The Prince of Manhattan

by Alexei Iskander

  Miranda sat up and let out a second yawn, “What time is it?” she asked.

  “I don’t know, I’d say two hours or so after dawn” Leofric answered.

  Miranda pulled out her smartphone, “it’s 8:30, my alarm was supposed to go off in just ten minute’s time”.

  “I’m ready to head off when you are” Leofric announced.

  “Hold on let me get my bag” Miranda replied. She got up and found her backpack which had her laptop, cash and some food in it. She pulled out some breakfast bars and shared them with Leofric. They both munched them down quickly, Leofric feeling restive and itching to get going. “Come, let’s not waste time” Leofric said. “Every moment that passes is a moment that the crows hunt for us”. He slung his own backpack over his shoulders and made his way towards the stairs. Miranda caught up with him and they walked a brisk pace down the stairs to the ground level. They crossed through the floor and left the library, entering the sunny NYU campus. Miranda took the lead, guiding Leofric across Washington Square Park and onto the nearest subway station. As they marched over the greenery Leofric noticed that the several of the students were wearing strange costumes, strange even by the standards of New York City. One of the students they passed by was covered in fake blood, torn clothes and makeup that gave his face an unearthly pale colour. “There seems to be a number of people in unusual outfits today” Leofric remarked.

  “It’s the summer ball” Miranda replied. “It’s a party they hold twice a year which usually ends in everyone getting drunk and drama breaking out”.

  “Sounds like a good time” Leofric said.

  “I’ve never been” Miranda admitted. “I was invited to go tonight but it looks like that’s not going to happen, seeing as I’m busy helping an ancient prince save his lost kingdom and all”.

  “I’m sorry about that” Leofric stated.

  “Don’t be, I don’t think I’ll be missing out on much to be honest” Miranda replied. They reached the subway station and descended into it, Miranda paid the toll and they waited on a platform for their train to arrive. Both of them were wearing their hoodies to keep their identities hidden. Leofric kept an eye on the other commuters, he was wary for any sign of the monsters. The train arrived and they both boarded, taking seats in one of the main carriages. Leofric was used to the steel behemoths by now, he didn’t feel the fear and trepidation that he’d originally felt when he’d encountered them. Familiarity breeds contempt. The doors closed and the train whisked off, racing in the direction of the Upper East Side.

  “I should really show you the sights” Miranda interjected in the silence. “New York has landmarks that are famous all around the world, I’m sure you’d love them”.

  “I don’t doubt it, I’ve been overwhelmed during my short stay in this city” Leofric replied. “Back home a two story building is considered an accomplishment”.

  “Times Square, Broadway, the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden” Miranda listed off a series of names that meant nothing to Leofric but were evidently important. “You can lose yourself in New York for a lifetime and not discover everything”.

  “I believe it” Leofric intoned. “I’ve seen more people in the few days I’ve spent here than I’ve seen in the previous twenty five years of my existence. They’re more people living on a street here than there are in a whole fiefdom back in Northumbria”.

  “I’ll take you to Times Square at least before this is over” Miranda said.

  “I would appreciate that” Leofric replied. They passed the next few minutes in silence until Miranda broke it once more. “I have a question if you don’t mind” she inquired.

  “My ears are eager” Leofric said.

  “Those monsters, were they normal in your time?” she asked. “I’ve never read about them in history books and people wouldn’t believe you if you said they existed”.

  “I didn’t believe that such things existed either” Leofric replied honestly. “I suppose when you have a powerful witch however you can do anything. Those creatures were Picts once, tribal raiders who swept down from the north and raided our lands intermittently. My uncle made an alliance with them in order to aid his rise to power, he must have given some of them to Siana who transformed them into monsters”.

  “It won’t take long for them to find the body in my apartment” Miranda remarked. “I’ll have to buy some acid and dissolve it in the bath tub”.

  “And what if they do?” Leofric asked. “In Northumbria if you slay a man then you shoulder the burden of the resulting blood feud. Then it’s a matter of fighting it out with the victim’s family or paying weregild as restitution”.

  “This isn’t dark ages Northumbria unfortunately” Miranda asserted. “Here we have a thing called the police and if they find a body in my apartment then they’ll have some pointed questions for me. If I don’t answer well then they’ll throw me in prison for the next decade or two”.

  “So who appoints the police and gives them their power?” Leofric asked, intrigued by this new knowledge.

  “The government hires and appoints them” Miranda stated. “They also pay their wages and give them their tools and weapons”.

  “You said that America is a democracy did you not?” Leofric questioned.

  “I did yes” Miranda acknowledged.

  “And in a democracy the folk of the kingdom can vote for their rulers and their laws” Leofric continued.

  “That’s correct in theory” Miranda answered. “Though it’s a little more tricky in practice”.

  “Then why not simply vote the police away or vote for the freedom to decide your own affairs?” Leofric naively asked.

  Miranda let out a small chuckle, “if only things worked that way. Unfortunately the way things work is that we vote and nothing changes. Also as nice as it is to have freedom, I doubt the average American today would be enthusiastic about solving disputes and crimes with blood feuds”.

  “Not much of a democracy in that case then” Leofric remarked.

  “I guess not” Miranda commented.

  The train came to a halt and the two got out and ascended to the surface. “Welcome to the Upper East Side” Miranda declared.

  “This city is like a maze with no way out” Leofric ruminated.

  “It certainly feels that way sometimes” Miranda replied. She led him through the streets, Leofric keeping his eyes peeled for any suspicious activity. So many of the people act erratically here that it’s hard to tell if they’re monsters or just lunatics. They reached a massive expanse of green and Leofric gazed at the welcome sight like a wolf eyeing a sheep. It’s nice to see some greenery amongst all this cold brick and stone. “This is Central Park” Miranda announced. “It’s the largest park in New York and one of its most famous landmarks”.

  “It’s a sight for sore eyes” Leofric replied earnestly. I wouldn’t mind taking her for a walk in those soft glades. “The bookshop isn’t far from here” Miranda added before walking down the street opposite to the park. Leofric followed her lead and they passed dozens of different stores before she stopped in front of a gloomy, run down looking place. There was a curtain in front of the window and above it was a sign reading ‘Gallagher’s Emporium’. The door was closed.

  “This is it” Miranda floated. She pushed the door open and walked in, Leofric close behind. The air was musty and Leofric’s eyes took a few moments to adjust to the dim lighting. The room was laid out in a rectangular shape, with bookshelves on the sides of the walls and tables with books laid in the centre. At the back of the room was a passageway which led to another rectangular room filled with books. “Hello is there anything I can help you with?” came a raspy voice. A figure emerged from the darkness, a small aged woman in a black dress. “Hi, we’re just looking for a book on spells, it’s called ‘Guide to spells from Siana of Northumbria to Pelegus of Padua” Miranda answered.

  “Hmmm” the old woman hummed. “We do have a number of books on spells, let me check my cata
logue to see if we have it”.

  “Thank you” Miranda said as the old woman shuffled off.

  “I’ve never seen so many books before” Leofric remarked, glancing over the many titles on display.

  “Did you enjoy reading back in Northumbria?” Miranda asked.

  “If the story was interesting” Leofric replied.

  “Well I’m sure there are lots of interesting stories lying around here” Miranda claimed.

  “I wager you’re correct” Leofric said. “A man could get lost in here for years and not even scratch the surface of what’s written here. Ethelburt would fall in love and never leave if he could see this place”.

  “Ethelburt?” Miranda questioned.

  “The scholar who taught me” Leofric responded. “He loved books like other men loved mead”.

  “Sounds like my kind of guy” Miranda asserted.

  “He was a good man, I wouldn’t be half the man I am today if it wasn’t for him” Leofric ruminated.

  “I’ve found your book” came the voice of the old woman. Leofric turned his head around to see her approaching them. “It’s in the back near the black magic section” the old woman added.

  “Thank you” Miranda replied.

  “It’s filed under T” the woman continued.

  “Thank you for your help” Miranda repeated.

  “If you do end up purchasing it then just be careful” the woman said. “Magic like that has a will of its own and it’s not always friendly”.

  The words sent a chill down Leofric’s spine but he kept his stoic composure. “We’re aware of that” Miranda said. “We’ve always been careful with these things haven’t we honey?”.

  “We’ve always taken the proper precautions” Leofric affirmed.

  “Well then happy hunting” the woman said, before shuffling off.

  They made their way down the store and through the passageway, into the back section. The next room was larger than the first and had bookshelves on the walls and in a single line in the middle with a few breaks for people to pass through. “Honey?” Leofric asked softly.

  “I wasn’t thinking straight” Miranda replied in a hasty whisper. “I just said the first thing that came to mind, it was good, it made us look like we’ve known each other”.

  “I was just wondering if it’s normal for people to refer to each by honey in this time” Leofric stated. “It just seems odd to me”.

  “Honey is pretty common yeah” Miranda said.

  “Among friends?” Leofric quizzed.

  “Among very close friends” Miranda replied. So she used a term for me that only close friends use. Leofric’s heart swelled and he felt his emotions rise concurrently. How much longer am I going to lie to myself and pretend I don’t feel anything for her? It’s silly, by all reason she should be another ordinary girl but something about her… Maybe I don’t feel anything but I think I do because of how mixed up my emotions have been recently? That it’s just the emotional shock of losing my father and being exiled confusing me, yeah I can go with that, that’s at least somewhat convincing.

  “The black magic section must be back here” Miranda asserted, walking to the other side of the room and then walking down. “Here it is” she said stopping in front of the bookshelf by the right wall. Compared to the other books, the ones in this section looked even more ancient and dusty to Leofric. He got a feeling of discomfort just being around the stale tomes. There’s power here, power and evil, things that men should’ve never trifled in. His sword was in his backpack but Leofric found himself wishing he had it in hand. He practically felt naked without it by his side and especially so in this grim setting. “Look for T” Miranda said, perusing the shelves. Leofric looked closely at the bindings of the book, trying to make out any prominent ‘t’. “Aha, here it is” Miranda declared pulling a book out of the shelf. “Guide to spells from Siana of Northumbria to Pelegus of Padua” Miranda narrated. “Written by Jon Tarthage”. She held the book up and Leofric gazed over it, it was a dusty thing, worn at the edges and showing signs of decay. The cover had a depiction of a group of men standing back from an open flame while a dark figure emerged from it. “Shall we take a look at it?” Miranda asked.

  Leofric solemnly nodded his agreement, his eyes focused on the book. Just looking at it made him uncomfortable, the tome made the air itself feel ominous.

  Miranda opened the book up and started reading aloud. “It says that this book was written by Jon Tarthage, a medieval scholar who drew upon numerous sources that are now lost to us. The book was never circulated during the author’s lifetime and it wasn’t until the nineteenth century that it was discovered amongst a host of old manuscripts at the Tarthage monastery on the Isle of Man. It’s only been published twice, there was a brief run in the early twentieth century and a second run recently which was carried out by the Classical Revival Society as part of its program of publishing old texts”. Miranda flicked through the rest of the introduction. “So the book begins with a narration by Jon Tarthage, he says that he’s writing this book for future ‘Sorcurers, Magickes, Wizzards and Doctors’. He mentions that he’s compiled spells from ancient times all the way up until present day which for him means the thirteenth century”. Miranda flicked through some more pages. “So this is the section on Siana of Northumbria, he starts off by claiming that she was the queen of Northumbria for a time and that she was the most potent sorceress of her era. It goes on to say that she was executed and implies that it was due to her tyranny, apparently she required the sacrifice of innocent lives to work her magic”.

  Leofric listened to Miranda’s words coldly. Thinking about the denizens of Northumbria, the folk he’d grown up with, being tortured and massacred by this evil witch made him both furious and feeling impotent. “There’s a warning here as well” Miranda continued. “It says that these spells are very powerful and dangerous and if they aren’t performed properly they can lead to madness, death or worse”. She turned the next page. “Here’s the list of spells, there’s love spells, summoning spells, transformation spells oh wait, there’s a teleportation spell”. Leofric’s chest flared up with adrenaline at that last word. Miranda flicked through the next few pages hurriedly. “Okay here it is” she added. “There are three teleportation spells that can be initiated” Miranda stated. “The first is sending an individual across space, this can be done relatively simply compared to the others. The second is to send an individual across time and space but only briefly, once the spell wears off they return to their starting point. The final spell is to send an individual across both time and space permanently, this one requires the greatest investment of all”.

  “That’s it” Leofric declared. “That’s the one she used, what else does it say about it?”.

  “That in order to both carry out the spell or reverse it you need to be an experienced magical practitioner” Miranda stated. “And that a sacrifice is needed in order for the spell to go ahead”.

  “What kind of a sacrifice?” Leofric asked.

  “This is really macabre” Miranda replied with revulsion. “It says that you need the livers of five pure maidens for the spell to work”.

  Leofric’s initial hopes came crashing down in an instant. He would have to mass murder innocents to secure his return to Northumbria and that wasn’t something he was willing to do. Why must the fates toy with me so?

  “Wait there’s more” Miranda said excitedly. “It says that if you can at least access a location with immense magical properties during an event in which magic is strong then it can offset much of the need for a sacrifice”.

  Leofric’s broken soul perked up at hearing that if only a little. “What kind of examples does it give of magical locations and events?”.

  “Huh...” Miranda returned. “It seems like he’s listing off festivals and certain locations in England, there’s also a smattering of places in Europe”.

  Leofric mentally pictured the world in his head, trying to remember how far Euro
pe and England were from New York City. Miranda had shown him a globe of the world in the library and he’d stared at intently for a great deal of time, fascinated and trying to memorise where everything was. One of the things he distinctly remembered was how small Northumbria and England as a whole was on the planet, it was barely even a fraction of the world’s surface. “How hard would it be to travel to Europe?” Leofric asked aloud. “There’s only the Atlantic sea to cross is there not?”.

  “Yeah, we could fly there, it wouldn’t take long” Miranda replied. “It’s expensive though and I don’t think many of the festivals he lists here even occur anymore”.

  “When’s the next festival on his list?” Leofric asked.

  “It says here that it’s in four weeks” Miranda replied. “The Festival of the Sun in Milan”. Four weeks? We don’t have four weeks. Those monsters will have hunted us down by then even if we crossed the sea tomorrow. “Wait, it does mention something interesting here” Miranda said. “It says that there’s an old Anglo Saxon tradition known as the ‘Summer Bliss’, it says that this festival has been practised since ancient times and continued up to the present day in other forms. It says that it changed names many times but retained the same significance, one of the names it has listed is summer ball”.

  “So that means-” Leofric began.

  “It means that the summer ball is descended from the Summer Bliss and that it’s a magical occasion” Miranda finished. Well that makes things easier.

  “I can’t believe I’m reading this, this is so surreal” Miranda said. “It mentions that any temple or hall that holds the Summer Bliss more than three times in a row becomes magically charged due to hosting the event”.

  “How long has your university held the summer ball?” Leofric quizzed.