Heir to the Sundered Crown (20 page)

“I have some disturbing news Grandmaster. It appears something has been stolen from the artefact vault in the Grand tower.”

Thanos stood up quickly.

“Impossible, those vaults are magically sealed. Only I and the other masters can open it. What was stolen?” He demanded. A worm of dread tightened in his gut. He knew something was not right. He had felt it since the Baron of Redbit’s raid.

Dufran entered the chamber a look of disbelief on his wise face.

“The staff of Aljeron is missing,” Dufran answered.

Thanos took a step backwards to lean heavily against his crystal desk. His mind whirled. Impossible!

“The staff of the void...Do you realise the damage someone could do with that staff. If someone were to use it...they could open a rift to the void!” Thanos cried.

“The staff of the first wizard had been sealed behind four magical barriers and encased in an enchanted chest. It would have taken someone with immense power to breach those defences. None of the masters would do such a thing, they realise the dangers,” Dufran explained.

“The attack by the baron... it was all a diversion. A distraction to allow someone to steal the staff,” Thanos whispered as the realisation came to him that they had all been played for fools.

“Even the Baron of Retbit would not be so foolish as to use something so dangerous,” Dufran said dismissively.

“No. I don’t think the baron knew of this...I could see it in his eyes that he genuinely believed that he was here to force us into helping him in the war...no, something else is behind all this. The nightmares I have been having. They make sense now. The monsters I have seen in my mind are from the void...’ he paused and looked at Dufran in horror. “Someone intends to unleash the void upon the world...Perhaps even set Vectrix free.”

“There are worse things than Vectrix in the void...” Dufran muttered.

***

23.

The Sundial was behind them as they galloped as fast as they could away from the danger. They had let their guard down and now they were the prey of the realm’s most vicious killers. After Kaiden burst into the room to tell them of his run in with the assassins, Ferran had wasted no time in ordering them to move on.

Kaiden’s contact at the knights of Niveren outpost was found with his throat cut, the outpost itself had been ransacked. Now they were heading east at speed on the Balnor road. Such was their haste that the Nightblade had ordered them to press on without the protection of the rune stones.

Luxon was exhausted. For three days and nights they had rode without much rest, too scared to stay still for long. Now the darkness of the night had come again with only the feint reflected glow of Esperia’s three moons lighting the way. Thick forest was on either side of the road and the sounds of night creatures broke the silence. The others were all feeling weary. Yepert was asleep in his saddle and even Ferran looked bleary eyed.

Alira meanwhile looked fresh faced and alert.

“How far to Tentiv?” Luxon asked.

Sophia who was riding next to him put a finger to her lips.

“We must be quiet. These woods are not safe.’ She whispered. ‘The road to Tentiv is not far, we should come across it by the morning. The Fallen Wood is...” she paused as Ferran stopped his horse. The Nightblade was at the front of the group his hand was in the air to signal the halt. Kaiden reached over and poked Yepert softly, stirring the boy from his slumber.

Luxon listened. The sounds of life had ceased. No owls hooted and no crickets chirped. Even the trees themselves seemed to have resorted to holding their breath in anticipation of something.

A twig snapped in the undergrowth to his right causing him to turn his head and stare into the foliage. He narrowed his eyes to try and see, cursing the feint moonlight.

He almost cried out as he saw shadows darting through the undergrowth. He hoped it was some boar like they had seen earlier in their journey and not some fell beast.

He looked at Ferran as the Nightblade slowly drew his Tourmaline sword. Kaiden too unsheathed his blade and Sophia carefully unslung her bow and notched an arrow.

“Get behind me,” Kaiden said to Alira and Yepert, his sword held aloft in an enguard stance. The long steel blade was angled towards the ground ready to deflect any sudden strikes from the trees. Luxon drew the knife from his cloak, his hands sweaty with expectation.

The scurrying figures had multiplied in number and now he could even smell the creatures. Small white dots glared out of the dark forest giving away their position. Luxon gulped as he realised the dots were eyes reflecting the dull moonlight. The whole forest seemed to be full of them.

A tense silence descended upon the group as they held their breaths. The scurrying noise continued and with horror Luxon realised that they were being surrounded. He turned around slowly to face the opposite tree line, fearful that any sudden movement would set off whatever was hiding amongst the trees. He stifled a cry as he saw hundreds of eyes glinting back at him.

Suddenly and without warning the tree line exploded outwards in a foray of twigs, leaves and mud as the creatures charged out of the trees with a frightening high pitched roar.

With a whiny Luxon’s pony reared throwing him to the floor.

Dazed he could see that the others had tumbled from their mounts. All save Yepert who was yelling with fear and Kaiden who leapt from the saddle. Ferran staggered to his feet just in time to parry an attack.

The first Puck ran straight at Luxon, its short brown body was covered in long sharp black hairs, its eyes were small white dots and its mouth was opened wide to reveal a set of vicious looking teeth. In its clawed hand was a primitive spear which it now pointed at Luxon’s chest.

Without thinking Luxon dove to the side, the spear point missing his heart by mere inches. He fell heavily onto the road, rolling onto his side as the Puck thrust its spear down where he had fallen. All around him the road had erupted into chaos.

Ferran was hacking and slashing wildly, the glow of his magic sword illuminating the night as it cleaved through the horde of Pucks.  At his side was Kaiden who was also swinging his blade with a skill and precision that only a lifetime of training could allow. He took in the scene in a split of a second before he turned his attention back to the snarling Puck which paced towards him.

Luxon lashed out with the knife causing the goblin like creature to snarl derisively. With its spear it batted the knife out of his hand, sending it wheeling away into the dark. Panic threatened to overwhelm him. All around the Pucks swarmed, only the swords of the Nightblade and Knight keeping Yepert and Alira safe. There was no one to help him. The Puck leapt into the air its spear held high and ready to kill.

Luxon shut his eyes in anticipation of the blow.

It never came.

The Puck crashed to the ground an arrow lodged in its brain. Luxon spun to see Sophia standing behind him. The witch hunter grabbed his hand and hurried him between the terrified horses and ponies.

“Stay with the animals. We cannot afford these beasts to eat our only forms of transport!” she yelled over the screams and chaos. She put another arrow on the bowstring and loosed it into the ever building crowd of monsters.

Yepert was shouting at the monsters. If a Puck drew too close he lashed out with his own knife or lobbed a magical ball of fire at them. Three crispy corpses lay at the boy’s feet. Luxon had never seen his friend so determined, so courageous in the face of danger.

“Get the horses out of here!” yelled Feran. Even with his magic and Tourmaline blade the Nightblade was being overrun. He slashed his sword left and right cleaving several Pucks asunder before using a telekinetic blast to send a dozen more flying backwards into the trees.

Kaiden parried a spear thrust before kicking his attacker in the face. His sword whirled as he rotated his wrists and thrust downwards with a mighty blow that cut the attacking Puck in half. A cut in his side had turned his white mantle red but the knight ignored the pain. He calmed
Herald
and urged Yepert and the others to do the same before spurring the warhorse with a kick of his heels.

Alira screamed as a dozen Pucks swarmed over her pony. Luxon watched as a puck leapt at her. It snarled and snapped its jaws but did not strike.

Alira stared at the creature, her lips moved and then the Puck turned away to join its friends in devouring her pony.

‘What the?’
Luxon thought.

The pony’s piteous whinnies of terror were cut short as a Puck ripped the animal’s throat out with its vicious teeth. Yepert grabbed the terrified girls hand before climbing into the saddle of his mount.

Luxon also ran to his pony and clambered into the saddle. Sophia continued to shoot arrow after arrow to hold the Pucks at bay. Yepert had mounted his pony and galloped after the Knight, Alira sat behind him her hands wrapped tightly about his waist. Luxon waited until he was sure that his friend had escaped before spurring his own mount into action.

The night whizzed past at speed as his pony galloped as fast as it could. The dark of the night made it difficult to see. All around him he could hear the sounds of the Pucks. The trees whipped by and in the dark depths of the forest he could see thousands of white eyes watching him ride. He glanced behind him to see Sophia and Ferran on their horses riding hard to catch up with the others.

“Up high” Ferran yelled.

Luxon looked to the sky. More of the Pucks were high in the tree tops swinging from tree to tree at a terrifying pace.

“Keep riding, there must be a rune stone somewhere ahead!” the Nightblade shouted over the sounds of the horse’s hooves and excited Pucks. The monsters had smelled and tasted blood, now they wanted more.

Luxon concentrated and felt the familiar tingle of energy manifest itself. He watched as a Puck dove down from the trees at Yepert and Alira. He raised a hand and unleashed a bolt of lightning from his palm. The Puck was struck and sent whirling away to smash into a tree with a sickening squelch. More dropped from the trees but Luxon blasted every one that threatened his companions. His hair was smoking and his arms tingled as the magical lightening was unleashed.

“We’re clear of the trees!” Ferran called from behind him.

Luxon gasped in relief. Sure enough the group had cleared the dense forest to emerge into a wide clearing. His relief instantly evaporated at what he saw.

Scattered about the clearing were the rotting corpses of a dozen men in the livery of the Knights of Niveren. Weapons were scattered about and blood was everywhere. Kaiden had halted his horse to stare in horror at the sight of his fallen comrades.

Ferran galloped up to the Knight.

“We cannot linger, the Pucks are too many. Your brother knights failed in their quest. Make sure we do not meet with the same fate, come,” Ferran said grabbing Kaiden’s arm firmly. The Knight nodded unable to hide the emotions coursing through him.

The group rode on.

If they had lingered a little longer however they would have noticed that the dead knights had not been slain by Pucks but by assassins’ blades. They were riding into even greater danger.

***

24.

The tree was there, the one from his dreams. The moons shone dimly upon the hilltop and in their feint glow there stood a twisted tree. In the distance atop a tall outcrop of stone sat the citadel of Tentiv.

They had lost the Pucks a few miles back, but still the Ferran had insisted that they press on.

Luxon slowed his pony to a halt and stared at the tree. His stomach knotted with fear as the dream flashed before his eyes. Large and ominous black clouds were rolling in on the horizon promising rain. He flinched as the clouds lit up brightly, the distant thunderclap reaching his ears only moments later.

“We have to keep moving, Tentiv is near. We can find shelter from that storm there,” Ferran shouted over the noise of the thunder.

A light rain began to fall and the horizon lit as another bolt of lightning split the sky.

The others moved onward, but Luxon stayed rooted to the spot. He held the reigns tightly as his pony tried to move forward and follow its fellows. Luxon wouldn’t let it. Something terrible was about to happen, he knew, he had seen it.

Yepert noticed his friend. He turned his pony and trotted over to Luxon whose face had gone a deathly white and whose eyes were wide with fear. Alira dismounted, her long hair blowing in the ever strengthening wind.

“Luxon? What is the matter, we must keep up with the others,” she said soothingly. She placed a hand on the pony’s neck and whispered calming words into its ear. Even the animal could sense its masters worry.

“This place, I have seen it in my dreams. We must not go onward, only horror will await us, I know it,” Luxon cried. He looked at his friends. They were looking at him as though he were mad. Sadness was in Yepert’s eyes. Alira simply glared at him. The girl took his hand in hers.

“What do you believe is over that hill?” she whispered.

Thunder rumbled causing them all to flinch.

Luxon glanced away to see a shadow stood at the side of the road. He could see that it was a person; he could just make out the shape of a tall robed figure. The figure raised an arm and pointed with a long unnatural finger. It was the spectre from his dream.

Just like his dream a menacing laugh came from the darkness. Was it all in his mind?

That thought was put to rest when he saw a look of pure terror on Yepert’s face. His friend fell backwards out of his saddle with a heavy thud. He lay unmoving.

Luxon was confused. That was until he realised that the laugh was not coming from the spectre. He followed the direction of the spectres finger and looked straight into a set of black evil eyes.

He screamed as the girl who he knew as Alira gripped him around the throat and flung him from the saddle. Her blonde hair had been replaced by long black, her young face twisted into a maniacal and feral grin, and her eyes...the eyes were full of malice and hate.