Jacob left his body, as his consciousness raised from its confines. Floating and without form he looked down upon his own body.
‘I shall take you where you need to go. Just witness, my king.’
Jacob found he had no voice to raise questions. He was suddenly tugged high into the sky as the glade vanished beneath him. Higher and higher he rose until he could see the great port city of the south and likened it to an anthill, where the inhabitants were scurrying about their daily tasks, oblivious to anything but their tiny nondescript part of the world. Within moments, the port itself was just a smudge of grey in between the sea of blue and the great plains and forests of green. The mountain range he had crossed only days earlier appeared, a scar across the land, a natural barrier between the lands of the northern and southern parts of the kingdom of Man. Still Jacob soared higher and higher. He tried and failed to manoeuvre his formless body and realised he had no control; he was seeing sights with no eyes and it was wonderful.
He sped higher still until the lands of the kingdom gave way to the entire continent he had witnessed upon the maps in his uncle’s war hall, with the jungles of the Orc in a dark foreboding green devoid of the brightness of the trees in the forests of the kingdoms of Man, and the deserts he was destined to travel to on the king’s great quest. As his consciousness continued its upward trajectory, he saw it in all its entirety. The calm coastal seas gave way to great rolling oceans dotted with islands which Jacob had heard a hundred stories about, yet he had read very little about them. The continent he knew to be the world grew smaller and smaller until it was a tiny dot of green in a never-ending field of blue. And then he saw it. Land. As he transcended the heavens and saw the world as a sphere, he saw that across oceans, vast beyond his ability to measure, was a land that could engulf his homeland a hundred times over.
Albert’s voice came to him. ‘Yes, my king. There are many lands in the world, and many creatures who abide in them. Many with intelligence. This world is known, to those who know of such things, as Earth.’ Jacob tried to speak, but no sound issued forth and he realised he was trying to talk with no mouth. Then he comprehended. He imagined himself talking, and the words appeared on the air and were understandable.
‘It’s so vast. How could it be, yet be unknown?’ Jacob said, his voice sounding hollow as if a whisper in the dead of night.
‘The lands you know of as the kingdom are but a drop in the ocean, my king, and the world, but a drop in an ocean, vaster than the depths of imagination. Behold.’ With that Jacob flew upward at an immeasurable speed, yet he felt no discomfort and heard no sound from the wind as he burst forth from the clouds and into the darkness of the above. He saw the world at a distance as it circled the sun and Jacob was bereft of words, onwards he travelled, awed from the sights before him as he saw other worlds resembling the rare and expensive marbles of smoothed dyed stones used for games by the nobility.
‘There are seven planets in orbit around our sun. On the red planet closest to ours is a race of creatures that is both lizard and man. They have cold blood, allowing them to thrive in the sun that would cause men from our world such misery.’ Albert spoke to Jacob in the eerie silence of the majesty of the solar system.
Still Jacob had no words as his small personal world was being ripped asunder, and still he travelled though now he had no definition of up or down and he felt himself being brought outward, to a point of vantage. Out he travelled, past countless suns, all with planets of different colours and size. Giant moons circled some as they in turn circled their suns.
‘Each one of these suns is a star in the night sky on our world. We only see the tiniest portion from our world. But there is more, so much more.’
Within a moment, Jacob was before a sight impossible for a mortal to witness. A vastness of all he had beheld before, a swirling mass of stars and planets, moons and comets, millions upon millions of huge cosmic bodies seen from such a great distance, now looked as if dust in a giant vortex of incomparable size.
‘It is a wonder is it not my king. It is called a galaxy.’ As Albert said this Jacob was moved again outward until the galaxy he had witnessed was but one of many. ‘There are as many galaxies as there are stars in our galaxy, millions. We call the collection of these galaxies the universe. Behold.’
Jacob was again transcended until all around him there was a darkness so penetrating it overwhelmed the senses. He felt it seeping into his being causing panic and despair. Only one thing stood aside from the darkness, a small sphere filled with every colour in the spectrum. ‘This sphere you see before you is the universe, a small dot in the abyss of darkness, and now that you have some frame of reference your lesson begins. But first you must focus only on the universe and the sound of my voice. The darkness is more than the dark of night or the inside of a cave on our world. It is the Darkness of Nothingness, and it seeks to warp you to its will. Do not give it the attention of your consciousness lest you be dragged into the depths of its despair. ‘Before the creation of the universe there was only Darkness. There was not light, nor sound, nor sights, nor life. Not even time existed. And then, from out of nothing, the creator arose from His slumber and was appalled and sickened by the Darkness and so with His might and glory he brought forth His will and caused a release of energies so powerful it created all I have brought you to witness. But the gift of life was only a part of His great works. With it He brought forth time, the very thing that gives all He created a “lifespan”, the stars, the planets, mountains and rivers and everything He gave the spark of life to. He who is Greatest of them all created everything not of the Darkness and all that is good. But His creation disturbed and angered the Darkness, and It is ever bending Its will to consume the light and the good. The Darkness seeks to envelop the creation of the universe and restore the nothingness and It has power to do so if left unopposed.
‘A Dark Lord has risen! For we, on our tiny planet, in a cosmos so huge it confounds the senses, are His most loved and revered children and it is our world which the Darkness has come to destroy, in the first act of this war between the light and the dark, the good and the evil. The Dark Lord I spoke of is first amongst the Darkness’ minions. Its very touch anathema to life. It deceives and corrupts and will turn the world as we know it to the very visage of hell. And when all that refuses Its embrace has been destroyed, the servants of the Dark Lord will consume each other until the world is a dark mass of barren rock incapable of supporting any form of life. If the Darkness wins the battle for our “Earth” there is little hope left for the universe, my king.’
Jacob felt sickened by the enormity of what he was being told. ‘Why has not He who is Greatest of them all stopped the rising of this Dark Lord, or came to smite It with His great power?’
‘He does not have the power to destroy, my king, only to create!’ Albert replied in the tone of someone irritated by a child who had not taken the meaning of a lesson. ‘But yet He fights this war with His creations and through them His actions are carried out.’
‘It is almost unbelievable, yet I believe every word for I know it to be truth. Why do you call me king, Albert?’
‘Because you are His king, you are greatest amongst His creation, given to us in our time of need! You are His general and just as I have been granted the gifts I have in order to show you these things, and there are others who are granted gifts to thwart the Darkness, you are first amongst His warriors but there is more.
‘The Darkness’ will is to destroy and It will warp time itself to help aid Its plans to revert all to the state of nothingness. The creation of time allows for a lifespan and with it all life abides within its grasp. Every violent death distorts the fabric of time and gives power to the Dark Lord, and so It will deceive the weak-willed in order to cause chaos, war and deaths brought forward from their natural place. And the energy of those unnatural deaths will not return to the universe but instead be infused with the Dark Lord’s presence. You must not only fight the creatures who serv
e It willingly but deny It the deaths of all forms of life that do not. We are but mortal beings, endowed with power but mortal nevertheless, and knowledge of the future is denied to us. The wheels of war are turning and while many will fight against you not all will be the enemy of He who is creation, and you must endeavour to preserve peace.’
‘But Albert, I have taken life, life of the innocent to protect my ascendency to the throne. How can I be His chosen if I can do these evil deeds?’
‘I know your deeds, my king, and your heart, and the guilt and shame you carry. Yet you must endure, as many of us who also do deeds that cause us shame must endure. Likewise, you must lead this voyage to the home of the Elf. For while many will die, without you to quell the bloodletting many more will meet untimely deaths which in turn will only grant It more power. Time grows short my king and I grow weak. I shall only tell you this one last thing. The kingdom is such a small place in this world and if it becomes prudent, you must flee this land and continue to fight even if that results in your abandonment of those whom you love.’
Jacob came back to his body, and his eyes opened. He felt as if his mind had been torn in two as his consciousness returned to his physical being. The ache in his head was blinding, and he groaned in agony as he turned in the chair. Falling to his knees, he vomited violently. He groped around with his eyes closed against the pain, as he groaned Albert’s name. Silence answered him and panic began to rise. He felt around in the darkened room, fearing for his life as he struggled to control the pain. At last he felt Albert and was disturbed to find him on the floor. His concern over him helped him control the pain, and he was once more able to open his eyes. The blurry form before him slowly resolved itself and he could see blood had poured from Alberts nostrils, ears and eyes. He called out emotionally, but as his vision cleared completely, he quickly realised that Albert was dead, and his death had been hard. The flesh around his face was taut and dry, as if the moisture had been drained from his flesh, leaving it like parchment. Blood pooled around his head, having run freely from every orifice in the poor man’s head, as if he had suffered a huge haemorrhage within his skull. Jacob wept, realising that Albert had known, before taking him on the amazing journey, that the mental exertion would cost him his life and he had known this from the moment he spoke to him with the words, ‘One more thing, Jacob. Do not be disturbed by what will come after. It is known to me and has been for such a long time. It is welcome.’
But Jacob could not help but be disturbed. He felt an incredible weight upon his shoulders and at every turn men were dying because of him. He picked up the husk that had once been Albert, a man he had spent only a few hours with, yet with whom he had shared a bond that transcended time and space. Through the universe they had travelled, and Albert had given his life freely to award Jacob with knowledge. His demeanour turned stoic, and the tears were wiped away as he took Albert from the house and walked towards the glade where he had met him such a short while ago. Jacob stopped as he entered the glade and saw the two young fathers of the order weeping beside a freshly dug grave. Wilhelm, Zachary and Brondolf stood with shovels in their hands, now in armour that matched the suit Jacob wore, and it was clear they were waiting for him. Jacob walked beside the grave and gently placed Albert inside. Stepping back, he looked towards the two weeping priests of the order. ‘You know he has gone to his master, free from strife and pain, so why do you weep so?’ Jacob said, with more harshness than he intended.
The young fathers Stephen and Michael looked sheepishly towards the ground, then Michael looked up at Jacob, tears falling freely down his cheeks. ‘We shall miss him, Your Highness.’
Jacob nodded his head in understanding and said, ‘Do you wish to say any words over his body before we cover him?’
Both Michael and Stephen stepped forward and looked down upon the withered corpse of Albert. In one voice they spoke rhythmically.
‘In the beginning there was only He who is Greatest of them all. He awoke and with Him creation rose, and light illuminated our way. Our brother served Him well and for this he shall return to the One who made him. Blessings upon your soul, Albert.’
The two priests knelt to the pile of freshly dug earth and each took a handful, making the sign of the circle they then sprinkled the earth upon Alberts corpse. Jacob nodded to his men, and they filled in the hole while Jacob addressed the two fathers. ‘What will you do now?’
Stephen looked at Michael, confusion on his face. ‘Your Highness we were told to follow you. We have been training since we can remember to serve the one who comes when Albert leaves. You are our master now.’
Wilhelm, Zachary and Brondolf exchanged glances while Jacob just nodded in acceptance. ‘You may not like the journey, but you are welcome nonetheless.’
Chapter Twenty-six
Nightmare
Cameos looked down at the severed head of the elf he had respected more than any other when the sharp penetrating scream shocked him out of his lamenting. At first Cameos thought the scream had come from the shock of Malick’s execution but it was the scream of panic and fear, not of grief. Thakern looked to his chief as another scream cut through the temple, quickly followed by a third and fourth. The people gathered in the crowded temple all looked towards the origin of the disturbance and saw Elven figures running from the mouth of the great tunnel.
‘Thakern!’ Cameos called. ‘Lift me.’ Thakern put his hands together in a cradle and in one quick step Cameos stepped in his hands and as Thakern lifted his arms Cameos stepped nimbly onto the master of combat’s shoulders. Now with a vantage point Cameos could see clearly over the heads of the elves and terror greeted him. Elf and she-Elf alike were in close combat as a storm of creatures flooded out of the tunnel’s mouth. He focused his eyes and prayed to the Mother; a creature of myth had come to disturb their peace. Ratton! Humanoid rat beings from nightmares. Giant rats that were mutated and given intelligence from the Dark Lords, grown to seven feet in height and walking upon their rear legs. They resembled every characteristic of a grey rat but with the shape and form of a fully grown adult Elf.
Cameos gathered his wits and with one born to lead, he took a calming breath and gave his orders. ‘Joleata, lead the young and the old from the temple. Thakern, muster help upon the way and gather the fullness of our armoury. It is time we use our new steel in anger.’
As Joleata and Thakern hurried towards their tasks, Cameos bent and retrieved the dagger he had thrown at Macik’s feet. He threw the dagger at Talako, who snatched its wooden handle with ease. ‘My brothers, follow me’, Cameos said. His bloody sword held high as he ran towards the place of combat.
Cameos ran as fast as the crowds allowed as he frantically sought to aid his people and counter this attack. As he neared the sight of combat, a fresh wave of screams curdled his blood as he saw a group of four Ratton break through the Elven line of defence and fall upon an infant Elf chomping through the Elf’s unprotected flesh with incisors six inches in length. Clawed fingers shredded the Elf in seconds as his kin tried and failed to reach him in time. The anger that was vented on the Ratton was akin to its grievous crime, as those nearest the act turned as the youth had screamed and the Ratton fell under a wave of fists and kicks.
The area around the mouth of the great tunnel was awash with blood and the dead, and Cameos acknowledged with pride that there were few Elves amongst the fallen. More and more Ratton were attempting to breach their way through the few Elves that held them from entering the temple fully, and of the twenty or so Elves stemming the breach he could see none who were not sporting serious wounds. His people were brave. They would fight until death dragged them from this world and still they would be fighting.
Cameos waded into battle with the ferocity of a being possessed. His blade was dancing from side to side as he overtook the Elven line and began his vengeful slaughter. Talako at his side, they worked in perfect unison, halting the storm as they decimated the Ratton who had left the tunnel mouth and continued to push
them back until only the dead remained, the Ratton claws proved no match for sharpened steel and Elven speed. An anger Cameos had never felt before gave him an edge he had never known before as he stormed into the gloom of the unlit tunnel. He saw movement ahead of him and acted on impulse, taking a creature in the throat as his hunger for retribution continued unabated.
‘Cameos!’ Thakern called from the mouth of the tunnel. ‘My chieftain!’ he called again, edging into the tunnel with lit touches. Thakern and Talako called out nervously as they edged further into the gloom of the tunnel.
‘You should have stayed by his side’, Thakern reprimanded Talako.
‘We were fighting side by side, then he was gone’, Talako replied.
Cameos came out of the dark and into the torchlight, his face a mask of controlled rage. As he became fully illuminated, those gathered with weapons could see he was drenched in blood and gore. ‘Fear not, Thakern.’ He turned and addressed the fifty or so Elves who now stood in a rough semi-circle at the tunnel’s mouth. ‘We have seen now with our own eyes the forces of evil that stand against us. We thought Ratton merely myth, stories to frighten wayward children, and yet now we know them to be truth. The path we have begun to walk will be fraught with many enemies. This day we shall destroy them! We shall track this foe like the vermin they are and kill them all. With me!’
Without waiting for a response, Cameos turned and strode purposefully down the tunnel, now lit from the half dozen flaming brands carried by fifty of the best warriors of Elven Earth. They followed their chieftain without question or hesitation as they marched the path to war. The bodies of the Ratton Cameos had slain lay about in their death throes. The amount of blood was testament to the lethality of Cameos’ blade.
The Banner of the Broken Orc: The Call of the Darkness Saga: Book One Page 27