The Minister was not far away, as it came into full view. It appeared to be completely different from the gothic architecture that I was used to. It was smaller and the stone was incredibly smooth; it gave me the impression; it had only recently been built. Sedgwick confirmed my suspicions and revealed, it had been recently rebuilt from a fire and the Minister was still in its Norman form.
“These buildings are always on fire...” I quipped.
We'd lost sight of William, but Iobar screeched from above and flew past an eastern passage. He directed us into the Minister grounds. We followed our target. He ventured inside the cathedral and managed to swindle the guards, who recognised his face. The doors were open to the public, so it was easy for us to enter, but we still received some suspicious glances.
We entered and walked down the lavish nave. The windows let in the light and the sun shone across the pews. There were some people, who’d taken time from their busy day to come and pray, but the silence made my stomach growl, loudly.
There were whispers that came from behind the wall of saints and we eavesdropped on the secretive conversation.
“I have travelled great distances to seek out the Grail, like many before me. I have found evidence of its existence, a cave, which was built before our time. There were pictures portraying a tale of the Druid’s.” William reached for a leather-bound book and showed a traced drawing of a symbol. “This key, Archbishop, will give us the answers to the questions that are on the lips of every human being.”
“These are blasphemous tidings, you speak of, William. You have been searching for an age, and I do wonder about your warped mind.”
“Archbishop!?” protested Frankfurt.
“The church is tired of your fantasies and have more pressing matters to deal with. The war against Scotland has been settled but my time here, I feel, is limited. Even if I could help you in your quest, I can't... and I'm not entirely sure, what you want of me... “
“For your council, sir, I can't go on alone.”
“If God has tasked you with this mission, then only you can walk its path and no other.” The Archbishop looked weary and tired: “Please leave and let me rest, William; it has been a relentless and tiring month. Our feud with the Scots is now over, we can rebuild and begin a new chapter.”
“Of course - and thank you for listening, Archbishop Thurston.”
William bowed and retreated towards the door, but Sedgwick and I stepped in.
“Excuse me please...” and we did not move. We removed our hoods and the priest seemed surprised to see a small man upon my company.
“Who are you?” asked Frankfurt.
“Someone who knows what you seek.”
“I highly doubt that.”
I retrieved the leather-bound journal from under my cloak and William’s eyes were sceptical. He retrieved his journal from his brown satchel. The Priest opened it to the first page, where his name was written with care and fluency. I opened to the first page too and we set them on a pew; they were of course, identical in every way.
“Impossible!” said William. “It can't be the same”
We needed to vanquish his scepticism and quickly. Sedgwick showed him the passage from our journal, which described our meeting that day. He read to the exact moment when we’d introduced ourselves; any further, the Gnome deemed risky, but William's past was something we could discuss.
*
Our seats had become warm from the time we'd spent analysing the first twenty pages that documented William's past discovery of a cave, located in Ireland. The language the priest used was Latin, but parts were also coded; one reason why the Soldier on the Portsmouth boat could only read the unimportant biography.
Sedgwick had figured out the priest’s code through the interaction we had, in those last hours, it made me realise how wise the Gnome was. He read out the context so that I was on the same page as them;
'My days in Ireland have been rewarded by an ancient folk's tale, which was inscribed into a rock. It was interpreted by an old man, who sang of the mysterious Druid’s. The ancient people, who chose a specific location to be their point of reference, to measure the circumference around their world; it gave them knowledge of science and the telluric lines that revolve around their planet; the planet's energy. They harnessed the energy and created a key that unlocked the dimensional doorways; but in doing so, unleashed a Darkness, who sought to strengthen its claim onto all worlds. It needed flesh to travel the earth's energy and found a vessel, worthy enough to claim as its own.'
I turned to Sedge, but he looked confused and angry.
“My ancestors, the Druid’s unlocked the earth's energy and Dante sought to take advantage of their discovery. It was, too big of an opportunity to pass; to travel and rule all worlds,” said Sedgwick. “If it wasn't for you Lucius, it would have been utter chaos... my ancestor’s curiosity had certainly been their downfall.”
“So, you’re a druid?” asked the priest Frankfurt.
“Yes... and the last of my kind, to carry this heavy burden. I have to help you, Lucius, to correct their mistake and restore faith in my ancestry; that is my true obligation.”
I felt the pain, guilt, and loneliness in Sedgwick's voice; to be the last of your kind and to be partly responsible for the rise of Dante's power, I partially knew how he felt.
“You are as guilty as me, my friend. We have both done things we regret, but in our actions, let us be judged. We can only carry on our mission, retrieve the key and restore the balance between worlds.”
William looked awfully confused and we'd said too much, without thinking of the consequences.
“Who is this Dante you speak of?” he asked.
“I am sorry, priest, but I cannot reveal future events. It could be dangerous that is one reason why you can't read your journal beyond our meeting.”
Will looked sheepish, like a naughty schoolboy, who'd accidentally broke a window. “I’ve already read more... when you were talking with Lucius. I feel that I've done something incredibly wrong.”
“Curiosity gets the best of us all sometimes, let's hope nothing else is disrupted, but you might as well tell us what you've read. At least it will give me and Lucius direction.”
William closed both journals. “I wrote of a woman in white, who greets the mourners of the deceased before vanishing from existence. The ghost of York; the White Lady. She will reveal your next path.”
Chapter Eleven - The White Lady of York
We headed towards All Saints, Pavement, a church that was built in 685 A.D for a St Cuthbert; it is one of the oldest buildings in Europe, dating back to the Anglo-Saxon era.
I was nervous at the prospect of being involved with something paranormal. I've seen shadow's and dead creatures who walked the realms, but I'd only ever seen a human ghost once, before our meeting with the Lady. It was at Bodmin Moor, where a great battle had commenced centuries ago. The left side of the apparition appeared whole, yet his right side was completely see-through; the hairs on my neck rose at attention, and I knew, I was witnessing something unusual. He disappeared into the fog before my grandfather, Egbert turned up out of the mist...
We entered the church. It felt like deja-vu, as we passed under the stone archway and through the oak door. My hand brushed against a very unusual door knocker, which instantly caught my attention. I looked upon a beast shaped like a Bat's head, but I realised its nose had given me the illusion of a long snout. As I stared, the features became prominent. I thought the human head in the creature’s mouth screamed at me with a warning; my back shivered, and I felt cold.
My friends were already inside, scoping out the small spaces for anything out of place. As soon as I entered the wind caught the door and it flung shut!
“Lucius, you look incredibly pale,” said William.
“I have a bad feeling about this.”
“Stop with your superstitions, you've seen and battled much worse,” mocked Sedgwick, who's breath became clear in the su
nlight. “Something is here...”
We huddled together, back to back, and waited for the white Lady to appear.
After a few minutes, events set into motion.
Sedgwick's snapped key began to glow, beneath his cloak. A lonely grave shaped in an Anglo-Saxon cover slid open. The Celtic moulded stone uncovered a basement or crypt. I peered down the steps and into the darkness. “Shall we?” I gestured, nervously.
Into the pitch black, we went, and the stone cover closed us in. The small room was instantly lit up by the torches on the walls; their sizzling fire popped and crackled.
A voice echoed out: “I'm in the presence of a rider. A protector of ley-lines, with the blood of a druid. Why do you seek me?”
“To be honest,” said Sedge. “I'm not entirely sure, but we do have a purpose. We need the location of a ley-line. My key senses the earth's energy, but it has been damaged in our quest; although it has responded to this location.”
“It is because the telluric current you seek is in this room.”
“I know what you are...”
“Do you gnome? And what is that?”
“You are a Hectanzile; a creature who feeds off the departing souls. A beast who lingers with no remorse and has only hunger to occupy its time.”
“Very observant of you. What gave me away?”
“Your stench. The story that was told to me reeked of your kind.”
“My, my - so much anger in your soul little man, unlike your counterparts. They have been touched by light.”
The apparition became solid and its presence was not of an evil creature, but a young beautiful woman, with golden hair and a white gown.
“Close your eyes!” screamed Sedgwick. “Don't let the banshee swindle you. She will manipulate your mind and feed on your souls.”
“Oh my!” panicked William. “This is a demon! Why would I send us to our doom!”
“Perhaps not,” I said, thinking the only outcome would be victorious; how else could the priest write of the past?
“We’ll be fine, we just need to figure this out... close your eyes and feel around for anything unusual,” commanded Sedgwick.
I sensed the Hectanzile was upon me, her breath cleansed my face and I had the urge to look upon her, but I stayed strong and felt around the stone walls. I heard a sudden clatter and the sound of flesh hitting the ground. William had stumbled on a loose stone and opened his eyes. The ghostly creature sensed his uneasiness and swapped victims.
“Oh no!” yelled the priest and he began to choke.
I made my mind up straight away and opened my eyes to face the white Lady of York. The parasitic apparition held Frankfurt by his throat and seemed to be absorbing his life force.
Sedgwick was still stubbornly feeling his way around the crypt and stopped at the back wall.
“I found it! Lucius! We must go!”
I couldn't leave William behind; the priest’s journal was too important to the quest. A none existent William Frankfurt surely meant the indefinable destruction of all worlds. He was that important and in time, his actions will be plain to see. My guilt for leaving Thea at Portsmouth harbour and dooming a version of Prya, who would be erased from the world, played its part in my decision.
The Gnome sensed my hesitation and reluctance to leave our new friend behind and he understood my intentions. Sedgwick came to our aid and used an item from his brown pouch, which reacted with an explosion; once thrown at the creature.
She screamed and her hold on the priest was no more. He flopped to the ground exhausted and pale. My military training kicked in and I hoisted him over my shoulders. I sat him up against the wall were the ley-line awaited to be opened.
Sedgwick had to battle with his eyes permanently shut, but he had good senses. He threw me his key: “Open it, lad! Get us out of here!”
I tapped on the wall and a pool of light came to be, like a vortex. Sedgwick needed directing towards the earth's energy, which was hard when one is blind.
I shouted over the beast's constant cackling, but it was no use. I gave William the ley-line key and opened my eyes. I ran towards the Gnome and grabbed his arm. I intended to do the only possible thing and drag him through the telluric current. The ghost had cottoned onto my naked vision and she blocked the only escape.
“Your souls are mine!”
A little black spec flew out from Sedgwick's pocket and Iobar passed through the Lady's black heart. She shattered like glass on wind and drew her last breath. Everything happened so quickly, I didn't have time to register our victory; not even the disappearing act of William, who was no longer propped up against the wall, and he'd taken the Gnome's key through the earth's energy.
Iobar landed on my shoulder and I carried Sedgwick through the doorway, only to submerge from underwater. My bones shook from the intense coldness and my lungs expanded from the fresh icy air. It was hard to breathe at first, with every inhale came a sharp pain in my chest.
We swam ashore and crawled out of the river. The open night was not as inviting as we hoped, and we laid there shaking on the bank. Little Iobar seemed to revive himself within seconds and adjusted to the weather with ease.
We reluctantly headed inland and found a shaded area in a woodland, where we created a warm fire.
Our futuristic attire seemed to dry fast, once the warmth of flame hit our bodies. The only item of clothing that stayed sodden, was our cloaks. We ditched them in a shrub.
Sedgwick finally broke the silence, after a few minutes and asked of Williams whereabouts; but I hadn't a clue and we concluded, the priest had saved himself. I had felt a flurry of emotions, part of me was glad he survived, but the other half was a betrayal of trust. It affected Sedge the most. He missed his key, it was a symbol of representation, identity in some way and authority in which he prided himself on.
William Frankfurt now had a free pass on time-travel, with the knowledge of a five-year-old. It was dangerous enough to have me travelling the earth's energy, but I had a guide to help; we thought the priest wouldn't last two doorways. Although, there was an unanswered question, which still lingered; how did his journal end up in the bark of a tree, in near perfect condition? The pages were full of coded information, so there must be an adventurous path ahead for William, and the law of the Timekeepers would be irrelevant, due to him, being in the possession of the ley-line key, which granted him safe passage.
“My key was one of the only things keeping us safe from the Timekeeper's prison. Luckily, I prepared us for such an occasion; Iobar,” said Sedgwick. “His purpose is not only meant for correcting the time zone in Eve, but also, to protect us from his own kind.”
Chapter Twelve - Corvus Cornix
For the first time on our journey, we looked like a pair of lost travellers, who'd been through hell and back. We weren't well-nourished, we'd missed out on countless important meals and I felt faint and tired. Sedgwick hadn't a clue on our destination and could only guess our location by the types of trees that surrounded our encampment. We were somewhere in Southern Europe, the era was not known at the time, but we hoped we were back on track.
I spent some time staring at the stars before I drifted off to sleep. My mind seemed to latch onto the worries that were buried deep within me and constructed a vivid dream; there was a blue flame surrounding Ullpli within the darkened world of Eve. His green eyes were shut, and a glow of power surrounded his spiritual body. A silhouette of a monstrous, dark minion moved silently in the shadows and was joined by thousands of red eyes. The Green Man’s voice whispered a warning and I awoke.
My eyes adjusted to the light that cast through the treetops. The once roaring fire had fizzled out, to a single stream of grey smoke. I looked to my friend, who was sat on a stump, head down.
“Are you okay Sedge?” I asked, but no answer from the Dwarf. I thought a meal would perk up our moods and I went fishing; with the warning of Ullpli still ringing in my ears...
I fashioned a fishing rod, using a long stick that
flexed with enough force; the thread from our damp cloaks was strong enough for the fishing line.
I backtracked through the forest and found the banking to the river. I was there for at least an hour and had a bit of luck; I caught two, very nice sized fish. I can't really tell you what type of fish they were, my knowledge of fishing stopped at their anatomy and breed; my grandfather was the expert in all things scientific and biological, one reason why his secret garden grew to be an exotic paradise of nature.
Before I left the embankment, something caught my eye. A rock shaped like a key's head was submerged from the water. It pointed downstream, but I thought nothing of it at the time. My mind had been on a long ride and I felt fatigued; I just wanted to eat something.
I returned to our camp and the Gnome had re-lit the fire. I prepped the fish by cutting the entrails out with a sharp piece of flint; Iobar seemed to enjoy the scraps. I set a flat rock on the fire and laid the fresh fish on top and watched it cook. I kept turning the animal until both sides were crispy. We sat down and rested, whilst we tasted my morning catch.
Sedgwick finally spoke and to my surprise, we had shared the same dream. He described everything and recited the warning. “I cannot hold this forever and time feels short. The darkness is growing in Maylok. You must hurry!”
Ullpli had used what little magic and strength he had left, to reach out and find us. He was struggling and I could sense his light waning; the last light of Eve.
“What's our next step?” I asked.
“If you're asking for a well-thought-out plan, then your barking up the wrong tree; so far, everything we have done has been by chance or luck. Maybe a bit too perfect.”
“I think you're overthinking things. What about Williams journal... you can decipher his code; can't you?”
Sedgwick nodded and remembered he’d scanned through an interesting passage in the book. I handed the leather-bound journal to Sedge and he set to work.
Lucius's World Page 8
