Dark Kingdom

by Phil Maxey

  “We don’t know what’s happening with them,” said Kat with a twinge of guilt.

  “Let’s meet up with them and kick this Goran’s arse!” said Mills.

  “One thing at time, Private,” said Vic smiling. He looked around the room. “We need to know we’re safe here.” He looked at Hunt and Mills. “Make sure the doors to the outside are secure. Mills that’s your job, guard these exits and let me know if something doesn’t feel right.” She nodded. “Hunt, I want an inventory of what provisions we got, and how long it’s all going to last us.” He then looked at Darren. “I want you on comm’s. There’s a decent radio in the APC, Mills will go with you to get it and bring it in here. I’ll need you to help us get some ears on the world outside.” Darren nodded.

  “I’ll go with you,” said Algorine to Darren.

  “What should I do?” said Annabelle.

  “From what I remember you are pretty good with that sword. Maybe help Mills secure our perimeter?”

  “I can do that.”

  Kat looked at the new girl and squinted. She had taken to the world of monsters and magic without so much as one freak out moment. That didn’t add up. Maybe she knew all about this stuff before? She had to.

  Finally Vic looked at Kat. “You’re our biggest weapon, so you and I are going to work out how best to use you.”

  CHAPTER 27

  Mock medieval tents of blue and white lay half-buried under mounds of snow in the large castle’s courtyard.

  Justin stood shivering with only a flimsy top, trousers, and some old sandals that he was told to wear. In his hand was a rusting sword and wooden shield that looked like it had been constructed from a barn door.

  He looked around at the ancient Norman walls and wondered just how the hell he ended up here. He had already been in battles with strange beings that came from nightmares, but that was when he was fighting with the good guys, now he was being trained? Or was it used? By the other side and he wasn't sure what exactly that meant for his wellbeing.

  In the far corner of the hundred-yard-square area he was standing in a large gate started to open.

  Please not the dragon, please not the dragon . . .

  The experience of riding on the back of the huge beast two nights before was all he needed to know that fighting such a creature was never really going to be an option.

  He steadied himself and waited, but the image of his father falling to the ground two nights before pushed its way into his mind. He shook his head to dispel it. Focus. Need to play along with their games.

  Through the gate walked a number of men. He couldn't see them too well, but one of them took something from their back and then—

  An arrow slammed into Justin's shield knocking him back a few feet. As he crouched behind his wooden obstruction he squinted trying to better see what just happened. He was sure the men were laughing.

  He stood up straightening his back, and got back into some kind of stance that he had been taught to use by Eden. Eden, his original trainer. She was in this castle somewhere or maybe already dead . . . Again he shook his head. Focus. He looked at the laughing men. “Come on then!”

  One of the men started running towards him, sword in hand, while the others spread out into a semi-circle.

  OK I got this. It’s just training.

  A few hundred yards away, Arthur stood with Goran, looking out of a second-floor window.

  “I heard he equipped himself well at the battle in Oxford,” said Goran. Arthur looked at him confused. “Sorry sire, I mean Oxenaforda.”

  Arthur looked back at the nervous young man in the middle of the courtyard. “You can use the modern names, Goran.” He smiled. “Look at him! He looks like he thinks he’s about to die!” He laughed, while Goran looked on.

  Back outside, the leather-bound man with long black straggly hair raised his sword and yelled as he neared his target.

  I’m going to parry when he lunges, lean back, then attack to the—

  A volley of arrows launched from behind the running man.

  What? I . . . how can I . . .

  Justin leapt to his right as two of the arrows landed where his feet just were. He looked at his shield which now had two arrows sticking from it.

  “He moves well, that’s a start,” said Arthur leaning forward on the window seal.

  Justin looked up just in time as the angry man’s sword scythed through the air towards him. He rolled causing the sword to miss, and crunched the two arrows from his shield.

  He had an opening to slice at the man’s leg’s but resisted not wanting to hurt the person in front of him.

  “Nah! He could have brought him down then!” Arthur stood back up straight.

  Justin and the man squared off, slowly circling around each other. His heartbeat was so loud in his ears he was sure it could be heard by his attacker.

  The man grinned showing a lack of teeth and then swiped forward with his blade. Justin jumped back.

  Again the man attacked, this time his sword hit Justin’s shield causing it to splinter.

  Justin then had an idea. He kept circling with the man, but this time he was waiting. The man’s blade slashed through the air, and Justin pushed his shield directly in the way of the falling steel. The sword sliced through most of the shaky wood until it hit the metal boss in the centre.

  The man immediately tried to withdraw his blade, but it was stuck firm.

  “Ha! The kid has him!” said Arthur.

  As everyone watched, Justin and the man struggled, one trying to free his sword while the other was trying to keep their grip on their shield. Eventually the man gave up and swiftly kicked Justin in his stomach sending him through the air until he crashed back onto the ice-covered mud.

  As Justin reeled in pain trying to catch his breath, he looked back at the man who was now holding his shield.

  The man pulled his sword from the wood and threw the broken shield away. He then lunged forward and brought his sword back to attack while Justin was still on the ground.

  In a desperate attempt to deflect the attacker’s sword from hitting his skull his thrust his sword across him, holding it with both hands. The man’s sword glanced off the blade but the force of the impact caused Justin’s own blade to repel backwards and hit him square in the temple, stunning him. The man kicked Justin’s sword from his hands, while a trickle of blood rolled down his face.

  His world started to sway a little, while he tried to scramble away. He could hear the man laughing behind him and the thud of his shoes on the ground approaching.

  He tried to run, but his legs seemed detached from the rest of him. As he looked down at the white and brown of the ground a shadow loomed above him and Justin waited for the blow that was about to land on him. Instead a gargled sound floated past his ears on the chilled breeze.

  Justin turned around. The man was floating a good yard above the ground clawing at his throat. He struggled to his feet. The men on the perimeter seemed anxious.

  The man dropped to the ground, bent over, and breathed heavily. He slowly looked up at Justin with a stare that left Justin in no doubt what he wanted to do to him. But instead he turned and staggered away.

  CHAPTER 28

  Each of the seven that inhabited the warm interior of the Glastonbury sanctuary took turns to get some sleep. By noon, most had rested to some degree.

  Annabelle and Mills took turns to watch the doors, while Darren twisted dials and fused cabling together from the radio set they pulled from the APC. Hunt wrote on various pieces of blank paper he found, and Algorine, Kat and Vic sat near the fire.

  Kat looked at the torn page in her hand. It was the same one she had used weeks before when it was still part of a book, with the image of the London sanctuary. Focusing on the picture of the austere room in the Georgian house she allowed her mind to float free and waited for the room to come alive.

  The castle-like walls of her current location fell away to be replaced with a dark room full of broken pieces o
f furniture, not unlike what they found the day before.

  “I can’t see anyone here, it looks . . . abandoned.” She walked forward stepping over the refuse of a once proud house, until she neared the door. Taking a further step resulted in her foot hitting an invisible wall. “I don’t seem to be able to go any further . . .”

  “You can probably just travel around the room you can picture in your mind, you’re not actually there, it’s just a reflection from that location,” said Algorine.

  Kat took once last look at the empty forgotten room and closed then opened her eyes to the burning logs in front of her.

  Vic rubbed his chin. “OK plan B, how about you picture this Miss Toper woman in your mind and maybe try and find—”

  A noise came from beyond the door to the sewers. Mills who was at the main door went to run across the room, but Vic held his hand up stopping her in her tracks. She slowly walked back to the door she was guarding.

  Gingerly he got to his feet, picked up his rifle and with Hunt moved to be just behind the other door to the outside. The noises continued becoming more recognizable as the crunching of footsteps.

  Hunt knelt in front of the door while Vic moved to the side. He signalled to the doctor that he was about to open it. Hunt nodded and raised his rifle.

  Kat also moved closer to the door and raised her ring hand. Algorine pulled her dagger and Annabelle watched from the second floor with one hand on her sword. Darren’s hand wavered clutching a broken piece of wood.

  Just as the volume of the noises got so loud as to sound they were just a few feet away, Vic pulled the door open.

  In the gloom it was hard to see the faces of who was standing just a few yards away, but Sparrow’s face emerged from the shadows.

  “Stop!” yelled Kat realizing Hunt and Vic were about to fire.

  Vic looked back at her with a questioning expression.

  “I know them!” She ran forward as Sparrow skipped up the steps smiling. Behind her were five others, four men and one woman, each one with medieval weapons and armour just visible under green and brown garments.

  Kat briefly hugged Sparrow taking her a little by surprise.

  Sparrow looked at the soldiers and others she did not recognise. “We hoped you would be here. Where’s Justin?”

  A feeling of guilt threatened to render Kat’s mouth useless. “He . . . he’s gone. They took him.”

  “They who?”

  “My sister and her damn dragon,” said Algorine putting her dagger away. She nodded in recognition of some of the people now filing into the main room.

  “Do you know where she took him?” The concern on Sparrows face flowed into her words.

  “No idea.”

  Sparrow sighed.

  Kat put her hand on Sparrow’s arm. “We made a plan, we’re going to find him and Eden.”

  “Did you find your mother?”

  The other members of Sparrow’s group started pulling food from the pantry. Darren eyed them suspiciously.

  Kat grinned. “She’s in a camp near Bristol.”

  Sparrow smiled and nodded. She then looked at the muscular-looking man with the rifle to her side. He kept glancing at her ring.

  “Umm this is—”

  Vic held his open hand out. “Vic Reynolds, sergeant in the British Army.”

  Sparrow briefly shook it. “Sparrow Arundell, of house Tristan.”

  Kat couldn’t help but smile.

  “You’re a custodian?” said Vic.

  Sparrow glanced between the soldier and Kat. “I am. You know about the Order of the Ring?”

  “I’ve learned a lot recently.”

  “And the army is helping?”

  “So far just myself and my two colleagues.” Vic looked at the burly-looking men and women making themselves at home. “Looks like you got yourself some soldiers as well.”

  “You bet she has nescient!” shouted a grizzled man, pulling his hood back to reveal pointed ears. He then set about tearing the top off a canned pie with a serrated dagger.

  Sparrow looked at Hunt and Mills who nodded back to her.

  “I tried reaching Miss Toper at the London sanctuary, but I found it abandoned, what happened after we left? Here, take a seat near the fire.” Kat walked back with Sparrow as Vic closed the large door behind them. They both sat.

  “We defeated those that attacked, but we knew we couldn’t stay there. The enemy know all of our locations, which is why Miss Toper and the others have moved to a secret place.”

  Kat understood not to ask where that was. “Why did you come for me though?”

  “You’re not only a custodian Kat, you’re also an ordained, if they got their hands on you . . .”

  “The girl can take care of herself, Sparrow,” said Algorine leaning up against the wall nearby. Kat sensed there was no love lost between them.

  “She’s still new to our ways, Algorine.”

  “I’m a quick learner,” said Kat, smiling.

  “So you have a plan to find Eden and Justin?”

  Vic sat on a chair nearby. “We do, and we could do with your help if you’re up for it.”

  “My orders are to bring Kat back to our new refuge . . . but that was before I knew Justin was not with you.”

  Annabelle came down from the floor above, her sword now strapped to her back with a makeshift sheath.

  “This is Annabelle Dulake—” said Kat.

  “Dulake?” said Sparrow.

  “You heard the girl, she’s a true descendent of the house of Lancelot,” said Algorine.

  Sparrow looked at Annabelle. “I see . . . nice to meet you, how did you find Kat?”

  “Hmm there is a word in English, that is . . . serendipity?”

  “You knew about the order already?”

  “Some things.”

  It was a cryptic answer which Kat wanted to explore more at some point.

  “I heard about Jax. That must have been a surprise for you?” said Algorine to Sparrow with a smirk.

  Sparrow frowned. “It was a surprise to a lot of people.”

  “Not me, I always knew he walked the line between both sides, but then he always was honest with me.”

  “Anyway,” Sparrow looked at Vic. “What’s your plan?”

  “I’m going to be bait,” said Kat.

  Sparrows head jolted around to face her. “You’re too important to be used like that!”

  “When you’re dealing with an enemy that knows your next move, and has numerical superiority, you need to do something a little different,” said Vic.

  Sparrow looked away. “I know but, they already have three of the rings, Miss Toper’s orders are for no other rings to be risked. All the custodians must remain out of the battles, until the time is right to use them. Those are the orders.” she sighed. “I want to find Justin as much as any of you—” Algorine’s eyebrows raised slightly,“—but there are larger concerns.”

  “And that’s why using me as bait will work, they will never expect us to put me in a situation where they can get the ring. So when they do see that—”

  “Then we got them,” said Vic.

  “How will that help us find Justin and Sparrow?” said Sparrow.

  Before Kat could answer Algorine spoke up. “On the way here we passed one of the grand portals, I think it’s fair to say it’s not just a ruin anymore.” said Algorine.

  Sparrow looked shocked. “It’s working? I need to tell the others.”

  “Who knows, but they had a whole lot of magi doing their thing. And they were bringing in things. Creatures and the like from elsewhere.”

  “We heard some reports that more of the creatures from the other realms were being spotted, but we just assumed they were being drawn to our enemy from the holes and caves they live in.” Sparrow reached into a small pouch, pulling out a small silver ball. “Bartholomew gave me this. There are a few of them, and it allows non-magi to communicate. But what’s your plan?”

  Vic and Kat glanced at each
other.

  “It’s only a matter of time before they realise I’m here, in this unwarded sanctuary,” said Kat.

  “You didn’t ward it again?”

  “I wasn’t sure how . . .”

  Vic continued. “This young lady is a prize they won’t be able to resist. I’m guessing they’re going to bring out the big guns. Maybe even this Goran fella.”

  “Then we trade him for Justin and Eden, or at least we find out where they are,” said Kat.

  Sparrow hated the plan, but hated more that it might work.

  “OK, but we need to go over it in detail. I’ll tell Miss Toper.”

  Sparrow gripped the sphere and concentrated. The room fell away to be replaced with a candlelit chamber. Miss Toper was talking with a number of others, whose faces were vague.

  As Sparrow relayed the new information to the head of house Gawain, Darren tried to ignore the rough-looking individuals that were close by and concentrate on the impressive radio set in front of him. As he twisted the dials, numbers changed and small bars danced on an orange LCD screen. Crackling came from the speaker, but nothing else.

  “That’s a seahorse two thousand, right?” said a woman with a twinge of a Scottish accent.

  Darren looked up at a dignified-looking woman eating from a bowl. Her dark hair contained whispers of gray and sat in a ponytail over her green fabric hood. Across her back an ornate bow and quiver sat. “Umm yeah it is. You know about radio sets?”

  “I run an electronics repair shop in Exeter. Well did. What did you do before all of this?”

  “Computers. I mean, software.”

  “Must be tough not having much of an internet to play around on?”

  Darren was surprised that there was no hint of humour in her question. He sighed. “Yeah, feels like we’re back in the stone ages.”

  The woman smiled and glanced at the clothing she and the others were wearing. “Or at least the dark ages, right?”

  Darren smiled and nodded.

  “What’s your name? I’m Eleanor, but people call me Nell.”

  “Darren Eagleton, good to meet you Nell.”