The Iron Chalice

by J. M. Briggs

  “Agreed,” Bran said. He nodded and adjusted his backpack. “We need to really focus on potential underground locations in the area. The Chalice is underground somewhere.”

  Nicki frowned and nibbled at her lip as her fingers toyed with the tips of her braid. There was a churning anger in her gut as she watched Alex fumble with her words and try to take the lead. It was almost funny in a sad, stupid way. Nicki shivered and turned to look out the window in order to distract herself. She knew she wasn’t really angry at Alex or Bran. She wasn’t even angry at Jenny and Lance, hell she now found herself wishing that their betrayal had actually led to Arthur’s death. No, she was angry at Arthur and the Sídhe and whoever this Queen was that frightened even Morgana, but they weren’t here.

  “You’re probably right,” Jenny sighed, “I just wish we had more to go on.”

  “Me too,” Bran agreed. “Unfortunately we don’t have much, Glastonbury is known for mythical connections to King Arthur, and one legend I found suggests that the Holy Grail was hidden in the Chalice Well. Obviously, that well is probably a lot newer, but the use of the word Chalice rather than grail could mean something.”

  “What if we find nothing there?” Lance asked. “What’s the Plan B here?”

  “Come back to Wales and start searching the old tunnels I guess,” Alex muttered, sounding a bit ill. “I don’t like it either guys, but we need a starting point and Glastonbury isn’t that far away.”

  The train began to slow down and Nicki let out a small sigh of relief. Standing, even if only for a few minutes, sounded really good to her. Outside the window, it was easier to get a clear view of the buildings, cars, and people. As the train pulled into the station she could see signs in English and what she guessed was Welsh. She almost smiled at the notion that it was probably the language closest to what Merlin and Morgana spoke growing up here three thousand years ago.

  They came to a full stop with a gentle shake, and all around them people stood up and collected their bags. There were a few people without bags who rushed out the doors ahead of everyone else. Lance stood up and helped Bran with his bag after making sure that Jenny had her suitcase. Alex glanced Nicki’s way as she hoisted her backpack over her shoulder and tugged her small rolling suitcase towards the door. Nicki lingered at the back and allowed the others to step off the train ahead of her. She took a deep breath and followed the others out onto the platform and looked around.

  Everything was a lot bigger than she was used to, and the press of people around her was completely foreign. Bran seemed to become smaller as he stepped closer to Lance and tried to keep his cane close to his body in the initial crunch. Thankfully the crowd spread out as they walked into the main terminal. A soft gasp of surprise escaped Nicki as she looked down the long massive structure. It was one long room with a high ceiling filled with skylights that allowed the sun to shine down on their faces as they walked underneath.

  “There isn’t much here,” Jenny remarked with a frown as the group walked down the station.

  “No, but there’s a ticket counter.” Bran gestured towards it. “Come on, we need to find out about how to get to...”

  Bran trailed off and swayed slightly in front of them. Nicki took a step towards him as she noticed his eyes turning glassy, but Lance was already holding his shoulder steady. To her surprise, the football player dropped to a knee next to Bran and let the other boy lean on his shoulder. A small grimace crossed Lance’s face as Bran all but collapsed against him, but it passed and Lance said nothing.

  “Bran?” Alex called nervously. She began to reach for him only to think better of it and pull back her hand.

  Nicki looked around: they were attracting attention. Jenny was smiling at a few of the people looking on and giving quick reassurances. Finally, Bran blinked his eyes and shook his head.

  “I’m okay,” he muttered. Bran shook his head again and his eyes cleared a little.

  “Did you see something?” Alex asked as she moved her hands nervously.

  “Yeah, I did. I didn’t see the Chalice or the skull, instead this place … I don’t know, faded away? There were trees along the river and some people. It was like I was seeing how it used to be.”

  “Maybe this is the right place then,” Lance said. He stood up after Bran regained his balance.

  “No,” Bran clutched at his head and groaned. “I don’t think so. I didn’t get the sense that the Chalice was close. Hell, I didn’t even see it this time.”

  “We’re attracting attention,” Alex said carefully. “Come on; let’s get some tickets to Bristol and go from there.”

  If Jenny was irritated at her job as piggy bank she made no sign of it as she went up to the ticket counters while the rest of them took Bran off to the side and waited. She returned only a short time later with a stack of tickets and a wide grin.

  “Hey guys; the trains are very frequent. I got us tickets for one leaving in about an hour so we have some time to eat. The trip won’t take too long, but there isn’t any food service onboard or Wi-Fi so we’ll have to take care of stuff on this end.”

  “Great.” Lance gave Jenny a shy smile. “We should see about finding someplace with Wi-Fi so we can try and book some rooms in Bristol.”

  “Good plan,” Alex agreed. She nodded towards the main doorway. “There’s probably stuff just outside the station so we don’t have to go too far.” She reached over and snagged Jenny’s hand to give it a quick squeeze. “Thanks for taking care of that Jenny.”

  “Of course,” Jenny replied, trying to sound nonchalant, but she beamed at the praise and recognition.

  Nicki stomped down an odd twinge of jealousy blended with fear, but as they headed for the large doorway she couldn’t help but wonder if Jenny and Lance might find themselves betraying Alex. Sure, their original story was all about the love triangle and Lance seemed completely enthralled by Jenny, for whatever reason, and Jenny and Alex both seemed straight. Bran touched her arm just before she almost ran into a doorway and she shook her head and gave him a grateful look.

  Jenny hadn’t been wrong about finding something outside the station. Stepping outside brought them into the main core of the city itself. Just beyond some nearby rooftops, Nicki could see the huge roof of a stadium, and tall buildings standing alone amongst shorter brick and metal structures. They were next to some sort of pedestrian area with no cars on the street and a series of buildings that included shops and restaurants surrounding it. In front of them was a large square facing a bus depot that made Nicki feel lost just looking at it. Thankfully, the smell of food helped them all focus on the mission at hand. Nicki swayed on her feet for a moment as they walked through a cloud of cigarette smoke on their way across the square. Alex grabbed her arm and kept her steady as they all stumbled into a fast food restaurant.

  Forty-five minutes later with some food in their stomachs and after a quick face washing in the bathroom, they stumbled back into the train station, but this time with reservations at a hostel in Bristol that they could check into as soon as they arrived. Platform 2 was bustling with people as everyone spilled into the different cars. Some had luggage and others looked like they were just heading off for the day. Nicki briefly wondered what it was like to really live in a country where trains were such a backbone of daily life.

  The interior of the train reminded her of an airplane rather than the trains she’d seen in movies. There were rows of padded seats, but they faced each other with a table between them. It was a feature that surprised her, but as Lance grabbed her bags and lifted them up to the large shelf over their heads she decided it would be nice to have some workspace. She pulled out the book on Britain from her bag and set it on the table as she climbed into the far seat. But as she sat down and leaned her head back, Nicki felt her eyes trying to slide closed. The seat wasn’t very comfortable, but she had some real leg room, and exhaustion was beginning to catch up with her.

  “Take a nap, Nicki,” Alex told her gently as she sat down next t
o her. “It’ll be about an hour to get there. Jenny says the train makes a couple stops.”

  There were only four seats around the table and five of them. Bran sat down across from Alex leaving Jenny and Lance glancing at each other uncomfortably. In the corner of her eye, she saw Alex give Lance what looked like an encouraging smile as he and Jenny sat down at the table across from them. They were all quiet as the rest of the passengers climbed into the train and began to settle down. As the train gave a small lurch and began to pull away from the station, Nicki saw Alex flip open the guide book and begin talking with Bran. She tried to listen, but the smooth rhythm of the train on the tracks was strangely relaxing. Her eyes felt heavier, and not even thoughts about Aiden could keep them from sliding shut.

  5

  On Top of the Tor

  There was something very strange about this place, Alex reflected as they climbed up the long path towards the square stone tower at the very top of the Tor. The massive conical hill made for a pleasant and easy little hike. St. Michael’s tower stood several stories high in front of them looking over the small town below and the terraces of the hill. She didn’t like the tower, but couldn’t put her finger on why. With each step as they got closer to it, Alex felt herself frowning at it and the concrete path that led their way up. Dark gray clouds filled the sky above them, blocking out the sun and adding to the lingering jet lag she knew they were all still feeling.

  She glanced towards Nicki; the redhead had her hood over her head and her hands in her pockets. Her shoulders were tense, and Alex knew that Nicki was still angry. She wasn’t sure if Nicki was angry at her for failing so fantastically against Arthur and Aiden having to save her or if she was angry about more than that. Maybe Jenny and Lance being with them bothered her, but Alex felt stronger with them here. She didn’t want to think on that too closely and hoped it was simply a case of them being more removed from the trauma that had happened recently. Last night at the hostel when she’d woken up from a nightmare Jenny had simply reached over between their beds to hold her hand for a bit while Nicki just lay there staring at the ceiling.

  “I’m not sure about this climate,” Lance muttered. He looked up at the sky with a frown. “Winter without snow is just odd.”

  “They get snow some places here,” Bran replied. “We’re just pretty far south, and the Gulf Stream helps keep the west coast of England a bit warmer than it would be otherwise.”

  Bran looked towards Nicki and waited for her to add in her usual tidbit of information, but she said nothing and Bran gave Alex a helpless look. Alex wondered just how she was supposed to fix something like this. She’d sworn to be worth the sacrifice and she was doing her damnedest with what they had so far. A flash of anger in her chest reminded Alex to calm down. Nicki’s best friend, pretty much her brother, was lying in a coma with the clock ticking down on how long he’d be stable, and she needed to just suck up and deal with this. The desire to let out a string of curses was really strong though and she promised herself that she’d let it all out when they finished up here.

  They reached the top of the tor without any more conversation and Alex looked up at the tall tower. It was far too recent to have anything to do with the chalice. Bran was standing calmly next to Lance, who seemed to have decided it was his job to keep an eye on Bran and was looking out over the village. Alex watched him for a moment hoping that maybe he’d have a vision, or that something would happen to give them even a little guidance.

  Then Alex shivered slightly at a cold burst of wind and tightened her coat around her. It wasn’t as cold as she had been expecting and there was no snow on the ground, but the dark clouds overhead threatened rain. She couldn’t see the morning sun and felt a chill working its way up her spine only to be banished by an odd brush of warmth against her cheek. Glancing around in surprise, Alex couldn’t see anything, but the odd feeling lingered. She wasn’t sure what she was feeling. It was like a soft whisper in her ear and then like the brush of fingers over the palm of her hand the next. Alex inhaled deeply as they paused to take a break and tried to isolate the sensation. Toying with her fingers Alex tried to determine if she felt threatened by the feeling or if it might be something else.

  “What is it?” Bran asked. His voice seemed muffled in the cold winter air. “You look confused.”

  “I’m... well, actually I’m not sure.” Alex looked out across the fields and houses below. “It feels like, I don’t know, I’m being brushed, maybe poked at is a better way to describe it.”

  “Poked…” Bran repeated slowly with a raised eyebrow. “Uh…”

  “Don’t worry about it.” Alex laughed rather forcefully. “Probably just, well, everything.”

  “Possibly.” Bran nodded but looked around carefully.

  It was odd being the only group up on the Tor as they circled the tower. Alex wasn’t sure what they were supposed to be looking for. At that moment she felt downright silly as she waited for anything special to happen. She’d felt Cathanáil the moment it touched her hand: was it possible that she’d sense the Chalice? Alex grumbled at herself; she was hoping for clichés now. They were that lost and desperate, but then again they’d known that when poor Jenny’s father had paid for plane tickets from Oregon to Wales.

  Alex shifted as something moved in the corner of her eye, and the odd tingling sensation on her skin intensified. Alex rubbed her hands together, wondering if she was having some kind of allergic reaction or something. Then she began to hear something. It was an odd little chattering noise that was very faint as the soft breeze carried the sound around her. Turning around, Alex searched the hill for any sign of the source of the noise as it grew louder and louder. Thanks to the wintery British weather they were alone up on the tor, and she could see nothing that explained the noise. She noted that the others were looking around in confusion now too and shared a quick look with Jenny. Alex shrugged in confusion and noted a worried expression appearing on Jenny’s face.

  Whatever she’d been expecting didn’t prepare her for the sudden appearance of several small creatures around the base of the tower. They looked as if they had sprung out of the ground, and were unlike anything Alex had ever seen before as she examined one in a stunned silence. It was a small humanoid creature with dark gray skin that was wrinkled all over its face, but it had large violet eyes that made Alex hiss in recognition.

  Her hand went to her bag and for a moment she fumbled as she tried to find her iron dagger before the memory of leaving it behind in Portland caught up with her. In her chest her heart was beating faster even as she eyed the group; she could see ten of the little things. They were all dressed a little differently in what looked like old rags. One had what looked like an old knitted hat on that barely covered its pointed ears that jutted out awkwardly. These were the freaking fairies that she’d grown up hearing about, just more ragged.

  “We’re the only ones up here!” Nicki shouted. “Lance, Jenny you’d better stay back. We’ll take care of them”

  “Wait!” Bran said. “Try talking first.”

  He had a point, and Alex forced her magic to stay contained in her hand. She eyed one of the creatures and tried to keep calm even as the violet eyes narrowed at her. They shared that little trait with the Sídhe, and if Morgana and Merlin’s stories were right they shared a weakness to iron, but she wondered what else they shared.

  “What do you want?” Nicki demanded. She stalked forward and took position next to Alex and protectively in front of Bran.

  “Mages stink of iron magic,” the creature hissed in a thin scratchy voice. It sniffed loudly at the air. “Queen wants you dead.” Its violet eyes flashed brightly for a moment.

  For another moment no one moved, and the creatures shifted as if they were in pain, but it passed as one of them leapt forward with a snarl. Tugging on her magic, Alex let her instincts take over. Lightning jumped from her fingers to strike the nearest creature in the chest, knocking it back against the tower. More of them were appearing, s
queezing out of tiny holes around the tower’s base that Alex would have sworn weren’t there only moments ago.

  Lance glared at the small creatures as a couple rushed towards him and Jenny. Standing protectively in front of her Lance, in one graceful movement, dropped his backpack and stepped forward to kick the creature squarely in the chest. There was a dull thump sound blended with a crack just before the creature went flying through the air. It landed down the hill and released a sharp, pained scream as it rolled down the tor.

  They were fast critters, Alex grumbled as one of them dove away from the dark silver blast of her magic. Ice washed over the grassy top of the tor catching three of the small creatures. They tugged at their feet as a layer of ice crept up their legs and Alex couldn’t help but smile, impressed. But as she was focusing on those, one of the little stinkers darted forward and slashed at her leg with long sharp claws. Alex danced out of the way only to stumble over another of the creatures behind her. Falling backward, Alex released a blast of magic around her just before her back collided with the cold ground.