The Jeniyan: Book Two of the Necropolis Series, #2

By Penn Fawn

The Shetani, a man hating tribe within the underworld, an ancient realm replete with prehistoric animals and medieval technology, aims to annihilate an old rival called the Jeniyan. The Shetani's wrath is evoked after they learn the Jeniyan allowed a body of men seeking refuge a stay within their territory, but little did the men know why the Jeniyan received them with open arms.

 

Little does the Jeiniyan know the men are wanted for attempting to exterminate the Shetani's leader, the dark lord Nyeusi, but also for being in possession of a coveted magical jewel. That jewel is the Necropolis.

 

This is the second book of the Necropolis series, a dark fantasy adventure in which its heroes and heroines who believed life ended when they died learned this was not so. In this sequel, the Shetani, their misanthropic foe, once again works in concert with the necromancer, the chief practitioner of black magic and sorcery there, who is also indifferent to the fallen men's plight.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penn Fawn
• Release date: May 28, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201014803

Penn Fawn

Penn Fawn is the author of the dark fantasy series, Necropolis, and its spin off series, The Underworld, a terrifying place in the afterlife where men who believed they will find eternal rest there discovered that isn't true. They also learned their death was a portal to the continuation of life in that world that was far worse than whatever they heard about hell. Fawn is the owner of Penn Fawn Books, which also publishes short form fiction and coloring books.

Book preview

Chapter I ♠ No Man’s Land

WE’VE BEEN OUT HERE for quite some time. Longer than I expected we might have survived, Asfar said.

So, you’ve been that optimistic, eh? Sodom asked.

I was not sure what to expect once we broke free from our captors. I didn’t know how long we could expect to enjoy our freedom, nor how long we could expect to enjoy seeing the light of day again, Asfar replied.

Well, none of us knew that and I suspect my expectation was the same. We are in unchartered territory, after all.

It was near midnight and they plus around seven thousand of their peers were out in the middle of a semi-arid landscape, which they knew nothing about.

Right, Asfar replied.

But have you forgotten that in this newfound world, I mean outside of where we were held captive, we could still survive forever if we’re not mortally wounded?

Well again, that’s the thing, Asfar said. I thought by now perhaps we might have been.

Been mortally wounded? Sodom asked.

I suppose. I don’t know. After having gone through all that we did, I guess in the back of my mind I was thinking eventually they’d come looking for us with vengeful hearts, he replied. That’s all.

There’s still time, Sodom replied.

I guess so, Asfar said.

Nothing to guess at, Sodom said. I don’t think for a second they’re just going to sit back and let bygones be bygones.

Right, Asfar said, becoming pensive. Well, he added. They sure are taking their time about it.

Sounds like you’re in a rush to have something unpleasant happen. Almost like you’re in a rush for us to meet our end.

I’m not in any rush, Asfar replied.

You could have fooled me, Sodom said.

Asfar did not reply.

My advice to you? Why trouble yourself with such things? Meaning thoughts about when and how you’re going to die. I think it should be enough to know one day you will and that’s it.

I never would have had these thoughts until we got here. I mean outside of the mountain, Asfar replied.

Again, I’d bet you’re not the only one for whom at the back of his mind there is that fear. The fear of when are they going to return.

You’re most likely right, Asfar said.

Most likely they will return at some point, and it will also most likely mean our end, and that’s it, Sodom said.

That confident are you about our chances of survival, eh? Mwema interjected.

Sodom and Asfar, both of whom were lying on their backs gazing up at the stars, swiftly rose from a lying to upright position.

Mwema, the former said. You’re up.

I’m finding it difficult to fall asleep, she replied.

That makes three of us, Asfar said. At least.

I didn’t mean to eavesdrop on your conversation, she added.

It’s alright. I don’t care that you heard, Sodom said.

Same here, Asfar replied. Like Sodom said, what I mentioned is probably something that at some point crossed or crosses everyone’s mind anyway. It’s not anything secret.

Well, in spite of it, we’re that confident, are we? I mean after all we’ve been through?

Neither of them answered.

I wonder what would your thoughts be had you been around for a long as I have, she added.

Still, neither one offered to reply.

Matters not, I guess. I mean I doubt your thinking could be any more negative.

We’re out in the middle of heaven alone knows where, Sodom found his voice, "and, we have no idea where we’re going. You’re the most knowledgeable among us and you took us to as far as you knew, then you admitted to not knowing what lays in the direction an ignorant consensus decided we should go.

"This is not blaming or expecting more of you. You did more than any of us could have done by leading us out of that labyrinth within the mountain in which they held us prisoner, and they would have continued to do so for all time.

But shortly after the ensuing uprising, you dropped off and bade our protectors goodbye.

And, they left the Necropolis with us, Mwema interjected.

The Necropolis was a diamond rumored to be the largest jewel ever found. It was cast and encased in a silver bangle with two smaller sized diamonds placed on either of its sides. It was named after the burial ground of the fabled city called Sanctuary, whose inhabitants were allegedly laid to waste by the necromancer, the lord of the underworld.

Sodom fell silent.

That’s something, isn’t it? she asked.

He did not reply.

Or, have you already forgotten how well it served us and them during our darkest hour? she asked.

I have not, Sodom replied.

So, that’s something to be hopeful about, she said. There is always hope.

Perhaps, Asfar said. Is it of any use when not in the presence of children?

Mwema fell silent.

Sodom and Asfar looked at each other then directed their attention to her.

Is it? Asfar asked.

I’m afraid I’m not sure, she replied with a countenance that turned glum.

Then for us, it may not be much more than a pretty thing, Sodom said gravely.

I . . . I never thought about that, she said.

Hm, Asfar, who never thought about it either, uttered.

Using it to offer a supplication when not in the presence of children may be useless. No help from the heavenly hosts would come to our aid.

Perhaps, Mwema said.

Perhaps? Sodom replied. We don’t know that we can rely on it and there’s no way to know unless we’re near our end.

I understand that now, Sodom. Thanks for pointing it out.

You’re welcome, he said.

I mean it, she said. I was not being sarcastic. We should know where we stand.

I agree, he replied, And, where we stand is on uncertain ground.

Sobering, but at least we’re no longer enslaved, she said.

He did not reply.

There was never a promise any of this would be easy, she said. Perhaps if we led a more honorable existence, we would not have found ourselves in this position.

It’s too late for any of that now. We’re here and we have to deal with the present situation, Sodom said.

Yay to that, she returned. So, forget about my mentioning the jewel then, and getting back to what I’d started on before, we slew their leader, the head of the beast, and its body, their army, fell like a stone. It will take them time to come to terms with this before they offer a retaliatory response.

But again, Mwema, we also had the children with us. The Shetani feared them more than death itself, lest they alarm or harm one and fall under the spell of immortality, Asfar interjected. True immortality. No hope whatsoever of rest, not even if slain.

"Enough about the children. We don’t have the benefit of their company now. I say ’tis no reason to not be hopeful. The children, and may the gods continue to bless them, would have only been full of hope. They showed more courage in their fingertips than any of us, or especially you, based on what I’m hearing tonight. Their courage was inspirational, and it is what helped us get this far.

If I allowed despondency to get the better of me during my time here, a time which seemed to have no end, I would have never gotten this far. Even in the darkest of times, time which seemed to span eternal, deep inside of me there was still hope, and here I am today, a free woman.

The men fell silent, and the stillness of the night sounded in their ears.

My bet is we’ve strayed far enough away to be in safe territory now, Mwema added.

What makes you think that? Sodom asked.

"Have you forgotten some of the finer points about our differences? The Shetani are not like you and I. Remember?

Unlike us, they can stray but so far away from a supply line before they perish, she said.

Supply line? Sodom asked.

From food and water, she added. They’re not under any curses like you are.

And, not you? he asked.

"I can eat without suffering any adverse effects, but I don’t need to. The times that I did, I did so mostly so they wouldn’t suspect I’m an immortal.

Like you, I can eat nothing and nothing bad will ever happen to me. There’ll be no suffering from a lack of nutrition. So, to answer your question, concerning not eating, I do just fine, thank you.

I see, he said.

They don’t have that luxury, she said.

If you can call it that, Sodom said.

Call it what you wish, Mwema replied. You get my point. They can’t stray too far out into the middle of nowhere, not knowing how they are going to sustain themselves.

I hear you, Sodom said. How does that sound to you, Asfar? Settles your mind any?

I guess it does somewhat, he replied.

We should try to get some rest, Mwema said, or we’ll all be sorry if we didn’t in the morning. We must press on at the first sign of light.

Chapter II ♠ Where Are We Going? Nobody Knows

AT THE BREAK OF DAY, they held a steady course north over terrain that did not vary much.

They did the same thing the following day and the one after that.

Where are we going? Nobody knows, but going someplace we are, Sodom remarked.

Was there ever a time when we knew where we were going? Penal asked.

I don’t suppose any of that matters now, Ali said.

Why do we so often place so much emphasis on the destination and not the journey? Daniel asked.

Finding it fun yet, Daniel? Asfar said.

I’m not, Daniel remarked, but who said it was supposed to be fun? Where did or do those thoughts come from, I wonder.

Don’t take it quite so literal, man. You have to admit though, the larger part of this has been monotonous and mostly a bore, Asfar remarked.

A bore! Aside from our last few days out here, you call all that led up to it a bore? Daniel asked. Few will live to experience what we did. And this now is no bore. At least not for me. I’m very nervous, anxious, and uncomfortable.

I didn’t mean it like that, Asfar returned, although most of what we experienced within the confines of the mountain was so prolonged a period of drudgery, no man should ever have to endure that. Having mentioned what you did though, I’m nervous, anxious, and uncomfortable as well, coming to think of it.

We all are, Ali said.

And, that stemmed from pursuing a phantom we went headlong toward, Daniel remarked.

"Not. The phantom as you call it, was gold, and we happened to get caught up in a situation. The consequences were hardly intended.

You were the least enthusiastic about going on the quest. I’ll give you that much credit, Asfar said.

For just a while, Ali interjected. He could not wait to leave the village after our guides were killed. Remember?

Whatever, Daniel remarked. "You digress, and my desire to leave as soon as possible was fueled more from a concern for our safety than anything else. I feared we overstayed our time and might have been killed too.

But again, why do we place so much emphasis on destinations we know nothing about, I wonder?

In this case here, we are without a home, Penal remarked.

And, we have been without one ever since we left our homes, Daniel replied. And, there is no chance of ever returning to them. Man up and get used to it. You’ve endured far worse.

To acquire a little warmth and comfort should never be far from any man’s reach. That should be contrary to all the laws of nature, Penal remarked.

Ah, but it is the exact opposite, Daniel quipped. From day one man has had to strive and struggle to improve his standing according to the laws of nature.

Well, I guess the point is we don’t always have that much of a say in improving our standing, do we? Penal said. We’re so much like petals blowing on the wind. More often than not we’re at the mercy of wherever the winds take us.

No wind blew us here. We are here because of the actions we took, Daniel said.

Having goals or a preoccupation with a desired end is important, Sodom interjected. Show me a man who does not care about where he is going, and you’ve shown me a man who does not much care about anything.

Perhaps, or arguably, Daniel replied, but unsettling as it may be, the fact is we don’t know anything about where we’re going. None of us do, and I don’t have to remind you of that.

No, you don’t, Penal said.

There! Mwema said.

What? Where? an alarmed Daniel returned.

Yonder. Up in the sky, she replied, pointing before her.

Lord, please let it not be, Penal prayed.

A kilmanya, is it? Asfar asked.

A kilmanya, also or better known as the kilman, was the last of a series of prehistoric flying reptiles from which the dragon myth and legend likely evolved.

Looks like it, she returned.

Hopefully a lone wolf, Ali said.

Or, a scout maybe, Daniel said. Down everyone! Down now! he shouted, and they threw themselves onto the earth.

Some curled into a fetal position. Others lay flat but all hoped the passerby was without a rider. If that were not the case, they hoped should any rider see them from the height at which he approached, he would think they were merely rocks.

Men strained their necks to maintain a view of the approaching beast when a second and third beast came into view.

More of them, Mwema said.

Wild ones, I hope. Let us pray they are without any owner, Daniel needn’t have said, for those were their hopes and prayers exactly—all seven thousand of them who were without any place where they could hide.

The first animal that had caught their attention drew near and swept overhead.

What now? Penal said, since any prayer is worthless. There is a rider on its back.

Just stay put, Sodom said. Perhaps we weren’t detected.

The second beast flew by then the third and there were riders atop them both.

Hearts raced and despite what Penal said, many found themselves hoping and praying notwithstanding.

One by one the kilmans turned around and headed back in the direction from which they had come.

Mindful of stirring hand or foot, the immortals scarcely moved a millimeter. Their eyes locked onto what was taking place above and it was only after the beasts appeared to vanish on the horizon that they felt it was safe to rise.

Now that was nice, Asfar said. What do we do now?

We should go back, back from where we came, Sodom said.

What! Back toward Death Valley! For what reason? To march right into the arms of the Shetani?

"Well apparently, or I would guess they have a footing somewhere out here too, or not far from here.

Surely, those were scouts out looking for us. It’s only a matter of time before we are confronted and we’re so, so out in the open. Practically defenseless! Asfar remarked.

Stop that! Daniel said. "We’re armed to the last man. If we’re to meet our end during a battle, we’re prepared as could be.

You who are crying, some days ago, you wanted to be out from under our captors, didn’t you? You wanted that more than anything else in this world. Well, now you are out and this is what it means. Quit crying! It’s about time you acknowledged there will be no easy road. Got it?

I think we all should try to relax a bit. We don’t know whether they saw us. You know what I mean. I mean recognized us for what we are from that height at which they approached, Hatima said.

You really think we were that inconspicuous, that we blended in with the surroundings so well, like a chameleon? Fate asked.

Well, our clothing is damn near the color of the soil, Hatima said, but I never said for sure they didn’t see us. We really don’t know.

We don’t know anything, Penal quipped.

What do you want? Mwema asked.

I want what all of you or all men want. Above all, to feel a sense of comfort and safety, security if you will, Penal replied. You know that. I mean isn’t that what we all want? Isn’t that what our daily struggles are about? A means to strive toward those ends?

Fair enough, Mwema said. Well, you will have to struggle a bit more, she added. We all will have to.

And, it never ends, Penal said.

No, it doesn’t, she said firmly.

Chapter III ♠ The Cold Touch Of Death

MAYBE WE WEREN’T RECOGNIZED by those scouts, after all, Asfar said.

What makes you say that? Sodom asked.

Another day and a half gone and we’re still here. Still breathing, Asfar replied.

He lay on his back gazing up at the night sky.

You know something, Sodom said.

What? Asfar asked.

I wish I’d never listened to Ali. I wish I never agreed to come along on this stupid quest. Now if I had some way of knowing what I was in for having accepted his invitation, I wouldn’t be in this godforsaken situation.

I feel the same, Asfar remarked, And, I think that goes for all of us.

Probably for him especially. Notice he no longer runs around strutting his stuff and running his big mouth. He is a broken man, a shadow of the person he once was.

Yeah, he hardly says much anymore, Asfar remarked.

Sodom thought about how they spent their day, although it was spent no differently from how they spent any of the others after having overthrown and freed themselves from their captors.

Conversations like the one they presently kept, and on similar or related topics, gave them something to do during their endless march toward what they hoped would be greener pastures.

Hitherto, during their journey, encountering terrain with a growth of trees was a welcome sight, for it provided the opportunity for shade.

There was no such terrain where they lay presently. They were out in the open having opted to spend the night there after traveling for hours on end during the latter part of the day, with no sign of where they felt would be a good spot to pass the night.

Theirs had been another day in which most of the terrain they passed looked spectacularly uniform for miles upon miles seemingly without end.

I’ll tell you something else, Sodom said.

What? Asfar asked.

I’d gladly exchange this for the life I had behind prison walls any day, he replied.

Would you? Asfar asked.

In a heartbeat, Sodom replied. Wouldn’t you?

Asfar was slow to respond.

Coming to think of it, yes. I think I’d have to agree with you there, he said.

I’d kill for the opportunity to know what it is like to enjoy a meal again and I don’t mean anything fancy. I mean any damn meal, Sodom said.

You and I both, Asfar said.

I wonder who came up with these things, Sodom said.

What things? Asfar asked.

Meaning conceptualized this. This world, this existence, Sodom replied.

The gods I guess, Asfar replied, provided you believe in any of that.

Then I wonder what can we do to appease them, Sodom asked.

Don’t know, Asfar replied. We had our time to choose another path but we chose this.

We knew nothing about this, Sodom replied.

Yes. What I mean is there are consequences for one’s actions. We opted to go along with a man who listens to no one, to no voice other than his own. We were warned a million times not to come this way. We were told plainly that to enter the lair atop the mountain was to enter the world of no return. At no point did we have to go along with Ali, but we did. We made our beds, now we must sleep in them, Asfar said.

There’s not much I wouldn’t do to sleep in a bed right now, Sodom remarked.

Their beds were wherever they decided to lay upon the cold earth.

Most of their peers had long selected preferred spots and were fast asleep under the open sky.

They were, after all, without exception, dead tired, having spent the greater part of the day on their feet out in the heat.

Their nights began precisely as Asfar and Sodom’s did that night. That is to say with a winding down chat, and before they knew it, they would be out like a light, sleeping as soundly as if they were in the most comfortable of beds and surroundings.

Before long, their, Sodom, and Asfar’s chat too, came to an abrupt end, and snores could be heard all around.

Ali, in his sleep induced stupor, was the first to be awakened by a sensation he could not make heads nor tails of.

He felt the sensation of what he thought was someone or several people tapping him ever so lightly wherever his skin was exposed. This roused him and his face grew longer than the Euphrates when he learned the sensations he felt, was that of raindrops.

He looked about him.

One by one his peers were roused or jolted from their sleep. Alarmed countenances in the dark all but turned to stone when the drizzle quickly transitioned into a downpour.

Some of them got on their feet and combed their minds for what could they do. Others, like Ali, sat on their rumps engrossed by the same thoughts.

Daniel was one of those sitting. He looked across from him and in the moonlight his eyes met Mwema’s.

She’d never seen him ever look quite so dejected and he wondered whether the rain which ran down his face, masked he was crying.

He redirected his gaze toward the horizon he could not see. The rain came down in sheaths, limiting the view of what the darkness of night had already concealed.

Mwema got closer.

She sat beside him and he wrapped his arm around her.

The sky is crying, Penal remarked.

Not for us, Ali said. I ought to take my advice about what I’m about to say, but fancy me telling you don’t for a second think we’ll be shown any mercy here.

I began to lose all hope about that a while ago, Penal said morosely.

Some of their peers, those who were held captive within the mountain long before they had arrived, wept openly.

Hatima was inconsolable.

Fate stared emptily ahead at nothing in particular and one Grengo and a certain Teseka wondered how long would it be before the downpour ended.

The soil beneath them became waterlogged. It turned muddy long before it showed any sign the rain would let up.

Be that as it may, Sodom said to himself with no small degree of trepidation, it would have to do as far as a bed goes. Exhausted, he prayed the rain would end so he could lay as peacefully as possible in the mud.

It continued to show no trace of wanting to end at any time soon.

Those who were standing soon realized there was little point in doing so. There was nowhere to go for miles that didn’t look precisely like where they presently were.

There was nowhere to go to for shelter so they sat down again.

Many tucked their knees closer in toward their torsos. ’Twas the best one could do to try and stay as warm as possible given the situation.

Few of them spoke. They became lost in thought as the raindrops beat a pitter-patter tune onto the drenched ground aside them.

Their day had been yet another long one and having been roused from their sleep did nothing to combat their fatigue.

In time, even the staunchest of those who’d been holding out for the rain to ease up succumbed to eyelids that began to feel heavy.

A creeping weariness they were powerless to resist took hold of them.

Those now sitting felt an urge to lay on their side, which they did until slowly but surely, they fell asleep again.

Rain mixed with tears ran down the sides of many a face.

By the time the downpour subsided and came to an end, none there knew anything of it.

The clouds above, which had the men been awake, they would not have been able to see under the cover of darkness from the early morning, began to disperse.

The sun on the horizon cast its light on the drenched lot, many of whom awoke and instantly began shivering.

Ali was one.

His nostrils were congested to the point where he found it difficult to breathe, and he had the worst sore throat he ever knew.

Penal awoke and saw his friend shaking and trembling violently in the mud.

Ali, he said. Are you okay, Ali?

He shook his head from side to side.

No, he uttered, and Penal scarcely made out what he said.

His voice was horse and he had little power to project it more authoritatively.

My word, Penal said. Looks like you’re coming down with something.

Ali shook his head to affirm what he said was correct.

You have the chills, Penal said. Ague. Your body’s lost too much heat.

He was not the only one going through this. He coughed and his throat felt like someone had managed to get in there overnight and rub the inside of it with sandpaper.

Penal watched him continue to struggle with a cough Ali wished he could instantly stop.

Every time he did so he felt sapped of his energy. He then trembled terribly, like that of a man under an epileptic seizure.

This situation played itself out through the makeshift camp, one in which there was not a single tent.

Its most defining characteristics were mud and those who’d slept in it, some who appeared well on their way to developing pneumonia.

Mwema, Daniel, Sodom, and Asfar, gathered around Ali.

What can we do? Daniel asked.

Nothing, Mwema replied.

They looked at each other solemnly.

He needs heat, to warm up, Daniel said.

I know but we have nothing with which we can offer him any aid. The only heat he can hope to get is from that of the sun, she said.

But he’ll need more. He’ll need care, Sodom remarked.

Him and many of those you hear coughing, Mwema replied. We have nothing more that we can offer.

Well, what do you do then? Asfar asked.

There’s nothing we can do, Mwema said matter of factly.

The men looked at her then at each other.

I know you mean to get going, Ali struggled to utter. Don’t let me hold you back.

Think you can stand, Ali? Sodom asked.

He nodded his head to confirm he believed he could.

Sodom helped him onto his feet, and to him, the morning’s air, which was not at all windy, felt as cold as ice. He trembled violently in Sodom’s arms. His legs felt like rickety stilts and he was hunched over like an old man with a spine deformed from osteoporosis.

Think you can move, Ali? Sodom asked.

He feebly shook his head in an upward then downward manner, then placed a foot before the other only to find himself shaking like a frail structure caught in a strong breeze.

I . . . I ca ca can’t do it, he said, with a panged expression. Let me down.

Daniel’s face grew long. He swallowed his spittle and it felt like there was a lump in his throat.

Throughout the camp faces on the whole never appeared more distraught, not even during their darkest days within the mountain, days when any thought of an escape, or being able to see the light of day once more, seemed like nothing more than fantasy.

Sodom did as was told and watched his friend slump down onto the muddy ground.

Do what you have to do, he struggled to utter. Leave me.

I’m not leaving you, Sodom replied.

You don’t have to stay, Ali uttered. Not for my sa sa sake. It’ll probably serve no end other than to wa wa watch me die. Spare yu yu yourself the discomfort.

Sodom looked at Daniel. You can go, he said. I know that’s what you’re debating inside your head.

Daniel did not reply.

You can rush along to go wherever, or nowhere, Sodom said. It’s the typical thing we as men do. All in a rush and to go where?

Daniel looked at Mwema.

Ali wasn’t the only one who succumbed to the cold, so the question of whether to stay or go was played out through the camp.

In a rush to find some shelter? Sodom continued. We don’t even know where that is. I mean there’s nothing out here! We may sooner be drenched by another downpour before we find it.

I didn’t say anything, Daniel replied.

But you’re thinking something, Sodom said.

Can one be alive and provided you aren’t asleep not be thinking about something?

Never, Sodom said.

So, there. We’ll stay awhile. See what happens, Daniel replied.

He then looked at Mwema and walked away.

She followed him.

Penal looked at Sodom then at Asfar.

What do you think is going to happen? he asked.

I don’t know, Asfar replied. He’s really in a bad way, and we don’t have anything with which we can cover him to give him much needed warmth. His body is losing too much heat.

Ali, who was on the ground right near them, hated hearing them speak about him so matter of factly, but he was so overcome he opted not to respond.

Consensus at the camp held they should stay where they were for a bit more.

A number of those who were concerned for the aggrieved, but bored by the standstill, engaged in mock battles. Some practiced sword duels.

Others engaged in calisthenics, mostly pushups, but also many other exercises of the whatever came to mind variety.

This helped them get an increased pump of blood circulating throughout various parts of their bodies.

The sun was now up in earnest and the combination stemming from it plus their physical activities helped them feel warmer.

Ali, plus the rest of those who caught a cold and the flu, however, felt no warmer or better.

For that matter, they felt worse.

Sodom, who never strayed too far from him, looked down at his friend with