by Victor Kloss
“That won’t happen,” Natalie said firmly.
“But if it does, we’re in deep trouble,” Ben said, with a hint of a smile. “Let’s not worry about that now. I want to catch up with Hunter and wrestle those lockets from his treacherous neck.”
— Chapter Twenty-Seven —
The Village Shield
To Ben’s frustration, Ava was clearly tired, unused to so much prolonged flying, and their aerial journey was slower than he would have liked.
As they travelled, Ben ran over every conceivable eventuality in his head. There were a few for which he had no immediate plan, but for the more likely ones, he was already plotting and scheming.
“Out of interest, who would win if a pegasus took on a griffin?” Charlie asked. The one bonus to a sedate flight was that they could be heard over the wind.
“Ordinarily a pegasus,” Natalie said, “but Ava is a royal griffin, so I think she might be stronger. However, she’s tired, so I’m really not sure.”
Ben didn’t say anything, but mentally discarded two of the plans he had formed.
They soon left the town of Tiddlehurst and were flying over gently rolling fields, broken only by the occasional tree line or tractor path. Ben could just make out dark figures below, which he assumed were sheep. According to Charlie, they were flying north, and heading in the general direction of a village called Woodland Row. The longer they flew, the more certain Ben became that this village was Hunter’s destination.
“It’s relatively small, only around five thousand inhabitants, according to Wikipedia,” Charlie said, managing with some discomfort to read his phone while clinging on to Ben with his free hand. “It’s quite popular because there are a couple of nice schools, and it’s located near a forest.”
“Fascinating,” Ben said. “Anything you can tell us that might help?”
“What? Oh yes, here we go. Woodland Row came runner-up in the Mid Sussex village flower contest. I wouldn’t mind checking out their flowers, if we’re there when it’s light.”
Their good humour lasted for another five minutes, until Ben was surprised by a sudden squawk from the griffin.
“What’s she saying?” Ben asked
“I’m not sure,” Natalie replied, a little irritably, “as I don’t speak griffin-ese.”
Charlie gripped Ben’s waist a little tighter. “Is it just me or does she sound distressed?”
The griffin squawked again and Ben was inclined to agree.
“She’s trying to tell us something,” Natalie said. “And I don’t think it’s good news.”
Ben was wondering what on earth the griffin could be worrying about, when he saw two large shadows in the distance. They were large, and closing quickly.
“Oh no,” Natalie whispered. She leaned forwards and gave the griffin an urgent pat. “Turn, Ava. Turn!”
The griffin banked so sharply they almost fell. As they turned, Ben spotted the two shadows getting larger by the second. They had ice-blue eyes that seemed to glow in the dark, illuminating their elongated jaws, which protruded from their slender necks. But Ben’s distress at seeing the wyverns was nothing compared to the sight of the riders. It took a moment to identify them in the dark, but their long ears, pale purple skin and shoulder-length hair were unmistakable.
Dark elves.
“Ride, Ava!” Natalie urged, her voice filled with rare panic.
But even as their griffin accelerated, he saw the two wyverns cruise up to them, until they were riding either side of the griffin.
“Land now and you will be unharmed,” a soft, but confident voice said.
Ben eyed up the dark elves. Their swords were sheathed, but it was their spell-casting hands he was more concerned about. He wasn’t sure his immunity to dark elf magic would be able to protect all of them.
“Please don’t,” Charlie whispered from behind, grabbing Ben tighter.
“Don’t what?” Natalie asked, glancing round.
“You guys take the other one,” Ben said, eyeing the wyvern rider to his left. The dark elf was flying just below them, meaning Ben would have the advantage of coming from above.
“Don’t be absurd, that’s—”
Ben gave a cry and leapt from the griffin, landing on top of an astonished dark elf. He got in a solid right hook to the elf’s face and tried hauling him off the saddle. But the elf recovered quickly, balling his fist and firing something right into Ben’s face. The spell deflected harmlessly away. Ben took advantage of the elf’s shock by leaning forwards and head-butting him in the face. The dark elf reared backwards in pain and anger. Ben drove forwards and rammed into him. The dark elf lost his balance, and toppled off the wyvern, into the empty air. Ben quickly shuffled himself onto the saddle, situated just below the wyvern’s neck. He pulled the harness. The wyvern gave a roar of anger and, without warning, went into a nose dive. Ben clung on for dear life, staring in horror at the ground that came rushing up to meet them. At the last instant, the wyvern levelled out and then soared upwards, spiralling, twisting and even flying upside down. Ben’s entire body was screaming with the effort of hanging on. The wyvern launched into another dive. It was clear that riding this thing wasn’t going to be an option. Ben tensed himself, and jumped. He hit the grass with a grunt, the wind leaving his lungs. He rolled, ignoring the pain in his legs, and stood up, a hand immediately going for his spellshooter.
A sword was thrust at his throat, touching his Adam’s apple.
“I am very, very close to killing you,” the dark elf said. His nose was bleeding and he was cut and bruised, but somehow he had survived the fall.
“Calm down, Lovak.”
Ben turned, and saw the other dark elf standing next to a battered and bruised Charlie and Natalie; both had their hands and feet chained by some glowing ethereal rope.
“They are wanted alive, especially that one,” the dark elf continued, pointing at Ben. “Take his spellshooter, but don’t bind him. He is immune to our magic.”
Ben briefly thought about resisting, but took another glance at Charlie and Natalie and dismissed the idea. Giving Lovak a defiant stare, he thrust the spellshooter into the dark elf’s hands.
Ben heard a faint roar in the distance. He could just make out one of the wyverns, now barely a speck in the sky. Was he chasing something? It was impossible to see.
“That roar means your griffin is about to die,” Lovak said.
Ben managed to keep his face straight, but Natalie gasped with horror, and Lovak smiled, relishing her anguish.
Lovak poked Ben in the back with his sword, and they started walking, Ben falling into line with Charlie and Natalie.
“The other rider cast something that crippled Ava,” Charlie said. “She crash-landed. I blacked out for a minute. By the time I woke up, Ava had somehow taken to the air, with the wyvern in pursuit. The other dark elf – Vellum is his name – bound us before we could do anything useful. I’m sorry, we weren’t much help.”
“Wasn’t your fault,” Ben said. “It was my call, my stupid impulsive decision to attack the dark elf.”
“We would have been caught even if you hadn’t,” Natalie pointed out. She had a nasty yellow bruise above her left eyebrow. “The question is, where are we going?”
“No,” Charlie said, shaking his head. “A better question is, what are two dark elf wyvern riders doing here in Sussex?”
Ben smiled grimly. “I have a feeling we’ll find out soon.”
Less than ten minutes passed before Ben spotted the village. There appeared to be just one road leading in and out, and at this time of night Ben neither saw nor heard any cars. Charlie was right: the village was small. Ben could see the whole thing at a glance; it looked as though one could walk quite easily from one end to the other.
“Oh my, look at that,” Natalie said, staring ahead.
“What, the village? It’s not that impressive,” Charlie said. “Though I admit, it does look quaint.”
“No – that,” Natalie said
, pointing.
It took a moment for Ben to see what Natalie was referring to. There was a huge, purple-tinted dome covering the entire village. The dome was so insubstantial that it was almost impossible to see until you were upon it.
“It’s a shield of some sort,” Charlie said, staring up in awe.
If it was a shield, it didn’t appear to be a very good one, as they passed straight through.
“Only because we’re with them,” Charlie said, when Ben mentioned the obvious. “But why have they shielded the entire village?”
They headed towards the road at the village entrance, and were met halfway by three more dark elves. They wore elaborate, purple and gold uniforms that looked more suited for parading rather than fighting.
“Has Hunter arrived?” Vellum said, as the three newcomers stopped and saluted.
“Yes, Captain,” the tallest one replied. “He waits in the village hall for the arrival of His Highness, who should be with us within the hour.”
“Good,” Vellum said. “Have these three join him. They will be a nice surprise for His Highness. Take the spellshooters and place them with the others.”
Ben registered the conversation, but it echoed in his mind like a jumble of words, as if the dark elves were speaking another language.
Hunter was here, and the prince was on his way. The prince was working with the dark elves? It couldn’t be. It was impossible.
Ben realised his mistake in a moment of stunning clarity that nearly rocked him from his feet.
The prince.
Not Prince Robert, commander of the Institute, but Prince Ictid, son of the dark elf king, Suktar. Ben turned to Charlie and Natalie, and saw both their jaws hanging open, eyes popping out of their faces.
A rough nudge in the back brought Ben back to the present, as the three decorated guards took over.
Ben noticed something wrong the moment they entered the village. There was a tension in the air, a fact that Ben found strange given that there was almost nobody about.
“Dark elves,” whispered Natalie, pointing.
A group of six dark elf soldiers strode the streets, walking in the middle of the road, careless of any passing car. Ben couldn’t believe it. They were walking in the open, with no thought of concealment. He spotted several more soldiers strolling around, and it was several minutes before he saw someone who wasn’t a dark elf, in the form of a young man, walking quickly, head down. Ben wanted to get the man’s attention, but it was impossible while they were being marched along. Overhead he heard the sound of flapping wings. Flying in circles just above the village must have been at least a dozen dark elves on different beasts, from griffins to wyverns. Flying amongst them was a small dragon, which even the wyverns kept their distance from. It was blacker than the night, with giant wings, gleaming scales and giant yellow orbs for eyes.
“Keep moving,” one of the guards said, poking Ben in the back.
A dragon. Wyvern riders. Dark elves everywhere. Barely a human in sight. The truth hit him like a cannonball to the stomach.
The dark elf attack had already happened.
“There should still be two days left,” Natalie whispered.
But Charlie was shaking his head. “It was all a red herring. Wren warned that it might be so. It looks like the dark elves have been here for several days.”
Charlie was right. The place showed no sign of a fight, which meant that either the defenders had given up immediately or else the dark elves had had time to restore order and a semblance of peace.
“So what do we do?” Natalie asked, looking at Ben with a mixture of hope and desperation.
But Ben had no answer. The dark elves had already attacked and taken a village. Now they were on the cusp of gaining Elizabeth’s Helm and its Guardian.
— Chapter Twenty-Eight —
An Elemental Test
Ben could see the village hall in the distance, its long, sloping roof that much higher than the surrounding buildings. Even at a slow walk, they were less than five minutes away. Ben tried to collect his thoughts and push aside the weight of despair that was threatening to engulf him. He glanced at Charlie and Natalie; they were both looking at him expectantly, as if he had a brilliant plan up his sleeve. They passed a pub and, to his surprise, Ben saw a few customers inside, both dark elf and man. Though he got only a glimpse, he could see the resentment from the men. Resentment, not apathy, Ben thought. That was good. Anything was better than apathy.
They walked through a car park, before coming to a small, winding road, crowded with houses either side. If he was going to escape, it would have to be now. But how? He would have to take on all three dark elves, then somehow free Natalie and Charlie before they attracted any further attention. If he could just snatch his spellshooter from the guard, while somehow avoiding the sword in his back, he might have a chance. Ben clenched his jaw. It was futile and dangerous, but what did they have to lose? He felt the adrenaline surge through him, as he readied himself. He glanced at Charlie and Natalie, and gave them a subtle nod. Both returned the exchange. Ben took in the two guards either side of his friends, and felt a flicker of doubt. The guards were armed, both with sword and magic. Charlie and Natalie were sitting ducks, unable to move. Could he really overcome all three dark elves before they had a chance to hurt his friends? The brash, reckless part of him wanted to say yes, but another, more unfamiliar part of his mind disagreed. It was simply too risky, and while he had no problem gambling with his own life, he wasn’t willing to keep on doing it with those close to him. Ben had no idea if he had become wiser or simply less courageous with experience, but he slumped his shoulders, and let his body unwind.
“Now!”
The shout came from Charlie. Ben turned in surprise to see Charlie cannoning into the guard, the rope that had been binding them now on the floor. Natalie leapt forwards; her hand snaked out and she grabbed her spellshooter from the startled guard. But their surprise didn’t last long. Charlie’s wrestling match soon turned against him, and Natalie’s rapid spell shots were being blocked with relative ease.
Ben sprang into action, turning to face his guard, who was distracted by Charlie’s fight. Ben batted the sword aside and, ignoring the stinging pain, lunged for his spellshooter, shoulder-charging his guard in the process. Ben fired his spellshooter at the falling guard, and spun towards Charlie and Natalie.
Both were in big trouble. Charlie was lying on the ground, the dark elf on top of him, with a glowing hand that was about to send a spell right into Charlie’s face. Natalie was desperately dodging her guard’s spells, but he was closing in on her, and Ben knew the next spell the guard fired could not be dodged.
Ben hesitated. Who to help first? Ben had a fleeting, sickening thought that he might be able to save only one of them. He raised his spellshooter, and fired. Even as he did so, he saw another bolt of energy flash across his vision.
Both dark elves were thrown back, and neither rose again. The ferocious noise of battle was replaced by Charlie’s and Natalie’s haggard breathing.
Ben looked up. One of the window shutters was open, and the glow of a nearby lamppost illuminated a figure with a spellshooter hanging out the window. Ben waved – the figure nodded, and then promptly closed the window and disappeared. Ben was about to knock on the front door, when three men came darting out. They grabbed the elves’ lifeless bodies and dragged them back into the house. The last one back in paused at the door, and turned to Ben.
“You coming in, then, or what?” he asked.
Ben exchanged looks with a startled Charlie and Natalie, and the three of them followed the man inside. They were ushered into a lounge, crowded with a dozen burly-looking men, sitting on whatever they could, many resorting to the carpet. Ben could not detect any similarities between them except for their size and their stern, sombre expressions.
“Welcome, welcome,” said the man who had invited them in. He must have been the only small man there, with a balding head and a chubby stomach. H
e wore a food-stained apron that smelt of garlic.
“That was a close call, make no mistake,” the man said, rubbing his hands with a kitchen cloth that he produced from one of the apron pockets. “Those were royal guards – just servants mind – but even for dark elves, they’re a nasty bunch. I won’t ask why they captured you, but you’re safe here. One of the officers will escort you back home as soon as we get the all-clear.”
“Officers?” Natalie said.
The man’s hand slapped his forehead. “How rude of me, we skipped introductions. My name is David, and these” – he swept his arm around the lounge to the grim-faced men – “are police officers in the Unseen Department.”
“Normal police officers?” Charlie asked.
“Yes. It’s surprising how few people know this, but the police force has an Unseen Department in every village, town and city in England. They work under the Institute, of course. Sometimes it’s small, often only one person in a village, but here, with such a high population of Unseens, there are almost thirty.”
“Are you an officer too?”
“Me?” David looked appalled at the thought. “Oh god no. I’m a pub landlord – or I used to be until the dark elves destroyed it.”
Ben took a closer look at the officers. They looked solid, dependable and, most importantly, they all wore high-quality spellshooters by their waists.
A plan started brewing in the back of Ben’s mind.
“When did the dark elves attack?” Charlie asked.
“Three days ago,” David said. “We put up a fight, but the moment the prince arrived with his royal guard, we knew we were in trouble. They are some of the finest warriors and spell casters in the dark elf race, and possibly anywhere.”
“Why didn’t you call for help?” Natalie said.
“We tried, but nothing can get through their shield, not even ordinary phone lines. We’ve been alone for the last three days, hoping the Institute will somehow rescue us.”
