The Gathering (82 page)

She slapped him and he backed away from her, the warm tears stinging his cheek.
 
He rubbed his face as he walked quickly away from his mother, her blue eyes blazing, but cold.
 
He disappeared into the tunnel.
 
Anne turned back towards the moving black mass, sneering.

Blaylock now saw Coeli.
 
He went to grab her, but every time he tried, the birds dived at him, scratching at this face and eyes.
 
He struck at them as before and tried to grab Coeli again, but every time he did the birds dived at him and he was forced to cover his face and back up.
 
Then he saw the amulet.
 
He went to grab it, but before he could, Coeli also saw it and pulled it off the cross.
 
He lunged at her again, but was viciously attacked by the birds.
 
He turned to Brollen, those icy eyes glistening.

"Do something! Kill them, whatever, just do it!"

Brollen turned and yelled at several of his men who moved forward, but stopped when they heard a noise.

It was like nothing any of them had heard before, a loud screech followed by a blood-curdling scream, then silence.
 
Not even the beating of the birds’ wings could be heard.
 
Rona slowly backed into a corner by the stairs, still watching.

The Shape moved quickly towards the cocoon of ravens around Alia.
 

"Where is it?
 
Where is the amulet?!?"

Blaylock moved forward and pointed towards Coeli.

"It fell off and she found it, Master."

"How did it fall off?!!"

Blaylock shrugged as the Shape looked over and down at Coeli.
 
She held the amulet in her hands and then looked up at him in terror.
 
He was snarling at her.
 
He raised his hands and was about to throw a spell, when suddenly the birds flew up in unison.
 
They circled and screeched and began taking the form of a woman.
 
They changed color and form and she was there.
 
Her flaming red hair and black eyes stared down on them.
 
Then her face took form and she looked directly at the Shape.
 
She smiled and shook her head, then began to laugh and from her mouth the birds flew towards the Shape, moving through him and up towards the ceiling and out of the castle.
 

"No, no, no!!!
 
This is mine!!
 
Mine!!!
 
Everything was planned!!"

Coeli watched and then looked at the amulet in her hand.
 
It began to glow as if a light were coming from inside the metal.
 
It also began to vibrate.
 
Coeli could feel the power.
 
She looked up again and saw the Shape, who once again turned to her.
 
She then threw the amulet up and into the birds as they flew away.
 
The Shape ran to where she had thrown the amulet and tried to grab it, but as he did, a giant raven grabbed hold of the chain with it's beak and carried it back to its rightful owner.

The Shape looked up and watched as the last bird flew away.
 

"NOOO!!!"

Then he turned slowly around to see Coeli duck back under the table.
 
He started towards her, rage filling every ounce of his being, until he saw the prisoners and then he stopped and began to back away, shaking his head.
 
His rage was now replaced by fear, as he raised his hands again, but now as if he were protecting himself.
 
Anne Merganser also backed away and walked quickly back to the staircase.
 
Blaylock got up and dusted himself off.
 
He turned to Brollen, while looking after the birds.

"Well, that was some freaky shit, wasn't it?"

But Brollen didn't answer.
 
Blaylock turned to look at him, surprised to see him staring in terror at something over by the prisoners.

Thomas Blaylock turned and saw Alia Stark.
 
She was now free of her bonds and floating above the table, as were Sam and Tanner.
 
Not a single drop of blood or the tiniest bruise or laceration appeared on them anywhere.
 
Her long red hair billowed around her like flames and her eyes were black.

"Kill them!
 
Kill them all!" the Shape cried.

The Shape turned and ran as his Hordesmen rushed in from every angle, swords drawn.
 
Alia raised her arms and two swords flew into her hands.
 
Her black eyes never left Blaylock.

The Shape grabbed Anne by the arm and dragged her with him.

Tanner and Sam had now also commanded weapons to their hands.
 
Coeli continued to hide under the table.
 
Then she remembered the prisoners.
 
They were still locked up in the dungeons.
 

She ducked and ran, pulling the torn dress around her.
 
She fled through the passage and down the stairway.

Alia could feel the power of the goddess moving through her, magic at her fingertips, but she wanted to feel the steel in her hand and their blood on her skin.
 
She could feel Tanner and Sam next to her.
 
Their feet hit the table and they moved forward.

127

"Did you see that?"

Vance nodded.

"Yeah, it's time to go in," he said.

Connie looked at him.

"How can you be sure?"

"Ravens… Lish loved those birds.
 
They're the messengers of the goddess and they just kicked some falcon ass and broke through a ceiling.
 
If those birds are doing what I think they might be doing, it's time."

Connie stood up and yelled to the soldiers.

"Alright.
 
You heard him, Ladies and Gentlemen, we're going in.
 
Right flank with me, left with Worley."

Vance looked over at Connie.

"Subtle…"

Connie smiled.

"Aww, c'mon, really?"

Vance allowed himself a small smirk and nodded.
 
Connie raised her arm and the right flank followed her quickly to the other edge of the clearing. Vance looked around at the young faces, so much like his own.

"Ok, we hit hard and fast.
 
Something's going on inside the castle, so they won't be distracted too long.
 
Nobody gives up."

They all nodded and brandished their weapons.
 
Vance turned back towards the castle's archway.
 
Monsignor Klaus' corpse was barely recognizable.
 
The falcons had picked its face clean.
 
He glanced over at the left flank and felt his stomach knot.
 
They saw their targets.
 
Then Vance yelled the charge.

"NOW!"

Both flanks descended on the unsuspecting Black Horde.
 
Connie was the first to reach the two main Horde guards.
 
She hacked at them full force and they went down quickly, but she hadn't seen the seven or so who were coming in the other direction and they sounded the alarm.

Forty or fifty of the Black Horde came spilling out of the barracks to the left of the archway, but Vance's left flank was ready.
 
They charged the onslaught of villains and the battle commenced.

The Fail soldiers kept pace despite being outnumbered.
 
Their passion and conviction drove them forward.
 
Connie was fighting several of the Hordesmen when she lost her footing and fell.
 
They took that opportunity and lunged at her.
 
Suddenly, Quinn and Todd jumped in and ran them both through.

"Watch your step, Connie."

"Very funny."

The two young men smiled and ran back into the fight.
 
As they continued to fight, no one had realized that even more Hordesmen had joined the battle.
 
Finally, Connie turned around.

"Christ!"

Vance turned to see a hundred plus men running at them.

"Well, whatever's going on in there, I hope we're winning."

Quinn and Todd had now joined them.
 
Todd blocked a strike and then slit the Hordesman's throat.

"Yeah, ‘cause I'm thinking they're about to hand us our asses."

Quinn looked over at him and smiled.

"Now, where's all that positive thinking?"

Todd grinned back at his partner and Connie looked at Vance and then took a deep breath as they all ran towards their attackers.
 
Vance knew the battle wasn't over yet.

128

Coeli moved quickly down the stone steps and into the tunnels.
 
She ran for what seemed an eternity.
 
She finally stopped and leaned against a wall, tying pieces of her dress back together across her breasts.
 
She cried quietly.

"Where are they?" she whispered.

She listened.
 
The sound of the battle carried through the dark, dank walls of the castle.
 
She pushed herself off the stone and continued down the corridor.
 
In the distance was a faint flickering light.
 
As she got closer, she heard voices.

"Did you hear that?"

"Naw, I didn't hear anything."

"It sounded like a girl."

Coeli pressed herself into a dark space and looked around the corner.
 
There were two Horde guards at the entrance to the dungeon.
 
One had keys on his belt.
 
The other was sitting at a table, eating.

The one with the keys was looking out into the dark corridor and Coeli again pulled back into the darkness.
 
She slowed her breathing and wiped her nose as she looked around for a weapon.

The guard stepped into the hall and looked up the dark corridor.

"I'm going to see what that was…you coming?"

The other guard looked at him and shook his head."

"No…it's nothing."

"Look, there's something going on…"

The other guard lifted up his arms and pointed to the ceiling.

"YEAH!!
 
Yeah, there is!!
 
There's a party going on up there, but I'm stuck down here with you.
 
That's what's going on.
 
So, if you want to fuck off down the hallway and play with yourself in the dark, you go ahead.
 
I already set up a plaything in the back so I'm gonna eat, then I'm gonna go get laid."