Darkness of Sun Mountain (Part 4)

In the gloomy darkness, moved dwarf-like humanoid creatures, skulls peaked and flattened on the sides, with no ear holes, and reptilian eyes, large and round, and protruding jaws with two pointed fangs. Their hands and feet appeared unnaturally sinuous; bodies – if one may call it that – were unclothed, and possessed of a whitish skin, not unlike that of the under-belly of a viper.

Within the movement came the dragging noise which soon revealed the lifeless bodies of the five missing men. Howard felt a shudder of cold terror vibrate throughout his entire body and he nearly gagged.

He watched in helpless silence as Thurlby’s stiffened body was raised to the altar, face up and one of the creatures, adorned with a golden circlet on its head, crawled and laid on top of the body, placing what appeared to be a mouth against the corpse’s mouth. As this happened the voiceless gathering began to chant and writhe to the sound of a single drum beat.

Again the voices came, wailing, “Voquulo Zaa-q’ran,” from within Howard’s skull and as he battled to close out the noise, he watched in great fear as the body atop the dead man, seemed to transfer part of its spirit into the lifeless form below. Then much to his relief, he saw the body roll from the altar and drop to the cavern floor, still dead and unmoving.

Again and again the ritual was repeated, with each time the being laying on the dead body and appearing to breath life back into the rotted corpse. And each time the still dead body failed to reanimate, leaving Howard certain that the gruesome ceremony had not worked.

Then it happened, the first of the five bodies jerked violently and drew itself up and onto its hands and knees. In the red glow, Howard could see the refraction of the light as it shine off the dead milky eyes of the now-extant thing.

He shrieked in terror as the first one was joined by another, then another and until all were writhing to the soft thumping of the drum. Howard pushed himself to the right, attempting to avoid the malformed congregation, with their undulations and clammy skin, chilling to his touch.

That’s when he discovered his holster, still encumbered with its revolver. Excitedly, he drew it out, lifting and aiming for the glint of gold he saw as the gem’s glow cast itself on the frightful headband.

Howard squeezed and the thing with the unholiest of halos, vanished from sight. The subteranne exploded in pandemonium as yet another bark of the gun shattered along the stone-walls with a violent echo upon echo.