Heavy breathing is the only response the "doctor" receives as he steps into the blue light of Death's Lantern. In the corner of my eye, I see Johnny reload his gun with another particular type of round, once again covered with inscriptions. I assume they are a type that is more effective against ghosts and the undead.
The doctor spreads his arms and speaks calmly, but he ends his sentence with a trailing-off type of threat.
"Well? You're not going to introduce yourselves? You four… no five, just rekilled two of my most fond creations. I should make you all my next projects. Are you all really just going to stand there? I'm a busy man…"
My eyes glance over at Johnny to see how he will act. I expect him to threaten the doctor or immediately go to suppress him, but the man does something unexpected. He unlatches the lantern from his waist and holds it out to the doctor. Johnny takes out all the stops and immediately tries to bargain, attempting to forgo any more conflict.
"This is the Death's Lantern. It can completely replace the heart and is thought capable of allowing one to enter the Underworld. Surely, a doctor such as yourself would love to journey there with us?"
The doctor's eyes squint as he looks at the lantern in detail. But before he even asks who we are, he becomes suspicious of why we have come here for him. And why we did it in such an undercover type of way.
"And why have you brought such a thing to me like this? Or at all? And was there a need to kill my beauties?"
Johnny clears his throat as he points at the rest of us, trying to explain himself.
"We… are not exactly the most upstanding citizens, and to find a way to the Underworld, we have thought that the best way to do so is to come to you. We couldn't come through normal means, and I apologize for the damage. I will make it up to you with the deal, I promise. I figure you would know at least some path, even if theoretical, to reach the Gate Of Death."
The doctor nods a few times as he looks Johnny up and down. His eyes also glance over at the other three of us and Dakota, but he focuses on Johnny.
"Yes… I think I know you. You're that Gunfighter, fellow, eh? The one that is rebelling? Quite arrogant, don't you think?"
My eyes keep going back and forth from our leader to the supposed surgeon of death. No, it was Undead Surgeon, right? Both sound pretty powerful. Johnny does his best to try and pull this man to our side despite our previous actions.
"I am indeed, but I disagree that it is arrogant. Someone has to stand up for the lower-born. But if you lead us to the Gate Of Death, I promise that you will have nothing to do with my rebellion."
The surgeon puts his thumb on his chin briefly before nodding.
"We can speak more in my lab. Come. Don't touch anything if you don't want to die."
The man then turns around with a flap of his bloody coat and walks down the hallway in the pitch-black darkness. Johnny looks back at us and shrugs his shoulders before following him. I guess it's not that big of a deal to follow him; we do outnumber him five to one.
So, we all follow him. Boots and paws tap against the stone floor as we follow the sound of his footsteps. Eventually, we enter a large circular room, and the doctor takes a moment as he speaks to us from the dark.
"Give me one… moment… need to turn the… lights on."
I hear some slamming and cracking before the entire room is lit up as gas lamps light their flames, revealing the dark room to those of us who cannot see in the pitch black past the lantern.
All around me are patient beds with undead things on them. I don't even know how to describe them other than they go from barely human to monstrosities the size of a carriage. This man… is insane. The sights alone make bile start to rise, but I shove it all down with pure will as I see the doctor sit in an expensive chair toward the back of the room. He points to an oversized couch nearby.
It is also covered in blood stains, but we all go over and sit on it regardless. There is nowhere else to sit, after all. And it doesn't feel right to stand as he sits. Something about it just puts me off. The way he looks at us from the couch while we stand is ominous.
The doctor flings one leg over the other, using his hand as a headrest as he looks at our group. He talks with a kind of pompous purpose that frustrates me, but I stay silent for the time being.
"So, tell me. Why do you want me to come with you? And what's in it for me? The Underworld sounds quite interesting, but who's to say it will benefit me?"
Johnny holds the lantern up for him to see again.
"This is an Heirloom from a powerful demon. We hope to use it to go to the Underworld and gain information from a fallen comrade. If you could guide us to a Gate Of Death, then we will let you come through with us."
The doctor twists his head as he stares directly at Johnny.
"And why would I want to come through with you all? Does that not just sound needlessly dangerous? I can get all my bodies and souls from up here. Let me ask you something. Did you kill that demon?"
We all nod at the question immediately, and the doctor continues.
"Good. I want that corpse. I could make one hell of a revenant with that. Y'know, demons are much better for creating undead than humans. You all are simply… too… hmm… How do I put it? Too unaccustomed to Ether and internally weak."
I take that insult in stride but find it odd that he speaks of humans in such a condescending way. Is he not human? He has to be, right? Doesn't make sense otherwise. I'm really starting to wonder why we're working with this man. Is he a Hunter? An Outlaw? Who fucking knows. I certainly don't.
But I stay quiet. I don't want to ruin Johnny's plans. After all, this is the only way I'll ever get to see my Ma again or get to see Edmund again.
I pay close attention to Johnny's face as he considers the doctor's offer. It twists from outright refusal to slow and gradual acceptance. It seems almost as if he believes there is no other way for us to get to the Underworld besides this man.
"That is… agreeable. I can give you the corpse, though; it is decapitated."
The doctor speaks incredibly quickly as he follows up on that decapitation.
"Do you still have the head? Did the corpse make an artifact?"
Johnny answers both simply.
"Yes, and no."
The doctor becomes ecstatic as he holds his hand out to Johnny.
"Then you, my friend, have a deal! That revenant will outperform all my other undead combined!"
Johnny returns the handshake, and the doctor gives Johnny a warning as he holds onto him.
"If you want to pull a fast one on me, look around. All of your lives are under my whim. Should you break this deal, we will have some issues. Capische?"
Around us, the lights flare for a second as the gas in the lamps grows, and the only two exits, where we came from and the one behind the doctor, are covered with monstrous undead. He has us in a room that can be filled with gas at a moment's notice. He led us here so quickly for this.
I stand up in anger as this man's attitude has finally brought me to a limit, but as I do so, Otto's hand rips me right back down to the couch. He whispers into my ear with a warning.
"Do not ruin this, Wyatt. If you do, I'll kill you."
For a second, I think he's joking, but as I look at the seriousness on his face, I realize why he's coming to the Underworld. He just lost a best friend. One that was close enough to be thought of as a twin by most. He wants to try and bring him back like Alexos did with his family.
I don't know how reasonable that is, though. Johnny has never shown any signs of wanting to bring Edmund back to life, which he surely would want to do if it was at all possible. He has spoken several times about how much he wished Edmund was on his side and how much he would be likely to join him. He must know something that Otto and Alexos don't. A reason that resurrection is likely impossible but that speaking to the dead isn't. I wonder what it is…
Johnny is the first one to respond to the doctor, and he does so over the soft growl of Dakota, who is giving his own warning toward Otto. The man and fox share a quick standoff.
"I have no intention of breaking this deal, and neither do any of my companions. How about your name, doctor? I've never heard it before. It's probably best if we at least know each other's names if we want to work together, and you already know mine."
The doctor smiles as he stands from the couch and waves his hand in a bow.
"I am Alonzo Morse. Nice to meet you all this dreary night. Now, shall we begin? I am quite eager for that corpse."
Johnny nods eagerly and stands up, motioning us to follow.
"I'd be glad to start, but where do you reckon we need to go to reach the Gate Of Death? A Crossroad?"
Alonzo smiles, a smile that only covers one side of his face.
"Indeed. But I don't exactly know where one is; few do. Just the region that they are known to appear in. It's called the Laughing Reeds in Sinscreak. Quite dangerous and, frankly, really far. A month or so journey at best. Worse case, though if we don't find anything, we can go down the old-fashioned way."
I speak up curiously about the old-fashioned way this time because my frustration has waned. The doctor might be insane, but Otto's right, even if he said it weirdly. We need this man, and we can't fuck this up. I also want to know about the region, but that can always come later if it's so far.
"What's the old-fashioned way?"
Alonzo glances me up and down.
"Well, child. That would be digging, of course! The Underworld is below us! Only it's separated by about a mile of stone at the least and hundreds at the most. So, just in case, I will leave some undead to dig a path outside the town. Wouldn't want that to be anywhere nearby."
I nod as I start to understand. The Underworld is below us, and Hell is even further below, right? The same type of block by rock and stone also likely exists between those two layers. And not putting the hole near a town makes a lot of sense. I can only imagine the ghosts and spirits that would crawl through. Most of which, probably all of which actually, are not human.
Alonzo then turns after answering my question and walks toward the exit of the mausoleum. As he does so, all the undead creatures, monstrosities, humanoids, and everything in between that were lying on the operating tables move and follow him like a general.
I share a glance with Johnny, asking with my eyes, "Why him?" and he only shakes his head with a short answer as Alonzo leaves the room.
"No one else but him. He's a wanted fugitive, but no one tries to capture him."
I understand as I look at the dozens, probably close to a hundred undead, and about ten of those Skadegamutc. He's a walking army with all those undead. Maybe with enough wounds and effort, we could make it to him to kill him, but I'm sure he has some tricks up his sleeve.
No way what we see is all he has. After all, he waited to show even this much in case he needed to ambush us. He seems like one of those sly people who don't approach a situation without a dozen ways out.
But that's not all. If you were to try and kill him, not only would you die, but your corpse would be turned into one of his servants afterward. I get why Johnny came to him, but I still hate it. We have no other choice but him. Everyone else that could help us find a way below is likely to be too hard to find without being spotted or to would us in the second they see us.
This whole situation is fucked. But I make a silent oath to myself as we follow the undead out of the mausoleum beside Alonzo.
This surgeon of death will die. Whether it's after we come back or when we get there. Whichever is more advantageous for me. But I will kill him. This… just isn't right. The dead should stay dead and not be defiled like this.
He sutures new limbs to corpses. He sutures corpses together to make giant monstrosities. He implants weapons into their bones to make the undead more powerful, having cannons in their wrists or pistol barrels in their fingers.
No one deserves that type of shit.
But I shove all my feelings down for now. He will pay later. For now, we need him. I need him. Otherwise, I won't get to see Ma or Edmund again.
I follow the horde of undead out of the mausoleum with the others. It's crowded with the surgeon's creations, and we have trouble sticking together. Eventually, I pick up Dakota and hold him with one arm as we walk to ensure he sticks with me.
When we exit the mausoleum, Alonzo is there waiting for us as the undead continue to stream out of the place and through the streets toward the town's borders. Just as my concern for the people of Highstone rises, Alonzo speaks.
"The town is used to my pretties. Just ignore them as we walk past."
Johnny looks a bit skeptical and asks the doctor what we've all been thinking.
"Are you taking all of these undead with us?"
Alonzo shakes his head negatively.
"No, of course not. Most of these will be digging the hole in case we need it. I'll only bring a few Skades — Skadegamutc if you're unfamiliar— and a Kicah."
As he says Kicah, a shadow rises from his scalp, and yellow eyes come from it. Immediately I feel danger touch and reflexively raise my arm in defense, but before anything can even happen, the yellow eyes disappear.
Johnny nods slowly as he sees my movement. Then he raises his eyebrows at me. I give him a small smile, and he asks Alonzo one final question after checking on me.
"Yes, I've heard of them both before, only briefly, though. I do have a final thing to ask, however. Why have you not made a hole to the Underworld?"
Alonzo starts walking out of the area around the mausoleum by heading toward the black iron gate where his undead is walking. He answers without even looking back at us.
"Some Sextons do that, but only the super powerful or the super dumb do so. I have little confidence in controlling a way to the Gate Of Death myself, both from the spirits that come out and the people that would want it. I'm no specialist in spirits. I dabble, but I much prefer the flesh, y'know? That and the only tunnel to the gate I even know of that stably exists is in Onyx Gate. A bunch of Hunter conclaves and the Pillar of Onyx Gate, Scalding Iron, guard it. If I'm forced to make one, I'll collapse it right after it's used."
Makes sense why he doesn't have one if it takes a Pillar and hundreds of Hunters to secure one. And if he ends up collapsing it, then we'll have to find another way up. There has to be, though, right? The Cardinal could be a way, I suppose. It's said to bring water up to the surface.
Eh, whatever; I'll worry about that stuff later. I need to stay focused in case this doctor betrays us somehow. I constantly look to ensure he's not communicating somehow with someone else while we walk through the town, but all I see are closed windows with curtains covering them.
Everyone seems unwilling to even gaze at the surgeon's undead procession through the city streets. I do, however, catch a glimpse of a child's face that peeks through a corner, but he is quickly ripped away by a hand and a harsh whisper that I can't make out.
Yeah… Something tells me the people here don't care for Alonzo at all. He probably uses them for his experiments and other cruel things. But if that's the case, why has nobody done anything? Why are Hunters after us instead of him?
The more and more of this world I see makes me further agree with Johnny. Something is rotten with the Hunters. Those at the top simply don't give a shit for anyone but themselves. And because we're challenging them directly, unlike Alonzo, we're one of their top enemies.
The only thing I can do is shake my head and continue the walk out of the town. When we reach our carriage, Alonzo sends an undead to get one of his. Then, he makes a final deal type of thing between him and Johnny.
"I will lead you all to the Laughing Reeds, and when we get there, you tell me exactly where the body is that I want. If anyone is protecting it, you should also give me a pass or something. Because nothing will stop me from getting what's mine. I will wait ten days outside the Reeds, and if you do not return, I will assume my job is done. If you return, then we will go to the hole that I have being dug."
Johnny nods to his words and agrees with the condition. It is quite fair, after all.
"That sounds good to me. I'll write a letter that you will have to deliver to a man named Sacate. He will be able to give you the body. However, if no one is there, you can find the body in the morgue. It's a bit destroyed, but the building held up enough to put some of our enemies inside."
Alonzo just gives him a grin before calling over his Skadegamutc with a click of his tongue.
Ten creatures that were very difficult to kill in a pack of two walk over to him and transform into black blobs that join onto the man's robe. They look identical to the dozen or so stains of necrosis that I noticed earlier. He then moves to his carriage and has a zombie dressed in a butler's outfit pull him up.
This man… He seems relatively weak on his own as he needs an undead to help pull him up to his carriage. But in reality… this surgeon is anything but bland.