Dark Soul Silenced - Part Two (23 page)

Chapter Thirty-Two

The guards and night walkers quickly recovered.  Nathan spread out his force, mixing his fellow guards with those who had accompanied Sarah and Daniel.  For a moment he wondered if they could be trusted, then he realised it didn’t matter.  If they couldn’t then all was lost anyway.

All such worries were smashed aside as the first wave of enemies charged into them.  Nathan grinned fiercely, enjoying the chance to fight on an even footing.  He soon found that the swords worked as well against the night walkers as his own sword had.  The power had an effect on the guards too, though it was much less.  Where night walkers would fall screeching in agony when struck down, the guards acted as if they had been burnt but still kept fighting.

Surprisingly, the line held.  Nathan realised he’d cut down nine or ten enemies himself, and their unnamed allies were fierce fighters too.  It couldn’t last though.  More and more night walkers and guards were closing in.  Within moments he was fighting for his life once more.

A yell came from his left just as he cut down a night walker and found himself a brief respite.  Samuel had gone down, a guard’s sword sticking from his chest — though he’d rammed his own sword through the guard’s throat.  One of their allies was down too, and another — a huge man with scarred arms — was fighting off three night walkers.  Two more were closing in.

With a screech of rage Nathan launched himself into the fray.  One night walker died instantly when Nathan’s sword ripped its throat out.  Nathan killed another with a stomach thrust, as the huge man grabbed a third by its head and rammed his sword into its chest.

Nathan tried to drag his sword clear but couldn’t.  The dying night walker hung onto the handle fiercely.  Nathan looked up to see another dark creature about to leap.  With a yell of pure agony he managed to lift his sword, dying night walker and all.  The leaping night walker skewered itself on the blade where it stuck out of its fellow’s back.

Nathan collapsed under the combined weight of the two night walkers.  He looked up in time to see his huge ally overwhelmed by three more, then glowing red eyes glared down into his and a sword punched down through his chest.  Even through the pain Nathan grinned.  He had more than settled his score with the dark creatures.  He died still smiling, a final challenge to the world.

Daniel jerked at Josef’s cry. Turning he saw Clara thrown backwards by Rafael’s power, and both Sarah and Josef struggling to keep their feet. He feared Josef was right. Nothing he did was piercing the shell of darkness surrounding Mary. There was no doubt it was linked to Rafael, so killing him might well free Mary. Daniel charged towards Rafael, unleashing his own powers.

Rafael rocked backwards under the assault, before striking out again at all his attackers. While Sarah and Josef struggled, Daniel easily turned aside the attack. With Rafael’s attention and powers divided between the three of them Daniel could easily shield himself. He attacked again, using all the knowledge he had gained since their last meeting. Rafael rocked backwards again, and this time a little of the power got through. A patch on Rafael’s arm started to singe.

With a scream of rage Rafael reached out, drawing more and more power from the darkness surrounding Mary. For a moment Daniel hoped it would weaken the shell and he launched another attempt to reach Mary, but if anything the dark shell was even stronger.

Then Rafael attacked. This time Sarah tumbled from her feet and was thrown backwards. Josef kept his feet but stood head down, as if facing down a hurricane. Daniel was able to deflect the attack but it took much more effort this time. Reaching deep within he summoned more power, crafting it into a viciously thin probe that he launched at Rafael.

It barely rocked the vampire. Daniel sensed the vampire was still drawing power from the dark shell, more and more of it. Then he realised what was actually happening, what the ritual was really about. Rafael sought to absorb the power, to become stronger than ever before. He had made a deadly mistake. Rafael wouldn’t be absorbing the power, instead the power would possess him. The Dark God would have a living vessel to contain it, or the fragment of the Dark God that was within the temple would. Rafael truly would become a demigod, far too powerful for anyone to face, but in doing so he would become a slave within his own body.

The process was already starting. More and more power flowed into Rafael. Daniel doubted Rafael could stop the flow now even if he wanted to. The ritual, and Mary, had only ever been a catalyst. Mary was incidental to the process now, though Daniel had no doubt the Dark God would crush her once it had finished possessing Rafael.

Daniel continued to attack, now focusing on the link between Rafael and the pool of dark power. Once again he found that not only was the power too great, it reacted intelligently to his attacks, learning to neutralise them. Daniel started to despair. Nothing was working and the darkness in Rafael was growing stronger with every passing moment.

Somehow Josef was still on his feet, and slowly working his way closer to Rafael. For the moment Rafael, or whatever he had now become, seemed to have forgotten Josef. Hope flared in Daniel for a moment, then died as a vampire seemed to come from nowhere and dragged Josef to the floor. Within moments more followed, closing in on Daniel. He could have kept them at bay easily with the power he now had, but not with Rafael launching continuous attacks.  The vampires got closer and closer.  Daniel’s shields were pressed closer and closer to his body.

Then, from one moment to the next, Daniel found himself laying on his back with vampires piling on top of him.  He had no idea how he had got there.  His shields still held, but barely, and he had no power left to attack with.  Rafael continued to grow in strength, and to pound at Daniel’s shields.  As they grew weaker and weaker Daniel realised it was all over.  He had nothing left to give.  More and more vampires appeared around Rafael, ensuring no one else could seek to harm him.  It was all over.

Daniel let his head drop back, staring up at the strangely familiar pattern of the dome above him.  He lay with a leaden heart, waiting for the fatal blow.  Despite all his promises he had failed Mary.  Failed to save her from a terrible death.  Tears started to fall from Daniel’s eyes at the thought of what she would now suffer.

Chapter Thirty-Three

As the tears blurred his vision something clicked in Daniel’s mind.  He realised why the dome looked familiar.  It had the same patterns he had seen on the dome in the keep.  Was it possible it was built by the same people?  It couldn’t possibly have the same purpose.  They were under fifty feet of stone at least, there was no sky to open onto.  More than that, it was night time — and dark moon at that.

Despite all that Daniel found himself stretching out his perceptions towards the distant ceiling.  He weakened his shields to do so despite the danger, throwing everything into one desperate last gamble.

To his surprise Daniel found what he was looking for.  There
was
a switch on the wall, just below where the domed roof started.  He reached out, trying to flick the switch, but it was too far away and he was too weak.  Taking a deep breath, knowing it would be his last, Daniel dropped his shields and reached out with every remaining bit of power.  He felt the switch click over just as another bolt of darkness from Rafael struck.  With his shields gone Daniel screamed in agony as darkness burnt its way along every nerve.  The pain was so bad his vision whited out.

The pain faded, but his vision didn’t return.  Daniel tensed himself for another bolt of agony… but none came.  Suddenly the weight of the vampires pinning him down was gone.  Struggling into a sitting position he realised he could still see, but that an intense light was shining down far too brightly for his dark adjusted eyes.  For a moment he thought that somehow, impossibly, the roof had opened and the sun was shining through.  Shading his eyes he saw that was wrong.  The roof hadn’t opened, it was still there, but it was generating an intense light brighter than the noon day sun.  More than that, Daniel could feel the power within the light.  The same power as came from the sun, but again stronger than was natural.

Continuing to shield his eyes Daniel looked around.  Every vampire in the sanctum, save Rafael, was a pile of ash.  The few Bronze Order guards that had made it into the sanctum were writhing in agony or lying deathly still.  In the rest of the temple many vampires and guards were also perishing, though more slowly, while those at the back were fleeing as best they could.

Daniel turned back to Rafael.  The vampire was struggling to resist the blazing light, drawing more and more power from the pool of darkness.  He was holding the flow at bay, but barely.

Daniel stood and walked to where Josef had dropped his sword.  Scooping it up Daniel crossed to Rafael.  Eyes filled with hatred stared back, but Rafael could do no more than glare.  The vampire’s teeth were tightly gritted as he fought to stay alive.  Daniel paused for a moment, then realised he had no idea how long the bright light would last.  Drawing as much power as he could from the blazing light he forced all of it into the sword, then plunged the sword into Rafael’s chest.

For a moment the vampire held out, fighting both the blazing light and Daniel’s power, then he imploded.  One moment he was there, the next only floating ash marked where he had been.  Screams of agony rang out across the temple.  Looking up Daniel saw every vampire and guard collapsing, even those that had almost reached the safety of the exit.

Understanding dawned.  Those who followed Rafael were bound too closely to him.  Their reaction to Clara’s attack on Rafael had shown that.  Now his death was dragging them to oblivion too.  Remembering the unnamed vampire in the keep Daniel realised there would be a few who would survive, those turned by one of Rafael’s servants rather than Rafael himself, but they would be few and far between.

Daniel turned and walked towards Mary.  Already the shell of darkness was weakening, cracking.  It seemed to be trying to shrink, to crush Mary, but it was too late.  The shell was becoming too brittle to change, and flaking away.

Daniel sensed that the pool of dark energy that underlay the temple was also being affected by the blazing light.  It was burning away even as he watched.

Suddenly the darkness of the pool surged upwards, towards Daniel.  He raised a shield, but it didn’t attack.  Instead it formed into a vaguely human shape.

“You haven’t won!” it hissed.  “I am legion.  I am the Dark God.  I will see you destroyed.  This is but one incarnation amongst thousands.”

Before Daniel could reply the shape collapsed, evaporating.  Within seconds the rest of the dark pool of power was gone too, without leaving a trace.  Daniel raced over to Mary.  The shell of darkness was completely gone, and she was sitting up.  He scooped her up, holding her close.

“Daniel!”  Mary clung to him almost tightly enough to choke.  “I
knew
you’d save me.  Thank you!  Thank you!”

Daniel just stood, holding Mary close and trying to come to terms with the fact that it was all over — and they had triumphed.

“Mummy!”

Mary’s shout brought Daniel’s thoughts back to his surroundings.  Looking up he saw Sarah limping towards them, looking battered but wearing a huge smile.  Daniel lowered the squirming Mary to the floor and watched as she flew across the ground to her mother.  Sarah grabbed Mary, holding her daughter close.  Tears poured down Sarah’s cheeks and sobs wracked her body.  Daniel smiled at the sight.  Despite all the dangers, and all the obstacles, they had somehow succeeded.

Movement at the edge of the sanctum caught his attention.  Josef had climbed to his feet and was crossing to where Clara lay.  Daniel walked over to help.  As he drew nearer he saw that Josef’s arms were covered in scratches and bites, his face too.  Blood seeped from many of the wounds and they must have been painful, yet Josef ignored them.

Clara was starting to stir.  She had a nasty gash to her forehead with a lump forming under it, but otherwise seemed to have survived unharmed.  Josef and Daniel helped her to sit up.

“Don’t stand yet,” Josef told her.  “You took quite a blow to your head.  Close your eyes.  When I tell you to, look up at the…” he trailed off, staring up at the still brilliantly lit ceiling.  “At the roof I guess.”

She followed Josef’s orders and he peered carefully into her eyes, before making her repeat the process twice more.

“You’ve been bloody lucky,” he finally told her.  “No sign of a concussion that I can see.  You can stand if you want, but slowly.  Let us help you.”

They helped Clara to her feet.  She was a little wobbly but soon recovered.  Daniel was impressed.

“Did we win?” she asked, staring about the chamber.

“
Yes,” Daniel replied.  “We did.  Rafael is gone, and so is the dark power that has dwelt here for far too many years.”

“
How?  There are so many dead guards.  Did you kill them all?”  There was a touch of fear in her voice.

“
No.  Not directly at least.  I triggered a switch which activated the dome, made it shine as it now does.  I think that was the original purpose of this temple, a place of light and safety locked away underground.  I wonder what it was they feared so much on the surface?”

“
Daniel,” Clara prompted.  “You triggered the light… then what happened?”

“
Look at the light,” Daniel said.  “Feel it with your senses, use your powers.  Both of you.” 

He added the last with a smile.  Clara looked sharply at Josef, assessing him, then gazed at the ceiling.  Josef followed suit, studying it.

“It is the same energy as I feel from the sun,” Clara said finally.  “Though stronger.”

“
Yes.  Rafael and the vampires in the sanctum couldn’t stand it, though I had to help Rafael on his way.  The guards were badly affected, but not to the point of dying.”

“
What happened to them then?”

“
Rafael did.  He bound almost every vampire and guard directly to himself.  I met a vampire before, one of the few that Rafael had not directly turned, who told me that.  When Rafael died all those connected to him died too.”

“
Including those above ground?  And farther away?”

“
I do not know, though I hope so.  I think it likely.  Rafael’s control was not limited by distance so the impact of his death is unlikely to be.”

Clara grinned at the words, then worry clouded her face.

“What of those who came with us?  Did they survive?”

“
I don’t know,” Josef answered, looking out into the main temple.  “It looks like at least a few did.  We should go see.”

Josef and Clara set off, while Daniel stayed where he was.  He studied the huge domed ceiling, allowing all his senses to play over it and follow the flows of power.  He wanted to know, needed to know, whether the effect was temporary or the light would shine indefinitely.  Somehow he was sure the answer was vital.

Daniel learnt that most of those who had followed Clara were dead.  Only three survived, and two of them were badly hurt.  Josef’s guards had fared better, but had still lost several men.  Nathan was dead.  So was William, who Daniel remembered Jon healing.  Two others that Daniel only recognised by sight had also died.  Samuel had survived, as had Bruno and Felix.  Including Josef only four were left from the original party of twelve that had left Hammersgate.

They had debated what to do with the bodies of their fallen friends, but soon realised there were simply too many to be moved — even as far as the tunnel’s secret entrance.  They agreed to return for their fallen when time allowed, with enough help to take them for their funeral rites.

Clara led the survivors back into the once hidden tunnel, then sealed its entrance behind them.  The journey back to the surface seemed far shorted to Daniel than the descent had.  He put that down to the very different circumstances.  Before they had been heading into great danger, now the danger was behind them and Mary was safely reunited with her mother.

When they reached the old inn Daniel was pleased to find Anna still there, and still in good spirits.  Many others were there too.  Daniel soon learnt they were part of Clara’s resistance group.  Each had arrived with tales of guards collapsing dead in the street.  No living guard had been seen since the collapses started.

Most of them were quickly dispatched by Clara with orders to spread the word that Rafael had been defeated.  Others left to take forces into the guard strongholds and ensure there were no survivors.

Then Clara led Daniel and the others to another room, one with many comfortable chairs and a roaring fire.  They all sat, exhausted from their ordeal, while Anna and those of the resistance who remained fetched drinks and started to prepare food.  The room had a strange atmosphere — part celebration, part solemn remembrance of those who had fallen.

Before long the inevitable question had come from Mary. 
Where is Daddy? 
Sarah had explained and there had been tears from both mother and child, but Daniel was sure Mary didn’t truly understand that her father was gone forever.  Daniel stayed quiet for some time after that, the loss of Jon felt anew through the tears of his daughter.

Many people arrived at the inn to talk to Clara.  For an hour or more she was kept busy, talking and organising.  Observing from a
distance Daniel realised how critical she was to those who had plotted against Rafael, and how important she would be in helping the townspeople adjust to losing the Bronze Order.

Eventually she finished and walked over.  Daniel stood and moved his chair close to Sarah’s, motioning for Clara and Josef to join them.  Mary was fast asleep in her mother’s arms.  No one had suggested that Mary would be better sleeping in a bed.  Sarah was not letting Mary out of her sight anytime soon.  Josef and Clara pulled up chairs and sat.

“We’ve confirmed there are no surviving guards or night walkers in the town,” Clara said.  “At least, none in any of the guard posts or their buildings.  Even if a handful of guards survived it won’t matter now.  They are spent as a force.”

Daniel felt a knot relax inside at her words.  He’d worried that there might be a large group of hardened guards still alive somewhere.  Alive and ready to fight.  Clara’s words put his mind at ease.

“So now what?” he asked.

“
I don’t know yet,” she replied tiredly.  “People will be scared.  We need to decide whether to tell them the truth, or a comforting lie.  Maybe that the guards were struck down by a great evil.  I don’t know which will scare them more.”

“
Tell them the truth,” Josef insisted.  “Half truths and lies are the reason the darkness was able to spread, and that people with powers that should have protected us against the darkness were instead persecuted.  Start as you mean to go on.”

Clara nodded thoughtfully.  “Yes, I think you’re right.  We need to fill the void they have left though, otherwise who knows what will happen.  There are enough of us to do that, but we need a focus.”  She turned towards Josef.  “Would you, and your men, be it?  You come from a different order, and you were instrumental in stopping Rafael.  The people could rally around you.”

Josef smiled gently.  “I must admit, the thought of returning home has little appeal after all I have seen.  I had even considered staying here, but not in such a position.  I will leave it to you Clara.  If your people want me then I will help.  I can’t speak for my men, but I suspect they will stay too.”