The Turning (The Forsaken Series Book 2)

by Phil Price

  “So, all is well in our world. Let us not delay,” he said as a wind blew from the forest, rippling the sails. “I will go wake the Shaman too, while you prepare. Let’s hope he doesn’t catch a whiff of your cyder, or else he’ll be sailing with us.”

  ☨☨☨

  Jake and Wilf walked along the Cornish coastline as the sun made its journey towards the western horizon. The older man looked across the expanse of ocean, marvelling at its beauty. “Tis a sight to remember. I’ve never seen anything like this. In Shetland, you can rarely see passed the edge of the cliffs. Very seldom can you actually see anything else I can see why you settled here Jake. I really can. We must get Katherine and Alicia back, so they too can enjoy these sunsets.”

  “I won’t argue with that. Yes, it’s great here. Katherine has really fallen in love with Cornwall. We will get her back Wilf, Alicia too. That fucking monster will not keep them for long.”

  Wilf nodded as nagging doubts swam through his thoughts. He hoped they were not too late. His mind could not even begin to think about any harm coming to his niece, let alone the baby. He changed tack. “When do we set off?”

  Jake checked his watch. “In about an hour. The car is packed with everything we need. We should get to the doorway with a few hours to spare. Hopefully my plan with work,” he said as a large seagull flew passed them. “Dad will be ready. We will pop past for him on our way home. Hopefully, he’s had a few hours’ sleep this afternoon. You can do the same on the journey north Wilf.”

  “And you? When will you sleep?”

  “I’ll be okay. I’m not an old man like you. I’ll sleep on the other side.”

  “This old man still has enough energy to show you a thing or two.”

  Jake chuckled as they made their way back towards Tintagel from the coastal path. “Show Elias and his cronies a thing or two, not me,” he said as he slapped Wilf on the shoulder.

  ☨☨☨

  Tamatan lay on two large sacks of grain, looking up at the perpetual mist that engulfed the boat. He could hear Sica casting his nets over the side of the boat, hoping to snare their dinner. The sea was silent. No birds flew overhead, which made Tamatan uneasy. He could almost feel an evil pulse, ripple across the waters from the huge forest beyond. He sat up, his red eyes shining through the grey drizzle that coated everything in sight. “What’s on the menu tonight?” he asked, trying to sound jovial.

  “Brazzers hopefully. We’re in shallow water here. They should be easy to catch as we pass over the sand bars. I thought you were sleeping?” Sica said as he dropped his rump on another sack of grain. He reached for a bottle of cyder, pulling the cork from its stopper with an audible pop. He took a long drink, the golden liquid dribbling down his neck, wetting his leather tunic. He wiped his mouth before handing the clay bottle to the diminutive demon. Tamatan took it readily, draining half the bottle in a series of glugs.

  “Ah. That hit the spot,” he said as he passed it back to the sailor.

  Sica took another swig before stoppering the bottle, laying it next to the sack. “So, tell me. What do you hope to achieve over yonder?”

  He considered the question for a moment before replying. “I’m not rightly sure. I’m hoping my instincts are wrong, and that I’m just an old worrier. I told you about the vampires I had come into contact with?” The other man nodded solemnly. “Well it dates back to before you were born my friend. A long time ago, Veltan was taken by a coven of vampires from another plane. Their leader, or king, was called Reggan. He was taking the long sleep. Both he and his brother had almost slain each other on the battlefield. They needed blood. Human blood, if possible. Reggan’s brother, Korgan had help from his minions, who scoured this land and others to bring him sustenance. Reggan was not so lucky. His land is a barren waste, filled with mutant monsters that were of no use to him. That’s where I came in. They knew of my talents. They had heard that I was a collector of human energy. So, they snatched my sister in the hope that I would do their bidding. And I did, for a long time, until the supply grew thin.”

  “Thin? How so?”

  “Recently, I met a man called Jake. He is from a world that I visited a time ago. I scared folk, taking their energy to give to Reggan. But every time I visited I drew attention to myself. People in that world do not believe in demons and vampires as such. So, my being there, causing mayhem was drawing too much attention. So I stopped visiting, hoping instead to visit other places. However, the other places had very slim pickings. Even after I had collected a human’s essence, by the time I had returned to Reggan, much of it had left me. Reggan’s coven where gradually becoming frustrated with me, threatening to harm Veltan if I didn’t up my game so to speak. I placated them in the knowledge that Korgan’s minions were struggling too. I ventured far and wide Sica, travelling to planes that few had visited. It was purely by chance that I met two humans, who had just killed Korgan. I knew that once Reggan’s clan heard of his demise, Veltan would be of no use to them. They would, of course kill her, and me when I travelled to their stronghold. I travelled with the two men and put pay to Reggan and his cohorts. That started me on the path back home. And home is where I am happiest. Korgan’s vampires are still out there, roaming the lands to the east. If they get a sniff that I am hiding out in the Unseen Lands, they may come for me.”

  “Makes my life sound dull. But I would not trade with you, my friend. You have had enough fun and adventures to last a thousand lifetimes.”

  “Yes. But I have grown tired of that life. I want to raise my family and grow old in peace. Once little Jake is big enough I plan to venture through the Pagbob, to the high plateau inland. Many of my kin hail from there. Have you heard of the land of Marzalek?”

  “Yes,” Sica said, who’d reopened the clay bottle. He handed it to Tamatan after taking a long pull on it. “I’ve spoken to a few traders who had actually ventured there. Strange tales about rivers that run the wrong way. Trees that talk, and shimmering demons that live in tall palaces.”

  Tamatan smiled. “Yes. The tall palaces of which you speak are situated in the town of Katarzin. They do indeed shimmer, especially at night when the fireflies invade the town. It is a wonderful place. I will one day return and live out my existence there. But first I need to make sure my kin are safe.”

  “What happens if you never return? We’ve not spoken of this.”

  “Then you must take my family around the coast to the lagoon with the blue cliffs. Underneath the cabin, I have stashed some gold and silver coin, along with trinkets and amulets from far and wide. Take half of that as payment. Let Veltan take the rest. At the lagoon, there leads a road that skirts Pagbob. Veltan knows this road. She will take it with Jake to Marzalek. There she will be safe.”

  “I will tell the Shaman to talk to the gods. To ask for your safe return.”

  “Will he do that for you?” Tamatan asked as two large black fish became caught in the nets.

  “If he wants any more of my cyder he will. A man who talks to the gods. Funny how he relies so much on what is in that bottle,” he said pointing at the clay jug.

  Tamatan smiled. “Maybe the gods only appear after a few bottles. If we carry on drinking, they’ll be joining us for supper.”

  ☨☨☨

  Jake pulled off the motorway, indicating left as he entered the slip road. Wilf was indeed asleep on the back seat, a pillow separating his head from the door frame. Doug sat next to his son, drumming his fingers on his cords. Jake smiled at his father. “Calm down Dad. You’re not normally so pent up.”

  “Sorry Son,” Doug said gently. It’s not every day that I travel to another dimension, filled with blood thirsty killers. The thought of coming face to face with what was once your mother is making my belly do somersaults.”

  “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that Dad. But if it does, accept the fact that Mom is gone. What is in her place will kill you if she gets the chance. I know it sounds harsh Dad, but you need to divorce yourself from the fact that it’s Mo
m.”

  Doug nodded absently as Jake turned onto a country lane that climbed towards the summit of the Lickey Hills. “If I do see her, do you think she will remember me?”

  “No Dad,” Jake said, shaking his head. When I saw her, there was no recollection from her. She just saw me as her next meal. Try to think that way. It may help.” The 4x4 dipped and climbed the steep lane until they came out on a main road. Jake turned left onto the deserted road, gunning the diesel engine. Wilf farted noisily on the back seat, drawing a few chuckles from the two men. Jake turned the fan up, aiming the air towards the back of the car. “Best keep that to yourself Wilf,” he said as the car began its descent down Rose Hill. Two minutes later they pulled in next to a chip shop and convenience store. The temperature was higher than average for the time of year, with clear skies above them. Jake hoped that the hills were deserted. He’d grown up around them and amongst them. He knew that it was a hive of activity for teenagers and lovers, who welcomed the privacy of the forest to indulge in their pastime of choice.

  “Fingers crossed,” Doug said as Jake turned left up the steep private roadway.

  The car jolted, banging Wilf’s head against the window. “Ugh,” he mumbled as he woke from his sleep. He looked out of the window to be confronted by darkness. “Are we close?”

  “We’re in Amatoll already. You missed all the fun Wilf,” Jake said as he steered right onto a deep rutted track.

  “You’re making sport with me young Jake,” he said as he sat up straight, stretching his arms. If you didn’t have so much fine ale in the back of your car I’d cuff you one.”

  “Sorry Wilf. I was just pulling your leg. We’re a few hundred yards away from the doorway,” he said as he turned a sharp left, propelling the car up a steep incline. “It’s just up here on the right.” The headlights illuminated the hillside in front of them as Jake weaved around potholes and tree roots. After a few seconds the car swung right off the pathway, into the forest. Jake killed the engine, extinguishing the headlights. The overhead light in the car fought bravely against the dark night, trying its best to light the interior. Jake opened his door, pulling the key from the ignition. “Okay then. Let’s set to work.”

  ☨☨☨

  Father Stephen had headed south away from the forest towards the grasslands. He walked steadily, making good progress towards the cliffs that now loomed over him. They seemed to touch the sky, or the sky seemed to reach down and touch them. His red-rimmed eyes scanned the massif, hoping to find a way through. It was an impenetrable wall of rock both north and south. He wondered which way to go, aware that his stomach was grumbling. He needed food too. He looked south, hoping that there was a break in the rock. His eyes could pick out nothing that offered hope. He made up his mind, heading north into the darkness. After a few minutes, he could see the edges of Amatoll to his right. The forest had panned out into a series of glades that stretched almost as far as the cliffs to his left. His eyes picked out something in the darkness. Is that a stream? he thought. His instincts were rewarded as he rounded a jut in the rock. He could make out a split in the gorge. He quickened his pace as his eyes could now make a cabin. He was suddenly wary. His instincts that had been on the ball a few moments before told him that danger lurked in the thick soup of night. A low hum seemed to pulse outwards from the shack, gently reverberating through him as he kept as close as he could to the rocks. It was silent, save for a few birds in the distance. He edged forward until he reached the stream. Stephen placed his hand on the cool rock as he tried to assess the situation. The cabin was a few hundred yards in front, slightly to the right. To his left, across the fast-flowing water was a wide path that cut a runnel through the cliffs. Ah to hell with it, he thought as he waded into the water as stealthily as he could. He quickly fought against the water that came up over his knees, scrambling up the grassy bank on the northern side. He stood looking at the cabin, almost in a trance. The ill feeling seemed to spill out from the blackened doorway, infecting the land around it. He rubbed at his eyes as they started stinging, forcing him to one knee. “What in God’s name is happening to me?” he said as he ambled clumsily to the sheer rock walls. He turned his back on the cabin, heading into the passage that led to the west. As he rounded a corner, the pain extinguished like a flame in the breeze. He sighed in relief before quickening his pace, heading westwards, towards Mantz Forest.

  ☨☨☨

  The three men stood next to the car, looking at their inventory.

  “Do you think we will get this through the door in time?” Doug asked.

  “We should do. It stays open for about two minutes. We can form a chain and pass it to each other. I will wheel the bike through last. We’ll do it,” Jake said. “I just need to leave the car somewhere.” He checked his watch. “I have enough time. I’ll probably leave it in the same place as last time. Although we may be away for a while. Let’s hope no one gets suspicious.”

  A thought occurred to Doug, before fishing his keys out of his pocket. “Here. I’ve still got the garage key for Mrs Howarth who lived next door to us. Put the car in there. She will never know it’s there.”

  Jake knew that behind his parents’ old house was a service road. Each property had a garage at the bottom of its garden. It was a good plan. He took the keys from Doug, zipping them into his jacket pocket. “Thanks Dad. You think of everything.”

  “Oh. I forgot to mention. They have erected steel gates at the end of the right-of-way. There is a key on there for that too. Just make sure that you lock it when you leave. If not, someone will start prying.”

  “Will do. I’ll be back in twenty minutes. You two stay here and crack open a beer.”

  Wilf’s smiled in the darkness. “Best thing you have said all night young sir. I’m sure us old un’s can keep each other company while you’re gone.”

  Jake shook his head. “Just don’t drink too many. We may meet someone nasty on the other side. We all need clear heads.”

  A minute later the car was making its way back along the hillside, leaving the two men stood in the darkness. Doug used the bottle opener to crack open two bottles of ale, handing one to the strange man from another world. They clinked bottles. “Cheers,” Doug said.

  “Cheers to you too,” Wilf reciprocated, before taking a swig of the dark ale. He nodded his approval. “Good stuff. Your land has its perks.”

  “Do you have ale where you’re from?” Doug asked, curious.

  “Aye. But it’s not as good as this. Our ale is warm, and quite thick. I have a cave under my home where I store my jugs. It keeps them slightly cooler. But I prefer this.”

  “Do you find all this as crazy as I do?”

  Wilf thought about it, leaning against a tree to try and get comfortable. “I’ve never really thought about it. I’m a simple man. I’ve spent my whole life in a very small place. We don’t travel far or see much of our world. Our lives are basic and have been very tough until recently. But at the same time, our land is filled with things that you would find unbelievable. Vampires, monsters, ghosts, and giants. So the idea that there are doorways to other worlds, isn’t too much of a surprise for anyone from Heronveld.”

  “Heronveld? Is that your village?”

  “It is. In the land of Elksberg. You’ll be there very soon to see it all for yourself. It’s good that you’ve already had your eyes opened somewhat. There shouldn’t be many more sights to make you muck your britches.”

  “That’s good to know. The thought of seeing a vampire up close is enough to do that. God knows how you and Jake have managed to stay in one piece.”

  “I’ve had that thought too. Many folk I’ve known have died at a vampire’s hands. Or fangs. I’ve recently lost my niece, brother, and sister. But somehow, here I am. I’m still in one piece, just about.”

  “Let’s hope that we are all in one piece when we get back. The thought of Katherine and Alicia being in harm’s way makes me feel sick to my stomach.”

  “Mine too. We need
to finish it though this time. Once we have them back, we cannot simply escape. We need to rid that fucking place of the lot of them. Starting with their leader, Elias. Once he’s gone, the rest should be easy pickings. I know your woman is one of them Doug. I will deal with her. Do not try to take her on.”

  “Why?” Doug asked.

  “She was your woman. Your wife. When the moment comes to finish her, you may falter.”

  Doug pondered that for a moment. “I suppose you’re right. Thank you Wilf.” He leaned against a tree, sighing heavily. “Fuck me! When did life get so complicated? Ever since Jake lost his family, things have gradually gotten more and more strange. To the point where I’m about to walk through a bleeding doorway to another world, to potentially face my wife, who now just happens to be a vampire. Jesus Christ. You couldn’t make this shit up!”

  “We are one and same Doug. Ever since Alice was taken, my life has taken a dark path. And now look at me. In a strange land, where steel beasts carry folk around at speeds I never dreamed of. It’s enough to make my head pop. Give me my farm house on Shetland. Give me the simple life.” He held up his beer. “With plenty of these to keep me going though.”

  ☨☨☨

  The thread that pulled him towards the unknown destination seemed to be increasing in its strength. Father Stephen came out of the other side of Monks Passage, staring at the impenetrable mass of trees in front of him. In the darkness, it looked to him like a solid wall of forest was blocking his way. He made his way across the open grass, spying what looked like a settlement off to his right. Ten minutes later he was stood in what was once the Cravens eastern settlement. He explored the cabins that stood at the edge of the tree line, disappointed that nothing of use could be found. He walked into the forest, bumping into tree trunks for several minutes until he reached a small clearing. He looked at the cabins, his sight adjusting to the darkness. To his red rimmed eyes, it looked like the forest had settled on top of them, such was the closeness of the trees. He walked into the main cabin, his eyes immediately picking out a large earthenware pot set on a table. He walked over and peered inside. A large spoon poked out from the contents, resting against the terracotta edge. Stephen pulled the spoon from the pot, a distinct sucking sound resonating around the cabin. “Stew,” he said as he smelt the spoon. He fished the lighter out of his pocket as he spied a pair of rudimentary candles on shelves next to him. He lit them both, giving himself a fighting chance to actually see what he was about to eat. Holding the flame to the rim of the pot he could make out a blue fuzz of thick mould that coating the stew. His stomach churned, demanding food. Although the nausea rising in his throat told him to look elsewhere. His carnal cravings won out as he used the spoon to scrape the blue crust from the stew, dolloping it on the wooden table top. Satisfied that only stew remained, he sat at the table and began feasting. It was cold and greasy, making him gag with the first few mouthfuls. However once accustomed to the consistency, he began eating steadily, neither enjoying it nor loathing it. The stew was doing a job. Keeping him alive. As he finished the meal he noticed wooden torches, hung on the wall. He took the candles to them, lighting them both. The cabin was now almost cosy he thought as he rooted around for anything of use. He found two clay jugs in a trunk at the rear of the structure. He pulled the cork from the first one, his mouth instantly salivating when he smelt the heady aroma of ale inside. He attacked the contents, downing the thick bitter liquid with vigour. Stephen drained the jug, dropping it on the table with a loud clatter. He felt better. Almost human. But not quite. A large straw mattress, partly covered in animal furs lay in the corner of the room. Stephen suddenly felt weary. His new-found strength had ebbed away, leaving the ever-ageing vicar feeling ten years older. He fell on the mattress, pulling the furs around him. Sleep took him almost immediately. Before he succumbed, he wondered about the location of the others. Will I find the vampires? Will Jake find me? Will I ever make it home?