The Shadow Carnival: A Hod Story, By S.G. Mulholland

Everything was permitted during carnival - Umberto Eco

Nottingham is a place for rebels. Or at least that’s what the mural said as Lisa walked from the train station towards the city centre. There was some unknown construction work undergoing in the area that she had no idea about, but the tunnel that she and her three friends strolled through was a most interesting read.

The mural spoke of the heart of the spirit of the city. Nottingham folk wore their vibrant rebellious spirit on their sleeves and it had much to do with their history. The greatest heroic outlaw of all time came from their most famed of forests outside the city. The faction known as the Luddites were formed in these streets, England’s first black magistrate came from Nottingham and the city’s second name, Rebel City, was all worn like a badge of honour among the people.

Lisa was in awe at the heart of rebel England, that this was a place for poets, artists, bastards and kings. As they emerged from the tunnel, they came out into the light of the day and saw the tall buildings around them. There was little in the way of modern architecture; Nottingham folk seemed to like their buildings old but with a lick of paint on them, well-kept and nicely fixed.

There was a brightness to the city that made her feel alive and filled with happiness.

Then again, for Lisa to express joy was not a hard thing. After she put behind her the life as an unacknowledged daughter of the Were Guild leader, and all the slights and abuses she suffered, she wanted to embrace joy.

Although, asking for joy from her travelling would be like trying to turn a mountain on its head.

Hod was a quiet fellow, tall and dark and unassuming at the best of times. He was blind to the world which was why he did not really take in the beauty of it, at least, that’s what he liked to make people think. The wolf that padded alongside him told a different story. Geahlach was a scraggy looking creature, the survivor of gods knew how many battles and had the scars to show for it. His natural colour was white, but time and circumstance had turned it a mottled grey. His eyes were a startling blue, the same shade as ice in shadow, but turned yellow occasionally as Hod looked through his wolf friend’s eyes.

Lisa’s third companion was nestled inside her jacket pocket and was sleeping soundly. Little One did not like to be disturbed when she was sleeping unless it was to be fed and even then she went straight back to sleep.

“You never told me why we’ve come to Notts?” Lisa asked Hod. The brooding man stayed silent as they passed by coffee shops, book shops, bars, clothes shops and more. The city was littered and crowded with young people in the early stages of their lives. That was not to say there were no people of an older persuasion, it was just there were more youngsters.

It was pretty much in a straight line forward, never diverging, that they walked. The city centre was their destination, but their purpose remained a secret to Hod. They walked for roughly fifteen minutes before the open air of the centre gave way.

The space was wide and at the mercy of the elements above. From the courthouse lions to the tramway, there was no cover, only a mass of several hundred lives being lived. Goths, Punks, skins and chavs all walked among one another; Mythics rubbed shoulders with Humes as folk from all across the country came to take in the air of Nottingham, the Wylde Heart of the Midlands.

Mythics were never uncommon in the streets of Notts. Back when the Wild Hunt made its march on Albion’s shores, the siege that took place at the Rebel City was a hard fight. It was said that the Fae armies arrived expecting an easy victory but paid in blood for every inch gained. It was the local militia of the gathered members from the Rebel City that led the fight against the Mythics, never willingly surrendering their home to the invaders.

By the time the ceasefire had ended, the battle for Nottingham had long been settled. A newfound respect had been born out of the fighting, with both sides showing enmity to the other. Wylde Hearts recognise Rebellious spirit and the matter was settled when the Fae army refused to fight the people of the city any longer.

The Fae general, a fellow known as The Red Wolf, had been the one to give the order. He sent his finest physicians to the inhabitants, ordering that care and healing be given to the folk that day. He set his engineers to repair the citizens’ homes and the monuments of the city itself.  Before leaving, The Red Wolf declared that Nottingham was under his protection and that no Mythic army would lay siege to the city again.

Lisa felt a measure of comfort here she had never felt before. There were Mythics aplenty back in Birmingham, but there was always a severe sense of unease, like a fight could break out any minute due to the divides between the two races. Here it was different. Humes mixed with Mythics as though there were nothing in it, no great battle, no great fight, simply people living alongside one another, sharing life for the sake of sharing it.

Hod led her upwards through the ever-crowded streets, passing more shops and more folk and more crowded gangs of people cluttered together. When the hill they were climbing plateaued in front of the theatre, Lisa finally sighted where Hod intended to go.

Lilly Langtree’s was a popular hangout, especially for the local Mythics. It was an old-fashioned building that dated back to who knew when and had a bar on three sides of the building. The larger area was populated mostly by Ogyres, Trolls and shifters who preferred the space inside that was catered for them. There were seating areas on two sides of the building where Dwerganz could be seen smoking their heavy tobacco grown from moss and weeds underground. It was the smallest bar on the right side of the building that Hod was headed, Geahlach padded closely to his friend, seemingly suspicious of their surroundings.

There was a distinct absence of people in the smaller bar and Lisa could immediately feel why. The wards guarding this place had more potency to them than a box of dynamite soaked with nitro glycerine. Whoever it was that Hod had come to see was clearly a suspicious individual and was willing to blow up half of the city centre just to make sure whoever displeased them would not walk away from the encounter.

The bar was standing room only and was floored with polished tile. Those few seats that were available were so high that most folk just pushed them to the edge of the room. Much like most bars in this part of the world, dark wood panelling lined everything from the tables to the windows and bar. The usual selection of alcohol was available from behind the bar, but there was also a selection of daggers and assorted other blades on display as ‘decorations.’ These were there to let the more inebriated patrons know that, should they play fast and loose with their mouth, it could land them in a shallow grave.

Lisa looked down at Gealach and noticed he had curled up on the floor in supplication. Peeking inside her coat she saw Little One’s eyes had turned from crystal blue to a burning fire, cautious as to what was to come. Whatever was going on, something about this place was dangerous.

They were alone for a moment until a woman dressed in black and purple entered from behind the bar. Her skin was as smooth as porcelain and just as pale. Her hair was two inches taller than her and stood unmoving against the slight breeze that wafted through the open door and was the colour of ash. Her eyes matched Geahlach’s, pale like winter ice covered in shadow and cool at a glance. She wore a short jacket, cut off just above her waist and a purple gown of gothic elegance underneath. Fingerless gloves covered her hands, but her fingers were covered in rings with every colour of the spectrum sealed into them. Her black covered lips twisted into a smile that was neither warm nor cold but something in between that gave Lisa a serious sense of unease.

“Well, well, the errant Aesir has darkened my door, how lovely,” the woman said as she floated from round the back of the bar to greet them. Lisa felt apprehensive in her presence, not because there was anything to be feared, but she certainly exuded an air of confidence that was uncommon among bar staff in her experience.

“Amethyst, good to see you again,” Hod said in his usual quiet voice.

“I find that hard to believe,” she said with a grin that did not quite reach her eyes. “But I’m glad that Geahlach is happy to see me.”

The wolf stayed where he was, lying on the floor by the exit, his ear pronged and his body stiff at the sight of the woman.

Lisa could sense the power Amethyst had inside he;, it was a hard natural power, like a hurricane mixed with an earthquake. Lisa had not come across many spell singers in her time and those she had met were tricksters and pickpockets at best. This was something else - she was one powerful lady.

“What’s moved you to darken my door then? Your bow arm straining a little?” she asked with a wink. Lisa could see that he was shuffling about oddly. Hod was last of the Aesir, a literal walking demigod at worst and yet this woman, Amethyst, made him uncomfortable.

“I’m looking for someone, someone that I was told was dead,” he said. Amethyst grinned at that, wagging a finger at him almost laughing at his words.

“You know I can sniff out a lie my dear,” she said in a sing song voice. “Come on, tell Mama Hex.”

              Lisa was unfamiliar with the name, but she had heard whispers through the Mythic rumour mill over the years of a witch so powerful, so naturally attuned to the ways of Spell Singing and soaked in the energy of the Great River, that she was a force to be feared. She couldn’t be certain if any of this was true as most Mythics tended to exaggerate.

              “Aren’t you supposed to be an urban legend?” Lisa asked. Amethyst crooked her head past Hod so that Lisa was centred in her eyeline and suddenly Lisa felt ever so much smaller than the rest of the world.

              “Oh, I’m so much more than that darling,” she hissed, almost slithering from behind the bar to stand in front of Lisa. Amethyst laid a gentle hand on Lisa’s face, stroking against her skin and feeling the softness of her flesh. Lisa felt even more awkward than before as her skin began to shiver with discomfort.

              “You’re a pretty one aren’t you darling,” Amethyst hissed. “Perhaps I could take you for a spell about town and show you the sights. You may even find a new passion here in Notts.”

              Hod pushed his way between them, cutting off the witch. Geahlach growled lightly from the floor but did not move, just looked up at Mama Hex with cautious eyes.

              Amethyst backed away. Walking behind the bar, she poured herself a large glass of gin and placed her elbows on the wood of the bar. She balanced her chin in the palms of her hands, looking up at Hod with a childish grin.

              “So, who is it that you’re looking for?” she asked sweetly. “Could it be that wayward brother of yours who’s supposed to be dead?”

              “Just tell me, do you know where he is or not?” Hod snapped.

              Mama Hex looked taken aback by the slight outburst. Not many people had the gall to let their temper flare in the presence of a powerful witch like her. But the last Aesir was an exception; even Mama Hex would not try the temper of one as powerful as Hod.

              “I may,” she said, taking a sip from her gin and placing it down. She flashed a wink at Lisa before looking back at Hod, her grin implicating that this information was not for free.

              “What’s it going to cost me?” Hod asked.

              “Oh, nothing, a trifle really, barely anything. Just a little trip to the Carnival,” she said taking another sip.

              Carnivals were not places to be taken lightly and all Mythics knew that. They had a dark magic all of their own that was based on illusions. Lisa did not like Carnivals for exactly that reason. There were too many people who liked to get close to you in Carnivals and separation was a nasty trick the players loved to cast on people. It was said that Carnival time was done backwards and when it came, chaos reigned.

              Shifters like Lisa were not too averse to chaos, but Carnival was a different matter. Something evil always lived at the heart of Carnival.

              “It’s the Goose Fair today, and Forest Fields is hosting the great gathering. Among those that come to the fair there is one that has something I want. A broken golden mask at the heart of the Shadow Carnival. This place can only be found in the darkest shadows of the Goose Fair. Bring me the mask and I’ll give you the information you seek,” Amethyst said, licking her lips like she had just feasted on a hearty meal.

              “If we refuse?” Hod asked.

              “I think you know what happens if you refuse,” Mama Hex said with a wink.

              Taking two glasses, she pulled a silver handled knife from her belt and cut deeply into her palm and squeezed it over one of the glasses. Hod approached the bar, took the blade and did the same over the other glass. Amethyst pulled down an unmarked bottle and poured a dose of powerful alcohol into each glass. Lisa could smell the powerful stink from across the room and covered her nose to spare herself from the stench.

              The two of them toasted then drank from their respective glasses, each one ingesting the others blood, making a pact. Lisa grimaced at the gross sight, blood trickling down Hod’s chin as he downed it in one. Slamming the glass on the bar, the Aesir turned and went to leave but was stopped by Lisa grabbing his arm.

              “Where are we going?” she asked insistently.

              “To find the shadows,” he whispered.

***

              Three miles away, on the edge of the city, lies the lengthy park known as Forest Recreation Park. From one end to the other, stretched out across 80 acres of green land, the bright lights and music of The Goose Fair screamed out into the night. Everything was wonderful and ecstatic, families wandered through, children running here and there in elated rapture with all the excitement of youth. Groups of teenagers took up the games, looking to win money, cigarettes and toys for their girlfriends before heading off onto the rides.

              Lisa loved it. She had never been to a carnival before. The closest she had ever come to it was the annual Gay Pride Day in Birmingham. She sneaked there to see the wonderful colours and music and dancing and the general celebration of life. Lisa would always hide this from her family and from the clans. Homosexuality was not looked down upon by the shifters, but gay pride was considered a celebration of Hume life.

              So, the secret was kept to herself.

              This was different, she was out and experiencing life. The fair was amazing, the noise was almost deafening, the crowds were close but not too close, the whole experience was an 80-acre long mass level of excitement. There was no darkness here, so how could the Shadow Carnival belong here?

              Geahlach stayed close to her, looking out suspiciously at those who passed by, ready to guard her. Hod walked ahead, his eyes bound and blind to everything around them as he led the way. He navigated through the crowds as though they weren’t even there, looking for something with those blind eyes that only he could see.

“How are we going to find the Shadow Carnival?” Lisa asked.

“Look for oddities, things that stand out, anything abnormal,” Hod said without turning.

“We’re in a Carnival, everything is fucking abnormal,” Lisa said insistently. “How do you expect me to notice things that stand out?”

“Pay attention,” Hod replied.

“Yeah, whatever you say. Look, there’s a spinning wheel over there and I’m going to try my luck,” she said, turning from him to walk away. She felt something land on her shoulder. Glancing to her left, she saw that Little One had floated over, curious to see the world around them.

Lisa tickled the baby dragon’s chin as she kept walking, exploring the Carnival around them. Bright lights, colours of all shades set against the backdrop of dark night. Stopping off at a shop that sold some form of fried chicken, she paid for the meat and came away with a packet of deep-fried chicken.

              It tasted warm and lovely, like a memory of a happy home. She fed Little One, who squeaked with happiness as they wandered through the crowds. The laughter and excitement of people living their best lives surrounded them along with the loud whooshing of rides in speedy motion and the dinging of games being won.

              There was something missing here, something that only she seemed to notice. Where were the Mythics? Nottingham possessed one of the larger Mythic populations, approximately a full third of Nottingham was a grand mixture of Mythics from a hundred different nations. But on one of the biggest nights of the year, there were none here. Why was this?

              Beyond all the lights and laughter and rides and food, there was something wrong about this place. Something missing yet still strangely present.

              Through the crowds around her, far off in the distance and between the rows of shops, attractions and rides, she saw a strange figure that stood out against the Humes that surrounded her.

He looked peculiar, even for a clown, which is what he most certainly was. His outfit was striped red and black, with an old-fashioned ruff collar from the renaissance, around his neck. Gold buttons fastened a sharply cut coat over his chest and a flowery motif that ended at sharply secured wrists. His pantaloons bowed out at the waist, making his entire midsection look far wider than it was. His trousers were cut off above a pair of sharp heeled shoes with loose laces.

              The most telling part was the mask he wore. Lisa was familiar with the legend of Spring Heeled Jack and the imagery surrounding his face. The depiction of the devil on the mask was a classic look engraved in grey wood; a long-pointed beard protruded out from the chin beneath a grinning mouth. The eyes were vacant, but Lisa felt uncomfortable as she looked into them, a pair of horns stuck out from the forehead, striking accusatorially against the world.

              “Well, that’s certainly not normal,” Lisa said to herself.

              Pulling Little One down from her shoulder and onto her arm, she fed the baby dragon another piece of fried chicken and stroked her head. Over the last few months of travelling across England with her mentor, she had come to love the infant creature and to be very protective of her. They had formed a bond, against Hod’s wishes, and she knew that Little One would listen to her.

              “I need you to go back to Hod and tell him to get Geahlach to track me. I think I’ve found the Shadow Carnival,” she said. Planting a tiny kiss on the lizard’s cheek, receiving a squeaky giggle from Little One, the baby dragon took flight.

              The clown danced backwards, flipping and sidestepping and clicking his heels through the throng with grace and expertise. The Humes around Lisa did not seem to notice the figure as he cartwheeled and sprung through the rows of shops. As the thickness of the people grew heavier around her, the clown vanished.

              Coming out into an open area where a game of Dunkem was being played, she saw another clown. This one wore a striped yellow and black outfit, identical to the other, but instead wore a renaissance style mask of the sun.

              It waskneeling in front of a little girl, doing magic tricks. In the palm of her hand, she held a tiny sun that floated in the air. It gave off a slight glow, more red than the bright light of natural sunlight. The clown twisted the small ball of sunlight and shifted the colour to a light green. The child clapped with delight as the clown handed her the sun, placed it in her left palm, and took her by her right hand.

              The girl’s parents were oblivious as they played Dunkem, throwing ball after ball at the target, trying to win a prize. The clown led her away from her parents, placing a finger over the mouth of the mask as they walked away.

              Lisa barged through the crowd, throwing them aside as she chased the clown through the fair. Humes looked at her with disgust and annoyance. The inconvenience of a woman trying to find a lost child seemed to irritate the locals.

              Rounding a corner, she saw a third clown, this one blue and wearing a Moon mask. It was knelt in front of a small boy, a floating crescent moon held above his palm, with a miniature cow that leaped over it continually. The boy laughed and clapped at the magic, taking the moon from the clown while being led away.

              Lisa took pursuit, chasing them to make sure the boy did not get lost. They were quite a way ahead of her, their pace never quickened but she could not close the distance between them, always getting caught in the crowd. She barged through the people around her as she ran deeper into the carnival, fighting to find the children.

              As she rounded another corner, she came face to face with something altogether unusual. It was another clown, only this one was different. It wore a jester’s mask of blue and gold, with bells that hung from long hanging affectations that fell across his eyes, those dark colourless eyes that looked at her with an emptiness she had never seen before.

              He was dressed in a blue and gold striped suit with the same floral pattern that coloured the clothes of the others. He had soft white gloves that were fashioned from soft cotton and gold heeled shoes.

              He tilted his head and held out a hand then pulled a finger towards him. Lisa leaned forward, curious to find out what this was about.

              “Someone wants to talk to you,” the clown said in a sing-song voice. Pulling a small card from his sleeve, he handed it to Lisa. The bright lights and loud noises of the carnival seemed to fade away against the moment of her experience. She read the card slowly as though feeling every letter with her eyes, making sure she understood what was coming.

              “Queen Cherusci invites you to tea in the Palace of Shadows & Mirrors,” Lisa read aloud. “Cake mandatory as well as presence.”

              J took the card back and took Lisa by the hand. They walked at first, twisting and turning through the crowd, but then they began to move faster as though gliding among the people, faster and faster until the colours and the sounds all blended together at high speed. The environment began to tear at the edges of her vision, pulling away as they glided, bypassing everything the Carnival had, the blackness growing larger and larger until they emerged out into something wonderful.

              The two of them floated among a sea of stars, Lisa’s hand still in Jester’s. A large sun passed them by, the Yellow Clown holding hands with the little girl, her face the very picture of wonder and amazement. A silver moon danced past them next, the blue clown had the boy sat on his shoulder as they swept through the stars and all that floated there. There was a great sense of wonder and childlike imagination that infected even Lisa, even if she was unaware of it.

              From behind the dark side of the moon, she saw it emerge. A great silver palace floating on air. It was broken in places, cracked in others. It looked like there was a level of decay that seeped into this place, dark veins protruded across the surface of the structure, covering it like fairytale vines.

              “Welcome to the Crystal Palace of the Shadow Weavers. Here, our Queen awaits you,” Jester explained.

              “It’s all so bright and beautiful,” Lisa said, entranced by the wonder of it all. She turned to look at Jester and saw a small crystal tear falling down his face. She wanted to know what was going on in that mind of his and why he was crying.

              “It was, once, far more beautiful than this,” he explained. “The lands of the Shadow Weavers once showed every star in the night sky, above both Elysium and Gaia. But our world grew smaller in the fall of Elysium, more stars fell and with it, more of our people vanished into the black. Fewer stars shone.”

              “It’s still wonderful,” she said, gazing at a passing comet that blazed across the night sky.

              “It can be what it once was, with a little help?” Jester said.

              “How?” she asked.

              “That’s why the Queen wants to see you, to ask for your help in setting it aright.”

***

              The area outside the palace was most certainly a wonderous beauty, but it was a pale candle held up to the sun when compared to the home of the Queen of Shadows. It looked to have been constructed from starlight, forged in sunlight and tempered in moonlight. Huge arches gave way to vast and lengthy corridors with hundreds of thousands of rooms. Stairs led upwards, downwards, sideways and into places that could not be seen.

              Thousands of colours passed through the glass of the palace like shades of a rainbow passing through a prism. Through open doors, she saw visions from a thousand different cultures. Images of children playing with creatures that once strode across the world like colossi. Dreams of people lingering near death reuniting with their loved ones acted out in rooms meant only for them.

              This palace was a fortress for the world of sleep, the world of dreaming.

              “Dreams, you create dreams here,” Lisa said with wonder and excitement.

              “We did once,” Jester said sadly. “Now, we can’t even weave a single vision.”

              “Why not?” Lisa asked.

              “We did more than simply create dreams here child. It was here that fortunes and wisdom were shared across the peoples of the world. We inspired poets and artists here, gave engineers dreams of building the future, we gave the hopeless refuge and the guilty judgement,” Jester explained. “It’s here that the waking world took refuge and was shown a world beyond.”

              “What happened?” she asked.

              Jester did not answer her as he led her up a flight of stairs. The steps seemed to go on forever, up and up they went, but Lisa never tired, she just kept walking, her mouth open with wonder. Just when she thought the stairway could not go any higher, they plateaued, coming before a pair of black doors, fixed with stars studded inside like dark diamonds on a reflective surface.

              “The Queen awaits you,” Jester said, gesturing to the door.

              Lisa laid both her hands on the doors, felt the soft velvet surface beneath her fingers and pushed forward. The doors did not open so much as she stepped into the darkened night sky and emerged into a wide and open garden.

              Trees made of pure sunlight with roots made of moon dust and leaves of star stuff were dotted about an open area beneath the nights sky. A pond of dark water next to a small jetty reflected the nebulas and constellations above. A gondola of pure white was constructed on the far side of the pond where sat another masked figure.

              As Lisa approached, she saw that a small table with two chairs facing each other were laid out, as was a small silver tea set with several cakes, the likes of which she had never seen before. Seated at the table and reading a book she did not recognise was Queen Cherusci.

              Her mask was made of gold, silver and dark grey wood. Carved with features from all of the Clowns. Atop her head was a pair of spiked horns, her face was sliced in half, either side representing both the Sun and Moon, while around the edges of her face hung bells that were held in place by material of blue and gold. Her dress was a spiralling mash of the four colours from her subjects and spun downwards like a reverse hurricane, decorated with motifs of all the elements of eternity. She wore gloves that were patterned with the burning light of nebulas which shifted and moved as though it were the very image of the stars above.

              Catching sight of Lisa, the Queen stood and glided over to her, taking her hands and looking into her eyes. There was a strange sense of comfort looking into the stars in Cherusci’s gaze, the endless void of nothingness that was only dotted with the spattering paint of lights that patterned the skies of heaven.

              “Welcome to the home of the Shadow Weavers, sometimes called the Shadow Carnival,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.

              Taking her by the hand, Cherusci led Lisa over to the table and sat her down. Lifting the pot, she poured a cup of nebula colours, filled with rainbows and every wonder of the heavens above. Taking one of the cakes, she placed it on the plate in front of Lisa, a cake sugared with moondust and made from solid sun fire.

              “Please, eat, we don’t have many of these left, it would be a shame not to share them with a guest,” the Queen whispered hoarsely as she poured her own cup.

              Lisa lifted the cup to her lips and took a sip. The taste was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. It was like tangerine mixed with something she could only describe as snow. It smelled like grass in the rain and tingled on the tongue with every sip.

              “This is amazing, quite unlike anything I’ve ever tasted before,” Lisa said, her face twisting into an expression of amazement and breathlessness.

              “It’s such a shame that so little of it is left. But you spare no expense for guests,” the Queen said, her mask tilting in deference to Lisa.

              “Why did you invite me here?” Lisa asked.

              The Queen leaned back, folding her hands into her lap, tilting her head curiously as she looked at Lisa. There was a very real sense of wonderment coming from the Queen of the Shadow Weavers. As much wonderment as Lisa had for her surroundings, the Queen looked at her like she had seen her before, like she had met her somewhere before. It was more than a little unnerving.

              “Forgive me for staring, but I remember weaving your dreams for you when you were a little girl,” Cherusci whispered. “They were some of the most wonderful dreams I ever created. So beautiful, so innocent, they were truly something different.”

              “That’s impossible, you can’t weave dreams,” Lisa insisted.

              “Of course, you can. What do you think we do here at the Shadow Palace? Drink tea all day?” Cherusci said with a hoarse chuckle. “This is a place of dreams. Here, we give inspiration to all the races of the world. We play songs that only a single person can hear, tell stories for a solitary audience, we build the greatest monuments for the individual who can bring it to life. Here, sweet girl, we create the world out there.”

              Lisa was overwhelmed by the strange truth of what Cherusci was saying. There were thousands of tales of people who dreamed something that they made real. Dreams of new scientific discovery, dreams of becoming the person they believed they could be, dreams of being the very best at their profession and then making it a reality.

              Lisa certainly had her dreams as well.

              For a girl who had never fit in, her dream had been to become the first Mythic born in Gaia of the modern generation to explore Elysium and get lost in the worlds beyond. Yet there were certain problems with attaining that dream, of finding a way there and, more importantly, living there safely.

              She had tried to talk to Hod about Elysium, but he never reciprocated. He usually pretended he was asleep or that he didn’t hear her which irritated her to no end. Lisa found that this was common among Mythics; they did not talk about their lost homeland, like it was a part of their soul that vanished in the great migration.

              “You still haven’t said what it is that you want from me?” Lisa asked. “You invited me here for a reason, so tell me, what it is that you want.”

              Cherusci stood, took Lisa by the hand and pulled her towards the pond. They walked to the jetty and the Queen gestured to the water. Lisa looked over the edge and peered into the blackness as the stars that reflected above began to ripple across the surface of the water. Something was changing within the pond, something rising up that Lisa could not quite make out beneath the shadows.

              The higher it rose, the clearer the picture became.

              It was a clear field of grass that stretched out to the horizon in every direction. There was nothing to the North, South and West. To the East, far off in the distance was a great forest of autumn leaves. Each one that fell was immediately replaced by another red leaf. Beyond the red forest was a great city built in blue and grey stone. At the highest point was a great house, not a castle, not a palace but a house. On the huge front doors, the motif of a great sparrowhawk was carved and painted.

              “Elysium,” Lisa said quietly.

              “This is your dream,” Cherusci whispered. “I can give this to you. All you have to do is help me.”

              Lisa looked sideways at the Queen, curious as to how she was going to give her the one thing she always wanted. Elysium was cut off from the world and was unreachable. Even if she could get there, it would not be the same. She would also be alone; she had only just found someone who wanted her to travel with him. It wasn’t easy being Hod’s partner, the roads were long and the nights quiet and he didn’t talk much. She got more conversation with Little One and Geahlach, but after what happened back in Birmingham, Hod was her only home.

              “If I agreed to this, what would you want in return?” Lisa asked.

              The Queen tilted her head and turned her back on Lisa, signalling with her hand for her to follow. They went back from the jetty and across the grass to the doors. Walking down the stairs, the Queen took her past all the open doors where the dreams of countless souls played out in a continuous loop.

              Reaching the entrance, she took Lisa towards a door made of pure opaque glass and clicked her fingers. Two pools of pure shadow twisted on the floor, swirling like whirlpools before Jester and Diablo emerged. Both grabbed a handle and pulled the doors open.

 A winding staircase led down into the belly of the Crystal Palace. It was here that shadows began to lengthen and twist and grow long. Lisa could feel the cold air nipping at her neck, sending a chill down her spine and giving her goosebumps.

There was something altogether wrong about this. Nothing here felt real; beneath the thin layer of beauty was a cold level of something she could not put her finger on. A little itch scratched at the back of her head, like a memory lost that she was trying to recall beyond the façade.

Along the walls were intricate piping, channels and mechanisms that whirred and shuddered with mechanical precision. The dark industrialism of the machine they walked past was different to the pristine palace above in every way and Lisa could not understand why she was here.

They hit the landing and everything was lit with a dull copper light. Another set of heavy doors stood before them, sealed off in the centre by a moon and sun handles that Diablo and Jester pushed against. The four of them entered the chamber beyond the door and Lisa took in the magnificence that was the Dream Turbine.

Seated at the front were two pods, closed off with gigantic tubes that led out into the ceiling and the floor. Between the two was a shattered half of a golden mask that burned with silver light. A blue jewel shone in the eye socket and what was left of the lips was painted silver.

Suddenly, it came to her, the something she had forgotten.

“A broken mask,” she said under her breath.

“It’s the heart of the machine, the other half was stolen by the same person that stole our ability to weave shadows,” Cherusci explained. “Our people were ripped apart and taken from us by the cruel witch who claims to wield the very shadows we made. With it, she took the other half of the mask, the same mask that creates a web of dark influence that enslaves those who feel her touch.”

“Things must be set aright,” Jester said. “We need a comparable power to the one that was stolen, something that only a god could possess.”

Lisa turned and looked at the three of them, her jaw tightening and her expression blank. They were asking her to give them Hod.

“You want Hod, don’t you?” she asked.

“Just his heart dear girl,” Cherusci said. “The heart of a god is more than enough to power the great engine. Without it, our people are doomed to die in a few hundred years.”

“Yes, but you can’t take his heart and you can’t ask me to give it to you. It’s not right,” she said.

“The heart of a god is the very least of our sins,” Diablo said, gesturing towards one of the capsules. The clown sauntered over like a dancer in full swing before leaning against the capsule. Taking hold of a handle, Diablo slid the panel across to reveal a glass screen. Gesturing for Lisa to look, she peered inside and saw one of the two children that had been taken from the Carnival, sleeping peacefully inside.

“What are you doing to them?” she said backing away.

“The great machine must run, giving slumber and restful sleep to those out there,” Cherusci explained. “Without the mask or a god’s heart, the only power we can use is the lifeforce of children. Their longevity and the strength of their souls fuel the great machines for a lifetime before needing renewal.”

“If you would spare them, then you must give us the heart of your friend,” Jester explained.

Lisa could feel an intense ball of stress forming in her chest. Her anger was so strong that her skin felt like it may split apart. Her jaw tightened and her breathing became ragged as her rage began to take over.

Running over to Cherusci Lisa grabbed her mask and pulled it off, eliciting a high-pitched scream from the Queen of the Shadow Carnival. As Jester and Diablo tended to their monarch, she grabbed the silver mask from the machine, shutting it down and then ran for her life.

She could still hear the screaming as she dashed up the stairs, leaving everything behind and unsure where she was going to, or how to get back to the normal world. She could hear Jester’s bells tingling along with footsteps behind her, chasing her to take back what she had stolen.

Breaking through the doors at the top of the stairs, she was stopped instantly by Sun and Moon, who grabbed her arms and snatched the mask away from her. Spinning her round, they pinned her to the floor, neither one speaking or even breathing, just holding her there until their Queen came to pass judgement.

“I’d appreciate it if you let her go,” said a voice above them, closely followed by the snarling of a beast.

Tilting her head backwards, she looked at the figure who appeared upside down, but was all too recognisable. Hod stood with his bow in hand, an arrow of pure light knocked and drawn, his aim levelled at Lisa’s assailants and his bowstring held back only by the flimsiest of grips.

“If you’re not going to listen to me then you should listen to him,” Hod said, tilting his head sideways to Gealach who was almost mad with bloodlust.

Seconds later, Jester emerged at the top of the stairs, followed by Diablo and Cherusci. If their expressions had not been fixed in their masks, then they would surely have registered as shocked. The five creatures of the dream world looked between one another, all of them curious for answers, needing them from the very person they meant to kill.

“Dragons have an acute sense of smell,” he said. Little one pulled herself up from his pocket and sat on his shoulder, blowing flames from her nose. “You truly made a mistake in taking this one.”

“Hod, listen to me, we can work this out,” Cherusci said, raising her hands. “I can give you what you want…”

“Is that what you told her?” Hod asked, his voice blank. “Offered to fulfil her every wish?”

“You don’t understand…” the Queen began.

“Oh, I understand perfectly, Cherusci, I understand that your people are dying, if not dead already. I saw my own people die at Ragnarok,” he said in a low voice. “Sometimes, people need to know when they’re dead.”

“You’ll find out what it’s like to be dead, long before any of us,” Diablo hissed.

“If Ragnarok couldn’t kill me, what do you think your chances are?” Hod said with a grin.

Letting his arrow fly, it sank deep into Moon’s face, sending him limp to the floor. Geahlach sprinted directly at Sun, tackling him, sinking his fangs deep into his throat and ripping. Little One flew from Hod’s shoulder and loosed her flame’s at Diablo, burning him to cinder within seconds.

Lisa kicked Jester in the stomach, then the face, cracking his mask sending him flying back down the stairs screaming. She could hear him tumbling down the stairs, crying out in a mixture of rage and agony before suddenly thudding to a stop at the bottom; then all noise ceased.

Scrambling to her feet, Lisa picked up the broken piece of the mask and threw it to Hod, who caught it in his hand. Folding his bow, he was nearly caught off guard when Lisa grabbed him and pulled him into a firm hug. She could feel the awkwardness he felt, that he was unaccustomed to such displays of affection, but she didn’t care. He came for her and that meant the world.

“Are you alright?” he asked, gently pushing her away gently. She nodded then turned back to Cherusci, who collapsed to her knees.

“You’ve killed us,” she whispered. “Our people will fall into nothing, and our home will turn into blackness. All because of you.”

“If your people had to steal children to stay alive then your people weren’t worth a damn thing!” Lisa screamed.

“How will I live, what will I do?” Cherusci said, a single tear falling down her mask.

“Get used to the silence and steel yourself to live alone,” Hod said. Brushing his hand against Lisa’s he turned to leave. “Come child, we should leave.”

The young lass grabbed Hod’s hand and pulled back. The god turned, looking at her through Geachlach’s eyes.

“I have to do something first,” she said.

***

The Carnival was ending and the people were fading out. At the very edge of the Goose Fair were two sets of panicked parents that felt a great sense of relief when their children reappeared as if out of thin air. Gathering them up, tears fell, and smiles burned through the raw emotion that swept through the crowd that had begun to gather round them.

“Do you think they’ll remember anything of it?” Lisa asked as they watched the scene unfolding.

“They will think it all a dream, which is for the best all round,” Hod explained.

Walking away from the dying lights of the Goose Fair, Hod and Lisa headed towards the road at the edge of the park. The traffic was heavy, as was the sound of the tram bell ringing far away in the distance. The sound of laughter rang out among the last echoes of the Carnival shutting down for the night. There was little else out there save for the barking of a few dogs.

As they headed towards a small grouping of trees, they noticed a woman peeling away from the shadow behind the bark. Mama Hex stood in the streetlights, a wry smile on her face as she looked at them expectantly. Hod pulled the broken piece of mask from his coat and threw it to her.

“Knew you could get it,” Amethyst said, turning the mask over in her hands. “I hope it wasn’t much trouble.”

“The youngster was the one to get it, not me,” Hod said.

“Oh, really?” Amethyst replied, her voice full of surprise. “Then maybe I should reward her and not you.”

“No, it’s really…” Lisa began.

“I agree,” Hod said sternly. “She did the work; she deserves the reward.”

“Hod, what are you doing?” Lisa asked, her voice quizzical.

“You went through far more than me, you deserve something for the trouble,” he said.

“Yes, but you had the blood bond with her,” she replied.

“Please, what could I possibly give a girl like that?” Amethyst said slyly. “Your needs are far more interesting than that of a young shifter girl.”

“Give her a vision of Elysium,” Hod said flatly.

Amethyst purred at the offer. She looked at Lisa; she was in a state of shock, staring unbelievably at her friend who was giving up what could be his only chance of finding his family.

“What kind of vision?” Amethyst asked.

“Elysium as was,” he said, his voice still flat.

Mama Hex placed her hands apart, cupping her fingers together before closing the palms. She looked to be pushing down on something hard, light began to glow between the gaps in her fingers before a bright flash and a sharp bang echoed across the grass.

Amethyst handed Lisa a large, jagged crystal the size of a large snow-globe. The light from the streetlamps caught in the crystal and Lisa saw a glimpse of the world of the Mythics. Great rolling Mountains, rivers that moved, oceans a hundred different colours and lands of eternal autumn.

“Thanks for the mask,” Amethyst said turning and walking away. “If I ever need another job taking on, I’ll be sure to find you.”

They watched Mama Hex walk away, across the grass and disappear onto a tram. She waved at them as the tram went on its way, fading into the distance.

Hod knelt and placed Little One on Geahlach’s back, watching the two friends nipping at one another, licking each other and crying out playfully.

“Why did you do that? Give away your one chance to find your brother?” she asked.

“You did the work, you deserve to be rewarded,” he said, scratching his brother Wolf’s ears.

“That’s bullshit! Why?”

Hod looked up at her, his eyes hidden in mystery behind that blindfold of his. She could not read him. After all this time, he was still unknown to her, and she felt much like an outsider.

“I wanted you to have a taste of your dream,” he said softly. “A dream you gave up for mine. My brother can wait, your dream couldn’t, and I wanted you to have that.”

“Why?” she said, still not understanding.

“Because you’re my friend, and I wanted you to have it,” he said, standing and walking away.

She felt a tear running down her cheek. She did not understand why he said what he did, or why he felt the way he did. But it was enough to know that after what he had been through, he was not completely empty inside. He could still feel, even after losing everything in his life, after everything he survived. He was still a little boy who was happy to have a friend.

THE END.