Crocodile Queen

by Phil Armstrong

  The door opened to the café, they both turned to inspect the emerging figure of a slender man entering the cafe. They were disappointed, nervous, and starting to get irritable, those feelings were soon washed away when they noticed the Crocodile Queen following the man through the door. She recognized Dan's face first, before heading over to join them at their table, as the man approached the counter to order his coffee. "Here, I got you some water," said Ally, pushing the plastic bottle towards the Crocodile Queen as she sat.

  "Thanks, we have to be very careful, they know what we're trying to do, and they'll try to stop us from finding the necklace. I'm convinced, Elora doesn’t know where Myrddin’s necklace is located, and we’re not going to be stupid and tip them off. "

  "So, what's next?" Dan was curious.

  The Crocodile Queen placed the envelope upon the table, she withdrew an old tattered letter, and “This is the letter containing the cryptic riddle, the clue that everyone is desperate to solve. Let me read this to you," the Crocodile Queen flattened the creased paper onto the table and began to read quietly.

  "It belongs to the prophet, dangerous and uncontrolled,

  a haven has been found, under a winged angle facing south,

  guarded by a lady of peace, flanked by two loyal soldiers,

  Allward's vision, a loyal servant to the founder of the empire,

  with weapon slung, a heel hides the truth under 1909."

  "Look, we have to solve this, we just have to" the Crocodile Queen sounded desperate but there was a determination coursing through her plea.

  Dan swiveled the letter towards him, he took a picture using the mobile phone he’d retrieved from the apartment. They both stared at the cryptic clues, written a long time ago, and now illuminated within Dan’s modern device.

  "Don’t worry, we’ll solve this," responded Ally, her voice tinged with just as much determination, "So we already know who the prophet in the riddle is, it's Merlin or Myrddin; now we just have to crack the rest of the code." As if it were scripted, both Dan and Ally pulled out their computers from their school backpacks; they opened them up and placed them on the round coffee table. The café was equipped with free wifi, Ally had powered up her Microsoft Surface tablet, while Dan preferred his Mac Airbook. Digital screens flickered into life, they connected to the Internet and accessed their browsers to start their research, and Ethel would have loved to have access to this powerful modern technology.

  Dan took the lead; he was usually very strong and talented at working through highly structured methodical tasks. Ally wasn't sure initially, but she let Dan lead the way, "A winged angel facing south is too broad a statement to research, lady of peace and soldiers, again that’s too broad, too vague. Let's start with something more specific and work our way backwards into the riddle. Allward's vision, Allward’s the name of the person Ethel mentioned remember? The guy in Toronto, I like that, that reference is put in there for a reason, so let's find out who, or what, Allward is, and if there’s a Toronto connection."

  "Agreed," said Ally, already typing into her search engine. The Crocodile Queen watched the young couple go to work.

  "What are you both doing?" she asked, curious how this could be helpful.

  Ally stopped briefly to answer, "Accessing the largest library in our world, we're going to solve this riddle for you,” Ally diverted her gaze back to her screen.

  The Crocodile Queen sipped her water telling herself to remain calm and show patience. She had to trust in these kid’s abilities. An hour had passed before either of them had spoken a word, Dan studied his screen then lifted his head, "Ok Ally, I've think I’ve got something here, it’s a Wikipedia hit for a Walter Seymour Allward. Says here, that he was the designer that created bronze sculptures among other things."

  Ally stopped and raised her eyes, "Do a Google image search on ‘Allward and Angels’ and Toronto."

  Dan turned his screen towards her, "Already there, look."

  Ally stared at a grainy image of a large cenotaph, an Angel was perched high above, "That's promising, but we need to dig a bit deeper, lady of peace, two soldiers and founder of the empire, keep going." Dan took this as a challenge; he loved riddles and typed furiously. Another twenty minutes passed and the lady behind the coffee counter threw several concerned glances their way to indicate they’d outstayed their welcome.

  The Crocodile Queen watched the pair interact, keeping one eye on the door and any imminent danger, she knew would arrive, "Look Ally," Dan swiveled his screen so Ally could see, "at the base of this column is a statue of a woman, perhaps she’s the lady of peace, see right there, she’s flanked by two soldiers."

  "That's good Dan, I think you're onto something. Keep digging," Ally encouraged.

  Ally had been typing furiously, she was following another path, "Here it is," she exclaimed excitedly, "Look," she said, this time turning her screen.

  Dan read the contents aloud, "Allward was commissioned to design the piece by James Mason, a prominent Toronto figure at the turn of the century. Mason wanted to commemorate the troops who fought in the South African war, including his service in that war. It was unveiled in 1910, to mark Paardeberg Day, where people would gather on this day, February 27th. James Mason fought at the battle of Batoche, he was a banker, a military officer, and a politician. Mason was the founder of the Royal Canadian Military Institute, and an ardent imperialist who founded the Empire Club of Canada.” Dan stopped and thought for a moment, “That's it Ally, founder of the empire, the Empire Club. Good work."

  “Let’s keep digging,” said Ally, seizing upon their collective progress. A period of furious typing followed, "I used Google Maps and have confirmed the angel on the cenotaph faces south," Dan said proudly.

  "At the base of the cenotaph, one of the soldiers has his weapon slung over his shoulder and his heel is straddling the stone step, the only thing I can't work out is the reference to 1909."

  "I can't find it either, it was opened in 1910, perhaps they made it in 1909?" Dan typed furiously again.

  "I think we have enough, there’s too many connections here to be a coincidence.” Ally looked at the Crocodile Queen, “Your riddle points us to University Avenue in Toronto, Canada, Ethel’s hunch was right. Let's go!" Ally seemed confident.

  They were oblivious to a slight drop in temperature, outside of the café, dark clouds started to form reducing the sun’s natural light. A familiar tingling sensation disturbed the calmness of the Crocodile Queen. She had listened patiently to their theories, explanations, and discoveries, as they peeled away the complex layers of the cryptic riddle presented before them. She’d smiled politely, enjoying their progress, but in her heart, she recognized the ominous signs. Dark forces were gathering, and it was clear to her, they knew of their location, it was only a matter of time before they arrived. In this realm she was powerless, vulnerable, and clearly in danger. They all needed to get out, before it was too late. The Crocodile Queen glanced at both the door and the window repeatedly, she expected a hoard of demons to arrive at any minute, instead she observed a steady stream of bleary eyed, coffee seeking, commuters.

  She nodded her head with some urgency, "Yes, now that’s a good idea, let's go now. Grab your things," she said abruptly, turning towards the door leaving Dan and Ally in shock by the speed in which she left the table and exited the cafe. Dan and Ally rushed to catch-up.

  "What's up, was it something we said?" inquired Ally?

  "No, let's head to the park, away from the people, we're suddenly in grave danger, I think they've found us again. We need to get out of here now and over to Toronto quickly."

  Dan flashed his eyes around wildly, "How do you know? I can't see anyone."

  "I don't have time to explain," the Crocodile Queen marched away briskly towards the park, "if a gaping sink hole opens up in Main Street, and a hoard of winged beasts spill forth from the dark underworld intent on killing everyone, and everything, well,” she paused dramatically, “it's not going to be goo
d. I have limited powers here, and I can't protect you, but by some miracle should you survive, how are you going to explain this to your family, the press, or the world at large,” now she was smiling in a weird sarcastic way.

  "She has a point, let's hurry," urged Ally, grabbing Dan by the arm.

  Winding their way nervously through the narrow streets of Westtown they were soon at the entrance to the park. The Crocodile Queen pulled them both behind a row of tall bushes, which conveniently provided a natural screen. She grabbed Ally’s arm, moving her to her left, she offered her hand and fumbled for Dan’s hand awkwardly. Her head tilted, and her eyes rolled backwards in their sockets showing nothing but the whites of her eyes. The world seemed to spin, like water escaping down a drain; the park went suddenly dark, as if swallowed into a dark abyss.

  * * * * *

  They emerged from a dark tunnel to be met by a flash of blinding light. Dan felt the welcome sensation of solid ground under his feet; he looked down to see a dirty slab of patterned concrete, and from its design he knew instantly they’d left Westtown. He took an educated guess, “Toronto?” he stammered.

  Ally was still rubbing her eyes, “Yes,” the Crocodile Queen answered, feeling her energy levels drained to near exhaustion. “We have to hurry, I don't think we can evade them for long.”

  They stepped out from an alley at the intersection of Front Street and University Avenue, in the heart of downtown Toronto. It was early morning and the faint rumblings of afterhour’s revelers could be heard in the distance. An orange and black Diamond taxicab slowed down to see if he had a possible fare. Ally waved the taxi away impatiently, “If I'm not mistaken, I think we head north up University Avenue,” Dan nodded his agreement, as they squinted their eyes trying to adjust to the faded light and establish their location. A bold yellow street lamp bled its illumination onto the quiet deserted street; they walked quickly and with purpose, occasionally glancing over their shoulders to ensure they were not being followed. They would obey the intersection crossing signals, waiting patiently for the white walking-man symbol despite the total absence of traffic. “Good judgement,” said the Crocodile Queen, “let’s not draw any unnecessary attention to ourselves.”

  It was a statement steeped in irony, as most pedestrians at that time in the morning were dashing across the empty intersections, ignoring the traffic signals, and clearly anxious to get home. It was also ironic as they were so focused on blending in, that they’d failed to notice the tall figures of two men lurking in a doorway of a closed Pizza restaurant. The two men turned their backs as Dan and his accomplices passed by.

  University Avenue was a wide street; it accommodated four lanes of traffic lined by a blend of modern glass skyscrapers and old stone buildings with glorious histories. They stared at the center median of the road, some sections had bronze statues of what looked like prominent and distinguished men; although it was early morning and the light wasn’t strong, these statues were clearly not what they sought. They continued walking north for what seemed about five minutes before they caught a glimpse of a tall stone cenotaph ahead, it was adorned with a majestic winged angel who faced them. They hurried north until they reached an intersection, the light had changed allowing them to cross the road and access the center median, the winged statue was positioned on top of the cenotaph surrounded by shallow fountains. They could walk around the fountains, gaining access to a set of wide stone steps creating a base for the statue. As they approached, they could recognize the statues of two soldiers flanking a lady situated on the base. One of the soldiers had his gun slung over his shoulder with his heel straddling a cement block, as depicted in their search results from the café.

  Their excitement grew, but the Crocodile Queen had grown quiet, the two shadowy figures lurking in the Pizza restaurant doorway had tracked them to the statues. One was crossing the road from the east side and one approached from the west. They were heading to the center median and using a classic pincer movement of attack. The air had grown heavy, and the Crocodile Queen’s body had started to tingle in that familiar way. The Crocodile Queen had survived this long, by trusting her instincts; she was acutely tuned to her senses with an ability taught to her by the monks at the Monastery of Light. Dan and Ally were lost in their excitement; they didn’t realize what was happening until it was too late. A swirl of thick gray morning mist appeared out of nowhere, crawling over the ground like the exhaust from a large truck on a cold day. This dense mist surrounded them in an instant. There was no sound, no light, no movement on the street, it blotted everything out obscuring their visibility. The mist paralyzed them, anchoring their feet to the ground and immobilizing their ability to run for safety. They were easily rendered defenseless and vulnerable; an attack was imminent from the ominous presence of the two tall skinny men descending upon them.

  The mysterious mist swirled and thickened, creating a noise like the wind howling across the Yorkshire Moors at Top Withens. The sound seemed amplified, as no other sound was able to penetrate the dense suffocating mist. Ally tried to call out to Dan, her screams were muffled, and muted, human voices would not carry through the dense mist. They were soon engulfed, it occurred so quickly; they were left unprepared, defenseless and afraid. Dark ominous shadows began to emerge from the dense mist shuffling their way slowly towards them like some B-rated zombie movie. Ally could feel the cold emanating from the mist, but she also felt a burning heat rising within her body as panic and anxiety consumed her every thought. It felt as if they were anchored, trapped in the mist for a long time, but it happened in a few seconds. Dark magic was at play, a weakened Crocodile Queen was powerless to resist, she knew her fate. A feeling of sadness enveloped the Crocodile Queen, they’d travelled so far, and almost reached their goal, but this was it, it was time to just give up, her fight would be over. A calmness descended throughout her body as she resigned herself to her fate, for she knew it would soon be over, “I warned them Elora was nasty,” she thought blaming herself.

  The shapes in the mist grew larger as they closed in, the howling wind was mixed with screams of pain, large guttural primal screams of unknown beasts. Dan forced his eyes open, although his body was rigid with his feet firmly anchored in place by an invisible force.

  He could see several large dark shapes shifting position and thrashing through the mist, close to his motionless frame. Dan could also see flashes of light bursting through the dense dark mist, followed by the sounds of intense screams and grunts. There was clearly a great battle in progress, a battle of epic proportions, and it was playing out all around them, but all they could see were misty shifting silhouettes. Dan was annoyed, he wanted to fight, to help, but his frustrations rose with the feeling of being powerless and immobilized. Dan could feel the presence of the Crocodile Queen and Ally standing beside him. Neither made a sound. Ally couldn’t decide if the thick mist was designed to hide them, and protect them, or provide a confusing advance for the aggressors. The screams of slayed beasts grew louder forcing Ally to conclude the mist was somehow protecting them, like some imaginary shield. Ally could sense the movement of large predators moving close to them, like a rushing wind passing by, although nothing was visible through the thickening fog. Dan had concluded that Elora had come to get them, determined to stop them from retrieving the necklace, right at the final stage of discovery. The Crocodile Queen could sense the evil presence surrounding them, she knew Atheria’s warriors were close, engaged in the battle, but they were all easy targets in this state. Someone, or something, had other ideas and seemed to be preventing that from happening, perhaps it was Atheria?

  Ally noticed something strange making its way through the mist; it looked like the limb of a dead tree, stripped of its leaves. A black shape, grew, extended, and moved towards them like the growing limb of a tree branch. It was spiked, sharp and intent on finding them. It probed through the mist, expanding and changing its shape as it drew near. Dan was frightened as it came close. He wriggled and fought frantically to
break his bondage. Ally grew concerned as the black tree like entity came uncomfortably close to Dan. It lunged at Dan with a sudden thrusting movement shooting out a black, crystalline limb with a sharp spear-like appendage. Dan managed to bend his waist, moving his head to the right as the spear shot past his head missing his ear by inches. Ally tried to scream a warning, but nothing came out. Dan was fighting for his survival as the demonic tree-like entity grew, moved, and burst through the mist with multiple branches probing for Ally and the Crocodile Queen. Dan’s movements became erratic; he resembled a buoy bobbing furiously in stormy choppy waters. The sleek, black entity stabbed and morphed it shape trying to spear Dan’s anchored body. It looked hopeless as the tree started to surround Dan now attacking him from three angles.