by carl ashmore
Servo domum domino, sed rursus servor ab ipso
‘So is this it?’ Joe asked Uncle Percy, excitedly. ‘Is this one of Symphosius’ riddles?’
‘Not as such,’ Uncle Percy replied. ‘It’s perhaps a line from one of them, but by no means is it the whole thing.’
‘What does it say?’ Becky asked.
Uncle Percy took a moment to interpret the text. ‘Correct me if I’m wrong, Angus, but I believe it says, ‘I keep the Master’s House, the Master keeps me, too.’
Tuck nodded his agreement. ‘Aye, that is my reading, too.’
‘Doesn’t sound much of a riddle,’ Joe said.
‘It isn’t in itself,’ Uncle Percy replied. ‘A complete riddle by Symphosius would have been written in tercets.’
Joe snorted loudly. ‘Like we know what that means!’
‘Stanzas of three lines in length,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘This is clearly just one of three.’ He turned and scanned the area, before a satisfied look crossed his face. ‘And over there we have a second.’ He marched over to a much smaller window on the east wall of the nave, which also contained a Latin phrase.
Virtutes magnas de viribus offero parvis
‘So what does it mean?’ Becky asked.
‘I believe it says something like - ‘Great Deeds with little strength I do.’
‘Okay,’ Becky replied, mulling it over. ‘Well that could be pretty much anything.’
‘Yes it could.’
Suddenly Joe’s voice rang out. ‘Over here!’ he shouted from the other side of the nave. He was standing beside a third window, the smallest of the three. The window contained another sequence of Latin words.
Pando domos clausas, iterum sed claudo patentes
Uncle Percy walked over and read it, before taking a moment to ensure his translation was correct. ‘This one says “I close the open, open the closed for you.”’
‘That’s it then,’ Joe said eagerly. ‘Three lines.’ He looked to Uncle Percy. ‘What were they all again?’
Uncle Percy cleared his throat before saying,
‘Great Deeds with Little Strength I do
I close the open, open the closed for you
I keep the Master’s House, the Master keeps me, too …’
Tapping his fingers on his chin, he began to pace, mumbling the riddle to himself again and again.
‘Is the answer a Door?’ Becky suggested. ‘A door opens and closes, and you have them in houses.’
Although Uncle Percy didn’t respond immediately, her words seemed to trigger something within him. He came to a halt and a triumphant smile formed on his mouth. ‘You’re nearly right, Becky,’ he said. ‘The answer’s a Key.’
Becky knew he was right. ‘So we have to find a key?’
‘It seems that way,’ Uncle Percy replied. ‘What was the inscription on your dagger again, Angus?’
Tuck began to speak.
‘Solve the text of Symphosius
Find the one with no one
Then trail the Sword’s light,
To the place far from sun,
And within that chamber
Beyond beast and man
The Holy Sword waits
For thy Royal hand…’
‘So ‘the one with no one’ is a key?’ Joe offered.
‘Perhaps,’ Uncle Percy replied.
Becky looked out over the church. ‘And d’you think there’s a key somewhere in here, maybe buried under something?’
‘I really don’t know,’ Uncle Percy replied. He looked at Tuck. ‘Angus, if MacDougal wanted us to find an actual key would you have any idea what it could open?’
‘Nay. I do not.’
Uncle Percy gave a deep sigh. ‘Well perhaps if we find the key itself then it may shed some light on what it’s supposed to open. Either way, I suppose we get looking for a key…’
They began searching Saint Cuthbert’s inside and out. Minutes turned into hours, every nook and cranny was checked, every stone was scrutinised thoroughly. They found nothing. After a frustrating search no one was in any doubt it was a lost cause.
‘It’s not here,’ Joe said irritably, as they all gathered around the font. ‘And unless we start ripping the place apart brick by brick we’re not gonna find a thing …’ He shook his head with exasperation. ‘Find the one with no one. What the hell’s that got to do with a key? Stupid damn riddles… I’m sick of them.’
But the moment the words left Joe’s mouth, something occurred to Becky. ‘God, we’re so thick.’
Everyone stared at her.
‘What d’you mean?’ Joe asked.
‘Forget the key thing for a moment,’ Becky said. ‘Find the one with no one. It’s a grave. MacDougal was referring to a grave. One of the graves is empty. It’s got no one in it.’
Uncle Percy cast her an appreciative smile. ‘That does sound plausible.’
‘But which one?’ Joe fired at her. ‘There are a hundred graves out there!’
‘How should I know?’
But Uncle Percy’s face had changed. ‘Angus, to your knowledge was anyone else ever buried at Saint Cuthbert’s - I mean, other than the hundred Hospitaller Knights?’
‘No,’ Tuck replied. ‘MacDougal claimed this ground for the fallen at Ascalon and for them alone.’
Uncle Percy glanced at Becky, his eyes twinkling. ‘There are a hundred riddles in Symphosius’ Aenigmata. One hundred graves. One hundred riddles.’
‘Really?’ Becky said, intrigued. Something was dawning on her, too. ‘And what about the answers to those riddles? What kind of things were they?’
Uncle Percy and Becky shared a knowing smile. It was clear to them both they shared the same thought. ‘It’s a long time since I’ve read them, but the answers were essentially quite ordinary, everyday objects … or animals.’
Becky’s smile widened. ‘And was one of those animals a Hedgehog?’
‘Yes,’ Uncle Percy replied, reaching out and squeezing Becky’s hand. ‘I do believe it was.’
Watching Becky and Uncle Percy, Joe found himself getting irritated by their smugness. ‘What’re you two gabbin’ on about Hedgehogs for? D’you know summat I don’t?’
‘A Hoglet knows things you don’t,’ Becky replied, grinning at Uncle Percy.
‘Uh?’ Joe grunted. ‘What’s a Hoglet?’
‘Just let the grown ups talk,’ Becky added.
Joe was about to snap back at her when Uncle Percy addressed the group. ‘This intelligent young woman has solved a century old riddle,’ he said. ‘Morogh MacDougal’s riddle, to be precise.’
Joe looked flabbergasted. ‘Has she?’
‘She has indeed,’ Uncle Percy replied. ‘You see, earlier today, Becky noticed each headstone outside sported a different pictogram on it, just below the Hospitaller’s eight pointed cross. And I’m willing to bet my left kidney that one of those pictograms will be a key …’
Chapter 29
The Chamber
Everyone hurried out quickly to find the rain had stopped. Whichever way they turned gravestones surrounded them like rotten teeth, stained and crooked. Soon, they were combing the grounds of Saint Cuthbert’s, weaving from stone to stone, stopping just long enough to examine the markings before moving swiftly on.
All the while, Becky reeled with anticipation. On each stone, she saw a different pictogram - a flower, a mouse, a frog, a chain, a bull, a hammer, a wolf – but no key. It was less than five minutes, however, when she heard Tuck bellowing the following words with delight. ‘Tis here!’
Becky looked at him. He was standing at the far edge of the churchyard, near a slope that plunged sharply to the water a hundred feet below. She sprinted over, careful not to slip on the muddy earth. Joe, Uncle Percy and Will did the same. In seconds, they were all standing beside Tuck, whose plump finger pointed down at the grave furthest from the church.
Becky stared at the headstone. Tuck was right. Carved elegantly into the sandstone was the unmistakable form of a
key.
‘So this is it?’ Joe said to Uncle Percy. ‘D’you reckon Excalibur’s buried here?’
‘It could be, Joe – that, or we’re left holding a century old Hospitaller’s skeleton with absolutely no idea as what to do next. Either way, I don’t suppose we’ll know unless we get digging.’ He pulled free his sword and slammed the point into the ground, ploughing up the top layer of earth. Will, Tuck and Joe followed suit.
Becky watched as the four of them loosened the topsoil, and sank to their knees, scooping up fat hunks of dirt with their hands and flinging it to the side.
‘What I wouldn’t give for my trusty Molivator now,’ Uncle Percy mumbled.
His hands black with dirt, Joe glanced up at Becky. ‘Are you just gonna stand there like a lemon or help?’
Becky folded her arms. ‘To be honest, I thought I’d do some lemon standing for a bit.’
‘You are such a girl!’
‘Again, not the most penetrating of insults, Joe.’ But seeing the sweat on Uncle Percy’s brow, Becky felt guilty. With a disapproving tut, she crouched down and set to work.
In no time at all, the earth was piled high around them. They had burrowed almost three feet down when Will struck something with his sword. A dull metallic clank sounded. Everyone froze.
Becky peered down. Through a thin veil of soil she saw the glint of steel. Was it Excalibur? Her heart raced faster. Will crouched down, wiped away the soil and heaved a large object into the open. It was a kite shield, painted black with a large white cross adorning its midpoint.
Joe gulped. ‘It’s a Hospitaller shield!’
Becky peered down. Two further kite shields were set flat into the earth like a trapdoor, one overlapping the other. A tiny crack between them revealed a sliver of soft white light.
‘Then trail the sword’s light,’ Tuck breathed, echoing MacDougal’s riddle.
Hurling the shield aside, Will removed the other two revealing a hole, two feet wide, cut into the ground. A rickety ladder led to a tunnel below, its vaulted limestone walls brightened partially by the unseen light source. Ignoring the ladder, he vaulted down, landing deftly against the hard floor. Raising his sword slowly, he veered right and stared at the path ahead. The tunnel snaked down to a sharp bend, behind which the light glowed with even greater intensity.
‘I must see,’ Tuck said impatiently. He squeezed his huge bulk through the gap and scrambled down, undeniably nimble for a man of his girth and weight.
Uncle Percy turned to Becky and Joe. ‘Now I don’t suppose there’s any chance you might wait up here is there?’
Becky contemplated this for a moment. ‘We will,’ she replied sincerely. ‘If that’s what you want.’
‘You will?’
‘Nah, not really.’ Becky cast him the same playful smile he’d used on her earlier that day.
‘Don’t be such a mug,’ Joe scoffed. ‘As if we’re gonna miss out on the cool stuff?’ He entered the hole and disappeared from sight.
Still grinning, Becky traced Joe’s steps and descended the ladder. Her smile quickly vanished, however, when she was struck by a sobering thought. They were approaching the Sword of Ages, the fourth Eden Relic, and her experience with the other three taught her this was the point when things became dangerous. Extremely dangerous.
Moments later, Uncle Percy joined them at the base of the ladder. ‘Well everyone, there’s no reason to believe we’re in any danger but – ’ He withdrew his sword. ‘- Better safe than sorry.’
Joe and Will raised their bows. Tuck drew his sword. Then, Will leading the way, they set off down the tunnel, no one daring to breathe. They advanced a hundred metres or so when they approached the bend. As one, they turned the corner and were bombarded by a sudden rush of light.
Becky shielded her eyes with her hands. When they adjusted, she saw the tunnel merged into a sprawling cavern, half submerged beneath the waters of the Loch, and on the far wall, glowing as bright as any star, was a sword, buried to its golden hilt in the oil-black rock.
‘The Holy Sword,’ Tuck gasped. He sank to his knees and began to pray.
‘So the Arthurian legend really did have some truth to it,’ Uncle Percy said, a childlike quality to his voice. ‘Excalibur was the Sword in the Stone. How wonderful.’
As captivated as the others, Becky couldn’t tear her gaze from the sword, or the light that radiated from it. That soon changed when she heard the anxiety in Joe’s voice.
‘Yeah, it all looks fantastic, but has anyone seen the ground?’
Becky looked down. At once, her awe transformed into revulsion. The cavern floor was littered with the bones of countless animals – seals, bears, deer, wild boars, wolves - stripped of flesh and scattered all about like a sickening white carpet. Her hand shot to her mouth. Her terror escalated further when she saw a mound of human skulls. ‘What is this place?’ she spluttered.
‘Haven’t you figured it out yet?’ Joe whispered back. ‘The Kraken doesn’t live under Urquhart Castle - it lives here, and we’re standing smack bang in its dining room.’
Becky glanced at Uncle Percy. ‘We’ve got to get out of here …now!’
Uncle Percy nodded. ‘I could not agree more.’
‘Not without Excalibur we’re not,’ Joe said, his eyes finding the sword. ‘I’ll get it.’ He took two cautious steps forward. Bones cracked beneath his feet, their sound shattering the silence. He came to a sudden halt as if fearful the noise would awaken the dead around him. ‘Ah, sod it!’ And he broke into a run. Soon the piercing sound of snapping bones filled the cavern.
Becky glanced fearfully at the water, which was as smooth as glass, before looking back to Joe, who was only a few feet from the sword now.
Reaching Excalibur, Joe seized its grip with both hands. He pulled hard. It didn’t budge. Slamming his foot against the wall, he leaned back and pulled again using his full bodyweight. ‘Come on …’ he strained. Again, it didn’t move.
Becky’s eyes returned to the water. A thin ripple appeared, extending into a single, wide circle. ‘Err, Joe …’ she said, panic flooding her. To her horror, she saw more ripples break the surface, forming small waves, which extended ever outward. ‘Joe,’ she repeated, louder this time. ‘Get back here!’
Joe barely registered her words when a tentacle shot out and flew at him. It curled twice around his waist, squeezing hard, threatening to break his spine. He yelled in agony. Becky screamed.
Will didn’t waver. He raised his bow and fired. The arrow pierced the tentacle, showering syrup-like blood on the bones below. With astonishing strength, the tentacle launched Joe through the air. He landed hard, shattering the rib cage of a long dead bear, his face showered in fragments of bone. Then the tentacle shot back in the water.
Becky was about to race to Joe’s aid, when the Loch’s surface bubbled wildly as if at boiling point. Then, in a colossal explosion of water, the Kraken leapt out, landing on the bank before them.
It was the strangest, most terrifying beast any of them had ever seen.
Chapter 30
The Kraken Wakes
The Kraken made an ear-shattering screech, its long jaws widening to reveal three sets of ragged fangs, glazed in drool, jutting out in all directions. Two bloodshot green eyes with vertical slit-shaped pupils glared at them.
Becky was disabled with fear. It was unlike anything she’d seen before. Four short, heavy legs with webbed feet supported a long armour-plated body peppered with large holes, from which dozens of serpentine tentacles thrashed the air, each seemingly with a mind of its own. It had a tree-trunk thick tail, ridged and powerful, that supported a large curved caudal fin.
The Kraken glanced over at Excalibur, as if to confirm it was still there, before refocusing on its quarry, sizing them up. The tentacles moved gracefully like a conductor directing an orchestra, in hypnotic swirls, and then … they shot out like bullets, each one targeting a different foe.
Uncle Percy snapped from his daze. He brought his
sword down on the one attacking him, severing it in a spurt of blood.
Becky, however, had no sword. In a flash, a tentacle had seized her neck, its mighty grip cutting off her oxygen, choking the very life from her. Uncle Percy raced over, and thrust his sword deep into its leathery skin. The tentacle uncoiled itself and flew back to its hole.
Clawing at her neck as if to check the tentacle had gone, Becky swallowed as much air as she could. ‘Thanks,’ she coughed.
At speed, The Kraken marched forward a step and lunged at Tuck, jaws snapping. Tuck ducked the bite and swung his sword high, plunging the blade into its snout. ‘Be gone, swine of Satan!’ he shouted jubilantly. His victory, however, was short-lived. A tentacle sped toward him and seized his waist, hoisting him aloft, before pitching him against the cavern wall, which he struck with a terrible crunch, slumping to the ground, barely conscious.
Will was firing arrow after arrow, aiming for the Kraken’s eyes, but its twisting head and the mass of tentacles that surrounded it, prevented his having a clear shot.
Becky knew they had no chance in a straight fight. The Kraken was too large, too powerful, every fibre of its being built for devastation and slaughter. The perfect killing machine. But then, shimmering through the chaos, she spied Excalibur, and just like that she knew what to do. ‘JOE,’ she yelled so loudly it shredded her lungs. ‘GET EXCALIBUR!’
Joe was about to join the fight when he heard Becky’s voice over the battle. ‘IT’S STUCK IN THE WALL,’ he shouted back. ‘I CAN’T BUDGE IT,’
‘BUT I CAN!’
Without hesitation, Joe raced back to Excalibur, grasping its hilt with both hands.
At the same time, Becky’s eyes locked on the sword. Almost immediately, Excalibur’s blade quivered as if the rock itself had been struck by a tremor. With a loud craaacck, shards of rock fell away, showering the ground, releasing the sword from its bind. Joe withdrew the blade with ease. Entranced for a moment, he turned the blade over. Its shimmering reflection blinded him. He squeezed the grip, an odd sensation charged up his arm, feeding his body. He felt invincible, unbeatable … he could not be defeated. The sword would not allow it. Teeth gritted, he turned to face the Kraken, which was battling Uncle Percy and Will. Then he charged, Excalibur held high, ready for the fight of his life.
