The Prince of Manhattan

by Alexei Iskander

  “Years, decades even” Miranda replied. “I can’t believe this, it feels like I’m in a dream. The summer ball is a magic festival and its the exact occasion we need to send you back in time. And the ball is tonight! It almost feels like this is planned”.

  Leofric weighed the options in his head mentally. “So we have three options” he mentioned, “the first is to make a sacrifice of five livers from pure maidens. The second is to travel to Europe and wait four weeks for an opportunity and that’s only if those festivals even still occur. And the final option is go to the summer ball tonight and carry out the ritual without any other preconditions”.

  “Do we even need to consider the options?” Miranda inquired. “I think we both know what the answer is”.

  “What time does the summer ball begin?” Leofric queried.

  Miranda looked at her smartphone, Leofric was puzzled by this until he remembered that Miranda had told him they could be used to keep track of the time. Why would anyone bother with that when they could just look at the sun to tell the time of day? “It begins in around eight hours or so” Miranda remarked. “It doesn’t end till early in the morning though so we’ve got even longer than that”.

  “Then it’s settled” Leofric announced. “There’s only one final conundrum and that’s the lack of an experienced magic user. It looks like unless we can find one in the time before the festival begins then I’ll need to do the invocation myself”.

  “Why’s that? I can do it for you” Miranda responded.

  “No!” Leofric insisted, more forcefully than he intended. “You read it out yourself, the spell is dangerous, I won’t let you suffer anymore for my sake”.

  “I’m in as much danger as you are” Miranda pleaded. “So long as you’re in this time the monsters will hunt me”.

  “That may be so but I can’t let you put yourself into further risk” Leofric sternly reprimanded. He was inwardly torn by Miranda’s words, he was horrified by the thought of her putting herself in danger for his sake.

  “It has to be done” Miranda urged. “You can’t do this all by yourself”.

  “Miranda I-” Leofric was cut short by a thump to the back of his head. He toppled over to his left side and landed on his hands. There was a growl behind him and he spun around to see a monster. He cursed under his breath as he got to his feet, his eyes locked onto the ghoul. The monster was slightly shorter than him but it was broad and bulky, wearing jeans and a fur lined coat over its frame. It’s face was barely human, it had a sharp jutting jaw with small tusks, beady black eyes, a ragged bald head, a massive snout and mottled, orange skin. “Miranda get out of here!” Leofric ordered the young woman tersely. Miranda’s face was framed with terror but she took the cue to stuff the book into her backpack and race behind Leofric.

  Leofric pulled off his backpack and was undoing the straps keeping his sword wrapped in foam when the beast charged. He lowered his body just in time to absorb the charge but it was no use, the beast was unbelievably powerful and it lifted him off his feet and carried him at least four metres before slamming him into the shelf on the back wall. Books tumbled down in droves as the wind was driven out of Leofric’s stomach. He had at least kept his sword in hand and he tried to pull it free while the beast pinned him to the wall. He saw Miranda come closer, her eyes on the verge of tears and her face radiating fear. “Go!” Leofric grunted out. “Get out of here, just go!”. Miranda wavered for a few moments before following his instruction and rushing to the front room. Leofric felt a sharp pain in his stomach and he realised that the monster was trying to gut him with its tusks. He pulled on his sword hilt with desperation and was rewarded when it came free of the rubbery foam. Even in the relative dimness of the room it shone and he brought it down on the creature’s back. The blade cut a gash across the monster’s back, it immediately roared in pain and threw Leofric to the side. The young prince went flying and in the chaos he lost grip of his sword, tumbling to the floor before hitting a bookshelf. He got up with his body aching in pain, his stomach had a wound from where the tusks had buried into him and his lungs were crying out for air after having been pinned.

  He saw the sword just a metre away, lying on the ground, but the monster roared and charged him again. It smashed him into the bookshelf which came crashing down from the blow, books scattering across the floor in a tremendously loud mess. Leofric was flung out of the monster’s grasp and he rolled over to his side and got up, his eyes searching for his sword. The monster growled and charged once more but this time Leofric ducked out of its way just in time. It scowled and tried to lash out with its hands but Leofric jumped back and then delivered his own punch to the monster’s face. It deflected off the creature’s face impotently, the monster barely even seemed to register it. It then punched out again and hit Leofric in the chest, sending him onto his back. Leofric groaned with pain, he was lucky that the blow hadn’t broken any of his ribs. The monster marched over to him but Leofric saw that his sword was within hand reach of him now. He reached out for the weapon as the monster came within less than a metre of his person. He grabbed hold of the hilt and swung the sword at the monster’s ankles, cutting bloody furrows in them. The monster bellowed in pain and crashed to its side. Leofric got to his feet and matched eyes with the hideous brute. “Siana really doesn’t choose them for being pretty huh” he remarked. The beast growled menacingly and tried to get up but it was stymied but its wounded legs. Leofric brought his sword down on the monster and stabbed it through the throat. The creature struggled for a bit, choking on its own blood before falling still.

  Leofric was only able to bask in his victory for a moment or two before he heard Miranda screaming. His initial elation turned to naked terror at the sound of the woman in trouble. He raced into the front room and saw two beasts cornering Miranda, who was huddled up near the counter. The old woman who ran the store was frozen stiff, standing only a few feet away from Miranda. The monsters turned to acknowledge Leofric’s approach, rumbling maliciously. The creature closer to Leofric moved towards him, pulling out an iron rod while the other inched towards Miranda. Leofric felt white hot hate consume his being as he witnessed the monster make its way towards Miranda. He swung his sword at the monster with the iron rod but it dodged and counter attacked with a swing of its own. The iron rod grazed Leofric’s shoulder and he grunted in pain. The monster became emboldened and it swung the iron rod again, this time in a downward arc. Leofric blocked the attack with his sword and then kicked at the monster’s stomach. The kick was well placed and strong but against the monster’s superhuman strength it was useless. It was akin to a grasshopper kicking an elephant. Leofric inwardly kicked himself for making such a foolish move, he should have known better from his last encounters. The monster rushed forward and Leofric stabbed at it only to have his sword blocked by its iron rod.

  The creature then punched him in the chest and Leofric yelled out from the shock of excruciating agony. He fell backwards and rolled out of the way as the creature brought the iron rod down onto the space where he had been. The creature brandished the rod and flash it down at him again but Leofric acted with frenetic speed. He whipped his sword in an arc and sliced off the creature’s hand in one fell swoop. The beast cried out as its hand, the rod still in its grasp, fell to the floor with a clanging noise. Leofric leaned up and stabbed at its stomach, firmly embedding the blade into its torso. The creature grumbled aggressively and grabbed Leofric by the front of his t shirt and pulled him towards it. He was powerless to resist its strength as it manhandled him towards it, its fanged mouth opening up to reveal rows of sharp dagger like teeth. It was going to bite his face off. Leofric bumped against the sword in its belly and he pushed it in further, straining his face away from its oncoming mouth at the same time. The blade was pushed all the way into the creature’s stomach until it was buried up to the hilt. The monster held him in its grasps for a few seconds more, clinging to life desperately while trying to exert the energy to gorge on Leofric’
s face. He could smell its breath, a foul fetid odour that washed over him like a wave. He could hear it gurgle as its eyes become glassy and death approached it. Then it lost its strength and fell to its knees before keeling over to the side.

  Leofric snapped his head over to where Miranda was and saw that the beast had gotten a hold of her and was carrying her over to the door. Leofric tried to pull his sword out of the dead monster but it was embedded too strongly. He instead pulled out his dagger and rushed after the monster. He let out a ferocious war cry and raised the weapon to stab into the beast’s back. The monster turned and smacked him in the face with its fist, Leofric was flattened, falling to the floor as pain raced through his head. It had been more a quick jab but the beast’s strength had nearly turned it into a knockout blow. His vision became grey and blurry while his mind nearly slipped into darkness. He tried to move his limbs but they were weak and it was only after some time lying there that he finally regained control of his muscles. He got to his feet and rushed towards the store’s front door and slammed it open to enter the sunny streets. All around him was a bright sunny day with mostly empty streets, and most importantly, absent of any sign of Miranda and the beast.

  He let out a cry of rage and despair, kicking a trash can to his side. His mind seethed with thoughts of revenge and sorrow, of a reserved young woman being manhandled by twisted abominations. In that moment he would have given anything to have Miranda back. He felt like a part of his soul had been torn from him and his heart throbbed with pain. His mind raced through his options. They took her so they could use her against me but that doesn’t matter now. What matters is where they took her and there’ s one person I’m sure who knows the answer to that question. Leofric marched back inside, his face burning with unconcealed fury. The old woman was still hunched behind the counter, her face ringed with fright. “It’s time for you to explain what’s going on” Leofric declared pulling his sword out of the monster’s guts. He walked over to the frozen crone, his sword hovering menacingly by his side. “Who are you?” he asked, his voice laced with venom.

  “I’m a bookstore owner, nothing more” the old woman pleaded.

  “Then how did the monsters know we were here?” Leofric insisted. “Unless you told them”.

  “They didn’t tell me anything” the old woman stated. “Except tha-”.

  “Except what?” Leofric hissed, coming closer ever so slightly.

  “Except that I was to inform them if you appeared” the woman replied cringing.

  “And so you did” Leofric uttered, his mind consumed with blood lust.

  “They threatened me” the store owner claimed. “They came in one day, there were two of them and a crow. They told me that they were looking for someone, a man with your description and that you might show up to my bookstore in search of a book”.

  “The guide to spells” Leofric intoned.

  “They threatened to kill me if I didn’t cooperate” the old lady implored. “They told me to drape a cloth outside my store in case you appeared so that the crow could see it”.

  “And you did that while we were in the back of your store” Leofric growled.

  “I didn’t know who you were or what they wanted with you” the store owner pleaded. “I was scared and I just wanted them to go away, I’m an old woman what else was I to do?”.

  “I may let you live” Leofric ruminated. A dash of hope appeared on the old woman’s face. “If you tell me where they’ve taken Miranda to” he continued. The old woman’s face became furrowed with concentration.

  “When they came into the store to take your girlfriend” the old woman started. “They said something about the catacombs”.

  “If you’re lying then I’ll come back here and cut out your tongue” Leofric grumbled.

  “I’m not lying I swear” the aged lady claimed. “They must not have thought I knew what they meant by the catacombs so they spoke freely but the truth is I do know where that is”.

  “And where is it then?” Leofric interrogated.

  “It’s part of the New York sewerage system” the old lady replied. “There’s a section of it that’s defunct now and it was briefly converted by a Catholic organisation to be a catacombs before they called it off years later. Occult groups do ceremonies down there occasionally, the ghouls must have set up base down there”.

  “So how exactly do I access these catacombs?” Leofric inquired.

  “I have maps” the old lady replied. “I also have some tools that might come in handy and some other things”. She reached down and pulled out a large pile of documents, depositing them on her counter.

  She started sorting through them quickly until she picked out a large booklet. “This is a map of the closest entrances to the catacombs” she stated. “There’s also a small map detailing the layout of the catacombs for when you’re inside. You’ll need a torch to read the map in the dark and I’ve got one here that you can use. You’ll also need some bandages for that stomach wound of yours, if you get it covered with raw sewerage down in the catacombs it’ll become infected. I have some bandages right here that you can use though”.

  “You’re awfully eager to help” Leofric reckoned.

  “I was pressured into springing a trap on you” the old lady replied. “So I’ll be damned if I don’t help you get your girlfriend back. I shudder to think of what those awful creatures are doing to that sweet girl, you’re a lucky man you know that?”.

  “She’s merely my companion” Leofric replied.

  “I wasn’t born yesterday, I’m not blind” the old lady said. “I see the way you look at each other, now come over here and let me apply the bandages. The monsters mentioned when they came in that the rest of their number were still coming. If we’re not out of here soon then we’ll be dinner in no time”. Leofric sheathed his sword and stepped forward, letting the old woman wrap the bandages around his wound. He suppressed any grunts of pain while she did her work.

  “There that should hold it” the aged lady declared, stepping back and admiring her handiwork. Leofric’s waist was now wrapped in tight bandages, he put his t shirt back down and then got a bomber jacket out of his backpack and put it on. The old woman handed him the torch and the booklet and he stuffed them into his backpack and then hoisted it over his shoulders. He tied his sheathed sword to his waist, he wasn’t going to be caught off guard with it encased in foam again. “You must get going now” the old woman said. “The monsters will be here any minute and there will be too many for you to face alone”.

  “Thank you for your help” Leofric intoned.

  “Don’t mention it” the old woman replied, as she walked towards the back of her store. “Come this way hunny” she added. “You need to go out the back entrance to avoid the monsters”. Leofric followed her through to the back of the store where the store owner opened a door to the outside world. She stepped through and Leofric did so as well, entering a grungy alleyway. They walked to the end of the alleyway, to where it intersected with the street. “I have to go take the subway back to East Village” the old woman elaborated. “Good luck to you, I don’t even know your name but I can tell a good man when I see one. Promise me one thing, don’t let that girl go whatever you do”.

  “I’ll do my best” Leofric replied earnestly.

  The old lady smiled and then walked off, leaving Leofric standing by the pavement.

  9.

  Miranda quivered in fear as the monsters tied ropes around her wrists. Other than the grunts of the beasts the only sound was the occasional drip of fetid green water from an old pipe. She was in a massive chamber, that was arranged in a circular shape with several tunnels leading in and out of it. There was a raised concrete platform in the back half of the chamber, at the centre of which Miranda sat restrained in a wooden chair. The front half of the chamber was filled with green sewerage, toxic sludge that drained out into two massive tunnels at the front of the room. Ageing lights hanging off the ceiling provided some illumination i
n the dark, the monsters had set up a number of candles to compliment the weak lighting. And there were bones. Carved into sections of the walls were alcoves filled with bones, Miranda didn’t know why they were there but it gave her the creeps. The whole atmosphere of the dark, dirty underground lair was positively discomforting.

  One of the monsters fastened the bounds around her ankles and she resisted the temptation to struggle. It would be of no use, the monsters were infinitely stronger than her and even if she did escape them she would have no idea where to go. All that she could remember since she was kidnapped was a blur. She’d been in the library with Leofric when the monsters had attacked, the monsters had then seized her and dragged her out of the store. The monster had then told her that it would let her go and only hold her hand, provided she walked alongside it and acted as though nothing was wrong. It told her that if she disobeyed it would punish her. She learnt that the hard way, as soon as it let her go she tried to run and it responded by gripping her hand tightly, triggering spasms of pain. After that she strolled along by its side, desperate for an opportunity to escape that never came. It had led her to a manhole and forced her to go down into it, beneath in the dank, dark sewers it led her to this chamber where she was bound down by the beasts.

  The monsters finished doing her restraints and they stood back and grunted in broken English amongst each other. Some times they spoke English other times they spoke another language which Miranda didn’t recognise. There were at least three of them and they were all dressed in casual 21st century clothing, their freakish, orc like faces the only thing giving away their monstrous reality. “Drest and the others will be back soon” a beast with one eye claimed.

  “The prince will be dead then” another claimed.

  “No, he will escape, that’s why we need this worm to bait him” the largest and fiercest looking beast stated.

  “Yes that’s how we do it” the one eyed beast added. “The crow will find the prince and then we bring the worm and use it to lure the prince to us”.