Chapter XIV
The Storm Breaks
Adamous slowly rose and shook Germanicus, “It’s time to wake,”
Germanicus sat up, “huh; what’s happened, I thought Marius was next to stand watch?”
“I’ve received a message from Michael, the Codex of War has been discovered, it’s in a fortress near to the ancient city of Perperikon in Thrace, it is for that reason that Charon is here and in league with the Merovingian, and now at least we know why the Djinn are involved in these proceedings, we need to be alert in all things, remember the Djinn don't like to use vessels they prefer the art of Shapeshifting. Wake everyone and find out if any know the place; we need to leave at once.”
Germanicus nodded and with a look of resignation on his face, he quickly roused their slumbering companions, and except for Merit, each one moaned ungratefully. She had risen earlier and had just returned from her visit to the river, by all accounts it was almost as though she had not slept; Adamous stepped out from beyond the culvert where they had rested for the night, to see if there was any sign of a pursuer. The sky was turning a concoction of deep violet and a low burning sapphire and though they were far off; ominous looking clouds stretched across the horizon; thankfully even from that distance he could tell that they were not headed toward them.
It was the monk who knew of the city; and could give an account of it, though he seemed agitated by the news that they needed to get there.
“Perperikon was once a place of pilgrimage for those that followed the old ways,” said the Monk. “People have lived there since before recorded history. There is something in those mountains; some mystery, for good or ill, I know not; but I’ve heard it is a place of deep legend and myth, where the old Gods still hold sway over the lives of men. It is a strange turn of events that makes you think we should get to Constantinople via such a route, even if it is the only road you believe to be passable.”
Adamous saw the fear in the Monks eyes and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, “The thing is can you get us there, or more’s the point, are you willing to try.”
“If needs must, then yes, but take care Adamous, in those places where legends come alive, no one is safe.”
“I will heed your warning when we get there, but as you are well aware we have before now encountered a few legends.”
Germanicus gathered everyone together and asked Valerius to give a roll call, and to everyone’s relief no one had wandered off and been lost in the night. They hurriedly ate what food stuffs were available, fortunately there was enough left from the previous night to sustain them. They gathered together all the litter they could that would indicate they had been there and buried it out of sight, and then washed in the nearby stream.
“Priest you lead the way. We shall have to make haste, so make sure the baggage is spread evenly among the group; and leave nothing behind: I don’t want to leave a trace that we’ve been here. We’ll move two abreast, to cover our tracks; at least that might afford us some protection as to how many we are, should our trail be discovered. Has everyone got that?”
There were shallow and tired murmurs of acknowledgement as they marched out of the shallow ditch that had been their sanctuary for the night. The land was hilly, rocky and mountainous with thick forests that any would struggle to get through. They had been fleeing through the wilderness for many days, and still there was no sign of civilisation; their intention had been to sneak past the stronghold of Thessaloniki, when from a distance they had sighted a band of Avars who no doubt had been scouting out the lands, unfortunately they could not tell whether they had been seen in turn. So with another foe to think about they turned further inland in the hope of circumventing any that might be following them, but this also meant that there could be any number of enemies wanting to waylay them, and that no road was truly safe.
The Avars were a nomadic people that had travelled from the steppe; fast, versatile and quite the experts on horsemanship. The Byzantines had often used their abilities as cavalrymen in their armies, they had made a homeland for themselves known as the Khaganate which was north from there, and as far as it was known none had ever dared venture that far south before. Obviously with the encroachment of the Saracens they had become emboldened. With that in mind, the Stratiotai among the group feared also that the Bulgars led by the dreaded Asparukh would now descend from the Danube on the vulnerable and weak lands of Thrace. The same lands that was their intended destination.
The ground they traversed became boggy, rains thrashed against them discouraging and burdening their movement, finally the clouds dispersed and they were able to move forward without the heavy restricting downpour that had hindered them, hurriedly they tried to make up for lost time. As they warily trudged Germanicus appeared more and more pensive, his eyes darting first one way then the other. Though Uziel was in a different form, Adamous understood the look on his face.
“I do not believe we’ve seen the last of the Avars and if they catch up to us they’re likely to show no mercy,” said Germanicus.
“I do not believe they saw us,” replied Adamous.
“What makes you think that?” asked Merit.
“Because if they had seen us, they would be here now; I believe those soldiers were fleeing or pursuing something, and it wasn't us; now that’s really what concerns me.”
“Why don’t we use the Sacred Seal, surely enough time has elapsed for the others to have made their escape, and for it to be of use again,” said Callistus.
“I thought you didn't want to use the Seal."
"That was before we saw the Avars, they say they eat human flesh and I don't fancy being parboiled."
"Relax; I can't imagine anyone wanting to eat you. We'll give it a few more days yet.”
“Could they be pursuing one of the other parties?”
“If you are now referring to Garm and the Wraith then I hope not, indeed if they are that close, then I'm afraid my attempts to lose them would have failed."
“What do you mean?” said Callistus suspiciously.
“I made a trail for them to follow."
There was a sudden silence in the troop.
“You mean you’re using us as bate,” said Merit incredulously.
“Not at all, what I’ve done is use the Sacred Seal to leave a false trail leading our enemy to a different location. That's why we cannot use it just yet.”
“Do you think they'll believe it?” asked Marius.
“They already have, why do you think they have not caught up to us yet? It's not exactly your skills as a scout keeping them away. The Sacred Seal is the only advantage we've got, and so I used it as best it could be used. And I knew I couldn't ask Merit to use the energy from that amulet of hers to enhance the power of the Seal, it would do more harm than good, as the amount required to restore it to its full strength, or even half its strength for that matter, would be too great for her. And such an act would be sensed by the enemy, making them alert to our location. And if we had used it to see where and what our enemy was up to, they would have detected that to, and from such an act they would have been able to work out our exact location. Or has everyone forgotten who we're dealing with here.”
“No, I certainly haven’t forgotten, I still have some bruises left from their kind hospitality,” replied Merit.
They journeyed throughout the day, without much incident; as dusk approached they found an abandoned settlement, the buildings had collapsed some time before. It was the perfect place to rest and to hide out in.
One of the buildings had three walls still standing, although the roof had long fallen in; broken pots were strewn over a stone floor that had weeds protruding through any crack that represented an opportunity to escape more restricting confines; at least it was reassuringly dry. It was decided that they should build a fire to chase away the night chill, and while Marius and Firminus went to see what they could scavenge from the local countryside, the others busied warming themselves.
; Adamous passed Germanicus a small sack of wine and some salted meat, “We were fortunate today, very few sightings of other people, in fact the entire area appears sullen and forsaken.”
Germanicus chewed on the salted beef it was tough uncompromising and barely edible, but at least it was something to eat. If only Marius and Firminus could find something tenderer, a rabbit or two, or even some wild fowl, their harsh diet and spirits would improve considerably.
The Monk edged across to Germanicus and Adamous who had been in hushed consultation up until that point; His monk’s habit was looking tatty, discoloured and worn; his rope belt was tightly wrapped round his thin waist making him appear as though he were but a phantom. “When we reach Perperikon what do you hope to find there?”
Adamous leant back on his arms and yawned, “Truth be told Monk our journey there is not altogether because it is a safer passage than any other."
"That much I had gathered," responded the Monk with a wary grin.
"There is an artefact there that will help our cause, why do you ask?”
The monk looked across at his companions as they gently chatted by the fire and then eased closer to Adamous, “It is a place where the old world still lives. You may be in for a surprise or two when you get there.”
“I have a feeling you know more than what you are letting on, so let’s have it.”
“Things still live there that are not meant to exist in this day and age.”
Germanicus smiled at this; “I think we’ve already seen things that aren’t meant to exist in this day and age, so seeing more of them isn’t going to be a problem. Anyway I thought we’d gone over this.”
“We shall see; we shall see,” said the monk curiously, his eyes sinking further beneath his hood.
The two watched him with a little concern but not for what he had said more for his wellbeing. He clutched his knee as he stood, giving him the leverage and strength he needed to rise; his bent tired body appeared as worn as his attire. Then he straightened his back and became a shadow in the murky gloom once more.
“I don’t think your bravado has gone down that well,” said Adamous.
“Yes; it’s unfortunate but I think the monk is feeling the strain, even so he may have a point.”
“Well, when we get to it I hope his point isn’t too sharp,” replied Adamous.
They all fell silent; as there was a commotion coming from the dark, Adamous and Germanicus jumped to their feet drawing their swords instantly, when Marius and Firminus leapt over the broken wall to fall at their feet. Quickly they shot up, swords in hand; everyone braced themselves; something was moving in the dark, something ominous and big. Merit quickly reached beneath her tunic and took hold of her amulet, and holding it tightly to her breast she chanted a few words over it, she then extended her arm and released her grip, it started to slowly glow until light shone from it, illuminating the scene.
And there leaning up against the wall peering in at them was the largest bear imaginable.
“That’s great,” shouted Germanicus; “I know you two were out looking for something to eat, but it’s not meant to be that fresh nor that big.”
The Bear gave a roar, and the entire settlement seemed to shake. Merit’s amulet flashed unleashing a bolt of light that shocked and semi blinded the bear. This was something he had not bargained for; giving out a whelp of discomfort he turned and disappeared into the dark.
The excitement died down, and thankfully it was the only thing that had died; Marius turned and gave Firminus a slap.
“What was that for?”
“For almost getting us killed. Next time I hear you say that a cave looks empty; we’re not going in to see. And we’re certainly not stealing the recent kill of a bear.”
Marius smiled and pulled from his sack what he had been loath to give up, a young deer.
“If the bear wants it back at least it knows where to find us.”
“I think thanks to Merit, that bear’s not going to be back tonight, but what possessed you to go into a bear cave.”
With a broad grin Callistus looked up and drawing a small dagger from his belt, he began to strip off some meat, “Because he’s possessed, and besides we were just seeking shelter from the rain.”
Soon slices of meat were cooking over the fire. The smell was inviting, strong, and the taste sweet. It felt as though it had been a long time since any had eaten so well, the tender meat separated in their mouths and was easy to swallow; even the monk, who was used to fasting and a more bland fare, enjoyed the meal, though he was a little concerned by the way Merit had used 'Herons Medal' to chase the bear away.
“I am glad to see that the Amulet has recovered enough to be of use again, and once more it appears we owe you our thanks, I feel our meeting was providence. You have certainly helped us greatly these past weeks.”
“More than I possibly should; or am meant to,” she muttered under her breath.
“What makes you say that?” Germanicus asked earnestly; he had been close too, and had picked up on her quiet rumblings.
“Nothing,” she shook her head and broke of another piece of meat.
“Once we’ve eaten we should leave two guards to stand watch, while the others sleep; you never know that bear may still hold a grudge and return to exact some revenge.”
“Right, let us hope we don’t have any other unwanted guests tonight.”
A sudden chill air blew in forcing cloaks to be wrapped tight; and worse still soon a thrashing rain meant blankets were quickly flung across overhanging branches, to create a cover of sorts: unfortunately it was not a very convincing one. Everyone huddled up against the back wall for protection. If this was what the night held then no one would be resting; thankfully though after a desperate hour, the rain relented, the clouds dispersed and the night cleared, they finally found themselves able to relax. Adamous did not sleep well his dreams were filled with dark creatures some of which only he had encountered. He jerked awake, there was an uneasy air, looking around he gently shook Merit, who was lying against him. He put his finger to her mouth, but her eyes were already vigilant, it appeared she had woken earlier and had merely pretended to be asleep, she was listening intently. Slowly she gestured to an opening in the wall. There was a deep shadow surrounding it. The Bear must have returned; Adamous gave Germanicus a gentle nudge, he became instantly alert. The two on guard were whispering by the fire and were unaware of the furtive figure watching them.
They suddenly heard falling gravel, the guards cried out grabbed a torch each from the fire and jumped up and turned towards where the sound came from. Immediately the others leapt to their feet. One of the guards threw his torch at where he thought the noise was. It sailed through the air but hit nothing. Cautiously they moved forward.
“There’s naught there but the dark,” cried Marius.
“Are you sure? I thought I saw something,” said Merit.
“And we all heard something,” said Germanicus.
“Well whatever it was, it's not there now,” said Marius scouring the ground for tracks.
Under torchlight the night was determined to keep its secrets.
“What do we do?” asked Callistus.
“We can wait here and chance that whatever it was won't return, or we move on,” replied Germanicus.
“If we move on and we’re caught out in the open, in the dark, we’ll be in trouble, especially if a bears hunting us,” said Marius.
“It’s not the only thing that’s hunting us. I say we leave; this entire place gives me the creeps it’s like….” Callistus paused searching his companion’s faces but before he could continue the monk spoke up.
“It’s like the place is possessed.”
“You don’t think it could be Polyphemous, these are his lands after all?” asked Marius.
“Surely not, he’s just a myth,” laughed the Monk.
“You mean like Charon and Garm and half a dozen other creatures we’ve met,” replied Marius.
&
nbsp; “These are strange times but no one’s seen hide or hair of that monster, since the early days of Greece, I doubt that it’s him. What makes you say that anyway?”
Callistus waved his torch over what appeared to be an unusually large track in the ground and gestured toward it, “Because nothing human or any animal I can think of made that.”
They all gathered to look, and sure enough there was a large indentation in the ground.
The Monk's laughter broke the night, “The reason why you don’t recognise it; is because it’s not a track of any sort.” He bent down and picked up the small twisted branch of a tree. “I must say this is a terrifying twig.”
Marius gave Firminus another quick slap to the back of the head.
“What’s that for?”
“For being a dolt.”
“Well how was I to know…” There was another swipe from Marius, “What was that for?”
“You’re a scout, you’ve been doing this for years; it’s your job to know the difference between something that can eat you, and something that can’t.”
There was a sudden harrowing roar and they all froze; they could hear a panting, as though something was frantically drawing in breath. Whatever it was, it was close, very close. They all turned to face the noise.
“I think that’s something that can eat us,” said Firminus holding up his torch.
“That’s just bad timing,” said Marius as he reached for his sword.
Merit reached into her tunic and pulled out her amulet, as she began to chant, there was a guttural growling that burst into a deep howl. Light from her amulet illuminated them, reaching up and beyond the creature that stood against them. It was Garm and either side of him were the Wraith who were mounted on steeds, and worse still rushing into the light behind them on horseback were knights of the Merovingian. Quickly they turned and raced behind the walls with Merit protecting their passage with a blinding flash. More pursuers appeared, there situation had instantly become precarious; they could certainly for a time prevent any getting in, but neither could they get out; they were trapped. As their enemy gathered on the other side of the broken walls, there was another mighty cry, more harrowing and terrible than the last.
Adamous looked round and saw a sternness etched on the faces of the Stratiotai. They drew their swords and waited for the onslaught.
"Brace yourselves," shouted Adamous, just as an enemy horn sounded the signal to attack.