Dark Kingdom

by Phil Maxey

  Without looking her thoughts then turned to the Fae lady, Algorine. Kat was there the night before when the other dragon woman appeared and said she was Algorine’s sister. The chance of this strange woman’s family member being involved, at first shocked Kat, but after some thought she realised that the whole Order of the Ring was based on bloodlines, everyone seemed to be connected to everyone else in some way.

  Finally she glanced at the girl next to her, who had put her long blonde hair into a ponytail, and was wearing a baseball cap. Why was she in my dream? And why was she fighting with Justin? Was she a spy sent by the other houses? Kat needed to get to know her, it was the only way to get any answers to the questions that were mounting up in her mind. She went to ask the newest member of the group something when the APC started to weave left and right, making those inside grip their seats for balance. Soon it stopped and Vic climbed down from his top position. “There’s something happening up ahead. There’s a glow a few miles off, where there shouldn’t be. There’s also a whole heap of damaged cars and trucks blocking the motorway. Probably accidents caused by the storm, but we need to check them out.” He then turned to Mills and Hunt. “Gear up we need to take a walk.”

  The rear hatch opened and a cold wind blew into the cramped space making everyone tighten their clothing.

  Vic and the two soldiers, now wearing night-vision goggles got out with their rifles and stood amongst the snow that was now falling.

  Kat got out as well, feeling a bit lost without Chip. “I need some fresh air,” she said to Vic.

  “Do not go far!”

  She nodded and walked ten or so yards to a grass verge nearby.

  Vic, Mills, and Hunt walked away into the darkness as the swirls of icy flakes blew around them.

  Kat looked into the bushes around her, regretting letting go of the animal that had been her friend from the start of the madness, even though she knew it was the wrong thing to do. I could teleport him back I guess . . . But then her mind pictured the little boys face of joy of getting another dog and she thought better of it. She turned back to the APC, when a stream of green light shot into the sky in the direction of the glow. It surprised her how her first thought was ‘magic’ and not fireworks. The soldiers could be walking into something they were not prepared for.

  She ran back to the rear of the APC. Each of the three inside were looking awkward and nobody was talking.

  “I think there’s something magical going on where Vic and the others have gone, they might need our help.”

  Darren’s backpack was pulled around his front, which he was holding tight.

  Algorine got up and walked outside looking towards the light. “We should not stay here.”

  “Why?” said Kat, while Annabelle looked confused.

  “Because that’s where one of the grand portals is and—”

  The sound of gunfire drifted on the winds.

  Algorine leaned back into the APC and grabbed her rifle, while offering Kat hers.

  Kat took it. “Darren stay here.” He briefly nodded.

  “What’s happening?” said Annabelle, looking concerned and rising from her seat. “Why do you have guns?”

  “Just stay here with Darren, we’ll be back.”

  Annabelle frowned and sat back down.

  Algorine looked at Kat. “How you feeling?”

  Kat switched on her torch. “I’m fine, let’s go.”

  They ran forward, skipping past abandoned vehicles and ploughing through mounds of snow where needed. The sound of automatic fire increased and as they came around an overturned truck, they were both stopped in their tracks by the scene in front of them.

  Three streaks of neon were flying out from behind two crashed vehicles at large moving shapes, but in the darkness, it was impossible to see what the targets were. As they continued to run forward, Vic and the other two soldiers became visible using the crumpled cars as cover. Algorine and Kat quickly crouched down next to him.

  “I told you to stay in the APC!” shouted Vic shooting and then adjusting where he was pointing the rifle.

  Algorine leaned on the bonnet of the car and started firing.

  Kat strained to see into the darkness but could only see shadows moving ahead of them. Another stream of green light hurtled towards the heavens from the nearby standing stones. It was then that Kat could see the large amount of activity that was happening near the henge. Torches were burning, and a ring of hooded figures were standing in a circle. Around them hordes of the kinds of creatures she had seen in the labyrinth and at Glastonbury, were standing watching, seemingly cheering.

  An arrow seared through the dark towards Kat, she reacted just quickly enough for it to sail through the air where her head would have been. She needed to do something. Creeping to the front of the car, she imagined a bright sunny day, and thrust her hand out in front of her. A burst of intense yellow light flashed towards their attackers, illuminating the road and all the creatures on it.

  The scene of a few hundred humanoid creatures, most wearing armour from a thousand years ago and similar aged weapons, made the three soldiers stop shooting.

  “What the hell is this!” shouted Mills.

  “We need to get back to the APC and get the hell out of here!” shouted Vic.

  More arrows flowed past the roof of the car, making them all duck.

  Vic went to stand back upright, when a thumping sound made them all look into the shadows. Through the gloom came a creature made of muscle, standing well over seven feet, with green-brown leather and silver armour. In its hand was a spiked mace. As the bullets started bouncing off it, it roared and leapt forward landing on the roof of the car, which visibly wilted under the weight.

  With one swipe it’s weapon caught Vic in the shoulder throwing him a few feet away to the snow-covered asphalt. Algorine produced a large dagger from her back, jumping onto the front of the car while neatly ducking under another attack from the troll-like creature. She plunged the dagger into a gap in its armour making it roar with pain, but then it grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up into the air.

  As she struggled, gasping for life, it pulled its other arm back ready to strike her head with its many spiked weapon. The other soldiers wanted to fire at it, but had stopped shooting because of Algorine being so close.

  Kat’s ring began to glow as she put her horror and pain into thought, but just as she was about to let forth her magic towards the creature a sword flashed through the air out of the corner of her eye slicing the back of the creature’s leg making it drop the Fae woman onto the ground.

  Kat stepped back as Annabelle jumped up on the front of the car, swiping and then deftly leaning back out of the creature’s own attacks.

  Algorine staggered a little then shook her head and climbed back up, plunging her dagger once again into whatever gaps in the things armour she could spot.

  It started to waver and green blood poured from multiple points.

  Mills and Hunt mesmerised by the scene in front of them, then realised the other creatures were surging forward and returned to firing at the angry mob almost on them.

  As the creature looked like it was about to fall, Kat summoned the anger inside of her and thrust her ring hand forward. A bolt of blue-white energy flew from her ring hitting the creature centrally in its chest and sending it flying through the air. As the light of the spell sailed away through the darkness the heads of the other creatures could be seen watching it fly over them.

  Vic got back to his feet, and pulled on Kat’s shoulder. “We need to go!”

  They all turned and ran with what energy they had left back to the APC, while firing over their shoulders. Mills threw a grenade in the general direction of the beasts, which exploded sending squeals of pain into the night, but mostly their attackers had stopped following anyway.

  Vic grabbed hold of the rear hatch, while Mills and Hunt returned to their positions inside the military vehicle. Kat could see a dark red patch even through his wi
nter clothing. They piled inside the APC and the hatch closed.

  “Reverse us out of here, take the turning to—” His words faded. The APC’s engine started up, and the vehicle started moving backwards, and then turning.

  Algorine moved forward, inspecting Vics shoulder. “We need to see the damage soldier boy.”

  He grimaced but nodded, and started removing the outer layers of his winter clothing.

  “What the hell happened?” said Darren who despite the circumstances seemed calmer than before.

  “There was something going on at the henge, something magical. I don’t know,” said Kat out of breath. She then looked at Annabelle who was still holding onto a large sword. “Who are you?”

  CHAPTER 24

  Justin sat at the large table in the banquet hall. The scenery was not dissimilar to what he witnessed weeks earlier in Oxford, but this time there were only two people. Himself and the man who called himself Arthur. The cyning.

  “What do you think? This is a good spread, yes?” Arthur opened his hands out to the array of cooked birds and fruit which stretched the entire length of the table.

  Justin nodded and feigned a smile. They both sat at opposite ends, which was still too close for Justin’s liking. Even with what he had seen over the past few weeks, he was still only thirty percent certain this man actually was the legendary king but ninety percent certain he was insane.

  “Well go ahead, eat young man! if you’re going to be one of my knights you will need bigger muscles than whatever you currently have. Although from reading about how your generation spend your time it is not surprising you look the way you do!”

  Justin was fairly certain that was an insult, but still continued his smile. He started eating some dark red meat. He had eaten pheasant before, but this was particular good. He put some vegetables with it. The cyning smiled.

  “So . . . you’re the . . . umm . . . you’re King Arthur?” In the back of his mind laughter threatened to bubble up.

  “I was a king and I will be again but right now, I am simply a man that wants to help others find their way.”

  “Other’s . . . like me?” Justin wasn’t sure engaging a mad man in conversation was the right approach, but it was better than silence.

  Arthur nodded, his thoughts seemingly elsewhere. “A long time ago, this realm was united under my and my knights rule. The people knew their place and that was to serve the greater good. I was the greater good.”

  Justin’s thoughts flashed back to the book he read in the Oxford sanctuary.

  “And you want to go back to that?”

  “Of course.” The cyning got to his feet, making Justin momentarily freeze his chewing. “I have seen the state of the realm. It bleeds because you have no true rulers. You have grown weak because of that.”

  “Right . . . but things change . . . It's been a long time since you were last here . . .”

  Arthur’s expression started to grow angry, but then quickly returned to something more cordial. “You are right, they do, and now they are changing again.” He walked along the table towards Justin who was growing more anxious the closer he got. “You need to rest well tonight for in the morn you still start your training.”

  “Training for what?” Justin didn’t want the answer.

  Arthur shook his head. “To become a knight! Have you not been listening to anything I’ve been telling you boy?”

  “Yes, sorry.”

  Arthur frowned. “Why do your kind always apologise when being attacked, even if with words!”

  Justin froze not knowing how to respond, it was the Oxford interview all over again.

  Arthur turned. “It doesn’t matter, even the best of knights can start from the lowest of places.” Again he looked as if memories were at the forefront of his mind. He continued walking towards the door, which was opened for him before he got to it. “Rest, and be ready.”

  CHAPTER 25

  After an hour of detours they were approaching the town of Glastonbury. Vic sat with his shirt only lightly covering his wound, which Kat had tried to heal, but for some reason was only able to partially.

  Hunt ducked back inside, and lifted up his goggles. “We’re on the outskirts of the town, where do you want us to go?”

  “Can you see any lights around? Are any homes lit up?” said Kat.

  Hunt shook his head. “Not that I can see.”

  “Take us slowly towards the centre of the town, if you see anything that looks odd, stop and let me know.”

  Hunt nodded and returned to his position.

  The APC trundled along, pushing snow and ice out of its way as the road they were on dropped down into a valley, and then found its way to the more built up area of residential homes and shops.

  Hunt crouched down again. “We’re in the centre, now where?”

  Kat moved forward and stood where Hunt just was. She was surprised by the closeness of the buildings around them, most of which were just a few feet away. The headlights of the APC lit the lonely-looking street ahead of them. Not wanting to look at any of the windows she tried to recognize where they were. She bent down. “Continue on this road, then I think it’s a left then right into Benedict street.”

  Hunt nodded.

  Before she completely moved out of the way, she looked into the pitch black frosted spaces around them for any movement. There wasn’t any.

  It wasn’t long before they were moving along the road which led to the bookshop.

  The vehicle jolted and came to a stop. Sweat was rolling down Vics face. Kat and Algorine looked at him, then Algorine exchange a worried look with her.

  “There’s a bookshop outside, it’s the only one I’ve seen,” said Hunt.

  Kat stood up again in the top hatch and looked at the shadows of the innocent-looking shop that had been left to her by Arnold. It felt like an age since she had last seen it. She then suddenly remembered how they were attacked and anxiously looked upwards, but only darkness surrounded her.

  “This is it,” she said back inside the cabin. “We need to get inside as quickly as possible. I should go first.”

  “Like hell . . .” said Vic his words visibly causing him pain.

  “I’m the only one that can open the sanctuary and if there is anything in there, I’m best suited to take care of it!” She wasn’t sure of the last part.

  “I’ll go with you,” said Algorine.

  Annabelle offered the sword to her. Algorine smiled but refused.

  The rear hatch opened, and before stepping outside Kat listened as best she could into the night. There were no noises or sounds that would suggest she was in the middle of a town, but then by now she had gotten used to that. Thankfully she couldn’t hear anything else either.

  “Keep an eye on the sky above us,” she said to Algorine who nodded. Kat stepped out onto the snow, sinking a foot into it, then quickly moved to the front door, looking both ways along the street. She quickly pulled her master key out and unlocked the door, pushing it open and stepping over the threshold in one movement, ready for something to jump at her. Nothing did. She then beckoned back to Hunt who was standing outside the APC.

  They all scrambled out of the vehicle taking their things with them, and it wasn’t long before they were walking quickly down the stone steps to the large arched door of the sanctuary. The two torches on the walls to the sides were burning strongly as before.

  “I guess it’s normal for these torches to already be burning?” said Hunt.

  “You get used to them,” said Darren.

  Kat slid her ring into the small hole in the door, and the sound of gears turning ended with a clunk. She then pulled the handle down and pushed the door open.

  As she walked forward more torches lit and the large fireplace burst into life, making Mills and Hunt point their rifles at it. The chilled air instantly started to be chased away by the heat emanating from the fire.

  Kat held her hand to her mouth for all around them was a scene of carnage. Most of th
e furniture lay smashed, and pieces of paper from the countless journals lay scattered and torn across the stone floor.

  “Those fucks,” said Darren.

  “Hack!” said Kat as if waking from a dream. Running towards one of the other doors, she pulled it open and ran past the rooms where she had slept before to the final door at the end of the corridor, which was already open. Slowly she walked forward past broken bottles and destroyed scientific instruments not wanting to get to the end of the room.

  The cage door was wide open. She switched her torch on and pointed it into the shadows. It was empty. A feeling of relief and anger washed over her. A noise made her turn around. Darren was holding the remains of the wooden glass box which housed the tiny speck of light which so fascinated him the last time he was there.

  “I doubt they captured whatever that thing was Darren.”

  He walked to her. “Hack’s gone as well?”

  “Gone, captured, who knows.” she turned angrily. “I need to try and heal Vic more.”

  Walking back to the main room. Algorine was nowhere to be seen, while Hunt was looking at Vic’s wound and Mills and Annabelle were trying to make sense of the scene around them.

  “Algorine?” shouted Kat.