Dark Kingdom (Order of the Ring Book 2)

by Phil Maxey

  He walked forward slowly, waving the others behind him to follow. They all crouched down near a tent. Lifting up one of the flaps he looked inside. Embers burnt in a small fire, but apart from that the space was empty. Weird.

  It was then they heard the sounds of marching from up ahead, beyond the main buildings that made up the castle.

  “Looks like they are over there. Let’s get inside!”

  They all ran across the courtyard, and to the closest door they could see. Vic listened at the wooden door and on not hearing anything on the other side, gently opened it.

  He was glad to feel the warm air on the parts of his face that were exposed, and even happier when the hallway inside was devoid of any people. They all quickly ran in.

  “This is too easy,” said Nell.

  “No time to debate our luck. Time we went our separate ways. Go find our girl,” he looked at Algorine who nodded. She then turned and ran up the staircase close by with Nell right behind her. Vic looked at Mills and Hunt. “Time for our distraction.”

  After climbing two flights of stairs Algorine peeked into a corridor with numerous doors. She shook her head. Where the hell is everyone? She was about to give up and go up another flight when one of the doors opened and out walked a young man, in plain clothes. Perfect. She gestured to Nell to stay where she was, then walked out into the corridor and caught up with the young man, placing her hand on his shoulder then spinning him around and pushing him up against the wall. It didn’t take long to get the location of the young girl that had arrived by dragon the day before.

  Vic ran into a room which contained a huge table, the shape of which he had read about since he was a child. He smiled with recognition, then took one of the plastic explosive charges and placed it under the wooden surface, out of sight behind one the thick legs. Just as he was about to stand back up a noise came from outside the door. Ducking back down he crawled under the table and waited. A number of feet in sandals appeared and their owners started to clear the silver cups and plates from the table above his head. He silently voiced his frustration.

  Algorine and Nell checked some of the signs that were screwed to the walls above alcoves and doors, and not long after entered a part of the castle which looked like it had been abandoned some years before. A lone torch burned, providing scant light to show the doors that ran along the corridor, most of them looking forgotten.

  Algorine moved slowly forward. “Kat!” she half-whispered, half-shouted in the doors’ directions. No sound came back. “Kat!” She increased the volume. Nell looked anxiously back from where they came.

  A noise came from behind one of the doors and Algorine immediately moved to it. “Kat, you in there?”

  A barely audible ‘yes’ came through the secure door.

  Algorine slid back the latches and pushed the door open. A young girl with dark hair looked back at her.

  “Who are you?” said the Fae woman.

  “I’m Kat, I came here on a dragon.” The young girl looked away.

  Algorine surged forward grabbing her by her shoulders. “You’re not Kat! Where is she?”

  “Please miss, I was told by the magi that I should say I’m Kat if anyone asks. I don’t want to get in trouble.”

  “What magi? Goran?” Although that made no sense to Algorine.

  “No miss, it was the younger man, umm he has dark hair and beard. He arrived yesterday, he wears one of the rings.”

  “Jax?”

  The girl nodded. “Yes, I think that is his name.”

  “Where did he take the girl?”

  “Sorry, I don’t know.”

  Nell appeared in the doorway. “We have to go, there’s noises in the stairwell.”

  Algorine dragged Nell inside, and closed the door. She then swung around and put her finger to her lips in the direction of the girl, who nervously nodded. The sound of footsteps came from beyond the door, walking the length of the corridor. The sound of a door opened and closed and then the same steps receded back into the stairs.

  Algorine pulled her radio from her belt and clicked on the talk button. “Vic, a magi called Jax Aldane has taken Kat, but we have no idea where. Over.”

  Only silence came from the radios speaker.

  Algorine shook her head, then looked at the young girl. “If anyone else appears, you are still to say you’re Kat, right?”

  The girl nodded.

  “Where to now?” said Nell.

  “We find the rogue magi.”

  CHAPTER 37

  “Do we need to be this close?” said Kat to Gus next to her. They were both lying on the snow, between ancient trunks looking down upon the mysterious tent, which spanned half the field it was in. A chain of burning torches held by man and beast led to it from the castle.

  “My orders are to find out what’s inside that tent. I’m going to get a lot closer than—” The man that looked like someone else, started to convulse, flipping onto his back while his arms flailed around him.

  “What’s wrong? What’s happening?”

  Gus tried to talk, but his words came out garbled.

  Kat looked on not knowing what to do, and then she saw it. His face contorted and for a moment she was looking at the older man she knew and trusted. A second later he looked like Jax again.

  Gus lay out of breath. “The spell wasn’t meant to last this long. Soon it will fail completely.” He turned and got to his feet. “I need to get down there.”

  “Are you insane? If you revert back—"

  “It’s a chance I’ll have to take.” He went to walk down the snow-covered slope, when he stopped. Taking a deep breath he tugged at the ring on his finger and with a heave pulled it off. He visibly wavered, before reaching back, offering it to Kat.

  “Why did you take that off! You’re going to need it!”

  “If something happens to me, you’re going to need it more than I girl. Take it, now.”

  “But you’re an ordained, it won’t work—”

  “It will still give you some power.”

  She reluctantly reached out and solemnly took it from his hand.

  “If I’m not back within the hour, head to Oxford to the old ruined house near the station. You’ll know it when you see it.”

  She nodded and he started walking down the slope.

  As he stomped through the snow, his cloak tails dragging behind him, she looked at the ornate ring and thought about the one she had already lost. Resisting any more negative thoughts, she breathed in and slid it onto her finger which it promptly rattled around on.

  “Damn it!”

  Just as she was about to pull it off she felt the metal of the ring warm and shrink around her finger. As with the first ring, nothing happened straight away, and then she felt it, a surge of energy flow through her. This time it was different, not as intense, but she felt two pounds lighter.

  She looked back down the slope hoping to see Gus, but he was now part of the throng that was making its way to the large tent.

  * * * * *

  “What the hell you all wearing?” said Algorine at the mish-mash of leather and chainmail that covered Vic, Hunt, and Mills.

  “We didn’t exactly have time to pick out a better outfit! They came with the men we just clobbered!” said Vic from under a metallic helmet.

  She shook her head. “If anyone or thing says anything to you, just grunt.”

  He grunted.

  “Funny. You ready for this?”

  “No. Let’s go.” Vic briefly looked back at the assault rifle shaped bundle of rags at the bottom of the storage shelf, then pushed open the door to the ground floor corridor.

  As with most of the others, it was empty. They quickly moved along it and then seeing the sign “Exit” on the wall, followed the printed arrows until they found an external door. Pushing it open they then marched confidently out onto the snow of the courtyard, then onwards across the frosted ground, past training areas and tents, and through the main gate. It wasn’t long before the
y caught up with the back of the trail of people and things that were moving towards the large tent. Slowly they pushed their way past creature large and small until they were within hearing distance of the front.

  “Who’s the bearded guy with the thing for ring jewellery?” said Vic to Algorine.

  “I’m not sure . . . Just keep an eye out for Kat.” she said, trying to see who was around her but at the same time being distracted by the impressive figure standing near the tent’s entrance.

  They all walked away from each other, rubbing shoulders with those around them and trying to see their faces, most of which were looking towards the enigmatic figure at the front.

  Arthur stepped forward and the crowd hushed.

  “Our enemies think that because we come from history we are less capable than them. That we can’t understand their modern ways. I think they call it ‘science’?” He laughed. “Their ignorance will ultimately be their downfall.” He then looked at the troll-like men that stood a hundred yards apart on either side of the tent. Each one grabbed hold of the rope that was holding that part of the tent up, and started walked away from the centre. The tarpaulin immediately tore down the middle and started to fall away, while the poles that were holding it up fell to the ground.

  Algorine, Vic and the others had stopped looking for Kat and were now transfixed like everyone else at what was appearing where the tent used to be.

  “What the hell . . .” said Vic under his breath.

  “Behold the future! The portals that chained us to each realm were built by the ancients. But no longer. Now with the help of their ‘science’ we can build them ourselves!”

  The crowd looked on aghast, then started cheering. Algorine, Vic and the others stood, eyes wide at what was in front of them. Two rings of perfectly cut columns of almost black stone, with cap stones running around their tops and a space of fifty yards in the centre, stood tall amongst the gathering wind. But these weren’t just the stone circles of the past, for running through them were veins of white-blue light.

  Arthur then walked to a smaller stone outside the outermost ring.

  Vic walked forward to get a better look. What is that? A display panel?

  Arcane symbols danced in front of Arthurs hand, until all the stones began to pulse with intense light, each pulse coming quicker and quicker. Most who were close by had to shield their eyes as the light grew stronger. Vic was no different but walked forward until he was just a few yards from the man in charge of this spectacle. He watched as Arthur’s eyes grew big and the cyning raised his hands into the air as the pulsing reached a crescendo. Energy darted from the stones to the ground around them, making those closest take a step back and then with a final flash of light a sonic boom echoed out into the night.

  The stones returned to original state and for a moment everyone’s eyes were still adjusting to the dark around them, but then some started to notice what was different. For the scenery and sky behind the stones had gone, and was now just a dark gray.

  “What the fuck—” Vic couldn’t help himself as he tilted his head backwards, further and further until he could see past the top of the new wall which now loomed above them.

  The silhouette of Arthur stood out against the blue glow from the stones. He slowly turned back to the masses watching in awe. “I give you, Camelot!”

  Everyone looked up at the dark spires and towers which disappeared into the clouds above their heads. An iron portcullis standing a hundred feet from top to bottom sat behind the stone circle, and was slowly drawing upwards, causing the ground to shudder.

  As everyone was looking at the stone leviathan, Algorine took the opportunity to search quickly amongst them, it was then she spotted Jax. Rushing between shields and armoured warriors, she pulled her dagger from her back and pushed up against the traitor, grabbing his arm with one hand and letting him feel the dagger in his back with the other. The cloaked figure tried to shrug her off, while pulling his own sword.

  He went to speak, but only half-words came from his mouth which seemed to stretch.

  “Where is she!” shouted Algorine, not noticing the space that had opened up between them and those around them.

  The cloaked man grabbed his face, and tried to run but collapsed to the ground, his body shaking.

  Algorine knelt next to the convulsing man. “Where is she? What have you done with her?”

  Vic and the others noticed a commotion not far from them, and started to walk towards it, while the portcullis reached the top and ground to a halt.

  Arthur stepped forward and went to speak, when he noticed the large group that were preoccupied with something else. “What is happening there!” he shouted towards the crowd.

  Tall and demure dark elven warriors sprung forward, running into the crowd grabbing a Fae woman, and an older man with white hair.

  “Bring them here!” demanded Arthur.

  Algorine and Gus struggled with the dark elves that were holding them, but their grip was too strong. They flung them down at the feet of their cyning.

  “Who are you?”

  On the nearby hill, her eye sight seemingly more focused than before Kat watched in horror at her two friends on the ground just a few feet away from the man she already deemed was insane. When the landscape around her gained a new feature that pierced the sky above with its dark stone walls and towers, she was almost overcome with panic and the urge to run. To scurry away into the night from the madness she was witnessing, but Gus was down there, and he gave her his ring. Why did he have to do that!

  Algorine looked up at Arthur with eyes that mocked. “So you’re Arthur? The insane King, who fucked up everyone’s—” Before she could finish a stream of energy from Arthur’s rings enveloped her. Through the intense light she could be seen screaming but no noise could be heard beyond the fizzing noise the magic was making.

  Gus put his hand on his sword, but before it could leave its sheath a spear from one of the dark elf guards passed through him. On the hill close by a scream rang out. Gus fell to the ground limp.

  Arthur smiled. His face lit by the energy flowing from his hand. “Could you two possibly be sent by this order that I hear about? Are you here—” he started laughing, “—to kill me?”

  Others in the crowd laughed with him.

  Vic watched in horror, torn between rushing to help and plotting a route back to the assault rifles.

  “Stop!” shouted Justin, walking forward.

  Arthur looked at the young man, bemused. “Why?”

  A number of reasons ran through Justin’s mind, this was an interview he couldn’t lose. “I’ll fight with you! Just let them live.”

  Arthur walked towards the young man until he was just a few inches from Justin’s face. He looked into his eyes, as the magic still streamed from his hand towards Algorine. “Yes, I believe you will . . . But mercy always leads to defeat.” He turned back to the Fae woman. “I will though put an end to her suffering.”

  He went to raise his arm towards the woman whose silent screams continued beneath the web of fizzing energy, when Kat appeared from nowhere and instantly shot a bolt of energy at Arthur, which struck him in the shoulder. The magical net that Algorine was stuck within instantly disappeared and she collapsed to the ground next to Gus.

  Kat fired another and another but each magical shot was now striking an invisible wall and each new effort grew smaller as the hordes descended upon her. Justin ran to help when the dark stones of the new circle sprang into life, causing man and creature to momentarily freeze in place and look at the spectacle.

  Arthur’s head whipped around to the smaller control stone which he stared at in disbelief.

  The pulses continued until just a ring of light burning bright in the darkness made everyone including the cyning cower and shield their eyes. From the blinding blue-white light energy streamed forth, striking the creatures with weapons held aloft about to strike down upon Kat and her friends. Some of which also threatened to strike Arthur which
he parried away.

  From the direction of the stones a man emerged sending magical pulses from a staff, tearing into Arthur’s warriors causing them to scatter.

  Arthur went to fire back, when smaller bolts started to hit him again. Kat was firing what she could at him, but her mana was waning.

  Justin ran towards Kat ducking scything swords and dancing to the side of axe blows. “We have to get out of here!” he shouted. She went to turn with him when she stopped, seemingly lost in dream at the man that was walking towards her while magic flowed from a gnarly piece of wood in his hand.

  “Granddad?”

  Arnold Ambrose briefly smiled at his granddaughter. “Run into the circle Kat, and you young man!”

  Justin didn’t hesitate and dragged Kat with him towards the intense light. Arnold thrust his staff out in front of him creating a magical barrier just as a laser-like beam hit him from Arthur’s hand. Arnold looked at the circle just in time to see Kat and Justin disappear into the light, and his barrier start to falter under the power of the four rings. He tried pushing back, but the cyning was too strong. She is safe.

  Arnold's shield spluttered and dissipated as Arthur raised his hand once more. He stood proud when a different kind of neon pulse split the air.

  Bullets from assault rifles buzzed through the air, as Vic, Mills, Hunt, and Nell ran towards the still glowing circle firing at the monsters around them. Arthur tried to turn his attention to them, but had to duck as the rounds fizzed past him.

  Arnold, Vic, and the others all converged on Algorine and Gus lying on the ground.

  “Pick them up! Then follow me! Quickly!” said Arnold.

  Each of them picked up the unconscious bodies and ran as best they could, while still trying to fire behind them.

  Vic scampered forward carrying Gus over his shoulder. “Where the hell are we going?”