Chapter Nine - The Impossible
We spent the night under the lighted complex and I found myself unable to sleep from the intense glare. Sedgwick slept like a log and clutched Iobar under his arm like a lost blanket; the little bird looked warm and snug. Prya was wide awake too and sat staring at the Timekeeper, with a slight smirk.
“Can't sleep?” I whispered.
“No, sleep is hard, most nights. Right now, I just want to watch a bit a hope, who rests amongst a gnome's arm,” she replied with a content smile.
“Your English is rather good, where did learn?”
“My mother was a teacher and bi-linguist. She was the one who saved these people before the dark got to her,” said Prya. “I have to be as strong as her; one reason why I lead these people because I can communicate with everyone. Communication is the key to survival.”
“My mother is gone too, way before everything changed. Unfortunate events of my father's political life had driven them off a cliff; literally. Your parents would be proud of what you've accomplished here.”
“Thank you, Lucius.”
Our conversation was interrupted by one of the scouts, who’d provided us with some disturbing news. The Maylok minions had doubled in numbers in Turin, no-doubt, my and Sedgwick's presence and confrontation with the vampire had alerted the dark forces.
I woke up my companions and entered an office of some sort. A large metal table was situated in the centre and a strange light hummed above.
“Those creatures you call Maylok have unusually gathered in numbers around certain areas across the world,” said Prya, whilst she pressed a switch on the table and an atlas appeared before us.
Sedgwick had whispered that it was something called a projection or hologram, created by a computer; I thought the future was going to be less confusing, compared to my era.
Prya zoomed in on our current destination and there were hundreds of shadows, circling a specific area.
“Those shadows are the enemy and as you can see, their numbers have gathered around The Castle of Rivoli. There must be a reason for this...”
Sedge shared his thoughts: “They are guarding the nearest entrance to a ley-line, they know of our intentions and are determined to stop us.”
“Can't we find another?” I said.
“I fear; all ley-lines will be guarded by the enemy. They've had plenty of time to prepare for this moment. We must reach the gateway otherwise this timeline will be permanently in shadow.”
“If we can change the future, then my people will help. I have a plan, master gnome...”
*
Later that day, we gathered our materials for the attack, which consisted of homemade weapons, salvaged from the debris. We were given a fully charged lithium rifles that could cut through any raw material. I had never seen a gun so advanced and I thought, if only we had the rifle against the German’s in 1915, the war would’ve been over within a day.
The rifles had been tested and perfected against the Maylok minions by the survivors, it was one reason why they were still living.
The billboard was close to our destination. Our plan was to hover over the darkness and drop a hoard of flash bombs. In theory, the bombs would’ve provided us some time to reach the ley-line.
I was worried at the prospect of meeting the vampire again and not knowing the specific location of the doorway within the castle. Sedgwick knew, but he wouldn't share. I think he was being overly cautious, encase the plan went wrong or he was being stubborn; he's spent years of keeping the secrets of the earth's energy under-wraps and away from any prying eyes, so he had a very good reason to tread lightly on the subject.
After the first assault, we agreed to rappel into Rivoli Castle and be escorted by a team led by Prya. We would rendezvous in the courtyard and leave half the team behind, as our first line of defence. It was risky and I didn't want any harm to come to the people, but if we succeeded, their lives would change drastically, and the apocalypse would be no more; if we failed... that was not an option.
Once inside the castle, Sedgwick would take the lead and he'd given strict instructions for only I to follow. They knew the consequences of travelling back in time would create an anomaly, which I'm sure the Timekeeper of that era, would erase from existence. The Gnome gave them the short version. It had the same outcome, so they knew their place and the risks, but they agreed all the same.
Five minutes before the first wave and the numbers of the dark still grew. Our team waited patiently around the docking bay doors. The bombs hung from the ceiling and there was a last-minute check. I was given a change of clothing; black armour that looked too complex for me to figure out within the time we had. The material wasn't metal, but it felt rubbery between my bare fingertips. I found multiple buttons on my wrists that caused an action and I was a bit reluctant to find out. It seemed to be the dress code for war, as every man and woman were armoured up for battle. Sedge had customised his particularly the size, but he’d made it work; there was even room for Iobar, who still attracted attention from the crew.
Like everyone else, I had a thick rope attached to my back and a young boy was at standby, near a switch that would detach the team, once we hit the ground.
I was nervous and excited; I've parachuted out of a plane before, which was part of my training in the royal navy, but I've never abseiled from great heights.
“Survivors! Are you ready to change your fate?!” shouted Prya. “Are you prepared to die for the cause?!”
The group banged on the floor with their weapons and chanted with acceptance of their fate, whilst the docking bay doors opened and released the hoard of flash bombs, to commence the first wave.
The bombs hit multiple targets.
A sea of shadow covered the Rivoli premises and scattered in all directions. We placed our goggles over our eye's and watched the ground light up white.
“Now!!!” commanded Prya.
We jumped from our safe-haven and glided towards the castle. The wind brushed against my hair and my ears felt like they were about to pop. I could hear a distinct sound, screaming from below; the Maylok creatures were reacting to the light. The swarm backed off considerably and we reached the ground.
“First group! Single line! Second group, with me!” commanded Prya.
The sound of plasma guns heated up and shots were fired at the remaining darkness, who braved the bombs. The shadowed creatures were in forms of animals and were crossed between many species. A dark grey wolf with the arms and legs of a tiger came out of the castle doors and attacked the people in front. It clawed two of our men, who were killed instantly.
I prepped my gun and fired a beam of red light. It caused the enemy to swell and disperse into ash. It was a common sight around us, as the darkness regrouped and attacked again. A swarm of flying rodents assaulted from above and we retaliated with a flurry of rounds. My gun heated up incredibly quick and smoke poured out from the barrel. I was shown how the battery worked and how to stabilise the weapon before we jumped, so it wouldn't overheat; I was too reckless and had to wait a couple of seconds before re-loading. That was my downfall, as I was knocked into the air and harshly thrown to the floor. I lost my breath and braced myself for the Maylok servant to vanquish my existence. Its snakehead plunged towards my skin and then evaporated into thin air and my face was covered in the black ectoplasm. The hand of Prya gestured for me to get up and I took her grasp.
“Lucius! You okay?!” shouted Sedgwick from afar; he had his own priorities but seemed to handle himself pretty well. I gave him a quick thumbs up and Prya checked my weapon. “Good to go, Lucius. Let’s get you and the Gnome into the castle.”
We made haste into Rivoli and reluctantly left the first group outside. We jarred the doors and Prya commanded the rest of the group to defend; we had two factions between us and the enemy.
“Quickly! Follow me!” said Sedgwick, and I raced after him, not knowing the young Egyptian leader had followed us.
We went t
hrough numerous rooms that contained many varieties of colourful art. The buildings 9th-century Roman architecture was visually stunning and was certainly fitting for Royalty. Every cemented brick would have had a story and a connection to the past. Paintings from all eras were displayed on the walls and we'd come across multiple strange sculptures that depicted some meaning, which was completely lost to me.
We stopped inside a room. There was a stone sculpture and it was darker than the skies. It almost looked like two hands were coming together in union.
“Which way now, Sedgwick?” said Prya.
“Why are you here?!” questioned the Gnome; his face crumpled up like an old sheet of plastic.
“I needed to get you there, personally; for my mother and father.”
The Gnome gathered his thoughts and scanned the room, but his decisions were made for him. I thought I'd imagined the black stone move, but a shadow seeped out of its cracks. It spoke: “You will not correct this world, Lucius Domhill... Knight of Eve.”
The dark had taken shape of the Maylok vampire who'd set a trap of its own. Its Bat like features became more prominent and its bloodshot eyes glared with malice. He attacked before we could react, and the creature struck me across my chest. Its claws had ripped a chunk from out of my armour and I was incredibly thankful to be protected by such technology.
Prya and Sedgwick opened fire on the beast and the plasma guns gave me enough time to regroup with my friends. I tried to retaliate with my own weapon, but it was none responsive; the battery was depleted from overheating. We got cover behind a pillar that held up a beautiful golden archway. The vampire dodged our efforts and retreated.
“He'll try and find another way around. We must go now and with haste!” warned Sedge.
I asked about our other problem. “What about Prya?”
“She can't go back now, not with the enemy about.”
I’d sensed, I wasn't the only one who'd taken a shine to our new friend.
We ran down a long white hall, which preserved many cased items; old and new. I didn't have time to look at the contents because the creature was instantly back in pursuit. The vampire flew through the side window and shattered the glass on impact. It brought reinforcements, who followed his commands and our pace quickened until we were cornered between two mirrors and an odd lifelike sculpture of a dead horse. The animal hung from the roof like it had been elegantly parachuted from a plane.
The Maylok minions stopped just a few feet away and slowly wedged us in. They were like a black tide, blocking every exit.
“There is no escape... your journey will end now...” threatened the creature.
I felt a warmth on my back and a bright light appeared behind us and the two mirrors swayed like water. Sedgwick had found the ley-line and the earth’s energy glowed ever brighter when touched with the Gnomes damaged key. The vampire realised his impending failure and rushed to fulfil his mission.
“Let’s go!!!” yelled Sedge, and I instinctively grabbed Prya by her arm and pulled her into the mirror. The laws of time travel had eluded me those few seconds and I thought only of saving her life, but at what cost?
Chapter Ten - The Last Druid
I opened my eyes beneath a shrub, with no recollection of passing through a doorway. We’d randomly appeared in York, England.
I got to grips with the change of weather and sat upon the wet ground. Sedgwick was face down in the long grass and began to stir. Iobar hopped out of his jacket and sat on my shoulder.
“You okay, Iobar?” I said with a grin; but my smile sloped downward, as I realised, we were one short... I frantically looked around my surroundings and the Gnome watched my panicked reactions.
“Where is she? - Prya!” I shouted.
“I warned you not to bring her...” mumbled Sedgwick, who was equally as upset as me.
I stared at my hands and recollected the last moments we had on the alternate earth. “I'm sorry, Sedge... but I couldn't leave her there - I pulled her in without a second thought. Your words had left me in those quick seconds, and I let my emotions get the better of me.”
Sedgwick placed his hand on my shoulder to console my reckless actions. I thought the days of causing mistakes were behind me, but I was still naive.
“She is now in a realm of nothingness, where those who should not exist, linger; the Timekeeper's prison.”
“So, she'll still be alive... we can help her! Free her from the prison and take Prya to an era, where she can live out her life. Sedge!? - Please!”
“I'm sorry Lucius, but that version of her is lost.”
“The white realm... Iobar! He could find her, surely he could help?”
“And go against his kind! No, I will not ask that of him; it is unfair. We all know the rules and the head Timekeepers would surely erase our little friend if he meddled in their affairs, and our mission to correct the balance of realms would be for nothing - we need him - Ullpli needs him - the world needs him,” explained the Time-Traveller. “Right now, Prya will exist in a time loop, an endless and continuous cycle of entrapment, which will repeat her days until the last. The kindness thing to do is complete our mission and in doing so, she’ll be freed.”
“Freed... you mean, completely, wiped from existence...”
“Unfortunately, yes; but much more alternate Prya's will exist between the dimensions. She'll still be born in your world, with the people she loved and cared for.”
“Then we certainly cannot fail...” I said. “She needs to be free, even if this is the only way... So, where to next. I know this is York because I can see the top of the Minister,” I said pointing towards a chapel rooftop; one I was very familiar with.
York was one of my favourite places to visit, especially in the summer when the sun was brightest. I liked the history and architecture of the buildings and cobbled paths. In fact, York is one of the oldest cities in the world and renowned for being haunted by the spirits of its past.
Once we gathered ourselves and ventured beyond the bush, we stepped onto the famous cobbled road and soaked in the historic town. Sedgwick was adamant that we were in the year 1139; deduced from the civilians' clothing and we’d somehow stumbled onto the cross-section of St. Michael line. It was certainly old England, the atmosphere caused me to think of Shakespeare and a Yorkshire tale of Robin Hood.
Not far from where we stood, my ears picked up a commotion; a very familiar name was mentioned. A priest and a monk argued. The subject sounded incredibly important.
We hid behind a tree to eavesdrop, although my gnome friend was oblivious to the reasons for my curiosity.
“I must see the Archbishop, Thurston!” protested the Priest.
“He has only returned to York and will not see anyone,” explained the Monk. “The peace treaty between the Scots has taken its toll on Thurston.”
“Please, this is important! I have a right to see him!”
“Your lunacy has destroyed your right to see the Archbishop; take your business else-where William Frankfurt. I will not be seen with the likes of you!” shouted the Monk. He turned his back on the man who'd been at the back of my mind, ever since I’d acquired his journal.
“It's him...” I whispered. “I can't believe our luck.”
Sedgwick was confused by the situation and quite right. “Why's this priest so important?”
The moment to unveil the strange journal to Sedge had finally arrived, after much delay in our venture through time. I pulled the leather-bound book from my futuristic uniform, (which we needed to change drastically) and handed it over to my friend. He scrolled the pages and stopped each time he read something only he knew.
“There is information on ley-lines; maps of the earth's energy,” he said. Sedgwick squinted his eyes to read the text, but he struggled. “This is Latin, but in a form of someone's own dialect; like a child's secret language. It would take me months to decipher.”
The Gnome peered over the book and his hard stare averted towards William. He whispe
red, “We must talk with him. I think the laws of time will not apply here.”
“Why?” I asked.
He replied, “Because we're mentioned in his journal.” Sedgwick pointed towards our black inked names, which were scribbled with such fluency.
Before we could talk to William, he was already off down the hill with purpose and paced with great strides. We followed with equal haste and borrowed two capes from a market stall; the dark green material covered our entire bodies and sported a typical medieval hood that draped over our heads.
Iobar flew on ahead, so we had eye's in the sky, and he alerted us when William strayed too far.
We walked the same roads, I’d travelled on, the last time I had visited York with my grandfather and Sammy; my dog. We went sightseeing for the day and saw many historical buildings that must have housed many past tales. We entered famous shops like The Armoury, which exhibited William Wallace's sword.
We kept our distance and made our way through the crowded Norman streets; I was almost flattened twice by some luxurious carriages that trundled along the muddy roads. There were shades of a recent Viking rule. It lingered over the castle and I found Nordic scribing’s on a pub wall; it was a good thing we'd changed out of our Icelandic attire... The streets seemed less narrow, but the houses were still slightly claustrophobic; they've always given me the impression of being overly snugged.
We passed by the entrance to what would become the castle's Museum in my elderly future, and we followed William Frankfurt along the boundaries of the limestone wall. The river Ouse ran for miles in each direction, like its brother Foss on the eastern side.
Lucius's World Page 7