by Jon Kiln
Myriam was pleased to be back in home territory. Here, she felt safe and secure. but she knew peace would not be with her for long. She hoped to lead her armies out to face the terrible demons of Mirnee. Being a D’Anjue, she would lead the forces to war, being no different to her predecessors.
It was agreed that Artas would travel immediately to Port Brammanville, where the main naval forces were docked. He would have preferred to stay with his Queen, until she was safely in the castle, but Myriam had insisted. They needed to mobilize the navy as quickly as possible, and so he carried her orders for the admiral. Those orders were for the naval forces to set sail with the smaller warships, for speed. Garrisons of troops should be on them. Their destination, the royal city in Mirnee. The smaller warships could do the journey in just over a week, with the larger ones staying in port. Myriam wanted to send reinforcements for Ganry, so he could fight the battle from within the Mirnean Kingdom.
Admiral Roy Patterson was the new leader of the Palaran naval forces. His predecessor had gone completely mad when he had been possessed by witches, and had never really recovered. The poor man had a complete breakdown and was now being cared for by his family. Artas had dealt with Patterson before and knew him to be a decent man. A man of action, who got things done. He was confident that Patterson would quickly implement the orders, and Ganry would have reinforcements within a week.
The docks were always a busy place, bustling with the physical activity of offloading goods, and loading up other products for transportation elsewhere. It was also a place of rank odors, as fishing ships plied their trade here, and the strong smell of fish permeated everywhere. In the summer months, as it was now in Palara, the smell could be overpowering. The wind more often than not carried the scent of rotting fish up the streets, around the buildings and alleyways, and onto people’s clothing. Once anyone had visited the docks, they would need a fresh set of clothing and a good bath to rid themselves of the prevailing stink.
The fishermen were used to it and did not notice the stench. They sweated with hard labor, too exhausted at the end of their working day to care to much about how they smelled. This meant that the drinking houses near the docks usually stank of strong body odors and fish, because this was the first place they would frequent once work was finished for the day.
Artas needed to visit the docks to deliver the orders given him by Queen Myriam. He had been directed to the Sinking Duck to find Admiral Patterson. It was pay day for the sailors and this was where the men would go for their wages. He was to be found supervising the wages at the drinking house, so the assistant had told him.
Most drinking houses were rowdy, but there was a calm quiet in this one as the men lined up for their money. Wages were paid from a room upstairs, and quickly they returned downstairs to buy a drink at the bar, the first bar of many for most of them on pay day.
Artas pushed his way up the stairs, only to be stopped by a thick and muscular arm which reached across the stairway, blocking his way.
“We’re all in rush, young fella, take yer turn,” a red nosed rather stout looking man said to him, threateningly.
“I’m not here for wages,” Artas stood his ground. “I have orders from the Queen for Admiral Patterson.”
“Why’d yer not say in the first instance, lad?” the man said, moving his hands. “Are we all going somewhere?”
“You’ll have to speak to your Admiral to know the answer to that, sailor.” Artas was giving nothing away. Whilst he doubted that any here would be spies, after his last experience with the possessed admiral, he was taking no chances.
The men let him by, but a deep hum traveled through the queue as they all speculated why the Queen of Palara would send a message to their Admiral. It could only be bad news.
Artas found Patterson and passed him the orders, which he opened immediately. After he read them, he ordered the officer sitting at his side to continue handing out the mens’ pay. He and Artas went to a private booth in the bar.
Over a strong drink, Artas did his best to explain to the admiral the events happening across the border.
Patterson listened with growing disbelief, as Artas explained that demons roamed the Mirnean Kingdom, and that the commanders of the Royal Guards were possessed, and doing their bidding. Patterson knew all about possession, having been second-in-command to Admiral Bingham, his predecessor, who was also possessed by witches. His actions had nearly cost them their naval fleet.
“That is a story that chills the bones, Artas,” Admiral Patterson frowned. “How can we hope to defeat such creatures?” the Admiral queried, clearly shocked at the tale.
“I’m not sure yet, Admiral, but we are marshaling our forces on land and sea, and they will join with the troops of Vandemland. That will be a powerful force that not many human armies could withstand, but of course these are not human. Still, as we speak, Ganry, who you have met, is in Mirnee. He’ll be busy organizing a resistance in the royal city. He’ll be desperate for our help.”
“Do not fear, Artas, you can assure the Queen that the ships will sail within twelve hours. We’ll be packed with strong and brave Palaran sailors. Ganry shall have his aid from us, I promise you this.”
Satisfied that the plans were in motion and the ships would soon be setting sail, Artas left Port Brammanville, but not to return to Castle Villeroy. Instead, he would head straight to the Palaran border that joined with Vandemland. He knew Myriam would waste no time in dispatching the troops, and if he did not hurry he might even miss them before the invasion back to Mirnee. Artas had no intention of letting this happen. Ready for battle since all this began, he had wanted to stay with Ganry in the first instance. But it had been vital that he escorted the Queen back to her own lands. This he had done, and now it was time for that long-awaited battle.
After a couple of days’ travel and sleeping out in the open, one morning when he awoke wrapped in his bed roll, he could see the borders off in the distance. As he drew closer he could see that a mighty army had amassed. These must have been the combined forces of Mirnee and Palara, and it was indeed a powerful force. Whether it would be enough to overthrow the demons that ruled Mirnee, he could not say. One thing was certain though, the fate of the whole world depended on them.
31
Ganry, Linz, and his men, made their way back to his uncle’s home in the merchant quarters. The journey was trouble free and remarkably quiet; they even made good time. As they walked down the street on which his uncle’s home was situated, a sergeant and his men stepped out of the shadows. They greeted each other briefly, but aware of the dangers of being out in the open, Ganry invited them to join him. Linz rang the bell of the gateway, and they were all soon safely inside.
“It’s good to see you safe, Ganry, his uncle greeted him as he entered the kitchen, following behind Berne, his uncle’s head servant. “So much is in turmoil. It’s difficult to know who is still alive.”
“I still live, uncle, don’t worry for me. How are you and your household holding up?” Ganry asked.
“We can’t trade because every commercial venture in the city has been forced to close. People we know have disappeared, and there’s a general feeling of fear on the whole populous. There are monsters roaming the streets of our city, Ganry, huge creatures!” his uncle added in disbelief.
“Help will be on its way. You just need to stay hidden,” Ganry tried to reassure him. “For now, I need to meet up with those who have formed any sort of resistance. Do you know where they’re based?”
“Yes, I hear the Mermaid Inn down by the docks is their home for the moment. Though it can change quickly. It’s another with a cellar and tunnel that leads to the underground river, and out of the city. We have many such inns.”
“I know it. Though when we passed it by, there was no sign of the resistance,” Ganry remarked.
“They’ve only just started to organize. Citizens are supporting the royal guards that have mutinied. The leader of the resistance should be there
now, until it’s discovered, anyway.”
Ganry and the sergeant briefly discussed what to do, knowing they should meet up with the resistance as soon as possible. After a short rest, and refreshment, they set off to the inn.
The inn was three levels down from the merchant quarters and they proceeded with caution. On a few occasions, they came across patrols of demons who were searching for curfew breakers. They were easy to avoid as they gave plenty of warning of their presence, constantly bickering and arguing amongst themselves. Reverting to violence as tempers flared, usually resulting in leaving one of their number dead in the street.
It was slow going, but eventually they made it to the inn. Ganry was aware of one of the secret coded knocks, and used the rhythm of tapping on the door. This was to relay the message that friends needed access. He just hoped the code was not obsolete. Luckily, it worked and soon they were on the inside, with the inn doors closed and locked behind them.
The resistance leader, a member of the Royal Guard, was not there. They had gone out patrolling and also to find provisions and weapons. Ganry spotted a familiar female tending to a wounded man. He approached her.
“Daphne, we are always meeting under dire circumstances. It seems neither of us are destined for peaceful times,” Ganry half joked.
“Ganry.” Daphne did not stop cleaning the wound of the injured man. “I’m glad you still live. We’ve heard rumors that the Emperor is dead. Are they true?”
“I’m afraid they are, but his son lives on,” Ganry confirmed. “I need to gather all Mirneans who are able and willing to fight,” he stated his purpose. “It’s time to attack the palace. I believe that is the source of these creatures. That is where they are entering our world.”
“I think you’re right,” she nodded her agreement, hands covered in blood as she pulled up the warm covers of the wounded soldier. The poor man was still conscious, though not very alert. His wounds looked life-threatening. “They do seem to originate from the palace, but they’re also leaving the city. Even if we could stop them arriving in our world, there are some already elsewhere in our kingdom.”
“One step at a time, Daphne,” Ganry suggested. “First we destroy their entry point. Then take back the city. There are others out in the kingdom attempting to track them down.”
“We’ve being trying to coordinate the defenses, and our numbers increase daily. There are many brave people who want to join our struggle, but most of them have no fighting skills whatsoever. It’s like leading lambs to the slaughter.”
“You’re right. They’d do better hiding well away,” Ganry agreed with her. “We need them off the streets and battened down somewhere safe. Those who can fight are much needed, though. I want to bring them together and bring the fight to us. Can you send out word to gather on the Barrack’s level?”
“Can do,” Daphne nodded, pleased that at last they had a seasoned soldier to lead them. All the commanders had been possessed by the evil that gathered in the palace.
With these words, Ganry left the inn and made his way towards the gate that would take him to the Barrack’s Level, where he would meet with Linz.
Linz had been busy sneaking around to get to the gates of the Barrack’s Level. As with everywhere else, all was in chaos, though there appeared to be no fighting on this level. He searched the remaining soldiers, seeking a sergeant or anyone who looked like he was not petrified. In one of the wooden barracks he could see men gathered, and a lookout on the door. The lookout allowed him access, merely because he was human and not possessed.
The general discussion from the soldiers that Linz overheard were complaints that their commanders had instructed them to capture or kill citizens; it was madness. He stood on a table and shouted out to get the attention of the group, informing them of Ganry and his plans to gather all the able fighters to take the palace. It was time to destroy whoever was bringing these ungodly creatures here. There was a cheer amongst the exhausted men. Most of them knew Ganry, or had heard of him. He was quite a legendary soldier in the land of Mirnee, from his deeds many years ago in other battles.
“We have to stop the beasts coming through, or our whole world is lost,” Linz said to the sergeant attempting to lead the group.
“Most of my men have left,” Sergeant Rygha said. “It won’t be easy to gather them back again. Many had given up hope, once there were no commanders left to coordinate a defense. These who remain here will fight to the death to free Mirnee. I hope Ganry has a good plan.”
“Yes, he’s with the rebellion now, gathering as many fighters as he can to come to this level. He’ll be on his way as we speak, as well as all the stragglers he’s attempting to gather,” Linz said. “Hopefully those men who are in hiding will get the word, and join us.”
Just as he spoke, Ganry arrived through the doorway. Sergeant Rygha knew Ganry well and trusted his judgement. He himself had worked under Ganry many years ago when he had lived in Mirnee. Although Ganry was no longer a Mirnean soldier, the sergeant greeted him with a Mirnean salute, which Ganry automatically returned.
“Rygha, it’s good to see you got that promotion you worked so hard for,” he said, patting the man on the back as they embraced in greeting.
“I had heard you were dead. Then I heard you had saved our young heir. It was hard to know which tale was true, there are that many,” Rygha replied, as the group chatted among themselves. There was excitement among the men that at last something could be done. “It’s a great relief to see some of those rumors were wrong. We welcome your help. These witches have caused enough troubles for Mirnee, it’s time we rid ourselves of them.”
Ganry said nothing but simply nodded his agreement. He updated the sergeant on the strength of the resistance that would be joining them.
“It’s led by a man from these very barracks, a Sergeant Prost.”
“So he did escape,” Rygha smiled. “We had heard that they’d killed him, but he is a wily soldier, that one. The resistance is lucky to have him. He will lead them well.”
Sergeant Rygha ordered silence so the men could hear from their new leader. Ganry quietly told them of the plans to attack the palace. The men were to eat and sleep well this night, for the attack would begin tomorrow.
A soldier came in from outside and informed Ganry that a rebel had arrived asking for him. He followed the soldier out towards the gates of the barracks. There he could see a familiar face.
“Ganry, you old dog,” Riley cried out, as the two men approached each other and embraced. I felt certain you would be dead by now, but it’s such a lift to the spirits to see you alive and well.”
“And you too, my friend.” Ganry was equally pleased to see the mercenary. He turned to the sergeant who had followed him. “This is Riley, a good man to have by your side. I have fought with him before. He is true to Mirnee and strong in battle.”
The sergeant greeted the new arrival. “Welcome, we need as many men true to Mirnee as we can find. The road ahead is a treacherous one, and we will lose many on the way.”
“We have many mercenaries working with us,” Riley said. “They have seen the beasts about in the lands, and came to the aid of their Emperor. Is it the witches again?” he asked, turning to Ganry.
“Yes, I’m afraid so,” Ganry replied. “I’ve seen them in the palace. They’re stronger this time, and they’ve managed to bring these beasts through from some hellhole, or other.”
Ganry updated Riley on the plan to gather all human fighters and attack the palace. Riley offered to continue fighting any straggling monsters roaming the city streets. Surely, once the palace was under attack, all the creatures would make their way back to assist. When this happened, the mercenaries would join Ganry.
They parted ways and Riley returned to the streets, glad of the knowledge that there might be an end in sight to this chaos. He had witnessed women and children pulled to pieces by beastly creatures, who then fed on the meat and bones. These monsters must have come from the pits of hell, and
he hoped that Ganry would find whoever was leading them.
32
Cronos watched the battle below, as he flew above on Canne, his Asgwern. He had been communicating with Grecia, using their mind powers, and had warned her of any demons in their pathway. The wild wolves were ferocious fighters, attacking any foul creatures they came across, directed by the three wolf people.
Whilst they were no match for the monsters as individuals, as a pack they were ruthless and vicious. Snapping at the heels of the demons. Biting into the tendons on the back of their legs. Jumping onto their backs, and sinking long canines into flesh at the back of beastly necks, or throats. So devastating were their attacks that the smaller demons ran whenever they came across them. Usually to no avail, as the wolves would chase them down, easily catching them up and cutting through them like a whirlwind.
Without warning, Canne banked swiftly to one side. The Asgwern did this so quickly that he nearly dislodged Cronos. The maneuver was in perfect timing as another Asgwern, with a demon rider on its back, swooped down on them from above. Thanks to Canne’s evasive action, they just managed to avoid the attack. Scanning the sky, Cronos could see two further beasts circling above.
I’m being attacked, he mind-talked with Grecia on the ground below, three of those flying creatures are above me. I’ll draw them away.
Get yourself out of there, Grecia said, wishing she could shout her instructions for him to hear. Cronos could sense that Grecia was demanding she be obeyed.
No, he insisted. I can lead them away and deal with them. They are a danger to you on the ground.
He turned Canne around, ignoring Grecia’s pleas in his head for him to return, and flew high into the sky. Three Asgwern beasts followed behind. Aware of the risk of his actions, he was also conscious of his responsibilities. He could not allow these flying monsters to attack on the ground. He was Emperor now, his people needed him. A reassuring voice he believed was his spirit guide urged him on. It told him he could defeat these creatures, and help keep the marauding wolf pack safe from an attack from the skies. They must keep battling their way to the Palaran border. Keep them close, the voice whispered in Cronos’s head.
