by Jon Kiln
She made her way to the dungeon, pondering on the thought of ultimate power. For so long she had been trapped in the underworld, and now she was free. Nothing would please her more than wreaking havoc on the world that had dared to banish her.
As she entered the dungeon, Thalia was pleased to see it had been set up just as she had ordered. All the cages had been moved elsewhere, out into the courtyard and market place, for the people of Mirnee to see what would happen to those who do not bow to her will. The dungeon was perfect for the portal, situated deep under the palace, and remote from other levels. No one came here except for the jailers. Now the prisoners’ cages had been moved to public places, it should be undisturbed. The enclosed space would also help her channel her powers better.
An overpowering sulfurous aroma, that was ever present in the underworld, was already permeating the dungeon. Her coven of witches had already started, and as she approached she could hear the low melodic chant that would aid her in this coming task. Her witches had been useful in making the transition to this world easier. They had ensured the climate was suitable by darkening the skies and creating electrical storms. She could not abide the bright sunlight. The darkness of the underworld was more to her liking.
It did not take her long to create the vortex, for she had been rehearsing for hundreds of years, ever since she had been banished from this world. Channeling her thoughts between the two worlds, she pictured the underworld and the dungeon. This was one of the reasons for using this space: it provided a similar atmosphere to the other side. She imagined the two places and pictured the images in her head closer together. As they touched, a flash of brightness flooded the dungeon, and a swirling grey vortex appeared before her. Immediately, her minions streamed out. First the lowly servers, small creatures, dwarf-like in appearance. They were useless in battle, but loyal and faithful servants that would see to the day to day running of her empire.
“Stay within the palace walls, for now,” she commanded them, as they instantly went about their tasks.
Thalia stared back into the maelstrom that was before her, and quietly chanted a few words. A dark shadow filled the vortex, and a huge creature stepped through and into the dungeon.
This was Gragornok, her battle master and commander of her demon army. With him she would conquer everything. The huge beast approached, towering over her, and as he drew near he knelt on one knee, bowing before his mistress. He wore a long heavy leather jerkin, which covered his torso and fell down to his knees. It left his huge muscled arms bare, the skin a deep dark green, glistening in the candlelight of the dungeon. His hands were tipped with talons, fingers ending with razor sharp claws, flexed in his massive fists.
Around his waist was a heavy leather belt in which hung a scabbard that held a huge broadsword, so large no ordinary human could wield it. His bare stout and muscular legs, the same dark green, ended with feet broad and barefoot. He had a head that was large and broad, and also slightly flat at the top, completely devoid of hair. Bright and a fiery eyes that were red in color stared back at Thalia, sitting above a snout which protruded outwards, cut with a lipless mouth that was filled with long sharp canines.
“I am here as commanded, Thalia, glorious Queen of all that lives, and also that which does not.” His voice was deep and grunting, the sentences guttural and staccato. “I await your orders.”
“It is good to see you, Gragornok. Too long have we spent in the wilderness. Now we are free to take our rightful place as rulers of this world.”
The huge beast grunted his agreement.
“But we must be patient. You must stay here out of sight until the time is right. We must not show our hand too soon,” his mistress warned.
Gragornok grunted again, but this time impatiently. He was keen to kill all life, that was his purpose as a destroyer. For too long he had been confined in the underworld. Now, he was free amongst the living, and he had his mistress to thank for that. He would serve her well.
Thalia turned back to the vortex and chanted a long verse, again a flash of light, this time a birdlike creature flew into the dungeon. Its wingspan was so great it could not open them fully. It was followed by more of its kind, and they huddled together unsure of where they were.
Red veins pumped through thick leathery skin that covered their wings. Dark bodies, broad enough to carry a rider as they flew, stood tall. Long sharp beaks, made for killing prey, and vicious talons that matched, were perfect for ripping into flesh. These were formidable creatures. This particular flyer was adaptable to this world, for they had been here before. They were descendants of giant flying creatures that once lived in this world many years ago. These were the Asgwern.
“Ah, my beautiful beasts, you will soon be feeding upon the sweetest of blood and bones. Long has it been since you tasted the human flesh of this world. Work hard for me, and you will be richly rewarded,” Thalia declared for all to hear.
Suddenly, the light from the vortex filled the room again, and six beasts, similar to Gragornok, but smaller, entered into the dungeon. These were the riders of the Asgwern and would scout the land looking for their mistress’s enemies. Soon, further demons passed through the portal, consisting of a small troop that was here to run the palace, allowing her to remove the humans from the walls and grounds. This was the first stage in her plan.
Thalia chanted a few more words, and the vortex collapsed into itself. There would be time later to bring through her battalions of demons. For now, this was enough to start her conquest of this world.
21
“What was that?” Myriam asked as a dark shadow was suddenly seen in the sky.
They were still resting in a clearing, after their flight from the witches and the attacking soldiers.
Artas was first to answer. He had remained by her side where he knew he could protect her life.
“I’m not sure, my Lady,” he said, standing up to see if he could make it out.
Qutaybah also stood and scanned the skies.
“There, over there. What is that?” Artas pointed up at a dark shape that had appeared. It circled the gap in the trees, flying lower and lower.
“I don’t know,” Qutaybah replied. “Never have I seen such a thing in all my travels of the many kingdoms. We should take cover. I don’t think that creature is friendly.”
Before anyone could move, a deafening screech filled the air, infusing everyone with dread.
“Quickly, we have no time to lose. The beast has seen us.” Qutaybah spoke urgently as he urged everyone to follow him and head back to the thick forest, and into cover.
Another soulless screech echoed around the skies. Artas looked up again to see another flying beast. Now there were two. They were low in the sky, almost circling the top of the trees. He urged Myriam and the Duchess on, from behind. It did not take long to get into the protection of the dense forest.
The flying beasts did not stop their pursuit, though, even when they were under the cover of trees. Still, they could all hear the flapping of those huge wings above the canopy, as if they searched for a gap to look through. Sure enough, a huge head and beak poked through a break in the foliage, and screeched in triumph as it spotted the royal party. It tried to force its way through the dense intertwining branches, but was caught up in the entanglement as it attempted to enter.
It may have been a trick of the light, but as they watched, it appeared as if the trees closed in around it. Branches seemed to have a life of their own, wrapping around the creature and stopping it from entering further. The huge bird twisted and turned, but could not make any progress towards them. The more it tried, the deeper it became entwined in the forest.
Another deafening screech rang out, but this time not one of victory, but of panic and fear, as more branches encircled its body. All that could be seen was a writhing mass of branches and leaves that seemed to be squeezing the very life out of its trapped prisoner. After only a few moments, everything became still and quiet. The creature had vanished
, consumed by the strange forest.
Myriam looked up, stunned by what she had witnessed. “What happened, where are the beasts?”
“You no longer need to worry about that grotesque creature,” was all Qutaybah would commit himself to, before urging them even deeper into the dark woods.
Everyone moved through the thick undergrowth in silence, unsure of what exactly they had witnessed. Qutaybah had said the forest was magical, and now they had seen the forest awaken for themselves. The forest certainly seemed to emanate a sense of power, causing them to feel as if they were being watched. Though, not in a sense of foreboding, more of a comfort, allowing them to feel safe, despite what they had just seen.
Eventually, Qutaybah ordered them to rest for a while and catch their breath. It seemed the other flying creature had finally given up its pursuit, perhaps fearful after having seen what had happened to its companion.
“What happened back there?” Myriam asked Qutaybah the question they all wanted to know the answer to.
“I have told you, this is an ancient forest. It protects our homeland. It allows nothing to pass that it does not want to.”
“You mean it lives?” Artas asked, astounded. “We all saw that, didn’t we? How can a forest be alive like that?”
“I know this forest well, it is a part of my land.” Qutaybah did not like to part with the secrets of the borderland forest, but these were his friends and they had just seen it in motion. “The ancient trees have protected our borders for thousands of years. The trees are our guardians.”
“Who are these guardians?” Myriam was puzzled at how Qutaybah was describing the forest, as if it was a living entity. Had she not seen for herself, she may have scoffed at such talk, but there was no doubting that they had all witnessed the trees saving them from that monster of a bird.
“In Vandemland, legend says that in times gone by, our great warriors were buried in the forest, so now their spirits live on in the trees. These are the Guardians, and they defend our nation as they did when they lived. They will not let any evil pass through here.”
“You believe this to be true, this legend?” Myriam asked, unsure of the explanation.
“I cannot know for certain. The trees have never been awakened in my lifetime, or in living memory. But you saw what I saw,” Qutaybah responded.
And they had. They had all seen something strange and powerful that could not be denied.
“We are almost through now,” Qutaybah spoke again, after a few minutes rest. “Only another hour at the most, and you should be safe in my homeland. I’m going to backtrack and see what the enemy are planning. I need to fully inform my King of what is on our borders.”
“I can’t leave my Queen’s side, given all the dangers,” Artas said, though he wanted to go with Qutaybah, he was the Queen’s Knight and must stay close by her side in times of peril.
“I understand, my friend. You have your duty and I have mine,” he said, laying a hand on Artas’s shoulder. “I will leave two of my men to guide you through the remaining forest. They will ensure you keep safe and do not get lost. Once I’ve scouted out the enemies position, I’ll return. All being well, we will meet up by nightfall.”
Artas returned to the Queen and the Duchess. This was where he must remain, by their side. Ganry, if he were here, may have gone with Qutaybah, but Artas was not confident enough that he could fight whatever was arriving on the edges of the forest. If he had to fight such monsters, let it be by the side of the woman he was sworn to protect.
***
Torno was fighting the interloper inside his mind, but it was a losing battle. With his magic, he had thought he could defeat the demon Barbatos, but he was sinking deeper and deeper into the darkness. He had no control over his physical body, and he knew it was only a matter of time before he would be cast adrift from it.
Barbatos was arguing with the demon that possessed the giant, Rochmyr, as demons were prone to do. They were known for their quarrelsome nature and inflated egos.
“I will lead the Asgwern, they are mine to control. The Mistress promised me!” Barbatos, dressed in black, confronted the huge man before him.
Rochmyr was also fighting his inner demon, Darango. He worked hard at trying to confuse it, but as with Torno, it was a battle he was losing. Despite this, he would take every opportunity to wrest some control, forcing his physical body to act against the will of the demon. It was a tiring task, but he was trying to gain some autonomy. As his control weakened, it became ever harder to achieve anything or gain any control at all. He felt himself fading away.
Rochmyr had an awareness that his physical body stood before his good friend, Torno the wolf man. He was also aware that Torno had his own demon to contend with, and that filled him with despair. If someone who was gifted with magic could not win this inner battle, then how could he ever rid his mind of this demon? He knew that the monster in his head was arguing with the other entity that possessed Torno. They seemed to be fighting over leadership. Let them fight, he thought, content for them to kill each other, if that would rid him of the horror that was living inside of him.
22
“It’s getting harder to move around out there. Soldiers are constantly patrolling the streets, but we can’t stay at my uncle’s, he risks too much already,” Ganry said as they sat around a table discussing their options. “There’s an inn, where we can follow a hidden underground passage leading out of the city. It’s not a pleasant route, or an easy one for that matter, and I worry for Cronos,” he added.
“We could change into our lupine form and take it in turns to carry the boy on a makeshift stretcher.” Grecia offered the best solution.
“Yes, we’ll make a stretcher that can be pulled by the wolves, or carried by two people if necessary,” Ganry agreed. “That’s it then, we go tonight.”
Berne, the head servant, helped them to prepare the boy for travel, and packed a few supplies for Ganry and his party to take with them. Getting to the inn would be the most difficult part, as crossing the city at night was dangerous with the curfew in place. Berne would be going with them to speak to the innkeeper, who may not open his doors to strangers at night.
Ludas, Ganry’s uncle, returned from a meeting while they were preparing to leave. “You must be careful,” Ludas warned. “The city is in uproar. Rumors abound about strange creatures controlling the palace. There have also been sightings of monstrous birds in the sky, with riders on their backs.
“Monsters?” Ganry queried his uncle.
“A trader I know is friendly with some of the staff at the palace,” Ludas explained. “He spoke of demons and devils within the corridors. Every Mirnean in the palace was rounded up by the royal guard and evicted yesterday morning. Later, the marketplace was set in turmoil when a huge flying beast was spotted. Something evil is among us, and I fear for every Mirnean.”
“What new mischief is this?” Grecia interjected. “It seems we’re dealing with a far greater evil than I thought. The magic I felt on the boy certainly points to an ancient evil, one that would have the power to do such things that you talk about.”
“Such things?” Ganry prompted.
“A portal,” the shaman said, “between this world and the underworld. It would explain the sightings, but no such thing has happened for thousands of years.”
“Portal or not, we have made the decision to move and it’s not a moment too soon,” Ganry declared. “We need to get Cronos out of the city. The ‘things’ are moving too fast here. The sooner we are away, the safer it will be for him.”
Berne went to the gate that led out onto the street to check all was clear. He came back a few moments later.
“There is no one around, but you must move quickly. Patrols are common here.”
Ganry turned and embraced his uncle, Ludas, bidding him farewell.
“Take care,” he said, simply.
“Do not worry about me, Ganry,” Ludas assured him. “I have seen many difficult times. We will
be fine. Concentrate on getting the Emperor’s son to safety.”
With farewells finished, it was time to move. Cronos was wrapped in a thick plain blanket, and strapped to the quickly fashioned travois which Kregon, the largest of the wolves would pull. Berne unlocked the gates and they left quickly. Ludas watched them disappear into the shadows, and mumbled a quiet prayer for their safety.
The streets were deserted as they made their way towards the inn, with Berne leading. In the distance they spotted an orange glow in the sky. Something was burning, and it lay on their route. As they drew closer they could hear the sounds of a fight; swords clashing along with battle cries. Whatever was happening, they were too close to it, and they would need to pass it to get to the inn.
Ganry held up his hand, gesturing for them to stop.
“Take the boy into the alley over there and stay out of sight,” he instructed Kregon.
Turning to Lazras, the other wolf man, he said, “Stay with them. Help protect the boy.”
He ordered the others to move forward with him. Grecia stayed in her wolf form, sniffing the air as she moved forward. Ganry, Linz and his men drew their weapons and made their way towards the sound of battle.
They were almost there when suddenly a hideous screech filled the air, and looking up towards the direction of the sound they saw a huge flying creature. Its wings were outstretched as it glided across the night sky. They could just make out a rider on its back.
