Hy-Brasil!
“That doesn’t look very hospitable.”
The Peregrine cracked a grin. Charity Grace was capable of understating the obvious like no woman he’d ever met before.
The three heroes stood on the deck of The Glass Throne, having just navigated through a rocky ring that surrounded Hy-Brasil. It had been treacherous going and, if not for the steady hand of the men commanding the vessel, they would have ended up in a watery grave.
A thick cloud of fog covered the island, making it nearly impossible to see what lay past the beach. They saw tall trees and a dense jungle, as well as a mountain that rose above the fog, but beyond that, it was utterly still and silent. They heard no birds, saw nothing moving on the beach or in the trees. Even the water seemed devoid of life.
“Where did this place come from?” Gravedigger asked.
“The old legends don’t say but if I had to hazard a guess, it’s someplace that became unstuck in time. It floats in and out of phase with the rest of the world.” The Peregrine pointed towards a set of trees that were now rustling. Through the fog, they saw something emerge onto the beach, an impossibility that made all of them stand and gawk. They were looking at some sort of large armored lizard — what the scientists termed a dinosaur.
“It’s a stegosaurus,” Lazarus Gray whispered. When he saw Gravedigger glance in his direction, he added, “A man named Marsh named it after discovering some bones in 1877. Originally, he thought the creature was some sort of aquatic turtle-like beast but after more complete skeletons were found, his view of the creatures was revised. The scientific community believes they walked the earth some 150 million years ago.”
The Peregrine shook his head. “Astonishing.”
“I wonder if we’ll retain our memories of all this when we change history,” Lazarus said. “If we do, the knowledge of this place might be put to good use. I think it’s too dangerous to leave unchecked. Perhaps there would be some way to block it off from those who would pervert its power.”
Gravedigger laughed coldly. “You’re getting ahead of yourself. We haven’t changed anything yet. And personally, I don’t want to remember all of this.” She exchanged a meaningful glance at Lazarus. “Even if I lost the memories of a few good things, I’d accept that to get back the life I used to have. For all its flaws, it was better than this world.”
Lazarus nodded. “Ultimately, I’d agree with that assessment.”
The Peregrine looked away. Those two were such odd people — both so unemotional at times, though he knew that they had passions that bubbled just beneath the surface. For his part, he didn’t care if he remembered this world or not. He just wanted to get back home to Evelyn and the life they were building in Atlanta. He wanted to see his housekeeper, Nettie, again and have a few drinks with his buddy Will McKenzie. Hell, he’d even be fine going back to facing criminal masterminds like the Warlike Manchu or Jacob Trench.
Anything would be better than a world ruled by Nazis and demons.
“Let’s get this over with,” he said.
Gravedigger’s legs ached by the time they stopped to set up camp for the night. Max had been insistent that they would know when to perform the magic ritual by the area in which they found themselves and, to this point, he was satisfied that they had reached the proper location.
Though they had traveled less than three miles from the beach, it had taken them long hours to do so. The vegetation was so dense that every step forward was an effort. The trio had mostly walked in silence, keeping their eyes and ears attuned to the noises around them. Several times they’d heard rustling in the leaves but they had seen nothing. There were definite signs that this island existed outside the normal flow of time, however: massive footprints that belonged to no modern beast; a vine-covered single-person aircraft made of some unknown, ultra-lightweight material; a set of encyclopedias dated 1954; and a piece of Roman Empire-era armor.
They finally decided to stop for the night on a hill that overlooked the dense jungle through which they had passed. Without discussing it, each fell into certain roles. Lazarus built a fire and got it going, while Charity disappeared into the jungle to find food. Max set about finding them some form of cover in case of rain. The stars were bright in the sky, though the constellations looked off somehow. He wondered if they were still in the same location that they were they had made landfall.
“So, what are we looking for?” Lazarus asked, sitting back and tossing a few sticks into the roaring fire he’d made.
Max glanced over and gave a crooked smile. “I’ll know it when I see it. I’ve been around enough magic to get a sense for it and this island is covered by it. But I want to find the right spot before we try to cross back into the past. If we screw this up, we’re done for. The entire world is done for.”
Lazarus said nothing in reply but his mind never ceased working. He wasn’t 100 % sure where they would go when they opened the portal into the past. There was apparently a limit as to how far back they could go and still make changes. If that was so, he knew the day that seemed most appropriate and he had said as much to the others. He knew that they wondered if it wasn’t some sort of guilt on his part that he suggested it but it also made logical sense and, in the end, they had agreed to try that time period if they couldn’t go further back.
Lazarus wanted to return to the moment when Darhoth had appeared before him in Washington. That was when she’d revealed her full plan and unleashed the Elder Gods. But what if he hadn’t been alone? What if The Peregrine and Gravedigger had been there to strike her down before she could finish the summoning ritual? She’d wanted an audience, that much had been certain, so Lazarus was sure that she hadn’t completed the spell until the final moment, to be sure that he would bear witness to her victory. There would still be time to disrupt it.
Gravedigger returned, carrying the carcass of some sort of unusual rabbit. It was easily twice the size of the most common breeds, with slightly odd facial features, as well. Obviously, it was from some other time, like so much else on this island.
“Anyone hungry?” Charity asked, holding the beast high.
“I’m starving,” Max replied. “And if it’s our last meal in this hell, then all the better!”
Night fell… and with it came danger.
The Peregrine had taken first watch, allowing his companions to fall into what he could tell was much-needed slumber. He reached up and scratched the stubble that lined his chin, wishing that he were back home in Atlanta. A nice, long soak in the tub followed by breakfast with his wife. That would be the perfect tonic for all the recent craziness.
Someday soon, I’m going to get that world back, he silently swore.
Max jumped as he heard the sound of a twig snapping nearby. He peered into the dark gloom of the jungle, thinking that he saw the shifting of shadowy figures, but he wasn’t certain that it wasn’t his mind playing tricks on him.
He drew out The Knife of Elohim, noting that while it glowed softly, it was not bright enough for him to fear anything supernatural. The background “field” of magic that permeated the world in its current state meant that The Knife never stopped glowing completely anymore. If there was danger in these jungles, it was of a natural kind — either men or beast.
The movement he had detected seemed to have ceased and he turned towards the others. To his surprise, he came face to face with a dark-skinned man whose body was covered with black powder. The man drove the hilt of a spear directly into Max’s jaw, knocking him to the ground. Before the hero could respond, a second blow sent him spiraling into unconsciousness.