The Monarch: Days of Dusk

Chapter 11. Blood Bonds.

Gwen

Another scream.

Penny’s eyes grew large in dread and madness. She began to pound and kick the cage with all her might.

Amidst all the screaming of Penny, I thought I heard the old man above. Yes, it definitely was the Old Man. His deep, husky voice was something I could never forget. Maggie was begging them to let her go, calling out to Mama and Papa and Penny, at which Penny raged below.

Everyone had tears in their eyes. Even Kirk’s eyes were teary though his face was as if set in stone.

Penny had stopped kicking and screaming and was just crying bitterly.

Despair was the unsung word in the chamber. No one was saying anything. Maggie’s muffled crying and screaming was still audible. Gods know what they were doing to her!

Well, soon it’s going to be us. It’s just a matter of time.

The thought produced in me utter despair.

What a life this has been?

I lowered my head as tears welled up in my eyes.

Suddenly, the main door of the basement creaked open and a skinny, pale boy came in. Rather stealthily. With light brown eyes and a thin, elongated face. He was armed with a bow and a quiver uopn his back. An old rusty axe also hung from his belt upon dark clothing. He ran towards the middle of the chamber.

Sven stood up, the low light of the scones and his angle hid his expressions. The stranger took out a key, opened Sven’s door and pulled him into an embrace.

“Finn!!” Sven exclaimed, tears moving down his face. “I….I….thought…you were dead! You…you fell!” he choked a sob.

Finn pulled back. He was taller than Sven who was the tallest among us all. He patted Sven’s shoulder.

“I got lucky, fell on the snow rather than the stones. A little here and there and I would have cracked open my skull.” He said in thick mountain accent.

“But you got stabbed.” Sven said, a bit recovered from the sudden outburst of emotions.

“Bastard gutted me, aye! But not well enough. I’m harder than I look!” he said. “ I followed them as soon as I could, all the way till here. Now, no more explaining. That little girl is suffering, hanging on to dear life as we speak. Here.” He gave Sven the key and a set of knives and daggers, about five of them. At the view of them, Kirk stood up, a certain glint in his eyes.

“ Finn, it’s not gonna work. We tried it before and half of these were close to getting killed. The old man is a sorceror, a demon.” Sven said.

“You open all of them up, you hear me. Do as I say you damn brat, or do you want a beating! That devil is busy now!” Finn said roughly. He really sounded like an older brother.

Sven got to the task and soon enough all of us were standing around Finn. Penny was mad with rage and grief while little Falk and Ingrid were too afraid to get out of the cage. They were so silent from the beginning of this whole affair that I would have forgotten about them completely.

All of us were divided into two groups again as the first time. This time Finn led us, the fighters. Slowly we crept up the stairs and what we saw above us horrified me to my very core. The room was dimly lit, with candle stands placed around the central stone and scones lit on the walls. Three men in dark robes sat in their knees around the central stone, mumbling something in unison and upon the stone itself, a long rectangular pillar pillar was erected against which was bound a bloodied Maggie.

She was almost naked, save for a fee rags on her torso and groin. Her whole body was covered in markings, sigils or runes cut into her skin itself, on her arms, legs, belly, neck except her face. She was still alive as her chest moved while she breathed.

Penny’s face was pure fury as she started to charge but Finn took a hold of her arm, covering her face rather roughly, he whispered and I heard. “ Now is not the time. We have to get that devil first. I know what happened the first time but this time it’s different, we have a plan. You will do as I say if you want to leave here with your little sister alive.”

Penny was still agitated but when Finn let go of her, she didn’t charge. He had told the runners to stay in the basement.

“Listen all of you. I’ve put out a few candles to the left corner, just to the left of the stairs that lead above. I will stay there hidden, my arrow nocked. When the devil comes, I’ll take him out. When I do that, you all will charge and take the rest of them out. But only after we get the devil himself. All of these other cunts don’t matter. He goes down first. As soon as I call out, that is your signal that the devil is dead and then you’ll come out. Okay?”

We nodded.

“Go now, hide you idiots.” He said as he went silently for the corner, vanishing completely.

After a few moments, the old man came down the stairs. I could see him as I laid on the last stair to the top, bobbing my head up slightly. Then he turned towards Maggie to the right and started to walk towards her but just as he took the first step, an arrow flew and pierced him in the back. He staggered a but and turned towards the attacker and another arrow stuck itself in his gut.

“Now!!!!” Finn shouted as the priests broke from their trance, daggers unsheathed as they charged towards Finn.

Penny charger first, burying her knife in one of the priest’s side. Both of them fell down, she on him. Kirk slashed open one’s neck, kicking him down in a single movement while Finn opened the last one’s skull with his axe, the blade buried deep within.

Penny freed Maggie and was taking out the cloth in her mouth and cleaning the blood on her. Finn walked towards Maggie.

Suddenly, the Old Man’s twitched, his hand shot up and red fiery claws impaled Finn through his chest and his guts. “You idiots, damn you!” the Old Man barked. The ring on the Old Man’s pale hands glowed faintly red, the gem emanating the unholy light. I ran and slacked at his hand, cutting of his fingers with the ring upon one. The ring fell down with the fingers in a splatter of blood. Finn fell down next, beside the demon, blood pooling around him and Sven screamed his name. Finn did not respond. He was gutted good this time.

Penny screamed as well. I looked over to her, she was clutching her sister to her bosom. I ran over to her, placing a finger over Maggie’s neck. She was dead too. I backed away. Penny looked at me with vulnerable eyes. I did not know what to think, my mind went blank.

Why?