skin apart once more. The suffocatingly sweltering air catches in his chest, sending his heart rate into overdrive. The panic ramps up, invading Alex’s awareness as the inferno rises… Before he’s tugged backwards.

  Hara had watched Alex freeze up, and she can smell the fear seeping off of him. She can’t see any danger, any threat, but that doesn’t matter, Alex is in trouble somehow. That’s all she needs to know. “Alex, what wrong? Where danger?” Just before he can tip forward, her jaws latch onto the back of his pants’ waistband. She tugs him back from the edge. As his ass hits the stone floor, Alex lets out a startled yelp and gasps, snapping out of the intrusive vision.

  Alex’s world spins, he struggles to breathe, unable to draw breath at all until he realizes his lungs are already full. He lets it out in an explosive huff and then greedily sucks in fresh air. Cool air. Not burning, not tasting like smoke. Cool air. As his senses start to return to the present moment, he begins to shake, the adrenaline wearing off just as quickly as it had spiked. Then he feels something prodding at his ribs and shoulder, he glances to the side to see big amethyst eyes examining him and finally Hara’s voice reaches him.

  “Alex? Alex ok? No danger. No hurt. Alex?” She keeps repeating trying to get him to respond, to tell her what’s wrong. If there’s danger, she wants to protect. When he finally looks at her, she can tell he’s hearing her again, the recognition lighting up his eyes once more. He takes a few shaking breaths, and Hara settles down next to him, laying her heavy head on his thigh.

  Corvus’s voice joins Hara’s. “He will be ok. It would appear that something caused him to panic, but I believe it was a memory, not a real danger in this moment.” He tries to explain to the worried hound. “Alex, just breathe and relax. You are safe.” The crow says in his ever placid and calming tone that he’d used when Alex had first arrived in Hell.

  It takes a few minutes before Alex is able to gather his wits enough to speak, and when he does, his voice cracks at first. “It was all on fire. All burning again.” He swallows, gasping for air afterward. “What the hell was that… I was feeling it all over again.” The panic might be subsiding, but Alex is still shaken. And as he shifts his position, he feels the crate move against his back. “Oh shit, the delivery.”

  “Alex, the crate is undamaged. Collect yourself first, then we can focus on the delivery. As you are, you should not attempt the jump to the landings below.” Corvus urges, fluttering his wings to land on Alex’s other thigh, providing a simple but effective barrier to Alex standing up so soon. Even though Hara’s head weighs multiples more than his small crow form.

  “Right… Right.” Alex says, trying to control his breathing. After another few minutes, he’s able to breathe and speak without his voice wavering or sudden catches in his chest. “OK, I think I’m alright now.” He says, patting Hara’s head. “I’m ok.”

  The hound and crow move off of him, letting him slowly get to his feet once more. He cautiously approaches the edge again, fearing seeing the glow of flames, but nothing appears this time. “Ready to head down?” He asks, getting an affirmative from both his companions.

  Rather than waiting at the lip again, this time Alex just tips forwards, and right before his foot slips from the edge, he initiates the jump, aiming his intent-movement at the first of the landings, intending to spiral his way to the third layer, rather than make the single, longer jump straight to it. Thankfully his caution is unwarranted, as it goes smoothly. His boots touch down on the edge of the first landing and he pivots, then tips again, aiming to the second of the protrusions from the edge of the shaft.

  By the time he reaches the desired level, Alex is feeling nearly normal again. Only a lingering bit of mental frazzle still clings to his mind, the stress being harder to shake. All the same, he’s free of the intrusive memory and moving again. And movement always feels better.

  Stepping off the landing and into the perfectly circular tunnel, Alex glances side to side, not seeing another soul. And at first, he doesn’t see any indicators to show where he’s at, but then the far wall catches his eye. Corridor names are etched into the stone showing which way to reach various paths. A quick check of the slip refreshes Alex’s memory and he locates Constance on the left branch.

  “Alright, not too bad.” He muses to himself, and takes a few jogging steps before initiating another leap.