Dawn of Darkness: Part 2 of 4 (Where The Shadows Stalk Book 1)

by Adam Watson

  ***

  Two hours after they had been given directions, they finally made it into the city centre and were now standing outside of the City Hall.

  It was a large stone building with a brown tiled roof, rectangular in shape with a huge vaulted roof. On the north side was a spire that reached into the skies and on the southern end was an intricately carved copper griffon whose talon pointed the way of the wind.

  Aiden liked the look of this building. Impressive architecture. There were four large archways which served as entrances and deeply recessed windows along the top. The west wall would have usually been bare, but now it served as a notice board where the proclamations were being posted. The brothers turned to each other and smiled; they were definitely in the right place - this was where their adventure would truly begin.

  At that moment, the door opened, and a garishly dressed town crier strutted out; he held his hand on his head as he walked to stop his flamboyant feather-bloomed hat from falling off.

  "Hear ye, hear ye!" he cried dramatically. “Listen one, listen all. Leading in the fight against evil by decree of the king, the Amalician City Council is offering vast rewards to anyone who can fulfil the requirements of any proclamation!” The crowd looked on, the display was both dramatic and impressive. "And now for the latest," he continued, shuffling some important looking papers. "Proclamation numbeeeer thirty-five! RAT INFESTATION!"

  The crowd was dead silent, waiting in anticipation as the voice of the crier became even more dramatic. "Can you rid Warehouse 12 of its plague of rats? Many have tried, many have died!" The town criers voice slowly became softer and less dramatic as he began to realise what he was actually reading out. "It will not be easy, and you will need to be a true ... hero ... to ... do it?" His voice trailed off, and he began to look around nervously; suddenly he spun and turned towards the door.

  "Many have died? Combating rats? Are you serious?" he shouted to the people inside the City Hall. "Of all the problems this nation faces you come to us with rats! WHAT KIND OF PROCLAMATION’S THAT?!!" he squealed in disgust. He then threw the proclamation to the ground and walked off, after a few steps he turned around, walked back to the proclamation, stamped on it violently and then returned to walking back off in disgust; his feather plumed hat bouncing around the entire time. The crowd went back to what they were doing. Greegan walked over to the crumpled paper and bent down to pick it up.

  "What are you doing?" asked Aiden, even though he already knew the answer.

  "Think about it Aiden, all the proclamations pay in gold; this is easy money." His brother had a point, but Aiden wasn't ready to lower himself to cleaning up vermin just yet.

  "By the gods Greegan, we're not rat-catchers! Let's do a real proclamation! Look, there's one here about taking down a bunch of bandits - it's paying fifty gold pieces."

  "How are you going to take down a bunch of bandits without weapons? Flail them with one of your shirts?" Aiden took a deep breath.

  "Well,” he muttered, under his breath. “If you didn't leave the fucking weapons at home, we wouldn't have this problem, would we?"

  "What did you say?" asked Greegan. Aiden raised his hands and shook his head.

  "I said ... all right! Let's do the rat one then." Greegan eyed his brother, sometimes he could be really annoying. "How much is it paying anyway?"

  "Five gold. It's enough for a sword," replied Greegan.

  "Yeah, a shitty sword."

  "Well, a shitty sword is better than no sword at all." Aiden shrugged, he couldn't argue with that. "Look Aiden, I know there's not much glory in this, but it's a start. We can go in there, do the proclamation tonight and by the morning we'll have five gold in our hand, or better yet we'll have a sword in our hand. Once we have enough for some decent weapons, we'll be raking it in." Aiden thought about the situation for a moment and then turned to his brother.

  "All right … let’s do it."

  ***

  In was nearing dusk when they finally reached the docks. The brothers had gone in to see the town clerk for more information about Proclamation Number 35: Rat Infestation and then stopped at a tavern on the way back to the port for some food and refreshments. There had been a choice of pork belly or fish on the menu - both of them had the pork belly.

  The town clerk didn't actually have that much extra information to give the brothers and instead gave them a very neatly drawn map of the docks and redirected them to a Captain Gunther Keenan who was the current Warehouse Supervisor at the dockyards. Aiden opened the door to the Supervisor's Office, and the brothers walked in.

  "We're here to see the supervisor," stated Aiden, as they walked in. The clerk at the desk, who was busy writing in some sort of log book, looked up in surprise; she was a middle-aged woman with her hair in a bun.

  "Ah ... so you would be looking for Captain Keenan then. May I ask what the matter is about?"

  "We're here to clear out Warehouse 12, something about a rat problem."

  "Ah ... Warehouse 12 ... yes, I see. Just wait here one moment, and I'm sure the Captain will see you shortly." The clerk quickly exited the room, leaving Aiden and Greegan alone in the foyer.

  Whilst waiting, Aiden decided to examine the paintings that decorated the walls. One appeared to be of a great ship caught in the middle of a storm; the god Tempus looking down from the corner with rage and great wrath in his eyes - Aiden really liked it.

  Greegan strolled around the foyer with his hands behind his back, humming softly to himself. Apart from the paintings, there were vases and bronzed plates, many of which were decorated with sea monsters and mythical beings. Oars hung suspended from the oak beamed ceiling, and the back wall was decorated with a sail and net; the room had a real nautical feel to it. After a short time, the door opened and the clerk came back into the room.

  "The Captain will see you now." The brothers smiled and followed the clerk through the door.

  Once they were seated, the Captain asked the brothers why they were there to which they explained the interest in Warehouse 12 and fulfilling Proclamation Number 35: Rat Infestation.

  With a deep breath, the Captain leant back in his large leather chair. He seemed to be giving the brothers the once over; his leathery hand stroked his scraggly beard as he contemplated the brother's physical attributes. Finally, he nodded to himself and seemed satisfied that they were up to the task.

  "All right, Warehouse 12 hey? Let’s see ... where do I start?" The Captain began ominously. "Warehouse 12 has been the bane of the docks for years." Aiden raised a disbelieving eyebrow.

  "Bane of the docks? It's just full of rats, isn't it?" The Captain leant closer to the brothers, and his voice dropped.

  "Aye. The place is infested with rats, this everyone knows. What everyone doesn't know is that we believe there is something more dangerous in there ... far more dangerous." The brothers looked at each other nervously, then looked back to the Captain. "What it is, we don't know, but what we do know is this - half a dozen adventurers like yourselves have gone in, and none have come out. The authorities at the docks want to reclaim the warehouse and put an end to whatever evil is lurking in there. Only someone with great courage and skill will get this task done. Do you think the two of you can clear this warehouse for us?" Greegan nodded his head without hesitation.

  "We can do this," he answered, but his brother wasn't so sure.

  "Wait a minute, if there is something sinister in there why doesn't the army just clear it out?"

  "The army is busy reclaiming a nation. Dealing with a single warehouse on the docks is not their highest priority. Whatever is in there seems content to stay in there, so it's not causing any real problems as far as the army is concerned, but as for us here on the docks, not being able to use that warehouse is very inconvenient." Aiden nodded his head, it seemed to make sense.

  "The only problem is we're not armed … our weapons got left, er … that is they got lost in, ah ... in ‘transit’ on the way here. We were under the impression that
we were dealing with normal rats." Captain Keenan smiled at that.

  "Ah, well yes, maybe the proclamation was a bit misleading, but I'll tell you what. For a couple of young lads, you two look like you can handle yourselves. If you are willing to risk your lives for us, we'll happily supply the weapons and maybe even some armour. It won't be gleaming plate like the Lords have of course, but it'll definitely be better than nothing." Greegan shook the Captain's hand, thankful for both the help and the opportunity to prove themselves.

  "We appreciate it, Captain, we really do."

  "If you're seeking entry into the Warehouse you'll need a key to unlock the door, once inside you're on your own … we'll be locking the doors behind you. Two guards will stay by the door for the next week, if we don't hear from you by then, we'll assume you're dead and abandon the post. We're not sure what's in there, but like I said, six adventurers have gone missing in the last year. We are theorising that someone or something has tunnelled into the storage tunnels from underneath and is killing all who enter. Are you sure you still want to do this?”

  There was no question in either of the brother's minds. This was it, this was their chance at glory. Success here would bring bigger and better things later on. Word would get around about the two brothers working together and reclaiming Warehouse 12 for the good of all who worked at the docks.

  "More than anything," answered Greegan.

  “Excellent, here are the keys to the door. I'll arrange for the guards to let you in, they will then stand watch. Good luck my friends,” said the Captain. “But please … take care. There is something very dangerous in there.”

  "Don't worry about us, we can handle it," answered Greegan. Aiden looked into the gleam that seemed to shine in his brother's eyes and then nodded his agreement.

  ***

  The next day, with the help of the clerk's map, Aiden and Greegan set out to find Warehouse 12, and even though it was a sunny day, there was an ominous feel about it.

  As they approached the warehouse, Aiden noticed that all of the windows had been boarded up as well as the big doors at the front. On one side of the building there was a small steel door with a huge padlock hanging on it. Out the front, there were two guards just as the Captain had said there would be, and a trunk full of provisions.

  Aiden opened the trunk and looked inside, he sighed. It was just as he thought, there were two shitty weapons in there; a sword and an axe, both of which had rust on them. He pulled them out and handed the rusty axe to Greegan.

  "I guess they'll have to do.” Greegan grunted in response. They were grateful to have weapons at all, but they both knew that they were nothing to get excited about. Sitting underneath the weapons were two leather jerkins - also nothing to get excited about. The brothers grudgingly put them on.

  Surprisingly, Aiden’s jerkin fit him like it was tailor made. Greegan’s, on the other hand, was at least two sizes too small, but as uncomfortable as it was, he put it on - leather was always better than cloth. There was no protection around his sides or waist, but most of his vital organs were covered - that was something. The brothers didn’t complain though, they both knew that if they had packed their supplies properly to start with they wouldn’t have this problem.

  “We’re ready,” said Aiden, once they were outfitted. The guard handed Greegan a small backpack.

  “There’s food and water in here … enough for a week. We’re going to unlock the doors now and let you in, so be careful, I don't know what's in there, but whatever it is, it's dangerous. Hopefully, I will see you again and soon.”

  “Don’t worry old timer,” answered Greegan, as he took the backpack. “We’ll be back … I guarantee it.” The guard unlocked the door.

  “Confidence is good my friend, but overconfidence makes people reckless. Don't throw your life away doing something stupid."

  “Point taken, we’ll be careful.” The guards opened the doors and ushered the brothers in.

  “Quickly now.” As soon as the brothers had entered the warehouse, the guards began to close the door. The brothers turned around and could see the guard peering in. “Good luck my friends, I hope I see you again.” With that, the door slammed shut. The brothers turned around to face the warehouse; they could already hear the padlock being put back on.

  “This is it, Brother,” began Greegan, heaving his axe into the air. “This is where we take fate into our own hands. This is where the peasant lifestyle ends, and glory begins.” Aiden drew his sword out in front of him and was nodding at his older brother’s sage words.

  Neither one of them had dared to move from the door yet. The place was dusty and covered in spider webs; it was as though no-one had been there for years. There were large containers, boxes, chests and barrels scattered throughout. It was large, but to Aiden it seemed much larger inside than what it had from the outside.

  “This place is already giving me the creeps.”

  “Don’t let shadows scare you brother, dark places always play tricks on your mind.” Aiden nodded. Greegan’s starting to sound more and more like the old man every day. Aiden wasn’t entirely sure that was a good thing.

  It was fifteen minutes before the brothers finally felt comfortable leaving the doorway. Despite the bravado they had shown before getting in there, the reality of the situation was starting to set in; fear was starting to take a hold - although neither brother would admit it.

  The hustle and bustle of the dockyards could still be heard from outside, but inside not a sound could be heard, except of course for the breathing of the two young men - the atmosphere was eerie and unnerving.

  The longer they stood in the one spot, the more ridiculous their fear seemed. They both knew they would have to leave the relative safety of the front door at some stage. Eventually, Greegan made a move.

  “I don’t think there’s anything in here, let’s take a look around.”

  “All right Greegan, but be on guard.” The brothers descended the two steps leading into the main body of the warehouse; Greegan taking the lead and Aiden the rear guard. Ahead they could see large wooden shipping containers, to the side were tapestries bundled together and tied up.

  “There seems to be a lot of stock in here, something serious went down to make them abandon it.” Aiden nodded, it did seem strange now that Greegan mentioned it. All this stock together would have to be worth some money. Why would they abandon it?

  "I wonder how long it’s been like this for,” asked Aiden.

  "Years at least, look how dusty this place is. Anything could be hiding down here, in any one of these crates.” Greegan was right, anything could be hiding there, but why some monster would choose to hide in an empty container in a dusty warehouse was beyond Aiden.

  “We should head to the storage tunnels and see what’s going on down there. There’s nothing up here, not even rats.” Greegan nodded his agreement. They were wasting their time up here, they opened the doors to the cellar and descended into the darkness.

  ***

  Down below things began to get more interesting. There was no dust, cobwebs or anything else that would suggest the place was abandoned. In fact, it was neat and tidy - disturbingly neat and tidy. The storage containers down there were nicely arranged to the sides in an orderly fashion; all the shelves looked neat and organised - someone was down there looking after the place.

  Although it was nice to get away from the dust and cobwebs, the cleanliness of the storage cellar was perhaps even more disconcerting to the brothers than the abandoned warehouse above - it meant that something was down there, but what was it and why was it looking after the place so well?

  They travelled further towards the end of storage area. It was eerily silent, and there was still no sign of anyone.

  "There's no one here," remarked Aiden. Greegan nodded, it did seem that way, but as they got closer to the end, he noticed something strange.

  "Brother look!” Aiden peered into the dimly lit cellar, what he saw made his heart beat uncontrollabl
y. In front of them was a gaping hole in the far wall - a hole that looked like it had been ripped open by some titanic force.

  "What do we do now?" asked Aiden. Greegan peered into the darkness beyond, from this side of the wall nothing could be seen - it was as if the darkness itself was sucking the light from the torch.

  "The only thing we can do … we enter."

  ***

  Inside, the darkness somehow seemed heavier. The light from the torch didn't travel as far as it did in the cellars; something weighed down upon it.

  "By the gods, its dark in here," commented Aiden. Looking around he could make out that they were in some kind of tunnel, but seeing beyond that was near impossible. There were no branches leading away from the sides, there were no forks or turns. The tunnel appeared to be a dead straight line - one that was slowly descending.

  “Stay close Aiden, it would be easy to lose each other in this darkness.” The brothers continued walking down, and with every step, the very air around them seemed to get darker and heavier. Aiden could feel himself sweating, the humidity and heat was making it difficult to breathe. He turned to look at his brother, even with the torch right next to Greegan’s face Aiden could barely make him out.

  “I don’t like this Greegan. This darkness is unnatural. We should turn back before we lose our bearings.”

  “I think we already have.” Aiden turned around, the entrance was no longer visible; behind them only a long, black void. Every direction he looked blackness reigned supreme. The darkness destroyed his bearings and nulled all sense of direction; he was no longer sure from which way they came or even which way he faced.

  “Where’s the entrance?” he asked.

  “I’m not sure,” came Greegan’s voice from the darkness. He sounded worried, his voice strained from the pressure. Was he experiencing the same feelings as Aiden? Aiden’s heart began to race, the room had become pitch black, smothering the flames - all light was gone.

  “Greegan are you still there?” he asked, with raised voice. Don’t panic.