Dark Soul Silenced - Part One (20 page)

“What the hell?  It’s not working!”

“
Wait,” Daniel said.  “Maybe you haven’t moved it in the right direction.

“
I’ve had it point in
every
direction!” Josef snapped.

Daniel merely smiled gently and pointed upwards.

“Damn!  Of course!”

Josef moved the Amulet up.  When it was pointing almost vertically it flared brightly.  Josef let it fall with a smile.

“We go up.  Ser Daniel, Nathan, with me please.  And be ready.  We have no idea what is up there.”

They moved off towards the stairs.  As they moved the light from the lanterns cast flickering shadows down each of the corridors.  The guards were jumpy, cursing and straining their eyes.  Daniel’s night sight was far better and allowed him to be sure there were only flickering shadows, at least for as far as he could see.  Anything could be hiding out of sight.  Several of the guards cast longing looks back down the entrance tunnel, grabbing a last glimpse of the daylight.

The staircase was a spiral and wide — easily wide enough for three or four people abreast.  Josef quietly pointed out how poorly designed it was for defence.  Somehow Daniel felt Josef was missing the point, though he couldn’t put his finger on why.

When they reached the first floor they had a choice — exit into a smaller hall with many passageways leading off it or follow the stairs.  Once again the Amulet showed that they needed to climb.  The second and third floors were the same, and the Amulet still showed that they needed to climb.

Something felt different on the third floor though.  Daniel felt drawn towards one corridor.  Something lay in that direction, something important.  There was no feeling of darkness to it and the Amulet clearly showed it wasn’t Mary.  The pull was strong though, very strong.  If they had been in the keep for any other reason Daniel would have investigated, but he fought off the feeling and continued upwards with the others.

The fourth floor was similar to those below, but now the Amulet was no longer guiding them straight up.  The heading was still upwards but also away to what their compasses said was the east.  Josef called a halt.

“I think we still need to climb,” Daniel said.  “These stairs seem to be the main set.  We should climb until the Amulet tells us we are high enough, then explore.”

“
That makes sense,” Josef replied.  “I’ll be glad to get this over with.  This place sends a chill down my spine, I don’t mind saying.”

The guards nodded in agreement.  Sarah and Jon looked scared but were clearly focused on reaching Mary as quickly as possible.  Daniel felt differently.  The keep felt… almost familiar.  He was certain the staircase would take them to the top floor if necessary, and had a feeling that the top floor was different to those they had reached so far — though he had no idea in what way.

They reached the fifth floor and the Amulet still showed that Mary was above them, though the direction was closer to horizontal than vertical now.  Wordlessly they started up the stairs once again.

The next floor was completely different.  The stairs ended as they emerged into a huge circular room.  A strong guard rail ran around the circular edge of the stairs opening to prevent anyone falling down.  For a moment everyone stopped, lost in wonder.  The roof was a huge dome, seeming to hover impossibly in the air.  No pillars supported it.  Daniel felt another burst of familiarity looking at it.  Somehow he knew it was perfectly safe, though several of the guards were convinced it could fall at any time.

“Nonsense,” said Josef.  “Look at it.  It shares the same design, the same materials, as the rest of the keep.  That roof has been there since before we were born and will still be there long after we have gone.  Now, let’s get on with this.”

He took out the Amulet.  Daniel wasn’t at all surprised to see that it showed they were now on the same level as Mary.  They needed to head to the east.  His sharp eyesight made out doors in the surrounding wall.  The Amulet was clearly guiding them to one doorway.

They moved forwards briskly, almost breaking into a jog.  Daniel became aware of Jon and Sarah almost behind him and prepared to keep them back if there was any danger.

When they reached the doorway Daniel went through first, quickly confirming that the room was almost empty.  The wall they had entered through curved gently, matching the wall of the larger room they’d entered from.  The rest of the room was squarish.  A massive stone table sat in the middle of the room.  A large wooden crate sat on top of the table.

Now Josef entered the room, Amulet held high.  He and Daniel moved farther into the room, with the others following close behind.  It soon became clear that the Amulet was guiding them to the crate on the table.  Josef moved to the side to confirm it.  Mary was in the crate.  It was certainly large enough.  Daniel moved forwards quickly, grasped the lid and pulled it off.  Josef, Jon and Sarah were there moments after him and they all stared down into the box.

What they saw took some time to sink in.  All had been convinced they had found Mary.  But Mary was not in the crate.  It was empty save for a large gemstone that was gently pulsing with a bright blue light.  Wordlessly Josef raised the Seeker Amulet and concentrated on it.  Sure enough the Amulet was locked onto the gemstone.  Daniel’s mind reeled as realisation sunk in.  Mary wasn’t in the keep, nor had she ever been.  They had lost her and there was no way to trace her now.

Josef recovered first.  “It’s a trap!” he yelled.  “To arms!”

Chapter Twenty One

Josef ran towards the door even as his warning echoed around the room.  The guards reacted quickly, their training kicking in as they charged after him.  Josef’s heart sank as he reached the door.  Shadowy figures were streaming up the stairs.  At least twenty already and more were appearing all the time.  They made no move to approach yet, simply standing and staring intently towards Josef.  They didn’t need to move, he thought bitterly.  They had their prey trapped.

“What do we do?” asked Nathan.

“
We fight,” replied Josef grimly.  “Right here, where the doorway limits them.  They have the stairs blocked and I doubt there’s any other way down.  If there was they’d be blocking that too, or would be waiting to trap us in it.”

“
We can’t defeat that many.  There must be fifty or sixty now, and more keep coming.”

“
I know.  We have two choices though.  Kill them or die.  We have far more of a chance if we fight.  Damn it, I knew this was a trap.”

“
What would we have done differently though?” asked Daniel who had just joined them.  “Without knowing Mary was not here would you have been able to walk away?”

“
That doesn’t help!  Right, we need to be prepared.  We have to let them reach the doorway, that will restrict the numbers we face.  If we all wait two steps within the doorway then we can outnumber them as they come through.”

“
If they push us back though we’ll be overwhelmed,” Nathan pointed out.

“
Then we don’t let them push us back.  Quickly now, they’re starting to move towards us.”

Josef took the middle of the line where the brunt of the attack would fall.  Daniel fell into place beside him and the guards formed up around them.  The girl’s parents stayed back, still looking stunned at finding they’d lost the girl.  He felt a spike of sympathy for them before forcing his mind back to the wave of night walkers that was closing in.  More were still coming up the stairs, though the flow had slowed. 

They outnumbered the defenders by roughly ten to one, truly terrible odds.  The blessed blades and wards of the Order would help to even things out, but not nearly enough.  Josef noticed that many of the night walkers were carrying weapons this time, which would limit how useful the blessings were.

Josef felt his nerve wobble as he realised they were all going to die.  The night walkers were simply too numerous.  Fighting down the fear he prepared to meet their advance.  They might die but by the Almighty they would make the night walkers pay.

“Steady lads.  Remember, every night walker we kill is a victory for the Order.  And I expect each of you to kill a damn sight more than one!  For the Order!”

“
For the Order!” the guards shouted back.

Josef felt his heart swell with pride.  The guards chosen by Prefect Lantus truly were amongst the best the Order had.

With a ragged howl the night walkers attacked, charging forwards in a heaving mass.  Josef felt his mouth go dry but refused to let fear become his master.  He met the first creature through the door with a vicious slice across the stomach.  The creature collapsed to the ground screeching.  Another guard speared the creature through the brain, silencing it forever.  Then more charged through the doorway and Josef stopped thinking.  Everything became a matter of instinct.

Life became a blurred mix of attacks and blocks, fury and fear.  Many times one of the foul creatures found a gap in Josef’s defences.  He was soon covered in nicks and slashes — none serious but together starting to drain his speed and strength.

Several times a night walker attack that would be fatal or crippling found its way past his defences.  Each time Daniel’s sword flicked out, deflecting the incoming blow.  Fast as lightning Daniel would be gone again — returning to his own fight.  Josef hadn’t the time to thank Daniel, even to think about doing so, as he was too busy fighting for survival.

Somehow, impossibly, they held the line.  When the fighting hit a lull for a few seconds Josef was amazed to see that all the defenders remained, though many had nicks and cuts, and that at least fifteen attackers lay in the doorway.  Hope flared in his chest.  Maybe they could survive the onslaught after all.  Then the night walkers surged forwards again and all was instinct and blood again.

As the fight continued it was their own success which caused the defenders problems.  The pile of bodies was growing, making it harder to stay close to the door.  Blood was pooling around the bodies too, making for slippery footing.  One of the guards stepped to avoid a blade and slipped on the blood.  He recovered within moments but it was too late, a blade took him in the chest.  He collapsed without a sound.

With one less fighter they were stretched even thinner.  The blood was spreading farther and the bodies were encroaching more and more into their space.  Little by little the defenders were pushed back.  Josef cursed inside as he realised what was happening, but he could see no alternative.

As they were pushed back their advantage in numbers was reduced.  More night walkers were able to push through, which meant the defenders were forced back even faster.  Josef could tell that soon, very soon, they’d reach the tipping point.  Then night walkers would flood into the room and the fight would become a slaughter.

One of the guards yelled in pain and dropped his sword, scrambling backwards clutching a gaping wound on his upper arm.  The night walkers surged towards the gap.  Josef was powerless to intervene, he was already fully engaged.  So were all the other defenders.  Josef’s heart sank and he prepared to order everyone to fall back.  If they could get their backs to a wall and stay together they could take a few more of the foul creatures before it was all over.

As fast as the gap appeared it was gone again.  Screaming at the top of her lungs Sarah lunged at the lead night walker, nearly decapitating it.  Jon appeared next to her, using his blade to turn a blow that would have disembowelled his wife.  Then the two of them were standing firm, holding the line.  Their pain and anger at losing their daughter transformed into a killing fury.  Sarah in particular.  She fought without any care for defence.  Jon spent more time protecting Sarah than attacking, but somehow the two managed to reinforce the line.

Josef knew it was only a temporary reprieve but it leant strength to his tiring arm.  He sensed the same resolve from the other guards.  The nightmare tide of attackers didn’t slow but, for a moment at least, the defenders had gained a victory.

It didn’t last.  The pile of dead bodies and puddles of slippery bodily fluids kept expanding.  For what seemed like long minutes the defenders teetered on the edge of losing cohesion.  Then, from one heartbeat to the next, it was over.

The night walkers pushed forward in yet another surge.  The defenders were pushed back enough that two attackers could concentrate on one guard.  He blocked a blow aimed at his head.  The other night walker speared him through the gut.  This time there was no one to leap into the breach.  The attackers surged through, splitting the defenders into two small groups and starting to encircle them. 

Josef cursed and prepared to spend his life as dearly as possible.

“
For the Order!” he yelled, then launched himself at the foul creatures in front of him.  He cut down three before something crashed into the side of his head.  Everything went black and he tumbled into darkness.

As the line of the defenders wavered Daniel desperately used every ounce of his newfound speed to hold back the vampire assault.  Once again he stretched out, trying to pull in power from his surroundings, and once again he came up empty.  Something in the walls blocked all his efforts.  The only other source of energy he could tap was the rest of the party.  He was loath to do that at any time, and now it would be suicidal.  The defenders needed every scrap of energy they could muster.

Then it happened.  The line collapsed.  One guard fell and the vampires surged through the gap, splitting the defenders into two groups.  Josef still stood beside Daniel.  Sarah and Jon were trapped in the other clump of defenders.  It made no real difference, he knew they stood no chance now.  They were all doomed.

“
For the Order!” bellowed Josef, launching himself forward in a doomed attack.

Daniel was tempted to join the charge, then realised that Josef’s efforts would buy him precious seconds.  They were all dead unless he could find a way to turn the battle.  To do that he needed power… lots of power.

Fighting every instinct he closed his eyes and reached out, able to extend his senses fully for the first time since the battle began.  Once again he felt a tickle of power from the stones of the room, but he couldn’t call on that power and the stones blocked his probes from travelling any farther.

In desperation he stretched towards the entrance, trying to sense if there was anything in the room beyond.  Again he found only the unyielding stone, yet as his probe brushed past the doorway he felt something else.  Aware that the precious few seconds were nearly gone he dragged his probe back to the doorway.  He sensed Josef take a blow in front of him, collapsing to the floor.

There!  A thin channel of power ran down the wall to the right of the doorway.  It split into two channels part way down but the power only ran through one, then the two possible routes combined again and disappeared into the floor.  The power had a whitish feel.  It wasn’t enough to do anything useful, but maybe if he could draw some power it would increase the flow.

He reached out and tried to wrench the flow away, drawing it towards him.  It refused to move.  Somehow it was fixed in its path, trickling down and impossible to shift.

Daniel sensed a vampire stepping over Josef’s fallen body.  Sensed it raising its weapon to strike.  Rather than defend himself Daniel focused on his task.  In desperation he tried to shift the channel of energy to the sides, trying to wrench it loose.  Suddenly, as he wrenched it to the left, it gave way.  It didn’t come loose though.  It shifted to follow the other path.  Daniel prepared to wrench it the other way again, hoping to somehow disrupt the flow as it crossed over, but before he could something amazing happened.

A solid stone slab dropped from the doorway, seeming to flow out of the stone archway.  It slammed down sealing the room.  Several vampires were standing on the threshold, each was either shoved into the room by an invisible force or shoved outside.

Daniel stepped back and managed to block the blow aimed for his head, only his incredibly fast reflexes saving him.  The vampire was caught out.  It had over extended itself to land a killing blow against a seemingly helpless opponent.  Daniel’s riposte tore its throat out.

The remaining defenders all stepped back, struggling to understand what had happened.  The vampires trapped in the room looked confused too, then fearful as their predicament struck home.  While they still had a strong advantage in numbers no more would be joining them, and the defenders had already shown themselves to be fierce fighters.

“Stay together!” yelled Nathan.  “Take no chances.  We can beat these few foul creatures!”

The vampires started to panic.  Several threw themselves at the defenders, seeking to overwhelm them, but others stood stunned or ran to the door, desperately trying to claw it open.  The few who attacked were easily cut down, as were some of those who were standing stunned.  The remainder retreated to the door.  Those trying to claw their way out realised the door wouldn’t budge and turned to stand beside them.  Now it was the vampires turn to stand in a semicircle, trying to draw strength from each other.

The fight was brief, but exceptionally bloody.  The trapped vampires fought with incredible viciousness, but against the disciplined guards, the fury of Sarah supported by Jon and the incredible speed of Daniel they stood no chance.  One guard took a nasty scalp wound and stumbled back from the fight but it was too little too late.  Daniel, Josef, Sarah and the remaining guards pressed forwards.  Jon maintained his role as Sarah’s defender. 

Daniel killed vampire after vampire.  He found himself facing another, a young man in appearance but with an aura that spoke of decades of darkness.  A guard to Daniel’s left slashed at the vampire’s thigh and Daniel followed up by spearing its chest.  As he pulled his blade clear he tensed ready for the next foe… and found there were none.  Every vampire was down.

“Make sure they’re all dead,” Nathan growled, making a start on the bloody work himself.

As the other guards worked their way through the many vampire bodies Daniel leant in and pulled Josef clear.  He was relieved to see Josef was still breathing, though he had a nasty lump on his temple.  Blood soaked Josef’s clothes.  Daniel quickly checked him over and confirmed that none of it belonged to Josef.  Satisfied Josef was stable for the moment Daniel gently laid him down, then turned to the other injured guards.  Sarah and Jon joined him.

The guard with the scalp wound looked pale and dizzy.  Blood was streaming from the wound and a lump was forming.  The other injured guard had used his jacket to stem the flow but blood still leaked slowly from his upper arm.  He was clearly in great pain, but not in immediate danger.  Jon moved quickly to the side of the first man.

“
Careful, I can’t draw power in here,” Daniel warned.  “I won’t be able to support you much.  Just do what you have to.”