The Seventh Seal (The Chronicles of Daniel Stone Book 1) Read online

  *

  James was getting a little frustrated. He was an ‘act now and deal with the consequences later’ man, so Jade’s calm approach did not fit well with his psyche. He threw his seal onto the ice.

  ‘Go on then, Professor, sort it all out,’ he said condescendingly.

  Jade composed herself and ignored his infantile antics and just smiled with an air of superiority.

  ‘Listen, we are all connected to the heart of the regulus. The seals are the key to unlock the door, don’t you see, to access the regulus energy and connect with Elias and Paris. If we can connect, then just like a river finds its way through a canyon we will find them.

  ‘Put your seals on the ground so they touch the others. Place your hands on your seal and concentrate. Think of Elias and Paris. Access memories of our times together and let the regulus do the rest…’

  *

  Our situation was grave as panic and mayhem continued to dominate our life moments and Paris slipped, screaming, over the edge of the crevasse and now the pull on me was just too much. With the rope taut, I was pulled forward and onto my front, scraping along the ice to my certain death, following my two friends down into the black abyss, just three more victims to add to the many that had previously tried to tame the Khumba snake. I closed my eyes and said goodbye to this world as I slid over the edge.

  I fell into the blackness of the crevasse, my body relaxed now, accepting my fate. I had no idea how long I would be falling before the end, but I knew it would not be long.

  *

  James, Thomas, Lucius and Jade were now kneeling down on the cold ice with the four seals touching one another and their eyes closed, but nothing happened. James and Thomas fidgeted… nothing happened… They all held firm, keeping their hands on the seals and thinking about each other, drawing deep on past memories and times.

  No one can remember the exact moment, but one moment it wasn’t and the next it was; their whole world had shifted. The seals were now glowing with intense light and had pushed apart to show bright, connected energy paths between them. These extended from each seal into each of the Keepers, covering them in an energy halo and from James’ seal, the First Seal, a beam shot out and up the glacier like an arrow, cutting the mist and lighting a path up the Khumba.

  ‘Jade, you’re a genius!’ exclaimed James, as he quickly forgot his toy-throwing antics of moments earlier. He could now see a road to action and he marvelled at the light around them and the seals and more importantly the path up the glacier that was now so clearly marked.

  ‘Okay, let’s go and find our friends, shall we?’ she said with a smug smile.

  With their seals as both guide and guardian they started to follow the energy path, but this time the familiar crunch and crack was gone; there was no sound. The energy path from the regulus was acting like a cushion, taking their weight and protecting them from danger. They all smiled in unison as they realised they could now make unhindered progress.

  *

  When I was a child I remember vividly falling over many times and returning home in tears. My father, a practical man, always used to tell me, ‘Falling is painless, Elias; it’s the landing that hurts. Be careful, boy.’

  My father’s words came flooding back to me now.

  ‘Ouch… get off me, Elias.’

  I hit the bottom of the crevasse, or at least I thought I had, but it was strangely soft.

  ‘Paris, move, will you? You’re hurting my leg…’

  ‘Sorry, Professor, it’s not my fault; it’s Elias.’

  The Professor and Paris were, by fortune of balance, alive and well and now all three of us were trapped on a large ice block, which had sheared off one of the sides of the crevasse, bridging the gap and stopping our fall. Once I had realised what was going on I moved and looked at my two friends in the dim light, their faces slowly coming into focus as my eyes adjusted.

  ‘I’m so glad to see you!’ I exclaimed.

  ‘All part of the plan, Elias, all part of the plan,’ said the Professor.

  In unison, Paris and I turned to him and said, ‘Plan! What on Thera are you talking about?’

  ‘You’ll see… just wait…’ With that, a bright beam of energy shot down into the crevasse and our seals erupted with light filling the dark crack in the glacier and revealing the inside beauty of the mighty ice snake.

  ‘Oh, good, they’ve arrived…’ said the Professor.

  Both Paris and I once again looked at each other and then at the Professor.

  ‘How did you…?’ we said in unison, relieved and confused in equal measure.

  ‘Training… I said I would take you training.’ As the light enveloped Paris and me, the Professor picked up his rucksack.

  ‘Come on then, are we going to get out of here and get Daniel back? Step into the light.’

  I put one foot in and was immediately sucked in like water into a sponge. The light was so intense I couldn’t see anything and, unlike the splendour of the regulus back in Tolemak, here my eyes were blinded by the intensity. I closed them and as I did I could see the other four Keepers as plainly as if they were in front of me. They were there, standing on the grey and white landscaped ice above, and I rose, drawn to my friends.

  We rose up the energy beam as gently as a bird takes flight off a cliff and soars on the thermal currents. I had been a Keeper for a long time and had read much about the power of the Seven Seals, but had never experienced anything like this; that was the point of the Professor’s so-called training. It was to bring us together as one, to make us stronger for the battle ahead. It worked, but the lengths that the Professor went to putting our lives in such danger had shocked us all.

  When sometime later I reflected on what he did for us that day I was eternally grateful; he risked his own life to make us better people. There are few men like the Professor on Thera, Earth or Arthe.

  By the time we returned to Willowdale it was mid-afternoon and we rested. We were overcome with an incredible tiredness, the likes of which I had never before experienced, but we were all now ready to fight.

  14th September 2012, Thera

  We slept until dawn when the Professor woke us all from the deepest sleep we had ever had, a beautiful dreamy sleep that had left us fully refreshed and stronger despite the ordeals of the previous day on the mountain.

  ‘Well everyone… it is time. Yesterday you learned the power of the regulus and how, acting as one, you can be stronger; yesterday you became the wasp and learned to fly. Today, when you meet Smee, you must learn to sting.’

  ‘What is the plan, Professor?’ Jade asked.

  ‘We shall leave for the Eastern Desert after breakfast.’

  He smiled at each of us. ‘No one should fight on an empty stomach. We will rendezvous with Albertus and Sarah a mile east of Smee’s position.’

  Jade was still frustrated by the Professor’s snippets. ‘What then?’

  ‘Then we will all find out…’ As ever the Professor spoke in riddles.

  *

  In the Eastern Desert, Albertus, Sarah and Geddy were stirring from slumber inside a sandstone cave hollowed by centuries of wind blasting; it was as smooth as silk and its beauty only interrupted by several desert scorpions that had also taken up residence for the night on its surface. They were not, however, interested in the intrepid travellers and balance was maintained, at least in the cave.

  The embers of the fire from the previous night were still glowing and, with a few puffs of air and some fresh kindling, it sparked into life once again to push back the cold morning air of the desert.

  ‘Do you think they are alright, Albertus?’

  ‘They will be fine, Sarah… the Professor will take care of them. They will be here shortly.’

  ‘Will this plan of yours work? Will Smee fall for a fake seal?’ she said, looking for comfort.

  ‘The craftsmen of Tolemak are the finest in all the worlds… it will stand us in good stead. Do not worry, Sarah.’

  *
r />   Smee and Simean were awake early; they had had restless days of anticipation and they and the men were wound up and anxious for a fight. This frustrated Smee greatly, he was not in control; but he had a good feeling that today was the day.

  The encampment was set within a U-shaped basin that effectively trapped them on all sides bar one and allowed an attack from higher ground, but they were not facing an army; they were facing six Keepers. They planned to coerce us into the trap and shut the door with one hundred and eighty men. No matter what we then planned, they had the advantage.

  ‘Simean, get the men ready; the time is nearly upon us. Get the boy and tie him to the post over there. It’s time for him to play his part.’

  ‘Smee, we don’t need to negotiate here; we can kill two birds with one stone: get rid of all the Keepers, Albertus, the boy, all of them and take the seals. Why settle for a little when we can have it all? We have enough men to kill them.’

  ‘Ahhh, Simean, you and your Earthien greed; it is your weakness, my friend. Indeed we could kill them all today, it may come to pass that way, but I have no intention of killing them.’

  ‘Why, for goodness sake? You hate them.’

  ‘Exactly why I want them alive; I want them to suffer under my hand as I have under theirs, for the rest of their lives; death is no revenge, Simean, it is freedom. With the Seventh Seal and the Arcanum, I will wield enough power to bring you all the wealth you and your men desire and give me a daily dose of revenge. Now let’s get ready.’

  *

  Everett’s journey from the Northern Ice Fields had been uneventful and he had time to enjoy the transition from cold to temperate to hot, allowing his body and mind to adjust, re-absorbing the Theran landscape he loved so much. The call Albertus had asked me to make had been expected; he had been preparing for some time, knowing that he would eventually come to face Smee once again.

  He had settled himself into a small oasis north of the Badaran camp up on the higher ground and had been watching as Simean’s men had spent their days patrolling and placing small packages into the ground at various positions. He had made a mental map of each position and, with a horse he had picked up in Abrythin on the way through, he now waited for events to play out.

  Everett looked on as Daniel was dragged out listless from the tent he had been in since his arrival. He was weak and malnourished and barely hydrated enough to survive much longer in the searing desert heat. He had only survived by water literally being poured down his throat, sufficient quantities getting through to keep his body functioning.

  ‘Look at him, Simean, pathetic little wretch, how could he ever be a Keeper? This alone should tell anyone that Albertus is not fit to preside over the seals and their power if he is prepared to give it to him.’ He spat on the floor by Daniel’s side in disgust and derision.

  *

  We arrived to meet Albertus and Sarah at 9am; my new watch was proving most useful and I couldn’t help taking a moment longer than I needed to check the time and to admire the mechanical device, a moment of escape in between the seconds to forget all of the troubles of life.

  ‘Good morning to you all, it is indeed a fine sight to see you alive and well after your trip.’ Albertus’ tone was a mixture of concern and relief in equal measure; he knew, as we did, the danger ahead but couldn’t suppress his joy at our return.

  ‘Can I assume, Professor, you are ready?’ asked Albertus, now just concerned.

  ‘We are as ready as we can be, Albertus; the rest is down to the balance.’ In a strange momentary role reversal, it was the Professor who seemed to be the Keeper of Peace.

  ‘Very true, my friend… well, let us wait no longer… it is time to take back our own, to rescue young Daniel, the rightful heir to the Seventh Seal.’

  Unbeknown to us, while we were meeting and greeting, Geddy had slipped off and started to make his way towards Smee. As he got closer to Daniel, he began to think of him, not his physical form, but his name, the sounds that he had heard now many times from the Keepers. These familiar sounds formed in his mind and the electrical impulses were sent into the regulus with one purpose, just as an arrow is aimed from bowman to target.

  At the camp, Daniel became aware for the first time in many days. He did not know why…but he suddenly flinched and realised the framework and structure of his surroundings. He blinked as if becoming accustomed to light after being in the dark, but this reaction was for the benefit of his mind and not his eyes, for it was his mind that had been reawakened.

  He was tied again to a post, but this time under the heat of the rising sun and he felt discomfort for the first time as his body emerged from its slumber.

  ‘Ahhhh look, Simean, at last the boy is awake. Well, boy, are you ready for your fate?’ said Smee.

  Daniel was disorientated and looked confused and fearful.

  ‘What do you want with me? I’ve done nothing to you.’

  ‘Very true… but it’s what you could do to me that I’m more concerned about.’ Smee laughed.

  ‘Where’s my mother?’

  ‘Your mother?’ Smee snarled.

  ‘She’s like your father; she’s left you.’ He laughed again and walked off.

  Daniel licked his lips, salty from the tears that were rolling down his cheeks, and he sniffled.

  Dan…yell, Dan…yell, Dan…yell. He kept hearing the two syllables of his name. Was it real or just in his mind? He kept spinning his head to try to find the source.

  *

  We materialised a short distance from Smee’s camp and it was only moments before the cry went out from Simean’s men of our arrival. His men were lined up like teeth in the mouth of a shark, closing off access to the camp and the enclosed area beyond. We had no intention of breaking through there, but we also knew that inside the shark’s belly was our goal; that was where they were holding Daniel.

  ‘What do we do now, Albertus?’ asked James, pointing at the camp.

  ‘We walk that way, James. Professor, all of you, get behind me. Sarah, you come with me up front; don’t worry, you will be safe.’

  Sarah forced a smile as her insides turned to jelly and James grumbled something to himself at another put-down from Albertus.

  We headed towards the shark’s teeth and could see a small number break off and walk towards us. Slowly the gap closed and we could see Smee and Simean and ten men coming into focus. Soon we were confronting them.

  ‘Let’s dispense with any pretence of pleasantries, shall we, Albertus? I trust you have brought the Seventh Seal?’

  ‘I have, Odling, where’s Daniel?’

  ‘Oh, the brat is safe enough with my men in the camp. Don’t go trying any heroics now, will you? We have nearly two hundred men, fighters to the last. If you were to be foolish enough to try to fight for him – and I have to be honest, there is a part of me that would wish that – you would lose and you would all die here today.’

  Sarah broke her silence. ‘Don’t hurt him, Smee. You have taken your only brother; don’t take your nephew as well,’ she pleaded.

  ‘Ahhhh, I see Albertus has filled you in on a little family history. A dysfunctional bunch, aren’t we, sis?’

  Sarah cringed at the reference but held her nerve. ‘You were like Daniel once, Odling; don’t let him fall like you did.’

  Smee laughed. ‘Fall? What on Thera are you talking about? I have not fallen, I have risen. My life’s hardships have made me who I am: better… better than any of you. Now can we stop with the chitchat and get on with what we have come here for today?’

  ‘Odling, I’m not going to give you the Seventh Seal until I see Daniel. Have him brought out here and we can make the exchange.’

  ‘Oh, Albertus please do not take me for a fool. We will make the exchange in the camp, just in case you decide to try to cheat me. Now let’s walk.’

  ‘Wait; do not take me for a fool, Smee. If we go in there we will be trapped and face certain death at the hands of your thugs. I will compromise; we will make
the exchange outside your ‘trap’ but closer to the entrance.’

  This was a clever ploy from Albertus as it gave us time to organise ourselves. Smee snarled but reluctantly agreed.

  Behind Albertus we had now formed into a triangle formation: I was at one apex with Thomas and Paris at the others; Lucius, James and Jade took up position between us, and the Professor stood in the middle, the position reserved for the seventh Keeper in a standard Theran fighting triangle. Timing was critical; if we connected too early our plan would be foiled, if we left it too late, well, we just didn’t know if we could connect, that was our dilemma.

  *

  Geddy had now made his way into the camp without being noticed; everyone was too busy with the events out front and he continued to call out to Daniel.

  Everett was also on the move and on horseback, making ready for whatever the balance would require of him today.

  Daniel was now back from his darkness. Ironically the calls from Geddy had forced him to focus and whilst still confused and wondering if he was indeed going mad, he was taking in the events unfolding around him, trying to free himself from the pole he was tied to. His guard had left and joined the others watching Smee and our group make their way to the camp and he knew that he did not have long to escape; whatever was going on out front, his window of opportunity was slim.

  ‘Dan… yell… help… here.’ Geddy was trotting up to Daniel and now for the first time he was able to sense where the voice was originating from, but could not believe it: a dog was communicating by thought. Geddy went behind him and gently gnawed the ropes, freeing him from his bindings. He looked at Geddy in disbelief once again.

  ‘Dan…yell… go… hills.’ Daniel didn’t have time to think about how or why, he just ran.

  *

  Nerves jangled with every step as we approached the camp and the scale of our task was brought into stark view. Nearly two hundred fighting men… what chance did we stand?

  ‘Okay, Albertus, where is the seal?’

  Albertus flashed the fake seal in front of Smee and quickly returned it to his min-ed cloak.