The Prince of Manhattan Page 9

  “From Leofric” Miranda whispered, tears running down her cheeks.

  “Where he now?” the monster yapped irately.

  “I don’t know” Miranda confessed.

  “You lie” the monster squealed, grabbing her wrist and squeezing it painfully.

  “I don’t know” Miranda repeated. The monster growled and let go of her wrist. “You stay here” it said. “If no prince by dawn, I eat you”. Miranda shuddered in fright, her mind racing with panic. Leofric was right, he was being truthful the whole time and now I’m going to die here. Oh God please save me don’t let me die here!

  6.

  Leofric departed from the cafe with a heavy heart. In the short time that he’d spent with Miranda he found himself taking a liking to her. On the one hand it could be because she was the only nice person I met in the city, on the other hand she was very pretty… There was a roar and Leofric ducked, he regained his composure when he realised that it was just an exceptionally large steel behemoth. Or a ‘truck’ as it was known. Miranda had described to him the reality of the wonders in the city which he had appreciated. The steel behemoths were basically the equivalent of carts or wheelbarrows back home, only more sophisticated. Leofric had come to accept that, though when she told him that there were flying steel behemoths, he had baulked at believing that. If the steel behemoths could fly then why wouldn’t everyone fly? Why stay on the mucky Earth when you could touch the heavens? The clothes were the other thing that she’d given him that he deeply appreciated. They were tight and unlike anything he’d worn before but he was getting used to them quickly. He noticed that he wasn’t getting stares like he was before, except for the occasional girl who smiled as he passed by.

  He made his way to a bus stop and after consulting with a local he determined that it stopped off at a harbour. Miranda had told him that buses existed to ferry people from place to place in the city. All you had to do was give the driver some coins, some of which Miranda had given him for that very purpose. He looked at the coins, running them over in his hands. I should keep one of these as a memento, she was a good girl after all. I hope she finds her happiness eventually. A bus rolled up, the door opened up and Leofric got on and handed the bus driver some coins. The bus driver accepted them and Leofric strolled down the aisles, looking for somewhere to sit. He decided on a seat near the back, away from most of the other commuters, he was royalty after all. The bus started driving again and Leofric looked out the window, watching the scenery go by. The novelty of it transfixed him, the faces and sights rolling past like a tapestry. A man sat down on the aisle opposite his, Leofric turned a surreptitious eye towards him. The man was wearing a long brown coat, a beanie, a pair of sunglasses, a scarf around his lower face and neck and gloves on his hands. It was the kind of get up that a man who didn’t want to be recognised would wear. The kind of get up that a man up to no good would wear. I wager this ruffian is aiming to rob some vulnerable folk. An honest man would have no reason to dress like that, especially in summer. A shame this isn’t Northumbria, a brigand like this would be dealt with like a rabid dog. Here men don’t even carry swords around, it’s no wonder lowly scum is so emboldened to target the weak.

  The bus stopped and new people got on, when the vehicle resumed driving Leofric took to looking out of the window again to amuse himself. He made the occasional clandestine glance over at the scoundrel but otherwise lost interest in the fellow. He had enough problems on his plate to include worrying about some common bandit. The landscape changed as the bus crossed a massive metallic bridge, filled to the brim with cars and buses and trucks. Leofric was in awe as he caught a glimpse of New York’s skyline from afar, it resembled a forest of gargantuan steel trunks and shoots. Buildings so large and tall that they could accommodate more on one floor than the largest hall in Northumbria. There must be more souls living in New York city than all of the seven kingdoms combined. Miranda told me this was built by men, if so then what men they must have been. If the current denizens of this city are anything to go by then they pale in significance to their ancestors. The bus reached the end of the bridge and the skyline was blotted from view.

  The bus continued for another two hours, stopping and starting frequently, people getting on and off constantly. Leofric sighed, he was impatient to get to the harbour but it looked like that wasn’t going to happen for a while. I’ll have to sleep on the bus if it isn’t able to make it to the port in time. He gazed at the passengers around him out of boredom, out of the corner of his eye he noticed that the ruffian was staring at him. The ruffian was wearing sunglasses, an accessory that Miranda had told Leofric kept people’s eyes safe from the sun, but Leofric was sharp enough to know when someone was spying on him. He’s angling for a confrontation with me and I think I know why. Even with these clothes I likely still stand out, a foreigner always stands out amongst locals. And a foreigner means a man without relatives or friends to take vengeance for him. If this scoundrel knew anything about the men of Northumbria then he wouldn’t have chosen me as his quarry. “Next stop is the New York docks” the voice of the bus driver rang out. Looks like I’m nearly at my stop anyway, if the ruffian wants to give pursuit then he’s free to do so. He’ll regret it though. The bus drove on for another ten minutes before coming to a halt, when it stopped Leofric stood up and got off. The ruffian got off as well, keeping close to the press of exiting passengers to look inconspicuous.

  Leofric saw the harbour far in front of him, massive ships lay moored to the dock and the sea disappeared into the horizon. Now I just need a stalwart captain to hoist a ride with back to merry old Northumbria. He waltzed over to a gas station store that was on the side of the road. Miranda had told him that most establishments in New York had flushing toilets available for public use. He hadn’t believed the flushing bit until Miranda had demonstrated with her own toilet. Leofric hadn’t believed it at first but after a number of flushes it sunk into him. When he’d asked Miranda where the waste went though, she’d replied that it went straight to the sea which Leofric thought was quite mean to the fishes. He reached the store, walked over to the counter and faced the dusky clerk behind it. “Where is your bathroom located?” Leofric asked coolly.

  “Over by the left, near the frozen foods section” the clerk replied.

  “Thank you” Leofric said, walking over to the left side of the room. He didn’t take a glance behind him but he knew the ruffian was close. For his plan to work he had to let the scoundrel think he was unaware of his presence. Leofric opened the door to the bathroom and stepped inside, a dank smell assaulted his nostrils. He ignored it and surveyed the room in front of him. There was a row of closed stalls and a metal sheet opposite it, there was also a small section near the front with sinks and mirrors. Leofric ran into a stall, closing the door behind him but leaving it unlocked. He put his bag on the toilet and stood on the seat rim.

  Not ten seconds later he heard the bathroom door creak open and the sound of footsteps. He couldn’t see anything outside his stall, he was relying solely on hearing to calculate his strike. The footsteps became louder, Leofric judged that the fiend was directly in front of his stall. Now or never. He leapt forward, smashing the door open and crashing into the rogue. The ruffian was startled, having been interrupted as he crept down the hall, and he tumbled to the ground. Leofric got up, punching the scoundrel in the face before standing back and observing the rascal with fierce eyes. “Choose a feebler target next time” Leofric said before delivering a kick to the ruffian’s guts. The fiend let out a deep groan in pain but otherwise didn’t react. As Leofric watched, it pulled down the scarf around its face and took off the sun glasses to reveal something truly horrific. What in the name of all that is sacred… The figure before him had scarred and deformed pink flesh, its nose was more of a snout than anything else, its eyes were totally white and its mouth was lined with razor sharp teeth. And there were blue tattoos etched into its skin in all too familiar patterns. Woad tattoos… this was a Pict once.<
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  The monster growled, leaping to its feet and rushing Leofric. His well trained reflexes kicked in and he ducked to the side, his feet nearly slipping on the smooth floor. The monster snarled, turning and lashing out with its arms. Leofric stepped back and slipped onto his backside, he clambered to his feet and ran down the end of the hallway. The monster charged at him, its face contorted into a mask of vile cruelty and hatred. Leofric looked side to side but saw nothing that could aid him as a weapon. His sword was in the first cubicle at the other end of the room. He threw himself into the stall to his left, the monster missing him and crashing into the wall with a thud. The monster oriented itself to charge Leofric’s new position, flakes from the cracked wall falling to the ground. Leofric started crawling hurriedly, squeezing into the next stall. The beast smashed the next stall door open and made for Leofric, who tried to reverse into the previous cubicle. It was of no use, the beast grabbed him, aggressively pulling him out into the hallway. Leofric tried to struggle but the beast was far stronger than he was, far stronger than any man could possibly be. The monster threw him at the metallic wall and Leofric hit it with a tremendous thump, dull pain running through his side.

  Leofric hit the ground and the beast was on him in moments, attempting to wrap its hands around his throat. The deposed prince battled the effort but it was in vain, the hands wrapped around his throat tightly and started choking the life out of him. The pressure was tremendous, in only seconds his neck would be squeezed to breaking point. Leofric mustered up his strength and delivered a mighty kick to one of the beast’s legs. The blow collapsed the monster’s balance and it fell on its hands. Leofric gulped in sweet air as he got to his feet, lunging towards the cubicle at the front of the room. The monster righted itself and raced after him, emitting a vicious screech as it did so. Leofric made it to the first stall and ripped his sword out of his bag. It was covered in foam and he hurriedly slid it off as the creature barged into the stall, its arms raised and its mouth wide and glistening with sharp teeth. Leofric stabbed into the creature’s gut, the beast howled and retreated, blood flowing from its wound. Leofric stood up and marched over to the cowering figure. It was clutching its side and braying but as the prince approached the beast lunged at him. Leofric stepped to one side and sliced the beast’s left arm off, it fell to the ground with a light thump. The monster turned, its didn’t bray any longer, it just stared at the prince as its blood out of its wounds freely.

  “Who sent you?” Leofric demanded, sweat pouring down his face.

  The monster growled lightly in response, hatred etched on its features.

  “It was my uncle wasn’t it?” Leofric surmised. “How many others did he send back? “Enough to kill you” the creature rumbled.

  “You aren’t off to a good start then” Leofric remarked in a harsh tone.

  “The witch sees you” the creature added, ooze and spittle coming out of its mouth.

  “Well you can send a message to her then” Leofric said. “She can send as many abominations as she wants but I won’t stop until I’ve returned to Northumbria and stuck her head on a pike”.

  “Others are coming” the beast snarled. “Your whore is dead”.

  “Retract that insult” Leofric demanded, his face becoming hot with rage.

  “Your whore is dead” the beast repeated. “Like you be dead soon”.

  Leofric let out an enraged war cry and charged the beast, in one fell swoop he decapitated it, the head tumbling along the floor.

  When the red hot hatred had cleared from his vision he analysed the scene around him. Blood was everywhere, it coated the floor, the stalls and the wall. Just about the only thing without blood on it was himself, which was no small miracle. Miranda, they have Miranda! He had no doubt as to who the ‘whore’ was that the beast referred to. I have to get to her, oh fates what if she’s already dead? She’s dead and it’s all my fault! Steady your frame Leofric, the creature was likely trying to rile you up, there’s a chance yet that she still breathes. I must make haste, any moment I waste is a moment more that she’s in peril. He put his sword back in foam and hefted his backpack over his shoulders, leaving the bathroom and marching out of the gas station store. I don’t envy the poor sod who’ll have to clean up that mess. “Thank you and come again” the clerk said to his back as he left. Leofric made his way to the other side of the street and stopped next to the bus stop. Miranda said the buses went down the same routes in both directions, that I just needed to wait on the opposite side of the street. Night was falling and every moment that Leofric waited made him feel like he was going to burst. He desperately wished that he had one of those flying steel behemoths that Miranda had told him about.

  Finally a bus showed up and stopped, Leofric got on board and handed the driver some coins. He sat near the back, checking his surroundings to make sure that there were no suspicious looking passengers. The bus resumed driving and Leofric gripped his hands into fists and sat in his seat rigid, his mind a maelstrom of panic and concern. There was no need for him to rescue Miranda, realistically all he was doing was putting himself in danger. It would have been smarter for him to cut his losses and make his way to the docks, chartering a ship as soon as possible. He couldn’t do that though, his sense of honour forbade him, instead he would charge back into the wolf’s jaws like a fool. The bus was painfully slow but eventually it reached the bridge and crossed over it. Night was in full swing and Leofric was struggling not to jump out and run. The bus arrived near an area that Leofric recognised as being where he had originally boarded the bus going to the harbour. When the bus stopped he jumped off and looked for someone to give him directions. “Excuse me” Leofric declared to a passerby. “Do you know where Grigsby’s is?”. Leofric didn’t know the address of Miranda’s apartment but he did remember how to trace back the steps from Grigsby’s to her place. “Why yes it’s down on Sullivan road” the man replied. “Just go straight down and take a left and then take the third right and you’ll be there”.

  “Thank you” Leofric said before rushing off into the night. He ran hard and fast, people making way for him as he flew down the pavement. After a while of running he reached Grigsby’s, the store was closed but Leofric recognised the exterior well enough. He mentally retraced his steps, making the way to Miranda’s place at a brisk pace. He was exhausted from running and had to limit himself to a fast walk to allow himself to catch his breath. When he saw the familiar shape of Miranda’s apartment complex he upped his pace to a jog. So close, so close, just a bit further. He rushed into the lobby and raced over to the elevator. He didn’t really know how to use it but he figured that it wouldn’t be hard to figure out. He got into the compartment and pressed the button for the ninth floor, he waited and then the doors closed and the lift began ascending. In the contained silence, the only sound was Leofric’s heavy breathing, his chest heaving in and out as his t shirt clung to his body, drenched in sweat. The lift stopped and the doors opened, Leofric rushed out and made his way down to Miranda’s flat. He found the door closed and he considered what his next course of action should be.

  Should I knock and see if she’s okay or should I just barge in? If there are any blighters in there then it would be better just to barge in and catch it by surprise. Leofric dropped his bag and unsheathed his sword as well as hoisting a dagger to his waist. He inhaled a deep breath and then pushed the door gently. To his surprise the door creaked open and revealed darkness. Maybe she’s not at home? The people of this city do seem to be nocturnal. He stepped into the apartment cautiously, his sword raised and his eyes darting about the place. He could barely make anything out in the darkness and he felt with one of his hands for the switch. Miranda had showed him how the switches worked, how they controlled the light in every building in the city. He felt the switch and he flicked it, light flooded the room, revealing a bound and gagged Miranda. Leofric felt doom engulf him for a few brief moments, dread encasing his heart. Then Miranda moved, she opened her eyes and looked s
traight at him. Leofric felt a tidal wave of relief wash over him, she was alive! Miranda started mumbling in a panicked tone, the gag over her mouth preventing her from speaking. Leofric felt displaced air caress his cheek and he knew then that he’d walked into a trap.

  The monster crashed into his side, pinning him against the wall with tremendous force. In the chaos Leofric dropped his sword and he was left defenceless as the creature grappled with him. The monster opened its jaws and angled them towards Leofric’s face, it was going to tear chunks out of it with its razor sharp teeth. Leofric punched it in the side but it had no effect, the monster was far tougher than he was strong. The only hope left to him was the dagger on his belt. He reached down with all his might, trying to crack open space between his body and the beast’s. The creature snapped with its jaw but Leofric ducked back just enough to avoid the deadly chompers. His hands gripped the hilt of the dagger and he pulled it out, slicing across the creature’s stomach. The beast howled and stepped back, Leofric collapsed onto his hands and then crawled towards Miranda hurriedly. The monster didn’t take long to recover and it chased after Leofric while letting out a guttural roar. Leofric reached Miranda and used the dagger to slice her bonds loose. Miranda immediately ran off and the beast crashed into Leofric, wrestling him to the floor. The monster pinned him down, its hands on his arms and its face above his. Slobber and ooze dribbled out of its mouth as it spread its mouth wide in preparation to rip Leofric’s face off. No amount of struggling would save him now and although he still had his dagger in hand, it was useless so long as his arms were pinned. This is it. The monster leaned forward, only inches from sinking its teeth into his face. It was like an image out a nightmare.