Meadowbank: A dark fantasy thriller (The Shael Chronicles Book 2)

by Jonathan Kent

  The home of the ancient adversary.

  11

  Kane had warned about the extreme temperatures and though she knew there was a water supply ahead, Elida was concerned they only had a third of their water left. Dex's condition hadn't improved, meaning they were forced to stop at ever more frequent intervals. She was also concerned about Kane's warnings when the nights closed in.

  'The days and nights are a lot shorter than you're used to,' he had said, 'I can't be exact, but neither can be more than six hours. Maybe less. The days are hot, unbearably so, but it's the nights you have to watch for. There is an incantation that is preventing its inhabitant from leaving the worlds confines. I have reason to believe it is deliberately so.'

  'So this thing is actually trapped there?'

  'It is. At dusk every day a sandstorm blows up that is lethal to anyone caught in it. In order for you to pass through, you are unfortunately going to have to endure at least one full night.'

  'And this storm is lethal? I take it you have a solution.'

  'You are catching on! I've had plenty of time to think this through and I believe I have found a solution.'

  He handed her a dark rolled up object which she first thought was a blanket. When it was unrolled, she found it was more like a full length poncho. The outer layer was thick like a hide, whilst the inner layer was made from the same thin metallic membrane as the tents.

  'Will these be enough?' she'd asked.

  'You need to have faith in the technology of Shael. It served its previous inhabitants for thousands of years. Make as much ground as you can during the daylight hours and when darkness falls, use these to wait out the storm.'

  Which was exactly what they did.

  The heat was visibly taking its toll on Dex and with the water almost gone, progress was becoming unbearably slow. The time between each rest stop was also getting shorter, adding to her building frustration. The sun was dipping lower in the sky and her initial hopes of making good ground during a cooler part of the day, were dashed when the wind started to pick up.

  Rather than push on, she decided to bed down before the storm fully hit. Using the leeward side of an outcropping as shelter, she unfolded the poncho's and covered an uncomplaining Dex with his. Any loose edges she weighed down with rocks. As the wind picked up and the temperature started to rise, she covered herself. What came next was the longest and most uncomfortable night of her life and the morning couldn't have come any sooner.

  It was impossible to sleep, but thankfully, as the first lights of dawn emerged, she felt the wind lessening. She waited a few more minutes before shaking off her poncho and surveying the damage. Dex's dust covered poncho hadn't moved and for a brief moment she feared he was dead. She kicked off the rocks and breathed a sigh of relief as he began to stir; she really didn't want to find out what Kane would do to her if she returned empty handed.

  She allowed Dex to drink the water, making sure there was enough for at least one more rest stop. She then finished off the rest of her dried meat and was relieved to see Dex take a few bites of a rat.

  'How much further is it?' he asked, all the spit and fury from the previous day now gone.

  'If we push on this morning whilst it's not too hot, I reckon we should make some good progress. If all goes well, we shouldn't have to sit through another night.'

  He nodded silently and took another small bite. For all of Kane's warnings, Dex looked like an empty shell. His face was still clammy and pale with ugly dark circles round his eyes. There were sores at the corners of his mouth which were now cracking with the lack of moisture. She knew there was still a nasty streak running through him, but the stuffing had definitely been knocked out somewhere along the way.

  They did make decent time in the cooler morning air, but as midday came around, the heat sapped them. Elida, without water now for half a day, noticeably started to struggle. The sun was unrelenting with barely a cloud in the sky. They stopped for a pit stop, resting up against a boulder that gave at least a modicum of shade.

  Dex took a sip from the water skin and then handed it to her. 'You need this as much as I,' he said.

  She took two tiny sips, but wasn't totally surprised to see that was all that was left. 'We're gonna die out here,' she said.

  'I don't believe so, but I see no point in going any further in this heat. Our best option is to wait until the morning.'

  'I'm not going to spend another night here!'

  'Then you will die,' he said flatly, 'If we move at first light, we may have a chance.'

  She looked at him to see if he was serious and his lack of expression told her he was. So, with no better option, they rested up for the day, using the rock and their poncho's to fashion a pretty effective sunshade. When the light started to die, they again wrapped themselves against the wind and endured a second relentless night.

  She was woken by Dex when the morning light was only a slither. The wind was still blowing, but the ferocity and heat were gone, even so, they decided to walk for the first few hours wearing their poncho's. They were both thirsty and exhausted, but somehow made good progress. When the heat did start to kick in, they found the poncho's actually gave them a certain degree of protection.

  At midday on the third day, down to their last reserves of energy, the two poncho clad travellers found the hut. From a distance, Elida thought it was just a mirage, but despite the heat induced headache and blurred vision, the closer they got the more real it became.

  The interior of the hut was blissfully cool compared to outside. They refilled their water and Elida found some dried corn to eat. She offered Dex a rat, but even he couldn't stomach a three day old one. The temptation was to stay inside as long as they could, but, from the time they neared the hut, Elida had sensed they were being watched. She thought back to Kane's warnings and knew the best course of action was to push on. Dex was on edge too, so when they had taken as much refreshment as they could, they headed out.

  It was the hottest part of the day, but in some ways the trip across the flats towards the cave was the easiest. They were both refreshed and could feel their journey was nearing an end. The nearer they got to the incline, the more their spirits lifted. Elida was the first to spot the cave, along with a rough pathway leading to its entrance. They made the climb, but could not shake the nagging sense they were being watched the whole time. At the cave's entrance, Elida paused to look back on where they'd come, as she did, she could have sworn she saw a pair of legs disappearing behind an outcropping slightly above their position. She smiled to herself, Kane had been right about the inhabitant. He had also been right about it leaving them alone.

  She opened the gate with the Shimbala and was relieved to see a concerned looking Kane on the other side. Not wanting to endure another second in this godforsaken place, she stepped through.

  Two seconds later, Dex followed.

  12

  'I thought something had happened,' said Kane. His concern now replaced by relief. 'You've been gone so long.'

  'It was touch and go for a second there, but nothing we couldn't handle.'

  He peered past her to the silent figure of Dex. The vacant, dejected look he'd had since the railway station had now been replaced by something altogether different; now it was a look of wonder.

  'My lord,' he said and fell to his knees. Elida thought he'd finally passed out, but when Kane went to him, she knew it was something else.

  'I never thought I would find one like you,' Kane said, 'In all my years, I thought my search was in vain!'

  'I've not been in this world,' said Dex, 'Not until recently.'

  'Then the gods are truly on our side.' he turned to her now, eyes wide and on the brink of tears, 'You have done a wonderful thing here Elida. Our time has come.'

  Dex was still on his knees. 'What is it you would ask of me?' he asked.

  Kane laughed at this, a maniacal laugh she hadn't heard before. 'You're going to do what you were built to do. You're going to bring back th
e King!'

  A frown crossed Dex's brow. 'The King?' he said, 'I don't understand. Lord Lycheen is no longer with us.'

  'For now, maybe. But by unlocking the secrets buried deep inside you, together we can resurrect him!'

  Elida watched as Dex went from awe inspired bemusement to understanding. 'The Greyfaer!' he said.

  Kane nodded.

  'But do we have the offerings?'

  Kane motioned Dex to rise and turned to Elida. 'That's where our little miracle worker here comes in.'

  Elida smiled, but deep down a feeling of dread stole over her.

  Kane thought it best to rest and recuperate before continuing. Now he had his prized Mamluk, he seemed strangely relaxed and in no great rush to begin the second part of the operation. He'd found a way through the compound's gate and forced open the entrance to the main structure, but refused to let them spend the night.

  'Too many ghosts in there,' he said, 'I wouldn't put anyone through that.'

  Elida didn't know if he were being literal or not, but the little she knew of this place, told her one thing; expect the unexpected.

  They set up the strange silver tents just outside the compound and in no time had a decent size fire going. There was no dried meat on this occasion, instead he served himself and Elida a powdered concoction that tasted like savoury porridge when it was fully hydrated. For Dex he'd caught a grey coloured fox which, thankfully, he ate on his own, away from the camp.

  Dex didn't speak at all during their meal and when they were done he took a rolled blanket and curled up by the fire. Elida and Kane sat together watching him sleep.

  'You did well today,' said Kane and handed her two blue vials.

  Her body had been on the brink of exhaustion for the best part of two days and she hadn't so much as thought of her new addiction. Now, with a full belly and a fresh supply, the itch was back with a vengeance. 'I thought I was going to lose him at one point,' she said, 'What do you think happened to him?'

  'I guess he will tell us when he's ready. But I was right in my initial assessment, he is very naïve for a Mamluk. Whatever has happened has worked to our advantage.'

  'How do you work that one out?'

  'Because he would never have lasted quite so long if he was over here. Wherever he's been, has kept him alive.'

  'He wasn't quite what I was expecting. There were times when I thought he would be a handful, but it seems like he's given up.'

  'You still mustn't underestimate him. At his core he is trained for just one thing. Killing. When he regains his strength you shall see his capabilities.'

  'Can you control him?'

  'Oh yes!' he said, 'My only concern was when you were alone with him. He sees me as his master. His creator. It's not quite the truth, but it will allow me a certain element of control.'

  'I've been thinking about our next problem,' she said.

  'Oh yes?'

  'I want to go back tomorrow. Case the joint a bit and find the right candidate. I might need a couple of days.'

  'You're not thinking of running out on me now, are you? Not now that we're so close.'

  She shook her head. 'No, nothing like that. I know this next bit is all on me, but I do want to see how this whole thing pans out.'

  'Good,' he said, 'Trust me, the hard part is over. Everything hinged on getting the Mamluk. Now we have him, we can take our time getting this right. Take all the time you need, but remember the longer you take, the longer you'll have to wait for the spoils.'

  'I just need a day or so. I want to get this right. Anyway, you'll need a couple of days to get him back on his feet.'

  'True. Is there anything you need from me?'

  She shook one of the vials. 'You can show me how I can mind control with this shit.'

  'It will be my pleasure,' he said.

  13

  Poor Peter Hatton didn't stand a chance. Within thirty seconds of meeting Elida in the woods, he'd lost his mind. She had followed him for three days to and from work and decided to make her move on the third evening. The rain was a useful cover, as it kept people indoors and she didn't see a soul from the village bus stop to the spot of her entrapment.

  She was pretty pleased with the show she put on, but there was still a twinge of pity the way he fell so easily under her spell. His size did freak her out and she knew if she wasn't very clear with her instructions, it would be hard to hide what he was up to. There was a part of her that knew her opportunity to back out was now, but as she got the poor brainwashed Hatton boy to repeat the instructions for a second and third time, she knew she was well past the point of no return. Some of it was down to the strange blue drug Kane was readily supplying.

  But not all.

  The first idea was to flag down a car on the road from the village. The rationale being a stranger passing through would cause less of a stir locally. She'd told him that if it was a male to simply ask for directions. If it was a female, he was to act lost and if possible, ask for a lift. If no lift was offered, he was to look for an opportunity to grab them and use the blue liquid which she had soaked on a dirty cloth to sedate them. Elida was hoping on two things, firstly, that the traffic on the roads would be sparse this time of night and secondly, that his sheer size would be sufficient to nullify any struggle.

  They had been lucky with the first car. It was a woman and not only did she pull her pretty little Prius over without too much coercion, but she also seemed to know the guy. Elida, watching the whole thing play out from a vantage point across the road, saw the woman pull into the layby and actually open the passenger door for him. In three seconds she was out cold.

  She knew then she had chosen well.

  They needed to get the unconscious woman back to the mansion and avoid any major roads in doing so. The boy clearly knew his way around the area, as he took a beaten path away from the road which emerged near the mansion's gate. They kept in the shadows the best they could and soon had the first woman secured in the basement.

  The second woman was more luck than judgement. As it had worked so well, Elida had planned to use the same car trick again. But as they began their trek back to the main road they spotted a solitary figure walking towards them along Meadowbank Lane. Rather than make a scene in front of the cottages, they watched the woman make her way into the house and took up a vantage point to the rear.

  Luck was again on their side as firstly, they watched the woman busying herself in the kitchen. When she disappeared into another room, Elida saw it as her cue to send the boy in. There was a brief moment of panic when he broke the glass - the sound a sharp crack in the silence - but no-one (including the woman) reacted. She held her breath as the boy lay in wait, but after a short, silent struggle, they had their second prize of the night.

  Within one dark and violent hour, both women were secure and sedated in the Shael gate room.

  Both Kane and Dex were waiting on the other side when she opened the gateway. Even by the weird way the gate made him look, she could tell Dex was more there.

  More there, and more dangerous.

  She stepped through first, instructing Peter to follow with one of the women. When he was through she sent him back for the second. She thought by now the hypnotic effects would have been waning, but he remained as persuadable as ever. Once through, Kane and Dex examined the two sleeping forms sprawled on the ground.

  'Any problems?' Kane asked.

  'None,' she said, 'It was nighttime and raining. No one was around.'

  'Excellent. You've done very well again. It looks like we have two perfect specimens here.' He now turned his attention to Peter who stood staring vacantly into the distance, 'And this is your helper. My, what a big boy!'

  'Yeah, he's local. I've been following him for a couple of days.'

  'Easy to control?'

  'Too easy,' she said, 'How long will that stuff take to wear off?'

  At first he didn't answer. He circled Peter who was now starting to drool and utter a low moaning from the bac
k of his throat. There was also a large wet patch at the front of his jeans where he'd pissed himself; possibly more than once. Kane slapped him playfully on his cheek, but the boy remained unresponsive. 'Interesting,' he said.

  'How long will it last?' she asked again.

  'The hypnosis? Oh, I believe that's pretty much permanent. Unfortunately human brains can be somewhat weak when it comes to this sort of thing.'

  'What? You never told me that!'

  Dex had finished with the women and was now at his side. 'No? I apologise, it must have slipped my mind. I did say there would be casualties did I not?'

  'Yeah, but I thought you just meant these women. How can we send him back like that?'

  He gave another of his sharp maniacal laughs and went to her. 'My dear,' he said, 'We shan't be sending him back. There are far too many loose ends here already.' He stood towering above her with his back to Dex and Peter.

  'Then what...?'

  Still with his back to them, Kane smiled and clicked his fingers. 'Dex,' he said, 'He's all yours.'

  Almost instantly Dex's form changed. Instead of a weedy man he grew taller and wider and within seconds had become a great bear looming over the still catatonic Peter. He lifted his giant claws and placed them either side of Peter's head.

  'No!' she screamed, but two strong arms from Kane held her back.

  'You need to watch this,' he hissed, 'You need to see the power we have.'

  The bear's claws squeezed harder and Peter's eyes rolled up to look Dex directly in the eye. Elida hoped that at the end a little part of him had returned to know what was happening, but she doubted it. He didn't move. Didn't scream. When his eyes simultaneously popped from their sockets he didn't flinch, just stood there with that same blank impression and incessant moaning that only changed pitch when his head exploded in the bears hands.