by Alan Scott
Chapter Ten
Something Evil Comes
“They are WHAT?” shouted Queen Amanda Rothgal-Ackroyd.
“They are only fifty miles from Deep Lake, your Majesty,” replied General Ramspike.
“How can this be?” Amanda grasped her hair.
“They, once again, defeated our army,” replied Confessor Vember.
“They fought well,” added Chamberlain Marc Aslo.
“Do not talk to me, Aslo!” spat out Queen Rothgal-Ackroyd. “You are barely better than that coward, Rab Cregg.”
“Yes, your Majesty,” muttered Aslo.
Amanda paced the length of the meeting room, angrily. “General Ramspike, pray tell me how the drug-fuelled sex-crazed mob mentality of the Midnight Man’s army managed to destroy the third army we have sent against them?”
“The Midnight Guard were amongst their numbers...” began Ramspike.
“We had four regiments of the elite Church Guard!” screamed Amanda.
“They had been tampered with.”
“Tampered with?”
“Yes, your Majesty.”
“How?”
“Their food was poisoned.”
Queen Rothgal-Ackroyd rubbed her brow. “And how did they manage that?”
“We are still investigating that, your Majesty.”
“GET OUT! GET OUT! EVERYONE!” screeched Amanda. “MOVE NOW!”
The small group of advisers knew better than to argue with their queen and hastened to the exit. As the last of them left and the door was shut, Amanda collapsed to her knees, clasped her hands together, raised her head to the heavens, and let the tears fall. “My Lord, why have you forsaken me?” she despaired. “I have always done my best for you. I have always led a good and righteous life. I have forsaken all sins of the flesh, of drink, and pride. Why have you abandoned me in my hour of need?”
Amanda remained silently staring at the ceiling for almost twenty minutes before clambering to her feet and walking to the window. Looking out at the lake, she continued her one way commune with her god. “I feel betrayed and abandoned by everyone. First, Rab Cregg flees the city with his family, then my Chamberlain, Marc Aslo, arrives late for the execution of Kathleen Rothgal and fabricates some stupid excuse. Since then, he has not been his normal self. He is always late, seems distracted all of time, and there is a sweet smell that clings to him and his clothes. I fear that I must soon remove him from my inner circle of advisers, but who is to replace him?”
Turning from the window and making for the table, Amanda pulled out a chair and sat down. “My Lord, I beg you for guidance. Show me a sign. Show me a sign.”
The door opened and in walked Tania Stone.
***
In a farm house northeast of the Twin Kingdoms
“How is she, Doctor?” asked Captain Peter Hazelgrove.
“Her body is mending well, but her mind is still...” Doctor Grant Yolove shrugged, “her mind is still delicate.”
“Is she still having the nightmares?”
“Yes.”
Peter looked over the doctor's shoulder to a female figure dressed in a white nightgown. “An angry man with a flag in the middle of a burning city, his hate and pain strong enough to make her weep.”
Grant nodded his head in confirmation. “That is what our High Commander claims she sees when she sleeps.”
“I shall go and speak with her now.”
“Good luck, Peter,” said Grant Yolove.
Peter patted him on the shoulder as he moved past him. “Thank you.”
High Commander of the Cult of Mancer, Laura Artic, looked out of the window and onto the mountain views that dominated the landscape. “I am fine, Peter,” she said as Peter neared.
“Doctor Yolove says you still are having the nightmares.”
Laura shivered despite herself. “That god-awful man plagues my sleep. “
“Maybe it’s a sign?”
“Of what? Of me going mad?”
“Of course not, ma’am.“
“How are the men?” asked Laura, changing the subject.
“They are fine.”
“Have we lost any more?”
“No, ma’am. We remain at just over sixty men in total.”
“Sixty men? Is that it?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“We had about seven thousand souls in our monastery, now we have sixty.”
“Ma’am, there was nothing you could do. There was nothing anyone could have done. We were taken by total surprise and the use of God’s Fire in the married quarters, barracks, and warehouses was...” Peter hesitated, “was… barbaric.”
A sad silence filled the room.
Laura ran a hand through her short cropped hair. “I also now hear a voice.”
“What does it say?”
“Good shit. Bad shit. It's all shit in the end.”
“Have you told Doctor Yolove?” asked Peter, anxiously.
“No,” said Laura, sternly.
Peter looked at Laura with concern. “Maybe you should.”
“No!” repeated Laura. Straightening herself up, Laura continued, “Tell me about the time you and Andrew met with the Dev’ver known as Shadow Killer.”
“That was a long time ago, ma’am.”
“Just humour me, please, Peter.”
“Very well. It was a cold autumn evening and he just appeared out of thin air. He wanted to know about the Mancer Prophecy and we wanted to know more about the man, so a deal was struck.”
“I was unaware of this,” said High Commander Artic.
“Well, it was before the Cult of Mancer became one again, with both sections coming back together.”
“What did Shadow Killer tell you?” Laura's tone was official and cold.
“Ma’am, I really don’t think...”
“Captain Hazelgrove, I order you to tell me what happened that night.”
Peter closed his eyes, and recalled Shadow Killer's face. “He described a rough uncouth lout - a man of the gutter who swore, went with whores, and drank heavily.”
Laura placed a hand on a nearby wall to steady herself. “The man in my nightmare - I am sure of it.”
Opening his eyes, Peter continued, “Shadow Killer told us about an incident in a war long ago involving Mancer.”
“Oh, yes?”
“He and his unit were defending a farmhouse which was full of women and children when they received orders to regroup a few miles down the road, which, of course, would have left the farmhouse and all the women and children undefended.”
“We have to make hard decisions in time of war, Peter.”
“Yes, I know that, ma’am. However, Mancer refused to leave. He walked out the front door, drew a line, and just stood there. A number of his comrades tried to make him move, but all failed.”
“His captain should have ordered him to move.”
“His captain had just died,” said Peter, sheepishly.
“How?”
“Em... Mancer killed him.”
“What!”
“Anyway,” said Peter, hurriedly, “to cut a long story short, the entire unit stayed with Mancer, and they held the line and protected the farmhouse and all those inside.”
“He killed his officer!” Laura shook her head in despair. “Can it get any worse?”
“I think Mancer will return from the grave.”
“What!”
“It is the only explanation that makes sense.”
“Explain.”
“If you think about the Prophecy, your… visions, the fact that the Midnight Man is winning this war, the fact that most of the large organisations that could have stopped him have been wiped out - how much blacker can it get before he returns?”
“But where will he return, Captain? Where will our great hero return?”
Peter took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he prepared himself to answer. “Where any dead person would return, ma’am: where he died and was cremated.”
“Where he died and was cremated.” Laura gave a small sad laugh. “Do we have a date?”
“No, ma’am. The actual battle was fought in the late spring or early summer. It is now late autumn.”
Laura looked out the window in deep thought. There she remained for half an hour whilst Peter stood quietly, lost in his own thoughts. When Laura finally spoke, it was slow, thoughtful, and managed. “The good doctor says that I will be fit to travel in a week’s time. Hence, in a week, I, along with twenty others, shall go to where we think our Lord Mancer shall return and wait for a week. If he shows, then we shall decide on the next course of action. If he does not show, then we shall do our best to defeat the Midnight Man ourselves.”
“As you command, High Commander,” said Peter Hazelgrove.
“It is what I command, Captain.” Laura Artic turned to face Peter, who nodded slightly to himself. There in her eyes was a hint of steel, something that had been missing since her attack and the decimation of the Cult of Mancer.
***
Meanwhile back in Deep Lake
“I did not think you were a woman who enjoyed being on her knees,” said Tania Stone to Queen Amanda Rothgal-Ackroyd. “Especially when a man is concerned,” Tania added, quietly.
“How dare you walk in without even knocking!” said Amanda, angrily.
“Oh, I dare a lot, bitch,” Tania smiled with false affection.
“What did you just call me?”
“Oh, a bitch.”
“How dare you!”
“You might want to sit for this next bit, Amanda. I suspect you will not like it.”
“GUARDS! GUARDS!” screamed Amanda.
Tania laughed, “Oh, please do scream as loud as you like. No one will come.”
“What do you want, Tania?”
“Oh, just a little chat before my master arrives.”
“Who is your master?”
“Why, it’s the Midnight Man,” smiled Tania.
“No!” screamed Amanda as she rushed towards Tania.
Laughing, Tania neatly sidestepped and pushed Amanda away. Off balance, Amanda toppled to the floor. As she pushed herself up, Tania sneered, “Pathetic.”
“I will kill you,” declared Amanda as she prepared to charge again.
“I think not.” Raising her voice, Tania called out, “You can come in now!”
Amanda turned to look at the door as it opened and three men walked in. She did not recognise two of the men, but the third… “Chamberlain Aslo, I require help!”
Marc Aslo smiled knowingly and giggled. “That is correct, your Majesty.”
“What… What is the meaning of that, Aslo? Call the guards quickly!”
“Guards. Guards,” Aslo whispered as his grin got wider.
“Grab her!” commanded Tania.
The two large bodyguards did as their mistress commanded. Amanda tried to resist, but it was useless. The guards easily held her upright, one on either side.
Tania sashayed up to Amanda and stroked her cheek, lovingly. “Now, you will be a good girl for my master, won't you?”
“Damn you to hell, you whore!” Amanda replied.
Tania reached round and grabbed Amanda’s hair. Holding it tight, she then leaned forward and kissed Amanda on the mouth, whilst slipping her other hand round her waist and pulling her close.
Mark Aslo's eyes widened with desire as he watched Tania kiss Amanda.
Tania finally broke the kiss. “You are a very beautiful woman, Amanda. How I would love to be the one to break you in and teach you how to please. Alas, that privilege will go to another.”
“How dare you! Release me now! Do you hear me? Release me now!” called out Amanda Rothgal-Ackroyd as tears of frustration began to form in her eyes.
Ignoring her, Tania spoke to Marc Aslo. “Strip her.”
“With pleasure.” Marc licked his lips as he moved forward.
“What?” declared Amanda.
Marc stood in front of Amanda. “I have wanted to do this for a long time,” he said as he removed a dagger from its sheath on his belt.
“Please, no, Marc!”
Marc placed the tip of the dagger between Amanda’s breasts and onto the material of her dress. With the dagger firmly pressed against the material, he ran the dagger down the front of the garment. As the dagger cut lower, Marc dropped to his knees, cutting the bottom of the dress in a sweeping motion. Standing upright, he moved to the back of Amanda and sliced through the back of the dress.
“Well done, Marc,” said Tania. “Now let’s see what delights lie beneath this dress.” Amanda silently watched Tania approach with hate-filled eyes. Tania pulled back the remains of the dress to reveal Amanda’s breasts and firm nipples. “Ah, so you are secretly enjoying this,” said Tania as she cupped Amanda’s breasts.
Amanda remained silent.
“Let’s see just how much you are enjoying this.” Tania ran her right hand teasingly down Amanda’s side, over her hips, and between her thighs.
Amanda gasped and tried to turn her hips away from Tania, as Tania started to rub her clit.
“Keep her still!” commanded Tania as she continued to play while looking Amanda in the eye.
Breathing heavily, Amanda called out, “Stop!” as she continued to try and escape Tania’s skillful fingers.
“There is no point in resisting, Amanda,” whispered Tania. She wrapped her free arm around Amanda’s waist, pulling her closer. “I bet your god has never made you feel this good.”
“You may abuse my body, but you will never break my mind. My faith is strong!”
“They all say that, but they all break in the end,” replied Tania. “Marc, can you please put the leash on now?”
“Yes, mistress.”
“What?” asked Amanda, as she felt something being placed around her neck. “What is this?”
“It’s a collar, and attached to the collar is your lead,” answered Tania, before stepping back and removing her hand from Amanda. “Get her on her knees and get rid of the remains of the dress.”
The two bodyguards, with the help of Marc, quickly sliced away the once beautiful dress and flung the remnants away, then pushed Amanda down on her hands and knees. Tania stood behind her with her leash in her hand. “Our lord approaches!” she called out as a shadow-door opened and out stepped the Midnight Man.
“Ah, Queen Amanda Rothgal-Ackroyd, how nice to see you,” said the Midnight Man.
Amanda raised her head. “Lord, help me now. I am but a sinner who requires your help.”
“What is she doing?” asked the Midnight Man to Tania.
“I do believe she is praying, my lord.”
“Praying!” laughed the Midnight Man. “Oh, this will make it a whole lot sweeter.” Walking over to Amanda, he held out his hand for the leash. Tania handed it over. Pulling hard on the leash, he forced Amanda to crawl after him.
The Midnight Man pulled Amanda over to a seat, where he sat down. “No, you remain on your hands and knees, slut,” the Midnight Man said, pulling hard on the leash when he saw Amanda trying to stand. “You see, you are now nothing but my fuck toy. Well, you are until my forces reach your capital in four weeks, in which case, I will have used you so badly that very few will still recognise you.”
“Why?” Amanda asked.
“Why? Simply because I can,” said the Midnight Man. “I could have reached you at any time, but it was more fun allowing you to think you had some sort of control. Because I want to show you what true power actually is. As I said, I will shag you every night for the next four weeks and you will be powerless to stop me. I will do every sick, perverted, and deprived sexual act that I know, and I know a few, trust me. And you shall await my coming - naked, and with the collar and leash on, every night.”
“Never!” said Amanda.
“Yes, you will, because, if you don’t, I will order my men to rape and kill every living thing in this city when they arrive. I will also order the death of every child under t
he age of six in every village we come across on our way here.”
“You animal! You depraved sick animal!”
“Yup, that’s me. So, fuck toy, you have a choice: me for four weeks or the death of thousands of people. Not trying to sway you one way or the other, but I do hear that suffering is good for the soul.” Standing up, the Midnight Man shrugged off his coat. “Also, remember how easy it was for me to gain entry into your inner sanctum. I control everything, I own everyone, for I am inside every living thing.”
Moving to Amanda’s side, the Midnight Man started to unbutton his shirt. “You may hate me, but there is a small part of your soul that wants to be me, that wants to do the things I do and get away with them, that wants to be as free as I am.”
Amanda remained on her knees and placed her hands on her legs. “Though I walk in the dark and in the presence of great evil, I shall not fear, for my God is with me.”
“Ah, on your knees praying, like a good little girl,” mocked the Midnight Man.
“He shall keep my soul safe and guide me to the light,” continued Amanda.
Placing his right hand down his trousers, the Midnight Man grasped the top of Amanda’s head. “Well, since you are on your knees, let’s put your mouth to better use.”
Tania smiled as she watched, whilst rummaging in her two bodyguard's trousers. Finding their hardening cocks, she started to play with them. “Well, boys, let’s see what you can do.”
Marc Aslo stood by the door giggling and playing with himself as he watched the sordid sex acts unfold.
