They were slow but intelligent enough to repel my advances and counter. I had a close shave by their black blade skimming my fringe. I was agile enough to evade a combination of slices from my enemies and I saw an opening and took it. I slashed Orion across my foe’s stomach and the jet mineral poured onto the floor. It demolished like a ton of bricks!
“Yes!!!” cheered Thea.
The remaining creature came at me strong and I was knocked onto the floor. The gargoyle held its weapon high and was ready to strike me down. I’d noticed that Orion was balanced on a stone. Thea predicted my intentions and leapt towards the beast. I used the stone as leverage, dramatically kicking Orion into the air for Thea to catch and stab the gargoyle through its chest. Again, our enemy returned to its original form.
Thea helped me up and handed over Orion.
“They’ll be more dangers ahead,” warned Umber. “I do recognise our current location. The council will have minions protecting them. There is a passage over those hills that lead to the Citadel.”
“We’re trusting you Umber. If this is trick, I won’t hesitate to put you down,” I threatened. We still couldn’t trust the gnome, although he seemed sympathetic towards his misdealing’s, he’d been in Maylok for years and has thrived where many would have perished.
“I shall watch my step, young Lucius; I don’t haft to help you, but this is something I need to do.”
“Lead the way.”
Chapter Eleven - An Unspoken Door
We ascended the jet cliff and crunched along a rocky trail that stretched across the valley. We were high up and it unnerved me; the gnome was adamant that the easiest passage was the hardest. The Maylok creatures hunt on the easy routes, knowing they’d expect company. In order to stay under the radar, we had to work for our safety; a minion was a threat, but the terrain was our main problem.
The air was thin, and the stone became jagged, which slowed our progress. The clouds were low and dark. Thea had the illusion of being headless at one point, as she disappeared into the cloud. It was awfully quiet for a mountainside; my travels along the Peak District was certainly a different experience.
As we sauntered along, I began to wheeze like a panicked bulldog. Thea was struggling to breathe too and so; Umber made the quick decision to head down a lower path. The air was incredibly thin, which caused nausea.
We made a quick pit stop on a cliff edge to catch our breath and recuperated a little.
“Do you think it’s risky for a fire?” asked Thea. It was a desperate question for some familiarity and warmth; she knew what I’d reply. The gnome simply said, “Yes.”
“Tell me Umber, what does this Citadel look like?” I asked.
“It’s built within the hollow stump of a humongous tree and is surrounded by the valley. The stronghold is made from the ashes of this ancient woodland.”
“Woodland?” I questioned, as there was no wildlife in sight.
“This mineral that we walk on, is the remains of a forest. Darkness had touched these lands and has turned it into something ugly and cold.” The gnome stood up, “Come, it is not too far now.”
We gathered ourselves, but before venturing further, I heard a noise over a ridge.
“Stay here,” I said.
I carefully pulled myself up a large stone and peered over. A group of strange apparitions aimlessly floated around the mountainside. They wore black cloaks to conceal themselves. I could see through them; they were transparent like a ghost. One came directly into view and I saw the face under the cloak; it was an expression of dread and sorrow. I backed up and descended.
“What is it?” asked Thea. I must have been pale because she’d noticed my anguish.
“There is – something paranormal – they look like spirits…”
“That’s because they are. They are beings who have betrayed their morals and common decency, the lowest of the low. Minions without a purpose, who’ve been rejected from the council and put to death. The creatures roam the lands in search of their master’s approval.”
“Do these beasts have a name?”
“Individually no, but in a group, they are named the Hoard. Together they are dangerous.”
“That sounds pleasant...” quipped Thea. “Can we go by without being noticed?”
“Yes girl,” replied Umber. “They only react to noise, as their eyesight is weak.”
Umber began to take his shoes off and gestured for us both to follow suit. It made sense to remove our footwear, but we had to endure the rough rock, which could easily pierce our skin.
We edged out of our hiding place and into the Hoard’s blind-spot. The paranormal beings were still, and their breathing, heavy. I heard whispering amongst them, but their conversation was random.
“Stop it!” shouted one.
“What is my name?” said another.
“Enjoy your medicine,” whispered a third.
“So - hungry,” whined a fourth.
The path that Umber wanted to take us on was blocked off. He looked to another trail that descended back into the guarded valley.
We had no choice, but to proceed past the hooded dwellers and risk it all; this was the safer route out of two and we didn’t want to meet whatever lurked in the shadows of the mountain.
Umber wanted to go first, but I stopped him. I held up three fingers and signalled for him to go last. The possibility of the gnome betraying us was high and letting him go ahead was risky, for several reasons.
I tiptoed forward with Thea in the middle and Umber at the rear. We slowly crunched our way past the first soul, until we found ourselves amongst the group. They stayed uncharacteristically silently still. I couldn’t help but glance under a their hood. A translucent lady gormlessly stared into space and there was nothing behind her white eyes. She unnerved me, and the hairs my neck stood up at attention.
I passed another and looked under its hood. The man had an eye patch and whisky beard.
A pirate? I thought.
The ghost suddenly blurted, “Mutiny!” And made us jump.
We ducked and weaved through the crowd of apparitions and found ourselves coming out of the other side. Our pace quickened the further we escaped down the path until it was safe to put our shoes back on. I looked back at the Hoard and they hadn’t moved an inch.
“The Citadel is just over this ridge,” claimed Umber, as we came to an opening between the hills. Indeed, it was. Deep in a valley of ash, an enormous hollow tree enclosed a black geometrical fortress within; I thought, if anything could resonate with evil’s home, then this was certainly a good representation.
My train of thought was disturbed by movement within the valley. Four large dog-like creatures moved between the shadows and headed for Citadel’s gothic gates. I watched the gates open and close in quick succession; the beasts entered the fortress.
“What were they Umber?” I asked.
“They are the part of a hunting group named the Lycanthrope. Half man - half beast.”
“Werewolves,” said Thea.
I should have been astonished, but nothing really surprised me anymore. Myth’s seemed to be a constant threat during my adventures.
“What now?” asked Thea.
Umber pointed at the dead tree: “We climb. It won’t be worth going through the front gate. I’ve heard whispers in Haggington’s tavern’s that there is a secret doorway on the eastern side.”
“Will it be guarded?”
“With luck, no. This building is older than any minion who resides inside and I believe there are secrets that have stayed hidden, but then again, how did this secret get out?”
“Let’s hope that you’re right,” I said.
“I hope Lira is there,” replied Thea who looked nervous and chomped on her fingernails. She saw my concern and gave me a smile; Thea’s eyes gave her emotions away and I smiled back.
There was only one way in and that was the secret door and so, we edged towards Dante’s church of evil and settled at the borde
r. We weren’t far from the dark gates, which were quite fitting for such creatures. The bent metal, depicting mythical animals didn’t exactly make it welcome.
“Lucius... come on...” whispered Thea, who was already a quarter of the way up the hollow tree, followed by Umber. I found multiple convenient foot-holes in the bark and began my climb. I was never a brilliant climber, these years had tested my resilience and strength, but it was a sport I could never get the hang of. My grandfather blamed my balance, so I was surprised to make it up the tree in one piece; despite losing my footing on two occasions.
A thick branch stretched towards the citadel's dark surface. The building reflected our actions, as we made it to a windowless ledge. I felt the walls hard surface, but there was nothing except three confused faces staring back.
“What now Umber?” I asked.
“Orion should help us.”
I drew my star-blade and tapped the tip onto the wall. We were accepted and the wall demolished into liquid. What awaited us was a cold breeze and an unsettling feeling of dread. I stepped into the darkness first and arrived in a small empty room. Umber pointed out a fireplace that was alone and unlit. Charcoal was set at the bottom but appeared unused and disintegrated in time. The chill came from the gaps between the split dark wood. There was nothing extravagant about the fireplace until Umber removed the coal and gestured for me to look. I could see into the next room through a metal grate. Cold air coasted between my fingers, as I gently removed the grate. A secret hole awaited us to inspect and I went first; climbing down the old chimney and landing on the hard floor. My attire was covered in sut. I still wore my goggles and brown cloak, which concealed my face. I used the corner of my hood to clean my goggle-lenses and then scanned the area.
The others followed and both landed with a fud! As we gathered our senses, I felt some eyes stare from beyond. Over a cold stone forge, a dark wooden door depicting a creature glared back. A snake protruded out of a demon’s eye.
“Very inviting,” quipped Thea.
“This door has a spell. Can you see?” warned Umber.
I squinted my eyes and noticed a cloaked blanket enclosing the door. An aura resonated from the bind and it affected my senses. I heard faint voices from beyond. The magic spoke in an old tongue that I could somehow interpret. The whispered words were valoom ex narcsiar saxil that meant none shall enter my study.
“There’s a study behind this door. It could belong to the mage.”
“How do you know?” asked Thea.
“Orion speaks to him,” replied Umber. “Give her a try, Lucius. See if the blade's power can cut through Namir’s magic.”
Thea agreed and I held Orion towards the magical seal. Again, I tipped the pommel towards the sculptured demon’s head, only this time, a thin ray of light came from Orion and the spell faded.
“Prepare yourselves for any trouble,” warned the gnome.
Thea grabbed a dark slender sword from the collection of weapons on the wall and swung it around to get a feel. “That’ll do me.”
“Suits you,” I quipped.
“Still could best you,” winked Thea.
Umber just awkwardly ignored us and grabbed an axe that contrasted with Thea’s new sword.
“Shall we?” I gestured.
Chapter Twelve - The Council of Minions
The wooden door opened with a squeak and I bobbed my head around. Indeed, it was a study, a perfect study room for a dark mage. The walls were encased in medieval spell tomes; incantation books for doing misdeeds, like resurrecting the dead or mind manipulation. Thea looked upon a desk full of beakers and wildflowers; I recognised a distinguished purple flower known as nightshade. Purple banners drooped down the walls with a star insignia etched into the material. A black cauldron was the main focal point of the room. It had some strong liquid bubbling away and the aroma was potent.
“I’ve seen places like this before, with my father, during his templar days,” reminisced Thea. I could see her visibly shaken. “A boy had gone missing and we’ve found him in a cauldron, he was used for dark magic.”
Thea had previously revealed to me, during the winter break, that she’d quite often joined her father in the hunt for many forms of evil, despite her age at the time; she’d stand clear and observe the knight's work. It was why she was so thick-skinned. She was mentally prepared for the war against Dante and she had kept me sane for years. The adventure through the timeline without her was one of the hardest things I had to do, but knowing she was kept safe from the Vampire was comforting and it spurred me on.
We searched for Lira but to no avail and so, our rescue had to keep going. There was another door and luckily, no spell to stop us from entering. It was only when I turned the handle, we heard faint voices in the distance. They were loud and low; it was hard to distinguish how many minions were part of their discussion. They seemed to be arguing. We sneaked through the door and hid behind a banister. We were in a large open space and sat on a balcony that overlooked an oval table, which encompassed a ward-stone. Sat around the table and amongst a heated discussion were monsters of nightmares; four to be exact.
Namir addressed his fellow minions, whilst pacing behind them. His white pacey skin reflected the fire that roared within the biggest fireplace I’d ever seen. It caused his hollow eyes to sink even deeper; I could’ve only guessed his eye colour at the time. His black robe concealed his wispy grey hair and his curled spine gave him a hunchback.
“Ullpli has sent the boy with the Knight’s daughter. He’s here... and has disposed of Cherub,” said Namir, whilst he observed an empty chair.
“That wretched creature had it coming! She was reckless, vain and has ultimately underestimated our foe,” slurped an armoured fish. His voice was as slimy as his appearance. He resembled a strange aquatic land creature; an unproportionate piranha crossed with a hairy gibbon.
“Quite true, Seltzer,” agreed Namir.
A menacing tone came from a creature who wore similar attire to the vulture priests. Her death mask was golden and hid her bird-like features. “Lira’s champion seems to be a survivor. Our numbers have dwindled because of Lucius. Shouldn’t we dispose of him?”
“No, Zahar. Our master still needs the boy. He is our priority,” said the black mage.
“How is our guest?” asked Seltzer.
“The regeneration is working slowly - but Lira’s life force will be extinguished as soon as we have Lucius Domhill.”
“This plan better to work Namir or let it be on your head,” threatened Zahar.
“Prophecy or not, our Lord barely escaped the boy’s sword, but he survived... wondering the barren lands of Maylok until I found him and infused his soul to this creature.” The mage pointed at the fourth minion who’d stayed silent. It was wrapped in linen and appeared beyond death. The mummified eye’s glowed red in recognition and it stayed unmoved. “It was I! who’d looked for him, and it was I! who has stayed loyal. Do not question me.”
“We do not question your attributes or loyalty Namir, but our confidence has slightly been shaken due to Olav’s failure,” explained the vulturous bird.
“Olav’s failure to retrieve the Druid key has set us back but our goal stays the same. Once Dante is fully sustainable, our human friend shall finally become his... and the real world will fall to darkness. We shall ascend to greatness and be feared as gods again!”
I turned to Thea and whispered: “They still need me to be his vessel, the final piece of their plan and we’re right where they want us. We have to find Lira before they find us...”
What happened next shouldn’t have been a surprise, but it hurt all the same.
Umber stood up!
Thea tried to grab a hold of his cloak, but he knocked her away and shouted, “I Umber! The master's first vessel has brought you the boy! Let me ascend with your brothers and sisters of the dark! Let me sit at your table once again!”
I heard the chairs squeak and tossed to one side. A claw appeared on the b
alcony and Zahar was pulling herself up. It all happened so fast and the minions came for us. My last look upon Umber was with hatred. I could feel anger building up inside me and my chest felt heavy. His brown eyes had changed to grey and screamed with malevolence. His chilling smile contrasted with the Demon himself. I couldn’t control my actions, as I drew Orion and knocked Umber’s axe to the floor. My sword pierced the traitor’s chest and I ran him through. That was his final chance of redemption.
Thea’s look pulsated with shock, but we had no time to discuss my impulsive decision; I grabbed her hand and bolted for the door. We came to Namir’s study and noticed a small passage that led down a narrow hallway. Before we could take that option, it was blocked off by Namir’s conjuring. The walls enclosed and the mage manifested behind us.
“Go!” I shouted. “Back up the chimney!”
“Where are you going, boy?” goaded Namir.
We hastily climbed back up the fireplace and we had company. Seltzer ripped open the wall and snapped at us ferociously, whilst laughing with joyous glee. He seemed to be enjoying the hunt.
We made it into the secret room, which I can say, was not very secretive anymore. The fish beast came up through floorboards with tremendous strength.
“Jump!” I yelled. We leapt for the old tree and hung on for dear life. Namir and Seltzer strolled out of the opening; watching us descend the hollow tree. My hands cramped from the pressure of gripping the bark. Namir conjured and on the wind were whispers of the old tongue. We hit the unusual soft ground and my feet began to sink. The mud came up to our knees before the mage hardened the floor; we were stuck and Zahar flew down to try and clutch my shoulders.
Thea swung her sword and managed to clip the vulture who then retreated for a second. I drew Orion and we chipped away at the mud with our weapons. Seltzer began his erratic decent and Namir dispersed from the site. We managed to get free and just in time before the aquatic hybrid landed.
We headed back into the valley at full pace with a pursuit of three minions. Seltzer was not far off, his large build and armour caused him to be quite slow, which favoured our tiny legs. Zahar was in the air directing her comrade. Namir was nowhere to be seen, which worried me the most, but I had a plan. I’d found the ridge where we had previously ventured, desperate to avoid even more enemies; over yonder, the Hoard awaited.
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