Witch Law; The Beginning Of An End

Note: I will be sorting out the format of the sentences in the next proof.
I have left the sentences on a line each as I find it easier to read and edit in this format.

P.S. I'm british spelling "errors" such as colour are intentional :)
Enjoy.

Regards,
Chris


Witch Law




C. J. Sayer



“It is a statistical fact that the wicked work harder to reach hell than the righteous do to enter heaven. “

Author: Josh Billings




For My Parents.

For My Family

&

For My Friends.

Chapter I:
         Beginnings of an End

         He ran and ran, feet pounding up the stairs, he could still hear the cry’s and shouts from below, deeper in the tower.
Large bangs and the sounds of explosions were audible, the walls were occasionally shivering dislodging dust and mortar upon his head.
The next bang made the whole building rumble and shake, causing him to fall over.
His sword fell from his hand, clattering back down the steps; he quickly stood and turned to retrieve it.
It had slid down four steps of the stone spiral staircase that wound its way around the wide centre of the eighth level of the tower.
Quickly leaping, he covered the space and knelt down to grab the blade.
Its long slender blade had the name Harkane etched into its surface near the cross guard in runes surrounded by symbols of the Raven.
It was his sword by right; he had won it in a competition of arms after which his name and the symbols had been etched into the surface.
His hand grasped the black handle which sat below an also black cross guard with a single blood stone placed upon it.
The blackened pommel was intricately etched with lightning designs that all came to a light gray stone set on its base.

         Harkane stood back up and hastily turned to continue running up the stairs but stopped where he was.
His eyes fell upon a woman who was deceptively beautiful but he knew the truth, her beauty was a magical illusion, underneath that cover would be a haggard face, beaten by years of magical use and evil doings.
She stood in his path five steps up, all but her face shrouded by a black cloak.
A smile rose on her face and she began to speak in a mock friendly voice that was overly womanish.
“Good evening Harkane, it has been a long time.”
Harkane regarded her coldly and spoke back flatly.
“Not long enough Evelyn.”
She continued, ignoring what he had said, in that same voice where she lengthened her vowels and nearly purred her R’s.
“Missed me dear?”
Harkane lifted his sword to a readier position.
She smiled a slightly wider smile that revealed more of her illusionary white teeth.
“Oh there’ll be no need to use that; I can almost positively assure you of that.”
Harkane chose to retort this time.
“Why’s that hag?”
Evelyn pulled her head back in a mock gesture of hurt feelings.
“Oh your insults do cut deep dear Harkane.”
“Besides…” She said pulling back the cloaks hood to reveal shining blonde hair which she shook back slightly.
“Do you not find me beautiful anymore?”
Her clear blue eyes fell upon his and the smile once more returned to her face.
Harkane swayed slightly but forced himself to see her as the hag.
He knew her trick and it was to make him fall under a spell of lust and he also knew how to stop that.
They stood there looking at each other for a few moments, Harkane’s face set stony and resentful, almost the opposite of Evelyn’s.
Where he looked resentful she smiled and looked inviting.
Where he looked resolute she looked lustful and playful.
Then her face dropped, her expression turning dark and brooding.
“Fine, have it your way boy.”
She raised her hand which was starting to glow a crimson colour and levelled it on Harkane.
“The castle has fallen, the Wise Men are dead, and your duty has gone unfulfilled.”
Harkane stared harder at her now.
“I will give you one last opportunity to serve me Harkane.”
“That will never happen Evelyn; you lie about the Wise Men”
She laughed, not a laugh that you would have expected of a woman so beautiful.
This laugh was too evil for such beauty but it still sounded like her voice.
Harkane shivered then quickly recomposed himself.
“Tell me, for what reason would I lie?”
“If I were lying, you would be dead already; with your leader’s gone Harkane I would rather have you serve me.”
At this Harkane did laugh.
“You know I would never serve you so why waste your time Witch?”
Evelyn’s light composure came back with unnatural speed.
“Because I know Harkane that you know I can give you things that you desire.”
Harkane’s eyebrows lifted slightly at this and his head was filled with visions of lust and riches.
There was another large shake of the building but they both remained standing.
This was followed by some more shouts from downstairs, they definitely were becoming fewer.
This helped him shake the thoughts out, which he did almost immediately.
Witches were sly, and they would place such sights within the minds of men and even women if it suited their purposes.
“I’m sure you could love even one such as me Harkane if you gave me the chance to show you how.” She seemed to almost purr this sentence to him.
“And I’m sure Evelyn that to love you I would have to be mad or bewitched, and we know that is not going to be happening anytime soon.” Harkane replied coolly.
She looked at him irritated for a few moments.
“So Witch, are you going to stand there all day with your hand glowing like a lamp?”
At this her irritation became cold loathing.
“You should learn to keep your tongue still when it is wise boy.” She sneered.
Her eyes rolled back, her eyelashes fluttered for a split second and then her hand pulsed and a bolt of red energy flew forth from it heading straight for Harkane.
He reacted quickly leaping to his right and rolling to the outer wall of the tower.
The bolt gave off a small explosion of crimson energy on the wall just behind where Harkane had been moments before.
Standing quickly back up he rushed straight for the Witch who was already rounding on him with the other hand, readying another bolt.
She cast again as he had cleared two more steps towards her.
The cloak she was wearing billowed out behind her from the force of the bolt.
Harkane raised his sword in front of the magic which absorbed it into the blood stone and made the blade glow the same colour.
Evelyn moved back up two steps and drew two very curved and vicious looking daggers.
Harkane was first to attack slashing straight downwards at his target.
Evelyn quickly moved both daggers up and crossed them over to parry Harkane.
She pushed away the sword and wheeled round on one foot with her cloak swirling round after her.
She struck at him with a low blow heading for his stomach.
He stepped back away from the blow aimed for his gut and parried her second dagger which was heading for his heart with a flick of his blade.
Quickly he brought his sword back round and managed to strike her unguarded arm before she had the chance to stop him, cutting her quite deeply.
The magic in the blade knocked Evelyn off her feet and into the inner wall of the tower.
“Like your own medicine Evelyn?” Harkane asked mockingly.
She shot him an ice cold look followed by several icicles conjured from the ends of her fingers.
Harkane barely had a chance to react; he was hit in the left shoulder by an icicle which embedded deep.
The smile he had been wearing was quickly replaced by a grimace as the icicle began to melt.
The other icicles had either missed or smashed on contact with his partial plate mail.
This one had rather unluckily found a gap.
Using this opportunity Evelyn quickly stood and raised her hand in the air and in a flash of light she disappeared.

         Harkane sat on the ground and surveyed the cold spike in his shoulder.
It had missed the chain mail by less than a fingers width, and it was extremely cold.
Painfully cold, enough to burn the area around it so he decided to yank it out before it deadened the nerves.
He gave it a tug and it came free, he quickly dropped it, as soon as he had touched the spike it had begun to burn his hand.
Now he reached into a small brown leather bag on his belt and pulled out a gummy liquid which he placed into the wound.
The liquid quickly started to froth and expand outwards filling the hole in his shoulder.
Harkane winced at the stinging feeling it gave for a few seconds then looked down at  it once the stinging had turned to a warming feeling.
That would have to do for now he thought, he would have to find a healer later, and right now he had things to attend to.
The first of which was finding his remaining men and getting out of the council tower.
He didn’t doubt Evelyn that the Wise Men were dead and if that was so this place was no longer safe for any of their supporters least of all their guards.
The shouting from downstairs had reduced greatly now only a few voices could be heard echoing up the stairway.
Harkane noticed the bangs and shakes of the tower had also stopped and diminished to just small rumbles every so often.
The whole battle for the tower seemed to be ending.

         All of the rising tensions between the occult witches and the righteous Wise Men had come to a head earlier in the night.
Harkane remembered how he had been on guard duty near to the bottom level of the twelve levelled tower when there had been a lot of commotion down below him.
He heard shouts and the sounds of shrieking women so he had hurried downstairs to investigate the new sounds.
Feet rushing he had first passed the third level where other guards were beginning to mount the stairs to run down to see what was happening.
Now the sound of sword clangs and magical fire could be heard.
Something was most certainly going wrong on one of the still lower levels.
The second level was the same, just more guards running to the stairs, their blackened partial plate armour covering the bright chain mail underneath, clanking as they moved.
Then he reached the first level and his eyes took a quick look around the room, there were at least twenty beautiful women in the first chamber, the great oak doors ajar to their backs letting in the night’s terrible storm.
Each woman was wearing the same black cloak over the same black robes and most were wielding cruel curved daggers.
Some were keeping back throwing magical attacks into the semi-circle of guards standing to the back wall of the chamber, some with spears others with swords drawn, blocking the incoming magic with their shields.
Now the guards from the upper levels were joining the fight rushing in from the steps at the side.
Then there was a huge explosion from above that shook the entire tower from base to tip.
Another twenty of the black clad witches came rushing through the door shrieking and hissing like angered wild cats.
Their daggers striking the guards that had just entered the fray who were fighting for their lives to keep them back.
There was another great clap of thunder and the roar of breaking stone from above and again the tower shook violently.
Harkane dashed down the remaining steps joining in the fray, slicing at a Witch hunkering over the body of a near dead guardsman who she had been tearing the flesh from with her mouth.
He caught her across the shoulder, the cut made her arm go limp as the tendons snapped.
She reeled back screeching at him, blood dripping down her chin.
Quickly he kicked out at her knocking her to the floor.
Hastily he stepped over her and brought his sword down, impaling her to the floor through her chest in one swift movement.
Harkane looked up from the now blood gargling witch to judge the situation.
The guards were losing, overwhelmed by the numbers and ferocity of the Witches.
Harkane drew his horn and blew out a loud, deep, clear note.
All of the guards quickly began to draw back to the steps, fighting off the approaching hags with difficulty.
At least eight men fell while the guards retreated to the steps which Harkane quickly sealed once the men had fallen back.
He pushed in a brick at the side of the wall which clicked into place followed by a large creaking sound from above where several large boulders fell onto the steps, blocking them off to anyone trying to climb them from the bottom.
He could still hear the angry taunts of the bitches below him.
Harkane surveyed the men around the room who had began to treat the wounded the best they could and refresh themselves.
He spoke up to them.
“Men of the Tower tell me, what is your duty?”
“What is your oath? Speak now dogs or never speak again.”
The men looked up at him and at once shouted in unison.
“We are charged with the protection of those Wise in the Tower Sir!”
“Only death may stop us, and if it should be our paths, we will take it before we lay down our arms Sir!”
Harkane looked at them satisfied.
He quickly counted the guards around him.
Thirty four, which was not nearly the amount he had hoped for.
“I want six men holding this level, when those bitches break through, which they will in a short time, you will drive them back with your lives.” Harkane ordered.
“Numbers count for little on the stairwell but their magic is strong, so do not get careless.”
The men stood waiting for him to pick the six who would stay here.
“Well, volunteers?” Harkane looked expectantly back at the men.
All of them rose their hands, so Harkane picked out six men that looked the most fresh.
He told them to find spears and shields and a sword to wear at their side each.
Once they had finished arming themselves they arrayed themselves at the top of the stairs with their large rectangular shields held together in a wall with gaps for their spears.
“Now the rest of you men will do the same on each level above this one.”
“Six men to each level until there are no more men to go to the next level”
The men nodded at this and some gave a sound of acknowledgment.
“If you are the last man standing on your level you must do your best to alert the men on the level above to block the stair well, unless you are able to reach the staircase, in which case it is up to the men guarding that level to decide when to block the stairs off.” Harkane explained quickly, he could already hear the blasts hitting the stones covering the stairwell below him.
“I pray you all understand this as it was part of your drills.” Once again the men nodded and some spoke out.
“Our lives for those Wise!” Harkane shouted and the rest of the men shouted it back raising their weapons in the air.
“Now go, you have your orders!” He barked.
The men quickly moved to their positions, rushing up the stairs.
Harkane saluted the six men at the top of the stairs who saluted back.
“I wish you luck good men, and I pray to the Raven that it is not your day to follow him.”
They said their thanks for his prayers and returned to watching the stairs closely.
Harkane turned and went up to the next level and said the same to the men there and then the same all the way up to the sixth level where there were four men guarding that stair well.
Harkane spoke gravely to them.
“If it so happens that the level below you falls then I want you to sound your horns and I shall return to help you.”
“I hope it does not come to that.” He once again wished them good luck and gave them his prayers and they thanked him in unison.
Now he broke into a run up the next flight of stairs, he had to reach the council’s quarters, as the officer on tower guard duty he was to return to the Wise Men’s side to act as their body guard once the defences were arrayed on each level.
He could already hear fighting levels below him, which meant the witches, had broken through the first levels blockade and had maybe made it to the second.
This is where on his way he had stumbled and confronted Evelyn.
And so as Harkane rose to his feet and began to jog down the steps he knew the end of his kingdom had come.

         On the top step of the seventh level he heard the horn blast of the guards that were guarding the sixth level.
Things were grave indeed.
He began to run down the stairs with a little more speed.
Harkane came to a halt at the sixth level where 8 men were grouped around the top of the stairway that they had previously caved in.
They all turned to face him when he skidded to halt in the chamber.
“I guess you are all that are left then?” It was more of an observation than a question.
Some of them nodded to him, their expressions resolute.
One of the men began to speak.
“Sir, if I may have permission to speak.”
Harkane looked him up and down.
“Permission granted, speak up.”
The guard took a deep breath and looked at the other men around him before speaking.
“One of the witches downstairs, she shouted up to us, she said the Wise Men have been killed.”
Another guard quickly looked up with a frightened expression and asked.
“Is it true?”
Harkane sighed.
“It would seem so, the Tower has fallen, I have come here to tell you that we need to leave, the people need to be alerted.”
The men all gasped at this and some put their fists to their hearts as a sign of prayer.
“Now if the Witches have already begun the take over of the Capital then we will have to work secretly, gather what supporters we can and leave.”
The men nodded at this, ones that looked slouched quickly stood to attention at the sound of the orders.
Harkane surmised that he was likely the highest rank in the Tower now and that these 8 men were also quite likely to be the only guards still alive including himself.
He also took a good guess that due to the eerie silence on the floor below the Witches had already started instating themselves as the new government.
“We need to leave the tower and find all those still loyal to the Wise Men; I imagine there will be open revolt against the Witches soon.”
“We must prevent that, those revolting will die needlessly, they are not strong enough to face them.”
The men seemed to agree with this as they all nodded.
“Well let’s get moving, grab your accessories ladies; we’ll leave via the chamber route.”
All of the men sprang to action upon hearing these words.
Harkane looked down at the boulders covering the stair well; he wondered how the Wise Men could have been assassinated when the witches had all been in the lower levels.
He was also perplexed as to how Evelyn had so easily teleported straight out of Harkane’s sight when the tower had been built to stop such things.
In fact he was perplexed as to how Evelyn had got a few stairs up from him in the first place.
The more he thought about it the more he wanted to go look into the Wise Men’s council chamber to try and find how they’d done it but he knew there was no time for it.
All the guards were stood near the chamber door looking at Harkane expectantly.
“Come on, let’s go, you can introduce yourselves once we are out of here, consider yourselves off duty.”
The men nodded again and began to filter off into the towers inner chamber, talking among themselves.
The Wise Men's death's seemed to be the topic of conversation.
Harkane took a quick look around at the stairway before exiting through the door himself which he closed and sealed.
The candles which had been lit as they walked in suddenly extinguished.
They now stood in complete darkness in the cavernous room.


Chapter 2 coming soon...

What awaits Harkane and the remaining tower guards in the inner chamber?
Who will they rally to their cause in the streets and buildings of the Capital?
And what do they plan to do against the might of the Witch's new government once they have rallied support?
All questions to be answered in the next chapter's.

Keep your eyes peeled for Witch Law.