The Long Chron

by Adam Oster

  “We might just have to get comfortable with the idea that we’re going to live out the rest of our lives in the Dark Ages. There’s probably a nice little Wizard-free town somewhere nearby where we can live out the rest of our days.”

  “You’re saying we should run?”

  “Yeah. Maybe Aggie will come with us even. We could have a pretty good life out on a farm somewhere.”

  “In England during the Middle Ages? Do you know what happened to people who lived in England during the Middle Ages?”

  “I don’t know, they lived, slept, ate?”

  “Ever heard of The Plague?”

  “Oh, yeah. Whatever. That Christopher Columbus dude has to be going off to find America soon, right? Maybe we could hitch a ride with him to the New World.”

  “That could be hundreds of years from now, in either direction. We never figured out what year it is.”

  “Maybe we could be the ones to find America. Hell, you don’t know, maybe we’re Columbus.”

  “That would be quite the scam,” I laugh.

  “Why don’t we see if Aggie wants to come help us find America. I think it could be a great adventure.”

  “What’s with you and Agnes anyways? You seem to have latched onto each other pretty fast.”

  “Hey, anyone who can make me a solid bowl of gruel has found an instant way into my heart.”

  “I suppose that’s a pretty small group,” I laugh, happy to know that it’s still possible for me to do so.

  “Speaking of which, where the heck could she have gotten off to? I did yell when we came in, didn’t I?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Aggie! Where you at, girl?”

  We both sit in silence waiting for an answer and hear nothing.

  “You think she’s alright?” Griff asks me with a twinge of concern in his eye.

  “If Agnes isn’t alright, I don’t know who would be. If there’s anyone in this town that can take care of themselves, it’s her.”

  “Yeah, but it’s still not like her not to come down whenever she’s got a guest, is it?”

  “Maybe she ran into town to grab some more produce or something?” I offer.

  “No, she told me she’d put out the sign if she left,” he says as he walks to the bar and picks out a sign from behind it that has an image of an open front door which is crossed out by a big X. The illiterate version of a ‘Be Back Soon’ sign, I guess.

  “You don’t think,” I begin before considering how I’m actually going to end that sentence. Doing so causes me to pause in fear.

  Terror fills Griff’s eyes and he bolts into the back of the building. I hear him opening and slamming doors quickly and loudly until finally he screams out wildly. I run to follow him, but he meets me at the doorway, pushing me back into the bar, falling to his knees as he enters the room.

  “What?” I ask, fearing I already know the answer.

  He buries his face in his hands as he bends in half, his head against the floor now. I hear sobs escaping from the weeping heap of a man below me.

  “No,” I say softly.

  Still no response from Griff outside of the physical expression happening at my feet. My mind goes blank, staring at the doorway and imagining what may lie beyond.

  “No,” I repeat. “He didn’t.”

  Griff lifts his face from the ground, taking a deep breath as he does. Quickly he stands and looks me in the eyes, rage flaring through his entire body. I can almost feel the heat burning through him as his body fills with resolve.

  “But how—“

  “I don’t care. That bastard is dead.”

  “We can’t. You said—“

  “Forget what I said. No more games. He’s dead.”

  He storms out of the building without even a glance back to make sure I’m going to join him. I run to catch up and pull on his shoulder to stop him. “You can’t, Griff. You’ll just get yourself killed.”

  “I don’t care,” he repeats. “One of us is going to be dead before the day is out. If it has to be me, so be it.”

  “Killing him won’t change what happened to Agnes or Geoffrey, Griff. Stop and think for a moment.”

  Griff stops pulling against me and looks me in the eyes. “I’m done planning. Now is the time to act. Now is the time to win.”

  He turns from me and storms down the cobblestone walkway toward the cathedral.

  I fill with panic as I watch him disappear. Every single outcome of his doing so flashes through my mind. All of them. And then suddenly, I realize we’ve had the answer all along. I realize I know how this is supposed to end.

  “Griff!” I shout after him. “I know what we’re supposed to do!”

  Phase 4: The Pay-Off

  Make that sucker think he’s winning big before you take him for all he’s got.

  – Scammer’s Bible

  Chapter 30

  “You’re crazy, you know that, right?” Griff asks me as he helps me climb onto Molly. “I don’t see how you think this idea is any better than just having me go over there and punch him in the face.”

  “Well, first thing, you getting a punch into The Wizard’s face would not kill him, nor would it do anything more than piss him off and make sure that he will kill us. Second, we saw it in the book, we kill The Wizard. It’s as simple as that.”

  “But what does that have to do with your little stable boy crush? I thought it was you and me alone on the church steps.”

  “Right. Look, The Wizard and Lance must have some sort of connection, right? He’s watching The Wizard’s horse after all. It might be small, but it’s something. If I can convince Lance to go talk to him, we might stand a chance.”

  “A chance for what, kid? Even if your boyfriend does know The Wizard, you’re not giving me any ideas on how we’re actually going to get in those cathedral doors.”

  “We don’t need to get in. We just need him to come out.”

  “I’m still not following.”

  “That’s alright, you don’t need to. Go find Father Addy and meet me over by the stables after you’re done.”

  “If you’re sure you know what you’re doing.”

  “Trust me.”

  “Okay. I’ll meet you at the stables. Give me thirty minutes.”

  “Perfect.”

  Chapter 31

  Molly takes off after only a couple failed starts and I quickly find myself at a full gallop, heading toward the stables. I might not have much of a plan, but I’m hoping that what I do have will be enough to convince Lance to play along. The sun’s already getting pretty low in the sky. I hope I can make this all play out before it gets dark. I don’t know much about The Wizard’s patterns, but I do know that the picture in the book looks an awful lot like it happened during the daytime.

  I finally make it to the field where the horses had been earlier and see a large stable-looking building on the far side. I push Molly fast to the end, hoping she understands to stop when we get over there.

  As we near, I see Lance come outside, a big grin on his face.

  “Hup,” I yell. Molly stops just in front of Lance, who comes to my side and helps me down from my perch.

  “I hadn’ta expected you t’come quite so early there, Chelle.”

  “Things changed, Lance. You might say everything’s changed.”

  “What’s that, darling?”

  “The Wizard, he killed Agnes and Geoffrey.”

  “Aye, I had heard he had sent the brute squad out looking for a coupla fugitives.”

  “Yeah, well, the couple of fugitives are me and Griff.”

  “I had figgered tha’ much as well, my sweet.”

  “Right. Well, look. I think I know how to stop him. At least I’m pretty sure,” I say as I take my bag off my back and work to pull out the big book I had borrowed from Geoffrey.

  “D’ya need somethin’ from me, Chelle?”

  “I need you to get The Wizard out in the open,” I say, paging through the book as I sit on the ground
with it in front of me.

  “Ah, I dunna think that will happen there, darlin’. Tha Wizard dunna come outside, except for his daily appearances outside the cathedral. Speakin’ a which, he dinna have one o’ those t’day.”

  “He’ll come out for me and Griff.”

  “I dunna think I understand.”

  “I want you to give us up. Go find The Wizard and tell him you had a couple of strangers stop by the stables looking to steal a horse. Make sure you mention to him the fact that you noticed I was wearing a spherical pendant, like the one he has, and thought we might have stolen it from him.”

  “I dunna think I can get an audience with The Wizard, Chelle.”

  “Trust me. If you tell him you’ve found us, you’ll get his attention.”

  “You realize he’ll bring down the entire brute squad and whatever other forces he can upon you if he’s as interested in bringin’ ya to justice as you think. He’s not one for half measures.”

  “Maybe,” I reply. “But then there’s this,” I continue as I gesture to the picture of what appears to be me and Griff standing over a dead version of The Wizard. I hadn’t realized until this moment that our clothes even match the picture now. “I think this is supposed to happen today, with me and Griff. All you need to do is tell him that you know we’re here and offer to get us to show up at the cathedral.”

  “Wha’ makes you think that there picture is of tonight? If’n it hadna happen’ yet, then ‘ow’s it in that there ol’ book?”

  “It’s a prophecy, or at least, sort of,” I frown. “Look, I’m certain that this is supposed to happen now. Me and Griff are even wearing the same clothes as in the picture.”

  “’Tis true, mum,” Lance says as he scratches his chin. “Still seems t’ be an awful lot of chance involved in makin’ sure this all comes true. Why dunna you come along wif me yerself and we can both talk to Tha Wizard?”

  “Because, I need Griff, and he needs to get something first, and we need this all to happen before the sun sets. Just go make sure he’s aware we’re coming and I’ll do the rest.”

  “Okay, Chelle,” Lance says reluctantly. “But I want ya t’ know I think this is a bad idea.”

  “Your thoughts have been noted,” I say as I jump to my feet. “Now go, fast,” I say as I give him a light shove.

  Lance runs toward the red-haired horse he had ridden earlier and within seconds he is disappearing off into the distance, leaving me alone by a large stable full of horses.

  Nervously, I enter it to look for anything I can find that might be able to be used as a weapon. This is what’s supposed to happen. Me and Griff are supposed to kill him. It’s got to be tonight. I just don’t know how we do it.

  The only item that looks dangerous at all in this hay-filled animal home is a rusty pitchfork leaning against the wall in a corner. I just hope it will be enough. The next question is, can I really kill this man?

  Cathedral bells begin ringing in the distance. That’s probably my cue. If only Griff would hurry up and get here.

  Chapter 32

  I nervously pace while awaiting all my pieces to fall together. I’m betting everything on that picture. Geoffrey seemed to think that it had already happened, that he had seen it happen, that he had drawn the picture even. If that’s the case, then maybe I’m wrong. But that’s us, I’m certain of it.

  At this point, there’s not much chance of turning back. Of course, even before all this was set in motion, it’s pretty obvious that The Wizard planned to have us killed as soon as possible, no matter who he had to go through to find us.

  The doors to the stables fling open and Lance comes running in, his face red and covered in sweat and fear.

  “Chelle!” he yells. “You’ve got to hide. They’re coming!”

  “Who’s coming?”

  “Everyone.”

  “What?” I shout unhappily. “No, he’s supposed to wait there for us! Didn’t you tell him to wait?”

  “’A course, Chelle, dearie. But The Wizard idna one to take commands from a peasant. Now come on, we’ve got ta hide ya.”

  “No,” I say as I run to the door. Lance pulls me back.

  “What do you think you’re doing? They mean to kill you!”

  “We’ve got to get to the cathedral before he leaves!”

  “D’ya have a death wish, darlin’?”

  “Not at all. I have a plan.” I kiss him on the cheek, turn, and step out the door.

  He grabs at me once again, pulls me into his arms, and holds me tightly, pressing his lips against mine. My world swims. For a brief moment I think of the image of me sharing a passionate kiss with the stable boy in the stables and I giggle. My head spins at his embrace.

  He finally releases me and wraps an arm around my head, pulling me into his chest.

  “I know that may be out of place, Chelle,” he says, “but I just want you to know that there is something here worth living for.”

  “There’s plenty worth living for,” I say as I regain my composure as well as my dedication. “It’s a good thing I don’t intend on dying today.”

  I turn from him again and look out at the horizon. It’s gotten dark out now, not good for my plan which relies solely on one image. And on the bridge ahead of us, the only pathway I know to get to the cathedral, is a series of bright lights. Torches, held by what looks like a textbook example of a mob.

  I look at my pitchfork and wonder if it might be enough to help me blend in. The sound of an angry chant hits my ears. I’m thinking I might have a hard time talking these folks into letting me go.

  But maybe that’s the point. Maybe I just have to let them pass and then I’ll find The Wizard still waiting at the cathedral, all without his proper bodyguards or whatever. If only Griff would hurry up and get here with that necklace.

  As the crowd nears, the chant becomes clearer. It’s melodic and, as best as I can guess, it’s in Latin. They just keep repeating the same phrase over and over again, completely in unison. I don’t know Latin, but it sounds like they’re saying something like ‘the whore of mars is naughty’. I don’t know what The Wizard has been telling people about me, but I’m actually not too much against the nickname. It’s not accurate, considering my history with boys and all, but it’s still pretty cool.

  “The hour of death,” Lance says. He’s standing at my side, holding his shoulders high in the face of the impending storm.

  “What?” I ask.

  “Hora Mortis Nostrae,” he clarifies. “It’s Latin for The Hour of Death.”

  “Sorry, I never learned Latin.”

  “Why should you? Most people don’t know it. I managed to take in some training from Father Addy.”

  “So, what’s the Hour of Death?”

  “Something The Wizard has enacted on only a couple of previous occasions. Hora Mortis Nostrae, the hour where death is found to be righteous.”

  “Awesome,” I say halfheartedly. “So, they’re all bloodthirsty and blindly following the maniac?”

  “Guess he’s concerned for what you and your friend might be up to and have decided you’re to be offered up as a sacrifice.”

  “So, is he coming too?”

  “Who?”

  “The Wizard. Is he coming out here to watch me die?”

  “The Hour of Death is one of the special occasions where he actually does come out, as he’s the one who performs these sacrifices himself. He’s here, and he’s leading the charge.”

  “So, what are the chances that I could run right now and not get spotted?”

  “I’d say pretty much zero, dearie.”

  He’s right, the people are close enough now that I’m able to start making out the faces in the crowd. The chant continues. They surround us, keeping a good five foot clearance around me, Lance, and the stables. The field fills quickly.

  Then a loud whizzing comes from the midst of the group and I see what looks a lot like a bottle rocket rise into the air, making a loud pop as it hits the sky. The c
rowd in front of us immediately separates and the evil man himself walks forward, pushing into the center of the circle with me and my new companion. His Igor of a minion, Wyllt, is at his side.

  I look anxiously for Griff among the faces of the mob and find that all I see are rage-filled faces of people I’ve never talked to before.

  “Dorothy,” the artificially wizened man in front of me seethes.

  “Myrddin,” I respond, attempting to sound as nonchalant as possible for a situation as dire as this.

  “So, my spies were correct, you did meet with the sage,” he grins darkly. “How is old Geoffrey doing nowadays?”

  Mentioning Geoffrey’s name unsettles me. I want to lash out in anger at this man who made me watch my friend die. I take a deep breath before continuing, trying to use the reminder as a source of determination, instead of something that pulls me down. I decide that perhaps I can take my plan in a new direction.

  “People of York,” I begin.

  “We do not use that name here,” Wyllt says as he creeps around me. “Just one of the many ills this girl would dare bring to our fair city,” he says as he appeals to the mob.

  “People of York,” I repeat, “hear my words. The man before me is a fraud. The man who would claim to provide you salvation is nothing more than a simple con—“

  “Sorry, dear girl,” The Wizard says as he steps forward and expertly wraps his fingers around my neck, “but I have no need to allow you to speak. Your death has already been commanded. And as you can see, your prophecy is not coming true.”

  Lance pushes The Wizard off me, yelling, “Keep your damned hands away from her. If you must have a sacrifice today, take me.”

  “Oh, I assure you that you shall not live out the night either,” The Wizard says as he turns his evil stare upon Lance. “Your interruption has assured that, as well as the lies you used to get me out here today.” He gestures to Wyllt, who then organizes four of the large men standing at the front of the crowd to corner Lance with the weapons in their hands.

  “This will not stand,” Lance yells. “Our city was more than this!”