Dawn of Darkness: Book 1 - Full (Where The Shadows Stalk)

by Adam Watson

  Further and further south they travelled, and it was becoming clear that they were heading for a place that was located somewhere close to the southern gate. The south wall loomed higher and higher as they got closer and closer.

  “She’s close. She hasn’t moved more than a few paces from that spot the whole time.” Volantia let Justina’s words soak into her mind. That was strange, they had been walking for hours, and she had hardly moved at all? It wasn’t normal behaviour, she was starting to get an idea of what had become of the Oracle and the closer they got to the Southern Gate the more concrete her inkling was becoming.

  Eventually, they came to a clearing just in front of the Southern Gate itself, and Justina confirmed what Volantia had begun to suspect. Staying in the outer edges and out of sight of any guards, they huddled to converse.

  “She’s in there,” said Justina, pointing to a spot on the wall. “Inside the walls, I’m sure of it.”

  “The walls are heavily guarded, Volantia,” remarked Solitaire. Of course, Volantia already knew this, but Solitaire had always been more cautious than Volantia, preferring stealth to combat wherever possible.

  Volantia thought about the situation. The walls were heavily guarded, but they were Sisters of Solace. They would have to use stealth, just as Solitaire would advise, if they didn’t they would have a hundred soldiers coming down on them at once. The Oracle was inside though, and to extract her without attracting any attention at all would be almost impossible.

  There were problems to evaluate. First, they needed to do something about their prisoner; she was going to slow them down, and if anyone of them was going to attract attention, it was going to be her. Then there would be the problem of getting in there undetected, normally this wouldn’t be a problem, but these men were Royal Guards, and the place they needed to infiltrate was the Royal Barracks; there were eyes and ears and armed soldiers ready to fight at every turn.

  Then they would need to find out exactly where the Oracle was situated, the fact that she hadn’t moved for so long suggested either a room or a cell and there were probably plenty of both within those walls. Once found, they would then have the problem of extracting her without arousing attention. If she were a prisoner, locked away in the cells, getting her out would be made a lot easier. It would be a rescue, she would be quiet and willing to leave of her own accord, but if she was a friend to the guards … well, that would make things a lot more difficult. Either way, they needed to get in. The others looked at her awaiting her command.

  “We shall wait until night falls … and then we will strike from the shadows.” Justina could feel the anticipation flowing through the leash. Solitaire nodded with her knowing smile, her eyes filling with a steely determination - the time to act was almost upon them.

  Calista flexed her hands as she seemed to internalise in her mind. She too knew that this was a chance to gain great favour with her goddess, the stakes were high, the obstacles difficult, but if they overcame them the rewards would be many.

  “Now we prepare ourselves," continued Volantia. "We have to be both focused and determined. No-one escapes us!” The words were repeated by both the other sisters.

  “NO-ONE ESCAPES US!”

  21. PRISONERS OF THE WALL: FREE ME

  Goran eyed the cell door. The bars were thick and strong, solid and unbreakable; at least by him and he should know - he had tried many times. Even when the red mist had descended, and the berserker inside him raged, he still couldn’t break the bars down. Now he sat there staring and waiting.

  He looked over to the bowl, the bowl he had become to hate, the bowl whose very sight made him simmer. Food had appeared in it every morning, where it came from - he still didn’t know. He had seen no sign of a guard or even a servant, no matter how long he waited, no matter how long he stayed awake.

  Whoever was bringing the food was a ghost. There was no way into the cell except through the door, and he had purposely placed the bowl as far from the door as he could. To get near it and fill it with food, they would have to come through the door.

  The door was noisy. He had rattled that door long and hard, trying to rip it from its hinges, the thing squeaked like a plague of rats. There was no way anybody could open that door without waking him - and yet they did.

  Was somebody watching him? Waiting for him to close his eyes? How did they know when he slept? He had stayed awake three days straight to catch them and still he had discovered nothing. Then there was another time when he could have sworn he had fallen asleep for no longer than ten minutes and when he woke - the bowl was full. He was convinced that somebody was playing mind games with him.

  Were they trying to drive him insane with this silence? Were they trying to drive him mad with this confinement? Keep trying scum. He was half-mad before he had even entered the cell.

  He stared at the bars again, they enraged him. They didn't look strong, they didn’t look like they should be that strong. They looked like he should be able to break them, he should be able to snap them like twigs - why couldn’t he?

  He hoped his ancestors weren't watching this farce, they would probably turn their backs and look away. He could see it in his mind’s eye now. All his ancestors sitting in the Great Hall looking down upon him, their worldly representation, their so-called champion, sitting on his arse in a cell; a prisoner, a captive - no better than an animal in a cage.

  The bars … my jailors, my masters … the only things keeping me in. The more he thought about it, the more he seethed and the more he seethed, the more enraged he became. All rational thinking was leaving his mind, he could only focus, only think about one thing. You think you can keep me here forever? You think you can cage me like an animal? You think you can drive me mad with your mind games? I’LL SHOW YOU HOW MAD I CAN BE!! Goran closed his eyes; the fury, the anger, the pain, the frustration, the desperation all built up within, he took a deep breath and when he opened his eyes again - the world had turned red.

  Once again, in what had become a nightly ritual, Goran charged the barred door. He slammed into it with such force, had it been made of wood, it would have splintered into a thousand pieces. He slammed into it again and again with his shoulder. He wanted to smash it, to break it down, to rip it off its hinges, but still it held.

  He grabbed the bars with his bare hands and shook them wildly. The metal rattled, its clangs filling the dungeons with echoes that could drive a man insane. He screamed - a primal roar, like that of a beast, and he screamed until his lungs could bear no more.

  “LET ME OUT YOU FUCKERS!!”

  ***

  Aseeka woke with a start. It was the clanging of an iron door that had awoken her. She looked down, Kayla was still on her lap, but her eyes were open – it seemed that she too had been awakened.

  “What was that?” asked Kayla wearily, still unsure about what exactly happened.

  “Someone has entered the dungeon,” answered Aseeka. They both had mixed feelings about this event. In one way, it was good - they had seen no-one of authority for weeks, maybe they would finally find out what was to become of them, but if the Commander of these guards was anything like the Karite’s Master Confessor, then this could end very, very badly.

  Footfalls approached, clanging and echoing through the dark vastness of the dungeon. The two women cowered to the back wall; there was no escape, but instinct had kicked in.

  Protect the Oracle! The command still held strong in Aseeka’s mind, but who was the Oracle? Aseeka looked down at Kayla and could see the fear in her eyes. Are you the Oracle, Kayla? she wondered. Was the voice talking about her? It had to be, there was no-one else in there to protect. I will protect you Kayla, with my life if need be. The compulsion to protect was so strong that she would sacrifice herself without question.

  Two men came into view. Although the light was dim, they could still be seen from the light of the ever-burning sconces. One of them Aseeka recognised as the Captain of the Guards, the Commander’s second in command; the ot
her appeared to be a high-ranking underling. They peered into the cell, making sure the prisoners were still in there and well back from the door.

  “Oh yes … they are pretty, aren’t they?” the Captain commented. The underling sniggered, he had a wicked look in his eyes, like something underhanded and untoward was about to happen. “They will do just nicely.” There was a small wooden table and chair in the dungeon just down the corridor. The Captain went over and placed his helmet on the table, the underling followed.

  “What are they doing?” whispered Kayla.

  “I’m not sure,” answered Aseeka. “Wait here.” Aseeka slowly got up and approached the bars. She peered down the corridor the best she could and tried to make out what they were doing in the darkness.

  From what she could tell, the underling appeared to be helping the Captain with his armour. Strange. Another thing she had thought was strange, was that from as far as she could tell, her and the Oracle were the only two prisoners in the whole place. Surely Royal Guards would have more than two prisoners in their dungeon, but she had no time to ponder it, the underling was making his way back to them. Aseeka quickly hurried back and sat down next to Kayla.

  “They’re coming,” she whispered. Kayla knew she had powers, Kayla knew she could escape, but Dray was still up there. She could feel that he was slowly healing himself, but he wasn’t ready to fight - not yet. She wasn’t sure what he had done or how it was even possible without performing any of the rituals, but the bond let her feel him. She could feel his emotions, she could even feel his pain to a degree.

  It felt to her as if he had somehow expelled his very essence when he saved her from the beast. He didn’t feel complete anymore. Somehow, she knew she couldn’t control him like she could before. His … ‘soul’ would not obey her commands until it was complete again.

  Over the past few weeks, she had ‘felt’ him, checking on his health. He seemed to be making a quick recovery, and with every day that passed his soul felt more and more complete - like it was gathering itself together. Only when it was whole again could they truly be free.

  That time had not come yet, but it would be upon them soon, within days, when it did, she would call upon him. They would all leave together and leave this cursed city behind them, but before that could happen she needed more information, she needed to bide her time - that meant she and her friends would have to endure more unpleasantries for a little while longer.

  Aseeka took Kayla under her arm. She wanted to comfort her, to make her feel safe, to take her worries away.

  “Don’t worry my love,” she whispered. “I will protect you.” The underling pulled out a huge set of keys that clanked loudly; he seemed unconcerned by the noise. Aseeka doubted that anyone could hear them down here and as he rattled away and unlocked the door. They watched as the Captain of the Guards walked into full view, wearing nothing but his pants, all his armour had been left on the table.

  “W-What are you doing?” asked Aseeka, as he entered through the doorway. She was almost afraid to find out the answer. The underling closed the door behind them, and the lock turned over loudly.

  “The three of us are going to have some fun,” answered the Captain. Aseeka had a horrible feeling about this. The fact that he had very little clothing on suggested to her what kind of ‘fun’ he had in mind. Aseeka had a decision to make and only a moment to make it. Would she sacrifice herself for Kayla? She already knew that she would.

  The Captain walked in further and proceeded to undress by taking his pants off in front of them. Aseeka looked at the Captain, she knew what she was about to do was wrong, but right now in this moment, she had to purge all thoughts of morality out of her mind. She had to protect Kayla at all costs. He stood before them naked and erect.

  “All right, who wants to go first?” he asked, as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. Aseeka studied his face, his body was strong and powerful. His face had a scar going across one cheek, but to her, that only added to his attractiveness. He looked rough and tough, just how she liked her men - he was actually quite handsome.

  “I will!” she said loudly, and the words startled even her. She quickly moved toward the Captain before Kayla could protest and grabbed him by the cock. The Captain was shocked, normally he had to fight them, normally he had to force them, never before had one come so willingly.

  Aseeka quickly started tugging him before he could say anything else. He closed his eyes and sighed, the pleasure was intense. When he opened them again her face was right in front of his, and she was smiling.

  "Does it feel good, Captain?" she whispered. The Captain closed his eyes again, he was hard in her hand.

  "Yeah," he grunted, as she pulled him faster. "So good." Aseeka smiled, she was enjoying this far more than she should be. She should hate him, she should detest him. What right did he have, to come in here, strip off all his clothes, stand before them as hard as a rock and then demand to know who was going to be the first to give him sexual favours? What audacity, what a loathsome creature. He should be despised for the wretch he was, but at the same time, he felt good in her hand.

  Whether she liked it or not was irrelevant, it was secondary. She had to protect Kayla, no matter what it took. The Oracle was pure and clean and good, and stood for everything that was right; she would not like this, not with him. No, Aseeka couldn’t let the Oracle suffer that kind of degradation and Kayla was the Oracle was she not? She has to be. She pulled him faster.

  The Captain leant his head back in ecstasy, he could feel the pleasure building up inside him. Aseeka looked over to the underling, he was just outside the cell, guarding his master in the dim light, but Aseeka could see that he was watching - she didn’t care and kept pulling. She did not, however, look in the Oracle’s direction. She did not want to know if she was looking, she did not want to know what she was thinking.

  Suddenly the Captain leant back moaning as the white liquid squirted onto Aseeka’s robe; when he had finished, she squeezed him tight. He bent over, shuddering and gasping for breath - the intensity had been immense. There, that should satisfy him for a while, thought Aseeka, but the Captain stood up.

  He smiled wickedly, and a gleam shone in his eyes. Oh no, he was not satisfied - not yet. He was still as hard, Aseeka looked up to his face. She then knew that he wanted more … so much more. He was watching her, as he sneered in the darkness.

  ***

  Dray stepped into the Commander’s office, the same office his friends had been interrogated in a few weeks prior. Vassar and Daena the two healers that had been attending him as he recovered from his injuries, stood either side of the door.

  The Commander looked up, his log book was already in front of him and opened to a fresh page. The inkpot was full, and the elaborate quill he used to write with was firmly in his grip.

  “Ah, Dray … come in, sit down, make yourself comfortable.” The Commander motioned to the seat on the other side of his desk. Dray eyed it suspiciously, but upon seeing that there was no immediate danger, sat down. He was quite certain that he didn’t really have a choice.

  “Thank you.” The Commander threw Dray a quick smile as a response, a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

  “Dray, I’m going to ask you some questions and then record your answers in my log book, you don’t mind, do you?” The Commander raised an eyebrow and had a look on his face that said if Dray did mind then Dray might find himself with one less body organ.

  “No, of course not. Go right ahead,” Dray answered, with a friendly smile. Dray already did not like the Commander. So far there were only two things that he did like about where he was right now. The first was the fact that it was not out in the city and neither he nor the Oracle were out amongst streets and the dangers they entailed. The second was the fact that this was not the Temple of Kara and he wasn’t tied to a chair with a bag over his head - the rest he could live without.

  “Excellent … please state your full name and age for the record.”

>   “Dray Amora, thirty-six years of age.” The Commander nodded his head as though pleased with the answer and jotted it down in the log book.

  “What is your occupation?”

  “I was a soldier in the Royal Army.” The Commander eyed Dray suspiciously, the first lie had been revealed. His friends had told the Commander that Dray was a Cleric of the Order of Tempus, but the Commander’s quill was at the ready, and he jotted the answer down anyway - conflicting stories had their own story to tell.

  “What do you remember from the time of the initial attack on the city, where were you and what were you doing?” Dray thought back, it had been some time, and a lot of things had happened since then, but he could still remember it vividly, he even supposed it would be a day he would never forget. Whether or not he should share those memories with this man, he was unsure.

  “I had fallen asleep at my desk and was awoken by a loud commotion.”

  “Where was this desk?”

  “In my room, located in the castle.” The Commander’s eyebrow raised.

  “You had a room in the castle?” He found that quite hard to believe.

  “Yes, like I said, I was a soldier in the army and had lived at the castle since I was a child. My achievements over the years had earnt me my own space; it wasn’t much just a bed and few small furnishings, it was located down the corridor in the same wing as the barracks proper.” The Commander nodded and wrote it down, he should have known Dray was a soldier - for a moment there he thought Dray was going to claim to be one of the nobles. The Commander laughed softly to himself, what was he thinking? Dray a noble? That was absurd. In fact, he had found the notion so amusing he even wrote a side note about it.

  “So … you were in your room and had been woken by a loud commotion. What happened next?” Dray thought to himself. How much should I tell him? They’re lying to me. They’re deceivers, they lied to me about the Oracle. He now suspected that the Commander had interrogated everyone, including the Oracle. What had they told him?