Relics- The Chronicles of Solomon Drake

by Robert York

  “Not just yet Master Bobum, we still must question them.” Barnabas replied.

  “As you wish my Lord… Later perhaps,”

  Barnabas gave thought to the question then answered.

  “Perhaps,”

  Bobum inclined his head in understanding.

  Earl finished the chicken wing, licking the sauce from his pudgy fingers. In mid-lick, Earl turned his attention to the Vampire twins, regarding them. After a moment he shrugged turning away, tossing the chicken wing bone carelessly in the direction of one of the twins. The bone sailed across the space between Earl and the Vampire, bonking the twin hanging on the left between the eyes leaving a greasy stain of sauce before falling to the floor. The Vampire glared murderously at Earl. After a few short moments he turned his attention to a half eaten hot dog lying on a wrapper near him. He hopped down off his mount - the crow looking more than a little relieved that the weight was off his back - Earl rushed eagerly over to the half eaten hot dog. He gazed at it with a gluttonous gleam in his eyes. I watched him with an amused curiosity as Earl picked up a white paper napkin, tucking it under his chin into his breastplate. He seized the hot dog in both hands raising it to his wide-open mouth.

  “Earl!” Bobum and Tish said in loud reproving tones.

  The sudden outburst startled Earl causing him to drop the hot dog. He wiped his hands absently on the napkin covering his breastplate; he cast his eyes in Bobum’s direction.

  “Mind your manners. We haven’t been asked to eat at Lord Barnabas’s table. We have much work ahead of us and cannot lose sight of our duties,” Bobum said.

  Earl’s eyes returned to the hot dog. He gazed at it longingly like a forlorn lover standing on the opposite side of an uncrossable river. He let out a defeated sigh turning away from the hot dog sulking back to his crow. Out of the corner of his eye he watched Bobum. When his leader looked away Earl scurried back to the rapper scooping up two French fries, cramming them into his chipmunk like cheeks. He then discarded the napkin as he scurried back climbing up onto the back of his mount.

  “Have you heard any word from Zeg?” Barnabas asked Bobum.

  Before Bobum could answer, another black crow flew in through the transom. It circled above the counter once landing next to Bobum. A small Gnome about four inches tall jumped down from his mount approaching Barnabas then knelt. The Gnome was younger than the other three. He had no facial hair. He was dressed in a long vest coat green in color, a sash of mustard yellow wrapped around his middle, a white loose fitting shirt, white pants and black leather boots. It was Zeg, Bobum’s oldest son.

  “My Lord I have news,” Zeg addressed Barnabas.

  Barnabas cast a brief look in my direction before he spoke to Zeg.

  “What was his answer Master Zeg?”

  Zeg stood continuing.

  “My Lord, he said he will help you no matter what needs to be done.”

  Barnabas was silent for a few seconds, though they felt like they ticked by like minutes. He turned to Oswald. Oswald gave him a slight nod then they both glanced at me. Barnabas turned back to Zeg.

  “Did you give him my instructions?” Asked Barnabas.

  “Yes my Lord,” Zeg responded, bowing.

  “He said they would be there.”

  “Excellent… You and your people have done well Bobum.”

  All the Gnomes present bowed respectfully at Barnabas’s kind words

  “Thank you my Lord. What are your orders?” Bobum asked with a proud inflated chest.

  “I want you and your people to stay on alert and continue to be on the lookout for anyone or anything that does not belong around here. I am counting on you to be my eyes and ears, do you understand?”

  “Yes my Lord!” Bobum said with renewed excitement. Bobum, Tish and his son Zeg hopped back onto their crows. All four crows took wing. OK, to be honest it took Earl’s crow a bit longer to take wing. I think we need to look into getting him a bigger bird to travel around on. A great horned owl or maybe even a California condor, you know something big like that. The birds and their diminutive riders circled the front of the shop disappearing through the open transom. Earl’s crow was the last to make it through the opening. When the crow’s tail feathers cleared the frame, the transom closed shut with an audible wooden click.

  Mari went back to cleaning up the rest of the wrappers and cups from off the counter when she let out a disgusted sound.

  “Yuck. Why do you let those nasty birds in here? All the do is poop and leave their dirty feathers all over the place.” She said annoyed.

  Mari reached under the counter producing a roll of paper towels and a half filled squirt bottle of all-purpose cleaner. She sprayed the cleaner on a whitish green pile of what I could only assume were bird leavings. Mari scrunched up her nose cleaning the pile of crow poop off the counter.

  “What would you have him do Mari, cast a constipation spell on the birds every time they fly into the store?” Oswald asked humorously.

  Mari glared at Oswald.

  “You won’t think this is funny if I make you come over here and clean this mess up,” Mari said in reply.

  Oswald raised his hands in supplication attempting to diffuse her quick temper.

  Mari wasn’t much of an animal person. “Animals were not meant to be in doors, they belonged outside.” I’ve heard her say more times than I can remember.

  Glum stood letting out a low deep-throated chuckle getting to his feet. His chuckle was reminiscent of the sound a car tire makes rolling over the grooves of a warning median pulling into a tollbooth on the highway.

  “Poop,” said Glum between chuckles.

  What can I say, he amuses easily.

  He walked over to Mari behind the counter handing her all his wrappers. She smiled rising up on her tiptoes giving him a pat and kiss on the cheek. She took the wrappers promptly stuffing them into a garbage can that stood next to the register. Glum walked over to stand in front of the Vampire twins. He cocked his head staring at them blankly with a slack jawed expression. He got bored with that activity then made his way over to Oswald. Glum got a hug from his adoptive father before he found something on the floor that garnered a lion’s share of his attention.

  Barnabas got up from his stool turning to face the Vampire twins. He attracted their attention almost immediately. Barnabas fixed his eyes on the first twin making a subtle gesture with his right hand. He did the same with the second. Their heads drooped, chins resting on their chests. Barnabas had put them to sleep. He turned toward the front door of the shop extending his right hand. He uttered an incantation in Latin.

  “Signum Cella.”

  I felt a blanket of subtle energy descend around me, closing us in and off from the outside world. Barnabas had cast a privacy spell. The spell would prevent anyone from overhearing what was said either through magical or technological means.

  Satisfied with his precautions, he faced me. It looked as though he was wrestling with something unpleasant. Either it was something he didn’t want to tell me or something he wanted me to do. I was fairly sure whatever it was I wasn’t going to like it.

  “Solomon,” he began gravely. “Oswald and I are not exactly sure what’s happening at the moment. All we do know for certain is that our security has been compromised and two members of our organization have been killed,”

  He hesitated before continuing to let that fact sink into the minds of everyone present.

  “The remaining six of us appears to be safe for the moment,”

  He took a reassuring glance over to the woodcarving. My assumption was for him to make certain that none of the other stones winked from green to red during the time he was speaking. Oswald did the same with his rings.

  “Is the magic shop any safer than the Wizard’s place that was hit earlier,” I asked unease in my tone.

  “Whitey and the twins over there...” I said gesturing to our prisoners. “Didn’t have any trouble throwing down in here,”

  Barnabas bristl
ed at my observation. He didn’t like that fact any more than me. I knew Barnabas and Oswald spent a lot of time fortifying both of their places. So the shops defenses should’ve stopped them as soon as Whitey cast a magical spell or when the twins used their weapons.

  “Yes, I’m puzzled by that as well.” Barnabas said drifting away in thought.

  “Well the defenses are up now and hopefully the others have followed the contingency plans that were developed for just such an occurrence,” Oswald said interrupting in a tired voice.

  “Yes,” Barnabas said. “The other four should’ve gone to the safe houses by now,”

  “Have you heard from any of the other members of your organization,” I asked. Then added. “Besides Oswald that is,”

  Barnabas picked up an envelope that sat next to him on the counter. He held it as he spoke.

  “Yes,” he said. “This letter is from another of our order, Orm,”

  That was a surprise; Orm was part of this secret organization. Maybe that’s why he was here so often. Perhaps visiting the magic shop on occasion was an inconspicuous way for Barnabas and Orm to get together and talk about their little Wizard club. In fact, Orm was here in the magic shop just this morning right before all hell broke loose. Barnabas paused organizing his thoughts before continuing. Whatever was on his mind was difficult for him to put into words.

  “He was paired with another of our order… Hans Bialek, Tilly’s former Master. Orm sent this letter to the magic shop right before he died,”

  Barnabas went silent for a long moment.

  “Well, what does it say,” I asked curiously.

  “It’s an ingredient order Orm wanted me to fill for next week’s pick up,”

  I nodded. The letter that arrived shortly before Tilly was nothing more than a shopping list. Which possibly meant Orm was hit with a surprise attack as well. Whoever was responsible for these attacks wasn’t taking any chances.

  Oswald smiled compassionately at his old friend then said.

  “Perhaps it would be better if Barnabas and I explained what we can about our organization and how it was structured, since the death of two of our members the spells that kept us from speaking about the Octagon are no longer a danger for us,”

  Barnabas nodded thankfully clearing his throat. He turned waving a hand in the direction of the mural.

  “See those stones over the scene depicted?” Barnabas asked.

  I nodded.

  “Each stone…” he continued. “Is enchanted and linked to one of the members of our order. The stones will only change color if one of our numbers has died. Black for death by natural causes and red by violent means.”

  So that meant two Wizards, according to Oswald’s rings and the woodcarving died by violent means. How violent was anybody’s guess, but I was leaning toward gruesome.

  Chapter 6

  Barnabas rolled up his left shirtsleeve to his bicep. He ran an index finger over the skin of his forearm an inch or two below the crook of the elbow. There a thick black lined circle tattoo about the size of a U.S. Half Dollar began to appear. Magical symbols and runes have never been the strongest subject in my studies - mainly because they’re boring as hell to learn - but I knew enough about them to know that the symbol was an ancient Heka linking charm. How the charms worked were fairly simple. You needed three things; blood from the person you wish to link to an object, the object in this case clear stones and the charm to link the two together, the tattoo. The design on the charm was specific as well. It must contain elements that reflect the sort of charm you wish to make.

  “Just like Oswald’s rings,” I interjected.

  “Precisely my boy, precisely,” Oswald said beaming. “You noticed my rings earlier when one of them changed color.”

  I returned his smile, a feeling of gratitude making my cheeks color a bit for the pride he had shown in me.

  “Rahm and the Vampires showing up here wasn’t a coincidence. His being alive is most troubling as is the question of how he was able to return to this plain of existence,” said Barnabas.

  I saw this as my opportunity to ask the question that had been on my mind ever since I found out that Barnabas had an apprentice before me. Granted it’d only been an hour since I found out the information. But hey, enquiring minds want to know.

  “Who is Rahm,” I asked.

  “And why does he hate you three so much,” I gestured to Barnabas, Oswald and Glum in turn.

  “I know that he was your apprentice Barnabas and I also know that you thought he was dead, judging by yours and Oswald’s expressions, Rahm appearing here today was a big surprise,”

  Barnabas grew silent looking at me then turned pacing around the front of the shop. He’d look in my direction every so often attempting to answer my questions. Then he’d shake his head indecisively and continue pacing. He finally let out a defeated sigh turning to face me.

  “It is obvious to me that if I try and evade these questions you will continue to hound me over them, that point not withstanding I feel that you should know about Rahm and as you put it why he hates us so much.” Barnabas began slowly.

  “Rahm Murlocke was one of many children orphaned during the War Witches uprising,” he said continuing. “As was Glum,”

  Barnabas gestured to Glum who found mining for nose gold more rewarding than listening to this story. Judging by Glum’s progress I’d say that he was close to hitting brain.

  “Are you familiar with this dark part of our history,” He asked.

  I nodded. I knew all about this violent past of Wizard history, but I wish I didn’t. Those were dark days for the World of Wizards.

  “What is not written in the books of our history is that Rahm Murlocke was the son of Rebecca Redd or who is more commonly know as the “Death Raven”. She and Rahm’s father, Moran Murlocke were thought to have been killed by Kirk McGregor of the Black Guard, though their bodies were never found,”

  Barnabas moved about the front of the store as his story spilled forth.

  “Because Rahm was so young the Elder Council decided that he wouldn’t suffer the same fate as his parents, so his past along with any record of his lineage was expunged from existence.”

  Barnabas paused gazing at Mari she offered him a sympathetic smile. I wondered if she knew any of this.

  “It was the policy of the Elder Council that the children be placed with Masters that did not currently have apprentices,”

  Barnabas turned moving to the front window of the store peering out as he continued to tell his tale.

  “As you may or may not have guessed I was picked to be Rahm’s Master. From the beginning I noticed something wasn’t right about that boy. He was mean and vicious. He enjoyed causing pain to anyone or anything,”

  He turned back to me.

  “I thought it best to enlist others to help teach him the ways of magic, so I contacted Oswald as well as Hans Bialek and they readily agreed to help. After a few months they came to the same conclusion I did and it was decided that we limit his exposure to various aspects of the arts. Rahm didn’t take the news of our decision very well and he began secretly learning the Darker Arts on his own by stealing everything he required. As he grew older we realized that his power was growing far faster than any of us had dared realize, it wasn’t until it was almost too late that we discovered where his increased power originated,”

  Barnabas bowed his head hesitating before continuing.

  “Rahm was using ritual magic in order to summon Hellions from the Dark Realm. The bargain he’d struck with them was simple, power for himself in exchange for the Hellions freedom. The night we four, Oswald, Glum Hans and myself confronted him was the night he had begun a spell to open a way into our world that the Hellions could use. When we found him, at the place his parents were purportedly killed the door leading to the Dark Realm was nearly completely open. The spell he was using was extremely complex and it didn’t take much interference for us to disrupt it. Rahm was caught in a magical backwa
sh of the doorways collapse sucking him into the space between our reality and the reality of the Dark Realm, a place where none have returned,”

  “Or so we thought,” Oswald offered gravely.

  Barnabas nodded.

  “That’s why his being here now was such a surprise, as far as anyone knows it is impossible to return from the Dark Realm,” Barnabas said.

  “His returning first to Hans would’ve been a surprise to him as well. I believe Rahm knew enough about the Order to pose a dangerous threat. That’s why I believe he picked Hans to attack first, Rahm wanted the power contained in the crystal in order to gain the other three relics for himself or possibly for a third party,”

  “All that might be true yes,” Oswald broke in.

  “But it’s my firm opinion that Rahm chose Bialek first because he is deathly afraid of your teacher,” Oswald indicated Barnabas with a chubby finger.

  Barnabas waved off Oswald’s unwanted admiration. Though I detected a remorseful tone in his voice as he continued.

  “Hans Carval Bialek was one of the oldest and more powerful members of our order, he was also a good friend. As I have already stated and as you know he and Orm were charged with protecting one of the relics, the crystal Tilly brought to us.”

  Barnabas held up the crystal for all to see then he placed it on the counter next to him. He rolled down his sleeve buttoning it. Barnabas hesitated for another long moment before speaking.

  “What Oswald and I are about to tell all of you are secrets that we and the six others have kept for nearly three hundred years.”

  He paused to see what sort of effect his words had on me. I will say that I was surprised, but not shocked that there were a few secrets he kept from me. The man was after all over seven hundred years old. He’d have to have a few skeletons in his closet, if not an entire cemetery. My world had already been turned upside down over the last few hours, what were a few more revelations going to amount to. I trusted Barnabas. He’s never lied to me or led me down a path that would’ve ever put me in danger.