Dark Kingdom

by Phil Maxey

  “This is one of five civilian sleeping areas. I’ll get you some food and water, but for longer stay needs you’ll have to check in with the refugee office, there are clear signs to it outside.”

  Annabelle was the only one of them that responded, with a small nod of her head. The soldier then left.

  “This can’t be it, it can’t be over,” said Darren still clutching his backpack around his chest like it was his baby. “Do they even know what’s happening out there?”

  The low murmur of conversations amongst the other residents of ‘Refugee Housing 3’ drifted on the cool air around them.

  “They know.” said Nell. “Martial law has been in place for over a week now. They are explaining the strange creatures as a virus which has changed people and livestock. That’s almost a direct quote from the news.”

  “People believe that?” said Darren.

  “People want to survive, everything else is just background.” Nell looked around the others. “We need to get in contact with the council.”

  Sparrow went to reply but winced and held her head.

  “Sparrow already did, we’re on our own,” said Algorine.

  Nell frowned.

  “I thought they were knights or something? They were out to protect us?” said Darren.

  “They got bigger fish to fry,” said Algorine. “And don’t forget, we left them to go on this little adventure.”

  “If my mentor was here, he would know what to do.” They all looked at Nell. “Oh, I mean Arnold Ambrose. He was good in situations like this. Still can’t believe he’s gone. I thought he would outlive us all . . .” Her expression hardened. “I have a duty to find his granddaughter.”

  “But how we find?” said Annabelle.

  “All super villains have a secret lair, we find that—we find Kat,” said Darren.

  “Even if we do, so what? They now have another ring!” said Algorine.

  Darren sighed. “And Dragons.”

  A door nearby opened and two armed soldiers appeared and walked up to them.

  “I wondered how long it would take,” said Algorine under breath.

  “You are all to come with us.”

  “Why?” said Darren.

  “Our commanding officer wants you to be moved to a more secure location.”

  “He means lock us up,” said Algorine standing up. “OK, let’s go.”

  The others looked at each other, then followed Algorine and the soldiers outside.

  They approached a large bland building, with guards at its entrance. The two soldiers with them handed them off to the guards at the door, who then led them along a narrow corridor and then out into a large open space, full of cages. Some of which were already occupied with the kind of nightmarish creatures they had all seen over the past few days.

  Algorine went to turn around. “Hell, no.”

  “Please don’t be alarmed.” A grey-haired man wearing an old-fashioned tweed blazer walked to them. “These are not meant for you.”

  “Who the hell are you?” said Algorine.

  The older man walked forward holding his hand out. Algorine suspiciously shook it.

  “I’m Fenston Reed. I’m in charge of certain aspects of this facility. You are a Fae woman I believe.”

  Algorine stepped back slightly. “What do you know of the Fae?”

  He smiled. “I know that you have enhanced hearing and sight over us mere human beings.”

  “What are these cages for?” said Nell.

  “They are for those that are trying to destroy this country, so that we can understand them better.” He walked closer to one of the empty cages and gripped its silver coloured bars. “Reinforced Titanium Steel, but that’s not all. Our scientists are also working on ways to nullify magic, if any of its inhabitants try to spell cast their way out!”

  “What do you know of magic?” said Sparrow through squinting eyes.

  “Nowhere near enough.”

  “Anyway, as I understand it, you have all been through quite some ordeal and have . . . lost others. I’m sure you all need refreshments and to rest. Please follow me.”

  Leaving the warehous-like area, they moved outside once again and approached a multi-storey building. Fenston flashed an ID card at the guard, who didn’t bother looking at it, but opened the door immediately. Inside a large office-like interior spread out and despite the hour people rushed left and right in front of them.

  A young woman ran up to the older man. “Sir, we have reports of enemy forces marching on Manchester.”

  “The city has been evacuated correct?”

  She nodded.

  “Then leave them to their march.”

  Fenston looked back to the group. “We have much to discuss, but it can wait until morning.” He looked at a nearby man, wearing a white shirt with tie that was almost falling off his neck. “Craig will show you your quarters.”

  They followed the tired-looking man up a number of flights of stairs, until they came out to what looked like a dormitory, with beds looking a good deal more comfortable than those in the refugee building.

  Sparrow sat and laid back. “This time I’m not moving.”

  “There’s a kitchen area over there. Take what you want . . . and the toilet and showers are over there.” He briefly nodded then left.

  The large open-plan room was empty of any others.

  Darren leaned in to Algorine. “Maybe they’re watching us secretly.”

  She huffed, walking away to the kitchen. “I don’t care. Anyone want coffee? I could kill a troll for some.”

  * * * * *

  A lone figure wrapped in a thick cloak marched up the country lane, a torch in his hand lighting his way. Wintry flakes of white fell around him, as he stopped and looked up at the gatehouse of the castle. High above, voices shouted.

  “Who goes there?” shouted one of the guards.

  The man pulled back his hood, revealing a dark beard and hair. “Jax Aldane! I’m here to see the cyning!”

  A few moments passed then chains rattled beyond the battlements, and the iron gate started to slowly draw upwards. Once it was near the top, the man pulled his hood back up and walked under the portcullis into the courtyard.

  Tents mingled with men and arms, and others were huddled around small fires. The man marched confidently towards the castle entrance, at which Goran was waiting with two soldiers by his side.

  “Where have you been? We sent you on your mission four days ago!”

  “There was resistance. But now it’s taken care of. I need to see the cyning.”

  Goran eyed the man up and down. “He will be resting. It will have to wait until morning.”

  “I have to see him now.”

  “Whatever is so important you can tell me. The cyning has much on his mind. We now have the girl and the boy, and he has to decide how best to use them in the coming days.”

  The man wavered slightly. “What girl?”

  Goran scoffed. “What girl! ‘The’ girl. The spawn of the Merlin lineage.”

  The man looked away in thought.

  “What is it?”

  “I am tired, I need to eat and sleep. I will see the cyning in the morning.”

  Goran shook his head. “Very well.” He looked at the soldier next to him. “Take Mr Aldane to suitable quarters, and bring him food and drink.”

  As the man walked away with the soldier, Goran looked at him, then walked away.

  The man walked into the large bedroom.

  “There is water on the table and fruit. Do you require anything else, sir?” said the soldier.

  The man shook his head and the soldier left.

  He walked to the table and poured himself a glass of water from the jug, gulping it down then wiping his mouth. He made sure the door was secure and walked into a small side room which acted as a storage space. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a small silver sphere.

  The room around him started falling away, being replaced with a chamber. “We ha
ve a problem.”

  CHAPTER 33

  Annabelle opened her eyes. The room around her was still mostly full of shadow but a dim pale-blue ambient light was coming from one of the windows. Sitting up she rubbed her eyes and looked to her right. Most there were sleeping. Getting up she turned and then realised Darren was sitting up in his bed, his face lit by his laptop’s screen. She could tell he was trying not to notice her standing there in her underwear.

  Half-asleep still, she smiled to herself then went to walk towards the kitchen when a thought hit her. Turning she ran around to his bed. “Internet?”

  “Err, yeah . . .”

  “Oui, Oui! I need to send e-mail!”

  “OK . . . everything’s being routed via the military network, so I’m not sure—”

  She pulled at his computer, which he let her take.

  Within seconds she was logged into her e-mail account. There were over thirty e-mails from her parents. The last one mentioning how much they loved her, and they were thinking of moving to the apartment in Lyon due to the bad weather.

  Tears started to well up in her eyes and she quickly clicked on the reply button and typed faster than her thoughts could form. After a few moments, she hit send and the digital message was on its way. She handed the computer back to Darren. “Merci”

  “Umm, no problem.” Darren’s eyes quickly reverted back to the screen, where he went back to talking to his hacker friends.

  Annabelle looked across the room. Sparrow was standing in the kitchen, mug in hand with a blanket around her shoulders. She was facing where the early morning light was coming from.

  Annabelle walked to her. “How is your . . .”

  “My head?” Sparrow smiled. “Still on my shoulders.” She looked back to the French girl’s bed and the long sharp object wrapped in a blanket underneath it. “I’m glad one of us still has a weapon.”

  Annabelle nodded. “Maybe they will give us the other weapons back.”

  Sparrow sighed. “I’m not sure what good they would do us. We were powerless against him . . .”

  Annabelle placed her hand on Sparrows shoulder. “You are alive and you are a warrior, warriors fight.”

  A noise made them turn, Algorine, fully dressed, walked across to the counter and started making coffee. “You two better get something on, or you’re going to give the old man over there a heart attack.” Giggling and laughter passed between them.

  “Head’s better?” Algorine said to Sparrow as Annabelle trotted back to find her clothes.

  “Yeah, I found some more painkillers in one of the drawers. She looked back out the window. I think it’s fair to say the nescient’s know about the other world now.”

  Algorine stood next to her looking in the same direction.

  Outside was an airstrip full of attack helicopters, jet fighters, and row after row of the latest battle tanks.

  “A few dragons will take most of that out,” said Algorine.

  “Maybe, unless they also have help from the order.”

  * * * * *

  By time the sun had risen, Justin had run five miles around most of the castle grounds. Along the southern ramparts, down the spiral staircase, out past the first group of tents which housed the goblins, across the field making sure to stay at the opposite end to the dragons, then up to the top of the small hill which overlooked the ‘circus’ tent a few miles off. Back down along the path which wound between the old bark of the woods then finally through the thousand or more smaller tents which were home to the more human-looking warriors.

  This was now his daily routine as laid out by the man in charge of his training, who he just knew as Fyodor.

  As he approached the base of one of the towers Fyodor was waiting. “Tomorrow you do the same but with the sword around your waist.”

  Justin was too tired to argue and just nodded walking past him. Fyodor laughed and patted him on his back. “And next week also with the shield!”

  Justin walked slowly up the spiral stone steps and out onto one of the many ramparts that was the route back to his room. He stopped. Arthur was standing, looking out across to the fields behind the castle. Justin tried to pretend his sharp intake of air was because of him just having come off his run.

  “Is it not a beautiful morning?” said Arthur without turning his head.

  Justin walked up to the cyning, then looked out at the myriad troops and creatures that covered the snow-capped fields and hills.

  “It won’t always be like this,” said Arthur.

  Justin wasn’t sure what he was referring too.

  “The landscape. Our home. The magi needed to draw power from the elements to restore the portals. Once my forces are with me, the land will recover. Not just the weather, but the land! The trees! The soil! Ah, you should have seen it in my day, forests as far as the eye could see. Beasts ran free and were plentiful, and there was eating for all who could use a sword or bow.” He turned to the young man. “Is that not inspiring? A better world than your kind created?”

  Justin wasn’t sure how to respond. The pictures the cyning was painting was one that didn’t sound too awful. He shook his head. “In the twentieth century we had a word for someone like you, and it wasn’t ‘cyning’.”

  “Ah, you mean despot? Dictator?” Arthur looked back out. “Perhaps that is just another word for king. This land was shaped in my image. When I was gone, it lost its way, but now it’s time for the natural order of things to be restored.”

  For a moment Justin felt he was talking to a normal human being and not a dead king from over a thousand years ago. “You can’t just take over a country! There is a government, they have guns, tanks, planes—”

  “What they have is nothing compared to what I have.” Arthur turned back to Justin with a smile on his face. “You think your technology is so advanced? So modern as you would say? You have regressed. You have no real understanding of the powers that truly rule the universe. That is what magic is!” His clenched fist wavered in front of Justin’s face, pointing upwards. Justin noticed another of his fingers bore a ring and his heart sank a little.

  Arthur placed both of his hands on Justin’s shoulders. “Stop fighting me, and join me. All the death that is happening now, is how it has to be for the land to heal! The more that fight by my side, the less slaughter there will need to be!”

  Justin was stumped for words.

  Arthur let go and looked back out to the fields and trees.

  Justin went to walk away, when the door he entered from opened, and a man he despised appeared.

  “Ah, Jax! You were gone longer than I thought would be needed to quell the dissenters?”

  It was all Justin could do to stop himself from charging the cloaked figure walking towards him, but then he remembered the ring on Jax’s hand and that it was a long way down to the courtyard.

  Arthur walked forward and briefly embraced the magi that betrayed his house. “I believe you have met our young knight in training, Justin Pendragon!”

  The man nodded.

  Justin almost wished for the misspelling of his name.

  “Hmm, of course there must be some bad blood between you two. Well it needs to be put in the past. We have more battles to win ahead of us.” He looked at Justin. “I will look forward to seeing you tonight!”

  Justin nodded, although he had no idea what he was agreeing too.

  Arthur and Jax then walked away.

  CHAPTER 34

  Algorine and the others sat around a large conference table. At the end stood Fenston with the man that had led them to their room the previous night. Beyond them was a large screen, and by the side of that were large whiteboards, one of which was covered in a map of the country.

  “I hope you all got a good sleep and are suitably refreshed.” Nobody responded. “Right. You already know Craig here. But let me tell you my official title. I am the Director of Paranormal Activities for the UK. In my former life I was a professor of parapsychology.”

  “Y
ou’re not fighting ghosts,” said Algorine.

  “I wish we were, but indeed we are not.” He glanced at Craig, who moved a short distance away and tapped some keys on a keyboard. The large monitor sprung into life, showing scenes reminiscent from the early part of the twentieth century. “This is drone footage from various parts of the country, as you can see the enemy’s forces are mobilising in a number of areas. We have engaged them where we could but unfortunately most times we have had to retreat.” The old man’s words hung in the air.

  Landscapes full of explosions and streams of red and purple magical energy flying across them filled the screen. Buildings collapsed and soldiers ran while armoured creatures chased them down.

  The screen changed to a map.

  “Their forces seem to be particular concentrated around a number of ancient stone circles.”

  “Portals,” said Algorine.

  “Indeed, although we did not know that until we received the information from Sergeant Reynolds. We could not understand that no matter how many of them we killed, they would always have a fresh supply of troops the next day. Now we know why. Those portals are going to be our priority going forward.”

  “So you nuke Stonehenge and it’s game over. Simple,” said Algorine.

  “Fortunately we have not quite reached that stage yet.”

  “And we don’t know what effect dropping a nuclear device onto a portal would have,” said Darren.

  “Exactly Mr. Eagleton.” The old man smiled. “Some of the tech people here tell me you have been communicating with your hacker friends?”

  Darren looked like he had been caught stealing. “Umm well—”

  The old man chuckled to himself. “You thought we did not know? Calm yourself, we are happy for any help we can get. Please continue your communications.”

  A knock came at the door and Vic appeared.

  “The sergeant here was ordered to gather as much intel as he could, and what he has told me has been very enlightening. These rings that—”