by Ryan Mark
Judy’s eyes sank to the floor, her voice timid in the face of Ichabod’s desperation. ‘Yes, they took her a day ago.’ Ichabod let her go and stormed back up the corridor.
‘We have to help him,’ said Althea, setting off after Ichabod.
William hugged his mother. ‘You have to go with Marcus and the others,’ he said, pointing at Marcus.
‘No, I’m coming with you!’ Judy replied in protest, but she staggered at the effort and fell to her knees.
‘Mum you’re weak from what Terrafall has done to you,’ William said, gently helping her stand. ‘You need to go with Marcus. I have to help Althea and Bod. I can’t leave them now; I’ve got to see this through.’
A skeletal young man who was the same size as William fell into Judy’s arms, a hacking cough causing his chest to heave. ‘You did it,’ he managed to say. ‘You did it.’
‘Marcus, can you get these people to the barn safely?’ said William.
Marcus nodded. ‘As long as Ernie is with me, I can do anything.’
William looked at his mother again, who was now propping up the boy, although she herself could’ve done with some support. He skimmed the area and tore a wooden plank, which held a key rack, from the wall. He passed it to his mother. ‘Use this to keep you steady.’
Judy put the plank under her armpit and looked into William’s eyes for ten long seconds. ‘Ok, but if you’re not back within the hour I’m coming to find you. Terrafall’s people are dangerous William, I’ve seen up close what their guards can do, so be careful.’
‘Don’t worry, I got to you didn’t I?’ William hugged her a final time and ran back up the corridor. ‘I’m coming for you, Erisia…’ he whispered.
As he ran he pulled out his father’s ring, passed it through his fingers and placed it on his thumb. The journal might’ve gone, but he had the ring. The ring would give him the strength he needed to deal with Terrafall, and to avenge the deaths of his family and friends.
Chapter 20
Fall
William’s feet padded quickly on the stone floor, kicking up a low dusty mist. Althea grabbed his shoulder when he caught up with her, telling him to stop. He leant in an archway to prevent a stitch and took some deep breaths. The corridor might’ve been empty, but there was definitely something going on in the building. A chanting echoed from the centre, growing in volume as the minutes passed, and vibrated through the very stones he stood next to.
‘I’ve no idea where Ichabod’s gone,’ Althea said, repositioning her crossbow.
‘There’s something going on in the main hall though, listen!’ replied William, pressing his ear to the damp wall. ‘Can you hear the chanting?’
‘So Terrafall haven’t launched a counter attack… they mustn’t know we’re here then.’ Althea copied William and moved closer to the wall. ‘Yeah, I can hear it. I can’t believe we’ve managed to do this without drawing too much attention.’
‘We’ve been lucky, haven’t we?’
Althea nodded and they continued as fast as possible towards the chanting. The corridor became wider, with a few desecrated statues dotted down its length and frayed blue silks draping the walls, but still, nobody populated it, not even guards. What the hell was going on? Could Erisia be starting some kind of ritual? William gulped. Probably a sacrificial one, he thought as he rounded another corner, thighs aching as he tried to push more speed into his run.
He didn’t get far, and staggered against an old column to stop himself from moving any further.
A door opened ahead of them and two guards stormed out, one man, one woman. They stared at the teenagers, mouths aghast, before running towards them.
William looked at Althea. ‘Oh crap, I can’t do this!’
‘Yes you can!’ Althea rushed towards their pursuers, the rusted plates on her knuckles clenched tightly, crossbow flailing wildly on her back.
William remembered his father’s ring, rubbed it for luck, and then aimed his crossbow. Althea dived forwards and smacked the man in the face, stunning him. The woman jumped at her, but Althea knocked her backwards with a hard kick before she could gain a tight hold. The man regained his composure and William watched him draw out a gun, pointing it at Althea.
Holding his breath, William pressed his crossbow’s trigger. An arrow shot out and dug deep into the man’s thigh. He let out a piercing cry, grasping his wound and dropping the gun. William ran forward, thwacking the crossbow across the man’s face before he could make another move. He fell to the floor just as Althea coshed the woman, and moments later both Enforcers were unconscious.
‘The gun,’ whispered William, noticing it on the floor close to the male Enforcer. ‘Should we?’ He considered his crossbow and then looked back at the gun.
‘No, too dangerous,’ Althea replied, kicking the gun down a wide crack in the flagstones. ‘Let’s go.’ She headed towards the noise again.
A figure jumped out in front of her and put a hand over her mouth before she could scream. William aimed his crossbow again, but didn’t pull the trigger.
Igraine!
‘Where are you going? You’ll ruin the whole operation if you race about like this,’ she said, releasing her hold on Althea.
‘Looking for Erisia. We found the hostages and they’ve been taken to the bus, so they’re safe, but Ichabod’s wife wasn’t down there… We were following him but, well, we’ve no idea where he’s gone,’ replied Althea, regaining her composure and straitening her cardigan.
‘You should have gone back to the bus with them. This is going to get dangerous, and there’s Ori to think about.’
‘No, we have to see this through. Ichabod’s done so much for me, so I won’t leave him,’ said William angrily. ‘We’ve got to help!’
‘Ichabod isn’t with us, but come with me,’ said Igraine, heading up a flight of stairs at the top of the corridor. ‘We’ve been watching them from the balcony; they’re starting some kind of ritual.’
‘I knew it!’ whispered William.
Althea gave a bitter laugh. ‘Shame Terrafall doesn’t have anyone to sacrifice now.’
‘Don’t forget about Ichabod’s wife,’ said William, biting his bottom lip. ‘She’s still missing.’
Althea didn’t respond. She turned and ran after Igraine.
The balcony circled around the great hall and was filled with Havenites, each hiding behind a Corinthian pillar, taking quick glimpses into the cavernous chamber below.
William stepped forward and then dropped to his hands and knees. He crawled to the balustrade and looked down, recoiling at the deadly drop. ‘How are we supposed to stop them from up here?’
‘Our archers are surrounding them, so many will be taken out before they realise we’re here,’ replied Igraine, joining William and pointing to each alcove overlooking the hall. ‘And we’ve got abseiling ropes attached to some of the pillars for a quick drop.’
Below them something was happening; William craned his neck to see. There were a large number of people down there and they definitely outnumbered the Havenites above. The group surrounded a huge crack in the floor, with an altar hanging over it. The rest of the echoing, grey chamber had been stripped bare. If it was once a Christian monastery, you wouldn’t have known it.
William leaned out further, to catch sight of a tall woman standing next to the altar. She had long, thin white hair and was wearing a flowing, hooded blue robe. Even from far away, William could see scars disfigured the visible proportion of her face.
‘Erisia?’ he whispered to Igraine, who nodded. So, this was Erisia, finally, in the flesh. Like so many evil figures in history, her will alone was powerful enough to influence others to follow her horrible beliefs. He shook slightly when her voice began to resonate through the air.
‘Join me, your matriarch, in the sacrificial act! The tremors are gods and Terrafall must seek to appease them. They must be fed! If not, they will continue to punish the Earth for its evil acts. If we show mercy, we will not survive
their wrath!’
She removed her hood and held up a curved blade, a red jewel encrusted into its hilt. Without the covering, the full extent of her injuries became apparent. The marks, which William guessed were burns, covered all of her visible skin, scaring her face, neck and hands.
‘This world took the most precious things from me. It consumed my husband and stole my unborn child. They were the first sacrifices. I saw it then, and I see it now. We must continue to sacrifice, if we are to ensure the gods do not take us all in one final, enormous, thunderous quake. They desire blood, and we must provide.’
‘She really is insane,’ Althea whispered from behind William. His eyes remained fixed on Erisia, but he nodded in acknowledgement.
Erisia held the blade above the gaping crack beneath her. ‘I give you the mouth of a god, which thirsts for the blood of its servants!’ She pointed the knife to the side of the chamber. ‘Bring forth our unwilling sacrifice. Though you do not wish to give your life, in death you will rejoice in knowing that you helped save the Earth.’
The crowd seemed to shuffle with what William thought were nerves. He looked back at Althea for a second. ‘I don’t think these people even want to be here.’
‘They’re probably scared they’ll end up in that crater if they don’t follow her. She’s clever, building up this power and influence…’
‘Yeah, she’s turned herself into some kind of queen.’
The door Erisia had pointed at creaked open as she continued her manic rant, ‘Those who are against us will never believe and will fight us until we’ve been destroyed. But sadly for them, one of their own has seen sense and has revealed their malicious intent. They have been betrayed and now I know of them. I know who they truly are!’
She looked up into the balconies, and the Havenites all ducked.
‘It has to be Merle… I told you he wasn’t dead,’ said William, looking over at Igraine and then Branimir, who was a few columns down.
Branimir’s face was the severest William had ever seen it, expression consumed by a tense frown, forehead wreathed in wrinkles. His mouth was open slightly, but no words came from behind the grey beard.
‘Come in, faithful servant, and for your expense we will give you charge of the valley they call home,’ said Erisia, still staring up at the balcony.
‘What do we do?’ whispered William anxiously. ‘She knows we’re here!’
‘We wait,’ whispered Branimir, moving next to William and pushing him down.
The door below fully opened, and two figures entered.
Not Merle, but Blake, tightly holding a badly beaten Ori.
William’s heart stopped for a second, muscles tightening, a feeling of ice-cold knives wrenching open his fear. It couldn’t be, not Blake! And what the hell had he done to Ori…
Althea was wide-eyed, and already loading her bow.
Below, Blake was pushing Ori towards the altar and handing him to Erisia.
‘And the rest, where are they?’ She leered, placing the knife at Ori’s neck.
‘As if she didn’t know,’ murmured Branimir, trying to contain his anger.
‘They are above you, my matriarch. The Havenites are above you. Their leader is among them too,’ said Blake, blue eyes turning bestial in the cloudy light. ‘See, I told you I’d be good to you. I’m a loyal servant to the tremors.’
Althea stood up, and took aim.
Erisia sneered, gaze moving to Althea. ‘Don’t be so hasty, Haven dwellers. You make one move and I will slit his throat,’ she spat, waving her blade in the air above Ori. ‘Your secret scheming has gone on long enough. It is time to obey my rule.’
‘William, I’ve got to do something,’ said Althea, green eyes filled with desperate tears. ‘I can’t use my crossbow now. If I fire and miss she’ll kill him. I’ve got to go down there!’
She turned, swung her crossbow back onto her shoulder and ran for the corridor.
William looked at Igraine. ‘Help her,’ he said.
‘Of course!’ Igraine rushed after Althea, voice echoing back, ‘I’ll give my life for that little boy. That bitch won’t get away with this!’
‘This may end badly,’ Branimir whispered. ‘I didn’t expect this, my God…’
‘Your betrayer will cleanse the Hollow valley of all vile thoughts on Terrafall, and for his service he shall be given rule of the ashes.’ Erisia bowed a head in Blake’s direction.
Blake turned his face towards the balcony, a nasty gleam apparent. ‘Bow to me. I am the new ruler of Haven–’
An arrow suddenly shot through the air and buried itself in Blake’s chest from close range. He shrieked and toppled backwards, hands flailing as he tried, but failed, to stop himself falling into the crack. His screams echoed up into the hall.
‘Was that Althea?’ William asked Branimir.
‘Couldn’t have made it down there so fast, could she?’ he replied, hands resting on the balustrade, veins swollen.
Throwing off a blue cloak, Merle stepped out of the crowd below, black hair flapping over his ears, crossbow aimed at the altar. ‘Haven will always be free, and I won’t let anyone jeopardise its future. Especially not a disgusting crone like you.’
A large group of the robed crowd stepped towards Merle, arms out like zombies ready to feast.
‘FIRE!’ shouted Branimir.
A volley of arrows rained down into the chamber, taking out quite a few of the crowd. The remaining members ran from the hall, in no clear direction, some clutching wounds and crying out to a god that didn’t exist. William gripped the marble balustrade, watching Merle take aim at Erisia.
‘Let the boy go. You’ve lost. The Haven Development will release this place from your evil grip.’
Erisia leered, holding her knife in the air.
Before Merle could press his trigger, she threw her blade directly at him. William watched Merle, seeing that he was twitching with pain from his existing wounds. He wouldn’t be able to react fast enough.
Merle fired, but it missed, and the blade glided through the air and dug into his throat. He dropped his crossbow then fell to the floor, blood running from his severed artery into the crack in the earth. William gripped the stained marble even harder, unsure of what to do.
‘See, they have no chance! You’d be wise to remain where you stand and listen to me!’ Erisia screamed, stepping to the altar and picking up another blade. Ori stumbled as he tried to get away, but she caught him, making him cry out in pain.
She looked up to the balcony again, right at William. ‘All of them will be sacrificed.’
William suddenly noticed the abseiling rope dangling from the column next to him. He looked at his crossbow, then Ori, and focused. He’d always hated violence, always loved peace, but now he couldn’t just stand there and do nothing. It was time. He shrugged away Branimir’s hissing objections and grabbed hold of the rope. Without even thinking about the drop, he swung down into the great hall.
Racing past poor Merle, William stood near the altar, wiped away his tears and aimed the crossbow. His hands shook with anger this time, instead of fear.
Erisia sneered at him, and held tight to Ori. She brought up the blade, but before she could move another inch, William pressed the trigger of the crossbow. An arrow flew across the few metres to where she stood and sank deep into her shoulder.
‘Aaaaaaaaah!’ The blade slipped from her hand and she fell forward; faltering but eventually managing to stabilise herself on the altar. Ori took the opportunity to move away.
‘Who are you, boy? Reveal yourself.’
‘I am William, son of Jack Bateman, and I’m going to end you, for my dad and for everyone else you’ve destroyed!’
‘You think you have the power to ruin my reign?’ she shrieked, gazing around the room. ‘Where are they all?’ The remaining Enforcers were clearly expected to fight until the end, but few live ones remained.
‘You will rot in hell, all of you.’ Erisia looked back at William. ‘Bateman
you say? I knew him. He was a great thorn in my side when he lived; a meddlesome pest who needed to be eradicated.
‘I sacrificed him right here and flung his body back into the ruins. I did this with so many others, just to add to the confusion, making it harder to discover who was behind the abductions. The world wasn’t ready to know the truth. But people like your father thought otherwise.’ She spat viciously. ‘I should’ve let the tremors have him and fed him into the mouth, but never mind. Your meddlesome family will be extinct by the end of this day, mark my words.’
William moved towards Ori just as Igraine and Althea entered the chamber, but before he could get to him the ground began to shake intensely. He looked up to the ceiling just as a large segment fell away. He jumped forward, teetering on the edge of the crack as it smashed into the space between him and Althea.
‘William, don’t let him die!’ Althea screamed as more large rocks crashed into the room.
Althea knelt on the floor helping a badly injured Igraine to her feet. Another pillar fell into the hall, but William jumped to the side, avoiding the fallout once again.
Then something grabbed at his throat, and held fast.
‘You die for your insolence,’ said Erisia, a long-nailed hand increasing the pressure on his neck.
William looked right at her, feeling the poison she radiated. This monster killed his father. Her face was locked in a demonic glare, her bloodshot eyes digging deep, the skin surrounding them covered in angry burns. No lips remained, partially revealing the black teeth within her mouth.
He dropped the crossbow and used both hands to try and wriggle away, but even when he was free of her, he discovered Erisia blocked one route, the crack the other. He looked up to see slithers of sky as more and more of the roof descended. She quickly regained her hold on his throat.
‘Are you ready to die like your father?’ Erisia hissed hot breath into his ear.
