Pagewalker (25 page)

The noise began, that all too familiar creak
of rotting timber doors, squeaking under rusted cogs turning to
open the gate. I could feel the warmth of breath from under the
gate as is was lifted higher. Nostrils pressed against the rising
portcullis. The nostrils of death, breathing in the smell of life
before it tasted the arrival of death. My heart stopped. I had
forgotten my aches, paint and bruises, all that coursed through my
veins was excitement and fear. More fear than blood. I felt light
in that moment. My heart pulsed faster and faster, my fingertips
tingled and almost lost grip with the stone I had picked up. The
stone felt lighter than air although by its size I knew is should
have been heavy.

When the doors had eventually opened, there
was no movement. Slowly my eyes adjusted to the darkness and I saw
it. The beast was lying motionless on the ground, It’s head lay a
few feet from the bleeding stump that was its armoured neck and two
figures were standing beside it. They called to me,

"Come this way! Just follow this tunnel and
it will bring you outside! You will be safe there! Now is your
chance". That voice, that powerful, sexy, mesmerising voice. It was
Sarah. She and Garret had saved me. They must have escaped and come
back for me!

Startled, confused but still intoxicated with
adrenalin I thanked them and ran. Towards the tunnel there was a
sound of steel sliding on steel and rusted hinges singing. The
thump of boots landing and armour clanging as it fell. I did not
stop running however, I knew that sound, I looked back, it was as I
had feared and known, I saw the queen running behind me with a
small squad of bodyguards, the most ruthless and merciless soldiers
sword to the thrown with un wavering loyalty and no moral ethics of
their own, soulless killing machines trained and sworn to do
anything the bitch ordered, anything. I had an altercation with
them earlier. Killing some and seriously burning others.

My saviours ran towards her to protect me, I
heard the grown of dragon fire. It was from the ‘dragon jump’ act.
It was a large cannon that blew fire in pillars. The acrobats had
to evade the fire while running an obstacle course on the high
ropes for the amusement of the customers and the queen. I hated
doing it, the first time I was made to do so was with only three
practice attempts. The skin on my back still show signs of the
burning and bubbling skin. Scared as a permanent reminder to move
faster and jump higher. A lesson I would not soon forget.

I did not stop running and as I leapt from
the lower tunnel to the flood overflow pipe leading to the surface.
The smell was so horrid, words have not been invented that do
justice to the putrid stench my nostrils were assaulted with while
climbing through the pipe. This was usually used for pulling the
remains of victims or remains from feeding time. This may be the
first time something living passed this way. I found an opened
grate, rusted and weathered. The iron ladder had been cut open and
bent over the years. I used this to pull myself up from the lower
tunnel. In my hand, snapped of a jagged edge as my weight pulled
itself up. I threw the iron shard towards my perusers as they
reached the end of the tunnel before they too began to climb. How
had they got past the two that had saved me? I feared the worst for
both of them.

I had the higher ground, the throw was
precise, calculated and perfect. It found the joint of one of the
guards chest plate, through the tattered tunics they wore below.
Ripping the leather and cutting deep into the flesh, Stopping him
dead in the air. Gravity took the rest of the burden as it pulled
him from the ladder for his back to meet the tunnel floor. I had
always been a great shot, but the years of fool training by circus
masters taught me accuracy and precision for piercing baskets and
pots in the air while blindfolded. The remaining guards passed his
body as though it were nothing. Continuing the hunt. As I looked
back again I saw the queen pulling the rusty shard from the chest
of the fallen guard. He was on his back on the ground in shock from
the unexpected pain.

I crawled as fast as I could toward the end
of the tunnel which led to the outside world. Running up the long
dirt and stone- filled pathway, towards the forest, winding through
debris from the market, carts from the harvest and all sorts of
rubble in my path. I sprinted through small towns and hamlets
covering myself in a dust mat I stole that covered freshly picked
potatoes, the dried dirt stained and ran onto my face as it mixed
with the sweat. I ran and ran until either my body gave up or I
could find a place to rest. All the while the image of my saviours
filled My thoughts, the face of the queen overlooking the
destruction, burned into my skull, Hatred and anger kept me
running, the dream of revenge kept me alive. I can not live with
myself until I return to find them. Only two days have passed since
my escape and I must know.

*

The image faded away again into a milky white. I
feared that this was the end of his writing and I would not know
what happened to Sarah and Garret but as I readied myself to return
to the Northland reality the vision returned to me again. I still
could hear his thought and he continued with his journal.

*

I have returned to the site of the Circus. Making a
camp for myself in the dense forest just up the valley slightly.
Nothing has changed since i escaped. It is evening but no braziers
are lit. There is little movement in the paddock and the Big tent
is not illuminated. AS I circle the camp now I can see two familiar
sights in a beast wagon. Sarah and Garret both alive in the cage. I
can see the blonde beauty sitting up. She is tying her hair into a
bun behind her head. Garret lies with his head on her lap but he is
not moving. I fear for him. From what in can see he has a wound on
his side. It is time now to return the favour. I must reach the
camp and release them.

*

I circled the camp but I can not get near. It is
morning and in front of the wagon with my friends sits a tall man
wrapped in a rugged and torn sheet. He seems to be talking to
himself and arguing with himself too. I Can see the queen talking
to him now. They keep pointing at the two in the cage. I will keep
observing.

*

The sun has set and the moon is high. I will make my
move tonight. There is a show in the tent and I saw both the queen
and the tall man enter the tent together. They made some kind of
transaction moments ago. Coin passed hands and more gestures were
made toward the wagon. I fear the tall man purchased my friends.
That is the preferable option, the second reason for the coin could
be a bet on their lives. Either way, I will make my way to free my
friends now.

*

My vision rose like a bird high into the night sky
then turning to a soft and gentle light. Words lap past my ears
like sleeping in a brook of a streem. My finger tips turned cold
and dry and my head turns from light to heavy., I feel the weight
of my body once more and the gravity pulls me close to the dirt. My
legs gave way and I fell backwards off the book onto the pile of
hay.

My eyes were stinging and I had to blink what
seemed like a hundred times before I could see properly again. I
wished for a better sight than I was greeted with. Not Abe, I was
used to his ugly mug, but the man that lay behind him. The owner of
the book I had just page walked.

He was no longer just an unlucky corpse that
we had stumbled across in the carnage of this Circus. He was an old
friend now. By visiting his words for a time, I felt as though I
had visited him. Shared a life time of adventures and heartache. I
felt as though he had shown me so many things and taught me so
much. There was one thing that brought my current situation
striking home like bells chiming on the hour of a great cathedral.
Sarah. I had seen Sarah, and garret!

“Are ye ok lad? What did ye see son? Abe’s
eyes were wide with anticipation , he was hanging on every grunt
and stutter that spluttered from my lips.

“I, uh, I saw Sarah. She was here! Right
where we are standing now, and Garret! I saw your son Abe. He is
with Sarah. She told this man here,” I pointed to the corpse behind
Abe, “She told him that Garret was leading her to the brotherhood
alter!” Abe jumped back with excitement, then jumped forward to
embrace me!

“Chris ma boy, you have a true gift, a
talent. I can feel it now, we are almost there! We will get your
bloody wife and get you back home. I have so much still to say to
Garret. I am so proud of that boy, putting your wife in front of
his own safety. He gives the race of luchorpán a good name worth
singing about. I cannot wait to tell him that!” Abe was beaming
with joy and parental pride.

“You will Abe, Soon we can see them both. But
there’s a slight problem.” My voice lowered and Abe’s shoulders
sunk from an upright position to those of a scolded child.

“That doesn’t sound promising me boy.” He
said solemnly. Eyes darting from mine to the ground and back
again.

“There’s no easy way to say this, so I’m just
gona have to blurt it out ok? Sarah and Garret have been taken by
Oisin. He paid the owner of this Circus to take them away.”

“Abe took a few staggered steps backward with
his hand over his mouth. He searched behind him with the other hand
for somewhere to sit, eyes not leaving mine. He eventually just
fell to the ground. “They had be captured, They freed this man and
were about to escape themselves but stayed to fight and protect him
instead. That was all I could see. I do not know how the rest here
died.” My voice had hushed to a whisper once more. “Oisin has them
Abe.” I said again.

Abe simply sobbed. For a long while we both
sat. I fought with everything to fight back the tears. I had so
many reasons. Tessa pushed her head between my side and my arm. Her
big brown eyes looking at me with worry and longing. She has always
been able to sense when I am troubled and down and has a way of
brightening everything up. I smiled at her and stroked her soft
head. Her ears were back her nose was wet. She licked my face.
Smudging my glasses. I pushed her away with a half snigger and
patted her back as she lay beside me. Her job done and my hopes
lifted.

The rain began to fall. Neither of us cared
at this point. Tessa however was finding puddles to lap up some
freshly fallen water.

“Abe, this was a matter of a day since this happened.
The ink was still slightly wet on the page. They can be no more
than a day ahead of us. How far is it to the brotherhood alter from
here?”

Abe brushed the dirt from his trouser legs
and stood up. His voice simply monotone now. Like a man broken and
empty of emotion. “That’s not where they are headed. Oisin hates my
kind and he would not hesitate on killing Garret there and then but
instead took both of them and paid for them? There must be a
reason. I have known in my heart he has been alive this whole time
but now my heart hangs heavy ma boy. Now I loose hope for my Son.”
Again Abe broke down. It was as though his heart had been squeezed
every time he thought of Garret. Causing him to convulse, cramp and
double over in pain. I did not say it to him but I had no such
feeling. I had no doubt of Sarah’s safety. The woman is stronger
than me, if I can make it through all I have she can do the same
tenfold!

“Where will they be heading then Abe? You say
the alter is not the destination, so where?” I asked.

“Dawn. Oisin had told Garret years ago about
a homestead he was establishing called Dawn. It is Near the City of
Sáann.” He replied.

“Sáann?” I exclaimed, “God I can not wait to
see Sáann.” I smiled from ear to ear at the prospect. Sáann was the
first place I had created for ‘Dertrids Deed’ I used it as the home
of all my D&D Characters, RPG characters…every game sheet I
created really. The idea of actually visiting it was too exciting
to convey! “Well lets go then, the more time we stand here in the
rain the farther away they are getting.” I shouted at Abe, as I
walked towards him. Pulling him to his feet I slapped his back and
began walking in the direction of the Kart Tracks.

“Skilled tracker are we now?” Abe mockingly
questioned me behind me back.

“Well, um, no. How about you lead. I just
need to go somewhere now you know? Sitting down is helping nobody
and I have a bloody wife to find.” I said. Looking back I swear I
saw it again. Closer now. A huge figure slipping into the tent
behind us. I think I saw a weapon, a slimier of light reflecting of
a silver blade, but I cant be sure, I put it down to stress, lack
of sleep, I don't know, rationalising in whatever way I could to
make myself feel better. I saw something then, I know I did.

Abe laughed at me, his spirits lifted
slightly. “Lets be off then. East from here. The city is easy to
spot in all directions.” He said.

I know, I made the damn place!.