“Nightbleed”: The Dying of The Light
‘Nothing better awaited her in the long night ahead.’
This chilling, bizarrely macabre story by Peter Fehervari is a real gem of The Accursed anthology....
As we well know, in the grimdark galaxy of the far future countless trillions of sentient beings asleep or awake produce quite real monsters on a near-industrial scale. So Hive Carceri, one of the five domed megalopolises on planet Sarastus with its mix of insatiable modern-day corporations (Quantity Over Quality), dogmatic tech-priesthood (The Balance Above All), canonical fanatic clergy (say Malachi Tythe from “Requiem Infernal”) and the teeming masses of dross living in eternal, primal fear of the cosmic night shrouding their world (a reference to Nostramo?) is an ideal backdrop to the forthcoming events that will unstitch both its fabric and its folk... The integrity of the ancient city is indomitable – why, to think otherwise is to harbour heresy – but the spirit of its inhabitants has been steadily eroding, heralding doom for all. And in “Nightbleed” such two irrevocably twisted souls gravitate hard and fast towards each other’s fates while, unbeknown to the ignorant multitudes, Brave True Night draws ever closer... for as above, so below, and as without, so within.
There she had wandered her city as its lights expired one by one, leaving hungry shadows in their wake.
And its protagonists are quite a pair of samples in the Petri Peter’s dish! The first is Chel, an embittered, prematurely-aged woman stuck in a sickening relationship with a pompous drunkard, a job of highly questionable morality, and nightmares that feel more real than waking life. The second is De Skreech Dat Shreddz De Lyte, formerly Kristopher – another broken noble of that name ensnared by the darkest coil – and his demise is rather tragic, though it’s damn hard to summon the littlest bit of compassion for the guy... and little does he guess that even if he may speak with the voice of a god, his exploits are but a pale imitation/precursor of the real night-bound terror to walk the streets... And still, while the two Carcerians may believe they’re shaping reality, it is their destinies that shape them in turn, for whatever inscrutable aims. Did they forge their fates themselves or were being forged by fate all along? This is a question that often surfaces in other Warhammer stories, but here it acquires a darkly ironic, welcomingly… trademark Fehervarian twist.
‘You are nothing,’ she judged. Picturing his mask’s cord, she tore it free with a twist of her will. ‘Let me make something of you.’
And both Chel and Skreech go gently – willingly – into the night... because once you start, you’re unable to stop.
Run, hide, weep or fight, it’ll all end the same way, for where’s there’s one, there’s always more, waiting right inside you and wanting out!
This relatively short but masterful story works equally great as both a standalone urban scary tale and a thrilling addition to the Fehervari sub-universe within the greater setting, its mutually intertwining narrative serving as a parable of the attempts of those daredevil souls who
Try to descry, but for an instance,
A cryptic Coil’s infernal paths
That has long poisoned all existence
With oft-appalling aftermaths...
“Nightbleed” with its witty, poignant view of day-to-day life in the «civilized» Imperium not just explores some important themes of our own reality but also offers new teasers, hints at further revelations, contains a whole basket of Easter eggs, riddles and many more besides, for an attentive reader (like designating various population groups by Gothic letters – remind you of something?) Once again the text demonstrates Peter’s mastery of the genre as he deftly explores our deep-seated fears, integral parts of human psyche and the unwanted repercussions of past misdeeds, from an original and spookily delightful angle, all the while indulging the thrill of murky mysteries best left unrevealed – especially if they are hidden too well…
Moreover, no matter their actual contents (always unfailingly superb as they are), Peter’s literary works with their baroque and poetic style are simply a pleasure to read on their own merits, for his command of the English language is of the highest possible standard, while each rereading gradually yet inexorably deepens our comprehension of the overall coiled and thorny picture – a metaphysical tapestry where each thread/skein/tenet «reveals itself in congruence with the others, disclosing more of the whole».
All components of the story (except one little acronym, probably) present a real treat for the regular Coil-divers, as well as a generous helping of dread for everyone else. The Needlesong strongly resembling certain lines from the self-writing book of Jonah Three-Eyes from “Requiem Infernal” plus the mad ravings of Inquisitor Mordaine’s crew in “Genestealer Cults”... Thornflower, this grand metaphor of a Coil whose dark threads perpetually tighten and multiply, drawing – or hurling – yet more desperate seekers, unwary pilgrims and human monsters (or all of the above) in its baleful embrace, making them drink deep of its mistruths... And of course, every brewing catastrophe needs a catalyst of one sort or another; in this case – a mystical substance reminiscent of both the Phaedran treat zoma from “Fire Caste” and the sable kiss of “The Thirteenth Psalm” and “The Reverie”. And let us not forget one ghost commissar’s special mantra...
Oh, and that Mrs Gray/Needlewoman’s gonna have so much fun ahead of it... I do wonder where else might I meet it after/before?..
‘Will you, won’t you rise to fulfil the Fall?’