Angels Blood

by Gerard Bond

  “I have another quest that I might be able to carry out in the meantime, we shall return before it's time to move out.”

  The Elf officer acknowledged Wollfen's words with a curt nod of the head.

  The five of them retreated back along the tunnel to the great cavern. There still wasn’t anything to see in that blackness but they could at least skirt the edge and have a quick look down each of the branch tunnels. Each time they found a side tunnel two of them would go down while the others waited. There really wasn’t much to see.

  “What are we looking for?” Nightwing was curious.

  “Looking for a very old staircase that goes down. It is supposed to take us to a portal that is sealed.”

  They stood there near the wall of the cavern. They had just come across the tunnel that they had arrived from the north in. Dark asked Wollfen a question.

  “How does that verse you have go again?”

  Wollfen reached into his jacket and pulled it out. He carried it everywhere he went.

  “Down, down, down, dark is the way and sure is the path for here lies the way of the ancients, hearken all mortal souls for travel within will spell your doom. Let it be known for only those blessed with the blood of an angel may tread and be free, all are blessed but only few are guaranteed. Find ye the stairs near the waterless flow, do not hesitate in passing from in to out for only from in may you pass.

  Take no heed of the dragons bite in the night sky and you shall see its reflection on the face of your desire.”

  “Well that last part doesn’t make sense, if we are already supposed to be underground when we look to the night sky how are we supposed to see it? And then ignore it anyway?” Dark was confused. “I mean passing from in to out and all that? Could it get any more confusing?”

  Wollfen had studied long and hard in his idle moments.

  “I don’t think we are meant to take it all literally. It’s a matter of working out what it is they are hinting at. The waterless flow is obviously these lava tubes, but I don’t know which one. That may be guesswork and searching, but even then it doesn’t say that the tube itself is the way, just that it is near to your goal.”

  The others were listening but not able to offer anything constructive. Wollfen went on,

  “I’m not sure about the in to out bit, maybe that’s this cavern, we were in the tunnel and passed out of it? It's as close as I can get.” Nightwing spoke up.

  “I think you may be right Wollfen, now that we are in the cavern it is very black and we can look up and not see anything, maybe that is supposed to be like the night sky you spoke of?” Wollfen started feeling some hope.

  “Yes, you may have something there, but still blackness doesn’t reflect anything. We can’t see a reflection anywhere, let alone a dragons bite whatever that means.”

  They went quiet again in thought, then after a moment Vaughn took the only torch they had and doused it.

  “What are you doing?” asked Loranda, Vaughn explained.

  “Wait for your eyes to adjust, it may be that what we seek is very faint and our light covers it?”

  They sat for a few minutes and waited as suggested. Then they started to notice the glow of tiny spots far above them.

  “Look, you can see above us!” They all looked harder now.

  “I know what they are, glowbugs on the ceiling. We haven’t been able to see them because of our own light. Now doesn’t that look like the night sky and its stars?”

  They looked around slowly and carefully pointing out variations but nothing seemed like what they thought might be a dragon’s bite.

  “Maybe we should skirt the cavern again as before.”

  “Agreed, let’s go, two in front watching where they go with the rest of us hanging on and focusing on looking up.”

  They moved slowly along the wall. Having got about a third of the way around Wollfen noticed a rather odd-looking stalactite hanging down from the ceiling, it was at an angle.

  “Wait, I think I have found something, look up there at the stalactite, it isn’t like the others.”

  They all focused in the gloom, it was difficult to pick out but it was there. Loranda piped up.

  “Dragons have big teeth, could you think of it as a tooth?”

  “Damn.” It was Dark, “There is another there too. Look, it is as big and exactly the same angle.” Wollfen realized that was it.

  “You got it, it has to be it. Now, we are supposed to ignore it to see the way.”

  Wollfen stepped out from the wall and slowly made his way to under the two stalactites they were interested in.

  All of them looked about but didn’t see anything.

  “Okay we have to follow the script, it says to ignore them, so we have to face away in the opposite direction right?” They nodded and Loranda spoke up again,

  “So which way would the dragon be facing to bite down and have his teeth facing that way?” Wollfen looked up again positioning himself.

  “Stand between where the teeth are overhead and face away from the direction they are pointing to.”

  They all stood side by side and did as Wollfen was doing.

  “There!” Vaughn pointed to the wall, “There is a patch of obsidian next to that lava tube, you can see the reflection of the glowing bugs in it!”

  That had to be it. Wollfen went up to the wall and felt its smooth surface. They had passed it twice and not given it a second thought. To look at it, it gave no indication of being special.

  “Alright, It’s the size of a door so that fits, now what? Anybody know some chant for opening secret doorways?” No one answered. Dark spoke up.

  “Is it what we are after? Doesn’t the verse say only from in to out may you pass? Maybe it’s in that lava tube?”

  They went inside the tube nearest to them and looked about more closely, they had already had a good look on their original search but they knew something had to be here. They must have been there an hour before the last of them gave up, it just didn’t make any sense; there were no other signs.

  “Maybe we are in the wrong place totally.” Wollfen nodded.

  “Maybe.”

  He went back to the obsidian in the wall outside and felt it once more, surely there was something? Dark was sitting against the wall and a little back.

  “Wollfen! Your sword!” He looked down and noticed a slight glow from in the scabbard, he pulled it free and exposed the glow of the blade. Even Wollfen was taken aback. Waving it about he found it glowed brighter near the obsidian patch.

  “We have found it people, this is definitely the way. Why my sword is doing this I can’t say. If Luthein was here he probably would know.”

  Wollfen’s heart started pumping at a greater rate. The idea that they were soon to cast eyes upon Lord Vincent was an exciting prospect. He stood there before the wall with Cerendell in his hand. He touched the tip of it to the center of the obsidian patch, nothing. Then he placed the flat of the blade against it vertically, still nothing.

  “I’m not exactly sure what to do, this is all guesswork.”

  Now he raised the glowing blade above his head and the others jumped away.

  “What’s wrong with you lot?” Dark gave him a little smile from a distance.

  “When you start swinging that thing it’s not only the enemy that runs.” Wollfen gave her a grim look.

  “Hmm.”

  He lifted the sword in two hands behind his back and swung hard. The blade clanged into the rock and sparks flew to either side. Wollfen was left shaking his hands from the reverberations through the handle. He looked at the face, apart from the slightest scratch there was nothing.

  “This is frustrating.”

  He stood there staring at the rock, the blade had not dimmed at all. He lifted the blade level with his chest pointing directly at the rock again. He raised and lowered it level in front of the rock watching the reflection of light. It was then he noticed what appeared to be a dark slit just below chest height. It wasn’t phys
ically there but no light was reflected on this tiny spot. Wollfen put the tip of his blade to that and it gave. He looked to the others pleased.

  Grabbing with both hands and shoving against the sword, it slid in swiftly but steadily until it sunk up to its hilt. There was no noise, no movement of anything. One second the obsidian was there, the next it wasn’t. Wollfen had to grab his sword as it fell. Wollfen stood at the entrance and peered in. There were stairs below disappearing into the darkness. He could feel his excitement rising.

  “How long before we have to head topside do you suppose?” Dark and the others looked at each other. Vaughn spoke up,

  “I would say another five hours at least.” That was good. Wollfen made an immediate decision.

  “Lets go down and have a look shall we?”

  They all nodded in agreement. They too wanted to see what was down there. Wollfen led the way with a freshly lit torch as he descended into the darkness. The torch lit up thirty yards into the distance as they started down. They only made it down about forty steps when Wollfen heard whimpering behind him. Turning he was shocked to see all of his companions crawling or curled up in balls.

  “What is going on?”

  Dark cried out with a howl but could not answer; they were all possessed by something, but what? Wollfen wasn’t feeling a thing. He grabbed Dark under her arm taking her back up the steps and out into the cavern, setting her down she immediately started recovering and grabbed his hand.

  “Get them out, don’t wait, quickly.”

  Wollfen didn’t hesitate and raced back into the doorway, back down the stairs he grabbed another and dragged them out too, It took only a couple of minutes to retrieve all of them. Wollfen stood there looking at them. Dark was able to stand now and come to him. She could see he was full of questions.

  “I don’t know what it was but when we started down those stairs it was fear that gripped us, fear unbridled and centered on nothing. It felt like I was being torn apart inside, I was so scared.” He looked down into her eyes with compassion.

  “Don’t worry my love I won’t ask you,” He turned to the others, “I won’t ask any of you to go down there again, it is obvious some sort of curse that I am unaffected by for some reason.”

  “It’s the verses Wollfen,” They all turned to Nightwing, “You forget the first part of it, read it again for us.”

  Wollfen pulled out the paper once more and read the first part out loud.

  “Down, down, down, dark is the way and sure is the path for here lies the way of the ancients, hearken all mortal souls for travel within will spell your doom. Let it be known for only those blessed with the blood of an angel may tread and be free, all are blessed but only few are guaranteed.” Dark looked up at him with wide eyes.

  “It’s you baby, you are the one. You have the blood of an angel in you.” Wollfen shook his head.

  “Don't be ridiculous. I may only have dim recollections of my parents, but they were no angels, I can guarantee that.” Dark countered with a very plausible explanation.

  “That’s if they were the ones that sired you. That you cannot know. There are the other things too, the fact that you don’t age. You have yet to receive a mortal blow. Not even a crossbow bolt directly through your heart can kill you. Wollfen my love, you are much, much more than even you know.” He still couldn’t accept it.

  “I just don’t know.”

  He looked about, they were all looking at him a little differently. Dark’s words had an impact. She went on,

  “Ultimately it is you who must go down there alone, only you can gain access. It is blocked to us for we are not like you.”

  Wollfen looked to her and could not deny those final words. He was different and the forces down there didn’t affect him. He let out a sigh.

  “You are right, this is my task alone and I must go to it, I don’t know how long I will be and you are all needed for entering the city above and setting the gates open at the designated time.” He turned towards Dark and she hugged him.

  “I love you my wolf. I will be thinking of you and sending out positive thoughts.” He welcomed the idea.

  “Thank you my dear. I will be thinking of you too. Take care and don’t get hurt okay?” She nodded.

  “We shall see each other tomorrow.” She leaned up and kissed him full on the mouth and then pulled away. “Get going.”

  “Take care and may the gods be with you.”

  He in turn left them behind and entered the hole in the wall.

  Wollfen must have spent over an hour going down those steps, they went very deep indeed. The effort was tiring on the legs and he hoped the end was soon, bringing a water bottle would have been a good idea. He didn’t notice that the steepness of the steps was gradually getting less and less but after ten more minutes it became apparent. Within a few minutes Wollfen found himself on a plateau measuring thirty feet wide and directly across from him was the portal entrance. He had seen it in his mind’s eye so many months ago, it was an unremarkable sight. His anticipation had built to an expectation of something magnificent when he arrived, but only the portal existed here.

  He stood there for a minute studying it from his vantage point. Then slowly he moved forward until he stood directly before it. The portal was a sea of blackness in the shape of a doorway but there was a dull glow around the edges. Wollfen lifted his hand and touched the black of its surface, it resisted. The way was definitely blocked and he knew that beyond it lay his Lord. He took in a big breath and gripped his sword tighter. All he needed do was plunge the sword through that black membrane and Lord Vincent would be free. Still, he hesitated, was it the best thing to do for this world? What would happen when he was free? Would Lord Vincent even see him?

  Wollfen focused, the entity needed to be dealt with. There was no other way. He lifted his sword and while he knew there lay no real danger beyond he was still a little scared. Then he plunged the tip of the sword in and guided it home just as he had done with the obsidian door. The wall disappeared just as before and Wollfen was left looking at an open portal entrance. Vincent was free but nothing happened, what was going on? He held his sword to one side and leaned forward a little hoping to see in better. It was then that he was struck.

  The blow sent Wollfen flying across the room. Cerendell careened out of his grasp to the corner far from his reach and a presence came up upon him like a fog. He couldn’t see it, only sense it. With horror he realized what it was, it was the entity itself! Wollfen struggled on the ground as it enveloped him, every nerve in his body began to sing out with pain as that thing covered him like a cloud touching every part of his body. He screamed in agony as the thing focused on him and bore down, every inch of his body was on fire.

  No! He fought hard, fighting with his mind, pushing back. He made headway but it came back unrelenting, pushing, squeezing, searing through his body and he couldn’t focus. If he could have sobbed he would have, but all his will was bent to keeping that thing out of his mind as it struggled on his body.

  Help! But there was no one about. He was alone in the depths of the earth at the mercy of this thing. He was still thinking but slowly. Each and every fresh attack by this thing was from a different angle. Finally, he found something to think of, love. Love for Dark. The thing weakened ever so slightly but Wollfen felt it. He focused on Dark and let his feelings flow for her and the thing didn’t know what to do. While it was distracted, Wollfen managed to focus an attack, he drove a spike of magical power at it and the thing recoiled. He had its measure. Wollfen focused more energy and became singular minded, but the thing drove him back down. He had to think of his love again to make it hesitate. Now Wollfen knew. He had to use both thoughts to push this thing back, feel his love for Dark and strike with his magical force.

  Wollfen thought hard, letting his feelings flow strongly, imagining Dark there beside him. It gave him strength and Wollfen pushed back. The entity recoiled, it was hating the feelings. He hit hard and he felt it let go, on
ce more he hit it and again it pulled back. Wollfen stood as best as he could oblivious to his own pain and injuries, his chest plate started to glow as he drew from its magical energies. More and more he charged himself until he almost couldn’t hold the magic anymore. With one strong thought of love for Dark, his partner, he struck out and in his mind he could sense a scream from it, then it was gone.

  Collapsing back to the ground Wollfen wheezed as his body cried out from the torture it had received. He could feel himself starting to pass out but he fought it, he didn’t know where the entity was or whether it was destroyed or what. His entire body was burnt and he was in agony. After a minute he gingerly pulled himself up fighting the waves of pain and felt out with his mind. He knew intimately now what the thing’s essence was like and after a minute sensed its beacon. As soon as he did he switched off. The thing was far, far away to the east and deep down in hiding. Wollfen passed out.

  Later that night Dark was up on the outer defense wall of Kassandrea looking down as she watched hundreds of elves pour in through the gate she and her companions had managed to open. There were a dozen dead Isogorreans around it. She had had a good time cutting them down. The elven weapons they had been given by Wollfen worked wondrously. Dark wondered how many would manage to get in before the alarm was raised? As if in answer to her thoughts a horn blew and kept blowing, the Isogorreans knew.

  “Keep them away from the gates! They have to stay open!” Dark turned to the elves with her, “Fire down into the Isogorreans out in the streets, we will help to keep them at bay.”

  Dark spoke to the others.

  “We need to keep the Isogorreans from getting anywhere near this guard tower. Set up inside the door here and fire along the rampart as they show themselves.”

  The tower was above the gate with a rampart along the top of the wall on each side. If they could keep them clear near the gates, the Isogorreans could not stop the flow of the elven soldiers into Kassandrea. The same tactic was being employed at every gate and it was to prove very effective.