(Adventure Adrian and the Kings) The Herald Quest

Chapter Nineteen

NINETEEN

We all hid nervously behind the trunk of a large uprooted tree that had fallen on the cobble floor of the town square. This place was a real mess. I imagined a riot of some sort had blown through this way and jumbled up everything in its path like a nasty hurricane.

I looked up into the skies to see the outlines of several familiar yet scary creatures soaring overhead. I’d seen a range of odd and frightening monsters in the last few days but these airborne beasts looked more terrifying than anything I’d witnessed so far on this journey. I could have sworn they were dragons!

Across the yard was the church. We were so close and yet I was real jittery. It didn’t help my nerves when I suddenly noticed that the chapel had been trashed. The stain glass windows were smashed, the stone crumbling from off the walls and wood badly damaged by the fire that still burnt all around.

 “Just when I thought this trip couldn’t get anymore dangerous,” Jay said and seemed to agree with me that all this commotion was nothing but bad news. “What in the name of the Kings has happened here?”

“Look at the storm,” Grace shouted loudly above the growing roar of the wind. Jay and I looked upwards again to see the swirling black cloud that I’d seen hovering over the Shadowlands only days before. But now it was spreading outwards with the movement of a tornado and menacingly crept its way south.

“Let’s just deliver this darn message and get out of here,” I said with urgency. But as we all stood up and seemed ready to make our move across towards the church, Grace grabbed my arm and quickly pulled me straight back down again.

“What are you doing?” I yelled in frustration.

“Sssh!” she replied, putting a finger to her lips before pointing out into the courtyard.

Three heretics glided past us mysteriously like evil and sinister ghosts. At first it looked like they’d simply pass us by but then the creature at the back of their group suddenly stopped and then began to smell the air.

As it turned towards us, the Heretic’s hood shifted slightly and I could finally see the monster’s true face. It looked human in some ways yet its skin was scarred and stained a grey colour. We all froze helplessly and hid behind the trunk again. If the creature headed this way then we’d have to run for it and expose ourselves to the other pair of Heretics too!

But to our relief the nosy monster turned away and rejoined their group before continuing on into the distance. The lantern’s light had deflected the attentions of even the most curious heretics just long enough for it to loose interest in our scent.

We checked more cautiously this time and the coast was clear. Our group kept low and dashed quickly across the town square towards the church entrance. It took all three of us to lift up the thick wooden beam that was lying across the door. We took the strain together and dragged the large plank to one side before slipping into the dark interior of the building.

The church was magnificent. The tall ceiling arched way above our heads and the stained glass windows stretched high up its walls. The candle in our lantern began to flicker and in an instant the flame went out, leaving only a trail of smoke to drift away into the air. 

“What now?” Grace whispered.

“I dunno,” Jay shrugged.

“Hello?” I shouted into the darkness. My voice bounced off the stone walls and echoed off every corner of the church. But there was no reply. “I guess no one’s home.”

Suddenly an arrow zipped through the air and closely missed my face before lodging itself in the doorframe just inches from my cheek. I didn’t dare move for a moment and was in shock that I’d nearly got an arrow through my head!