Prologue

 Ormardu slammed the tankard down next to his pallet and wiggled deeper into his sleeping furs- the bear skins folding themselves round him in a loving embrace. He'd sort the oblivion of the drunk to help block out the dreams and tonight, tonight, he must of had enough- tonight please, for one night of peaceful sleep. Yet even as he arranged his big body he knew it was not to be.

 It always started the same- the expedition down below. The dream got worse depending on how bad a day it had been. Tonight was going to be a bad one. The castle has been busy all day- servants opening up rooms for the Parliament, supplies arriving, cleaning, Prince Bishop Hatfield’s arrival, a real headache; the worst so far.

 There had been noises and odd happenings in the cellars for weeks, even before the Gathering now a month a ago, however they were getting worse- the servants had refused to go into the cellars and the Men at Arms were reluctantly bringing up supplies. They had got so fed up with it that three weeks ago they had arranged an expedition down below- only to come back panicked with a tale of seeing a 'ghost'  floating around. In their scrabble to get out none of them seemed to have got any details......

 Ormardu had gone down with Rhino and Ellendain. Rhino was the Commander of the Lions and his close friend. Ellendain the Defender of the Lions, (technically his immediate boss as Ormardu was a Defender) and another friend. It had been intended as a quick scouting trip- they were all lightly armoured and had only taken four of the Men at Arms with them. Just a quick look around....

 "I really like this place" I said again. The Cellars were damp and cool, just like the caves had been at home. It smelt too clean though, despite all the dust....

"You said that already" Ellendain said from behind me.

"Fourteen times already" Rhino added. I half turned and smiled at my friends. They know me so the sight of my fangs didn't make them flinch as most others do.

"Its nice!" I said. Ellendain rolled his eyes, making his sharp, Elven face look ridiculous in the flickering light from the torches. We were walking down a narrow stone corridor somewhere under Camelot-  we hadn't gone that far (I think). We was following the foot prints of the guards who'd come down last week. Everyone was relaxed really- I only wore my furs and Defender tabard. Ellendain was in light Elf chain and his Council tabard, while the boss, urm, Rhino wore his old blue Council tabard (my favourite) over a thick tunic. The four Men at Arms ( I thought we needed another two, but I was told I was 'paranoid' or something) were only in half plate. We was scouts not a war party.

 I didn't understand really why we was here at all. I mean yeah there had been some noises (sounded like Orc music to me) and a few things shifted around ( I think the kitchen boys were having a laff), but nothing like a ghost. Still the Boss wanted a look about. No real danger he'd said, just reassure the staff. Any problems we can go back later. We weren't going any further than the chamber they reached either. I didn't understand a word so I didn't argue.

We walked down more boring corridor, with miles more looming ahead. I was bored.

"Why did people build lots of corridor?" I asked

"To travel down obviously" Ellendain replied laffing. My turn to roll my eyes- Elven humour. "you know" Ellendain continued in that sing song voice of his "I haven't been anywhere as boring for nine hundred  years"

"Nine hundred years!" I said loudly " you can't be that old" he cant be that old,  he just can't count right.

"Seriously" he said. " I am nine hundred, give or take a few years. If Rhino can be one hundred and twenty eight, then why can't I be nine hundred?" He turned a statement into a question- he does that a lot.

"Rhino is only severty five. My mum was that old before she was killed" I said " Rhino your severty five aren't you?" I directed my question to the Boss, walking between us. Rhino is a Dwarf, my Commander, and my best friend. Drinks well too.

"No I am hundred and twenty eight. I have been fighting wars for severty five years" Rhino speaks in a deep rumbling voice. A voice that commands respect and obedience-he never has to order, only suggests. He's got such presence, like my dad had. I think us Lions people owe him, Bish, and Jo so much he'll never have to order us.

 I broke out of me thoughts as we approached a  junction- I shifted my mace to my hand, an old and very comfortable weight. We slow down and there was  rise in tension. A slight breeze came from the junction. It turned left and right. I went first looking left and right as I stepped though. The trail went left, to the right was a wall

" Its a wall" said to the mob. Rhino stepped forward.

"Solid?" Ellendain asked. I hit it with my mace. The stone powered a little but remained a wall.

"Yep". I said to him. Rhino smirked. We turned left and resumed our march.

 

Rhino didn't like travelling like this, he preferred to lead, as he'd said to me once, only once- 'despite what I am now, remember what I was' I always remember that, but on this trip we'd out argued him. I was bigger and could take more blows than the others- they weren't Ogre after all so I went first. Ellendain was taller and could look over both of us so he went third. His Elven eyes were good ( better than mine) and he would warn us of danger. If we hit Trouble Rhino would get though, I'd seen him in battle and I wasn't going to try and stop him- it wasn't pretty. Anyway we all knew it was the one in the middle who always survived......

After we rounded the corner we settled back into our long plod. Occasionally the corridor got narrower or wider, but never branched or had doors. I was bored and started thinking about the Hafling pies I had upstairs. I hadn't told the Boss I'd made them he doesn't like me eating Hafling meat....

"Are you all right?" Rhino's voice cut into my thoughts. I realised I hadn't re-slung my mace and hefted it back onto my shoulders, into its familiar spot. Nothing had changed.

"Look" Ellendain said. He'd spotted something on the ground ahead. I walked forward and picked it up. It was one of the Camelot guards helms. I heard shuffling of feet from the Men at Arms with us.

"Did one of you come back without your lid?" I asked. None of them would meet my eyes. I knew none of the guards were that scared of me, I am one Ogre not a tribe but they certainly looked bothered. Rhino took the helmet off me and handed back to the lead guardsman, he looked really glum

" I think Read came back without his" he mumbled. Then it hit me, they were embarrassed about running and leaving good equipment behind. Now I was angry at them. I looked the lead one up and down, he was thin but otherwise quite tasty looking- a quick lesson would teach the others....

"I think we better get on" Rhino said forcefully. I realised he was staring at me. I had been licking my fangs. I only do that when I'm hungry for meat, which is a lot. Rhino had seen me do it a lot. It had taken him months, in fact until we had gone to Rockholme (wot a dump!) for him to get me eating chicken and pig and not Humans or the other races. I think it wos in that period after the Spring Festival of Thanks that our friendship had started. I turned around and started marching again, trying to remember when I'd met Ellendain. I heard the Elf sigh behind me.

 

It was getting colder and damper. I grinned more, the moistness reminding me again of the caves. The corridor began to open up. I unslung my mace, and I heard weapons and armour adjusted behind me. I grinned. We had learned a lot about protection since the Gathering. Krugar had been amazing in teaching us how Dwarves thought and reacted and Cheetah had told us load about security. They had 'adjusted' my 'hit it' reaction and Ellendain’s 'think it though' reaction and we worked a lot better as a bodyguarding team now. Its just a shame Ellendain had to spend so much time at his Barony sorting out the mess that Traitor Thomas had left. If I ever get my fangs on him........

The corridor opened into a room. A large circular chamber. It had a high ceiling and Ellendain sighed in  relief as he straightened up behind me. I hadn't noticed he had been hunched over, but then again he had been behind me. In the centre of the room was a well- thats what it looked like anyway. A circular pit with a rope going down into it tied to a bollard in the floor. I started forward, I could use a drink.

 As I pulled the bucket up I realised I could hear no water sound. I turned to the group who were still inside the door looking concerned but before I could say anything the chamber was filled with bright light. I stepped back to Rhino and the others. Just as I did a man appeared over the well, the light was coming from him. He looked like a naked Human, well built, but not heavily muscled. He had his eyes closed, and his long brown hair hung over his face. He hovered with his hands by his sides. There were no weapons showing (obviously) but if he was doing this light magic he probably didn't need them.

Our party had weapons drawn  Ellendain had covered one side of Rhino and I moved to cover the other flank. I'm proud that the Men at Arms had spread round to cover us in a semicircle. Rhino hadn't noticed, he was concentrating on the floater.

The 'man' opened hazel eyes and looked down on us. He smiled warmly ( the heat in here rose!) He spoke in a light voice

"I am Sir Percvil of the Round Table- who disturbs my rest?" Rhino stepped forward and we moved with him.

" I am Rhino Kahzad of the Lions People of Avalon" he said in that deep voice. The figure looked pleased.

"Welcome" he said " I have called for you" Rhino kept his face neutral, but I don't think I managed to keep the surprise away.

"Yes Ogre, I have brought you here though the miles of corridor. I have brought you here instead of to the myriad of other rooms and corridor. I have brought you here because I have felt your stirrings above in the land of Avalon”.

"Brought us" I said. I hadn't meant to say it, it sorta slipped out. Ellendain shot me a glance. The figure laffed lightly.

"Yes brought you. I have the knowledge of the Ancient times within me to share with you. But I wish to be free to do so. I must have my bindings broken first"

"Bindings?" Ellendain asked. The figure raised his arms and thick heavy gold chains appeared disappearing down into the well. They looked heavy and unbreakable.

"I was placed here after the fall by the invaders. I have watched and slept on and off thought the time since. Your arrival and activity above have awoken me fully. I called you. Called you to free me." he lowered his arms and the chains vanished again.

"How do we free you?" Rhino asked. I was concentrating something smelt wrong here......

I barely heard the next comment.

"Your Ogre, though young, could probably smash these chains. I will temporally enchant his mace to allow him to do so" he reached out an arm towards me, inviting me. I looked at Ellendain and Rhino. The boss looked in thought, concentrating. Ellendain looked blank.

"Well I  suppose I could" I said. I was stronger than them after all- I am an Ogre

*Thats right, stronger, much stronger* I heard.

"Did you say something?" I asked Rhino, he shook his head "should I?" I asked him

*Don't ask, do. Do it*

"All right" I said and reached forward with my mace. I reached out- that well was huge, and made contact, as I did I looked down.......

 Then the nightmare began.

Read Part 1

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