Prologue.
You heard the flapping of your letterbox, but no sound to what had dropped to the mat.
You picked up the letter, opened it, and slipped your fingers inside the small envelope, and pull out a small white card.
The card written in black ink, in Old English.
Need your help, come tomorrow,
Leeds castle. 8 pm sharp.
and Come alone.
The Guardian of Rin.
You checked the envelope, but found it had nothing written on it and no stamp either.
You decided it’s rubbish, and toss it straight in to the bin.
You then walk into your kitchen to get some breakfast only to find the invitation card sitting next to a empty bowl.
You picked it up and tear it in to small pieces, and throw it into the bin.
You think to yourself, it must have stuck to your hand, and you had not noticed.
You don’t give it a another though, until later that night.
You go off to bed and there it sits staring at you from the bedside cabinet it was all back in one piece, as if you had never torn it up at all.
You pick it up and take a closer look, you can see the fine lines were you had torn it.
Totally mystified, you open a draw pull out a lighter and rush to the window, light one corner of the card and then opened the window and threw it out, and watched it fall to the ground burning.
Happy that it was now gone for good, you turned to get into your bed only to find it back on your cabinet, back in one piece and just burnt around the edges, but still able to read it.
The next day you decided to go find out, what the hell is going on.
When you arrived at the castle, you see signs for the Portal of Rin.
The signs leads you to a cold dim torch lit room with a large table with a forest-landscaped valley of miniature tree, with unmarked miniature buildings with flowing rivers that look almost real.
The table has six high backed chairs surrounding it you sit down and study the landscape on the table covered in small miniatures.
The layout was so beautiful.
You hear footsteps coming towards the room, as you watch five more people who you had never seen before enter the room, and proceed to sit in the remaining chairs.
The people sat, playing with their cards between their fingers.
Each of you were staring suspiciously at one another and you, wondering if it had been one of us who had sent out the invitations.
‘Was it you?’ asked a young women from across the table.
But, before you could reply a voice from the arched entrance way spoke first.
‘No it was me, the Guardian of Rin, who called you all here.’
As every one at the table turned to see whom it was, who had spoken.
‘It was I the portals guardian who has summoned you here tonight, ladies and gentlemen.’
As the voice came into the dim light, all anyone could see was a dark hooded shadowy figure holding a long staff in is right hand.
‘Why are we here?’ spoke up a thin faced man at the head of the table.
With that, the hooded figurer lifted and slammed down the staff.
And the man vanished.
‘Please do not interrupt me again.’
The room became as still as a sky without clouds.
Fear flowed across the faces of the people at the table.
‘Now let us proceed.’
‘I know you all have questions, and they will be answered all in good time.’
‘But first I need to test each of you; fore I can only take one of you with me through the Portal.’
The hooded figure threw six dice on to the table.
‘Please take one.’ explained the Guardian.
‘To hell with this.’ As one man stood up and threw his dice across the room. Then suddenly disappeared.
‘Any one else wish to leave?’
Another lifted is hand like a schoolboy asking to speak and was gone.
‘Anybody else.’ Said the hooded figure in not such a pleasant tone.
Noticing what could only be the enemy troops across the table you see three faces that stand out from the rest.
And the three people who had disappeared though now much, much smaller stood in the formations of the enemy troops and though there faces were small you could make out it was them, and their body’s where that of horrible beasts.
‘Three against three, I could not ask for better odds.’
Looking in to your hand the symbols on the die where that of weapons two crossed swords to be exact.
Suddenly your standing shoulder to shoulder with elves and men with a group of small broad men with long beards to your front holding axes, you panic and try to run, but find you can not move.
You find yourself suitably dressed in heavy shining armour with a sword in both hands.
You hear ‘Charge’ as the troops around you began to move forward and find yourself running along with them unable to stop as you ran down into the valley with the enemy also charging towards you as you meet at the bottom of the valley weapons and shields clashed together with an almighty crash.
As body’s fall to the ground, you feel blood splatter across your face.
You feel the pain as your body hit against that of a beast, you fall to the ground and slide across until your body is stopped at the feet of a beast soldier, as you look up the beast soldier rose up its axe above you and brought it crashing down.
He missed as a sword had pierced is neck and he fell where he stood with that a hand reaches out to you.
‘Get up! do you not know you can not fight on your back.’
‘Get behind me, fight back to back.’
As a hideous creature tried to hack off your arm but was only stopped by your armour you thrust out one of your swords into it’s eye and see the beast fall to the ground.
Another tried to swing a hammer in your skull a large stone hammer like weapon, but you hack off its arm, that then fell to the ground while still holding on to the hammer.
‘Now that is what I call skill my friend’ said the human at your back.’ With that, a horn sounded and the enemy began to run back up the valley.
You had defended ourselves long enough to survive the first assault, as a second line came charging through the first.
Fresh evil had descended upon you without any let up from the first as you stand back in line, the beasts arrived screaming an unknown language at you.
As you took a firm footed stance against them, fear just took over and you slash out at the beasts before you and they fell down at your feet, down down they fell as you thrust your two swords at the bodies of the beasts until they just stopped come any more, and then fell to your knees.
You slowly turn your head you see the man who had pull you up off the ground still standing he turned his head and smiles at you, before his head dropped down on to his chest.
The spear that went through is body was all that was holding him up right, and his left arm had been cleave off.
You close your eyes and weep at his loss, even though you never even knew who he really was.
‘Why do you weep so?’
With your eyes closed, you answer.
‘I lost a friend in battle against those evil hordes.’
‘Fear not young warrior, he has not been lost yet, you can still save him, if you so wish as this was only one possible out come of this battle.’
Opening your eyes you find yourself alone, but for the hooded man with is staff, and back in the dimly lit room of the castle.
‘You have been chosen, to come through the portal with me.’
You check yourself for injury’s, but found nothing .
‘Come, we have little time if you wish to change that soldiers fate.’
You rose from your seat and followed the hooded man, as he led me down some dark steps to another room, where you could see a pool of shimmering water in the shape of a large triangle in the floor.
‘Just step into the pool.’ Requested the hooded figure.
You step into the pool of what look like water yet it did not feel wet in any way.
As you went under, it felt like you where falling, falling slowly and you could breath well.
You could see the hooded man falling next to you, and he gave you a soft and friendly smile.
Your eyes become heavy and you close them as drifting of to sleep.
You wake to find yourself in a small dimly lit room wearing strange clothes, and on a bed on the other side of the room you could just make out the hooded man sitting on the edge of his bed.
Chapter One
The Portal of Rin
‘Ah good, your awake at last, let me take this chance to introduce my self, I am whistler, I am also called the King of thief’s’
‘I hope the journey was not too arduous and the pool did not affect you too badly.’
I see you still have the swords with you, good, you will be needing them, there are many dangers here.’
‘Ah, You want to know why I brought you here.’
‘Of course you do, how thoughtless of me.’
‘Well we needed an out-sider, some one not from this world, some one the Nasral cannot control.’
‘Who are the Nasrals?’
‘Ah there the most evil things in our Kingdoms you will meet them soon enough.’
‘I must say your new armour fits you splendidly.’
‘Come my new friend let’s meet the others who will be joining us on our quest, they would have grow inpatient for our return.’
You and whistler walked out of the room, and make your way down a wooden staircase, and entered into a strange room full of dark corners, lit only by candles you see a group of weird looking creature some you recognised as human but some you do not.
As you both reach the bottom step, the room fell silent.
You see an array of people standing by the bar of the quaint little tavern you now find yourself in, none of them you had seen before except for one, it was the man you saw die on the battlefield, but he was now every much alive.
Whistler leant over and whispered.
‘Do not tell him that you have seen his death, he will not know of it.’
As you and whistler approach the group.
‘Ah you have arrived at last, we been waiting hours.’
‘Be still your moaning Orin, these things can not be rushed, the young warrior you see before you, as come a long way.’ Assured Whistler.
‘Greetings young warrior.’ As a tall human with a long white beard, with the top half of is tall pointed red hat creased and wrinkled leaning out to one side, stepped in front of Orin.
‘Tanglewood’s me name. mystic wizard at your service.’ ‘Welcome to Middlemere .’ He Mumbled .
‘Mystic wizard indeed, conjurer of cheap tricks and half of them don’t work.’ Claimed Orin.
‘Be quiet Orin.’ stammered Tanglewood.
‘What ever you do don’t rely on his magic I once asked him to—.’ Tanglewood, “Snapped” is fingers, it was then that no one could hear any words coming from Orin’s mouth.’
‘Be quite you illiterate dwarf, it was just one mistake, that is all!’ grumbled Tanglewood.
‘remove a wart from me arse….’ Suddenly Orin blurted out.
‘ You mean a pain in the backside, don’t you?’ As a tall slim figure pushed Orin out of the way.
‘I am Salin needle thread and I am an Elf, and I greet you on behalf of the Elven folk of the Silver forest.’
Orin, who was very short in stature but was as broad in width as he was in height, with a long flowing greyish beard that was tucked tightly in to is wide belt around is waist.
‘Shut up you Elven buffoon, what do you know of Dwarfs.’
‘I know enough never to trust one, that am sure of.’ Salin needle thread announced.
‘I know you ran like cowards from the battle-field of pennilth.’
‘But! my ancestors where out numbered six to one on that day.’ complained Orin.
‘They still ran when they should have fought to the death.’
‘Bah stubborn nonsense.’ As the Dwarf stepped out of the way, waving is arm up in protest against the Elf, and then moved to the back of the group.
‘Calm down you three, your trying my patients, is this any way to greet our new guest.’ As Whistler stared at them, while pulled down is bushy eye-brows with squinted staring eyes.
At that moment another shape gracefully stepped forward.
‘Welcome young warrior.’ In a sweet, low voice, then bow her head gently down, and waved her hand in a snake like curving motion in the air before you.
‘ Shadow walker am I, priestess am I, of the Silent path, glad am I you have come.’ ‘Help us in time you will.’
‘Silent path, Bah, she never knows when to shut up, once she starts talking.’ interrupted Orin.
You then saw the priestess disappear and reappear in front of Orin, she then slapped him around the face really hard then disappeared again.
‘That not fair she keeps doing that to me.’ bellowed Orin.
‘Ha ha.’ Laughed the wizard and the Elf and even Whistler giggled.
‘You deserved that .’ boasted Salin..
The man you saw die on the battlefield, then with large strides then came forward to greet you.’
‘Hello.’ ‘I am Sir Gilbert the uncrown King of the humans in Middlemere.’ ‘Welcome.’
‘Let me give you a heads up on the situation if I can.’
‘The evil ones have slaughtered our people in there thousands, some are kept alive as slaves until they are of no use to them, then they kill them with out a thought.’
‘Any way you maybe our only hope to help rid us of these evil beings that plague our lands and we asks much of you, I know, but by your mere presents here, I know you have decided to help us.’
Then a flutter of tiny wings flapped through the crowd and hovered before you ‘I am Nim of Nee and I think your very brave to come here.’ then giggled and smiled, then flew back shyly behind the others.
‘Where’s me bug swat I can’t stand bugs, grunted Orin.’
‘You will have to excuse him he is not happy unless he’s moaning about something.’ said a low slow sleepy voice that belonged to a large eye at the open window to your right, and had made the building shake and tremble as he spoke.
‘And where in the belly of the beasts of hell have you been.’ Moaned Orin.
‘ Am sorry Orin, but I have been a sleep for a fifty years ‘Yawn.’ ‘I was not expecting to wake up for yet another, we giants need our sleep you know.’
‘Ah yes.’ ‘our last traveller to join our merry little company is Chip he’s a rock giant from the Rubypath mountains.’ Spoke up whistler.
‘What do you mean, he is the Rubypath mountains.’ Orin butted in again.
‘I will be with you all in a moment, just need a few minutes to reduce my size.’ As dust fell from the rafters with the quake of is voice.
‘Well hurry up, before you bring the inn down on us we, need to get going if we are to reach the valley of the fallen before nightfall.’ replied Orin.
‘Are the horses ready.’ asked Whistler.
‘They are in the stables waiting, master thief.’ Acknowledged Salin needle thread the Elf.
‘Aren’t you not forgetting some one.’ came a soft sultry voice from one of the dark corner of the room.’
‘Ah you was so quiet I almost forgot you where here Sabrina.’
The company all turned and spoke out her name. ‘SABRINA!’
‘Well I am here, and I have been listening to you all, and not once have you mentioned me.’
‘And why should we be doing that? you are nothing special.’ added Orin.
‘Ah the little man speaks as if he as any idea of what I am capable of.’
‘You forget we don’t like you, or trust you Sabrina, and why your coming with us, has us all wondering why you have been allowed on this quest.’ Spouted Salin.
‘She will be our guide through the path of sorrows which leads to the valley of the fallen, of which none of us know the way.’ Exclaimed Whistler.
‘Well I still don’t trust her.’ shouted Orin so every one in the room could hear.
‘You have no choice but to trust me this time, my Little man.’ has she leant down and pulled his beard out of is belt, and pulled him in close, almost to the point of a kiss.
The group started arguing amongst themselves as to why they where not told she would be coming on the journey, stating that they would not have come if they had know.
‘This is exactly why I did not tell you.’ cried out Whistler.
‘As much as I hate the idea myself, we need her am afraid, she is the only one who has gone through there and lived to tell the story.’ Spoke out Whistler in a reluctant voice.’
‘She went in there with fifty men, and came out alone, I find it hard to believe she did not hide until it was all over.’ Shouted Salin needle thread.
‘And that’s another thing, how with nine of us will we survive that horrid place, when she went in with fifty.’ Exclaimed Orin. Who had now reluctantly pull him self away from Sabrina.
‘With my help, we will avoid there outposts and go where even they fear to tread, that’s how.’
‘Or lead us to the same fate, but I promise you this, if any one of us dies in there then so shall you Sabrina.’ Spoke up Nim of Nee. As she turned instantly in to a little black demon creature with long sharp teeth and claws and hissed in her face.
‘Very well little princes very well.’ Sabrina replied softly and calmly.
‘And if Nim can not, I will personally cut off your head myself.’ Spouted Whistler.
‘And if I do, you will all apologise to me?’
The whole company agreed.
‘Come now we have wasted enough time on idol chatter to the horses.’ Requested Whistler.
Close call.
‘I will do no such thing I will not.’ Refused Orin.
‘What is going on here?’ Insisted Whistler.
‘Little man refuses to ride he does.’ Informed the Shadow walker.
‘Just get on the horse Orin there a good fellow.’ Asked Sir Gilbert.
‘No I will not burden this poor creature with my weight.’
‘Come little man get on the horse.’ requested Sabrina with a stare from her beautiful bluey grey eyes.
And within seconds he was up and on the horse.
‘How did I end up here?’ Exclaimed Orin looking mystified.
‘Because you’re a weak minded old fool Orin that how.’ Hailed Salin needle thread.
‘Bah.’ Snorted Orin.
Shadow walker just blinked and was on her horse.
I will need to hitch a ride said Nim, and I choose you. As she sat on your shoulder and held on to your silver plate armour.
With every one now mounted the wizard spoke ‘Nah Ash Nee.’ and waved his hand towards the double doors of the stables and they opened.
And whistler lead the way out of the stables and into the days fresh air.
The company rode for what seemed hours until.
‘Halt!’ Shouted Whistler.
‘We will stop here and give the horses a rest and feed.’
Whistler directed the company off the main road to a small clearing.
‘Here will be fine.’
‘Does he even know where here is?’ Exclaimed Orin.
‘Does it really matter, we are far from the comforts of the inn now, and we shall not be here long if we are to make it to the path of sorrows before nightfall.’ Replied Chip.
‘I guess not.’
‘Sabrina you shall lead us from here.’ Requested Whistler.
‘Very well.’
The company all fed and watered there horses.
‘Mount up, we must leave now if we are to reach the path by nightfall.’ Shouted Sabrina.
‘Now listen up people so far we have met no resistant’s, but I fear this will be short lived as from here on we will be in the lands control by the Nasral, keep together and do not stop for anything or until I do or say so.’
‘Who does she think she is, telling us what to do?’ Protested Orin.
‘I do not trust her any more than you little man, but she knows the way through so you will do as she says until I say other wise. Replied Whistler ‘and that goes for all of you.’
The company reluctantly agreed to do so.
‘Ride on.’ Shouted Sabrina.
The company went back on to the main road following Sabrina.
Half a mile further up the road Sabrina diverted off to the left side of the road in to the woods and stopped.
‘Why have we stopped so soon.’ Asked Whistler.
‘Quiet there is a boarder patrol up a head we must be still till they have passed.’
The band on there horses sat quietly while the patrol came closer.
It was a patrol of at least twenty five Dark Ones, as the group watched through the tree line as they came even closer to where they where positioned.
These creatures where inhuman things with no real form like a liquid fog until they stopped and solidified.
‘Halt.’ ‘I smells umans.’ Spoke the leader of the Dark ones.
‘I smell nothing, you are just hungry.’
‘Yes it has been a long time since I have eaten there flesh.’
‘It is a strong smell, recent I say.’
‘Spread out and search the area.’
‘Oh crap.’ Whispered Sir gilbert.
Dismount guys it looks like we are about to have our first encounter with evil. Quietly whispered Sabrina.
‘Bring it on there is nothing like a glorious death.’ whispered Orin.
‘There coming towards us.’ Panicked Tanglewood.
‘How many?’ asked Whistler.
‘Three.’ Replied Tanglewood.
‘Take them out quietly.’ Shadow walker.
‘As you command.’
Suddenly Shadow walker popped up behind each dark one, and slit there throat’s with a long curved dagger blade.
It was then that a loud horn sounded and the Dark Ones immediately return to there commander who then marched them back down the road with out question.
‘Phew that was close.’ Whispered Sabrina.
‘Bah I could have taken them all, if given the chance.’
‘Your very brave Orin, but also foolish to think you alone could kill that many Dark Ones.’ Spoke Sir Gilbert.
‘Bah you are cowards the lot of you.’ Boasted Orin.
‘You will get your chance little man there are plenty of Dark Ones to come, But we have to get through here with as little attention as possible if we are to succeed.’ Spoke out Sabrina.
‘Remount your horses we have a long way to go.’