Ethan pulled a knife from a sheath and moved toward Katherine. Bill saw the blade and stepped between Katherine and Ethan. “Step out of my way, Bill. She has to die.”
“No. You aren’t thinking clearly. You’re drunk. Sleep it off. We can talk about this in the morning.”
“I’m not drunk! I’m thinking clearer than both of us. Step aside!”
“No, ya daft git! Will ya step back, Ethan! Step back, man!”
Dog pushed with his power and watched in delight as Ethan, his mind full of images of horrors that Dog was sending him, plunged the knife up under Bill’s ribcage and into his heart.
Bill cried out and grabbed at the knife before collapsing and sliding off the blade to the ground, his eyes wide, and staring lifeless. Ethan ignored him and moved toward Katherine. A previous thought which had eluded Dog sprung to mind. Inspired by his memories of Cala, Dog reached out and turned Ethan into a fine mist that blew away with the wind to disappear into the night.
Dog loped toward the camp. He understood his power now. He could have done this days ago. He could have done it in Cala. But he hadn’t known how. Now that he did, Katherine and he would accomplish anything they wanted. He was a good dog, and his tail wagged.
Nine
Munsten, December 901 A.C.
EREBUS MATERIALISED IN the room given to him beside President John Healy’s own bedroom. As soon as he was solid, he strode toward the door and pulled it open so hard the doorknob plunged into the wall and stuck fast. The noise was loud enough to raise a cry from the Outer Chambers where the President’s Guards stood watch. Erebus ignored them and moved over to Healy’s chamber door. He thought briefly of knocking, but he was too upset for such trivialities.
Curse that girl and her dog, he thought furiously. What did Gaea do? How has she managed this? She severed them. She has done it so cleanly that nothing remains of their former ties. They were back in the old world. The one I found when I woke. That cursed world too far removed from where it should be.
He reached out to place his hand on the doorknob and then used his power to reach into the fabric of the door and blast it clear of its frame. He wrenched it aside just as the outer door to the chambers started to open. With a thought he forced it closed to cries of alarm from the guards trapped outside and entered Healy’s bedroom.
Healy was waking in a frightened fit and trying to shrug off his tangled bed sheets. “No, no! Keep her away from me! No!”
“Silence!” roared Erebus. He felt a small sense of satisfaction knowing Healy had momentarily lost control of his bladder. The smell of urine, sweat, and alcohol filled the room. Healy’s eyes swam around the room in fear and finally locked on Erebus. “Gather the others. We must speak, now!”
Erebus allowed himself to dissolve and reassembled himself back outside Cala. He watched Katherine lying unconscious by the fire. Dog was beside her and licking her face trying to wake her. Perhaps the life salt will break her, he thought hopefully. It should damage her at least. He moved closer and then stopped when Dog whirled to face him. Erebus was surprised. He was at least two hundred yards away. Severed as he was, Dog should not be able to sense him. Worry began to fester in Erebus. Millennia had gone by since he had wakened and executed his purpose. For the first time, he recognised a true threat. He watched Dog and Katherine for several minutes and then retreated to Munsten.
He waited in the Privy Council chamber in the form of Kamal and watched as Healy’s advisors all entered wiping sleep from their eyes. Healy entered last.
"I’ve ordered tea and breakfast," said a sleepy Healy, moving to his place at the table. "It will be here momentarily. Kamal, what is all this? The sun is a couple of hours away. Why could this not wait? What has happened?"
Once Healy seated himself, they all sat and looked to Kamal for a response.
Kamal looked out at the vapid expressions and wanted to strike them all dead in that moment. Instead, he calmed himself and turned to General Miller. “A great threat has risen in the west outside Cala. Two demons have risen who make the demons in Turgany pale in comparison. I need the army to move at once and confront this threat.”
Miller blinked. “You want me to what?” He looked at Healy. “Sir, what is this? Why is Kamal ordering your army?”
Healy looked just as confused as Miller and Kamal growled causing all to turn to stare at him.
“You must send your army to the west. Between Cala and Salt Lake City are two demons. A woman and a dog. Their power is formidable. They must be stopped. They will come here, and all will be destroyed.”
Silence greeted his words. Miller looked a little sick. Healy was still waking up from an alcohol induced sleep. Only Kevin seemed to be awake and focused. Erebus looked from one to another waiting on a response from one of them. “What is it about this that you do not understand? Forget Windthrop and the demons. These two require your attention. Now.”
Kevin coughed once and spoke. “My dear Kamal, I hear you. We all do. We cannot move our entire army west to Salt Lake City. Not with a rebellious army in the south bent on taking control of the Realm. To do so would be suicide. You wake us suddenly and tell us a woman and a dog are more of a threat. And you present no evidence. You see how this could cause us to doubt your words?”
Kamal rose from his seat. “I tell you this: you must accept this truth and act.”
Kevin chuckled. “Sir, we believed in you before to our detriment. You said your armies would wipe these demons from the Realm. Both of your armies were decimated. We believed you when you said you would elevate our President to power above all in Belkin and yet there is open rebellion across the Realm. Please, explain to me how this time you speak truth?”
Kamal glared at Kevin and very nearly struck out at him when Kevin smiled.
“I have a better option,” he said quietly. “Allow my Sect to take care of this woman and her dog. We have a long history of dealing effectively against demons.” Kevin turned to Healy. “Allow your church to support you, President Healy. The Sect is yours to command. If we can help this emissary eliminate a threat to your rule, it would be my pleasure to make that happen.”
Healy stirred and looked at Kevin and this seemed to anchor him to the present. “The Sect? How? I never understood their power.”
“If I may, I will show you how in the Chamber.”
“The chamber? What chamber?”
“The chamber where the Sect drew power to defeat the demons,” Kevin said smugly. He then looked around the room at the other advisors. “This is a state secret, my friends. If word escapes this room, I will find you responsible for any such rumours.”
The others blinked in sudden understanding of the threat. Miller scowled. Kamal sat back down and felt himself calm a little. “Perhaps,” he murmured. “I know of this Chamber. Have you mastered the device?”
Kevin was visibly surprised and leaned forward. “You know of the Chamber and the device? How is this possible?”
“There are many things I know which would surprise you. Come take myself and the President to your Chamber.” He turned to Miller. “General, resume your training of the army. You are correct, the threat to your army is to the south.”
Kevin Balfour led Kamal and Healy down through the castle. All was quiet, and no one moved in the corridors at this early morning hour. The sun would not be up for another hour. Healy suddenly knew which way they were headed. He spoke up when they entered a corridor he knew well.
“The Archbishop’s room!” he exclaimed. “You are taking us to the Archbishop’s old office. Why?”
Kevin smiled over at Healy. “You will see, sir. I have taken up residence there. Once inside, all will be revealed.”
They walked the rest of the way in silence. Kevin stopped outside the door and then pushed hard on it. The door, thicker than any in the castle, swung open silently on well-oiled hinges. Kevin entered, and the others followed. Once inside, Kevin latched the door locked. A small fire burned low in the large hearth behind a
n ornate desk. Tapestries lined the walls, and the room was surprisingly warm and comfortable.
“It’s true, the Archbishop used to live here, right until he went insane. He had become addicted to the Tears. The drug had run rampant throughout the Church. Most of the bishops are addicts still. We keep them supplied to stop their pain. Withdrawal is severe. The Archbishop had lost his supply. It drove him insane—so much so that he attempted to take the life of our President.”
Kevin smiled at the President. In truth, he knew Healy had gotten the Archbishop addicted in the first place and then withdrew the supply. Healy had driven the Archbishop to insanity. He admired that in Healy. They were like-minded people. They had formed a kind of friendship decades ago. Healy had needed someone inside the Sect and Kevin had happily obliged. He was now the leader of the Sect and loved every minute of it. It was his life calling.
Healy smiled back at the shared secret. And then turned to look about the room. “Are you comfortable here, Kevin? It seems sparse. Lonely even.”
“Yes, very comfortable,” said Kevin. “There was a reason the Archbishop chose this room. It hides secrets. From here you can access the space between the castle walls. There are passageways that snake through the entire building allowing unexposed ability to listen in on the most private conversations.”
Healy seemed amused. “Yes, and I have used those passageways for years, they’re very convenient.”
Kevin moved over to the mantle of the hearth. He seemed to push at something with his thumb. A sense of pressure change filled the room and the tapestry on the wall next to Kevin sucked in to the wall momentarily. Kevin pulled back the tapestry to reveal an opening beyond. “Kamal, would you be so kind as to light that small lantern over on the side table?”
Kamal picked the lantern up off the table and lit it with a candle. The lantern gave off a soft yellow light, and he held it in his right hand. He looked a little annoyed to Kevin.
“If you could hand that to me, I’ll lead the way.”
Kamal handed over the lantern and Kevin entered the opening. Healy followed, and Kamal paused a moment to spy the worn button on the side of the mantle. It had seen many years of use. He moved into the opening and stood in a narrow corridor that ran the length of the wall disappearing into darkness. The secret door blocked most of the passage. Rat and mice droppings covered the floor. Debris dragged by the vermin lay everywhere. Cobwebs hung high on the walls and dust was thick in the air. The air was heavy with a mould and mildew smell. Healy covered his mouth with a fist and coughed twice.
Kevin grabbed the door and swung it shut. A soft click was heard when the door closed in place.
“From inside the chamber you would need to know the door exists to be able to locate it. The button, however, has seen better days.” Kevin then pointed to a small lever beside the door. “This will open the door from this side. Look for similar levers along the corridor. And eye slits. Please do not touch the levers but look through the openings if you must. There are many of those. Almost every room in the castle can be spied upon. Only a few have access to the secret corridor such as here. Please no talking, or only in a soft whisper. The rumours of ghosts in the castle will only increase if we are heard. Ha ha. Come. The Chamber is not far. Step carefully, the vermin litter the corridor with all sorts of things.”
Kevin led the way down the corridor. It bent and twisted around the walls of the castle. In places it branched off to delve deeper into the castle. Narrow stairs led up and down in many places. It was a labyrinth that would lose the hardiest of adventurers should they gain access. In the past, a few castle occupants had discovered the secret. The Sect was very good at convincing those poor individuals to remain silent. Either with a well-placed dagger, or a not-so-subtle threat against their family. It was children who proved to be the most worrisome. Their curiosity and little fingers got them into places they shouldn’t. Many a child had fallen from the castle walls in accidents.
After a long walk the corridor split suddenly away from the castle and ended abruptly at a dead end. Kevin hung the lantern on a small hook and then bent down and lifted a small section of stone. It was hinged underneath to the floor. When it was lifted a large brass ring could be found inset into the floor. Kevin grasped the ring and heaved upwards with little effort.
“The door is well-hidden. See how the edges are uneven and follow natural cracks in the stone? The opening is cantilevered to open easily. Watch your head going down. The steps are smooth and slick from years of wear. Kamal, please take the lantern with you. Stop at the bottom and wait for me.”
They did as they were instructed and carefully made their way down the smooth and uneven, worn steps. At the bottom they found that they were in a tunnel carved from the earth and shored every few feet with wooden trusses and breasting boards. The air smelt damp but fresh. A slight breeze could be felt on their faces. The length of the tunnel exceeded the lantern’s light and Kamal and Healy exchanged a glance.
“How much longer?” asked Healy.
“We are almost there. Just a little while longer.” Kevin took the lantern from Kamal and led the way down the dirt tunnel. In places the sawed-off end of roots could be seen, cut clean to the wall and ceiling. Healy judged they were well under the castle gardens and trees that were placed at the rear of the complex. In a moment, the tunnel started to slope sharply down. In places, it dropped by wooden stairs by ten or fifteen feet. They walked close to a mile and smelled the faint odour of salt on the air.
“The ocean?” asked Healy.
“Yes, the Chamber is open on the other side to the ocean. You will see,” replied Kevin. “We are at the Chamber now.”
They walked up to the heavy wooden door. It was braced with iron bands and inset into a heavy wooden frame. Kevin went up to the door and pressed a series of metal buttons skilfully crafted into a plate beside the handle. A sharp click was heard. Kevin grabbed the door handle and turned it deasil, then widdershins, then deasil once again. He pulled the door open on well-oiled hinges.
Beyond the door was another door that looked identical. Kevin had them all enter the large space between the doors and closed the open door behind them. He pressed a series of metal buttons rapidly and a sharp click was heard again.
“Look up,” said Kevin.
Healy did so and gasped. Above them loomed a heavy, steel grate with long, sharp spikes pointing downwards. There was a spike every six inches. They gleamed with oil in the light of the lantern.
“By the Word!” exclaimed Healy. “Are they oiled?”
“You might say that,” chuckled Kevin as he opened the door. “Poisoned oil. We are very thorough. Give me a second and we are through.”
“Why ever do you have that trap up there?” asked Healy, still staring at the spikes.
“This tunnel gives access to the castle from outside Munsten. We wouldn’t want invaders to gain easy access, would we?”
A short way down the tunnel was another door. Kevin repeated his ritual with the new door. Healy could see the sequence of buttons was different from the last one but could not follow the quick pattern. The door clicked, and Kevin pushed it open.
“Come through but stay close.”
Healy and Kamal walked carefully out into the corridor on the other side. Healy looked up and saw more oiled spikes. Kevin closed the door and entered another pattern on the metal buttons. Another click was heard.
Kevin turned and led the way. “If you had stepped out from under the spikes, you would have collapsed the tunnel. Only a few may pass at a time. When the doors are open, the ceiling is trapped to collapse. It has only happened once. It took years to rebuild it all. We don’t mess around with security. Follow me, please. We are safe now. But please, do not touch anything.”
The corridor angled to the right and the smell of the ocean grew stronger. The darkness started to recede, and then low-burning torches were seen. Kevin shuttered the lantern and set it on a small table with the others. Flasks of oil and t
inderboxes were arranged on the table. A normal door faced them, and Kevin stopped before it.
“Sirs, I present the Chamber.” Kevin opened the door and walked through. As Healy and Kamal entered the Chamber they gazed about in amazement. It was a massive natural cave measuring a hundred feet in each direction and vaulted at least twenty feet above them. Crystals of all colours were embedded in the walls and ceiling and reflected rainbow colours over all surfaces. The floor was a natural stone, carved smooth by tools and the passage of years of feet. On the far side was a calm lagoon. Torches on stands marked the water’s edge. A wooden dock had small rowboats tied to it. Healy could not see an exit from the lagoon to the ocean, but by the smell and breeze, there had to be one unseen from where they stood.
Their eyes were drawn to the centre of the chamber where a large rectangular altar of some kind stood. It looked to be carved out of the floor and was as much a part of the cavern as everything else. It rose to waist height and iron shackles and leather ties covered the flat top. Deep grooves ran the length of the shape and Healy observed at once that it was sloped down toward the far side of the chamber toward the water.
There were numerous workbenches to the right of them. Healy counted six of them. They were long, with equipment and storage racks mounted behind them. The racks were covered with all manner of strange instruments that gleamed. Jars and boxes filled every cubbyhole and space, but the racks and benches were meticulously taken care of and everything was placed with order. Healy noticed a couple of sturdy bookcases placed in a corner, with lounging chairs and a small table. It looked almost serene, but oddly out of place.
Kevin saw where Healy was looking. “A library. It contains our most precious manuals. Ancient beyond belief. Many of the books are copies, painstakingly copied from the originals.”
Healy nodded and moved over to the left side of where they had entered where high dividers were set up. He looked past them and saw small beds were placed behind the dividers. But his attention was drawn to a small shack built out of thick beams that lay a little farther on. Two torches on stands stood before its heavily padlocked door. Strange black cords came out the top and disappeared into the ceiling of the Chamber. Healy spun around to see everything he could. It was beautiful and horrifying.
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