James and the Changing Red

by J W Cotter

Chapter 13irteen:

  Grenades and a bowl of Stew

  They were getting closer, the footsteps of somebody running. As they came closer to the house James was able to hear them perfectly and as they passed his house, the sound faded. James wondered what they were thinking as whoever they were went on their morning run. Surely their problems couldn’t come close to ones he was facing. Possibly they had money troubles, or someone in the family was sick or they hated their job and couldn’t what to tell the boss “shove it”. James would have loved those problems; they seemed so normal yet so far away and unreachable. His ones raced into his mind once more as he stared up at his bedroom ceiling.

  He hadn’t been able to sleep when he got home from the castle; all he was doing was staring at the ceiling and thinking among other things. At one stage through the night he tried to astral-project himself to Anta but it seemed that little trick didn’t want to work. He tried so hard at one stage he actually properly burst a blood vessel, but luckily it healed itself. When he wasn’t thinking about Anta or trying to astral-project he thought about his granny and what she said last night and he wasn’t as angry as he was last night. But as his phone buzzed on the bedside locker and his granny’s smiling face appeared, he didn’t answer. It was her fourth call and it wasn’t even eight o’clock. A text came soon after and it was from Pip, it read

  Bunica’s had an idea, get as many as you can;

  A quart of water from the River Jordan,

  Three fungi from a fairy fort,

  A shot of Argan-Oil,

  Eyes of a recently deceased,

  Handful of Boniko flakes,

  Ten Wiccan blessed candles,

  One Fugu,

  Rope soaked in Holy Water,

  Two Elvers,

  Sugar and Honey to taste!

 

 

  Bunica, James recalled last night as she and the two others waited on the steps of the castle for him and Pip. He hadn’t even gotten the words out that Anta had been kidnapped when she broke her cane across his chest. It physically didn’t hurt but to see the tears well up in her eyes James felt a piercing pain through his body. Valonia simply stated that they were now utterly buggered and asked Bunica if she had a spare before laughing and retiring to her room. She seemingly called everything as she saw it, and perhaps she was right. Ida stood there in the middle of the three women and said nothing; her face was full of disappointment as she looked at James and Pip. She lent a shoulder to Bunica and they left. James was just about to go as well when Andrei showed up and punched him hard in the jaw so much so that James fell to the ground. The pain eased almost straight away but Andrei’s hand was broken. He left cursing in Romanian and spitting. James shook his head as if to rid himself of last night’s altercations he turned his attention to the message again where he realised that the woman was simply bonkers. There was no way they could get all of that today and even if they could, who was she going to get to drink it. It would take a truck full of sugar and a complete hive of honey for someone to swallow that concoction down. Soon he heard the movements of Dad and Miriam and suddenly he remembered the card his grandmother had sent yesterday and for once in a long time he couldn’t wait to be in the same room as the two of them. So he quickly changed into his school uniform. School was becoming somewhat of a haven lately, a place away from all the madness and thanks to the finger-breaking he was left alone. Not even were they sniggering about him or taunting him for fear that more than fingers would be broken.

  He rushed into the kitchen where his father was sat at the top of the kitchen table in a different uniform to what he usually wore and Miriam was at the sink muttering under her breathe. James didn’t exactly recognise the new uniform but he didn’t know the new hat, it was the hat of the chief superintendent. A brief good morning was exchanged and nothing else, it was very frosty that morning, more in the kitchen than outside.

  “Arrogant snob, that’s all she is” Miriam muttered as she washed the ware from the breakfast.

  “What was that dear?” Jack asked.

  “Nothing, nothing” she replied and somehow she managed to snap a plate in two. The card from her future mother-in-law had clearly upset her, or more accurately angered her. Jack returned to his paper while Miriam tided the broken plate into the bin.

  “I’d like to rip out a couple of her fangs even I got the chance” she said while wrapping the broken plate in paper and placing it gently in the trash. That statement was a lot louder than the previous but Jack wisely pretended he didn’t hear it, James on the other hand was very much in the mood to listen to someone disparage his grandmother, even if it was Miriam.

  “It was a bit mean, she could at least have attempted to make the reception” he said to Miriam as he took milk out of the refrigerator.

  “Thank you James, even James sees that she is being an uppity wagon” Jack lifted the newspaper higher in a bid to not engage his fiancée for fear of what might happen. “Did you hear me, your own son thinks she’s being a cow” perhaps she had gone to far as Jack threw down the paper in temper and grabbing his hat stormed out of the kitchen and seconds later the front door slammed shut.

  “Coward, that’s all he is, won’t dare confront her! I can’t see why not? She’s only a withering bag of bones and blue-blood” she snarled as she rolled a wet mug in her hand, unsure whether to dry it or throw it. “Thanks for being so understanding James” she smiled and patted him on the back. Strangely James felt uncomfortable, he thought listening to Miriam give out about Kitty would make him feel better after he found out what she did to his mother but it was making Miriam feel better, not him and he simply didn’t like that. She left the kitchen and James could hear her talking on the phone, alternating sly comments and wedding plans with hysterical laughter. James ate his breakfast quickly as he didn’t want to miss the bus and have her drive him to school. Miriam was still on the phone when he finished and he just gave a small smile before leaving the house, banging the door hard in an attempt to show that he still wasn’t entirely happy with her.

  It was cold, very cold, but luckily there was no ice on the road and so James didn’t have to walk in the dyke for safety. His hood was up to keep the cold wind from biting his neck and the earphones were in, blasting music to keep out the sometimes unnerving silence that the countryside brought. As he walked along his mind wandered back to the previous night and how all he wanted to do was go back in time and not ask her out for dinner. He actually suddenly realised that he wanted to go further back and never meet her, or her brother and grandmother. James kept going, he wanted to go back so that he never met any of them, that he never became a warrior and that this new world he was destined to rule was nothing more than nothing. He wanted his life back, he wanted his mother back and he wanted her back with his father. He found himself wanting to be bullied mercilessly by the thugs again, he wanted nothing more than for them to punch him hard and take his shoes again. For those were simpler times, he didn’t have the fate of lives in his hands. People weren’t looking to him for help, he wasn’t a warrior, he was barely a person and that’s how he wanted his life again.

  Someone ripped the earphones out of his ears and James quickly turned around to see Pip standing there in a woollen hat and scarf with a big black overcoat and jeans.

  “I was shouting after you for the past five minutes” he said angrily, his words coming out in a haze of warm breathe.

  “Sorry, I was a million miles away” James replied, tucking the earphones into his pocket and turning again for the end of the road.

  “Where are you going?” Pip asked.

  “School”

  “Am not today, we have to try and find those things on the list”

  “That’s impossible; we’re not going to be able to get those things”

  “Oh yee have little fate, did you know that St. George’s Chapel has a stock of water from the River Jordan,
” Pip replied smiling.

  “And how do you think you’re going to get that?”

  “Have a little faith!”

  “Eyes of a recently deceased?”

  “Ssh, they’re going to be a little bit tricky I admit” Pip said as they were nearing the bus stop where a small group of people were in earshot.

  “And even if we do get all these things, what exactly is she going to do with them?”

  “That’s the iffy part, she’s not exactly sure it will work”

  “What will work?”

  “Well according to Itranslate, you know because I needed to translate the Romanian, she is going to attempt to bring forth the Third Ear of Barking Dog” James just looked at him silly. “No, no, no, that’s what the app translated it to but Ida said it’s the Third Eye of Barkargon, some ancient Oracle”

  “And that’s supposed to help us find Anta”

  “Well it’s the only thing we have going for us right now” James couldn’t really argue with that, there wasn’t anything else that he could think of in a bid to find Anta and her capturers. So he boarded the bus along with Pip and headed for the city with no intention of going to school.

  Sure enough the stop for the school came and some students got off, some looked at him as he remained seated, even the bus driver gave a little distrusting look but as James glanced out the window he pulled away from the bus stop and headed deeper into the city.

  “So what are we getting first?” he asked Pip who was fidgeting with his hands.

  “Well certainly not the fish, it’d probably go bad by the time we’re back” James wasn’t exactly sure it would have made a difference to the concoction if the fish was bad or not. “God how long more, come on let’s get off here, the walk will do us good” he said pressing the red button which let off a little ding and the bus pulled over to the next stop. “Cheer’s mate!” Pip said as he jumped from the bus. “You know I could really do with a cigarette but have to make do with bubblegum, been nicotine free nearly six months now and the lungs are all the better” he said walking along the pavement. “Terrible habit I know but I only started when I was working for your grandmother, you’d want to have nerves of steal dealing with her” James couldn’t argue with him there, he was surprised Pip hadn’t become a functioning alcoholic as well; many people found that a little Dutch courage was needed when around the not so Honourable Kitty.

  “So how did you come to be working for my Gran, I’m guessing it wasn’t for money!”

  “Course not, although to be fair she did pay well. My grandmother told me to, keep an eye on her and report anything out of the ordinary. And then when you arrived, keep an eye on you” Pip replied popping the raspberry gum like a child.

  “So you were a spy”

  “I suppose that’s one word for it”

  “I think it’s the only word for it”

  “Fair enough” Pip said stopping suddenly, James continued walking for a few seconds before he realised there was a lack of company.

  “Why did you stop?”

  “We’re here” he replied looking at the shop door. It was a shop dedicated to the occult. The window display tried it’s best to give off a Christmas flare but it still screamed Halloween. A bit of silver tinsel wrapped around a human skull wasn’t very festive. Pip made his way inside, a little bell alerting his presence to the shop-keeper. James followed, apprehensive and unnerved. The window inspired creepy, the inside inspired nightmares. Hanging from the ceiling was a load of strange amulets, dream-catchers, feathers, incenses and three old-fashioned broomsticks. “A bit much” James said to himself as his eyes continued to wander the ceiling as the only slightly Christmas thing filled his nostrils, mulberry.

  “Be with you in one moment” a voice shouted from the back of the empty store. Pip leant against the counter where an old cash-register was situated. James made his way to a glass cabinet and examined the contents. A couple of daggers, a few more amulets and some small purple bottles lined the shelves of the locked cabinet.

  “Blessed be” the voice said as a woman came out from the back and stopped in the centre of the shop.

  “Philip, is that you?” she asked. He smiled and she rushed to him, embracing him. “The last time I saw you you were going to get me coffee and” she started but then her eyes spotted James and she stopped. “My goodness you cannot be” she said as she made her way over to him. James couldn’t do anything but watch as she flounced across the shop to him. She was young, not as young as him but still young. “My my my, this is unbelievable, shame on you Philip for not telling me” she smirked as she started plucking the air around James. Her delicate fingers flicked at the empty space around his shoulders and the only thing James could concentrate on was her cropped purple-streaked black hair, it was very unusual, more so because of the tiny jewels embedded in the strands of hair. “Your aura is so strong” Suddenly James could feel himself getting annoyed; she was one of those people, those who counted on crystals to cure a headache or shuffle cards to predict the future. “But death follows you like a shadow” she finished slowly backing away from him. Now he was totally annoyed and gave Pip a longing to leave look.

  “Death is following us all Joan, regardless if it’s right behind or a few yards back” he said.

  “Joan, your name is Joan?” James said rather rudely.

  “Were you expecting something else? Glenda, Willow or something like that?” she retorted, taking some offense to his remark. James lifted his hands in a sign of surrender; he wasn’t exactly going to get a Wicca on his bad side with his run of misfortune.

  “Right, now that we’ve got the introductions out of the way let’s get down to business” Pip said clapping his hands together loudly.

  “Always in a rush aren’t you Philip” Joan smiled as she sauntered to the shop’s main counter, the place where all the most exotic items were kept in a triple locked glass cabinet. James stayed where he was, while Pip began to read out the items he needed. “My my my Gypsy magic yes?” she said taking out a little jar that contained the Argan oil.

  “I’m not at liberty to say” Pip replied with a dashing smile.

  “Not at liberty to say, well maybe I’m not at liberty to be supplying these” she said holding up two more jars, one that had boniko flakes written on the label while the other had fairy-fort fungi.

  “Well how do I know those things are the real deal?” She gave him a look; he was getting nothing but looks since he walked in the door.

  “What an insult to my shop, of course everything here is real, just look at this” she said taking out an amulet from an intricately carved wooden box. “Here put it on” she said placing it over Pip’s head allowing it to drop to his neck. It was silver and gaudy and quite heavy. There was a blue stone in the midst that seemed to glow slightly to the rhythm of Pip’s heartbeat.

  “Not exactly my style” he said to her as he showed it off to James who just glanced outside, not impressed.

  “It’s not the style that should interest you, it’s the function. Let me show you” she said and bending down behind the counter she picked up a rifle.

  “Whoa, what the hell are you doing with that?” Pip shouted as he immediately retreated from the counter.

  “Don’t worry it only has bean-bags, I’ve been robbed three times in the past month so I like to keep this handy” Joan explained her reasons for having the gun.

  “What the amulets and talismans don’t keep the burglars away?” James said in a snort of derision as his focus was suddenly back in the shop.

  “They’re for warding off evil presences, not humans” she said before shooting a bean-bag straight at James knocking him to the ground, winded and grunting.

  “Are you mad woman, why did you do that?” Pip shouted as he went to James’ aide.

  “To show you it works” she replied before shooting another bean-bag, this one at Pip and before it could reach him a massive blue light engulfed his body a
nd the bean-bag bounced off it, hitting a shelf instead. Joan was smiling as she placed the gun back on the counter before heading over to the two boys. “Nothing gets through it” she said lifting it slightly and twirling it within her fingers, all the while it still dangling from Pip’s neck. James made a small moaning sound as he got up from the cold floor, the pain was easing and as he pulled up his clothes to reveal the spot where the bag hit, the red markings and swelling were beginning to disappear. “Well seeing as you heal, I guess Philip can keep this”

  “Why don’t you where it, for someone who gets robbed frequently shouldn’t you be wearing it all the time?” James said pointing out what he thought was quite obvious.

  “Unfortunately the amulet is centuries old and like many things centuries ago, it’s a bit sexist, doesn’t work for women” she explained looking almost longingly at the piece of jewellery, or perhaps Pip.

  “That’s a bit harsh, but still I can’t take it! It’s far too valuable to be hanging around my neck” Pip said taking the thing off.

  “No, no leave it on Philip, remember what I just said?”

  “That everyone was sexist centuries ago” he replied with a furrowed brow.

  “No, that death follows him, closely” she whispered it this time but there was no need, warrior’s had heightened senses and James knew exactly what she said but he chose to ignore it, perhaps by ignoring it he could pretend that it wasn’t true. Pip graciously thanked Joan and kissed her on each hand but she wanted more than that, she wanted to witness the outcome of the ingredients she was supplying. With one hand still covering a wooden box that now also contained the ten wiccan blessed candles she was driving an extremely hard bargain and no amount of money was going to sway her hand away.

  “Joan it is no place for anyone, even I do not want to have to be there but I have no other choice, you do” Pip said trying to warn her away nicely while also tugging the box slightly to himself.

  “I’m a big girl Philip, I can handle myself” she smirked pulling the box back.

  “I know you can handle yourself, its not you I’m really worried about, it’s the others, you have a tendency to get over-involved”

  “I promise I’ll find a small corner and sit there quietly with a pen and notebook”

  “See, you even want to take notes! What do you want to be taking notes for?” he asked, sounding quite irritated now.

  “I want to see Gypsy magic, document it; I have only ever read about their magic. It is done by cursing; they can only harness magic after a curse. I want to see them curse something” she replied.

  “Let her come along, if we’re lucky Bunica might curse her” James interjected, quite rudely before opening the door and exiting out of the shop, the scent of incense and other things was giving him a headache. A few moments later Pip followed with the box firmly under his arm.

  “You can explain to Ida when she rolls up after dark” he said.

  “Where to now?”

  “The sushi bar” Pip replied making his way down the street and taking a sharp left, James quickly following. With midday still a bit off and the cold now taking a firmer grip on the town the two headed down an alley that had steam billowing from large oversized vents protruding from the red-brick walls.

  “A dead-end alley, you do remember what happened last night?” James asked looking nervously around as he joined Pip halfway down.

  “Don’t be a wuss, you can’t be hurt and I’ve got this” he smiled patting his chest. The amulet was now underneath his clothes, he couldn’t very well walk around with it on show, and someone could possibly steal it or more than likely mock it. Pip turned to one of the back doors and banged loudly before standing back and looking up the alley, as if to keep look-out. A man shouted angrily, it was evident from his tone that he was of foreign extraction.

  “Who dere?” he shouted through the door.

  “Wu, it’s me open up its bloody cold out here” Pip answered.

  “Me who, I do not know no me” the man replied, although his tone had changed and both Pip and James knew he was joking. Then for a few moments there was silence until the sound of a steel bar being slid out of place and the door creaked open slowly. A small man, of Asian origin, appeared in what was presumably at some stage a white apron.

  “Ah Pilup, Pilup” he smiled showing aged yellowing teeth as he enthusiastically shook hands with Pip. Pip returned the smile and continued to hold hands with the man as he spoke a few words in his ear to which he nodded even more enthusiastically. “Come, come” he said and disappeared back inside the building with Pip and James following. James’ face wrinkled in disgust, it was like as if he had been slapped square in the face with a Mackerel.

  “I think I’m going to throw up” he whispered to Pip.

  “Well if you do you better swallow it back down, this guy is the only one I know who stocks Fugu and Elevers and I don’t think he’d like it if you spewed all over his kitchen” Pip replied placing the box from Joan on a shelf by the door. The kitchen, if it could be called that, was more like one seen in a bedsit. It consisted of only two sinks, one counter top and a large refrigerator that seemed older than the man. Naturally no cooker was there as it was a sushi bar but James had assumed that they would have at least cooked something. Suddenly Wu was right next to James up on his tip-toes peering into his face.

  “Uh what’s wong with you, you eeeel?” he asked, drawing out his E’s.

  “No no I’m fine” James lied.

  “Den why you change colour?”

  “It’s the heat, so cold outside and so warm inside” he lied again, if anything it was colder in the kitchen than it was outside. He gave one closer inspection of James before returning to the balls of his feet and moving towards a large door marked “DANGER”. “You no touch nothing” he ordered pointing a long nailed finger at James. That was the final ingredient, the long yellow fingernail waving at James. His stomach churned and his throat warmed and then it was on its way and quickly filled his closed mouth. Frantically he looked for something to relieve himself of the vomit as it slowly seeped out from the corners, little drips of green and orange. Thankfully Pip had followed the man beyond the “DANGER” door and so he was alone in the kitchen that seemed to be without a bin or a single saucepan or pot.

  “Fish not gutted, poison still there” James heard the man say to Pip as they were returning to the kitchen. With no other option, he wasn’t going to swallow it back down, he opened the refrigerator door and in the empty vegetable drawer he left a little surprise.

  “Thank you very much my good man” Pip was saying as he appeared back in the kitchen, Wu following counting a large wad of cash. Pip had a bundle of newspapers wrapped in an elastic band.

  “One Fugu and four Elvers, in case we need spares” he said waving the damp newspapers in James’ face. “You alright, you seem a lot paler”

  “We have to go, now” James replied heading towards the door, picking up the box from the Wiccan shop as he went.

  “Thanks again Wu” Pip said as he hurried out after James who was breathing in the cold air deep into his lungs. “You alright?” he asked again, banging the steel door closed behind him and Wu sliding the bar across once again.

  “I just needed to get out of there, the place stinks”

  “You little punk, you eeeel in fridge” Wu shouted from behind the steel door and suddenly they heard the bar slide across again.

  “Okay all better, run” James said taking in one more deep breath before sprinting up the alley and around the corner, Pip running after him but not as quickly. Looking down the alley all Pip could see was Wu shouting and roaring waving frantically waving a broom as he shook a fist angrily toward him.

  “What the hell did you do?”

  “Got sick in his fridge”

  “Ah man that’s nasty” Pip groaned.

  “What if he comes up the alley?”

  “Don’t worry, Wu hasn’t gone more than ten f
eet from that building in almost a decade, agoraphobia he claims, right then we have a bit of time to kill, lunch?” Pip replied.

  “Lunch, I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to eat again”

  “You’ll be fine, a nice bowl of stew will settle the stomach” he replied patting James’ chest and heading back the way they came. The streets were now busier than what they were with everyone spilling out of buildings and schools in search of nourishment to finish the rest of the working and school day. James was trying his best to dodge the eyes of everyone for fear he would be spotted by someone who knew him or his Dad, he was supposed to be in school. Suddenly he stopped dead and with the large box covering his face he called for Pip to stop.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Teacher, over there” James replied keeping the box up but pointing best he could at the young woman.

  “Over where, there?” Pip said loudly pointing obviously in the direction of the woman.

  “Stop it she’ll see me”

  “Does it matter? If this doesn’t work tonight who knows what we’re in for, school will be the last thing on your mind” he explained but James still didn’t care very much for the future when his heart was thumping and sweat was seeping from his temples. It was terrible that even with his newfound warrior abilities, his slight increase in confidence and the fact that he may never have to go back to school again the sight of Ms. Weeks still instilled the greatest fear in his body, rivalling almost the sight of Warren.

  “Has she gone?” the box asked nervously.

  “Nope, she’s still there. You’re school has a fine taste in teachers” James couldn’t possibly respond to that, he merely huffed. It was impossible for him to see Ms. Weeks in any other light than the fearsome, controlling persona she displayed in the classroom. Then James could hear the familiar sound of her heels clinking along the ground, even in this cold she wore the highest of shoes. “Morning” Pip smiled widely as she passed.

  “Morning” Ms. Weeks smiled back. James peeked out from behind the box as she walked away when she suddenly turned to glance back at Pip, spotting James in the process. Surprised and terrified James dropped the box in a panic spilling some of its contents and for a split second the two of them were locked in a stare.

  “James?” she said taking a few steps forward but before she had a chance to reach him he ran away. Pip bent down quickly to gather up some of the items when the two feet approached. Standing back up, she handed him one of the candles that had rolled away. “Why isn’t James at school?”

  “Sick, some kind of stomach bug” Pip said, he wasn’t lying, Wu could vouch for that.

  “Then why isn’t he at home”

  “He needed some fresh air” he was starting to sweat now which wasn’t easy in the cold chill and he could see why James was terrified. Up close she was stunningly beautiful but her eyes were vicious.

  “Doesn’t he live in the country?”

  “Am yes he does but you know the city air is so much better for you, all those germs help the immune system” Pip nervously laughed as he backed away from her. Ms. Weeks gave him a stern look that almost caused him to drop the box; he thought the Honourable Kitty was bad; she was almost a puppy in comparison, well a Bull-Terrier puppy.

  “And who are you, aren’t you a little old to be friends with a sixteen-year old?” she said. Pip could see her sewing the conversations she’ll be having with the authorities in her mind of how a student was seen out with a strange older man.

  “I’m only a couple years older!” Pip replied but in truth he couldn’t remember, her stare was so nerve-wrecking his mind was a like a reference book without an index. For a moment she remained silent, still continuing to stare at him with total suspicion, but silent. For all his nervousness Pip never let her gaze go for he felt that if he looked away she won, so as she continued to stare at him, her eyes narrowing every now and then in increased suspicion, he continued to stare almost brazenly back. Then her nose, a small pretty button in the middle of a stunning face, began to twitch.

  “What is that horrid smell?” Pip began to inhale deep through his nose, turning his head left and right.

  “Can’t smell anything” he lied.

  “It’s coming from that box” she said reaching out a hand to lift the cover, Pip pulled it away from her. “What’s in the box?” she demanded to know. Ms. Weeks seemed to have forgotten now that she wasn’t in her classroom and Pip wasn’t her student.

  “Listen lady, you can toddle away now because you know what, I’ve places to be!” Pip said in a tone befitting a gentleman in the service of the Honourable Kitty. He suddenly didn’t care that she was James’ teacher and that she could land James in a world of trouble with the school and his Dad. Pip realised that possibly after tonight’s revelations nothing may be the same again for any of them and so what would it matter if a teacher tattled.

  “I’m going to call the police if you do not tell me what you and James are up to” she snorted. It was pride more than anything now that was blowing Ms. Weeks’s sails and she wouldn’t allow herself to back down, finding herself marching up to Pip so much so that only the width of the box separated them. “Now are you going to tell me what the two of you are up to or am I going to have to call the police and tell them...”

  “What? Tell them what?” Pip interrupted her, and she didn’t like that, nor did she like that Pip was growing a backbone. “That I was simply walking down the street and you started harassing me like a crazy woman” he continued almost mockingly. He placed the box under one arm and took out his phone and showed it to her. “Here why don’t you call the police, I’ll wait”. She smiled, her eyes calmed and she reached out her hand to grab the phone but Pip wouldn’t let it go and so both of them held onto it, smirking at one another.

  “HELP, HELP” she shouted. “HELP, HELP HE’S TRYING TO MUG ME” she screamed and suddenly in some strange manoeuvre she orchestrated, her handbag was on Pip’s arm. His smirk vanished, his eyes widened and his face whitened and for a moment he couldn’t comprehend what was happening.

  “Oi” a burly man shouted from a few yards away as another woman began to shout and wave her umbrella in the air. Just as the one burly man turned into three Pip’s mind snapped back into the reality of the situation and he dropped the bag and ran, it wasn’t easy with the box and the smoke-damaged lungs but he somehow managed to escape the little mob of vigilantes. As he ran down the street as fast as he could with a large box in his arms he could feel his chest tighten like it never had before. Suddenly he was slowing down as did his breathing and soon he was stopped by a corner, bent over in two gasping for breath. Then he heard a loud gang of men shouting and just as they were about to round the corner and spot him, a hand reached out from a doorway and pulled him in.

  “Guessed it was you running” James said as the two of them stayed close to the wall so as to avoid exposure.

  “That was close” he said taking in a deep breath before coughing. James just shook his head and took a peek around the corner to see if the men were still around.

  “What did she do?” James asked knowing full well that Ms. Weeks was behind the gang of following men.

  “That woman is bonkers” Pip replied still fighting to catch his breath.

  “Well I know that, but what did she do that rattled all of them?” Before he could answer Pip bent over and clasped the side of his chest; there was a stitch that he thought could easily slice open seeing as the pain was so severe, and took in a deep breath through his nose and then let out another horrible hollow cough.

  “Okay that’s better” he said wiping the sweat from his brow with his sleeve.

  “Well what did she do, what did she say?” James asked again, he was getting very concerned about the outcome of the two’s encounter. Seeing as she was the darling of the school principal he could see suspensions and parent summons in his near future.

  “She’s bonkers! Wanted to know why you
weren’t in school and who I was and what was in the box”

  “And what did you say?

  “Not much to be fair was kind of too busy looking at her! No matter how crazy she is, she’s still hot”

  “So you didn’t say anything about me?”

  “Well I said you were sick”

  “And?”

  “And nothing really, she tried to grab the box and I wouldn’t let her! Next thing I know I’m holding her bag and she’s shouting for help” Pip explained poking out from the wall to see if the coast was clear.

  “Right, well I can’t ever go back to school and my Dad is going to kill me, or worse send me away” James said closing his eyes and leaning against the wall.

  “Look on the bright side; you have a maniac warrior out for blood and a deranged shape-shifter with weird creepy beasts on the prowl! Chances are you won’t live to see the New Year” Pip replied cheerfully before flagging down a taxi that was slowly driving along the street.

  “Where to mate?” the driver asked as the two climbed in to the back.

  “The train station” Pip answered sitting down and placing the box on the seat between himself and James the driver pulled off and drove forward and as they came to the street where Pip had his little incident with Ms. Weeks he slouched slightly down out of view.

  “Bloody hell what have you got back there?” the driver asked as the smell of the fish and elvers emerged from the box.

  “Fish” Pip replied.

  “What kind of fish smells like that?”

  “Fugu”

  “Fugu? Isn’t that the poisonous fish?”

  “When not prepared correctly it can be deadly yes”

  “And you’re going to eat it?” the driver asked sounding rather overly intrigued.

  “Yes, yes I am, I like to live dangerously” Pip sarcastically answered but he feared the sarcasm was lost on the middle-aged man who continued to the conversation by informing them that he had a friend who was a so called “adrenalin-junkie” who vanished while trying to illegally enter North Korea, apparently he was on his “hostile vacation”. Neither Pip nor James knew what the appropriate response to the information so both remained quiet and tried to look sombre.

  “Here we are then, heading anywhere nice?” he asked as the taxi pulled up to one of the ranks outside the station.

  “No no we’re picking someone up” Pip said handing the man a couple of notes.

  “We are?” James said surprised.

  “He’s always forgetting things” Pip said thanking the taxi driver once more and banging the door shut.

  “Who are we collecting?” James asked.

  “A buddy”

  “What buddy?”

  “The one that’s bringing the water from the River Jordan to our little party tonight”

  “How the hell do you have a buddy who can get their hands on water from the River Jordan in a few hours notice?”

  “He works in St. George’s Chapel as a janitor but really he’s a Druid”

  “A DRUID!” James said loudly causing Pip to turn around and give a scornful look.

  “Do you want to go to the information desk and announce it to the entire station?”

  “Sorry” he whispered as Pip continued to walk along and instead of heading to the arrival platforms he headed toward the restaurant.

  “What are we doing here?” James asked as Pip sat down at a table overlooking the arrival area.

  “I’m hungry and he’s not due in for another hour” he answered picking up a menu and looking through it. James sat down as well; he wasn’t exactly going to wander the station alone. The box was nestled neatly beneath the table but the stench that it was omitting was becoming stronger and stronger, so much so that people began to move from neighbouring tables. Luckily their waitress was slightly under the weather with a head-cold so her nose was totally blocked and it was so red it reminded James of a tomato. An hour quickly passed as they tucked in to their toasted bacon sandwiches that were dripping with ketchup and mayonnaise that oozed out the few spiced potato wedges on the plate. An announcement filled the station as another train arrived at one of the platforms. There had been numerous trains and even more announcements since they sat down but this one took Pip’s attention away from the crust of his bread.

  “This is him” he said as he placed an elbow on the railway and began his watch, waiting for his friend the Druid. Scores upon scores of people filled out of the train and before they could leave the platform their ticket had to be swiped through a machine that opened a turnstile. There were only two such turnstiles in operation at the moment and so Pip was in prime real estate to eye everyone. And eye everyone he did until there was no well left to eye.

  “Is that all of them?” James asked as Pip began looking back towards the train that was now reversing out of the station.

  “He said he’d be here at one” he said glancing at his watch and then looking back over the arrival area. He was sure he said one and he was even surer that he hadn’t missed him; he never took his eyes off the turnstiles.

  “Maybe he missed the train, he could be on the next” James tried to offer some assurance but Pip wasn’t listening, he was going through the list of contacts on his mobile phone and found the Druid. It rang and it rang until it rang no more.

  “No answer” Pip said sounding quite down. They had managed to procure most of the items on the list, the dead eyes, rope and the water were the only three remaining and he was going to get the first two on the way back to Hamlet.

  “Look there’s another train due in at half two” James said pointing to the large LED board that had all the arrivals and departures for the next couple of hours.

  “Hopefully” Pip replied. They continued to sit and wait for the next train to arrive, ordering small things so as not to be evicted from the restaurant. The next train screeched into the station at precisely half two and once again Pip took to the railing and watched as the passengers swiped and the turnstile opened. As they all went through their mundane routine Pip watched until there were no more.

  “No sign of him?” James asked as Pip’s head again turned down to where the train was stationary, nobody was climbing off only cleaners who obviously must have done a very lax job. Again James said that another train was only an hour away and so they waited this time moving away from the restaurant and towards a bench, directly in front of the turnstiles. The box came with them causing disgusted looks from people as they caught a whiff. Again they waited and again the train arrived and again Pip watched eagerly as the turnstiles turned and yet again there was no sign of the druid, despite James pointing out a couple of heavily grey-bearded men. Not sure what to do the two continued to sit there opposite the arrival platforms and watch, neither of them speaking a word. Pip had plenty of time to collect the other items but if the water didn’t arrive there would be no need, there wouldn’t even be a need to go back to the castle, they were out of options, and only failure was next. Darkness rolled around quickly and with it came the massive rush of commuters returning home from their long days at work and school. Hundreds if not thousands of faceless people passed the bench, some giving strange looks, others giving no look at all yet nearly most of them smelling the fish. As the rush hour finished the shops and kiosks and the restaurant began closing their doors and turning off their lights. Only a handful of trains were expected within the next couple of hours and on them only a handful of passengers and Pip hoped the Druid would be on the last one from Windsor. So as they waited and waited and waited for the last train of the night even the security were getting weary but after a small conversation with Pip outside while he was stretching his legs and the transference of some money they remained outside the odour region, Pip in turn soon nodded off omitting a soft cooing sound as he slept. The last train didn’t pull into the covered platform area as it had been closed, neither of them knew that, and instead it let its passengers disembark on the outdoor platform.
James’ concentration had all but wandered to insanity from the boredom of waiting when he eyed a young rotund man heading for them. Dressed in jeans and a navy hooded sweatshirt he continued to move towards them, James wasn’t sure. The man was only a few years older than him for definite and he did have a beard but it was no where near grey and was only inches from his chin. Tapping Pip to wake him up the man spoke; his voice was low, very low.

  “Wake up Pippy!” he laughed as he threw his backpack at the bench, hitting Pip in the chest. The poor sleeping Pip woke with a fright, he was out of sorts rubbing his eyes as the Druid rubbed his hair.

  “Stop it” Pip barked as he pushed away the intruding hands. “You’re late” he added as he finally woke up properly after his little nap.

  “Ya sorry about that, got a tiny bit held up” he replied scratching his budding auburn beard that was still rather prickly, it hadn’t yet evolved into a proper beard.

  “A tiny bit, it’s gone eight, where were you” Pip asked.

  “I got held up lets leave it at that, sure what’s the big deal I’m now aren’t I”

  “The big deal, I’ve been waiting here since” Pip stopped mid argument as he could see the Druid’s eyes glaze over, he wasn’t one for listening to disparaging comments. “Did you at least bring it?” he asked handing him back the bag that he so thoughtfully hurled at him to wake him up.

  “I sure did, wasn’t easy mind, that place is guarded heavier than the Queen herself” he replied pulling out a small container of water and handed it to Pip. “So you never told me what you need it for anyway?”

  “A Gypsy need’s it to find her granddaughter” James said throwing himself into the conversation, seeing as Pip had failed to introduce him.

  “Seems like a lot of trouble to go to just for a missing Gypsy, I mean its there nature to go missing” the Druid remarked.

  “She’s a Doppelganger” James said sternly.

  “Oh right, well supposedly we all have one, don’t fancy mind meeting mine though cos they say you die when you meet yours”

  “Remind me when we’re done here to go look for yours” Pip smiled cheekily pinching at the beard to which the Druid slapped his hands away.

  “I’m sorry but can we go, we need to make another few stops” James said picking up the box in a slight huff and placing it under his arm. The Druid glanced at the box and smiled.

  “I see you paid Joan a visit, how is the old witch?” he asked nudging Pip’s shoulder.

  “You can ask her in a minute, she’ll be there” James replied for Pip as his patience was beginning to run incredibly thin. He didn’t know what exactly they were doing collecting ingredients and he didn’t know if there was a precise timeline and most of all he didn’t know if it would work but he wasn’t in the mood for friendly banter when there was a chance to save Anta.

  “Ben meet James” Pip said finally introducing the two of them.

  “Charmed” Ben smiled holding out his hand.

  “Pleasure, now can we go” James said shaking the Druid’s hand. James led the way out of the almost entirely empty train station as the other two followed slowly behind laughing and chuckling loudly.

  “You’ve got to be kidding” James sighed as he turned to see Pip and Ben sitting on a windowsill with no intention of moving.

  “Come on I’ve got a taxi” James shouted as a black car, or at least a dark-coloured car, it was night and the street lights were bright but not that bright, came to a stop at the side of the large building. Ignored by the two who were continuing to laugh and reminisce as if they were standing outside a pub having a few sociable drinks and not on the way to deliver bizarre ingredients to a bizarre woman who was undoubtedly going to try and do something bizarre with them. Blinded now by the thought of getting Anta back James returned to the front of the station, still carrying the box, and confronted the two. “What are yee doing, we have to go, you need to pick up the eyes and the rope” he said looking at Pip.

  “Jimmy, can I call you Jimmy?” Ben started.

  “No, no you can’t”

  “Okay sorry Jimmy but I think you need to chill out a bit you’re looking a bit tense” he said sounding utterly serious.

  “Tense! Are you kidding me, you have no idea how tense I am” he retorted quite angrily. He would love to ramble off all the things in the past year that made him this tense but he was afraid that would take almost another year so James just laughed and grabbed hold of Pip’s arm and jerked him slightly away from the windowsill. Ben grabbed James’ arm. “You don’t want to do that, I could knock you through that wall” James threatened, he just as serious.

  “No doubt you could, that warrior strength is fairly scary”

  “Then let go of me” James demanded.

  “But Druid magic still wins…..coladh” Ben said and as he did he threw some grounded leaves over James’ face and he became very drowsy. “Hmm, that amount should have knocked out a Rugby team….a bit more it is” and another flurry of grounded leaves decorated James’ hair and this time his legs weakened, the box suddenly felt like a car and his eyes could no longer remain open, he fell forwards onto the Druid and he was asleep.

  He couldn’t believe his eyes as they opened slowly and begun to take in the blurred but familiar surroundings, James found himself back in the castle, the library part of it to be exact. A pounding in his head was slowly subsiding and as his eyes returned to focus he stood up utterly annoyed.

  “Poisoned again” he shouted angrily to a rather sparse room. Only Bunica and a handful others, two sand-people, the three remaining cupids and three of the Nymphs, there was no sign of the muses. All of them except Bunica looked at him in disdain; she didn’t even glance up at his sudden outburst.

  “Hey, hey, hey keep it down will you, she needs complete silence” Pip said entering the library with a cup in hand.

  “What’s that more poison?”

  “Nope, blended eyeballs, elvers, Fugu, bonkio flakes and a drop of Argan oil to taste” he replied holding the cup to James nose but he turned away in obvious disgust.

  “Good thing you’re not drinking it” he said before proceeding to the table where Bunica was working and setting it carefully down.

  “Hello, he’s up! Alright mate?” a voice asked from behind. It was the Druid, the one that had put him to sleep.

  “Alright? You drugged me” James said, partly squaring up to Ben.

  “Sorry about that but you were getting a little bossy for my liking, I like to let the water flow at it’s own pace, you get me?”

  “Am no!” James replied, his anger increasing slightly at the Druid’s nonsense. Ben just gave a little laugh before following Pip up to the table and placing a long rope upon it.

  “Hello James, have a nice nap?” an annoying familiar voice mocked.

  “Joan” he said and suddenly the pounding in his head started to increase as she again referred to the strands of death that clung to him like shadows.

  “I cannot wait to see this, I’ve never seen Gypsy magic before” she said sitting down by the entrance and taking out a pen and paper. Feeling slightly light-headed James grudgingly sat next to her but she looked at him in horror and promptly got up.

  “Sorry but I’m not taking any chances, I wanna live to see Christmas” she said sternly before following Ben and shadowing Pip. Since the few moments that he woke James felt like there was a procession of everyone he recently met that he disliked as in through the arched threshold sauntered Valonia looking ever inch the regal snob dressed in a purple gown and wearing a diamond clip in her hair with a large sapphire pendant around her neck.

  “You woke just in time my boy, this is sure to be some spectacle” she said sitting down next to him only to move again when Ida came in. Ida said nothing but merely gave a small smile to James. Lately that was all she seemed to be doing, she was far from the controlling and overpowering presence she was when James first met her. No longer did she instil fe
ar, more like pity now as she showed Valonia to one of the plush tall-backed armchairs by the fireplace almost directly behind the table. James thought that it was Valonia’s arrival that knocked the bite out of her dentures; there was apparently only room for one officious octogenarian in the castle and being from the world why the castle existed in the first place it was Valonia who ruled. As the two women nestled in to their seats and Bunica pulled a dark veil over her face the lights in the library dimmed and the fire went out in a hiss. All of a sudden James felt a cold chill run down his back and he got the most uneasy of feelings, perhaps Joan was right, death was circling him and those around him. Those thoughts quickly dispersed when the creepiest of things started to happen. To his left James eyed the muses first, all in hoods walk slowly into the library each carrying one of the Wiccan candles that Joan provided. Belle was the last one to enter; she gave a small smile to James as she walked in. Then came the brown robes, three in fact all with the same candles that the muses were carrying and finally in walked Andrei, wearing only loose cotton pants and no shirt. On his chest was a symbol painted in red, in the midst of it was an eye.

  “Anyone who wants to leave do so now” Pip announced as Bunica clapped her hands and Andrei climbed on to the table and lied down. Nobody left, in fact they all moved closer to the table. Pip and Ben then used the rope soaked in Holy water to bind Andrei’s hands and feet to the table, they made it as tight as possible to ensure there was no way of escaping. Then it started. First Bunica lifted her grandson’s head up slightly so he could drink the concoction; James gagged a bit as he watched the boy swallow the ingredients that he and Pip collected. He coughed a small bit and some spit came out followed by a scale or two that hadn’t been blended thoroughly, that had been one of Pip’s numerous jobs. Bunica was crushing the fungi and dusting it over her grandson as he stared to the ceiling in fear, he like the rest wasn’t sure what was going to happen. Bunica herself had never attempted something so dangerous and the nervousness in her face was almost entirely hidden by her veil. For a moment she stopped and rested her hands on the red symbol on her grandson’s chest and she uttered a few words in her native tongue, words that if they were even in English they wouldn’t be audible to the spectators. Andrei’s stomach seemed to respond with a few moaning sounds that caused a couple of the Nymphs to giggle. A tapping on Pip’s shoulder brought his attention away from the spectacle as he turned to the tapper, Joan. He furrowed his eyebrows in a questioning manner and she put her lips with millimetres of his ear and whispered.

  “This is Gypsy magic Pip?” He nodded clearly irritated. “From what I’ve read about this the only way a Gypsy can do magic is by using the residue magic of a curse” she explained.

  “So?” Pip finally gave an audible reply.

  “Magic like this would require a large curse, what is it?” Joan asked with an evident worry in her tone. The worry seemed to be catching as Pip’s eyes darted around the room and little beads of sweat appeared at the tip of his forehead as Joan’s words ran sprints in his head. He wasn’t sure what to do, if there was anything he could do but the thoughts were too late as Bunica pulled a dagger from her sleeve and shouted loudly to the ceiling.

  “Orbitoare Blestem, Orbitoare Blestem, Orbitoare Blestem” and with that chant the ten flames upon the ten candles burned high, fast and hot while screams of pain filled the room followed quickly by the smell of something burning. Just as fast as the flames appeared they were gone and the candles were dropped to the ground while those carrying them clutched their faces. Bunica paid no attention to them and dragged the blade along the outline of the painted symbol. Pip turned on the lights and then the true horror unfolded. All ten of them were wailing in agony, covering their faces while a soft substance ran through their fingers, melted skin. James was one of the first to approach, followed by Pip and Ida. The Cupids and Nymphs had vanished with the flash of flames and so they were spared the horror that was in front of James, Pip and Ida. Ten of them, seven muses and three sand-people took their hands away from their faces. James could barely look but he was doing better than Pip who was looking and then turning away almost instantly. The eyes had burned entirely in their sockets and some skin had melted down the face, it was a grisly sight to behold. Ida put her arms around the youngest of the muses as she wailed in agony, blood-stained tears trickling down a disfigured face. James looked at Pip in utter confusion; he had absolutely no idea what to do. Valonia, Joan and Ben were in no hurry to move from where they were because as soon as Pip and Ida passed the table-tied Andrei he began to shake violently, his restrained wrists and ankles still managed to hit and kick.

  “What’s all the shouting about, what’s going on?” Robert asked as he appeared in the foyer of the castle, his long-blind eyes spared the horrific sight.

  “Get out of the way, get out of the way let someone who can see in” a bossy voice shouted as they pushed their way passed poor Robert almost knocking his cane out of his hand. Curiosity didn’t quite kill her but it did shock her to her very core. Her face became a deathly white and her eyes filled with tears.

  “My poor children” she said with a quivering lip, “Who did this to you?” she asked with less of a quiver.

  “Never mind who did right now Bessie, let’s get them out of here and down to the infirmary” Pip said putting his hand on the back of one of the muses causing her to flinch in fright. Plunged into immediate darkness they were in the most fragile state of their lives when a booming voice echoed through the library and beyond.

  “SILENCE” it roared. “I DEMAND SILENCE” it roared again as the dulled wailing swelled again with the fright and in a moment of utter panic the muses and the three Sand-people vanished from sight, leaving the rest to look up toward the table by the fireplace and see Andrei sitting upright, rubbing his wrists.

  “Your Holy water is no good anymore, it does not restrain me” he said smiling over at Bunica, his eyes a sky-blue with no pupils. Hopping down off the table he calmly walked over to the old Romanian woman and smiled at her before catching her by the neck and lifting her three feet off the ground, squeezing as he did. “You dare summon me” he seethed into her face. “I am no ordinary Oracle, I am the essence of the Third Eye of Barkargon, and I have seen everything that has been and everything that will be” he continued as the air slowly seeped out of the old woman. Then a punch to the back of the head his hold of the old woman ceased and she slumped to the ground.

  “Didn’t see that coming did you?” James said shaking his hand to in a bid to ease the pain that hitting him caused, it was strangle, like hitting concrete.

  “Well, well, well a Warrior, it’s been a while since I went a couple of rounds with one of you” he said smiling as he touched the back of his head and saw blood on his fingers.

  “I don’t want to go a couple of rounds with you, I don’t have time for it, I just want to know where Anta is?” James said angrily, pushing out his chest in a bid to hide his simmering fear.

  “Ah the Doppelganger, this Vessel’s sister correct”. James nodded. “And why should I tell you?” he asked.

  “Because the fate of Nuvarin is at risk” Valonia proclaimed standing up by her chair.

  “My, my, my must I curtsey dear Queen. Oh no wait, it’s the Widow Queen now isn’t it” he smiled as he made his way towards her. Taking her left hand he bowed and kissed it. “Pleasure to meet you your Majesty” he said but nobody was quite sure whether he was being sarcastic or not, his tone never seemed to change.

  “The pleasure is all mine. Now kind Oracle, do you know where Anta is?” Valonia asked politely once again sitting down. He smiled a creepy smile before nodding Andrei’s head enthusiastically.

  “And?” Valonia said.

  “And, what?” he replied.

  “Do you know where she is?”

  “I do” he said sternly. Valonia gave him her regal annoyance look that caused many a servant and citizen to tremble.

  “Oh dear Wido
w Queen you asked did I know where the young Doppelganger is, and the answer is I do! But you didn’t ask me can I tell you where she is” he laughed. Valonia wasn’t laughing; in fact she was getting rather infuriated by the annoyance that was being caused by him. She found her feet and with one eyebrow raised she snapped.

  “Listen to me you little brat!” Instantly the Oracle stopped laughing and with a creepy smile he turned back to the Widow Queen.

  “Surely you cannot be referring to me with that insult?”

  “Yes I’m referring to you, I’m looking at you aren’t I?” Again he started to laugh all the while inching closer and closer to the old woman, James did the same.

  “You’re a brave woman talking to me like that, you do know that I can see your future and with every word you say it changes dramatically” he threatened.

  “I do not care about my future, I care only about the future of Nuvarin and its people”

  “How very noble of you, willing to die for the land that is about to become a battlefield and the people that turned their backs on you” the Oracle said, close enough now for Valonia to feel his breath.

  “What happened to you?” she asked casually, looking deep into the blue. The question seemed to strike a nerve and the Oracle turned his back on the old woman. It had been a while since anyone in Nuvarin had actually seen an Oracle, there had been rumours of one in recent times but he was never found. From what Valonia could remember from the stories she heard was that Oracles were helpful, friendly beacons of knowledge who would assist in times of great need, and this was a great need. “Tell me what happened, what caused you to become such a callous being?” she asked in the calmest tone possible.

  “NOTHING HAPPENED TO ME” he roared so loud that a few pieces of glass shattered around the place.

  “Clearly something happened, you’re not like any of the Oracles I’ve come across” she lied, hoping that he was too distracted to look into her past.

  “THOSE ORACLES!” he roared again. “Those fools were weak” he added, softly this time. He leaned up against the fireplace and stared at the flames. “They were all weak, telling everyone their futures simply because they asked. Pathetic!” He moaned, still staring at the flames as if he was seeing them all. “Nobody should know what the future can hold for them, not even I know what lies around the next corner for me, and it is nature’s way” he continued, perhaps telling too much about himself than he intended. “But still those fools happily told people where their paths led to and how the journey was going to be, and what do you think happened when the people heard futures that they didn’t like? Ones full of despair and sorrow instead of love and happiness, they blamed the ones who told them” he stopped for a moment, it was almost as if he was trying to hold back a terrible memory, closing his eyes and shaking his head. “They killed them all, every singe one of them butchered and burned in front of the masses and their families are still subjected to suspicion for fear another one will be born down the line, we run in families did you know that?” he asked Joan who was sitting still and barely breathing in an attempt to be as insignificant as possible. She avoided his gaze and instead continued to look at her feet. “I asked you a question darling” he said and in a heartbeat his hands were around her neck and a frightfully audible snap filled the library. It happened too fast, James wasn’t close enough while Ben, like the rest didn’t even know what was happening until it had happened. “One less Witch is a good thing, such a judgemental bunch” he smiled turning his attention back to Valonia, James now right at her side. He looked at both of them inquisitively until he was distracted by the oncoming attack from Pip who leapt over the table and just as he was about to knock him to the ground, Andrei’s body turned and his arms squeezed around Pip’s body. “Silly boy, James there managed to best me because he is a warrior, and I cannot see a warrior’s future or past, but you” he smiled as his squeeze started to tighten. Pip started to feel faint and it was getting harder and harder for his lungs to expand, he could feel bones beginning to fracture and then a bright shining light swelled between them and Pip was sent flying out to the foyer while the Oracle was blasted against the wall above the fireplace. Ida rushed out into the foyer while Bunica was mumbling under her breath in the very place where the Oracle left her and Ben had now scurried out after Ida. “My, my, my I guess the only reason I didn’t see that coming was because it was in my future” he said shaking the dust out of his hair and off his body. He didn’t seem to upset at it, in fact he found it quite amusing. James saw it more of a chance than amusing and charging towards the Oracle he knocked him back against the wall again, banging his head numerous times into the century old bricks. He only laughed as with every bang blood seeped from Andrei’s head.

  “A couple of more blows should do it, he’ll be a goner” the Oracle sniggered as he looked at James. “And I’ll be off to my next host” he added smiling. James slapped his head once again off the wall and then when he was a bit dazed he allowed him to slump to the edge of the fireplace.

  “Do you really think we’re that stupid?” he asked.

  “Now I can’t tell your future but something is telling me that that is a rhetorical question” he said with his head flopping up and down with every second word. James just gave a wry smile, not unlike the one the Oracle had been flashing almost every chance he got since he was summoned. Then the eyes changed, the sky-blue vanished for a moment and there was nothing but white and then they were back again. “No, no, no this isn’t possible, how am I still here?” he asked an evident tone of panic in his voice.

  “I told you, we took precautions to ensure your cooperation” James whispered. The Oracle pushed him away and got to his feet, slowly, holding on to Andrei’s head where still a trickle of blood was dripping from the back. Once he had steadied himself he started shouting and throwing things, anything he could get his hands on, Valonia’s chair that she had just vacated was thrown out the window. The table on which he was first tied to was thrown towards the foyer but James managed to knock it off course, saving Ida, Pip and Ben who thought it safe to leave a bit of distance between them and the raging being. Bunica was so low to the floor now that there was no fear of anything hitting her, she just continued to mumble and gyrate as if she were in a trance, unaware of the rampaging going on around her. A large framed picture was the next thing that was hurled around the library; it smashed to pieces against the staircase.

  “FREE ME OR PERISH!” he shouted at James who was standing between him and the foyer.

  “As soon as you tell me where Anta is you’re free to go”

  “And you are telling the truth?” he asked seething the fact that he couldn’t foresee the warrior’s intentions.

  “I am. Tell me where she is and we will never cross paths again”. Andrei’s shoulders dropped a couple of inches and the anger that was spread across his face turned to defeat, the Oracle knew there was no other way out of the situation.

  “Alright, I shall tell you where the Doppelganger is”

  “And it will be the truth?” James asked just like the Oracle had.

  “Us Oracles cannot lie” he said slowly nodding his head. A few moments passed and nothing happened until finally James took a seat between the mumbling Bunica and the defeated Oracle. Pip made his way cautiously back into the library, the amulet taking centre place on his chest. Ida and Ben followed behind as per Pip’s direction in his hope that the amulet would protect all of them if anything else were to happen. Moving closer and closer to James, Valonia took refuge behind Pip and as they all tried to avoid broken shards of timber they finally stopped by the staircase and strained their ears to listen. A frightful carnage had led to this very moment and they prayed it was not in vain.

  “So, where is she?” James asked calmly.

  “She is close, very close in fact and getting closer” he replied not looking up but keeping his sky-blue eyes firmly fixed on his hands, well Andrei’s hands.

  “Wh
at do you mean getting closer?”

  “These are amazing things, hands! I mean could you imagine a world without hands?” the Oracle said rather bizarrely. James glanced over at the group of four and shrugged.

  “Ya hands are pretty cool! Now what do you mean she is getting closer?” Then there was a snap followed by another and then another until finally Andrei’s left-hand flopped, every bone broken and nerve severed, its function lost forever. “What the hell are you doing?” James roared.

  “You didn’t think it was going to be that easy did you?” James just stared blankly at him, not sure what to say. “For every question you ask me, I shall destroy a little part of this vessel, so ask wisely” he added raising his head and winking. Sitting there in silence looking at the Oracle James pondered the questions in his head; he needed to ask the right ones or Andrei would pay the price. “Why so shy warrior, you were willing to let him die mere minutes ago” he said with aplomb.

  “By my hand I was willing to sacrifice Andrei for the greater good, watching you destroy him isn’t right” James answered.

  “Now, now, now warrior I like to have fun too and what makes it most interesting is that Andrei feels every pinch of pain”. Like ripping off a band-aid James saw no point in postponing the inevitable.

  “Where is she?”

  “Soon she shall arrive here and be taken to the doorway to Nuvarin” the Oracle answered and true to his word he did the same to Andrei’s right-hand. James did not look away as a trickle of blood seeped from a protruding knuckle.

  “And what is it they want of her?”

  “My, my, my that is a big question. Are you sure you want me to answer it?” He nodded and so the Oracle continued. “The elder red sister plans to kill the Doppelganger and let her blood flow through the doorway and the curse will be lifted, then the second sun will no longer shine, allowing a new hell to rise in Nuvarin. Sounds like fun” he explained before poking an eye out of Andrei’s skull in the grossest fashion possible yet James did not falter.

  “No more questions James, we know enough” Ida shouted. James glanced over to the foursome and looked back to the grisly sight before him.

  “And what hell shall rise?” he asked, ignoring Ida’s plea.

  “Unwavering determination to the end, I like that! As you know I cannot lie and it is not quite clear the nature of the rising hell but I shall hazard an educated guess. The Red King is supposedly buried in the sinking sands over which the second sun blazes when the original sun sets, and if he should rise again he will seek vengeance on his jailer’s descendants and take back Nuvarin as his rightful Kingdom. Oh and he is incredibly strong, immortal, and I’m pretty sure he has an army exactly like him” he explained before slowly peeling off an ear, looking at it casually and throwing it behind him into the fire.

  “That is enough, I am done” James said getting up and from the chair and taking a deep breath.

  “Just a couple of things I’m going to tell you for free, because I like you” the Oracle said, he too standing up. It was hard to look at the disfigured face but he did, a warrior would not look away. “You know the descendants of the jailers, you’re one of them! The family resemblance is rather significant young Prince” the Oracle winked.

  “And what’s the other thing?” James asked.

  “I shall tell you that as soon as you release the bind holding me inside this decrepit vessel, it shall be my parting words to you” he said smiling nastily.

  “Bunica stop!” James ordered and she did, the mumbling ceased and the gyrating was no-more.

  “She was keeping me here, that crafty old Gypsy! How did I not see it, all I could see was a mental breakdown” he queried.

  “She’s crafty!” James replied, “now the second thing?”

  “Oh right, either duck or die” he warned and then the one sky-blue eye disappeared and was replaced with Andrei’s one. The tall Gypsy collapsed in pain and everyone came to his aid, huddling around him telling him it was going to be okay. Then slowly and eerily the front door of the castle opened and all of them except Andrei turned their attention to the foyer and in rolled three small green canisters no bigger than apples.

  “They look like…..” Ben started to say before being interrupted by James.

  “GRENDAES” he shouted rushing to the foyer. Bang, bang, bang………… BANG!