Chapter 10
He looked from one to the other and sighed deeply.
‘It was about forty summers ago, long before I joined the watch. I was in the army back then, a private in the twentieth halberdiers. We’d been sent out to the west coast to deal with an unknown threat. They had dispatched the majority of the force to deal with the issue. We arrived at the coast. The west coast is known for some savage storms but when we arrived it was eerily still. A thick blanket of fog sat just off the coast and there was not a breath of wind. The sun beat down but the fog did not move, did not dissipate it just sat there. Initially we were all scared and tense by this cloud but as the days wore on we just started to relax and enjoy the sunshine. Always there was this cloud just off the coast but we got so used to it we just ignored it. All apart from one man called Mhehal, he was the oldest in the unit and some thought at little mad. He used to sit all day watching the cloud he said that there was something just not right about it and that it would be the death of all of us. He just sat by the waters edge. One evening just as we were settling down to a night by the camp fires the cloud burst into light. There were all sorts of colours, greens and oranges and reds, it was amazing to watch. We all walked away from our fires and down to the shore line admiring the lights. Mhehal was going mad, he was shouting about how this was the beginning. Some people looked nervous and listened to him collecting weapons and armour others just laughed at him. Myself and my friends, we were somewhere in the middle, we enjoyed watching the light show but didn’t get too close.
Distracted by the lights none of us saw that the fog was getting closer to the shore, by the time we realised it was too late. Those crossbow bolts that you’ve seen, the sky turned black with them all at once. So many people killed instantly. The rest of us stunned took a moment to gather our wits and start running. We ran past our encampment grabbing whatever weapons and armour we could on the way passed’. Dathai looked away clearly embarrassed.
‘Its ok, everyone gets scared in battle, and you were only young’ Dúlra reassured. He looked up at her and smiled before continuing.
‘I still feel ashamed of my actions that day. Many people do. Once we were out of range of the crossbows we started to get ourselves organised. We pulled ourselves back together in some form of coherence and set about forming up. They came then; the fog had reached the shoreline. At first all we could see were shadows in the fog, so many shadows but they came out of the fog. Row upon row stepped onto the beach and started forming up. The call went up and we took the fight to them. We ran down the dunes and clashed half way up the beach. It was bloody work but we were stronger than them. Over our heads their magic crafters and ours battled. Sparks of magic landing on people burning them and melting others, it was horrific. The battle raged long into the night, it felt like forever we were fighting. It was real one foot in front of the other. Stop for a second and they’d cut you down with their razor sharp swords. All of a sudden they were gone, fleeing back into the fog and returning to their ships. We started to cheer at the apparent victory. I started to look around for my friends to see if they were still alive. I found some looking around the same as me, and we found others dead or dying on the ground. While looking for people we came across Mhehal injured but still barely alive. We got him sent home and nursed back to health. He lives just near the old market square now with his daughter. He was old then, he’s nearly a full century old now, frail of body but his mind is as sharp as it always was’.
Donncha looked over at his sergeant, ‘I never realised you were in the war with the Dark Elves, Dathai. But that said I’m not sure where this is relevant to our current situation’ he pressed.
Dathai looked at him and breathed deeply before continuing. ‘Before he was taken from the field Mhehal called me and another over to talk to him. The other man was called Brean and had been beside me all the way through the fight. We were inseparable all the way through training and on to the battle. He pulled us close and told us that while he had been lying injured in the sea he had seen the dark elves release something into the water and that they had buried something else in the sand right beside the line of surf.
We went down to the spot that we’d found him and looked around. It was quite difficult as everything was covered in blood. We watched the water but couldn’t see anything the fog was lifting but it was still quite thick. On the shore line everything was churned up as you’d expect after a battle. Apart from one spot, there the ground was smoothed over and undisturbed. We may not have been the sharpest swords in the armoury but we knew something as obvious as that was too good to miss. We started to dig with our bare hands and eventually reached a box that had been buried there. We took an axe to the lock and opened the box. Inside there was a black heart, still beating, on a silver tray. We looked at it in horror. How could such a thing exist? We took the box and handed it over to the mages and they took it away. We wanted nothing more to do with it. We also thought that would be the last of it but it wasn’t.
That following dawn we were back in the camps much more subdued that previously. A ship came into sight on the horizon and was heading straight for shore. It was like no craft we’ve ever seen. People were diving over each other to get to weapons and armour. No one wanted to be caught unawares again. As the ship got closer it turned and slowed, a female dark elf stood there practically naked in the morning light. She looked across the sea between us and started laughing. She pointed to us an all we could hear was her voice, it seemed to be coming from inside our heads. All she said was, ‘You will fall’. It didn’t make much sense at the time but ever since then we’ve been wary of anything involving dark elves in case she comes back for that thing. Then the reality of other battles came on and the war with the dark elves lasted another year or so. When we all got back the last thing we wanted was to be brought into this’.
There was a long pause. Dúlra looked from Donncha to Dathai. Who’s we, Dathai?’ she asked.
‘It was about a month after I’d gotten back from the war. Like many others I was wandering around the city waiting to find some work when my old sergeant walked up to me with an offer of work. I naturally snapped up the opportunity as things were getting a bit tight on the money front. I was taken to a meeting with Oisin; he was the high mage of the university at the time, though he has since passed that mantle on. He explained that the heart was a very powerful artefact and that it needed to be prevented from ever falling back into the hands of the dark elves. To be totally honest I didn’t really understand the magical side of things and just got the idea that if one of a few people calls we drop what we’re doing and go to the aid of whoever called. They set me up in the watch here as my experience would serve me well and I would be able to keep an eye for anything untoward. When we heard about the dark elf involved in the murders we had no choice but to became involved in this. We normally try to avoid clashing with the temple and the watch and try to remain as under the radar as possible’.
Donncha looked shocked ‘So for as long as we’ve worked together you’ve been an agent for these people. Did you not feel you could trust me Dathai?’
‘It’s nothing to do with that sir; it’s simply that I wasn’t allowed to tell you about it. I’d happily have you at my side for any fight and would have preferred to let you know but that wasn’t possible. I’m sorry. The reason I disappeared off after the university was that so I could get permission to tell you both about the organisation. Permission that was quite begrudgingly given. Donncha, I respect you and have thought for some years now that the organisation would benefit greatly from you being a member. We've been looking for people to replace others because, you may have noticed, I'm not as young as I once was, and as for you Dúlra. Well you didn't register on my radar before now but I could see you finding a place there too. We could use a set of eyes in the temple'.
Dúlra stood up, 'Are you asking me to betray the temple Sergeant'
Dathai stood sharply and snapped to attention, 'No ma'am. Wouldn't dream of it ma'am. Its something that we take on as well as what we are and do on top of what we do normally. I understand both of your reluctance, you don't remember the time of the war. Very few people do' he added sadly.
Dúlra softened and sat back down. Dathai did the same. 'I'm sorry' he muttered and stared into space. The other two looked at each other. Donncha sighed.
'So, what does the organisation think is going on in the tunnels below the city?' he asked.
'They're as concerned as you are about them. They were unaware they existed either and now that they are open we'll need to get some specialists in there to check them and map them so that we know what's down there and where any threats may come from.
‘I need to check with the temple’ Dúlra said. ‘Dathai, you know I’ll have to tell the high inquisitor about this don’t you?’
‘I believe that she is being contacted by a representative at the moment. The threat from is considered to be great enough for the organisation to make its presence known to other people in the city, but of course I realise you’ll want to talk to her’. Dathai replied
Dúlra stood up and walked to the door. She turned looked at them.
‘It’ll all be alright I’m sure’, she reassured, and was gone.
Donncha and Dathai sat in silence for a few minutes longer.
‘So you’re an even bigger hero than I’ve always thought’ smiled Donncha.
‘Don’t know if I’d go that far,’ Dathai replied. ‘We’d best get on with some work then.’ They both got up and walked out into the main office area to check on the work going on.
Dúlra’s head was spinning with the idea of another group of people watching and preparing for a different unseen enemy in their lands. Walking back up Hope Street she reached the gates to the temple. Caran was standing out the front of the gates shaking hands with a man dressed in the formal robes of one of the university wizards, the deep dark blue. He was smiling and laughing with Caran as they spotted Dúlra coming towards them.
‘Ah here is the girl of the moment’ he said in a loud and robust voice as she got close to them. Seeing her discomfort Caran smiled slightly as the wizard embraced Dúlra closely. Breaking the embrace he turned back to Caran and embraced her too, this time it was Dúlra’s turn to relish the other woman’s discomfort. The wizard broke away and bustled across the road, the guards at the entrance to the university snapped to attention as he went past. The two women watched him disappear through the front arch and off into the grounds. Caran turned to Dúlra.
‘I think we need to talk don’t you?’ She said and turned to walk into the temple.
‘I hope you have more information than I do because I’m not entirely sure what’s going on’ Dúlra replied following her through the doors.
Carans office was brightly lit with a warm fire burning in the hearth. They settled into the leather chairs in front of it and Caran rang the bell that was on the table beside her. Her servant walked in and bowed. She asked him to bring food and drink. He bowed again and left. They sat in silence each contemplating the developments while they waited for the food to return. When the servant came back he was accompanied by another both carrying very full trays. There was bread and stew and to drink there was mulled wine. They took a bowl each and tore off some bread.
‘So.’ began Caran between mouthfuls, ‘What have you learned from Sergeant Dathai?’Dúlra outlined what she had been told by the watch sergeant including his involvement in the initial war. Caran nodded and listened intently while eating.
‘Who was that wizard and what is his involvement in this?’ Dúlra finished.
‘Odd individual but I’m sure you picked up on that. His name is Conal and he is the aide to the head of the organisation. They, very dramatically, call themselves the society of the beating heart and the premise is exactly as you’ve been told by Dathai. They’ve been operating at the highest levels through out the country. I wish we’d been aware of this for the last number of years. It looks like their resources are much greater than ours. In order to get the tunnels mapped they’re getting in specialists from the dwarfs of the Eastern Mountains, it was their ancestors that dug those tunnels so who better to do it’.
‘Will we be working with them from now on then?’ Dúlra asked
‘I think that it would be mutually beneficial to work together but there is no way I’m taking the whole of this temple into this. I need you to work with them, operate inside their organisation and see what you discover. I don’t really doubt that their goals are noble but we just need to be sure. We also need to see what their methods are like so we can assess whether to work with them or whether they need to be removed as a threat. I hope they are all that they seem because, like I said, their resources are extensive’.
From behind the wall Scath smiled. Caran had pretty much done exactly as he had predicted. He was happy that she was open to the possibility of working with them but was being cautious. He turned and walked softly down the stairs and through the tunnel. Coming out in the university he walked out of the building and across the square to the offices of the Magus. He walked into the office and found Conal sitting behind a large desk covered in bits of paper. He looked up and smiled warmly.
‘Scath my friend I think by the look on your face that you predicted correctly her response?’ he said jokingly
‘How often am I wrong about these things’ Scath replied with a smile as he sat down opposite him. ‘She wants Dúlra to work with us to test our nature and methods and to make sure we’re not up to no good I assume. We just need to be careful, I’m not sure they’d approve of me being involved’.
‘I don’t see why’ Conal said ‘It’s not like you kill indiscriminately like some of your kind, and you became what you on the kings orders to make sure that this country was always defended and so that someone would always remember that there are enemies on all sides. You carry out a noble task. You sacrificed your soul for your country hundreds of years ago. You have served this country beyond most other peoples doing’.
Scath smiled at the compliment. ‘Not everyone is as progressive a thinker as you Conal. I suspect a person that has made her life mission to rid the world of vampires may not be quite so keen on working with one, even a vampire that saved her life and prevented her and her mentor becoming the undead servants of someone worse! I guess we’ll have to call a meeting of all the agents. Are you calling a meeting then?’
Conal unlocked a drawer and reached into it. He withdrew a vial of liquid and walked over to the fireplace. He opened the vial and poured the contents onto the flames. Instantly they turned a brilliant green colour and smoke of the same colour billowed up the chimney for a moment then returned to normal.
‘I’ll send word to the High Inquisitor inviting her to attend. I assume she’ll send Dúlra as her representative. It’s not like she leaves the temple very often any more’.
‘I’ll go and ensure our rooms are prepared for us’. Scath said as he stood up and left wizard to his thoughts. He was concerned about revealing so much of the society all at once but didn’t want the inquisitor to think they were hiding something. He sighed and poured himself drink thinking about the danger of a dark elf being in the city and revealing the society to the temple.
‘Interesting times’ he muttered as he looked back down at the papers scattered around his desk.
‘It was about forty summers ago, long before I joined the watch. I was in the army back then, a private in the twentieth halberdiers. We’d been sent out to the west coast to deal with an unknown threat. They had dispatched the majority of the force to deal with the issue. We arrived at the coast. The west coast is known for some savage storms but when we arrived it was eerily still. A thick blanket of fog sat just off the coast and there was not a breath of wind. The sun beat down but the fog did not move, did not dissipate it just sat there. Initially we were all scared and tense by this cloud but as the days wore on we just started to relax and enjoy the sunshine. Always there was this cloud just off the coast but we got so used to it we just ignored it. All apart from one man called Mhehal, he was the oldest in the unit and some thought at little mad. He used to sit all day watching the cloud he said that there was something just not right about it and that it would be the death of all of us. He just sat by the waters edge. One evening just as we were settling down to a night by the camp fires the cloud burst into light. There were all sorts of colours, greens and oranges and reds, it was amazing to watch. We all walked away from our fires and down to the shore line admiring the lights. Mhehal was going mad, he was shouting about how this was the beginning. Some people looked nervous and listened to him collecting weapons and armour others just laughed at him. Myself and my friends, we were somewhere in the middle, we enjoyed watching the light show but didn’t get too close.
Distracted by the lights none of us saw that the fog was getting closer to the shore, by the time we realised it was too late. Those crossbow bolts that you’ve seen, the sky turned black with them all at once. So many people killed instantly. The rest of us stunned took a moment to gather our wits and start running. We ran past our encampment grabbing whatever weapons and armour we could on the way passed’. Dathai looked away clearly embarrassed.
‘Its ok, everyone gets scared in battle, and you were only young’ Dúlra reassured. He looked up at her and smiled before continuing.
‘I still feel ashamed of my actions that day. Many people do. Once we were out of range of the crossbows we started to get ourselves organised. We pulled ourselves back together in some form of coherence and set about forming up. They came then; the fog had reached the shoreline. At first all we could see were shadows in the fog, so many shadows but they came out of the fog. Row upon row stepped onto the beach and started forming up. The call went up and we took the fight to them. We ran down the dunes and clashed half way up the beach. It was bloody work but we were stronger than them. Over our heads their magic crafters and ours battled. Sparks of magic landing on people burning them and melting others, it was horrific. The battle raged long into the night, it felt like forever we were fighting. It was real one foot in front of the other. Stop for a second and they’d cut you down with their razor sharp swords. All of a sudden they were gone, fleeing back into the fog and returning to their ships. We started to cheer at the apparent victory. I started to look around for my friends to see if they were still alive. I found some looking around the same as me, and we found others dead or dying on the ground. While looking for people we came across Mhehal injured but still barely alive. We got him sent home and nursed back to health. He lives just near the old market square now with his daughter. He was old then, he’s nearly a full century old now, frail of body but his mind is as sharp as it always was’.
Donncha looked over at his sergeant, ‘I never realised you were in the war with the Dark Elves, Dathai. But that said I’m not sure where this is relevant to our current situation’ he pressed.
Dathai looked at him and breathed deeply before continuing. ‘Before he was taken from the field Mhehal called me and another over to talk to him. The other man was called Brean and had been beside me all the way through the fight. We were inseparable all the way through training and on to the battle. He pulled us close and told us that while he had been lying injured in the sea he had seen the dark elves release something into the water and that they had buried something else in the sand right beside the line of surf.
We went down to the spot that we’d found him and looked around. It was quite difficult as everything was covered in blood. We watched the water but couldn’t see anything the fog was lifting but it was still quite thick. On the shore line everything was churned up as you’d expect after a battle. Apart from one spot, there the ground was smoothed over and undisturbed. We may not have been the sharpest swords in the armoury but we knew something as obvious as that was too good to miss. We started to dig with our bare hands and eventually reached a box that had been buried there. We took an axe to the lock and opened the box. Inside there was a black heart, still beating, on a silver tray. We looked at it in horror. How could such a thing exist? We took the box and handed it over to the mages and they took it away. We wanted nothing more to do with it. We also thought that would be the last of it but it wasn’t.
That following dawn we were back in the camps much more subdued that previously. A ship came into sight on the horizon and was heading straight for shore. It was like no craft we’ve ever seen. People were diving over each other to get to weapons and armour. No one wanted to be caught unawares again. As the ship got closer it turned and slowed, a female dark elf stood there practically naked in the morning light. She looked across the sea between us and started laughing. She pointed to us an all we could hear was her voice, it seemed to be coming from inside our heads. All she said was, ‘You will fall’. It didn’t make much sense at the time but ever since then we’ve been wary of anything involving dark elves in case she comes back for that thing. Then the reality of other battles came on and the war with the dark elves lasted another year or so. When we all got back the last thing we wanted was to be brought into this’.
There was a long pause. Dúlra looked from Donncha to Dathai. Who’s we, Dathai?’ she asked.
‘It was about a month after I’d gotten back from the war. Like many others I was wandering around the city waiting to find some work when my old sergeant walked up to me with an offer of work. I naturally snapped up the opportunity as things were getting a bit tight on the money front. I was taken to a meeting with Oisin; he was the high mage of the university at the time, though he has since passed that mantle on. He explained that the heart was a very powerful artefact and that it needed to be prevented from ever falling back into the hands of the dark elves. To be totally honest I didn’t really understand the magical side of things and just got the idea that if one of a few people calls we drop what we’re doing and go to the aid of whoever called. They set me up in the watch here as my experience would serve me well and I would be able to keep an eye for anything untoward. When we heard about the dark elf involved in the murders we had no choice but to became involved in this. We normally try to avoid clashing with the temple and the watch and try to remain as under the radar as possible’.
Donncha looked shocked ‘So for as long as we’ve worked together you’ve been an agent for these people. Did you not feel you could trust me Dathai?’
‘It’s nothing to do with that sir; it’s simply that I wasn’t allowed to tell you about it. I’d happily have you at my side for any fight and would have preferred to let you know but that wasn’t possible. I’m sorry. The reason I disappeared off after the university was that so I could get permission to tell you both about the organisation. Permission that was quite begrudgingly given. Donncha, I respect you and have thought for some years now that the organisation would benefit greatly from you being a member. We've been looking for people to replace others because, you may have noticed, I'm not as young as I once was, and as for you Dúlra. Well you didn't register on my radar before now but I could see you finding a place there too. We could use a set of eyes in the temple'.
Dúlra stood up, 'Are you asking me to betray the temple Sergeant'
Dathai stood sharply and snapped to attention, 'No ma'am. Wouldn't dream of it ma'am. Its something that we take on as well as what we are and do on top of what we do normally. I understand both of your reluctance, you don't remember the time of the war. Very few people do' he added sadly.
Dúlra softened and sat back down. Dathai did the same. 'I'm sorry' he muttered and stared into space. The other two looked at each other. Donncha sighed.
'So, what does the organisation think is going on in the tunnels below the city?' he asked.
'They're as concerned as you are about them. They were unaware they existed either and now that they are open we'll need to get some specialists in there to check them and map them so that we know what's down there and where any threats may come from.
‘I need to check with the temple’ Dúlra said. ‘Dathai, you know I’ll have to tell the high inquisitor about this don’t you?’
‘I believe that she is being contacted by a representative at the moment. The threat from is considered to be great enough for the organisation to make its presence known to other people in the city, but of course I realise you’ll want to talk to her’. Dathai replied
Dúlra stood up and walked to the door. She turned looked at them.
‘It’ll all be alright I’m sure’, she reassured, and was gone.
Donncha and Dathai sat in silence for a few minutes longer.
‘So you’re an even bigger hero than I’ve always thought’ smiled Donncha.
‘Don’t know if I’d go that far,’ Dathai replied. ‘We’d best get on with some work then.’ They both got up and walked out into the main office area to check on the work going on.
Dúlra’s head was spinning with the idea of another group of people watching and preparing for a different unseen enemy in their lands. Walking back up Hope Street she reached the gates to the temple. Caran was standing out the front of the gates shaking hands with a man dressed in the formal robes of one of the university wizards, the deep dark blue. He was smiling and laughing with Caran as they spotted Dúlra coming towards them.
‘Ah here is the girl of the moment’ he said in a loud and robust voice as she got close to them. Seeing her discomfort Caran smiled slightly as the wizard embraced Dúlra closely. Breaking the embrace he turned back to Caran and embraced her too, this time it was Dúlra’s turn to relish the other woman’s discomfort. The wizard broke away and bustled across the road, the guards at the entrance to the university snapped to attention as he went past. The two women watched him disappear through the front arch and off into the grounds. Caran turned to Dúlra.
‘I think we need to talk don’t you?’ She said and turned to walk into the temple.
‘I hope you have more information than I do because I’m not entirely sure what’s going on’ Dúlra replied following her through the doors.
Carans office was brightly lit with a warm fire burning in the hearth. They settled into the leather chairs in front of it and Caran rang the bell that was on the table beside her. Her servant walked in and bowed. She asked him to bring food and drink. He bowed again and left. They sat in silence each contemplating the developments while they waited for the food to return. When the servant came back he was accompanied by another both carrying very full trays. There was bread and stew and to drink there was mulled wine. They took a bowl each and tore off some bread.
‘So.’ began Caran between mouthfuls, ‘What have you learned from Sergeant Dathai?’Dúlra outlined what she had been told by the watch sergeant including his involvement in the initial war. Caran nodded and listened intently while eating.
‘Who was that wizard and what is his involvement in this?’ Dúlra finished.
‘Odd individual but I’m sure you picked up on that. His name is Conal and he is the aide to the head of the organisation. They, very dramatically, call themselves the society of the beating heart and the premise is exactly as you’ve been told by Dathai. They’ve been operating at the highest levels through out the country. I wish we’d been aware of this for the last number of years. It looks like their resources are much greater than ours. In order to get the tunnels mapped they’re getting in specialists from the dwarfs of the Eastern Mountains, it was their ancestors that dug those tunnels so who better to do it’.
‘Will we be working with them from now on then?’ Dúlra asked
‘I think that it would be mutually beneficial to work together but there is no way I’m taking the whole of this temple into this. I need you to work with them, operate inside their organisation and see what you discover. I don’t really doubt that their goals are noble but we just need to be sure. We also need to see what their methods are like so we can assess whether to work with them or whether they need to be removed as a threat. I hope they are all that they seem because, like I said, their resources are extensive’.
From behind the wall Scath smiled. Caran had pretty much done exactly as he had predicted. He was happy that she was open to the possibility of working with them but was being cautious. He turned and walked softly down the stairs and through the tunnel. Coming out in the university he walked out of the building and across the square to the offices of the Magus. He walked into the office and found Conal sitting behind a large desk covered in bits of paper. He looked up and smiled warmly.
‘Scath my friend I think by the look on your face that you predicted correctly her response?’ he said jokingly
‘How often am I wrong about these things’ Scath replied with a smile as he sat down opposite him. ‘She wants Dúlra to work with us to test our nature and methods and to make sure we’re not up to no good I assume. We just need to be careful, I’m not sure they’d approve of me being involved’.
‘I don’t see why’ Conal said ‘It’s not like you kill indiscriminately like some of your kind, and you became what you on the kings orders to make sure that this country was always defended and so that someone would always remember that there are enemies on all sides. You carry out a noble task. You sacrificed your soul for your country hundreds of years ago. You have served this country beyond most other peoples doing’.
Scath smiled at the compliment. ‘Not everyone is as progressive a thinker as you Conal. I suspect a person that has made her life mission to rid the world of vampires may not be quite so keen on working with one, even a vampire that saved her life and prevented her and her mentor becoming the undead servants of someone worse! I guess we’ll have to call a meeting of all the agents. Are you calling a meeting then?’
Conal unlocked a drawer and reached into it. He withdrew a vial of liquid and walked over to the fireplace. He opened the vial and poured the contents onto the flames. Instantly they turned a brilliant green colour and smoke of the same colour billowed up the chimney for a moment then returned to normal.
‘I’ll send word to the High Inquisitor inviting her to attend. I assume she’ll send Dúlra as her representative. It’s not like she leaves the temple very often any more’.
‘I’ll go and ensure our rooms are prepared for us’. Scath said as he stood up and left wizard to his thoughts. He was concerned about revealing so much of the society all at once but didn’t want the inquisitor to think they were hiding something. He sighed and poured himself drink thinking about the danger of a dark elf being in the city and revealing the society to the temple.
‘Interesting times’ he muttered as he looked back down at the papers scattered around his desk.