Werewolf Knight 5, page 3
I’d never paid any attention to the bookshelf, nor had any of the other knights as far as I knew. But that was probably the point.
“I learn new things about that girl every day,” Sybil sighed to herself as we entered the hallway where the questing knights had their rooms.
Tabitha started down the hallway, but she’d only gone a few steps when she stopped and frowned. She looked around for a moment and then turned to me.
“I don’t know if it’s my pregnancy hearing,” she said to us. “But can you detect something? Something going on?”
I closed my eyes and tuned in with my wolf hearing.
“There are people nearby,” I murmured. “At the end of the hall. Is there an office there?”
“It’s not the offices,” she replied. “Actually, it’s one of the rooms that’s usually locked.”
“Sounds like something we should investigate then,” I said.
We darted down the hallway, although it didn’t matter. The rooms we passed were all empty, and I wondered if they had been sent out to assess damage from the storm. Or maybe they had just been sent out so someone could use the strange room.
“There are definitely people in there,” I said when we reached the door.
“Should we knock?” Imelda asked.
“Hank should,” Sybil said. “They’ll answer a knight--”
“Ugh, this is taking so long,” Tabitha said and then banged on the door. “Excuse me? Excuse me? Who is in there?”
I could hear muttering and shuffling behind the door, and for a moment, nobody answered.
“Hello?” I bellowed. “We can hear you in there.”
“Nobody is here,” a voice replied.
I exchanged looks with the girls and then shook my head.
“Are you sure about that?” I asked, and I heard what sounded like whispering just on the other side of the door.
“Yes,” the voice said again, and this time Imelda went up to the door and banged on it.
“This is a serious matter,” she said in her heavenly voice. “We must speak to the King.”
“Yeah, like that’s going to work,” Tabitha sighed. “Get the fairy princess on it…”
Suddenly, the door swung open, and I was shocked to find Sebastian standing there about six feet below me. He was also wearing a green nightgown with a nightcap, which made me think the poor guy had probably only just crawled into bed when the storm started. But the little squire didn’t let us in, and he was careful not to open the door wide enough for us to see behind him.
“Sebastian,” I said. “We need to see the King.”
“Sir Henry,” Sebastian said, and his eyes widened. “The King is…”
“Let them in,” a familiar voice boomed, and Sebastian looked behind him.
“But Sire,” the squire pleaded. “You explicitly commanded that the questing knights were to be evacuated and you weren’t to be found under any circumstances…”
“Well, I’ve been found,” his voice boomed again. “So it looks like our plan is going to have to change. Right, Sebastian?”
The squire huffed and opened the door wider.
“Thank you,” I said.
And then I got a glimpse of what was inside, and holy crap, it looked like an actual survivalist bunker.
The King, in his hybrid form, was surrounded by squires, the doctor, a man who I didn’t recognize, and a stack of books almost as tall as me in the far corner of a rectangular, stone-walled room. There were no windows, but I could see in the corner of the room there were some large cauldrons filled with bubbling liquids. Dry fish hung from the ceiling, and there was a large metal container that looked like a water tank in the far corner as well.
I noticed that there were six cots squeezed into the room as well, and I assumed the more lavish and plump one belonged to the King. The rest were apparently to be shared by the King’s cohorts.
“Hello, Sir Henry,” the King said.
On cue, the squires all bowed.
“Where is the Queen?” Tabitha asked as Sebastian shut the door and locked it behind us.
“She is safe with her ladies in waiting,” the King boomed. “And I am in this room that smells of fish.”
He was right. The room did bear the pungent odor of dried fish, but I assumed that it was because they needed some kind of preserved food in case of an emergency. It wasn’t like Lupercalia had refrigerators or freeze-dried meals that they could eat later.
“More importantly, Sire,” I said. “We had to find you. The storm--”
“It was a very nasty storm, yes,” the King cut in. “But nothing to be afraid of. The palace has it under control.”
“I had a vision, Sire,” I said quickly. “A vision of the Goddess.”
The King looked at me, and something flashed in his eyes. For some reason, he was also wearing a green nightgown, and while it should have looked comical to see a werewolf in pajamas, it suddenly felt like I’d just met the big bad wolf.
“Ah,” he said and nodded. “Yes, well. Squires, everyone away.”
“But Sire, where are we to go?” Sebastian asked with a nervous laugh.
“Anywhere,” the King said sharply. “This entire wing was evacuated. You sent the order yourself!”
“Of course, Sire,” Sebastian replied with a salute.
Within moments, everyone else had filed out of the room and slammed the door behind them.
“Sire,” I said.
“I know, Henry,” the King said, and he held up a paw to stop me. “I know about what is happening.”
“But we don’t, Sire,” Tabitha told him. “We don’t know--”
“I had the vision too, Sir Henry,” the King told him. “And that is why I am isolated right now. I had to replay the vision until I understood what it meant. I also had to consult with some of the ancient writings and spells…”
He waved a paw at the stack of books and then at the cauldrons.
“Of course, Sire,” I said with a nod. “I completely understand. You couldn’t find the answer if you were constantly interrupted.”
“I have knights who can take care of any emergencies that might arise,” he said. “But this message, it was the priority. Though I must say, I am glad that you four had the wits to find me. I’d like to hear about your visitation from the Moon Goddess as well.”
“It was a very brief message,” I said. “She said that dark forces were moving against the Kingdom, and all of Lupercalia could be in danger if we’re not careful.”
“All of Lupercalia already is in danger, and it has been for some time,” the King sighed. “Vampire activity has been increasing for years, and those bloodsuckers have become more bold while we struggle to find enough knights to defend our lands. It’s not a problem anyone wants to discuss, but you, Henry, have forced us to look it in the eye. You’re one of the only knights that has had any real success against the vampires and the evil forces that are at work against our dear Kingdom.”
I knew the knights had been battling the vampires for as long as anyone could remember, but I hadn’t realized that the situation had turned so dire for the werewolves. It didn’t help that most people here insisted that vampires were just stupid, mindless creatures, when at least some of them were very smart and very hell-bent on destroying Lupercalia.
“You’re going to have to tell everyone the truth at some point, Sire,” Tabitha murmured. “They have a right to know and to protect themselves.”
“Of course I know that, dear child,” the King sighed. “But first, I have to understand the vision, so I know how to mobilize our forces. If I can just see--”
Suddenly, there was a large bang on the door, followed by the sound of someone scratching on the door.
“Hello?” the King bellowed with such force that I stepped out of the way. “Who goes there?”
“It’s me, Grayback,” the old knight retorted. “Out of the way, squire!”
“He said he doesn’t want any visitors!” Sebastian yelled.
“Is there to be no peace?” the King sighed. “Sybil dear, would you get the door?“
“Of course,” Sybil replied and turned around to open the door.
I felt a smile cross my wolf face as I spotted both Grayback and old Blueclaw in their hybrid forms. My smile turned into a growl when Grayback knocked Sebastian from his leg with one quick swat, but then he helped the little man back up before he turned to the King.
“Sire,” Grayback huffed. “We knew that we could find you here.”
“Tabitha!” Blueclaw scoffed, and he shook his head. “What are you doing in here? These are reserved for the King during times of trouble--”
“Never mind that, Daddy,” she said. “The Kingdom is in trouble, and so we came to find the King.”
“That’s my little girl,” he winked, and the two decorated knights stepped inside and swung the door shut behind them.
“So you found me,” the King sighed. “Seems I’ll be looking for more secret rooms soon.”
“Never mind that,” Grayback said. “Sir Henry, I’m glad that you’re here. I think we can all agree that that storm was something that… well, none of us have seen before. Not in this lifetime.”
“Not ever,” Blueclaw agreed. “It was an omen if I ever saw one.”
“Did you have any visitations, Sire?” Grayback asked the King, who shot me a quick look.
“Both Sir Henry and I received a visitation from the Moon Goddess,” he said. “I, in the form of a dream. A crack of lightning brought down the turret near my window, and I woke to the sound of the crash. Then, the Moon Goddess appeared to me and told me that dark forces were at work.”
“Sire,” I said when I realized that they didn’t know about the moat. “The drawbridge--”
“What about it?” Grayback asked. “It was drawn up to keep the waters from covering the bridge.”
“But there was some kind of demon in the water,” I told them. “I had to fight it off with my moon sword.”
The old, decorated knights gasped, which made Imelda topple backwards slightly.
“A demon?” Blueclaw asked. “What do you mean?”
“It came out of the water,” I said. “I’d never seen anything like it. It was like a dark shadowy energy, but it was made up of the water from the moat.”
“The witches,” the King said. “We have to contact them. But first, we have to mobilize.”
“I agree,” Grayback nodded. “We’re going to have to bring out the best.”
“This is the worst predicament that I could imagine,” Blueclaw sighed. “Dark forces at work, and not a single one of us knows what kind of dark force that might be.”
I heard some scurrying and there was another big bang on the door.
“Yes?” the King roared with a noticeable tone of irritation. “Who else has found me?”
“It’s Sebastian, Sire,” a small voice said, and the King rolled his eyes.
“Come in, Sebastian,” he relented as he waved his hand in the air.
The door opened, and the squire, who was now fully dressed in a red velvet outfit, nodded his head in deference.
“Sire,” he said. “Sire, the Wizard has returned from the borders of Lupercalia to see you.”
I felt something take my hand, and when I looked down, Sybil was clutching onto my paw for dear life.
“Oh, my goodness,” the witch hissed under her breath. “That means that he must have survived.”
“Of course it does,” Tabitha muttered. “How else would he be here?”
“Well, do let him in,” the King laughed at the squire. “So that this secret hideout is well and truly publicized.”
“He is waiting in the dining hall, Sire,” the squire said in a small, awkward voice. “You said you didn’t want any visitors here.”
For a moment, we looked at all the people gathered in the room and tried not to laugh. Obviously, the King’s attempt to keep his location quiet had failed.
“Well, go on,” Grayback finally said to everyone. “Surely he has something important to say as well.”
“Yes,” I agreed and led the way from the room.
The hallway was flooded with sunlight again, but I barely noticed as I charged back to the dining hall. I knew that no matter how beautiful it was outside, we had endured one of the craziest storms in the history of Lupercalia, and everyone seemed to be pretty nervous about just what was going on.
I pushed through the wooden door and leaped up the stone steps of the portrait hall. The eyes of all the great knights that came before me seemed to follow me down the hallway as I raced to the other end with the rest of the group behind me.
I could hear Tabitha and Blueclaw murmuring about what had led us there that morning, while Imelda and Sybil discussed what to tell the witches, and Grayback talked military strategy with the King. Either way, it was clear that the entire Kingdom was about to go to war with some very dark forces.
The dining hall sounded busier than before, and as the door opened, we were greeted by the excited murmurs of the crowd. News of the wizard’s arrival had spread, and as we stepped into the hall, it was impossible to spot the wizard in the gathered nobles.
“Where is he?” Sybil whispered.
One of the squires finally blew a note on his trumpet to announce the King’s return. The nobles quickly turned and bowed, and that’s when I spotted a figure in a long, purple velvet robe and a tall brown hat in the middle of a group of knights. The wizard looked like every stereotypical wizard, except for the fear in his eyes.
“Rorschach,” the King bellowed.
“Sire, Sir Henry,” the wizard nodded as he made his way up the stairs to the throne. His eyes widened from fear, and I could tell that something was terribly wrong.
Chapter 3
“Sire,” a few nobles started to say as they followed the wizard up to the throne.
“Please,” the King said, and he stepped in front of me and addressed the crowd. “I will offer a debrief in good time, but for now, I must consult Rorschach.”
The nobles bowed their heads slightly before stepping aside. I could tell that they were a little annoyed that they weren’t getting more information on what was happening, especially since I was apparently allowed to hear the wizard’s report firsthand. But it’s not like they could just disobey the orders of the King.
I tried to drown out the noises of the bustling dining hall as we formed a circle around the wizard, who was so fresh from his journey that he was still holding his old leather satchel.
“What news, Rorschach?” the King asked.
“Sire,” he said. “There is much I need to tell you. But I’m afraid that some of it is a bit complicated, and I’d prefer if we discussed this perhaps somewhere more private.”
“Let’s just go to the portrait hall,” the King sighed. “The squires can make sure we’re not interrupted. Besides, everyone else will probably be looking for us in the dorms.”
“Ah, your emergency room,” the wizard said and nodded.
“Does everyone know about the room?” the King asked as Grayback and Blueclaw exchanged a look.
“Only anyone worth their salt,” Tabitha answered politely.
“At least I can count on a Blueclaw to be honest with me,” the King sighed. “Come on, then.”
Sebastian led the way through the hidden door and down the stairs to the portrait hall. No one spoke, though my wolf hearing let me know that everyone else’s hearts were racing just as hard as mine. Whatever the wizard was about to report, it was probably not going to be good news.
“Rorschach,” the King boomed once the doors to the portrait hall had been sealed shut. “Explain your findings. I suppose that you saw the storm this very morning.”
“That I did, your grace,” the wizard said. “It had a certain alchemical quality to it. At this time of year, that type of storm is most uncommon.”
“Those were my exact thoughts,” Sybil said.
“Yes,” the wizard said and nodded to Sybil. “The witches are naturally attuned to these changes. But when something isn’t right, well, it sticks out in a way that makes it impossible to ignore.”
“Both Sir Henry and I experienced a vision of the Goddess,” the king stated.
The wizard, Blueclaw, and Grayback all looked at me with interest.
“Oh, really?” the wizard mused, and he started to toy with his long, scraggly beard. “And what did she say?”
“Nothing good,” Tabitha replied.
“Tabitha,” Blueclaw murmured.
“She’s correct,” the King replied. “Both Henry and I received word that… dark forces were at work. Is this in line with your findings?”
“Absolutely,” the wizard said as he set his satchel on a small table and started to dig through the contents.
“Hmmmm,” Tabitha muttered and nodded to the portrait over the table. “Great-uncle of mine.”
“Very intimidating,” I whispered.
“Right,” the wizard said, and he whipped out Wenderoth’s notebook.
Blueclaw and Grayback stepped away from the notebook as if they could feel the evil energy that it contained, but the King and I remained focused on Rorschach.
The King tapped his foot impatiently as the wizard continued to fumble in his pack. Finally, he whipped out a notebook of his own that looked like it was at least a hundred years old, followed by a cloth-bound manuscript that he opened with a flourish. He started to flip through the dazzling, gold-leaf edged pages while he muttered to himself, and I saw the King roll his eyes.
“Take your time, Rorschach,” the King mumbled.
“Sire, I’ve known of your impatience since we were boys in the castle together,” he said. “But I urge you to wait until everything is set out.”
I could see Tabitha struggling not to laugh at how the King bickered with his old friends, while I felt like I was watching something that I shouldn’t have been able to witness. After all, the King was supposed to be the duly appointed protector of Lupercalia, not some ordinary person with ordinary thoughts and concerns.
“Right,” the wizard said as he consulted his own notebook. “I spoke to some of my friends on the border. They were not happy to see me, because they hate visitors, but I managed to convince them to talk to me.”
