Dark Soul Silenced - Part Two (20 page)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Everything had gone well.  Josef was slightly shocked to find himself free — even if only for a short while.  While simple the plan still had many weaknesses.  Yet, somehow, it had worked.  Josef knew much of the credit went to Nathan.  The distraction had been more than enough to give everyone the chance to get past the guards and into the trees.  Two guards had stood in their way, both were flattened by the fleeing men.  One had started to draw a short knife.  Josef had grabbed as he ran past.

Throughout the run over exposed ground he’d expected to hear yells, or feel a crossbow bolt as it struck home.  No bolts flew and the shouts didn’t start until they were almost into the forest.  They reached the tree line without incident.

Samuel had grabbed a lantern from the floor as they fled.  Josef’s initial instinct was to order it left, or put out, but he soon realised they needed it.  Without the lantern they’d be struggling blind through the forest, while those chasing would bring lanterns and be able to move far more quickly.  Josef cast occasional glances over his shoulder but there were no signs of pursuit, no lantern glows behind.  Either the guards were waiting for orders to follow or the trees were thick enough to be hiding their light — and so would be hiding Samuel’s light from anyone following.

“
Too straight,” Josef called quietly.

Samuel heard, and understood.  He started to curve their path to the left — by about twenty degrees in the end.  A couple of minutes later he bent the path another ten or fifteen degrees to the left.  It was a risky tactic, one that sacrificed distance for confusion, but Josef thought it worthwhile.  If they simply fled in a straight line the soldiers would know where to go.  Now they were moving at an angle that couldn’t be guessed based on where they’d left the camp.

Several minutes later Josef called a brief halt, letting everyone regain their breath and tie their blankets so they could be carried more easily.  It also gave him a chance to listen for any sounds of pursuit.  There were none.  Samuel had dimmed the lantern to a faint glow.  Josef strained his eyes but saw nothing but darkness in every direction.

Josef soon signalled they should be off again.  Samuel took the lead once more and Josef followed last.  Bruno had hold of William’s arm and kept him moving.  Things were going as well as they possibly could.  Josef started to wonder if they would really get far enough away to have a fighting chance to stay free.  He fought hard to suppress hope, not daring to believe they were truly clear.

Several more minutes passed.  It was a strange experience.  No matter how fast they moved it almost felt that they stood still.  The lantern only illuminated a few of the nearest trees and rarely enough to tell them apart.  Josef’s biggest fear was that they’d end up travelling in a large circle.  Without sun, moon or stars under the dark trees they could easily lose their way.

Josef froze in place as the light from the lantern disappeared.  One moment he was following the group, and the light Samuel carried, the next the light was gone and Samuel was shouting a warning.

“Something snatched the lantern!” he cried.  “Defend yourselves!”

“
Careful!” Josef ordered.  “Stay still.  Remember where the others are.  We don’t want to hurt each other.”

The situation was doubly dangerous.  Something was out there, something happy to destroy the only source of nearby light.  His men would be as dangerous to each other as the unseen threat if they didn’t stay still.  It would be impossible to tell friend from foe, whether you should strike hard or hold your hand if someone brushed against you.

Then he became aware of something in the darkness.  Glowing red dots, pairs of them.  Ten pairs at least.  His stomach lurched as he realised what it was.

“
Beware!  Night Walkers!” he cried.

As if his shout was the signal the eyes all blinked out or rapidly grew larger.  Josef heard yells from several men.  Knowing he was farthest back he took another step backwards and raised the knife.

It wasn’t the glowing red eyes that warned him, there was no way he could have seen them behind him.  It was his newfound sensitivity to magic.  He sensed the coiled darkness of a night walker approaching from behind.

“
What was that? Who’s there?” he called out, turning slowly and moving his arms around blindly, trying not to give away the fact he could sense his attacker.

The night walker lurched forwards, surging towards the night blinded Josef.  At the last moment Josef pulled the knife into line, letting the creature impale itself on the blade.  From what he could sense he thought the knife had pierced the creature's heart.

The screech the night walker let loose was horrific, chilling Josef to his core.  The creature collapsed to the ground writhing in pain, dragging the knife out of Josef’s hands.  It started to scrabble at the hilt with its hands.  Josef stepped forwards, still guided by his sense of the creatures dark power, stamping his foot onto the hilt.  The night walker’s movements grew weaker, then stopped.  Josef sensed its dark soul dissipating. 

He started to reach down towards the knife, hoping to repeat his feat, but his hand didn’t get close.  Something struck him in the side, smashing the air from his lungs and flinging him to the ground.  The next moment he was pinned in place with a pair of glowing red eyes hovering within a few inches of his own.

“If the Master hadn’t forbade it I would feast on you,” the creature told him.  “Feast on you and laugh as your soul cried out for release.”  It made an angry hissing noise.  “But he did.  So you come with me.”

The creature rolled Josef over, and his hands and legs were quickly bound.  Then the night walker effortlessly lifted Josef and flung him over its shoulder.  Next moment there was a sense of speed.  Wind tugged at Josef’s face and clothes, and the night walker carrying him made frequent adjustments to their path.

Within a few minutes they reached the Bronze Order’s camp.  Josef was carried through and unceremoniously dumped on the ground.

“
Welcome back,” the Major said, gloating.  “So pleased to see you.”

Rafael paced restlessly, anxious for the following day to dawn.  Not that he would see the sun of course — but it would mark the start of the ceremony.  An hour before dawn he would make his way to the Temple, taking the girl with him.  Preparations for the ritual were simple enough, but timing became important from the moment the day broke far above.

The scrolls detailing the ritual were open on his desk but he ignored them.  He had already been over them more than enough times to memorise every line.

The girl stirred and called out in her sleep.  For the first time since the night he’d taken her Rafael was letting the girl return to consciousness.  He’d been tempted to allow it several times before, to savour her terror, but each time he had resisted the urge.  Part of the ritual’s power came from the victims innocence and terror, both attributes that would have been weakened if he had wakened her sooner.  Soon though he would need her both awake and terrified.  He smiled with anticipation.

The smile didn’t last for long.  He started to pace again, worrying about the threat he had sensed but still could not locate.  The guards had run sweeps through the town but it was far too large for them to check everywhere.  For that matter they might walk straight past the threat without realising.  Even Rafael had no idea of what form it took.

Rafael growled at the thought.  He felt powerless to do anything about the threat, and it was a very long time since he had felt that way.  Not since his forces were crushed and he fled the Citadel.  He had spent centuries building his power base to avoid ever feeling that way again.  He had turned almost every Chosen One under his command, ensuring direct loyalty to him.  Every Bronze Order guard was directly tied to him, once again because Rafael had personally seen to the rituals required.  Even many of the powerful in Echtberg, the richest traders and the most important politicians, were directly under his dark control.  Yet here he stood sensing a dangerous threat was nearby while powerless to eliminate it.

No matter
, he told himself,
by tomorrow night I will have more power than any have had before me.  Nothing will be a threat then — not whoever or whatever is in my town, and not those fools at the Citadel.

While true, the thought did little to calm him.  If anything the thought of the power he stood to gain made the possible threat even more worrying.  He resumed his restless pacing.

Josef glanced around and felt his heart sink as he realised all of his men were accounted for.  So was Nathan.  The plan had failed.  Though with night walkers hunting them down and no weapons they had never stood a chance of getting away.  Should they have tried to escape the night before?  Would they have got free?  If they did, would the vampires still have been nearby to chase them down?  He didn’t know, would never know, but he would always wonder.  Assuming he lived long enough for there to be an always.

“
I wish there was more time to talk,” the Major said.  “But you are already late for an important meeting.  You should feel honoured.  You are to be presented to our master, Rafael himself.  To reach him in time you will be carried by the Chosen you see here.”

“
At least we won’t have to see your ugly face again,” Nathan spat.

“
On the contrary,” the Major replied with another smile.  “I shall be coming with you.  The honour is extended to me as well.  I too shall be carried by the Chosen, though I suspect rather more comfortably than you.”

“
Enough!  We must leave,” one of the night walkers hissed.

It reached down and grabbed Nathan, slinging him over its shoulder.  Night walkers grabbed the rest of the party.  As Josef was settled into place he noticed the Major being lifted and carried in much the same way.

Then a wave of warmth washed over his mind.  He fought it as long as he could.  Long enough to be vaguely aware of a sensation of great speed, like riding a horse at full gallop, though he was unable to see anything at all by that point.  His foggy mind managed to realise that he was being carried through the forest.

Having managed what was a remarkable piece of deduction while under such pressure to sleep, Josef’s mind relaxed slightly.  That was all the edge the blanket of warmth needed.  It washed over him and swept all thought away.

Part Six - The Temple

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Rafael uttered the last few syllables of the invocation then took a deep breath, wiping sweat from his forehead.  The process was started.  There were other rituals to be performed throughout the day, but they weren’t strictly necessary.  They would speed the process but no more.

Rafael glanced towards the girl.  Already the ritual was working its magic.  Dark power was pooling below the table she was secured to.  Soon the darkness would begin to rise, spreading until it completely enshrouded her.  Then the darkness would pause, feeding from her fear, feeding images and feelings into her mind to heighten that fear. 

Throughout the day it would feed, strengthening all the while.  Then, sometime after nightfall, it would become strong enough to strike.  The sacrifice would take place.  The dark power would rip into the girl’s body and soul, tearing her very essence apart.

When the dark powers strength had been massively increased by the sacrifice Rafael would absorb that power, would welcome it into his very soul.  He would have the power of a demigod.  Nothing would be able to stand before him.

The smile soon faded from his face.  It would be a long day.  He looked around the Temple, studying it.  He stood at the north end in the sanctum, the focus of the rest of the building.  A huge domed ceiling arched over his head, almost vanishing into darkness.  A ceiling that showed no sign of the fifty feet or more of rock and soil that lay above it.  The Sanctum was the only area of the temple that had no secret entrances, or none that had been found.  Other than the ancient table the girl was tied to there was no furniture.  The walls and ceilings were plain, the sheer size of the space was more than enough to impress.  The domed area was fifty yards across at least, and the roof was a similar height at its peak.

The rest of the temple was shaped like a long rectangle leading towards the domed area, fifty yards across and at least three hundred long.  The roof was lower than the sanctum’s, though it arched high overhead.  The floor was also lower than the sanctum, and filled with row upon row of carved stone seats.  Every seat offered a clear view of the sanctum.

One main entrance led off from the south end of the temple, a wide and well maintained tunnel that led back to the main barracks for the Bronze Order.  Side tunnels led to storage areas and a prison section.  That was the full extent of the temple and its entrance, but it was far from the full extent of the underground complex.

The rock behind the walls of the main section of the temple was riddled with tunnels, all independent of each other.  The entrances were invisible from the temple side, and almost impossible to open without knowing the series of steps needed to trigger them.  Many opened at floor level but others opened in the floor itself, or somewhere up the wall.  All were left from the times when being caught visiting the temple would have been an instant death sentence.

Over the centuries Rafael’s men had discovered nearly seventy, all by finding where the tunnel started in the town above and tracing them down.  It had been an exhausting process — many of the tunnels were nearly as well hidden at ground level as they were when they reached the temple.  Each had been carefully filled in with rubble and mortar, and each was frequently checked to ensure it wasn’t reopened.

Not long after discovering the temple, and the first few tunnels, Rafael had considered tunnelling behind the temple walls — finding all the passageways in one go.  The project was soon abandoned.  The temple walls, and the walls of the tunnels, were reinforced and strengthened by magical power.  Any attempts to tunnel through with tools were doomed to failure.  Attempts to use magical power to break through had proved dangerous, even fatal at times, as the power used was reflected back at the user.

So now Rafael stood in the sanctum, studying the walls for any sign that an unknown entrance was opening.  He had forces stationed within the main temple — Bronze Order guards and Chosen — but he had to keep them away from the sanctum.  Rafael would not risk any of the power he sought being absorbed by one of his blood children.  The guards he allowed closer but still kept well away from the sanctum, not wanting to risk the darkness they carried interfering with the ritual.

It was a novel feeling for Rafael, the sensation of waiting for events to unfold without being able to influence them farther.  Novel but unwelcome.  He knew that his guards were sweeping through the town once again, and that his own forces within the temple could deal with almost any attack.  Even so, he was used to being able to force events at his own pace, to having more than sufficient power to make others cower and obey his whims.  He stalked around the sanctum like a caged tiger, willing time to pass more quickly.

Josef slowly clawed his way back to consciousness.  He became aware of sounds around him.  The slow breathing of several people.  The occasional clink of metal against metal.  He could feel cold seeping into his body from the hard surface he lay on.

He tried to open his eyes, unsuccessfully.  Although he was more aware than he had been for some time his body was still slow to react.  Fighting the desire to simply slip back into the warmth of sleep he tried again, managing to open his eyes a fraction. 

Flickering lantern light revealed a stone ceiling above.  Josef couldn’t see anything else.  He tried to move his head.  The fight was even tougher than trying to open his eyes but he persisted.  Once his head started moving to the right gravity soon began to play its part.  His head rolled to the side, banging down heavily.  When he blinked his vision clear again he found himself looking through two sets of bars into what could only be a prison cell.  After a moment he realised the double set of bars meant he was within one cell, and looking at another.

It took Josef many minutes to get his arms and legs moving, and a lot longer to force himself into a sitting position.  Finally he succeeded.  After that he began to recover more quickly.  The lethargy soon left his body and he risked standing up.

Only then did he survey his surroundings.  The battle to regain control of his body had taken all his energy and all his attention.  Now he examined the cell.  It was large as cells went, easily fitting Josef and the other guards, who were lying on the floor around him.  Several had managed to open their eyes and were trying to move.  Josef considered helping, but he hardly had the strength to stay standing.  The others would need to do things the hard way, as he had.

The empty feeling in his stomach suggested it was well past breakfast, though he had no idea how reliable an indicator that was.  The cell had no natural light, no windows, so he had no idea what the time was.

Two guards appeared, walking towards the cell.  One unlocked a small grill near the floor and shoved in some hard looking bread and two waterskins.  There was no plate so the bread was dumped onto the less than clean looking floor.

“
Lunch.  Eat it or leave it.  Don’t matter to me,” he growled.

Locking the grill the guards turned away again.

“Lunch.  Well that answers that question,” Josef muttered.

“
Good sign!” Samuel said, dragging himself into a sitting position.  “They want us alive long enough to feed us.”

Josef nodded.  He didn’t share the thought that animals were also kept fed before slaughter.  He needed the men to stay positive… even if he saw nothing positive in the situation himself.

Before long all the men were able to at least sit.  Josef felt well enough to gather up the bread and water and share it around.  They ate in silence.  Once the food was finished Josef started studying the cell, the bars, what he could see of the wider room.  Studying everything for any possible detail they could use.  He didn’t expect to find anything, but if he didn’t look he would never know.

He noticed Nathan doing the same.  The rest of the men sat quietly, contemplating their fate or quietly waiting for he or Nathan to find a way out.  Josef hoped it was the latter but didn’t ask.  He couldn’t fault any of them for lacking in hope when he had so little himself.

Daniel and Sarah had just finished lunch when Clara and several men arrived at the house.  Each of the men was heavily built and Daniel saw hints of weapons hidden under their cloaks.

“
Everything is going smoothly,” Clara said.  “We should have nearly two hundred to back us up.  They are gathered in small groups throughout the town.  Each group has one person that knows the entrance we will use.  Over the course of the afternoon they will all start to move, as will we.  Everyone will be gathered by sunset.  Then we descend, enter the temple and fight our way through to Rafael.  After that it's all up to you Daniel.  We will make sure you get to face Rafael undisturbed.”

“
What about Mary?” Sarah asked.  “Daniel may have to face down Rafael, but we need to get Mary out of danger straight away.  As soon as we get in there I’m heading for her.”

“
All right, some of us will come with you.  You’re right, getting her clear is vital.”

Daniel went to ask another question but the pealing of bells rang out in a regular rhythm. 
Ding ding… ding ding… ding ding
.  Clara turned pale.

“
No… no!  It can’t be!”

“
What is it?” asked Daniel urgently.

“
There are two signals used if any creatures of darkness breach the walls.  Everyone knows them.  Very occasionally the alarms have been used.  Nearly always at night because it’s usually night walkers that get in.

That’s the warning signal you can hear.  It means get home, or somewhere safe, as soon as possible.  It must be fake.  They’re trying to keep everyone inside.  The other alert is the immediate danger one.  People have to get inside immediately.  You have to knock on the nearest house, and they have to let you in.  Not doing so carries a sentence of death.  No one will be on the streets except guards.  We won’t be able to reach the entrance.”

“What about if we go now?” Daniel asked.

“
No.  Yes.  Maybe.  We have to try.  We go now!”

Daniel and Sarah grabbed their swords and cloaks.  Clara opened the door and rushed out.  Daniel followed, as did Sarah and the men.  Clara broke into an immediate run.  For a moment Daniel worried that would make them stand out, then he noticed almost everyone else on the street was doing the same.

Clara led them onto a main street, dodging other people and moving as quickly as she could.  Sarah kept up but was puffing.  For Daniel it was a slow, gentle jog, but he had to keep pace with the others.

With each passing minute the streets cleared more as people made it home, or to the house of a friend or relative.  While making their route easier it also meant they stood out more.  Twice they raced past Bronze Order guards.  Daniel readied himself to attack, but each time the guards ignored them.  Daniel was sure that would change once the second alarm started to ring out.

And then it did.  The intermittent chiming was replaced by continuous ringing.

“
No!” Clara shouted, starting to slow down.  “No.  We are only a few minutes away!”

Daniel grabbed her arm, pulling her onwards.

“Don’t stop!” he commanded.  “Keep going.  We can’t let Rafael succeed.”

“
Right.  Yes, you’re right.”

She picked up her speed again. The few people left on the street were all hammering on doors, which were opened long enough to grab people in.  Several people shouted to Clara and the others, beckoning them to safety, but she raced past them without reply.

Clara led them into an alleyway.

“
It’s slightly longer using the alleys, but we’re much less likely to be seen,” she shouted over her shoulder.

Running through the silent, empty town felt surreal to Daniel.  It had gone from a thriving, vibrant place to a ghost town in a matter of minutes.  Clara kept to the alleys where she could, but they still had to cross larger streets frequently.  As they approached another large street she suddenly stopped, peering around the corner then snatching her head back.

“Guards,” she whispered.  “Ten at least.  Standing still and watching both directions.  We can’t get across without them seeing us.”

“
Is there another way round?” Daniel asked.

“
No.  Not without crossing even more main streets.”

“
Then we go across here.”

“
What about the guards?”

“
How much farther do we have to go?”

“
A couple of minutes.  It’s mostly alleys but there’s one more major street to cross.  The entrance is down an alleyway.  They’ll be watching for us.  If we are far enough ahead the guards won’t see where we went.”

“
I’ll keep going,” one of the men said.  “If they’ve got someone to chase they won’t stop to check the houses.”

“
Yes.  Good idea… but… they’ll catch you.”

“
I know.  Make sure you use the time I buy you.”

“
We will.  Thank you.  Is everyone ready?  Then run!”

She charged across the street with the others following close behind.  They’d almost reached half way before a shout went up.  Daniel glanced up the street.  The guards were at least fifty paces away.  He noticed that while most ran towards him a few chose a parallel route, shouting as they went.