Mr. Dove and the Pipes of Creation

[davedove]

Scene 49

As we climbed the road leading to the Baron’s tower, I noticed that the day grew no lighter. I looked up and noticed the storms covering the sky.

Father Trefor noticed me looking. “Yes, it will be dark today, just as it is many of our days here. We must be careful and remain alert. The lack of sunlight means that the creatures of darkness can move with no fear. Direct sunlight normally forces them to hide during the day.” He shook his head sadly. “I suppose I should no longer say normally. The days have been like this for years now. Direct sunlight is no longer normal.”

I looked around at the rugged landscape. It was obvious that the lack of sunlight had robbed the land of its vitality. What few plants continued to grow were small and unhealthy. A loud cawing surprised me.

“Crows,” said Trefor, “Harbingers of death, they know that we walk into peril.”

As we walked, a fog rose around us. Its damp chill soaked through our cloaks and penetrated deeply. Although I knew it would sound melodramatic, I couldn’t help but think that the chill penetrated to our very souls.

As the road passed through a rocky gully, I couldn’t help but feel as if we were being watched. I looked around, but I could see nothing but the barren landscape. I noticed that my companions were also looking around nervously.

Father Trefor noticed our unease. “I feel it too,” he said. “It is the dark forces. They seek to make us afraid.”

“Well, they’re doing a good job,” I said, trying to sound light-hearted, but failing miserably.

“Indeed they are,” Trefor said earnestly. “Stick together and stay strong. Find what strength you can in each other. Stay alert; we must pass through a small patch of trees ahead. Any manner of dark things could be hiding there.”

The young man continued to follow the one called Dove. He could smell the fear on the people of the small group, but also their courage. A small patch of trees was ahead. It would be the perfect place for an ambush.

[Livingston]

I thought I had missed this week's installment but I didn't. ---be patient Greg--

[davedove]

Scene 50

The stand of trees looked dark and unwelcoming as we approached. Although the individual trees looked decidedly unhealthy, they grew for some distance to either side of the road. The time to go around them would add hours to our travel, hours we couldn’t afford if we were to save Jack.

Father Trefor led the way into the darkness of the grove, while Steven and the Wrecker brought up the rear. What little light we received from the cloud-covered sky was soon lost to the overhanging branches. Trefor raised his lantern so that we could see better.

As we continued through the gloom, I still felt as thought someone were watching us, almost as if we were being hunted, but when I looked around I could see nothing.

A sudden rustling of the leaves ahead caused Trefor to draw his revolver and scan the trees. More rustling behind us caused us all to spin to face it, but again, nothing could be seen.

Suddenly, a large creature swept down on us and struck Steven, knocking him to the ground. Trefor fired at the creature as it continued its flight back into the branches overhead. I rushed to help Steven regain his feet. He clutched his shoulder where the creature’s claws had struck him. I could see blood staining his clothes.

Again, a creature swooped down and struck the Wrecker, knocking him down as well. He quickly regained his feet and I could see that his protective clothing had protected him; his leather jacket had metallic fibers woven through it.

“Hurry!” Trefor ordered and we all began to run down the road. The branches above us were all shaking, as though the trees were full of the creatures.

I drew the revolver I had picked up in the village and scanned the trees around us as I ran. “David!” Steven yelled to me in warning, and I spun to face the danger. A creature hurtled straight towards me and I fired the revolver at it. I know I hit it with my shots, but it kept flying as if unharmed. I ducked to avoid its attack.

As it swooped over me, Trefor fired his own revolver and this time the creature was thrown to the ground by the shots. It writhed on the ground as if it were in agony. Trefor quickly aimed his revolver at its head and fired. With a final jerk, the creature ceased moving.

As we continued to scan the trees around us, the rustling stopped. We waited several more moments before Trefor lowered his revolver. “They have fled,” he said to us. “The loss of one of their number struck fear into them.”

I looked over to the creature on the ground. It was almost human-sized and looked like a strange combination of a woman and a bat. Its arms supported fleshy wings, much like a bats. Its hairless head extended into large pointed ears and I could see large, fang-like teeth in its mouth. Both it hands and feet had large, sharp claws.

“What manner of beast is it?” Steven asked.

Trefor examined the creature. “The common name is Death Witch, although that’s not technically accurate. The creature is not a witch. It is a cursed woman, changed by a vampiric master into its current form. Although it is no longer alive, it is not really dead either. And its intelligence is destroyed by the conversion, leaving only an animal cunning.” He reached into his bag and drew out a large knife. He placed the blade to the creature’s throat and began to cut.

“What are you doing?” Steven asked in alarm.

Trefor paused for a moment. “Letting the lost soul rest; if I do not remove the head and sprinkle it with holy water, the creature will rise again and return to its hunting. By doing this, I will release the woman’s soul to the afterlife.”

As Trefor continued his gruesome task, I asked him a question. “Father, my shots did nothing to it, but yours stopped it. Why is that?”

Trefor paused long enough to put a bullet from his belt and hand it to me. I looked at the bullet as he continued his task. The bullet had a distinct color to it. “Silver,” I said.

Trefor had finished the cutting and retrieved a bottle from his satchel. He opened the bottle and sprinkled some of the contents over the severed head. “Yes, silver,” he acknowledged. “Creatures of evil are sensitive to it, especially if they have been blessed by a priest, as these have been. Normal bullets, such as yours, often have no effect.”

Trefor had put the bottle and knife back into his bag and moved to Steven to examine his wounds. “I’ll be fine,” Steven said.

“No you won’t,” Trefor corrected him. “Oh, the wound is minor, but its source is not. Do you want to turn into a creature similar to that?” he asked, pointing to the Death Witch.

Steven’s eyes went wide with horror. “By all that’s holy, no!” he answered.

Trefor nodded in understanding. “Then hold still while I apply some holy oil to it. It will burn as the curse is removed from you, but you will be safe.”

Steven held perfectly still as Trefor applied the oil to the wound. I could see that the treatment did indeed burn from Steven’s expression, but he remained silent.

After Steven’s wound had been treated and dressed, Trefor hurried us down the road. “We must move faster. The creatures will not stay away long.”

Heeding his warning, we all moved quickly down the road.


The young man crouched over the creature’s body and examined it. The priest had done his job well; the woman’s soul had left and the body would not rise again. The young man was impressed; although he could sense that the one called Dove had been afraid during the battle, the man had fought bravely. He would not be easy to kill.

[ohiopiper]

You know, I wait months to start reading in hopes it'll be near done, just because i'm impatient. But NO, I've got to wait for another week to pass.

Going to check on my stock of popcorn now.

And sulk because I got interested and have to wait.


Very entertaining storytelling, by the way.

[starbkjrus]

You know, I wait months to start reading in hopes it'll be near done, just because i'm impatient. But NO, I've got to wait for another week to pass.

Going to check on my stock of popcorn now.

And sulk because I got interested and have to wait.


Very entertaining storytelling, by the way.

Dave likes to taunt people ya know........

ith:

[davedove]

Dave likes to taunt people ya know........

ith:

Who, me?

[Livingston]

Yes, YOU!

[ohiopiper]

I have eclectic tastes in almost everything from music to reading material. As I read through the story (so far. Still waiting on the next installment.) I recognized hints of several books and stories i've read. Thoroughly enjoyed it so far. I can appreciate the imagination of someone who can think up new plot lines and twists to a story. Myself, I suffer from a severe lack of imagination. So, I enjoy your imagination as a proxy for my own lack of.

Now get back to writing! Idiots like me need someone to fill our minds with interesting stuff.

[davedove]

Scene 51

As we stepped out of the trees, we could see the Baron’s tower atop the hill. The stones of the small keep were shiny from the light rain, yet the underlying black of the stones spoke of the evil within.

“Be on your guard,” Trefor warned us. “I know not what darkness we may face.”

“Who is this Baron?” Steven asked.

“He was once a typical aristocrat, who oversaw the affairs of our island. Unfortunately, like so many others, he liked power. As each year passed, his greed led him deeper into the darkness. I believe a few years back he slipped over the line and became a slave to the darkness.”

“What has he done?” asked Deena, as she rode on my shoulder.

“Nothing that could ever be proven, little one, as he seldom comes out of his keep. But in the last few years dark creatures, like the ones we just encountered in the trees, have become more numerous on the island.”

“Why hasn’t someone done something?” the Wrecker asked.

“I am only one man,” Trefor said sadly. “And the townspeople are simple fishermen. I do my best to keep them safe in the village, but we don’t have the resources to rid ourselves of his evil.”

“Yet you’re going now,” I said to him.

“I must, he is under my charge. I must do everything I can to keep him safe.”

“Has no one ever confronted this Baron?” Steven asked.

“Once, to save the life of a young man,” Trefor answered, unaware that he was rubbing his leg.

“When you lost the leg,” I said.

Trefor realized what he had been doing and removed his hand from his leg. “At times I can still feel it,” he said. “Yes, when I lost my leg. If Father David had not been with me I would be dead now, or worse.”

“What can we expect?”

“Dark creatures, like those we just encountered, plus others.”

We soon reached the door to the keep.

“Any advice?” I asked Father Trefor.

“Have faith,” was all he said as he pushed open the door.


The young man watched as the group passed through the door into the keep. This was not good; he refused to lose the man he was following to the Baron; he had waited too long. He examined the keep, saw the window above, and smiled.

[starbkjrus]

Oooooooooo.

Antici............................................ .................................................. ...........































pation!

int: