As the Wolf Howls

by Michael Linford

  ‘Are you okay, Father? You seem so very serious tonight and I’m worried about you. I hope I haven’t done anything to upset you?’

  The emperor stopped and put his hands on his daughter’s cheeks. ‘Of course not, my child. Seeing you in your mother’s dress made me realise how much you’ve grown up and brought back many memories, but that’s not a bad thing. You look beautiful and I’m so proud of you. I have lots to arrange with these events though and sometimes it causes me trouble, but I promise you, I am fine. The music will start soon and we must open the dancing, then I want you to enjoy the rest of your night!’

  Amelia felt comforted that there wasn’t anything wrong and walked with her father through the crowd. They stopped and spoke to many of the people but everyone was then quietened by the sound of drums, signalling the start of the music.

  Everyone moved quietly to the sides of the courtyard, forming a large open space framed by the population of Orgent. The emperor walked slowly to the centre of the open space and addressed the crowd.

  ‘People of Orgent, I welcome you all to our gathering tonight. It is wonderful to see so many of you all enjoying the party. We have eaten well and I’d like to thank everyone who has helped make this such a special occasion. We will now enjoy some gentle music and will then finish the night dancing and drinking in a way that’s worthy of an Orgent party. So to start the dance, I’d like to invite my daughter, your princess, Amelia, to join me for the first dance.’

  The crowds stood clapping as Amelia made her way to the centre and took her father’s hand. The slow music began and the two royal figures moved softly beneath the night sky. Time seemed to stop for the people of Orgent and they stood transfixed as two of their finest icons moved with grace and beauty around the square. It reminded the older generations of the emperor and his wife many years ago, while the younger generation were witnessing what would one day be a golden memory to them.

  At the end of the dance, all the people of Orgent applauded the two royal figures with an excitement that hadn’t been seen for many years. In the middle of the square, the emperor embraced Amelia and spoke softly in her ear. ‘You bring me such happiness and I am so proud of you, Amelia. You should go and enjoy the rest of the evening now and I will see you when it’s all finished.’

  Amelia kissed her father on the cheek and said, ‘I love you, Father, and always will.’

  Then she slipped quietly into the crowd and headed towards her hidden sack. The emperor stood alone in the square surrounded by all his people and addressed the crowd once more: ‘People of Orgent, the music will begin again shortly, but first I wish to thank everyone for the effort they’ve put in tonight, making it such a special occasion. I hand over to all of you now, for this is your time. We will see the fireworks and then the rest of the night you shall dance away.’

  Once again, the crowd applauded as the emperor signalled to the guards at the gate and moved through the crowd, back towards the temple. He had decided earlier to watch the fireworks from here and then retire to the temple, leaving the people of Orgent to carry on enjoying the night their own way. On his way to the temple, he caught Elspeth’s attention and asked her if she could fetch him a drink once the fireworks had ended.

  ‘I can get it for you now, Emperor, it’s not any trouble. The fireworks will be so loud anyway and sometimes the bangs scare me.’

  So Elspeth went in search of a drink for the emperor, softly disappearing into the temple. The guards had seen the emperor’s signal and started to open the gates of Orgent. They made a loud rumbling noise as they were opened, causing the people to look in awe as the city opened itself to the world outside. As the gates rumbled open, the head guard kept watch nervously, ready to ignite the fireworks and then close the gates again as soon as he could.

  Whilst the fireworks were wheeled towards the entrance, Amelia seized her opportunity and pulled the long dark cloak over her, making her almost invisible in the dark night. She watched as the great gates were opened, staring at the dense black sky outside. In the dark, she could barely make out the shapes of the trees and slowly stepped back into the shadow of the wall, transfixed by the freedom she’d always longed for.

  The fireworks were in place and the head guard lit the main fuse. They were designed to be lit together but some fuses burnt a lot slower than others so, instead of igniting together, they would form a pattern one after the other, creating a wonderful display. One by one they flew up into the air and exploded. The people cheered with delight, watching all the colours burning vividly in the black sky. The last was the biggest of all, and as the colourful sparks showered down over Orgent there was a huge explosion, making the ground shudder beneath everyone’s feet. The smoke billowed out, filling the entrance to the city, and the emperor slowly turned and made his way up the temple steps, satisfied that the evening had passed successfully. Before the guards could move to douse the dying flames of the firework, a second loud explosion shook everyone to the floor and they watched in horror as a huge shadowy figure emerged from the smoke.

  ‘Stay on your knees, Orgent, or a far worse fate will come to you. Running or fighting is useless and any who try will perish where they stand,’ the loud voice boomed out.

  As the figure emerged from the smoke, the guards rushed at it with their weapons, ready to attack the stranger. From the side of where the smoke appeared, Amelia watched as eight guards charged angrily at the figure who, holding an open palm to them, caused them all to drop where they were. She stifled a cry as the fallen men crumbled to dust before her eyes until there was nothing left of them.

  ‘Let that serve as a warning to you all. No one can defeat me; it is pointless to try!’ The voice boomed out and echoed loudly off the stone walls.

  As the figure stepped into the light, Amelia could see that he didn’t even appear to be human. He was covered in a black cloak but had no features and his body appeared even darker than his cloak. He moved slowly, like he was gliding, and barely made a sound as he crossed the still courtyard.

  ‘Who are you? You have no business here. We are a peaceful city and want no trouble!’ the emperor shouted, having shaken off the original surprise and slowly got back to his feet. He stood proudly on the steps of the temple, determined to show fierce opposition to the threat that his people faced.

  ‘Aahhh, Emperor, how good of you to grace us with your presence. Did eight need to die in order to wake you up though? How disappointing!’

  The emperor growled to himself and shouted angrily at his opponent, ‘They will be the last of my people to die, trust me. There are far more people here who will defend Orgent against one stranger. You will not last long!’

  With this, the stranger laughed, a high-pitched cackle that threatened to deafen all around, and before the emperor’s eyes, the figure became two and then four and kept doubling until there were hundreds of the strange dark spectres stood in the courtyard.

  ‘How about now, Emperor? Still feeling confident? How many more opponents do you need?’ The stranger pulled open his cloak and what looked like black smoke came pouring out into the courtyard. As the smoke touched the ground, the city was suddenly filled with dark spectres, their numbers dwarfing the population of the city considerably.

  The emperor stood speechless, fearing for his life and that of all his people. ‘What do you want from us?’ The words croaked out of his mouth. He was resigned to defeat and had nowhere left to turn.

  ‘That’s a good question, Emperor. We have all the time in the world to talk though, let’s give ourselves some privacy.’

  The stranger lifted his hand again and twitched his fingers. Suddenly the great doors of Orgent started to creak and groan, slowly closing on their own.

  Frightened and without thinking, Amelia ran for the gates. With all the dark smoke still lingering in the air, she was almost invisible in her black cloak. She ran quickly and dived through the gap, just in time to hear the gates loudly crash shut behind her. Lying on the rough ground outs
ide the gates of Orgent, she got to her feet. Her dress was torn and she had cuts on her arms and legs. For the first time in her life she was outside of Orgent. She looked around quickly and saw no one around her. It was just her, the forest and the cliffs. She looked into the distance and could see some light, glowing like a fire. She had no idea where to go, but she knew she had to escape. Looking back at the gates once more, Amelia relied completely on her instinct and started to run.

  CHAPTER 14

  Amelia thundered through the woodland surrounding Orgent. Her heart was pounding and she could feel every branch that tore at her as she ran for safety. Her dress was ripped to shreds but she didn’t dare stop to look at the damage. She knew she had to keep running until the forest cleared and then get as far down the mountain as she could. The night was so dark and the forest eerily quiet around her; the only sounds were the snapping of twigs under her feet and her breathing getting heavier as she covered more ground. Although the forest around Orgent was thick, it wasn’t very large, so Amelia made it through quite quickly. She came to a sudden stop after bursting through the last of the woodland and fell to her knees, struggling for breath. Her head was spinning with everything that had taken place and she still had no idea what to do next. At the edge of the forest she could see the steep route down the mountains to the forest and river below, but didn’t know what was down there.

  In her childhood she had heard tales of the Inuits who lived off of the land below Orgent and had dealings in trade with the emperor and Orgent, but she didn’t know whether they were to be feared or not. She couldn’t risk being as lost as she was and falling into more trouble. To the east were more mountains and that’s where Amelia had seen the glow which she had headed for. She looked again and could still see it flickering gently in the distance. As she knelt on the stony ground looking at the glow, many emotions swept her away at the same time: the thrill of being free; the fear and worry for Orgent and her father; a strange sense of safety that felt almost familiar to her as she watched the glowing light. Her hands and knees were bleeding from all the cuts and she felt exhausted. Beneath the dark night sky, she held her head in her hands and the tears came streaming down her face.

  ***

  Back in Orgent, all the people had been ordered to sit cross-legged with their hands in front of them and their backs against the front doors of their houses. The dark spectres stood watch over them as the main courtyard was left empty. The emperor stood facing his city, waiting for the stranger to speak again. He was carefully scanning the crowd, looking for Amelia; he wanted her by his side where he could keep her as safe as possible but she was nowhere to be seen.

  As if reading the emperor’s thoughts, the stranger stepped towards him and spoke: ‘You are not the only one who wants the princess, Emperor. She is part of my reason for being here and I suggest that she shows herself immediately. If not, I will just have to go through every person here until I find her.’

  The emperor roared in response to this challenge. ‘You will never get my daughter. I will sacrifice everything before I hand her over to you. Who are you? Why are you here? I demand some answers!’

  The stranger laughed at the emperor’s show of defiance and began to speak in a slow and menacing tone. ‘This story started long ago, Emperor. In the days of old it is written about great powers on earth, sent from our mother herself. As with everything that exists though, there is another way — an adversary, if you like. I am that adversary. I’ve spent many lifetimes searching for the powers that keep me locked away in my ghostly prison and have never succeeded in defeating them as a whole. This is why I’m here, my dear Emperor. You could say it was your late wife’s fault, maybe? How sad that she’s not here to face me now, don’t you think?’

  At the mention of his wife, the emperor exploded in rage and lunged at the evil being with his fists. The city of Orgent watched in shock as he passed right through the figure and landed hard in a heap on the ground behind him.

  ‘Perhaps you should’ve asked what I am rather than who I am.’

  The evil being laughed loudly, the eerie sound once more reverberating around the walls of Orgent. The emperor slowly got back to his feet, his hands bleeding and his knees aching from where he had hit the ground.

  ‘In the oldest days of our time, the power was trusted to one soul. They were able to perform a great number of acts, which changed life for all those around. It was never a power to be abused though, for with such an act came a great price. As a young man, bestowed with such a gift, I knew better than the elders with their tales of fear and punishments. As I grew stronger, I soon became bored of the prison that their rules put me in, so I did the unthinkable and used the power for my own gain. I would answer to no one and would rule not just that land, but all the lands. I nearly did too, but with being such a young age and having ignored the teachings of the elders, I never knew that the power could be stopped. There were only a few who had learned how to do this, but one wise elder amongst my people managed it. With his act came a sacrifice that he too must suffer through all his lifetimes like me, but his act still leaves him to walk the earth, unlike my ghostly prison. When he performed his ritual, the power was gone; it was split into four separate souls and has remained that way ever since. The body of the boy I was lay dead on the ground, but my soul never settled and I have roamed without life ever since. I have no name, but what I am is the biggest fear that people could ever have. I vowed from that day that I would find the four powers again and become the one. To take back what was rightfully mine and take the Earth as my own, with everything on it having to serve me. This starts tonight, Emperor!’

  The emperor had heard fables about powers and wars fought in long ago times, but never believed them to be true. They were just stories to him, back when he was a child.

  ‘What does any of this have to do with Amelia or her mother though? We have no powers here, we are a city of peaceful people who wish for no trouble.’

  The stranger moved closer to the emperor, towering over him.

  ‘You are blind to the world around you and you have made your people blind too. Your arrogance tells you that I talk of myth and magic, stories for bedtime and no more. What I speak of is the history of our land and many others. Your wife’s history is steeped in the old world order and she was given the responsibility of bearing the world one of those four powers in this lifetime. She had no knowledge of this, and that is how it always must be; it’s the only way to keep the powers separate until our mother calls them to join. I followed the power to your wife but had no physical way of getting to her, so I visited her in the night world, determined to find a way to get into Orgent so I could claim that power. However, your wife was stronger than I thought and even managed to fend me off after giving birth. This meant I had to change my plan, and change it is exactly what I did. The connection between your family was so strong that it made Orgent impenetrable, therefore I needed to break that connection. Do you remember the night she died, Emperor? Can you recall what happened?’

  The emperor was overcome with sadness as memories flooded his mind. It was a night he’d never forget but chose not to remember.

  ‘We were asleep and I was awoken by the sound of voices. It took me a while to work out what was happening and when I did, I saw Mia opening our window. I called out to her but she kept going, climbing up and out of the window. I jumped out of bed and rushed towards her but it was too late. She seemed to say something to someone and then stepped off the ledge. I always thought she was ill, overcome by some form of madness. You tell me it was you?’

  ‘Yes, Emperor, it was me. I underestimated your wife though. You see, I was trying to get into her head. I needed her to take the princess out of Orgent where I could get to her, but your wife wouldn’t break. That evening she chose to die and protect her family. The only good thing that came out of it was your decision to stop people travelling in their dreams.’

  The emperor was starting to fight the sadness and get a
ngry. ‘How can I have helped you? You got to my wife in her sleep; my medicine stopped you getting to anyone else. I helped none of your plans!’

  The stranger laughed to himself, satisfied at all the shocks he was revealing to such an attentive audience. ‘Sadly for you, there are two sides to everything, as I said before. Whilst you and your people slept soundly in a dreamless state, I was able to form my plan to get the princess. You are right in stating that it stopped me getting to her, but there are many things you don’t know. Let me enlighten you. Those with power can be reached in the land of the sleep but can also see what’s heading their way. So you see, Emperor, had you not been drugging all your people then your daughter would’ve seen my plan and been able to reveal it. So there you are — you are ultimately responsible. How many more have to suffer is up to you. You have two choices. You can hand over the princess and I will be gone, leaving you all in peace, or you can continue to defy me and I promise you, every single person in Orgent will perish until I find her. What is it to be, Emperor?’