Keeper of the Realms: Crow's Revenge (Book 1)

by Marcus Alexander

He departed to fetch the refreshments, scurrying past the watchful eyes of Stix and Stones, who were standing guard.

  Narcissa sat reclining on a magnificent chair upholstered with silk and decorated with her heron and rose motif. Flint was on a similar chair beside her. The two of them had been discussing strategies on one of the large, sweeping balconies that adorned the Ivory Tower. Huge waves of orchids, lilies and lotus flowers grew from the side of the tower to form a canopy of brightly coloured petals that shielded them from the strong rays of the setting sun.

  ‘So tell me, Lady Narcissa, where is this servant of Bane’s? Should he not have arrived by now?’

  ‘Patience, Flint, patience. The Stoman Lord himself assured me that the servant would be here in time.’

  ‘Yes, well, if that was so he should have arrived long ago. We cannot afford to wait much longer. The First Speaker and that idiotic old Keeper are growing far, far too strong for my liking.’

  ‘Be that as it may, I still expect …’ Narcissa fell silent. Shielding her eyes from the last of the sun’s rays, she gazed at a shadow that hung on the horizon. ‘What is that?’

  Squinting his eyes into narrow slits, the large Stoman councillor leaned forward to get a better view. ‘I … I am not sure. It looks like a large flock of birds, does it not? They appear to be ravens … or crows. Most unusual to see even one this far east of the Western Mountains, but to see a whole flock? Most unusual indeed.’

  The birds, now clearly identifiable as crows, quickly drew nearer, seeming to head straight for the two councillors. Their harsh, haunting cries crashed against the side of the Ivory Tower and with a loud flapping of wings they spiralled down towards the balcony. Stix and Stones stepped forward from the shadows to stand protectively on either side of their mother. The Delightful Brothers eyed the approaching flurry of birds with mistrust.

  With a last bursting shriek, the birds kaleidoscoped together, melting into one large mass, and with a sharp sound, similar to that of breaking glass, Mr Crow lightly stepped forth.

  ‘Good evening,’ he whispered. ‘My name is Crow, Mr Crow.’ The skinny lawyer smiled nastily. Sunlight gleamed and reflected off his frighteningly sharp teeth. ‘Now, where is that little filly, Charlie?’

  54

  The Arrival

  ‘So where is she?’

  ‘There is no need for you to express an interest in that little brat just yet, Mr Crow,’ snapped Lady Narcissa, recovering from the man’s unusual arrival. ‘I have a plan that will allow us to get our hands on the pendant without having to involve ourselves in open bloodshed with either Charlie Keeper or the Jade Circle.’

  ‘That is not what I have been led to believe. The Great Lord instructed me to bring him both the girl and the pendant to the Western Mountains with all due haste.’

  Narcissa’s mouth twitched. ‘Maybe so, but did he not also instruct you to do as I requested?’

  ‘Yessss,’ Mr Crow whispered grudgingly.

  ‘And did he not arrange for you to act as my tool and servant in this task?’

  ‘Yes,’ agreed the lawyer with an angry glint in his eye.

  ‘Good.’ Lady Narcissa smiled with a lazy wave of her hand. ‘Do not trouble yourself with thoughts of Charlie. By the end of tomorrow night my daughter will have claimed the pendant for herself, so what I need from you is help with another headache. Charlie’s mentor, Azariah Keeper, has proved to be very bothersome. Given more time he could quite possibly ruin my plans. I want you to remove him.’

  ‘By saying “remove”, I do assume that you mean “kill”?’ asked Crow with a sharp, bird-like twitter of his head.

  ‘Yes, I do mean that,’ acknowledged Narcissa with a cold smile. ‘Tonight.’

  ‘That is something I can do,’ replied the lawyer, an odd shadow flickering across his beady eyes. ‘Will his death cause Charlie Keeper much pain?’

  ‘Oh, I expect so. The two have grown quite close. They are almost like family.’

  ‘Excellent. I shall enjoy plucking this Azariah Keeper’s soul that much more.’

  With a sickening grin, Mr Crow jumped and bounded his way over to the balustrade and, with a final glance at Narcissa, leaped over.

  Councillor Flint and the Delightful Brothers rushed to the balcony’s side. Gasping in horror, they quickly stepped back as a black wave of feral birds swept upward and away into the darkening sky.

  ‘So you have still failed to bend your Will to the task at hand,’ stated Azariah with regret. ‘I am truly sorry to hear that. And you shall get no more done tonight, young Keeper, for the hour is late and you above all need your rest.’

  ‘But –’

  ‘Charlie, no arguments. Just remember that you are a Keeper and so long as you remember to focus your Will you will find a Way. I have faith in you and, what is more, I am proud of you,’ said Azariah with a fond glance.

  Charlie blushed, she couldn’t help it. Those were some of the kindest words that anyone had said to her in a long, long time. If she’d had any sort of existing family other than her grandma, she supposed that those were the sorts of words they would have used. Perhaps someone like a wise uncle. Once again Charlie blushed.

  ‘Well then, it is too late for you to be going home at this hour, so I suggest that you spend the night here. That goes for you two as well,’ said Azariah with a nod to Kelko and Jensen. ‘I have spare rooms a-plenty, so if the three of you settle down here for the night it will be that much easier to commence training upon the morrow.’

  ‘Sounds fine ta me,’ said Jensen.

  ‘Me too,’ grinned Kelko, slapping at his stomach in satisfaction. ‘Saves me a long walk back ta me house it does. Splendid.’

  ‘Excellent. If you would be so good as to follow me, I shall show you each to your rooms.’

  ‘Azariah?’ asked Charlie. ‘What about Nibbler? Shouldn’t he be back by now?’

  ‘Tomorrow, Charlie. If things have gone well I would expect him by tomorrow morning, or by midday at the very latest. Now then, if you please, this way.’

  It was some time after midnight when Charlie awoke from her dreams. For a second she lay still, confused as to where she was. But as her sleep-befuddled mind slowly kicked back into gear she realized that she was not in her bedroom at the Willow Tower but lying in one of Azariah’s spare rooms. A faint cawing startled her from her doze. Charlie grumped, pulled up the bedcovers and was just about to roll over when the sound came again.

  Closer this time.

  Slipping from beneath the warm sheets, Charlie wriggled her feet into her shoes and silently tiptoed out into the hallway to investigate.

  ‘Aah!’ shrieked Jensen as Charlie bumped into him. ‘Oh, Bless me Roots! But it’s ya! I thought ya were a ghost!’

  ‘Hhmpf,’ muttered Charlie. ‘What are you trying to say? That I look like a ghost?’

  ‘Well, with hair like that …’ admitted Jensen. ‘Yeah, I do think ya look like a ghost, especially when ya bound outta yer room like that.’

  ‘I did not bound out of my –’

  ‘Blight me Leaf,’ protested Kelko, coming out of a nearby room. ‘Wot’s all dis noise about? Don’t you two ever sleep? Ya heard wot Azariah said, Charlie – ya need yer sleep.’

  ‘I, uh, I heard an odd noise,’ said Charlie. ‘It woke me up.’

  ‘Me too!’ said Jensen. ‘T’was sort of like a “ca-CAW, ca-CAW” noise, wasn’t it?’

  ‘Yeah, that’s right,’ said Charlie. ‘I wonder what made it?’

  ‘So I see I’m not the only one who has been hearing odd noises in the night,’ rumbled Azariah as he stepped around the corner. Once again his cheeky red slippers peeked out from beneath his robe.

  ‘What was it?’ asked Charlie.

  ‘I’m not sure –’

  The shrieking and cawing erupted once again. Strident and loud, it came from just beyond the windowpane in the dimly lit hallway. Again and again the sound burned through the night, growing louder and louder, more intense and high-pitched, un
til the very sound tore at everyone’s ears. Inky wings, blacker and darker than the night, began to flash past, and long feathers rubbed noisily against the glass. Whatever was outside was trying to find a way in.

  ‘Wot is that?’ asked Kelko with a faint catch of fear in his voice.

  ‘I’m not too sure,’ admitted Azariah. ‘They appear to be birds of some sort but I have never come across any that acted in such a way. Whatever they are I can feel their hatred.’ Frowning, the old Keeper swept downstairs towards the leaf-shaped doorway.

  ‘Wot are ya doing?’ protested Jensen, as the three of them hastily followed him. ‘Don’t open the door! Yer’ll let ’em in!’

  ‘Do not worry yourself, Jensen. The day that I fear a pack of birds is the day I tie little pink ribbons into my beard.’

  ‘Wot are ya, nuts? Can ya not see that they are not normal crows? They’re obviously evil! Even me old auntie could’ve told ya that and she was deaf as a drunk walrus and blind as a bat!’

  ‘Jensen of the Willow, have you forgotten who you speak to?’ retorted Azariah. ‘I am Azariah Keeper and I have survived many great perils in my lifetime. I have survived two years of wrongful imprisonment in the Soul Mines of Zhartoum, I have fought tooth and nail against the Patchwork Daemons and even battled against the unquenchable Tides of Despair! Do you honestly think that I will stand back from a lowly pack of feathered birds attacking my house, evil or otherwise?’

  ‘Er …’

  ‘No, of course not!’ concluded Azariah. ‘And do you think that I would quail like a baby, terrified to step out of my own home?’

  ‘Er …’

  ‘Of course not! Whatever mischief those birds are up to, they are about to find out that Azariah Keeper’s home is not the place to do it!’

  And having had his say, Azariah flung the door open and stepped outside.

  Kelko, Jensen and Charlie couldn’t believe it. Quickly shutting their mouths, they rushed forward for a better view. Poking their heads through the leaf-shaped doorway, they peered out.

  Azariah strode into the middle of his well-kept lawn, thrusting his head from side to side as he stared around for the birds. But there was nothing to be seen. The garden had fallen mysteriously still and silent. Nothing could be heard, not the twitter of an owl, nor the burp of a mollylizard, nor the rustling of a bramblehog on the prowl.

  Azariah frowned. Raising his hands above his head, he slowly focused his Will. Warm, golden light blossomed from his fists to spread across the garden, illuminating it as though it were caught in the afternoon sun.

  ‘Burn me Leaf!’ gasped Kelko in surprise, as his eyes grew accustomed to the light.

  ‘Blight me Root!’ said Jensen in horror as he took in the sight.

  Hundreds of large black crows with evil glinting eyes sat perched on every available surface. They formed a wide, menacing ring that circled the garden and, disturbingly, Azariah appeared to be the focus of their attention.

  55

  Crow’s Revenge

  Still and silent the birds sat, neither moving nor twitching. They simply stared and stared with their beady eyes, glaring with such an intense hatred that even Charlie could feel it from where she stood in the doorway.

  A vibrating blackness slowly pulsed and thrummed its way from the flock to ooze outward, pushing back at Azariah’s Will. The circle of glowing light that marked Azariah’s line of safety began to dwindle and diminish until he was almost completely enveloped by the dark.

  Sweat began to drip from the old Keeper’s head, tendons tightened around his neck and his powerful shoulder muscles tensed as he fought to maintain the small wave of light emerging from his fists.

  ‘We’ve gotta help him,’ said Jensen. ‘Grab those torches. Quick, quick! Get them lit.’

  Picking up one of the candles, Charlie hurriedly lit the torches and swiftly passed them to the two Tremen. The three of them ran to Azariah’s side and their light, combined with Azariah’s Will, slowly pushed back the thick, oily darkness.

  ‘What do you think you’re doing out here?’ growled the old Keeper through clenched teeth.

  ‘Wot does it look like we’re doing, ya old rascal?’ Jensen grinned with a wild look in his eye. ‘We’re giving ya a hand.’

  ‘Yeah,’ said Kelko. ‘Looks like ya needed some back-up.’

  ‘Can’t you two fools see how ugly it’s getting out here?’ barked Azariah.

  ‘Oh, don’t worry. That’s just Kelko.’ Jensen chuckled. ‘Place a paper bag over his head and everything will seem right as rain!’

  ‘Ugly? Who ya calling ugly, ya pompous, big-nosed twit?’

  ‘Idiots! Be quiet!’ snapped Azariah as he stared at the surrounding dark. ‘You should be guarding the child, not helping me!’

  A horrible chuckle spun out from the darkness. ‘It is not Charlie Keeper who you should be worrying about … at least not yet. It is your life that I want, old man. I need your soul.’

  Charlie shuddered in dread. The voice was awful. It sounded like nails being scraped across tombstones and yet … there was something familiar about it. Something that she thought she recognized.

  Suddenly the thick, unquenchable darkness receded to be replaced by the more familiar dark of night. Azariah’s fists glowed brighter and, aided by the torchlight, illuminated the garden so that once again it shone as though beneath soft sunlight.

  The birds sat calmly upon their perches, waiting and preening themselves until they were quite sure that they held everyone’s attention. Then, cawing and screeching, they leaped into the air. Rushing together, they flowed into one large, wriggling, feathery mass and, with that odd sound of breaking glass, Mr Crow the lawyer sprang forth and on to the grass.

  ‘Surprise, surprise!’ he screamed with a nasty glare, as Charlie jumped back in horror. ‘Did you miss me, little filly? Did you? Did you? Well, not to worry, Mr Crow is here!’ Roaring with high-pitched insane laughter, he began to stride back and forth along the edge of the light, cracking his knuckles and picking at his nose.

  ‘He knows you?’ said Azariah with a startled look. ‘You know this … this man?’

  ‘Oh my gosh … Oh my gosh …’ stuttered Charlie with sheer disbelief. ‘What’s he doing here? What’s he doing in Bellania?’

  ‘Charlie, how comes he knows ya?’ gaped Kelko.

  ‘He’s, uh, he’s my lawyer. Well, my parents’ lawyer,’ muttered Charlie. She still couldn’t believe her eyes. ‘But what’s happened to him? How did he manage to do that?’

  Mr Crow twitched and twittered his head from side to side, then, grinning mirthlessly, he strutted forward. ‘Well, I can see that you’re surprised, my pretty little mischief-maker. And you must be wondering how I came to be here and how I can do all of these wonderful, wonderful things.’

  ‘What do you want, you horrible, skinny chump?’ snapped Charlie as she finally mustered her courage. ‘Run out of people to steal from?’

  ‘Oh no, nothing of the sort, my dear.’ He grinned. Leaning down, he casually picked up one of Azariah’s heavy garden statues and flung it furiously at the old Keeper. Azariah only just managed to claw it to one side with a titanic wrenching of his Will. ‘I no longer need to worry about such small pickings, for my master has promised me such rewards that everything that I could possibly take from you or this city pales in comparison.’

  ‘So what do you want?’ shrieked Charlie, as she and the others dodged yet another flung statue.

  ‘Isn’t that obvious? I’ve come to cause you pain and sorrow!’ snarled Mr Crow with a terrible grimace. Reaching out with a long, pale finger, he pointed nastily at Azariah. ‘I’ve come to kill this old man and let me tell you, my pretty little filly, my day’s work won’t be done until he lies dead at my feet!’

  Screeching loudly, the lawyer flung back his head and cawed maniacally up into the night sky. A thick grey tongue snaked its way out from between his sharp teeth to writhe and paw at the cold night air before Mr Crow began his attack in earnest.
Flinging trees and stones, statues and whole lengths of fencing, the lawyer began to dance his way towards them. Kelko and Jensen ducked and weaved from side to side in an effort to avoid the furiously flung objects, but they couldn’t withstand the onslaught and soon they fell unconscious, grazed and bloody, to the floor.

  Which left just Azariah and Charlie.

  ‘What are we going to do?’ said Charlie as she hurriedly dodged a spinning length of wood that whickered and strummed as it whisked past her ear.

  ‘We must combine our Wills,’ growled Azariah. ‘If we weave them together we can defeat this capering idiot.’ His eyes glared furiously at the skinny lawyer. Punching his hand forward, he deflected yet another thrown missile. ‘And whatever happens, we need to do it soon, before he totally ruins my garden! Now then, Charlie, focus! Focus like never before. Show me how strong your Will can be!’

  Mr Crow’s insane laughter cut Charlie to the very core, chilling her soul and driving fear deep into her heart. Her Will fluttered and wallowed – no matter how hard she strove to grasp it, it remained just out of reach. Gritting her teeth, she tried to focus, to do as Azariah had taught her, but it was useless.

  ‘Do not fail me,’ grunted Azariah. ‘I have faith in you. You can do it. Do it for me! Do it for your family! Do it!’

  And suddenly Charlie knew that she could. But as she reached down for her Will, Crow shrieked with a wild, cackling cry.

  ‘Too late, filly! Too late!’ Sprinting forward on his gangly legs, he punched Azariah so hard on the underside of his jaw that the old Keeper flew backwards to land like a sack of potatoes on the hard ground. Crow smiled nastily at Charlie. Reaching out, he casually slapped her, once, twice, three times around the face, and because he was enjoying himself so much he kicked her in the stomach. Charlie groaned in pain and toppled to the floor.

  ‘Oh my, will you just look at that! All four of you lying helpless … Whatever should I do?’ chuckled Crow. ‘Oh, I know, how about I kill this one?’

  Leaning over, he lifted up Jensen’s head.