| The Secret Of New York's Caves: Flight From Ulentup
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This book is the third installment of The Secret Of New York's Caves is called Flight From Ulentup.
The second book of the series is done, and it is submitted to the publisher by mid-spring.
The Secret Of New York's Caves: Flight From Ulentup is at Page 160 as of October 5th.
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please note that the chapter below is unedited and not formated to this sight. This chapter of this book introduces a new antagonist to the story.
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Chapter I
A feeling ran through the land. An odd odor to the air. An odd feel to the earth. Something was wrong, and no one knew it. Animals went for cover, everything went silent; through the plains of Garenant, the forest of Lanentant. Even to the Wezton Mountains, and the Great Desert. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong in the land of Ulentup.
His eyes opened slowly. He had no clue as to how long they were closed, but a feel of the air around him told him it had been a long time. He gingerly raised his head, trying to regain his memory. The first thing he could remember was that he had to be here – where he is – wherever that is, or else he would have died. But what woke him, and where was he. A torrent of thoughts started to fill his head.
Brilliant, ingenious, even great, were words that referred to him.
He was important is this place. Where in the hell is this place? He thought to himself. He knew it but it wouldn’t come to him. More like a shadow of a memory, he was able to rule out a few places he knew he wasn’t, but he just couldn’t think of where he was at this moment.
The room he was in was lightly shaded in a shower of faint golden light. The light wasn’t too bright in this room, but just bright enough to let his eyes to adjust quickly. There was a mild stir to the air and an odor that the room he was in had been stagnant for some time. The breeze he felt was a rare one. Little stirred the air in this room. The room felt like a crypt. He was willing to bet that no one had been in to check on him in a long time.
He couldn’t ascertain the direction of sunlight, or if it was in fact sunlight. The light seemed to flow into the room evenly all around. Maybe the light wasn’t even sunlight but reflected torch or lantern light.
Think, He prodded his mind. Why did I have to be here?
He sat up very slowly. He flexed his hands getting a grip back into them. His muscles felt weak. He recognized the feeling when he thought of what it was like to get his leg cast off when he was a kid.
That had to be long before he was here. He didn’t grow up hear, but he knew he had been here for a very long time.
He had great muscles. Despite how big he felt he was, looking at himself he found himself to be huge. Even with nothing to compare himself to, he saw was a huge person. He felt what could only be described as an energy running through him. There was a flow, or current of this energy filling every part of his body. As he drank in the powered feeling, he could feel his body getting stronger every minute. He thanked his good fortune.The Spirit Brothers, he froze at the though. They are gone. I was wounded. I had to rest or die. The Keeper; he is imprisoned.
He went back to looking around the room; he wanted desperately to find some kind of sign or symbol telling him where he was or why or even who for that matter. But there was nothing. The walls were smooth as glass, and free of markings. Not even a scratch to be found anywhere.Why am I awake? He asked himself. Some have come to release the Keeper. But they need to be five; they need to be not from Ulentup. Could it be?
He slid himself down the smooth, polished, slate table he was on, hanging his legs over the end. He placed both hands on the corners of the tables on each side to boost himself up.
Where am I? I need to stop them. But, who are they? How do I find them? How do I get out of here? He asked himself as he looked around.
There was no door. The ring of reflected light around the top of the room couldn’t fit him. The slits were only a foot wide and three feet long. He knew there had to be a way out. After all there was a way in, wasn’t there. He began to panic a little at the thought that he could have been built into the room. If that were the case this room was indeed a crypt. He was never meat to get out again. But they had to know he would rise again.
He turned his attention back to the warm feeling running through him. Though he was getting strength from it he still wasn’t able to put enough together to help him. He froze for a second; he pushed his mind to relax. He took a couple deep breaths. The warm feeling slowed and now felt relaxing.
Standing up very carefully, he slowly walked around the table he had been laying on. When he got back to the foot of the table again he put his hands on the end to brace himself as he focused on regaining the strength he just used in his first walk in what could probably be years. The table slid about half the length of its base; about seven feet. As it moved away from him it exposed a stairway leading down. At first he didn’t see any light, but he was willing to feel his way along if he had to. It was his only way out that he could see. He was just happy to see that there was a way leading out of his mausoleum.
I need to stop them. And I need to put the rest of the Spirit Brothers away. If I can stop them the Keeper will stay lost to the land. Home. What home? They are outlanders. I am outlander. I have power, what power. I have power. A war was waged inside his head.
The…. Man, I am man. Sat on the rim of the tunnel going down. He found some hand and foot holds on the opposite side he was sitting on. They were like railings leading down into what could be an abyss. He easily stretched his legs over to them. And started to climb down.
After about a twenty foot climb down into this oversized tube, his feet came to solid flooring. There was an opening opposite of the ladder he was climbing down. When he took his first step to the opening he smacked his forehead on the top edge of the passageway.
The passageway was only about six feet high; he was lucky he didn’t smack his face on the wall above the passage. He was easily over six feet; Almost seven at that.
I have power. What power? I have power. He stepped back from the passageway and stood straight while he started to focus on his breathing. He had to remain calm. He had to stay relaxed. He felt that there were people at the end of this little tunnel. If he were to run into anyone, how was she to act? I have power.
Act like you have power, he told himself.
Breathe.
He focused on his breathing.
Relax.
He raised his left hand before him.
Breathe.
His breathing smooth, he focused on his hand.
Relax.
Light, he focused on his hand.
Light, He let his mind go.
A light; a ball of light, lit in his hand. The ball of light was no more than a couple of inches around, and set about an inch from his hand, and just hovered right with his hand. He could feel the lights presence in his hand, but it didn’t burn or even feel heavy. It had a feel to in but nothing like he remembered felling.
Lowering the light from in front of his face, he looked around to see no markings on the passage before him. The floor he stood on was solid rock. Actually fitted stone blocks. The passage looked like something out of an Egyptian passage below the pyramids.
Egyptians? Pyramids? There are no such thing in Ulentup. Ulentup? There are pyramid like cities. They are across the Great Rivers. Spirit Brothers, Lanentant. The Spirit Brothers of Garenant were imprisoned.
The Great River. I couldn’t cross. The Keeper is there. But the Keeper is trapped. I have to stop them. But how can I get there. I can’t go to the pit. The Keeper is there. I can’t cross the rivers. What do I do? Walking down the dark passageway, he kept the bright light in the palm of his hand well below his line of sight so as not to cause blind spots before his eyes from the light.
Now for the big one; who am I? What is my name? I know that I can rule. I am healthy now. I have slept for many….years? many…..Festivals. Ulentup.
He came to the end of the tunnel like passage. There was a stone door before him. He pushed on it with his free hand. It didn’t move. Focus.
Breathe easy.
He concentrated.
Relax.
He slowly pushed again on the stone door. This time he focused on pushing the door but didn’t push particularly hard. The door almost opened itself right before him, and his extended hand.
Before him was a new passageway but this one was lined with lanterns. A lantern every five feet or so. He noticed that he was a towering figure standing in the hall. The ceilings had to be around eight or ten feet. He could easily touch it. Everything that lined the walls for display was at his waste level. The smell of pitch from the torches filled the air in the top of the corridor.
As he looked to either side of him, he saw two people…. People?
They weren’t quite the people in his memory, but he did recognize the beings. The Vacik? The Vacik.
The men were dressed in tan robes, with gold belts. The robes looked to be thick, like a wool type of fabric. Their hair was blond, and very long. And skin color was almost pure white. They wore gold necklaces, with carved stones on them.
The two guards seeing this mammoth person come through the doors, dropped their six foot spears, and fell to their knees, burying their heads under their hands, face to the floor; asses in the air. Prostrate, if he remembered right.
“Where is your leader?” The tall figures’ voice boomed through the hallway. His face turned dark, and his mood became grim.
Not seeing the men move, other than shaking, he demanded again, “Where is the head of the city?” The men still didn’t move. “You had better answer.”
One of the men looked up; way up. He knew who the massive being before him was, but even now still couldn’t believe his eyes.
“Yes… a… my Lord, a… I mean…my…a.. My, Master.” The one guard stuttered. “Forgive me.” He gave the giant being another deep bow. “Shall I take you to him?” He just realized he just questioned his Master.
“I didn’t mean to question,” He blurted out. “I only serve.”
“And you have no tongue.” The ominous figure asked the one still on the floor with his head buried under his arms. “Speak!”
“I…I…..I Don’t know what to say… a… My Lord,” He stood up, and tried to look the person in the eyes but couldn’t, he just wanted to die. He wasn’t worthy to be witness of his masters rising.
The ominous one put his hand on the mans’ head, “You could’ve thought to say something.”
The guard fell to the ground and stared at the ceiling with stone cold eyes; he was dead with only a thought.
“You will tend to me.” He said to the other guard.
“Yes my Lord.” Came a dignified response. “How may I serve?”
“That’s more like it.” The tall one said with sure pleasure in his voice. “I want to see the cities leader. I need to find out how long I have been away.”
“I will take you to him,” The guard said, “I can tell you how long you have been away for though.”
“Lead,” the tall one said,
The two started to walk down the hallway. “How long?” the tall one asked out of the blue.
“A…” The guard felt as though he were put on the spot. “Around a hundred Festivals.”
“A hundred years.” The tall one whispered mainly to himself. The places of the land had to have changed in that time, and changed a lot. He began to plot scenarios in his mind. What if the Vacik weren’t still loyal? Are any others with him? Memories started to come around not anything definite but impressions that were guiding him.
“Is this still Vacik?” He quickly demanded next.
“Answer!” he added in less than a second.
“Yes, my lord.” The guard answered at the first opening he had.
Once they reached the end of the corridor they were in, the guard gestured to the right. He told the big one that a left would lead to the sleeping quarters.
The walls of the building were made up of large set rectangular stone. Just by remembering home he remembered what a castle looked like. But he knew most of the lands and the buildings in them, and a hundred years ago before he went to sleep there was no such building. The Vacik have been some busy little beavers, he thought to himself impressed with the stonework he saw.
“How long has this building been here?” The large one asked with a little more patients in his voice. He was feeling a little more comfortable for some strange reason.
“The Dark Castle has been here for about seventy five Festivals,” The guards answered matter of factly.
“The Dark Castle?”
“Yes,” the guard said. Then added, “it’s construction had began a week after you….. Well you know….went to sleep.”
“And I assume that it was completed in twenty five years, I mean Festivals.” The large man said with some assurance in his voice. Everything was slowly coming back to him. He remembered forming a small army and went through Garenant forcing all who opposed him into submission. Surely these villages have freed themselves from those he put in charge, He thought to himself.
“How many live in Vacik now?”
“Over five thousand,” came the reply.
They turned left and came to tall wooden doors opening at the center. As the tall man stood looking at the doors he could see that they had been carved on. The figure stood majestically with a sword in his left hand and a ball of what he assumed was light in the right hand. The figure resembled a human; it looked nothing like any of the other inhabitants he could remember.
The guard reached for the doors, but the tall man stopped him. “What is your leaders name?” the tall man asked.
“The governors name is Kanduel.” The guard responded.
“You will wait here for me.” Came an instruction. The man just nodded, put his hand to his chest in a solute, and took up a position on the right hand side of the door.
When he opened the doors slowly no one turned to see who was entering. The tall man gradually slipped into the room. There were ten men sitting at a semi-circled table over looking a picture window, which in turn overlooked another part of the castle. He was too far away to see exactly what part of the castle was being overlooked. The room was massive; it had to have been easily a hundred feet square. All made of stone, with wooden accents all around. The crossbeams in the roofing were made to stand out in design as it did from the buildings strength.
There were tapestries lining the walls. Most of them were of battle scenes, but one was a human likeness, however the likeness looked very familiar. At least it looked as though his people were still loyal to him. That was a very good thing. Now he had to wonder if things were set up and running the way he left it.
A couple of the war scenes on the tapestries had the human fighting either animals or other people, not human but humanoid. He didn’t recognize the people, but he knew they didn’t stand a chance against him.
He took a minute to try to remember his name. He knew it was Steven when he came to Ulentup. But he picked a new name to go by, and he ruled by that name. He remembered being looked at as a god, and named himself for the occasion. Baal…. That was it the opposing god of the Israelites. He knew of biblical stories, and even in defeat Baal was still one of the more ruthless gods. But to call himself God was pushing it a bit. Even to him.
“Whatever it is, set it on my desk and I’ll get to it shortly,” came a voice from one of the men at the table.
“I think not!” Came a commanding, domineering voice that roared through the whole room.
Everyone at the table jumped at least five feet out of their chairs at the sound of the voice. Upon landing they turned to see what was happening.
Before them stood the Dark One. The color left their faces, and their knees started to shake. At first they didn’t know what to do, this was a total and very unexpected surprise. Some of the men looked like they were gonna faint. The knees buckled on a couple.
The ten men came around and formed a line before him. They all dropped to their knees, burying their heads in their hands much the same way the two guards had.
“Lift your heads!” The Dark One commanded. None of them moved. “I said lift your heads!” Slowly they started to lift their heads one by one starting with the one in the middle.
“My Lord Baal. Is it truly you?” Asked the man that the Dark One presumed was Kanduel. The man was visibly shaken, the color still absent from his face. “I am alive to serve you.”
So he was right it was Baal he went by in this land. “Address me as a man. Stand and be strong.” He didn’t much care for the cowering people before him. He thought he had left stronger people in charge. But that was a long time ago. Looks like a bit has changed, he thought to himself, again,
“Yes, my Lord,” Kanduel stood while the others stayed on their knees. “How may I serve you, my Lord?”
“First I would like to meet the men who run my city,” Baal said settling his voice a little. The rest of the men rose to their feet. As they were introduced they each clapped their fists to their heart, and nodded his head trying to look as dignified as they could.
The last one looked at the Dark One with skepticism in his eye, and did not salute right away either.
Baal noticed the mans apprehension, and walked over to him. “You doubt?” he asked. The man didn’t respond.
“I only want nine on the cities council.” He told the whole group. He turned to the last man introduced. “And you have decided who will leave.” He extended his hand.
The man just looked at it.
“Take my hand.” Baal demanded. The man reached out and took the Dark One’s hand very reluctantly.
The man went instantly rigid. His head shook, and his legs trembled. The man started to let out a gurgling noise. His eyes bulged. Blood started to trickle from his nose and ears. With the crack of every bone in the mans body, he dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes. Blood ran from the body in a pool expanding slowly from the heads center.
“Guard!” Baal called out in his thunder like voice.
The guard that walked him to the chamber, turned to the doorway and peeked his head in. “Yes my Lord.” The guard said, as he looked t the floor to see the body lying there. “What is your bidding master?”
“Retrieve someone to dispose of the body.” Baal commanded. “I want it hung; impaled on a poll. Let the world see that Baal; The Dark One has returned. Mark his stake as an unbeliever.”
“Yes Lord Baal,” The guard said with his fist to his heart. “I will get someone right away.” The man turned quickly closing the door behind him with a gentle thud.
“Anyone else have any problems they would like to express?” Baal asked. No one answered as predicted.
The Dark One walked over to the far side of the room, and stood in front of the center of the table. He looked back at the chair, and knew that it would be too small for him.
One of the men of the council quickly saw the look on Baal’s face, and leapt forward. He pulled away the chair; too small for Baal.
“Let me find you a larger chair, My Lord.” The man moved to a side door in the room rather hastily. After a brief moment the man could be seen pulling a very heavy, and very massive object through the doorway.
The man was pulling what looked like a throne. It was massive, and was covered tightly in a tarp or canvas. The man kept pulling at the huge chair, dragging it ever so slowly across the floor. He was sweating and panting like a dog.
“What are you standing there looking at?” Baal asked again raising his voice to a booming standard.
The others realizing what was going on quickly went over to help the one with the massive chair. With them all around the throne they were able to move it a lot easier.
They brought it right to Baal and set it behind him. They started to take off the tarp from the top. Baal was very surprised to see his name over the top center of the throne. It was the only marking in English; all other markings were in the Vacik’s native language. Under his name it read. Lord of the Vacik. Lord of Garenant. And Lord of the Dark. He didn’t show his surprise, but the others that stood around him could see he was pleased with it.
“You,” he pointed to the man who ran to get the throne. “You will be my Second.”
The man put his fist to his chest and bowed. “As you command my Lord.” The man separated himself from the others and stood near Baal, but not too close.
“But my Lord Baal,” Kanduel raised his hand in protest, but quickly put it back down praying that he didn’t upset Baal.
“Who is the leader of the Vacik?” Baal asked with a grin that made everyone suspicious of the question.
“My Lord,” Kanduel said as he went to his knees before the Dark One. “I lead the city in Your name.”
“Again,” The Dark One said with growing distress in his voice now. “Who is the leader of the Vacik?”
“That would be me, My Lord.” The governor pled.
“Take my hand.”
“Have I done wrong?”
“Did I ask you to speak?” Baal said holding back his frustration.
The governor held out his hand; reluctantly, but he extended it nonetheless.
Baal took the mans hand gently, and asked him to stand. He slowly let go of his hand and put the middle and ring finger of his left hand under the governor’s chin.
“My Lo….” The man went stiff. He rose from the ground, and seemed to levitate being held up by no more than the two fingers of the Dark One.
First Kanduels feet let out a muffled crack leaving his feet to dangle from his ankles. Then bone-by-bone from the bottom to the top let out the same muffled crack. His legs went limp then his lower body hung from his torso. Next the ribs and arms let out the now familiar crack, and hung loosely from his neck. His feet were now just a few inches from the floor.
“I rule Vacik!” Baal opened his voice to the thundering boom getting everyone’s attention. Some of the others were looking around to get their attention away from the carnage.
The governor’s head then imploded, leaving it as a bowl of pudding. Everyone watching held their stomachs, trying to stay the nausea growing in their guts.
“Number Two.” Ball called his new assistant.
“Yes, My Lord,” he answered kneeling and bowing. “What is your bidding?”
“Make sure that this body is taken and put with the other.” A grin formed on The Dark One’s face. “Make sure they are hung on opposite sides of the road leading to the city.” He motioned for the man to rise. “I would like you to see to it yourself.” He gave the man a nod.
“Yes my Lord.” Number Two, answered putting his fist to chest in salute.
Four men came and stood at the open doorway. Baal called his guard to him, and gave him the same instructions he gave his second. With a clap to his chest, he ordered the four to pick up the bodies and follow them.
When the four guards went to lift the bodies, they just went limp and slipped out of their grasp. They tried a couple of times to lift the bodies with little success.
Baal’s Number Two told the guards to go and find some old worn out carpets to roll the bodies up in so that they had some firmness to lift with.
After a few moments they were rolling the limp bodies up into a couple of worn out carpets. The rest of the council and Baal watched as the task were taken out of the chamber. Baal held his patients. He knew that everyone felt like they were under the gun; but then again they under a gun, and he was going to make sure it was going to stay that way.
The council couldn’t believe what they had just witnessed, but none were ready to question their newly risen Lord.
A dozen women came in with pails and rags and mops. A few of them stopped at the sight of all that blood, but they weren’t going to question the one who put that blood there.
All the water did to the blood was to thin it out cleaning up the mess began to be a lot harder that they wanted I to be. But they knew that they had to get it cleaned up.
“Gentlemen take your seats.” He gestured to the seat on the other side of the table from him. He had two of the chairs taken away, and the remaining four to either side of center. They would sit to the right or the left, but no one was going to sit in front of him.
Once the men were set in their seats, the Dark One started to grill them on everything he could think to ask. None wanted to show their apprehension at Baal not knowing all, but they answered his questions quickly and truthfully. They weren’t going to take a chance on doing anything wrong
Baal had the men stand he pointed some to another’s chair. He split the four chairs by liberal and conservative. He knew that their beliefs were different from each other so he felt he could get a good medium from the two extremes.
The ladies were just finishing up the clean up. They had to send a couple of the women after fresh water at least ten trips. Baal had to smile at the devotion.
As the women turned to scurry out of the room he called to them and asked them to come to the table. The dozen women slowly and very cautiously did as they were asked.
“I want you women to move to the nobles quarters.” The Dark One looked over them. “From there you will tend to my throne room, my quarters, and the VIP rooms.”
“My Lord, we are not worthy of living in such a setting.” One of the women spoke up. Her blue eyes looking into his eyes.
“You ladies have a charm. You work well together and you know your places.” He looked each of them over again. “If I’m to have you work as my personal cleaning crew, wouldn’t you then be worthy of living in pleasure.
“See my Number Two and he will make the arrangement’s” he then shooed the women away.
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