THE HAUNTED KINGDOM 3 by CHARLES E.J. MOULTON (ereader that reads to you .txt) 📕

always known that, haven’t you?”
Alexander nodded.
“But Adnicul is older than Lucinda.”
”That makes no difference. Lucinda was planned long before Adnicul was. When a trainer was needed, the name came to mind because it was simply Lucinda’s own name in reverse. Adnicul had received his name from his father, a royal gambler and bandit, and thought it simply a fluke. He never knew that he was a tool. He spent years in the dungeon trying to figure out why he had been betrayed.”
“Where is he know?”
”Eric, his old servant, is now an angel and was chosen as his mentor, due to his connection. They are close by in an abandoned old cave here near by. We will let you meet before embarking upon the journey tomorrow.”
”Michael, I have travelled this journey alone and I want to continue to do so.”
”Alexander, I realize how you feel. But it is good for you to not be gluttonous about this. This is still your own road. He will just help you. Believe me, it is better to be two in there. You can help each other.”
”What if he snaps and jumps at me? What if he breaks loose out of this insight and everything is lost?”
”Do you think that I would risk that with everything that is at stake here? If he weren’t ready, I would not ask you to do this. Alex, this is me you are talking to. Your old friend, Michael.”
Alexander nodded. “Yes. Yes.” Alex walked over to Michael and lay down beside him. Alexander put his head in the angel’s lap. “I know. I will have to cope with that decision. We might be able to make a good decision together. Maybe we have more chance then.”
Michael caressed Alexander’s head. “Go to sleep now, my friend. I will watch over you. Dream a thousand dreams of bliss, my good man.”
Soon enough, Alexander was fast asleep in Michael’s protecting lap.
He felt his presence in his dreams, his sweet protection.
Michael sat all night there, stroking his child’s hair and speaking to Mercutio through telepathy.
In his head, Mercutio could not stop talking.

§

That morning there was expectancy in the air. Dewdrops were falling from the bushes and the morning sun had just risen.
Alexander had dreamt of home. There had been four robins in the dream. Four sweet birds singing a song. The prophecy had been fulfilled. The light had led him to the four robin breasted birds. Four birds that giggled not screamed, sang not shouted.
He had dreamt he was back with Sieglinde, eating breakfast on the terrace. Then she was gone and he could not find her. Belinda appeared and told him she had been crying a river and he saw that river. It was wide and long and lead to the door of Iuventus Sacrum. He cried, too, and his tears fell into the river.
“Alexander?” He opened his eyes slowly, the first thing he saw was the grass. His head was on a folded blanket. He looked up Michael. He was kneeling. “Good morning.” Michael smiled as the king opened his eyes, blinking. “Slept well, your majesty?”
He responded by nodding and rubbed his eyes and yawned.
Michael caressed Alexander’s cheek.
“Dreamt of home?”
Alexander fixed his eyes on his stallion, but he was actually not looking anywhere, his eyes somewhere else in time.
”Belinda cried a river. It lead to my door.”
Michael sighed.
“She is communicating with you through her soul’s mysteries.”
Alexander looked at Michael, puzzled.
The black-haired man gave him a calm look.
“You’ll understand in time.” The angel smiled. “Breakfast.”
Alexander sat up and was handed hot soup. A small fire was burning and above was a steaming kettle.
“Chicken soup?” Alexander mused.
Michael nodded.
The King started eating and then made a yummy-sound.
”Where did you get that so quickly this morning?”
Michael smiled.
“I have my connections.”
Michael sat down, crossing his legs, and looked lovingly at Alexander.
”Ready to face the unknown?”
“I don’t know if I ever will be, Michael.” Alexander looked up at the rising sun. “What bothers me the most is that I will team up with my archenemy?” He looked at Michael. “Do you understand me, Michael? I hope you are not mad at me for that.”
Michael shook his head. “No.” There was a loving look on his face. “Not mad at all.”
“I feel out of place facing the demons with a demon.”
“He is no demon. He spent years in the dungeons alone. He knows the inside of that forest more than you. He needs you, because he remembers who he was. He is a changed man.”
Alexander looked up at Michael.
“Changed man, huh?”
“Yes.”
At once, there were two figures approaching from a small pasture opposite the forest, just before the path into the darker territories.
He recognized the man with the eye patch. His features were the same. Black hair, goatee beard, moustache reaching down toward the chin. Long flowing hair. Cape. Standard clothing. The man he had fought for years.
“Remember that he is responsible for nothing of what you have suffered.”
Alexander heard Michael speak, but the voice was far away.
The man next to Adnicul was a smaller man and he was clad all in white. His aura was bright yellow. This, too, was a man familiar too Alexander. At once, he recognized him. It was the man that had followed him from Misar Rularia on to the village.
“That, as well, is an innocent man. He only followed you to test your strength. He is an angelic protector.”
The two approached slowly. As they did, Alex stood up.
On each side of the campfire, two men stood and looked at each other. Michael looked at Eric. Adnicul looked at Alexander.
It was clear that Adnicul was confused, he probably always would be. But there was repent there. He wanted to clear away having been betrayed. He did not belong where he had thought he did.
Adnicul opened his mouth and spoke.
A rich baritone voice emerged from his mouth.
“I have a chance to repent. I have realized that I am guilty of betrayal and was in turn betrayed. I want to help you find your family.” Alexander did not say anything and could not help but feel deepest disgust for this man. “I did not hurt anyone.”
“You helped Lucinda attack Belinda. I cannot forgive that,”
“I was only there. I did not push her down.”
“Then why repent? Why come back and try to help me? You fought a war. Killed thousands of my people.”
“I was locked up in a dungeon and forgotten. Until Eric came back and told me my story. I cannot expect you to forgive me. Take away the weapons I do not have. My magic is already gone. But let me lead you through the forest. Without my help you will be lost. I have already turned toward the light.”
”After being a pirate all your life?”
”After realizing I had lived a lie.”
Alex looked at Michael. Michael spoke.
“I would not risk this if it were not safe. We have taken all precautions. If Adnicul tries anything he will pay. But don’t worry. You have inside information here.”
Alexander disliked doing this, but he nodded and took Adnicul’s hand and shook it. It was soft hand. He felt the vibrations.
Visions came flashing by his inner eye.
Pain, he saw pain. Surprise over betrayal. Being used. Being used as a victim.
The serious look in both of the men’s faces made both of the ethereal beings, the archangel and the angelic guardian, smile. For the prophecy was coming true.
The Lord had said that two foes shall come together and form a union of salvation.
The two men let go.
They all sat down, ate some soup.
Michael spoke.
“We cannot tell you what is waiting for you. Only that what that forest will lead you to is salvation. IN the end you will reach where Lucinda is hiding. When you reach the cave you will have to duel her in order to get to where your family is. They are encaged above the underworld, guarded by a monster of such magnitude. Enter the forest, twelve posts await you and you will know when you have passed one of them. The creatures in there are treacherous beyond anything you have ever seen.”
“What road leads to the cave?”
”The cave is the entrance to the underworld. You must Pass through the January Tunnel and go left.”
Eric spoke.
“To get there you must follow the road to a fork in the road. Take the left path and cross the wasteland. The meandering path will lead you to a bumpy way over a hill that passes a very steep ravine.”
”Be careful, there” Michael added.
Eric continued. “When you pass that you will come to a pasture. You must cross the pasture sideways toward the hill to find the valley where you will have to lead the horses across a river.”
”The river,” Adnicul finally said, “leads us to a waterfall where we will find a way that leads us to a tunnel that goes in back of the waterfall.”
”You must pass that tunnel to get to the other side.”
”Finally,” Eric finished Michael’s explanation, “there will be no turning back. You enter the heartland of the darker territories when you see ravens nests in all of the trees. You must cross this enchanted forest to get to where you will find Rigor Mortis.”
”I cannot see how we found Rigor Mortis in 1411. We never went so far.” Alex shook his head.
Adnicul answered that. “That was probably because you didn’t travel through Lucinda’s illusion. This place is extra hard to find, because it was created to make it difficult. In the real world it may be easier. Lucinda takes pride in making it hard to find.”
Michael said: “After that, be cautious. That is Rumzil territory and you might have to ward off more beasts than your sword can handle. That last mile is the darkest. You are entering the endless night in there. It leads to the cave. This last stretch might last you longer than you think.”
“Where is my sword?”
Michael reached behind him. “Here.”
”Why does it keep disappearing?”
”It only is there when you need it?”
”Remember this is your mind versus Lucinda’s here, not reality. Reality is what you are fighting for.”
“What shall we eat?”
”There are plenty of pheasants and wild rabbits in there, as well the occasional squirrel. Be careful with that sword though. It has magic powers and might fry the rabbit as well as catch it.”
Eric continued: “We will send you all the light we can.”
”In there” Michael continued “there will be no manifestations. You will have to work yourself through this reality yourself. Nobody can help you but you in there. But you are more than ready now, Alexander!”
Eric had now stood up and came back with a bluish black horse that obviously was Adnicul’s own.
Mercutio was cautious.
He looked up and tried to remain calm.
Alex wondered about his horse. He was very careful with speaking.
“Can my horse speak any more?”
Michael smiled.
“You will see.”
They embraced.
“Win back your kingdom for all of our sakes.”
They both mounted their horses and waved goodbye.
Soon enough, the two men were riding past the lake onto a road that seemed to be light. They both looked back and saw the angels fade into the morning, leaving