Buoyed by his success Ned moved onto another lock. This one was trickier, the pattern was unlike anything he had created before. It took him several attempts to just match the pattern, then several more to get the shape right. Finally he did and the lock changed, the energy flows settled into a new pattern.
Ned continued to work through the locks. Most he was able to unlock quickly, his skills combined with the knowledge gained from the earlier locks combining to make the solution easy. Several proved to be trickier. The last lock stumped him completely. The pattern was a complex series of interwoven strands, and the shape of the lock was far more complicated than any of the others. Ned realised he had been subconsciously avoiding this lock. Several times he got the shape right, only to realise the pattern wasn’t quite correct. Finally he managed to get both right at the same time and the lock unsealed. The door opened, flowing into the surrounding stone. The Captain moved quickly, leading several men into the room beyond.
Ned stood for some time, completely drained. He hadn’t realised how much effort solving the locks had taken until he finished. Finally he drew himself together and walked towards the strong room. Most of the guards had been kitted out already. As he watched the remainder finished. They swapped their existing swords for replacements from within the strong room. Lockets were added around their necks and bracelets were added to their wrists. Each grabbed a backpack from the room too, all of which looked to be well stocked.
Ned reached out towards one of the guards with his powers and felt a slight resistance, but no more. The Captain saw his expression.
“Don’t worry sir. They aren’t designed to stop the type of power you wield. They give us strong protection against the dark powers, and the swords allow us to strike down darkness wherever it hides. Now, you should wear this before we let the Master in.”
He handed Ned a very different locket, one that sparkled with different colours from moment to moment. Reaching out with his powers Ned realised it was infused with every shade of natural power. Not enough to draw energy from, but enough to create a shield of energy around him. He hung it around his neck, feeling a slight shiver as he did so. Ned reached out with a probe of power and was pleased to find the locket didn’t interfere at all.
“The masters use those when we go out to fight the darkness. Now, let’s not keep Master Demotte any longer. He may not have much time.”
Ned returned to the main room and opened the outer door. Master Demotte was waiting, leaning against the wall. Even in the short time that had passed Ned could see the Master’s condition had deteriorated. The darkness was stronger and the Master both paler and weaker. It took the Master some time to notice the door was open. When he did, he managed a smile that looked more like a grimace.
“Well done Ned. I knew you could do it. Now, let’s get you all kitted out for your journey.”
Ned and the Captain followed Master Demotte to the strong room. Once there he pointed to a number of items, telling Ned to fetch them. Ned tried to hand one to Master Demotte who recoiled sharply.
“No! Don’t bring them close to me. They need to stay pure. I don’t know what this cursed darkness within me is capable of.”
Ned settled for placing the items on a small table. A few of the items were unique in the room but most came from boxes with many others of the same type. Master Demotte gestured towards a small orb with greyish mists circling within it. Ned went to pick it up.
“No. Not you. Captain, you pick it up and take several steps from both of us. Hold it in your hand.”
The captain did as he was asked. The mists continued to swirl but nothing else happened.
“Bring it near me now. Just within a few feet.”
The captain did so. As the orb neared Master Demotte the swirling grey mists were replaced by a deep darkness that nevertheless in some strange way still glowed.
“Now take it near Ned.”
This time the grey mists cleared to be replaced by a rainbow array of colours, jostling each other for space.
“Mark that well. The orbs will help you in your quest in two ways. Firstly they will warn you of anyone that has succumbed to dark powers, or to any manifestation of the Creeping Dark. Just as importantly they will help you find any who have untainted power. If an orb glows a solid colour then you have found someone with a calling — a healer or the like. If it shows many colours, and there is only one person near it, then you have found someone even more valuable. Someone like Ned. Someone who can wield all the natural powers. Now, the next item is…”
The rest of the descriptions were interesting but Ned saw far less immediate use in them. Soon they were passing the objects to the guards, to be spread amongst their packs. Master Demotte gestured towards a small chest at the back of the room, told Ned to open it. Ned did and gasped with wonder. A cloth bag sat open within the chest filled with precious gems. The pile was twice as big as Ned’s fist.
“You will need money for the task I will set you. A lot of money. Take those. Keep them safe. Spend them wisely.”
Ned went to fasten the bag then changed his mind. He took a handful of gems and passed them to the captain. He took more and placed them into a secure inner pocket, then fastened the bag and placed it in his pack. He felt a little better having split the fortune in gemstones into three.
“You mentioned a task, master. What is it?”
“You will…” The Master stopped speaking as a convulsion ran through his body. It lasted several seconds, and when it passed Ned could sense how much weaker the Master now was. It wouldn’t be long before the he lost his fight against the darkness. The old man started to speak again.
“You will leave the keep. Go south. A long way south. Find a strong city in those lands and found a new order. Teach those who will follow two things. Firstly to fight against the darkness, to oppose those like Frederick. Secondly teach them to seek out those with untainted power. Seek them out and help them, guide them, train them. Only with their help can this darkness ever be stopped.”
“You want us to create a new Golden Order?”
“No. The Golden Order is gone. We have failed. Find a new name.”
“Then we shall simply call it the Order.”
“It is your choice. Whatever happens, you must survive. You are the last link to our training. You must pass on what you know.”
“But Master… I haven’t completed the Transformation.”
“No, and you never will. No one else will now. I am certain there are no Masters left untainted in this keep or the Citadel. One way or another I am sure the rest will be hunted down. So much depends on you Ned. Can you do it?”
“Yes. Yes I can. Is there anything I can do for you before we leave. Do you wish us to…”
Ned trailed off, unable to complete the sentence. Unable to suggest that they might kill the Master, put him out of his misery.
“Yes. Two things. We need to go to the third floor, then to the top floor. Captain — come with us and tell your men to be prepared. You have the weapons you need now but the monsters are still dangerous foes. I call them monsters, but in my heart I know there is another name for them. A name few alive have ever heard. A name from ancient times that I thought was simply a myth. Now I know better. Creatures like this were spoken of in the oldest stories. Creatures known as vampires.”
The name meant nothing to Ned, but he noted it anyway. Maybe one day he would be able to learn more about the vampires. One day, but not today.
“To the third floor then Master?”
“Yes. Follow me.”
By the time they reached the third floor Ned could tell Master Demotte was at the end of his strength. He seemed to be fighting on using willpower alone. Yet somehow he was managing to force a stalemate with the darkness inside. He led them down a corridor and into a small room. The room was empty save for a solid stone table. Ned could feel the power flowing through the table as soon as he entered the room.
“The table is known as a Memory Table. Wh
en you place your hands on it and concentrate it will absorb your recent memories. Don’t worry, the process is painless and won’t harm you. It just copies the memories.”
“But why?”
“Call it a second chance. If for some reason you fail, or the new order you establish fails at some time in the future, then your memories of recent events will still be stored here. If, one day, someone able to manipulate all the natural powers arrives they will be drawn to the table. If they activate it then they will gain your memories. Memories of how the curse of the vampires was unleashed will be invaluable.”
“Very well. I will do it now.”
“No! No. You can return here after. The table takes time to complete its work. Only a few minutes, but that is more than I have now. We need to reach the top floor.”
Master Demotte span round and marched from the room. Each step was a battle, yet somehow the old man kept going. Not just to the stairwell but up three more flights of stairs. When they reached the top floor Ned found that the dome roof was closed. The room felt gloomy and oppressive. He was sure he caught movement in a side room, though whatever was there stayed put. Master Demotte marched away from the stairwell, finally stopping in the middle of the room. He doubled up in pain for several moments before standing again, pain still etched into his face.
“I don’t understand Master,” Ned said. “Why are we here?”
“So that I can find peace. Open the roof. Now!”
Ned triggered the switch. The domed roof quickly disappeared from view. Bright sunlight fell across the room.
“Thank you!” Master Demotte said. “Remember me. Remember that I chose to die rather than become a creature of darkness.”
Even as he spoke Ned could see the impact the sunlight was having. The darkness within Master Demotte was writhing in the bright light, burning away bit by bit. The Master stood with his teeth clenched, face locked in concentration. For a brief moment Ned thought the Master stood a chance, that he could be cured. Then as more and more of the darkness was burnt away he realised it wouldn’t happen, couldn’t happen. The darkness had taken over almost all the old man’s body and soul. Where the darkness was destroyed nothing remained. The Master must have been in agony, yet he stood straight backed now, with a slight smile on his face. As his body burnt he turned his face towards the sun and smiled. Seconds later the charred body collapsed, all trace of life gone.
Ned stared at the corpse in shock for a long time. Only when Anthony placed a hand on his shoulder was the spell broken. Ned realised he had tears running down his cheeks, yet he didn’t feel embarrassed. It was the right reaction. Master Demotte had remained a great man to the end. When all the other masters had succumbed to the darkness he had held on, had fought to the end to ensure something good, something lasting, would survive. Ned would not let the Master down.
Ned flicked the control to seal the dome again then strode towards the stairs. The Captain fell into step with him and the others followed close behind. Soon they were back by the Memory Table. Ned turned to the Captain.
“Have your men ready. As soon as this is done we leave. I want to be as far away from this keep as possible by nightfall. When the sun goes down, those creatures will roam free.”
“Yes sir. We’ll be ready.”
“Good.”
Ned turned back to the table. Taking a deep breath he placed both hands on it, then reached out with his power and concentrated. Everything went black.
Part Three - The Hunt Resumes
Chapter Seven
Daniel staggered back from the table, mind reeling from the influx of another man’s memories. More than just memories. He felt as though he’d lived through those experiences. For a moment he wasn’t even certain what his name was, who he was. Was he Ned? No. No he wasn’t. He had those memories now though. The Memory Table had delivered them.
That was a shock. Before the experience he had simply seen the block of stone as part of the room, probably a table of some form, imbued with power. Now he knew it was called a memory table. Now he recognised it, and the memory it triggered was from another man’s mind.
It felt like a violation. The memories had been forced into his mind, jammed in against his will. Slowly that feeling faded though. As he came to terms with what had happened he realised how important what he had seen was. Breathing deeply to seek calm Daniel started to replay the memories, studying them from his own perspective, rather than Ned’s.
He quickly realised he had witnessed several different yet equally important events. Most obvious were the arrival of the meteor, and the birth of the vampires. Or rebirth. Master Demotte had spoken of vampires as creatures from legend, from myths.
Daniel was sure he’d seen the birth of the Order too, the start of those that would come to be known as witch hunters. It saddened him to realise how far the Order had fallen from its original purpose. They had been told to stand against the darkness and seek out those with power who could aid in the fight. Somewhere down the years the message had become corrupted. They had stopped seeking those with power as allies and come to treat them as enemies. In doing so they had weakened the forces opposed to darkness, allowing it to strengthen its hold.
Ned’s battle with the Creeping Dark, and Master Demotte’s fall to the same power, chilled Daniel. The references to it as the Dark God and talk of the Citadel were especially worrying. The Citadel had lain to the west. Daniel suspected it was still a focal point, but for darkness now. And the knowledge he had stripped from Razgul told him Mary lay towards the west. He didn’t know if she would be within the Citadel, but the possibility worried him deeply.
Last, but certainly not least, Daniel had learnt of the Golden Order, and of the transformation its members went through to become masters. Daniel felt certain all the masters had perished long, long ago. Perished or been turned into vampires. Yet something had survived. The power driving their transformation had been subverted by the darkness, used to create vampires down the centuries, until finally Rafael had unleashed it on Daniel.
But Daniel had resisted, had fought back. Finally he had faced the rising sun. The darkness had been burnt from his body but something was left. Daniel found himself faster, stronger and able to wield powers he’d never even dreamed existed. He had gained all the powers the masters of the Golden Order had possessed. The thought amazed and scared him. The responsibility it implied was terrifying.
“I wondered if you were ever going to wake up.”
The words were softly spoken but Daniel reacted as if they’d been yelled. He jumped then span round, gathering power to focus a shield. Ready to fight at a moments notice.
The speaker laughed at his reaction. It was a woman in her late twenties. She had darker skin than anyone Daniel had seen before. Long dark hair framed a pretty face. Daniel would have found her attractive if it wasn’t for her eyes. Glowing red eyes. Vampire eyes.
Daniel remained tense, watching for any signs she planned to attack. She stood in the far corner of the room. Daniel checked the rest of the room was clear then triggered the door, sealing the two of them in. As the door closed he relaxed a little, confident that he wouldn’t be surprised by anyone else.
“Impressive. No one else has ever managed to control the doors.” Her voice was soft, almost musical, but tinged with sadness.
“I would rather avoid having any more unexpected visitors.”
“I think you misunderstand. I was here the whole time. I’ve been trapped in here since the outer door was sealed yesterday. Your doing I suppose. I curled up here in the corner, unable to do anything else. Then you came striding into the room suddenly, walked up to that table in a daze then stood frozen. You must have been stood there for nearly an hour. To be honest I was starting to get bored.”
“I was stood there that long?”
“Yes. And if I had meant you any harm I had ample opportunity. I doubt you could have defended yourself.”
Daniel shivered at the thought. The aches in his mu
scles confirmed he’d been standing for a long time, and he was certain he would have been helpless.
“Why? Why not attack me?”
“If you had come in earlier I would have. I would have been forced to. My master would have commanded it and anything my master commanded I had to do. But my master is no more. He died, not long before you arrived here.”
“Razgul. Razgul was your master.”
“Very good. Yes, Razgul was my master. Very few of Rafael’s blood children are allowed to create their own in turn. Rafael keeps almost all who are turned bound directly to him. Razgul was one of the few allowed to spread the gift, and I was lucky enough to be one of those he bestowed it on.” She spat the word lucky.
“Rafael is Razgul’s master. Surely you must obey him still.”
“That isn’t how it works. It is like links in a chain. If a link is broken the connection is lost. Rafael no longer has any power over me. When you killed Razgul it freed me. That is why Rafael allows so few of his subjects to create new Chosen. He fears rebellion. By tying almost all of his forces directly to his command that can never happen.”
“So now you are free?”
“Or so I thought.” She laughed bitterly. “I misunderstood. Ever since Razgul attacked me, ever since the conversion started, I’ve been aware of the darkness inside of me. When Razgul wasn’t around it still drove me, forced me into killing and feeding. It was mindless though, simply an urge — though one that couldn’t be ignored.
When Razgul was near it changed. The darkness within him was different. Stronger. Darker. Intelligent. When he was near me it reached out and controlled the darkness within me, forcing me to obey Razgul’s will. When you killed him I felt the darkness within him weaken. Soon after I felt it die. Felt it being blasted apart by pure blinding light. I truly thought I was free. The darkness remained within me, would still need to be fed, but after all the years of servitude I could choose what to do, where to go.
Dark Soul Silenced - Part Two Page 6