It had been a few days since the coronation. The collapse of Annabel, Walter and I had been hushed up, but there were still rumours flying about. Poor Annabel had been out every day visiting the people, proving that she was fine, but I could tell it was exhausting her.
I'd been spending most of my time back home in Bowerstone Industrial, sleeping for half the day and researching Aurora for the rest of it. I do say sleeping in the lightest sense; with Ben and I sharing the same room now, not much sleep was being done…
All this research seemed pointless however. I couldn't find any solid information on the Crawler, let alone a mention of a 'cure'. Kalin had promised to bring some documents that may be of use next time she was in Albion, but I wasn't feeling hopeful about them telling us what we need to hear.
I was sat as per usual at the dining table, papers and books scattered around me.
"Morning, Emily," Ben yawned and kissed the top of my head, before moving to the kitchen to get breakfast, "anything of use in those papers?"
"Nothing," I grumbled.
"Have some tea love. You haven't left the house in days; maybe it's time to team up with Walter and Annabel- make some kind of plan." He sat next to me, placing a mug on the table. He looked tired, but we had to keep going. We could all sleep once we found a cure.
Bowerstone Industrial looked cheerier than ever. Colourful confetti was floating in the air and music could still be heard playing in the distance. It was all short-lived though- soon everyone would have to go back to the factories and work again, but for now, people were happy.
Ben and I were both dressed in our red uniforms, so we certainly stood out from the crowd. As we made our way to Bowerstone castle, a little girl stared at us in the distance, before giving us a salute and a toothy grin. I mirrored her salute and smiled.
By the time we'd made it to the castle, Annabel and Walter had just finished up in a court meeting and came to meet Ben and me in the entrance. They both looked shattered, like they hadn't slept in a year. Poor Annabel, who's had to deal with the mess that Logan left behind; out of all of us she needed a rest the most.
"Any luck?" She asked us with pleading eyes.
"Nothing. I'm sorry." I wished to have anything to give her, even just a tiny bit of information- but there was honestly nothing. The Crawler was a scary bedtime story with no facts behind it.
"We need to come up with some sort of plan- we can't keep randomly searching for clues," Ben said.
"You're right," Walter replied, "And I may have an idea. There's someone living in Bowerstone who's lived long enough that he may remember something…"
I knew exactly who he was talking about. "Oh no."
Walter frowned, and looked at me. "I'm afraid so."
"This really isn't a good idea," Ben remarked as the carriage took us down to Millfields.
As Reaver's manor emerged through the canopy of trees, the memories of everything that happened came flooding back to me. The balverines, Barry's death, meeting my father… Ben held my hand as I shuddered in fear.
"We have to," I said, "He might be the only one who knows about defeating the Crawler, and finding a cure." The carriage halted outside the gates to the manor and a familiar soldier come to greet us.
"It's good to see you two again!" grinned Grove as he assisted me out of the carriage. "You gave us all quite a shock at the party Emily."
"Grove! What the bloody hell are you doing here, protecting Reaver's house?" Ben asked as he shook the man's hand.
"I'm picking up some extra hours. Bowerstone Old Quarter's a mess because of the fight, and my house needs some repairs. But I assume you're not here to chat to me all day."
"I'm afraid not my friend. We have an appointment with Reaver."
"Well you'd better head inside then." Grove opened the gate for us to pass, revealing the brutal aftermath of another wild party. A noble was passed out at the top of Reaver's statue of himself, a drink still in hand. "I hope I'll see you soon. Guard duty gets awfully boring."
I wave to Grove as we walked up to the steps to the main entrance. We made it to the door and I looked over at Ben. "It's time to get some answers." I rang the bell.
A young boy, no older than thirteen opened the door for us and invited us in before disappearing into the fair corners of the mansion. The hallway was in the same condition as when we'd left, if not worse.
"At least I have more clothes on this time," I muttered.
"Something I'd like to amend when we get home," Ben growled in my ear, turning my cheeks pink.
Unfortunately, we were interrupted by the most annoying of people. "Ah, if it isn't the Queen's favourite maid, and the maid's favourite soldier." Reaver's voice boomed around the room as he made his dramatic entrance down the steps to meet us. "To what do I owe this glorious pleasure?" I could feel his eyes lingering on my assets.
"Let's keep this short Reaver," Ben said, his eyebrow twitching in anger, and his hands clenched up.
"Oh? Not just a soldier anymore, Major Finn, but a lover too! Tell me- is she in good in bed as I imagine her to be?"
I used my entire weight as I dragged Ben away from Reaver, to stop him from beating our only source of information to a bloody pulp. "We're looking for some information about the Crawler, and considering how ancient you are Walter thought you might know something," I groaned with the overwhelming pressure on my arms, until Ben calmed down enough to stop trying to attack Reaver.
"Well, it's true I have lived longer than most, and I know a vast amount of things," Reaver smirked, "but why should I help you?"
I knew Reaver wouldn't help us without some sort of incentive. "I'm sure we can reward you with a large sum of gold for you cooperation."
"Hmm… although tempting, money isn't half as interesting as what is under your army costume my dear." I didn't even stop Ben this time as he slammed his fist straight in Reaver's face.
After Reaver's nose finally stopped bleeding and his servant gave him some ice, we came to an agreement. "Rather embarrassingly, a thief came into my home during a party and stole a prized possession of mine. If you get it back for me, then I may have some information that could benefit you."
"Great, what is it?" Ben asked.
"A white Balverine statue- very expensive. I've heard rumours that the thief ran off in the direction of Silverpines, so that's where I'd look first if I were you," Reaver replied.
A shiver ran down my spine. I'd heard stories of Silverpines- and that's why I didn't dare go there. Balverines crawled across the land, and the residents brave enough to stay there live in constant fear. But we had no choice- we need that information.
"Ok, we have a deal." And that's how Ben and I found ourselves for the first time in Silverpines.
I'd heard rumours of Silverpines and its furry residents that terrorise the local town, so I had never gone- Even the guards refused to work there. It always gave off a dark, eerie aura, with fog gliding through the thick canopy of trees. Ben and I slowly made our way to the town.
"Wow, this place is creepy," Ben said, clutching his rifle tightly, "I feel like something going to jump out at me any second."
I nudged him in the shoulder. "Don't worry Ben, I'll protect you."
He smiled down at me. But alas our heartfelt moment was interrupted by an enormous roar. We stood frozen in fear. "Let's go," Ben said.
The town was just as creepy, with just one shop and a few houses. The townspeople looked miserable, but stopped to stare at the two of us when we walked in. "Hi," I said, "Who can we talk to about a thief with a white balverine statue?"
"You can talk to me," A voice called from behind. I turned to see an old man gripping a gun at his hip staring at us, "I'm the mayor of Silverpines, and people here call me Jacob. Come with me."
We followed Jacob to his home, where lanterns shone at the entrance with an odd-coloured flame. "Silver nitrate," the mayor explained, "keeps the balverines away." He sat down in an armchair and gestured for us to sit opposite him. He talked as he poured tea for us. "So, you're looking for a thief that stole a balverine statue, yes?"
I took the cup. "Yes," I said, "Do you know who has it?"
"I do. A man called Connor has it; he used to be a resident in Silverpines."
"Wait- used to be? What happened to him?" Ben asked.
"He got kicked out. We have tough rules here, and he broke one of the worst ones. He was on guard duty one night but was foolish enough to let one of the silver nitrate torches go out. Without those torches we're vulnerable to attacks. It was a difficult decision, but he had to go."
"What does this have to do with the statue?" Ben tapped his foot impatiently.
"Well, a few days ago, after he'd already been thrown out, he caused a bit of a ruckus in town. Running through here like a crazed man, carrying nothing but a bloody big white statue of a balverine."
"Did he say anything? Like where he was going with the statue perhaps?" I questioned.
"He only repeated the same things, something about there being a 'reckoning'. Load of bollocks is what I call it. He ran off further into the forest, no doubt in twenty-five different stomachs by now," Jacob laughed at his own joke.
"Great, that's where we'll be going then, thank you," I stood up to leave, placing my cup on the table.
"Wait, you can't leave now!"
I frowned. "Why?"
"It's too dark- you try going into the woods now and you'll die in five seconds."
"Maybe he's right sweetheart," Ben took my hand, "You could do with the rest."
"All right," I sighed, "Is there somewhere we can stay the night, Jacob?"
"You can take Connor's house- might help with your investigation."
Connor's house was a mess, with books and files thrown across the floor. "Looks like he left in a hurry," Ben said.
"We didn't give him much time to pack up and leave," Jacob frowned at the mess, picking up a few papers and placing them on a nearby table. "I'll leave you to it then," and with that he returned to his own house.
"This Connor guy was into some weird stuff, take a look at this," Ben handed me a book titled 'Balverine Legends'.
As I flicked through the pages I began to agree with Ben. "Are there more like this?"
"They're all like this; he's the balverines number one fan."
We sat for a while flicking through the books, but it was only stories of men turning into balverines- no mention of a white statue. "What do you think Connor meant by saying there was going to be a reckoning?"
"The guy sounds nuts, I'm sure it means nothing. Come on, let's get some rest," Ben took my hand and pulled me into bed. I felt his warmth envelop me as he held me in his arms, then he pulled me in for a slow, gentle kiss. "How are you feeling?" He asked.
"Good," I sigh, snuggling into him further. Being in Ben's arms meant I could forget about the darkness, and the sickness for a while, and simply feel normal for a moment.
"I love you," Ben whispered into my ear.
I stared into his eyes. "I love you too."
Morning broke, and it was time to go. Jacob was kind enough to show us a little bit of the way, down the path towards Connor. "This is as far as I take you. Good luck," He said, and turned back to the village.
We walked down the guns, guns ready to shoot. "What would somebody want with a massive statue anyway?" I asked Ben.
"I don't know, but he must have been pretty desperate for it if he was prepared to steal from Reaver."
A noise came from the bushes, with a long, menacing growl. "Don't move," I whisper to Ben, searching the forest for any sign of movement. "Come on, come on, show yourself," I mutter. Two eyes glint in the sunlight. "There you are," I shot it straight in the head and it fell down with a thud.
Two more balverines dropped from the trees and glared at us. I pulled out my sword and began to dodge attacks. As its right claw swiped across, I ducked and plunged my sword into its gut, twisting as the hilt touched fur and pulled upwards, the balverine screaming in agony right next to my ear. It fell to the ground and I took a final shot to its head for good measure. Ben stood waiting, the second balverine already dead.
"You're getting slower," He teased.
"Oh, shut up Ben," I laughed, and we continued down the path. We neared a cave where lanterns lined the walls, and not the silver nitrate kind. "I don't like the look of this."
"This is where the path ends, it's the only way Connor could have gone- unless Jacob was right and he's sitting inside the stomach of those balverines we killed."
"Please don't say that, it means I have human on my arm," I resist throwing up, staring at the blood plastered on my arm.
"Don't worry," Ben pats my shoulder, "We'll find him and the statue."
We entered the cave, treading lightly. As we neared the end, I could hear whispers echoing off the walls.
"Yes… Almost time… Nearly there…"
As we peered round the corner, we could see a man who must have been Connor sat next to the statue, with four balverines next to him. It looked as though he was praying.
"Hello, soldiers," Said Connor as he stood and turned to face us. He was a man no older than forty, with dark hair and tattered clothes, "Do you like my statue, it's quite remarkable. It's done everything the legend said it would."
Ben and I grabbed our guns and pointed them at him. "What would that legend be exactly?" I asked him.
"You see these balverines? It turned these monsters into my brothers- they listen and obey every word I say. But that's not all. It's given me power beyond your wildest imagination. Care for a demonstration?"
Before our eyes Connor began to convulse, collapsing to the ground. Spikes and white fur grew on his back and his clothes ripped as he yelled out in pain. Once the transformation was complete, a white balverine stood before us instead of a man. It let out a blood-chilling howl, and all five balverines came running towards us.
I barely had time to react, but I got a shot at one of the balverines in the neck before pulling out my sword and ramming it down its throat. I pushed the monster away and let it fall dead, and moved onto the next one.
The three remaining 'normal' balverines were circling Ben, whilst the white one watched on. I jumped onto the back of one balverine, clutching onto its fur and pulling its head back so I could draw my sword across its neck. As it fell I jumped off it and ran towards Ben, who had just shot another monster in the head. One more normal one to go.
As I distracted it and parried its claw swipes to the left, Ben moved to the back, and shot it in the back of the head. We didn't have time to rest as the white balverine began to approach us.
Despite two of us fighting one, this was different- he was faster, stronger. As I desperately tried to block its attacks, it kept outsmarting me and slicing my arms. I could feel my energy begin to drain out of me, and my eyes began to blur. "Ben!" I yelled out, my heart beginning to pound in my chest and my head spinning.
A gunshot rang out, and the balverine screamed and fell to the floor, before morphing back into a man- a dead man.
"Emily!" Ben ran and caught me before I fell, taking his jacket off and wiping my arms. "It's okay, it's all over now." He poured a health potion down my mouth and helped me to stand.
I stared at the statue looming over us. "Let's get out of here," I said.
"Couldn't have said it better myself. How are we getting this thing out of here anyway?"
After many hours of dragging and several coins spent on a cart in Silverpines, we finally managed to get the statue that caused so much trouble back to Reaver.
"My, my! Look how messy you two are. Don't come any further into the house you'll dirty the floor."
I raised an eyebrow and looked at the current amount of untidiness the house was in already. "Trust me; we can't make this place any dirtier than it already is."
"I suppose. Well, I'm grateful for you returning my beloved statue. My 'friends' have been particularly restless without it," Reaver said, watching his servants as they moved the statue into his study.
"We've done what you asked, now give us some answers Reaver," Ben said, his forehead creased in disdain.
"I'm afraid I only said I may have some information for you, not that I actually did," Reaver laughed and he walked up the stairs.
"Fuck you, Reaver!" Ben yelled.
"Perhaps you should be more careful when making deals Major Finn." Reaver made it to the top of the stairs, but paused before entering the next door. "However, if you find an old, long-lost book discussing how the first Crawler was defeated, you may find it of some interest. Tatty-Bye!"
And with that, Reaver was gone, shutting the doors behind him.
It was another clue- We needed to find a book, one that would tell us everything we needed to know. We were one step closer to saving Albion, and defeating the curse.
~Authors note~
I am so sorry how insanely late this is, and thank you for sticking with my story. A lot has happened the past few months, but hopefully you enjoyed this chapter. See you for the next chapter!
MM.