The Dungeon Con: One Foot in the Grave ( Hank Grave Book 1): One Foot in the Grave (Hank Grave series)

by Marty Myers

  Still, he also would have never seen himself as a bonded companion to a champion of the light either so maybe his foresight was just weak. He would have to carry on and hope this path would reconnect them with the rest of the forces of the light sooner or later. He took solace in the fact that there had been a few rare cases where angels in the past who had fallen and then later redeemed themselves and returned to the heavenly hosts. He hoped he and his friend would be as fortunate as they.

  He broke out of his thoughts as he saw they were getting close to the southern border of his old territory now and he wondered which angel they had replaced him with. Looking down on it, the kingdom wasn’t especially grand but it was important enough to warrant its own angel due to the various Dark forces that intermittently popped up here throughout the ages. For some unknown reason, these lands often spawned more necromancers and other undead manifestations of the Darkness than most other places that hadn’t been blighted or scared by the Dark. And just like the last battle he had watched over here they often gathered together into a dark host and tried to conquer this particular kingdom. Although many people had noticed this no one had found anything to attribute it to.

  Apostaphus and Francis flew over the place where he had first felt the imp’s presence. He had tried to find signs of it again but it had disappeared for a time near the mountains before traveling to Francis’s own far realm. He created a white fluffy cloud and enchanted it until it was capable of holding the three of them as it floated through the sky. Then he floated down to it sitting Francis down upon the cloud and opening himself to sense for any other dark or demonic emanations nearby.

  He sensed several faint stains upon the land from places within the kingdom where the dark essence naturally gathered as well as a few fell places where dark deeds had been done. No land was entirely devoid these places or of any of the prime essences even if some spots were much more aligned with either the darkness or the light. From past experiences, he was able to distinguish long established darkness that had lain upon the land from times past from any of the newer disturbances. He could feel some faint elusive dark emanations in the aether but could not pinpoint them. But still, so far he could not find any specific trace of the imps aura they were looking for. Clarionides too searched although he was not as familiar with this area as his friend Apostaphus.

  Francis just enjoyed the chance to stand upon a cloud in the sky and look around at such an amazing view. She had noticed while they were flying that her eyesight had improved significantly since her journey here to this realm she would no longer need glasses if she ever returned home. She felt amazingly alive and thought it was beyond amazing all the many ways that having perfect health now made her feel about life. She began singing as she danced a little jig upon the cloud.

  Apostaphus found himself somewhat distracted from his search by his companions youthful exuberance. He turned instead to watching her dance around and feeling her joy through their bond. As he did so he remembered just how it felt to be experiencing such a marvel as this for the first time. He could see Clarion too watching her and he thought it was a good thing for his friend to see her joy. It would be even better for him to experience some of it himself he thought.

  So he began to sing himself, softly at first and slowly stepped the first few graceful steps of a dance that was ancient before they had ever arrived on this world. After a moment’s hesitation, his chant was picked up by Clarionides first but it was not long before Francis too sang with them as they danced. He gestured to his friends and led them both in an ancient celebration ritual far above the kingdom he had called his. As the dance continued a golden glowing light of benediction built up around them and then began to expand out to include the cloud they were on before it continued to grow stronger until the cloud shone with a great golden aura from which hallowed rays of light shot forth across the sky and down onto the land below. The sky and the land responded, singing along for those who could hear it and rejoicing in being bathed in the light.

  As he sang and watched his actions improve the world around them through such a simple but heartfelt ritual Apostaphus admitted to himself that he did not miss all the strictures the lesser host had added these past few centuries. It seemed like there had come to be more and more rules about what could and could not be done and less and less gatherings and celebrations among the angels. He wondered why that was. Looking now upon his companions he saw only joy upon Francis’ face. Clarion face too looked less pinched with the worry and the weight of the world and more like an angels countenance should. He thought about how it had seemed like fear and worry had predominated at the last gathering of angels he had been to before he was banished. Could the angels thinking be clouded by their lack of socializing and their performing of the old traditions less often he wondered?

  They danced and sang a long while before Francis began to feel a bit winded. At seeing this Apostaphus brought the ceremony to a gradual close with a final homage to the light and with that they sang a last clear note of hope out into the world. He went and embraced Clarionides and Francis and laughed with them. Then they sat down upon the edge of the cloud and looked out over the realm as Francis caught her breath. It may not have helped them to find the imp but this was the right thing to do Apostaphus thought.

  Just then he sensed another angel in the form of a cloud floating warily in the sky a decent distance away. Apostaphus was tempted to hail him but hesitated. Finally, he saw Claronides look over in the same direction and knew his friend had found the other angel as well. “ Should we acknowledge him,” he asked Apostaphus? “ Yes let’s do that but not move or give him a reason to worry, let him approach if he wants to,” his friend said. They both let peal forth a bright

  clear note and spoke their own names onto the winds. The cloud brightened and then dimmed before a hesitant voice sang out back to them announcing the angel in the shape of a cloud was Epiphanus.

  He drew closer and then changed into his true form. “ Greetings,” Apostaphus said, “ I am glad to see another angel watching over this area. There has been too much dark happenings around here for there not to be a watch set.” Epiphanus seemed uncertain as he spoke, “ I have been assigned as this kingdoms new guardian. Everything that happens here is now of interest to me. So I must ask why have you and Clarionides returned here?” “ Surely,” Apostaphus said, “ you heard me speak unto the host about the demon I and Francis are trying to find. This was the first place that I sensed it and from here we intend to go up towards the mountains to where the last place I had traced it to before it traveled on to the far realm where Francis’ people live. We are hoping we can pick up some trace of it coming back into the world here in the kingdom.”

  Epiphanus looked worried as he said. “ We have been told to watch most carefully for you and your companion. We were warned that your words are just trickery which could lead us astray.” Apostaphus shook his head sadly and said. “ I do not know what has caused the council to judge me so harshly and make them continue to say these unjust things. But I can say that actions will always speak louder than words and that my actions are to continue to serve the Light whether the council recognizes it or not.”

  “ Since being cast out Francis and I have managed to cleanse the Gallows Plains of its stain of Darkness. That in itself should show them that we stand with the Light. Then we had a most distressing meeting with Clarionides and Malakai who were sent down to the world by the council to fight me. I refused to fight, but Clarionides followed the council’s orders and thusly was cast out when he did strike me thrice.”

  “ Frankly I can not understand the purpose of these strange orders,” Apostaphus said. “ What they commanded to do was clearly against Laws of the Heavens and the Bans. Has any of that been spoken of?” “ Not like that,” said Epiphanus sounding worried. “ It is instead said that they encountered you while they were upon the world searching for the Darkness latest scheme and that Clarionides fell due to your whiles and that Mal
akai is so shaken by what happened when they encountered you that he will not speak of it and is instead closeted with the council. None of the lesser host have seen or spoken to him since he returned to the heavens.”

  Clarionides spoke up. “ It is just as Apostaphus,” has said. “ The two of us were commanded by the council especially Bahramel to go down to the Gallows Fields and attack Apostaphus there. When we found him he and Francis were just leaving the revitalized field and the stain of Darkness was gone from the land. Apostaphus repeatedly tried to warn me not to fight with him there, He invoked the bans against it, but I was sure the council knew what they were doing and followed their direction which led to my downfall. Francis called upon several of the Lesser Host to come to stop the confrontation as well. But our brethren seemed too shocked then to intervene. As soon as I had struck him a third time the voice of one of the Lords of Light spoke onto us casting me out and Malakai and the other angels Francis had called upon to witness the event fled the scene.”

  Francis spoke up at this point naming who was there. “ They all witnessed this. Have none of them come forward to say what happened?” “ No,” said Epiphanus, “ not that I heard, but then so many of us have been sent away on all of these missions to search the world for where the Darkness schemes that the Heavens are practically empty except for the council and a few of their trusted confidants. Many of the ones you named are probably still down here upon the world fulfilling their duties.”

  Francis expression became stormy upon hearing this. Without thought she again called out to the angels she had named before and tried to beseech their attendance. Epiphanus was surprised by this as the several of the angels appeared in accordance with her calling on them. She said. “ I call on thee all to attest truly to the happenings you did witness on the Gallows Fields.” The angels looked around as they appeared. They were surprised to find themselves gathered together upon the golden cloud which grew larger to accommodate them all. After looking around some of them spoke, telling what they had seen happen there and confirming the three’s account of matters to the other angel.

  Chapter 24

  Llywelyn meanwhile had been scrying through the kingdom for anything troublesome that might endanger Hank when she had come across the golden cloud and three angels meeting in the sky. She had found it by seeing a shaft of golden light it had let loose shoot across the sky and pass nearby her scrying’s viewpoint. Slowly and carefully she had crept up to view the celestial gathering.

  She dared not approach close enough to try to hear their conversations just yet. Luckily they seemed intent enough on speaking among themselves that they had yet to notice her presence spying on them here. This gathering of angels could indeed be serious trouble for Hank and the Darkness’ plans to resurrect The Dark Prince. Unlike the rest of the world, the bans did not forbid angels and demons and other minions from fighting within the dungeons own demesne. The dungeons were always fair game just as the forces of Light and Darkness could freely battle amongst themselves in the heavens or hells.

  She really needed to find out what they were up to. It was then that she saw that they also had a mortal with them which was very unusual. The last mortal she had seen standing amongst the host had been Saint Fairlaw the Just when he had tried raiding her dungeon many centuries ago with his companion angel and a host of the Light. This mortal stepped up revealing herself to Llywelyn and called out to several of the angelic host in the angel’s own tongue which then appeared soon to her. Llywelyn was stunned by this action. It was a new Saint amongst the host! None had been sainted since the second ban had forbidden such a thing from happening.

  Even more shocking was that the girl who was revealed to her somehow appeared to be Hank’s old girlfriend Francis. She had not recognized her immediately from Hank’s memories because of the odd cloak she was wearing and due to the many changes she had undergone since becoming a sainted individual. Surely it was only possible for her to be bonded due to her coming from a realm where the limits of the bans didn’t carry over to. The same situation was what made Hank’s body suitable to host the resurrection of the Dark Prince after all.

  Being bonded to an angel the girl’s looks had improved markedly. Her aura too shown almost as clear and bright as the others standing upon the golden cloud. Indeed Llywelyn thought with a tinge of jealousy. She looked purer than many of the saints she had previously encountered. So many questions ran through Llywelyn’s mind about how this could have come to pass as the angels continued to speak that she failed to catch exactly what they were saying.

  It could not be a coincidence that she and they were here above the very kingdom Hank had been brought to. Llywelyn searched frantically below her to see if there was a corresponding army somewhere nearby to match the force of angels. But she could not find them. Perhaps that meant they did not yet know exactly where he was located. She had to distract them and lead them off before they organized themselves and thoroughly scoured the kingdom looking for him. It had nothing to do with keeping Hank from finding out about Francis presence here Llywelyn thought a bit guiltily to herself. She was just protecting him from the angels’ wrath.

  She began gathering to her more of her own energies to her. She needed to break them up immediately and lead them off onto following her on a false trail. She was far from the heart of her power though. If she was going to try matching herself up against so many angels she would need them to follow her homeward. Where her power would be much more potent.

  Llywelyn prepared herself, calling up her vast reserves of power and forming a much more substantial form nearby in the skies. She also split off another self and sent a message to the Darkness to alert him to her encounter here. Then she began alerting her own dark host of minions to be at full readiness when they arrived back at her dungeon. She was confident that if she could lead them to her own doorstep she could thwart them, after all, she was the Dark Citadel. One of the few dungeons who had ever truly fought and slain an angel in combat.

  The Angels had just finished telling of their encounter at the edge of the Gallows Fields when an unclean wind swept across them and a jagged black bolt of lightning struck the golden cloud beneath their feet jarring their perch. A thunderclap slapped Francis and the shock wave hit her hard enough to almost send her flying off of their cloud in the sky. Apostaphus immediately grabbed hold of her and sheltered her beneath his wings.

  She Looked up and saw before them a dark feminine translucent figure emerge from within a cloud of black inky darkness that seemed to have sprung up from nowhere. She appeared to be a tall, well-endowed woman dressed in a classy long black dress. She wore a crown of sharp jagged red crystal spikes braided into the straight brown hair upon her head alongside a set of black horns and had rather large demonic red and black striped wings sprouting from her back.

  “ A congregation such as this just for me, you shouldn’t have,” she said in a loud husky voice that rang with dark power. “ I am flattered, but you lot are definitely not to my taste even if you are all pretty enough. I see though that I am not the only lady to be found in your company. The girl is new to me, so I believe introductions are in order. I am the Lady of the Dark Citadel, Queen Llywelyn. And you dear would be?” Francis felt pinned by the flinty stare of the dark lady. “ Come now do not be shy,” she said. “ After all, you and your angel make quite the lovely couple. A newly bonded saint, my my, what has happened to keeping the bans these days my dear adversaries?”

  The Angels shrugged off their shock and many drew forth bright swords of flame. “Now,” Llywelyn said, “ are we really throwing aside all the bans today? Truly the Dark will thank you all for doing so.” A handful of black lightning bolts appeared in her right hand and a large shield appeared in her left, whose emblem was of an angel crushed beneath a mountain upon which a demon or dragon was wrapped. The angels edged forward towards the Dark Lady. “ No,” Apostaphus shouted! “ There shall be no breaking of the bans here today by us. If needs be, we shall chase y
ou down and slay you within your own fell chamber’s where no ban prevents our wraith Llywelyn.

  Now, why have you come to trouble us,” he asked of her. “ Many changes stir across these lands which concern the Darkness,” Llywelyn said. “ A lesser host of my lord Darkness was defeated near here recently then inexplicably the Gallows Plains change hands after all these years. The holy bells repeatedly toll out across the lands as well, and the angel’s golden clouds are once more seen in the skies. And now I find a saint where none should be and you ask me why the Darkness would be looking to scout these lands here about?”

  “ You are no scout,” Clarionides shouted in anger. “ True I am a queen amongst the Dark Host,” she shouted back. “ My crown well earned by the slaying of your winged brethren, and you had all best remember it,” Llywelyn said. “ Not many others of the Dark Host can say the same thing.” The Angels stirred, inching forward once more as the golden cloud grew brighter beneath their feet. Golden beams of light shooting out to strike the inky blackness surrounding Llywelyn. She laughed mockingly, “ Oh very well then. Come for me for I have not had so much company as you represent visit me in centuries. But be warned, I will be expecting you.”