Legacy of Merlin - Ongoing

 

“Mr. Gorman, strange name I must say. How are you sir?”

“Strange, yes but it is the name I was born into.” Richard shook the hand offered to him by the host. He was a guest tonight so keeping the sarcasm to a minimum was key and they lady who invited him was also another reason to be civil. The entrance to the venue was in a house that was set away from the main square of the city, located in a kind of back-alley area. Richard almost missed the door when walking past it had he not seen the glass and snake engraving above the door, it was odd to have a sign so blatant but this was London after all.

The doorman was an older gentleman who looked to be a member rather than the station he was manning, medium height and a rotund stature. Entering the building he was shown to a coat room that was partially lit with a couple of candles. The aura here was not something he liked but knew better than to protest, taking off the long coat and his top hat Richard noticed the ornate chair that sat next to the main entrance door. It was solid wood but the carving that was on the top that brought some interest, it was of a long-nosed dog. A fox came into mind but he knew this was no fox, “that, my boy, is the carving of set. The god of chaos, it was brought by one of the members from their expedition to Egypt. I preferred they keep this out of sight but some like to add mystique to guests, when invited. Please hang your coat and hat here and follow me.”

The rest of the room was plain with hanging coats of every kind hung onto stands laid out for that purpose, the smell in the room was reminiscent of sage and camphor. The oddity of this place was interesting to Richard and he smiled at the thought of finding a new charlatan. “We are not the usual society of souls seekers if you must be wondering, Oh sorry, your reputation of hunting these charlatans calling themselves as mediums is quite well know Mr. Gorman. Here we explore something different, you will see once you are in the amphitheatre.”

“Please follow me,” spoke the man as he opened a door near the chair and ushered Richard in. The door let to a some stairs down to a corridor, the long corridor looked to join the building across the one he had entered. This added to the interest for Richard, he found such theatrics to be precursors to more tricks to fool the rich patrons to part with their money. The corridor was plain and the bare walls did not make the atmosphere any better, the length walked was more than Richard had initially calculated. What made him even more concerned was that at the end there more stair that led down, these were winding down a column. Down they went and the man did not speak a word and now that he thought about it, the man did not give his name.

“My good man, you did not introduce yourself when we met. Please forgive me for the error.”

“Names are for the others, I am merely a guide. You can call me what you may, please stay close. It can become a maze if you are not used to the place.”

Down the stairs they went to reach another door and from there a set of corridors, they entered the left corridor and then followed that by going right. After, what felt like, 15 minutes they arrived to a grand door that was closed. Knocking the ornate door a slit opened and a dark set of eyes looked out the it closed and the large doors opened. They are decorated with carvings that depicted the, supposed, garden of Eden. A large tree was carved on the right door with a serpent holding an apple in its mouth, the serpent being the devil was beautifully carved with gold leaf used to accentuate the scales on its body. On the left was a depiction of the garden with trees and animals, what was missing were the figures of Adam and Eve, Richard stood for a second to take all the details in.

“Marvelous isn’t Mr. Gorman?”

“Yes, but it’s missing the two main subjects.”

“Yes, but there in lies the secret. Come on now, please enter, this is where my duty as guide ends. Ms. Witlow will guide you the remainder of the tour.”

With that the man left, Richard found him self looking at a woman a foot shorter than him. She was dressed in a plain outfit, just loose enough to hide her features and allow for quick movement. Her face was covered with a thick layer of white makeup and her lips were painted crimson red. Her face looked like a doll but her demeaner was anything but, she stood there waiting for Richard to speak. “Good evening Miss, I am ..”

“Please follow me, do not speak until the main room.” With that she turned and hurried away, Rishard almost ran to follow her. The passed numerous doors on their way and a number of servants rushing in and out of them, there was no time to see who were in there as they rushed past them. Richard was getting agitated by this rush and was about to voice his protest at the speed, this was stopped as they had finally arrived at another set of doors. They were just as ornate and then figures of two men walking in a garden could be seen. The trees were grotesque in their depiction; they had human faces carved into the trunks and vultures were seen circling them.

“Dante’s description of the garden of suicide. A founding member knew him when he wrote those verses all those years ago. Wrote that Dante had no idea how accurate his description was of that place.” The voice startled Richard, who turned to find another taller lady standing behind him. She wore a regal dress that boasted her royal lineage, it was princess Claire Saint-Castellan. Wife of Prince Alfred and duchess of a French town Richard had never heard about before. “Yes, but this is much more detailed than I have ever seen it your highness,” with this he bowed. She remained standing there with her hands behind her, she looked at the Richard and gave him a small smile. “You are quite an interesting person Mr. Gorman.”

“Richard, your grace. I am but a small man in your eyes.”

“Small, I believe you found the one man my father, the king, sought for a long time and exposed his web of miscreants. Not a policeman but something much more.”

“I was looking for something different when I happened upon his dealings with a merchant of stolen cult items. He just happened to be in the same room as me, I knew of him, and I also had some unfinished dealings with Mr. Morse. His highness was very gracious in his praise for my bringing him in. It’s just that I find myself out of place here amongst such royalty.”

The princess walked forward and pushed the door inwards, there were no servants to do this for her but Richard knew that this little act gave her more pleasure. When the door opened to reveal the large room he froze at the sight that beheld him. The hall was large and lit up with gas lamps around, the light was bright enough to light up the entire room that was inlaid with gold. At there centre was a tree, a very big tree. The trunk was easily thicker than 4 men standing shoulder to shoulder while the top nearly reached the top the hall. Richard stood amazed by the sight and it took the nudging from the princess to break from his trance and he walked into the room. The doors were then closed by attendants standing on either side, inside there were a few people walking around the tree and others on tables set I away from the tree.

The people walking around the tree were doing so while murmuring chants, they wore normal attire. All of them were from the royal houses of the kingdoms, many of who Richard knew and more he had never seen before. “Mr. Richard Gorman, finally.”

Richard turned to look at an approaching couple, it was Duchess Sophia and Duke George. Richard smiled at seeing them and was about to speak when princess Claire spoke, “speak only when given permission, lest you loose your tongue here Richard. One of the doormen has been eyeing you very carefully.”

Richard raised his hand instead to the couple who were still a few steps away, “ah yes, I give you permission to speak Mr. Gorman, or Richard, as you requested.”

“Thank you my lady, and thank you your grace in the warning.” Richard bowed to both ladies. Princess Claire laughed at him as he stood head down, “oh Richard, I jest. Please accept my apologies, also you may be the guest of the Duchess but now you are mine too. Please stand.”

Richard straightened and saw the princess with a smile that made her look even more beautiful than before, she had dimples on both sides making the smile ethereal. He smiled and the duke spoke, “ah yes our jesting princess. Please join us at our table, we have a few things to discuss. With your permission princess.”

Princess Clair smiled to the duke and left the party to join a table that had some other ladies. “She is quite fetching Mr. Gorman, please do not let that disarm you. I believe she is one of 3 people here, apart from us, who knew of your coming. Come now this way please.”

Richard followed the couple to a table that was set near a pillar that was just as intricately engraved as the door, this one had the scene of angels falling from the heavens. The falling of Lucifer was one of the topics that kept coming back to him and he kept finding more false tomes in Egypt. This wasn’t something he expected here either, he thought he was attending a séance or something like it. Standing there looking up at the pillar and the thoughts in head running in circles Richard finally woke to see more people looking at him with some interest. Embarrassed he joined the couple on their table, a servant from the side poured him some wine as he settled on the cushioned chair. Unaccustomed to finery Richard felt out of place, he had been to many royal palaces but the visits were usually short and in secret so such luxuries were rare.

“What do you think of this place Richard?”

“Very interesting, forgive me if I look like a child at a candy store. Its just that from the chair at the coat room to here, its just that I have never seen just engravings or imagery. I usually see such in books and parchments but to see them in such a way its quite overwhelming. Also the tree that is at the centre is quite a sight to behold, how did you manage to bring something like that in a place like this below London.”

“Who said we are below London Richard?”

Stunned at this revelation Richard looked up at the top of the hall finally seeing the glass windows at the top, there was no light coming through as it was night but the ingenuity was startling.

“That tree should be familiar to you. In fact you may have read about that tree more than you think and as do the millions of people.”

Richard narrowed his eyes, “I would be a fool to say it’s the tree of wisdom, but that is all that comes to mind.”

“Exactly, that is what it is. I know you would think that it is all a lie and that we are fools worshipping a tree that could be any other tree found in the countryside. Look at is carefully Richard, it is supposed to have apples growing on it but it does not. Look at the leaves, they are green but it is winter for us now and they have not yellowed or fallen. That tree remains as it is right now all year, there is a story where a servant tried to shave off some bark to sell to a priest only to find that the knife shattered to pieces and he die from a mysterious malady later. That tree is rather interesting if I am to say so.”

Richard looked at the large tree and found himself being pulled by it, he wanted to touch it for some reason and feel the ages gone by in the cracks and creases of the bark. Something else in him woke him up and he shook his head before the trance completely took him over. Looking at the couple then at the people walking around the tree and took a sip of the wine. It was the best wine he had ever tasted, not too sweet and dry, the mellow flavours of the grapes and other tasting notes moved around in his mouth livening up his spirit. Looking down at the wine in the glass he smiled “this wine is the best I have ever tasted.”

“From the hidden hills in France, the monks who make this only supply it to the royal court. It is the best I have taste myself. So what do you have to say about this Richard.”

“How can that really be the tree is what I am really wondering and also was it here before we came or was it brought here?”

“Brought, by the founder of this society. He was a templar as far as I was told, one of the few archivists who survived the inquisition. He used the royal house to bring this to out land and built this hall around it. Why not at the royal grounds I cannot say.”

Richard looked at the duke then ran his hands over his pockets, he remembered the compass he always carried. It was in his coat pocket and he brought it out and opened it to check. The compass was not a traditional compass but one that allowed the user to see the ley lines that ran all across the lands, inside the dial were sands made from a material that Richard had yet to understand. They would form a line in the direction of the ley line we was over, what was being displayed were 3 lines crossing over each other. This place was a conjunction point for 3 or more lines. He looked up at the tree and lifted the compass to where he could see through the glass window on the cover, the tree was absorbing mana from the lines.

“Interesting bauble you have there Richard, care to share what you are looking at?”

Richard blushed in embarrassment and spoke, “this is a compass I found while looking for the resting place of Excalibur. The sword is a myth but Merlin wasn’t he was a mage that lived during that period only that he was said to be a warrior too. I found this in the cave he was said to have buried in, I did not find his remains but I found this and a cryptic scroll that I am yet to decipher. It tells me where the ley lines run and also helps me find objects that conduct magic. I use this also to find the charlatans who say they are conversing with the dead and also those who say they can perform magic.”

“This place is a conjunction point, meaning that this is where ley lines are crossing. This may be why this tree was placed here, how they moved it is beyond my comprehension but if allowed to access the royal archives should be able to know.”

“Those archives are a lie Richard, it was a rumour that was spirited out to keep prying eyes from the truth. If you really look into the records then you will find more blood than truth, what you are looking for is the library of Sir Arthur. He was the real archivist of this house of lies. He gathered all the tomes our travellers bought or stole and placed them in a house no one could access without strict permission.”

“That library is under the castle, that I know and I was almost given access when I helped a certain minister in quietly solving a matter an unwilling apparition. That story is mundane but I was almost given access, the archives I knew were a story but just to appear like a city bob I talk about it. Apologies for the cloak and dagger my lord.” Richard smiled, he turned to see that princess Clair was walking over to join them. The duchess appeared to be uncomfortable by this but kept the feelings to herself.

“My duchess, please do not be worried of my presence, as you know access to this place needs more than your permission to be accepted. It passed my hands before my prince’s and when I saw the name I decided to give the approval, though in secrecy. Richard, why you were called here is something that is trivial and the duke sees as a matter of great interest to the crown. Duke, please let us not twirl our guest around the hall and give him the truth of this visit.”

The duke looked at the princess with disdain and then signed, “my lady is correct, I suppose we can let this matter finally start its course. Richard, why we called upon you was that a caretaker in the library found the records of our founder and mentions that there is a fruit that this tree bore before it was moved. The fruit, which is not an apple I might add, is said to give the consumer knowledge of all creation. How that possible I have no idea but we need to attain it for our country. You have the uncanny habit of finding a thread in the sea of threads that will lead you to the object of our desire.”

“I am no adventurer your highness and my lord and lady, I am just an astute cult archivist. My work is usually within the shadow markets and hidden rooms, for me to run in the open like some fantasy hero would invite trouble to my reputation. If given access to the library I can trace the exact location and with the help of a confidant I would be in a position to attain said fruit. That is to say that it exists in stated location.”

“Come now Richard, you tracked down the branch of Odin from Phillip Chamberlain in Constantinople. Few know of that object but fewer know of your escapades, you hide in shadows but are open to those who seek your talent in the archaic. You have ways to get what you want and we are in the market, you have a debt of 50,000 pounds and we have the funds.”

Richard sat up and looked at the three, “how did you know about that?”

The princess smiled, “my dear subject, we have a web of our own people who keep records of persons like yourself. The society of arcane scholars regularly receives unknow objects of the occult for study and storage, don’t you think we would not notice?”

Richard looked down and brought his hand to his face, trying to rub away the fatigue he now felt Richard knew that this was a carefully set meeting. How had they known of the debt he carried on his back, this was going to be an offer he knew would damn him before anything good came of it. Taking another sip of the wine, he sat back and looked up at the tree and began wondering how things were tied to the ley lines he had been researching. The debt was for a castle he acquired in Scotland to trace another conjunction and find out what lay beneath the foundation, there he found a stone with the same cypher as the letter from Merlin and under that there was nothing. Now with a debt and an offer to something that could have him running around in a unknown land was not what he needed.

“If I take up this offer, then what, where do I begin with the search. The library will be a good place but I don’t see my self being allowed there and also if Merlin was template then the templar knights would be using a cypher to hide the truth in plain sight.”

“Exactly, the librarian who found the texts spoke that all records of Sir Arthur were written in his codex. The king had his best minds try to decipher the codex but came away with nothing but more questions. We knew that you were also in the same path but on a different road. All we ask is go through the codex, that we will deliver to your home, and see where it will lead you to. No one apart from the 5 that know this will speak of the matter, the king is one the 5 so you should be aware of the stakes.

“The king? I can understand his interest in this but who is the last person you have not revealed to me?”

“That name will remain with us, unfortunately her identity is the crux of this matter also. The letter addressed to the king and to the duke was only signed with the letter H. There have been whispers in the court of an affair but you know how the courts work in this day. All royal decisions are made in the bed chambers and to say the prince right now is being loyal to me would be a jest,” the princess spoke with some vitriol. Shrugging of the annoyance she sat up and raised her glass. “To endeavours of the kingdom.”

The remaining three raised their glasses and a toast was made. The princess then left the three to their meals and joined another group of people who were said to be form the Spanish courts. “Of the group of 4, 2 will not see the sunrise tomorrow. A written rule by the church has mandated that only the royals and anointed are allowed to know about this place, the 2 I speak of are just interests of the visiting members,” spoke the duke as he bit into the lamb.

The duchess was having only soup, but her eyes were devouring the few guests that were in attendance, her eyes moved from one to the other while making comments of who was there and what was being discussed. Trade within the know kingdoms was flowing easily here but on the surface, people were lead to believe there was a tension. War had a way to profit the upper class of society while keeping the poor in check. Richard knew of all this and the shadow markets were full of talk about the Ottoman trying to stir a new conflict. Agents of the crown were everywhere, and we were the assassins that silenced the unruly.

Richard had chosen a simple dish of chicken and potatoes, the chicken was very well seasoned as were the potatoes. This meal was the first proper meal he had in weeks and it showed. “What about my expenses, I don’t think I would be of interest if my running costs were not taken into account.”

“Ah yes, you will receive an advance to cover your travel and living expenses. That will be sent to you by our servant, please take into your account that a note for the banks will also follow to ensure this endeavour is fruitful for all. Your silent movement will be greatly expected, which by the by is the reason we decided on your services. Not because you have a history in the unseen.”

“You say there is another who works in this line of investigation?”

“Indeed, she is very good in doing her duty but unlike you she tends to make a quite spectacle of it. Asking her to look into this will alert the church and crown. She is Aubrey Montaigne, French but born in the new colonies. Being from those uncivil lands makes her all the more audacious in her work, you not knowing of her is quite a surprise.”

Richard was lost in thought after that remark and tried to remember if he had heard of this Aubrey. It would mean that his path would be covered with more false starts and ends, “I thought the church would be interested in finding the fruits?”

The couple laughed, “yes but you know what they will try and do. They will use that as mode to illicit more payments to themselves as protection or sell water that washed the fruits. The church had tried to turn this place into a church but the king knew that giving them such power would only turn the people against the monarchy. We tread a very fine path when it comes to holding off outer interests to keeping those within sated.”

Richard stood up and mentioned that he should be returning to his lodgings, the trip to the capital had worn him down and that knowing there is another pawn at play it would be best to start as early as possible. The duchess smiled at him and asked if he would like to take a closer look at the tree that began all of this. He was about to refuse but something in him stopped that thought and he found himself only nodding. The duchess stood up and led him to the centre of the hall and let him get closer to the tree.

It looked like any other tree from the outset but the aura of power drew Richard closer, it was like there was a silent voice calling him to come closer. He walked closer to the tree and he could feel the energy around him hum with unseen power, the tree bark was shifting like vapours and now his chest felt tighter. The need to place his hand over the bark was so strong he tried to fight himself but it was futile, his right hand was already rubbing the hard bark. The warm that was felt coming from the bark reminded him of his late wife, the feeling of being loved and the freedom of not wanting. Like a flash the hand withdrew and he found himself back in the hall, he turned to look around and almost everyone was looking at him with mild interest. He turned to the duchess whose head was slightly tilted with interest, “you are the only one who has touched that tree without shouting for forgiveness Richard. I would say that you are the one to find that fruit, anyone else would probably go mad just being so close.”

“I.. forgive me my lady. It took me back to when…” he could not finish as the memories of simpler times overwhelmed him and he sunk to his knees. He tried to regain composure but the feeling of loss kept him down, the doormen were called to help him up and escort him to one of the rooms he passed. Passing the large doors, he could see that the princess was also following them. She entered the room after them and sat on a chair while Richard was laid down on a bed, he looked up at the ceiling trying to gather his senses. The stones were still swimming in his vision but soon that stopped and the sense of normality returned. He blinked and sat up to see it had ended, it felt like the time he had tried opium at a den in Paris, the memory of that night brought an involuntary shudder.

“Od memories coming back?”

Richard looked up at the princess who was holding a long smoking pipe, a thin line of smoke rose from the rolled cigar. Richard nodded and tried to stand but found his legs still weak from the experience. “I found myself in the middle of memories of my old life before I took to discovering the afterlife. She was the only one who knew how to calm the storm in me and when I could finally see the world around me as it was I lost her to a bout of wasting sickness.”

“You have my condolence Richard, she sounds like a better woman than most within the hall. All who have laid their hands on that tree were transported to their worst memories and saw the evil they did, a reminder that they have more blood to pay for than they expected. I have never tried it myself and don’t see myself screaming like a lunatic. Maybe your hold on to this woman in your life is what kept you from witnessing the evil in your own.”

Richard smiled at this statement and looked up at the princess, he shook his head and replied “I do not hold on to her memories as much as you would think but rather it shapes my thinking to ensure I have a firm grasp of reality. My past may be like dust in the wind but let go of it long before. I was neither a saint nor a rogue but a simpleton who preferred the privacy of a library.”

Richard finally managed to stand and hold him self upright, he took a tentative step forward and let out a breath in relief. Then bowed to the sited princess and made his way out, she stopped him before he reached the door and held out an envelope that bore a wax seal. Taking it from her and before he could open it she told him that it can only be opened when he was at his lodgings. Bowing again in thanks he turned and opened the door to find Ms. Witlow waiting outside, she bore a posture of someone who had been through this a few times before. “You will be led out another way, your coat and hat have already been moved for you so please follow me and try to keep up.”

Richard smiled at this and found him self running behind the little lady, she was weaving past servants and other guests with expert movement while Richard almost bumped into a few. Taking a right instead of the left tunnel Richard found himself in an empty side of the part of the web of tunnels. Witlow moved slower now which allowed Richard to gather himself and followed at an even step. “I really wondered how you would have reacted to touching the hallowed tree Mr. Gorman, seeing that you were up before anyone before I say you have some good in you. I tried it once and was under for days reliving the worst of my childhood.”

“It has that effect indeed. I guess, like I mentioned to her highness, is that I cut my ties to my past when I found a reason to live. I guess we all have something that we don’t let go off and that many times is the worst about ourselves.” Richard spoke as he walked, it struck him that this lady is much more than just a servant here, how she knew when he was up and waited for him and how no one spoke a word to her as she passed them. “You are part of the royal house are you not Miss?”

“I am Annalisa Saint-Castellan, little sister to Sophia. She likes to keep me around for her little errands, I prefer that then sitting in a room waiting for some prince or duke with my legs open to sweep me away. Us women are treated like cattle in the royal courts so to be relieved of that duty is a blessing.”

Richard knew quite a lot about how royal families treated their daughters and the records he would come across brought shivers, some as young as 10 were wedded off to used as leverage for more power. A dark history of how royal treated their own was hidden in the lower archives that he used to work with under his uncle’s tutelage. “I know more than you would fathom my lady, I worked as an archivist at the government archives. I am glad to see one who was taken away from that tainted business.”

“We are here Mr. Gorman, please go through that door.” Richard walked to the door and placed his hand on the handle to turn, “remember, you just survived swimming in a pool of poison. That tree was the only pure thing in that hall, so every step you take henceforth must come with expectation of a knife in your chest.” Spoke Annalisa as she walked away.

Richard turned to see the receding figure of the lady and knew those words were her own, she may appear small but the knowledge of what she just spoke was that of someone much older. Opening the door revealed a set of stairs leading up, he signed and started his ascent. Reaching the top he could hear voices of people conversing, trying to understand where he could be he approached the door and opened it. On the other side was a tea house, there were people sited on small tables enjoying their morning tea and others milling about with cups in their hands. No one gave him any attention and Richard made for the exit, there a doorman handed him his coat and hat. Donning his coat he looked out at the rain that was not pouring down, he cursed himself for not carrying an umbrella. Wearing his hat he took a deep breath and opened the door to the streets and ruched out to find a cab.