He returned from the kitchen with two glasses of brandy and coke and placed them down on the large glass topped coffee table between the two sofas.
That was the beginning of a very long night that evolved into day. They sat and talked about what had happened, they talked about the hellish sounds that had preceded the whole of the nights’ events, how Clara had known that those sounds were from the astral plane and not of this world. If Seb had been able to connect the two then he would have remembered earlier in the day when he was buying groceries from the little corner store at the end of his road. He thought he heard something, or felt something that was not quite right. In fact if he really thought about it, he would have noticed that it wasn’t just him, but everyone around him that seemed to look at each other, questioning each other with scared little rabbit eyes. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up at the time as did the hairs on his arms, but he didn’t know why and neither did anyone else. But if he could really look back and remember then he would realise that he and the other patrons of the store were all stood stock still for at least a minute. Just looking at each other with those scared rabbits eyes before they carried on about their business of buying the essentials they had forgotten to buy in their weekly big shop, as if nothing had happened at all.
They spoke of the tapestry and of the dragons, it was when Clara began to talk of the dragons actually coming out of the tapestry and talking to her that he thought she may have had a little too much brandy before she came to see him. She told him of the dog monkey and the family of pigs with the alternative spit roast. She told him how this was a vision that the dragons had allowed her to see, through the pearls of wisdom that they protected under their massive jaws. It was as if the pearls had projected the scenes into her mind and made them real for her at that moment. It was a prediction of things that were to be, if she didn't “become”. And she still had no idea of what or how to become. She just knew that she needed Seb’s help more that ever.
‘I know how it sounds, don't think I didn't question myself a hundred times over before I came to see you’ she said when she saw the questioning look on Sebs face. And who could blame him really? she thought.
If Seb didn’t know Clara to be the level headed woman that she was, and if he hadn’t known her for as long as he had then he may have just shrugged off her story as nonsense, but he did know her, and he knew that she wasn’t the sort of person to easily be made a fool of, or to let herself be taken for a fool so he knew there was a lot more to this story.
The fact that she made her living telling fortunes until a few years ago didn’t make her any less credible to him. She had never given him a reading or read his palm, or whatever it was that psychics, or mediums did, as he had never asked. They had spoken of it many times, and while it did intrigue him and may have been a fun evenings entertainment one night. He had never pushed her into it as he knew what had happened with the young girl and what it had done to Clara at the time, and this is probably what made her even more credible to him.
Seb was now sat on the white rug between the coal effect wall mounted fireplace and the coffee table, reaching once again for his brandy (which had been topped up several times by now), he always felt more at home on the floor for some reason. If you asked he would never really be able to explain why. “It just feels more comfortable” he would say.
‘Can I see the disc?’ he asked. Clara had told him how it had appeared at the bottom of the tapestry, after the whole thing had somehow set itself alight and then just as quick fizzled out again.
‘Huh?’ she asked, not really knowing what had been asked at all. She was just sat there, lost in a world of Dragon’s eyes, gazing at the disc while she was turning it over and over in her hands as if the pattern might change with each revolution.
‘Well seeing as you woke me up I think you should at least let me take a look at what’s troubling you... it’s only fair don't you agree?’
She looked up, this time registering him fully, as if just looking up from the disc had brought her back to the real world.
‘Yes... yes of course, I’m sorry... here’.
When he took the disc, which Clara had called a talisman from her hands; he could see that she didn't really want to let it go.
He noticed that she had a sparkle in her eyes when she looked at the disc, a sparkle that he had not seen there since before Stanley died, and as he took it, she seemed to sag a little.
He held it up to the light, not that he was going to be able to see through it or anything. He just wanted to see how the light played on the gold or gold plate as he first suspected. When he looked directly at the talisman, he was astonished at its beauty. The thing that really took his breath away was the fact that both of the Dragons had five clawed toes. This really was an amazing piece of work.
He could see that it was pure gold. That was evident just from the weight of the thing. It fitted snugly in the palm of his hand as he closed his fingers around it to get a good feel of it.
‘Do you know what this is?’ he asked as he held the talisman up in front of her.
She looked back at him with wide eyes that knew too much, had seen too much, yet were still trying to deny the truth. She lifted her head from her hands for a moment and looked straight into his eyes and as she did, he realised she had the look of someone that has aged at least ten years, but in the space of the last ten hours. Her eyes were haunted with the visions she had seen and the unkempt hair made her look slightly mad so her next sentence really didn’t offer her sanity any authority.
‘I think it’s the end of the world Seb’ she answered in a quivering voice that could have been partly to do with the fact that she was shaking from head to toe, but he could tell from those eyes, those haunted eyes she was just plain scared to death. “The end of the world Seb”.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
‘Well, if it were three hundred years ago and we were in ancient China, then yes I would have to agree with you. It really would be the end of the world, not just for you but for your family and any friends of said family’.
‘How do you mean’ she asked
‘Well ...it’s well known that dragons represent power and the Chinese dragons were benevolent creatures, not like the western dragons. But this.... this is pure gold and the dragon emblazoned across it has five toes’
He stood up and held it up in front of his eyes again as if he were just making sure.
‘But why would it be the end for me and family?’ Clara was looking puzzled.
‘Ah well I have touched upon the subject of ancient myths and legends now and again with my pupils. The Eastern dragons were quite mystifying creatures’. He sat down next to her and showed her the engraving of the two dragons on the front.
‘If you look at it closely you can see that each dragon has five claws’ Clara hadn’t noticed this before and didn’t see how it was relevant.
‘Well it is said that only emperors or persons of nobility were allowed to wear or display five toed dragons, the lesser people or peasants could only show a three or possibly four toed dragon. If you were caught with this or anything displaying a five toed dragon it would be considered treason then it would be....’ he made a sawing motion across his neck with his hand, ‘for you and your whole family and any friends of your family’.
‘But I’m sure you’re quite safe now’ he chuckled as he put his arm around her. ‘I won’t let any nasty Chinaman cut your head off’
She pushed him brusquely away from her, it seemed to her that he was making a joke out of the whole situation, and she didn’t like to be made a mockery of. ‘Don’t make light of this Seb, I came to you as I thought you above all people would listen to me and take me seriously. This is not a joke. I’m not some silly woman who needs comforting or patronizing. If that is your intention then I think it best I leave now’.
She got up to leave and take the talisman from Seb’s hands. He had a look of startled incredulity and possibly a hint of shame on his
face as she did so, but when she touched the Talisman to take it from Seb’s hand; an interesting thing happened. The eyes of both dragons radiated a bright green light. It washed the room in an almost incandescent green glow. Seb stood up and then fell back down as if the muscles in his legs had turned to jelly. Clara was left standing holding the Talisman. He watched as she appeared to be speaking to someone else in the room.
‘Joseph.’ she half breathed half rasped. ‘Where have you been... I need you more than ever now’ she was looking through the green light emanating from the Talisman at what appeared to be nothing. ‘I can’t hear you please try harder... I need your help’
Seb had no idea what was happening as he watched her holding the Talisman with the funny green light but he did notice as she stood there, in the glow of the Talisman, how beautiful she looked and how strong she now appeared to be. Her hair was ruffling as if there was a strong wind buffeting past her.
‘Joseph what’s wrong’ she screamed. The wind was getting stronger and stronger, it knocked over their glasses and anything else that was in its way. ‘Why can’t you come over? Why can’t I see you? She screamed.
‘Find empaaasuun’ were the only words from Joseph before the green light died and Clara dropped the Talisman before passing out on the couch.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The room was silent save the constant bleeping of the machines which the doctors believed was keeping the old man alive, and the occasional raspy breath that his body allowed him. Truth was he knew he had lived way past his years and it had nothing to do with the medicines shoved down his throat or the pills crushed up into his food. Or even the intravenous drips dug into his arms as if he were a human pin cushion. No...the only thing keeping him alive was the Dragonfire. His dad had also lived beyond his years and he had told him that one day The Guardian would seek him out to guide her on her way. Liu had respected his Father like any son should. He had listened to his many wondrous stories of their family’s royal lineage that they had lost in a civil war many hundreds of years ago; he also told him stories of Angels and Demons forever in battle while they sat in the orange lantern light of the garden his father had laboured over for many years. His father had placed lanterns all around the beautifully manicured oasis, with a little stream running down the east side of the garden and an ornamental bridge crossing over the stream with more lanterns hanging from it. Perfectly clipped little trees bordered the stream with pink blossoms. The garden was Junior Liu’s favourite place in the world when he was a little boy. It was all gone now of course....as was his Father
Liu had waited patiently now for the past five years in “The Old Gables” retirement home. He knew at some point she would come looking for him, at least he had hoped, as he wasn’t physically well enough to find another guide to succeed him as he had not been fortunate enough to bear a son. His wife had passed many years ago without knowing the joys of motherhood. They had tried for many years before they resigned themselves to the fact that they were not meant to bear children and had made the most of their lives enjoying each other.
His wife, Mei had been Liu’s inspiration for the short time they had spent together so when she passed of illness some ten years before. Liu thought that he would soon join her. This was not to be as his father passed the same year as Mei but before he did he told Liu the story of The Tapestry and how he had sought The Guardian out from many hundreds of fakers and passed it on to her to watch over until the day of the beasts were upon them.
Liu now took solace in the fact that since early that morning he knew he would now be able to play his part and guide The Guardian onto the correct path. He also knew it would take his very last breath to do so.
In the early hours of that morning Liu had woken in a cold sweat and a feeling of utter dread in the pit of his stomach that he knew it could only be one thing... something had awoken the Dragons... which meant the Dragonfire talisman had been released to The Guardian.
As if to confirm this to him he caught a glimpse of light from the window past the bank of monitors at the side of his bed and watched the rain play on the window as it ran down towards the bottom ledge, but there was something odd about the shape the rivulets were forming, the rain drops seemed to meet in the middle of the window and then to Liu’s astonishment they formed the shape of a three pronged trident with an odd irregularity half way up the middle prong. The water seemed to glow with an odd tinge of green before falling to the bottom of the window pane.
In all his days on this earth he had secretly hoped that this day would come, but in the same breath feared it. He knew he was not long for this world and wished upon wish that he could now do his part and stand against whatever horrors were about to be unleashed on mankind... but he was nothing but a frail old man that had spent his life in the shadow of a beautiful woman and when she was gone, all he was left with was a promise to his father which he was about to keep.
He raised his bed and called for the nurse, she brought him the glass of water that he requested and placed it on the nightstand beside his bed.
He sat in darkness for a while, just contemplating and watching the rain try to beat a way in through the window before he turned to the glass on the nightstand.
Something inside of him told him that he no longer had the ability to control the liquid in the glass but, it was one final test...just to confirm.
He concentrated on the water a lot harder than usual, so much so that it began to give him a headache, he sat for over ten minutes unblinking at the water, willing it to move. When it finally did, it was nothing more than a few violent ripples which eventually died down. There was a time when all he would have had to do is look at the water and it would have been bent to his very will. He had never been able to control any other elements, just water as he was only the guide, but he still felt a small part of him inside die. The control had now been passed to The Guardian. She now had the power of the Dragons, which was just the same as being a force for Mother Nature herself. Liu knew that she would not know this yet and had to guide her to him so he could keep his promise.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Saul had enjoyed the ride with Gavin when he found Pinky and was more than happy with his protégés initiative. It ripped at his very soul that he could only watch as the sad little man wondered what was happening to him. He dribbled with delight as he watched Gavin then stroll over to the man, (still in shock that his appendage had been abused and defiled) and so nonchalantly break every bone in his body. The snapping of the neck was such a beautiful sound that it sent a shudder of bliss down Saul’s non existent spine.
He soooo wanted to be there, he wanted to tear the limbs apart and have the satisfaction of feeling them come away from the joints in his very own hands, he wanted to feel the warm red juice drip down his arms and taste the sweet nectar as it shot from the man’s torn arteries, and to feel it cascade down his chin like a warm shower of blood that would make him feel alive once more. His anger turned to rage and he ran full pelt at the wall of the warehouse, knowing full well what the result would be. But still he did it and it only filled him with even more rage when he realised yet again that he could not pass these walls, not without losing his demonic self... and that was not something that he was willing to give up.... he had to come up with a plan.
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
Ring-a-ring-a-roses
A pocket full of posies
a-tishoo., a-tishoo.
We all fall down.
Gavin had waited outside Quest Haulage for his prey to appear for no more than twenty minutes, when Phil pulled up in his British Racing Green Bmw 318ti, classic car but of no value. He watched him walk through the heavy rubber doors which led to the corridor leading onto the canteen where Gavin sealed his own death warrant a lifetime before, (literally).
As the song entered Gavin’s head, he approached the security guard at the booth who questioned his presence at the site. Gavin wasn’t driving so he just sidled up to the little box and sa
id in a hushed whisper...
‘I’m here to watch you fall’, his eyes were the colour of deep scarlet rubies as he said this. The guard thought he noticed a flicker of a change in the mans appearance and wished he had taken the day shift, but the night shift offered more money and had never been problematic, until now that is. The mans face seemed to alter as he watched, it changed into what looked to be like the head of some sort of bird, only this bird had razor sharp teeth in its beak and glowing red eyes, fixed on him, but only for a split second before reverting back to it’s former human state. It was that quick that the guard couldn’t really be sure what he had seen...if anything at all. The only thing that the guard was sure of, (and he had never been more certain of anything in his life before this very moment now), was that this guy had the devil behind his eyes and madness itself whispering in his ears but it was the last thing the guard ever questioned.
Before the security guard fell to his death, he heard four words uttered from the strange manbirds, beak/mouth in that same hushed raspy voice....
‘We all fall down’.
Gavin entered the building through the rubber doors, and he felt the dark power rising in him, he felt stronger than ever and was looking forward to ripping the guts out of anyone stupid enough to try and get between him and Phil, (or just anyone stupid enough to be in my line of sight) he thought and gave out a loud deep cackle as he approached the canteen himself.
With it being so late, there were no canteen staff serving the usual paltry corporate portions of horseshit to the overweight, under-educated, soon to be dead, excuses for human life that were sat around one of the tables in a little cluster playing cards and swapping the same usual bullshit stories with each other.
He could see there were seven men in the room if he was to include Walter over at the drinks machine by the serving area to the left of the entrance. Walter was the first to see the dead man walking as the other men were gathered around one of the tables at the far end of the room, just outside the gents and were too engrossed in their game to notice him.
The Tapestry Page 9