by Jordan, G R
Kirkgordon held Austerley’s head to the ground so that he couldn’t peer too far over the terrain and alert others to their presence. The rest of the group could be trusted and Kirkgordon flashed a How many? sign to Havers. Thirty to forty came the reply. Better not to get noticed.
Soon Kirkgordon’s eyeline was dominated by humanoid figures that looked like upright frogs. They were the fully developed counterparts of those he had seen on the Scottish island, and most had lost all traces of humanity. The eyes were bloated and the legs were spindly below the knee but wide at the thigh. Webbed feet kicked up dust as they hopped. At least there must be water, thought Kirkgordon. These things couldn’t survive in this dryness.
Looking at the rest of the team, Kirkgordon was not surprised to sense uneasiness in Calandra and Havers. Both had nearly lost their lives to these creatures before. Nefol was sullen-facedly staring at the parade. Several times Austerley tried to raise his head only to find it gently pushed back down by Kirkgordon, who had witnessed Austerley’s negative reactions too many times. Most fire brigades would kill to have a siren like an Austerley breakdown.
The creatures were almost out of view when they suddenly stopped. One of the frog-men left the front of the party and joined a taller frog-man at the rear. There were various croaks and shakes of their heads, then a harsher croak brought the whole party around. They started to hop as one towards the hump that hid Kirkgordon and Austerley.
“Churchy!” came a hushed whisper.
“Not now, Indy!”
“But my foot, it’s pounding. It’s vibrating. Moving.”
Kirkgordon looked down and saw the boot over Austerley’s black foot rippling like a wave across its surface. His eyes widened as the foot swelled and contracted. Looking back up, he saw the frog-men hopping frantically towards their position.
“Cally! Havers! Grab Austerley and run. That way. And don’t stop until you’re clear of me.”
His partners did not hesitate, each linking an arm under Austerley’s and dragging the former professor away. Austerley was stunned at first but then he began to shout.
“My foot. It’s pounding. It’s pulsing. Look my foot!”
Nefol stood beside Kirkgordon with her staff at the ready, but Kirkgordon rounded on her.
“Get away, Nefol, go. Leave me. I know what I’m doing.”
Looking up, Nefol saw the frog-man horde drawing closer, less than twenty metres away now. The young girl shook her head and focused on the oncoming targets.
“Nefol! Oh heck, hang on then.” Kirkgordon stepped across Nefol, placing himself between the horde and the girl. She watched him draw his bow and saw the markings on the feathers. Dropping to her knees, she placed herself at Kirkgordon’s heels and grabbed his legs with one hand, planting her staff into the ground with the other.
The horde was ten metres away when Kirkgordon loosed the arrow. The lead frog-man had just taken to the air with a large push from his massive thighs and the arrow sailed past him. It looked like Kirkgordon had lost this battle. The creature continued its flight and was in its downward arc, arms raised and about to land on Kirkgordon’s head when the arrow pierced the ground some twenty metres away.
The frog-man felt a pull from behind, as if a lasso had reached out and grabbed his body. For a moment he was held suspended in the air, then he started to edge backwards. Kirkgordon smiled as he watched the horde being dragged into the vortex that the arrow had produced. A mighty wind blew past his shoulders and he felt Nefol clutching him tightly. He crouched in front of her to block her progress towards the vortex. One by one, the frog-men were whipped from their feet into the newly formed abyss, a howling sound accompanying their demise.
Kirkgordon knew that the vortex had no effect on the shooter, but he was also aware that everyone around him would get pulled towards it. Inside his head, a little doubt banged upon the door and asked whether his friends had gotten far enough away. After all, there was so little vegetation or solid matter to grab onto. Watching the last frog-man disappear into the blackness, he heard shouts from Austerley and Havers. The hole was closing back up but the pair raced past him like they were on invisible carts. When the vortex collapsed, Austerley was five metres in front of Kirkgordon, face down in the dirt. Havers was lying on his back, having spread himself in an attempt to slow his progress.
“I told you to cling to the staff.” Turning, Kirkgordon saw Calandra with a scold on her face, her eyes pinned on Austerley. Her black wings were spread open and she gave off a regal air, looking like a Valkyrie. “Nefol, are you okay?”
The young girl nodded and released her grip on Kirkgordon. Havers stood up, glanced around, and brushed the dirt from his outfit.
“Well, I guess that was good thinking, Mr Kirkgordon, but shall we proceed?”
“In a minute, Mr Havers,” Kirkgordon replied. “There are a few things to consider first.” Kirkgordon turned to Nefol, who smiled back at him.
“Next time, Nefol, if I say run, then you run.”
Nefol’s face turned sullen. “Next time, then, kindly tell your team what you are doing.” Before Kirkgordon could answer, Nefol moped off towards Calandra, who was giving Kirkgordon a mother’s look of Was that really necessary?
“And as for you, Indy,” said Kirkgordon, “what’s the deal with your foot? It was like it was drawing the frog-men to it.”
Austerley nodded and, although still winded, started to speak.
“Yes… I think so… We are in the Nether lands.”
“Holland?” asked Calandra.
“No! The back lands. It doesn’t translate well. Creatures, things here… it’s like they’re drawn to evil, or so I’ve read. I don’t know how, but they know. And that damn witch was full of evil.”
“Don’t start that, Indy. You took the foot,” scolded Kirkgordon.
As Austerley snarled at Kirkgordon, Havers suggested a solution.
“Well, this would appear to be an unnecessary risk. I suggest removal of the appendage.”
“How?” asked Kirkgordon.
“What do you mean, how? No one’s taking my foot off!”
“Shush, Indy. How, Havers?”
“I have a blade, Mr Kirkgordon, and you know I can handle a blade.”
“Churchy, you keep that lunatic off me. Havers, you’ve been psycho since the priest got burnt. No one’s taking my foot off me.”
“Indy, not in front of her,” raged Calandra as Nefol stormed off.
“Bloody magic, Indy,” spat Kirkgordon. “Five minutes in and you guys are at each other.”
“Well, shall I?” asked Havers.
“No!” shouted Austerley.
“No. Not yet, Mr Havers. We are in the clear at the moment,” answered Kirkgordon.
“But for how long?”
“Long enough. But I’ll bear your suggestion in mind.”
“No you bloody won’t,” interjected Austerley.
“Enough!” Kirkgordon looked for Calandra and found her a little distance away. “Give Austerley a hand, will you?” he called to her. “And then we’d better get moving.”
“Okay, Indy, but where?”
“Austerley, you know where we are, but do you know it exactly?” asked Kirkgordon.
“No, nothing except that this is the Nether… back lands.”
“Well, the frog-men came from down that way, so there must be something there,” said Kirkgordon. “Let’s find out what it is.”
Acknowledgements
To Janet for her enthusiasm for my writing and giving me space to keep on knocking out the weird notions in my head.
To my wonderful children who give their Dad some space and for letting me be in their story.
To Al, for continued friendship and Austerleyness!
To everyone who comments and feeds back on the initial workings I hand out, it makes it that much easier.
To Jake for the most excellent artwork, Caroline for the sheen on the novel.
To Peter Urpeth and Emergents
, thanks for the continued support and help.
As always, to the fantastic American gentleman who misheard my friend’s name and then sent a package to a certain Mr Austerley. Your error was a gaff of genius.
To Kathleen and the Stornoway Writer’s Group. Thanks for all the encouragement and honesty.
To God who gave me this creative talent, may He watch over me like He watches over Kirkgordon.
About the Author
GR Jordan is a self-published author who finally decided at forty that in order to have an enjoyable lifestyle, his creative beast within would have to be unleashed. His books mirror that conflict in life where acts of decency contend with self-promotion, goodness stares in horror at evil and kindness blind-sides us when we are at our worst. Corrupting our world with his parade of wondrous and horrific characters, he highlights everyday tensions with fresh eyes whilst taking his methodical, intelligent mainstays on a roller-coaster ride of dilemmas, all the while suffering the banter of their provocative sidekicks.
A graduate of Loughborough University where he masqueraded as a chemical engineer but ultimately played American football, GR Jordan worked at changing the shape of cereal flakes and pulled a pallet truck for a living. Watching vegetables freeze at -40’C was another career highlight and he was also one of the Scottish Highlands’ “blind” air traffic controllers. Having flirted with most places in the UK, he is now based in the Isle of Lewis in Scotland where his free time is spent between raising a young family with his wife, writing, figuring out how to work a loom and caring for a small flock of chickens. Luckily his writing is influenced by his varied work and life experience as the chickens have not been the poetical inspiration he had hoped for!
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http://www.grjordan.com/download-footsteps
Also by G R Jordan
G R Jordan writes fantasy books in several series, including the Austerley & Kirkgordon series of which you have just read the third of its origin stories. At the time of publishing there are 3 origin stories and 3 full length novels with more planned in the near future. Published books are detailed below, including the feel good fantasy series, Island Adventures.
Crescendo!: An Austerley & Kirkgordon Adventure #1
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/599065
A shape-shifting dragon. A cult bringing forth a nightmare. Two broken men, separated by hatred, must bind together to save the world.
Bitter-sweet partners, Austerley and Kirkgordon, take on the darkness to prevent a displaced people ending the world. If you like bizarre creatures, fast paced action and cataclysmic nightmares, you’ll love G R Jordan’s first novel. Get the book readers have called “a fast paced gothic thriller with lots of humour” and “refreshingly modern take on Lovecraftian themes.”
Can the Elder darkness be stopped? It’s the blasphemous fanfare for the end of the world!
Dagon's Revenge: An Austerley & Kirkgordon Adventure #3
****COMING SOON****
A shattered hero races to save his wife. A rescue team falling apart. Elder god Dagon’s coming back and he’s pissed!
Kirkgordon takes his team beyond our world in this third instalment in the Austerley & Kirkgordon urban fantasy series. If you like danger and desire, punchy dialogue and cataclysmic nightmares then you’ll love G R Jordan’s bunch of discombobulated heroes.
Sometimes, there are no good choices!
Cally: Austerley & Kirkgordon Origins #2
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/710330
A village emptied of its children. A warrior finding her greatest desire. But a witch’s vengeance wrecks a curse that will devastate her forever.
The tale of Calandra’s curse is the 2nd story in the A&K origins series, a collection of short stories that expand G R Jordan’s A&K universe. If you love rollicking action, imperfect heroes and extraordinary, magical villains, then you will love the Austerley & Kirkgordon series.
Yesterday, he offered her the rest of his life. Today a vengeful witch wants to take him away. Can Calandra’s dreams survive the mother of all storms?
Sometimes a woman can be too cold for any man!
The People in the Pool: Austerley & Kirkgordon Origins #3
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/880506
He lost her, murdered a long time ago. But now she’s returned. If something isn’t real, does it matter?
“The People in the Pool” is the 3rd origin story in the A&K origins series that expand G R Jordan’s A&K universe. If you love rollicking action, imperfect heroes and weird villains and places, then you will love the Austerley & Kirkgordon series.
Not every mother can warm a child’s heart.
Surface Tensions: Island Adventures #1
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/723294
Mermaids sighted near a Scottish island. A town exploding in anger and distrust. And Donald’s got to get the sexiest fish in town, back in the water.
“Surface Tensions” is the first story in a series of Island adventures from the pen of G R Jordan. If you love comic moments, cosy adventures and light fantasy action, then you’ll love these tales with a twist.
Get the book that amazon readers said, “perfectly captures life in the Scottish Hebrides” and that explores “human nature at its best and worst”.
Something’s stirring the water!
