Heart of the Crown

by Paul J Bennett

  "We are doing all we can, Highness," offered Sir Arnim. "We've narrowed down the possible home of this creature to a considerable degree, but much of the city still remains unknown to us."

  "We should be engaging the townsfolk," offered Hayley. "They know the city better than anyone in charge."

  "An excellent idea," added Beverly. "That would save a lot of time."

  "What are we looking for?" asked Dame Aelwyth. "Can you be more specific?"

  "We're looking for an abandoned building," Hayley replied. "It will have to have a roof that would support a fairly large creature, so no steep slopes. We think it takes its victims there to eat so it would have to be able to hide them."

  "Wouldn't dead bodies smell?" offered Sir Barnsley. "Surely someone would smell something?"

  "A good point," commented Anna. "I hadn't thought of that."

  It was the mage, Revi Bloom that spoke next, "There might be a reason why no smell is reported."

  "What's that?" asked Anna.

  "I propose that the creature might be using venom to paralyze its victims."

  "What makes you think that?" asked Sir Howard.

  "There was no sign of blood at Gerald's last location. If he was carried away, he was likely still alive. Even an injured man can cry out if needed."

  "Couldn't he have been unconscious?" asked Aubrey.

  "Certainly, but the attack would have had to be perfectly timed to take him down without a struggle, and what of all the other disappearances. Could no single person find the strength to cry out? No, I believe it's using some sort of venom to do its dirty work, and that means some of them may still be alive. Remember, we still have yet to find any bodies."

  "I find the whole idea revolting," offered Sir Barnsley. "The very idea that it's keeping its victims alive is exceedingly grotesque."

  "It's imperative," said Beverly, "that we act as quickly as we can. I suggest breaking into four groups. We'll approach the area within this circle from north, south, east and west."

  "Well said, Beverly," added Anna, "we'll do precisely that. Arnim, you will enter from the north, along with Sir Barnsley and Sir Howard. Revi, you'll take Aelwyth and Dame Juliet in from the east. Hayley, you, Dame Levina, and Dame Abigail will enter from the west. That leaves Beverly, Aubrey and myself to enter from the south."

  "I must object, Highness," said Arnim. "That would leave you dangerously exposed."

  "Beverly is more than capable of guarding me, and Aubrey is a healer. Besides, we'll have Tempus with us. Now let me make something perfectly clear: I'm going!" She looked around the table, daring anyone to speak, but they all wisely remained silent.

  The door opened, as if on cue, and Sophie entered. She was carrying a tray with something heaped on it. "Perfect timing, Sophie," said Anna. "I had Sophie carry a message to the soldiers stationed here. They've given us some horns to use as a signal. I want every group to make sure they've got at least one person who knows how to use them. Nothing fancy, just blow the horn if you find the lair. If anyone hears one of these go off, you head toward it as quickly as possible. Any questions?"

  "Where, precisely, do we enter the area?" asked Revi.

  "I've already marked the entry points on the map," the princess said. "In addition, Sophie has directions for each of you."

  Beverly looked up in surprise, "You've been quite busy, Your Highness."

  "I wasn't in the mood for sleep," Anna retorted. "This gave me something to do."

  Alric had risen early and was heading toward the Citadel, Jack in tow. He noticed the Mercerian group heading out of the mighty fortress and rode to intercept them.

  "What's happening, Highness?" he asked.

  Anna gave him a stare that warned him to back off. It was Lady Aubrey who rode over to explain. "We're off to locate Commander Matheson," she said.

  "You know where he is?" asked Alric.

  "Not precisely, no," admitted the new mage, "but we will soon." She looked over Alric's shoulder, past Jack. "It appears you have other, more pressing matters to attend to, if I'm not mistaken."

  Alric turned, trying to see what she was looking at. Off in the distance, he saw Brida riding toward him. He cursed at his bad luck and turned back to talk to Aubrey, but she had spurred her horse to join the princess's entourage. He was tempted to run after her, but the Clan Princess was now calling his name.

  "Alric, I'm so glad I found you." She rode over to him, pulling her horse close so that they were almost leg to leg. "I do hope I'm not interrupting anything?"

  "Actually..." said Alric.

  "I'm sure it's nothing important," she continued. "Your brother wants us to get to know each other. I can't have you riding off with other people when I'm trying to learn more about you, can I? We must find something to keep us busy today."

  Alric stumbled for words. A fragrance in the air intoxicated him, and he found himself bereft of objection. "What would you like to do?"

  "I don't know, I was hoping you might suggest something? Didn't you say you liked tournaments?"

  "I did, yes," he fumbled.

  "Excellent, then it's decided. Come along then, Your Highness, we have things to see and people to meet."

  Alric was led away in confusion.

  Hayley, Levina and Abigail had entered the search area and were keeping their eyes out for any indication of a nest of some sort. The shopkeepers were just setting up in the early morning sun, and Hayley looked at a vendor with a vegetable cart who was stocking his wares.

  "Might I have a word, sir?"

  The man looked startled, "I beg your pardon?"

  Hayley dropped a coin onto his cart. "I was wondering if you might help me, I need some information."

  He lifted the strange coin to his eyes, examining the image of the warrior's crown of Merceria that was emblazoned on it. Satisfied that it was valuable, he tucked it into his pouch.

  "What type of information are you looking for?"

  "We've been investigating some disappearances in these parts. Perhaps you've heard of them?"

  "I have indeed," he admitted. "Terrible they are, but I don't see how I can help you."

  "We think the perpetrator is holed up somewhere in an abandoned building. He'd likely have a vantage point where he can see the whole area. Do you know of any building like that?"

  "Let me think now," the man said, scratching his head. "There's an old temple a couple of blocks away."

  "A temple? Tell me more," she urged.

  "It's been abandoned for years. They say it was founded by a holy man who arrived from across the sea and preached about five holy saints. I don't know much about it, but in my grandfather's day, it was quite popular. They used to peal the bell to call the worshipers to Morning Prayer. When the priest died, there was no one else to carry on, so the temple fell into disuse."

  "How long ago was this?" Hayley asked.

  "I reckon the bells haven't been rung for nigh on fifty years."

  "Can you tell me where I would find it?"

  "Well, you can't see it from here because the streets are too narrow and the houses block your line of sight. But if you go down two blocks and turn south, it should be visible, it'll be on your left-hand side."

  "Thank you," said the ranger, "you've been most helpful."

  They made their way down the street, keeping their eyes open. No sooner had they turned south than the ranger's keen eyes spotted their target.

  "There it is," she said.

  "Not very grandiose, for a temple," retorted Dame Abigail.

  "The merchant said it was built by a foreigner, he likely didn't have a rich purse," suggested Hayley.

  "It's big enough for worship," said Levina, "and the old bell tower offers a commanding view. I suspect we've found our target. Shall we call the others?"

  Hayley thought it over a moment before responding, "I suppose so, but let's not get too close yet. If it is inside, I don't want to scare it away, we want to get in there and deal with it once and for all."
/>   Abigail lifted the horn and gave the signal; three short notes. A moment later the response came; two longer notes. It was repeated two more times, telling them that help was on the way. They waited, two blocks from their target, repeating the call after a suitable time. Once more the replies came, this time getting much closer.

  It was Tempus who came into view first. He was galloping down the street, Anna in hot pursuit. Beverly trotted along behind while Lady Aubrey struggled to keep up in her dress. It was a comical sight, for Aubrey was clutching her dress and holding it above her knees to avoid tripping herself.

  Anna had already spotted the temple. "You've found it!" she exclaimed.

  "We think so, Highness. A vendor told us it's been abandoned for years. It meets all the criteria. We chose not to advance until everyone was present."

  "A wise move," Anna agreed. "We want to stop this creature before it can move along. You and Beverly move closer and take a look around, but under no circumstance do you enter yet. Understood?"

  "Yes, Highness," Hayley responded.

  "We'll join you as soon as the others arrive. We need to know all the doors and windows that might be used before we make a move, so see what you can ascertain."

  Beverly and Hayley moved south, toward the temple, while the rest waited. Revi's group arrived shortly thereafter. They had already encountered Arnim's group, and now the six of them were marching up the street, right past the very building that was their target.

  "I take it you found something?" asked the mage.

  Aubrey stared at her mentor in disbelief, "Didn't you notice the building you just walked past, Master Revi?"

  The mage stopped suddenly and looked back the way he came. "Oh, I suppose I didn't. Is that our target?"

  "None other," replied Aubrey, shaking her head. He could be oblivious to his surroundings at times, and she hoped this wasn't a by-product of magic, for she would hate to find herself in a similar situation.

  "What are we waiting for?" asked Arnim.

  "Hayley and Beverly are taking a quick look before we enter. They should be back shortly," offered the princess.

  It didn't take long for her prediction to come true for Beverly and Hayley were soon trotting back up the street.

  "It's a simple structure," remarked Hayley, "with only two doors. The main double door is facing the street, and there's a door at the back, likely leading into the priest's office, beneath the bell tower. I suspect they're both locked."

  "What of the windows?" asked Arnim. "Any sign we could get in that way?"

  "I'm afraid not," replied Beverly. "They're high up and covered with stained glass. I don't think they're made to open. The only other entrance would be the bell tower."

  "Precisely as we thought," said Revi.

  "How shall we proceed?" asked Dame Juliet.

  "We'll split into two groups. Beverly, you pick three people and try getting in the back door. The rest of us will go in through the front."

  "I'll take Hayley, Aubrey and Levina," the redhead stated.

  "Very well, let's get going, we don't want to waste any more time,' said Anna.

  They were soon in position. Beverly grasped the handle to the priest's door, but to no one's surprise, it was locked.

  "What do we do now?" she asked.

  "Let me have a look," offered Hayley. She knelt while she examined the lock. "It looks to be a fairly standard lock, if only we had a key. Aubrey, do you have a spell we could use?"

  "Only if you want me to put the door to sleep," she countered, "even magic has its limits. We'll have to force it."

  "There's some timber over here," observed Levina. "They must have stacked it years ago to cut up for firewood. We could use a larger piece as a sort of battering ram."

  They looked over the woodpile, and then Levina and Beverly pulled forth a likely candidate.

  "Try to strike the lock as best you can," suggested Aubrey. "It's likely the weakest part."

  The two knights stood to either side of the log and hefted it forward. It struck the lock solidly, bending the handle and providing a satisfying noise as the metal started to give way. They hefted the wood once more and were rewarded with the snap of metal. The door swung inward, revealing a narrow corridor leading to the main hall of worship. To the left was a small room, though sparsely furnished, it had obviously been the priest's office while to the right was the stairwell leading to the bell tower.

  Levina poked her head into the stairwell. "It appears to be blocked by debris," she said, "though it looks a decent size up there, from what I can see."

  "It would make sense," said Hayley, "the bell's quite large. It would take a strong structure to hold it in place."

  Without warning, the door from the nave opened, and in walked Arnim.

  "Arnim!" said Beverly. "We didn't hear you breaking in."

  "That's because we didn't," he replied, "I managed to pick the lock."

  Beverly wore a look of surprise, "I thought you used to be a member of the town watch?"

  "I was," he confirmed.

  "So when did you learn to pick locks?"

  "It's surprising the things you pick up over the years," he replied cryptically. "What have you found?"

  "There's an empty office and a stairwell leading up to the tower, but it's blocked by debris."

  Arnim pushed past to have a look for himself. Revi wandered into the priest's office, fascinated by its contents.

  "It must be up there somewhere," offered Hayley, "unless it's out hunting."

  "We'll need to clear away this debris," stated Arnim. "I think if we move a timber or two, we'll be able to get past."

  "Where did all this come from?" asked the ranger.

  "Some of it is from the stairs, but I think our visitor might have brought some from elsewhere. One or two of the timbers look like they're driftwood."

  "Are you saying it came from the river?" asked Aubrey.

  "It's merely speculation at this point," replied Arnim. "Now let's see about clearing a path."

  They examined the blockage carefully before beginning. They didn't want to cause a collapse that would bury themselves in the stairwell. With the help of the knights, they managed to pull forth two large timbers and an assortment of odds and ends, enough that the blockage was navigable.

  "I'll go first," said Beverly, pushing forward. She squeezed past an old table to find herself standing on a broken step. "Watch your feet," she said, "some of the treads are missing."

  She placed her feet carefully, avoiding the damaged sections and slowly made her way upward. There had been railings at some point, but these had now joined the debris in the bottom of the tower. Revi looked up at her progress and then started an incantation. Moments later a small sphere of light manoeuvred through the wreckage to illuminate the way. Once past the debris, Beverly's progress was swift.

  She soon called down to the others, "There's a hatch here, in the ceiling."

  "It likely leads to the bell pull," offered Aubrey. "Then there'll be another hatch leading to the top of the tower itself. If the creature is here, it'll likely be in that room. Be careful, Cousin."

  "Wait until everyone is in position," yelled Anna. "We want Revi up there, along with at least one other knight."

  "I'll go," offered Levina. "No offense Hayley, but we need someone with real armour up there, not your ranger leathers."

  "No offense taken, Levina," replied Hayley. "I'd much rather be somewhere I can use my bow."

  "Get outside, Hayley," commanded Anna, "in case it tries to fly away. Maybe you can pick it off with an arrow. Take Aubrey with you as an extra set of eyes."

  The pair headed out while Levina and Revi navigated the jumble of wreckage on the stairs. Beverly stood ready to open the hatch while Revi concentrated on keeping the orb of light floating nearby.

  "As soon as you open the door," said the mage, "I'll move the globe into the room; it should provide you with enough light to see what's going on. Levina will follow you, and then I'l
l climb up. If you see anything dangerous, act decisively. Remember, this creature has carried away a grown adult, we can't take chances."

  Beverly took a breath and drew her sword. It would be confined quarters, far too cramped for a shield, and so she leaned hers on the wall at the base of the small ladder. Grasping the handle of the hatch, she paused, holding her sword in her right hand where she saw the rose that Aldwin had so lovingly embossed onto the cross guard. It made her smile, and then she looked down at Revi and nodded.

  She heaved against the hatch, and it flew open with little resistance. This was the moment of greatest peril, entering the breach; if the creature was waiting, she would be helpless, unable to swing her sword as she climbed.

  Through the hatch she went and soon found herself in a small chamber, its beams thick with cobwebs. The room, illuminated by the orb of light, was filled with strange mounds of some sort which she couldn't explain. They reminded her of a wasp's nest they had cleared out of the Keep long ago, but there appeared to be no openings through which an insect could crawl. It was as if a large pile of dried mud had been erected to form a cocoon of some sort. It was almost as tall as Beverly and wide enough to hold a fully grown adult.

  She heard a movement and turned toward it, but couldn't make out anything save for more of the mysterious mounds of mud. Levina came up behind her, sword in hand and Beverly pointed with her own weapon toward where she had heard the sound. Her companion came to stand beside her, blocking the creature's escape route, if it was indeed here. The room was small with little space for anyone else in their two-person line. Revi came up behind them and was immediately struck by the strange constructions.

  "What is this?" he murmured. "Fascinating!"

  Again there was a scraping noise, and both knights narrowed their gaze.

  "Did you hear that?" asked Levina.

  "Yes," replied Beverly, "but I can't see anything, can you?"

  An indistinct blur passed in front of Beverly, and then suddenly Levina was knocked backwards with such great force that she hit the far wall. Beverly struck back by instinct, feeling her sword scrape across something hard. Sparks flew from the tip, and for a moment she had a flash of an immense shape. In bulk, it reminded her of an Orc, but she had only a glimpse. It struck her with something, perhaps an arm or a wing, she couldn't be sure. She was knocked to the floor by the force of it and instantly rolled. The floorboards beside her shook with the impact, dust flying up.