Forest Kingdom Trilogy 2 - Blood and Honor

produced: by hard work, perseverance, and if need be, cheating. He flexed his shoulders, trying to keep the muscles relaxed and easy. Having Grey Davey nearby helped. The Sanctuary's presence was both calming and invigorating. Problems seemed simpler and easier to deal with, and fears and insecurities faded away into the background. Unfortunately, Sanctuaries were immune to their own power.
    Grey Davey glared down the corridor, his glare deepening into an angry scowl. 'This shouldn't be happening,' he said finally. 'I mean, this is the West Wing, dammit. Nothing ever goes wrong in the West Wing.'
    'Great,' said Blood. 'That means the darkness ahead is nothing more than a mass hallucination, and we can all go back to our beds. Only it isn't a hallucination. Is it? Tell me what to do, Davey. You're the expert.'
    Davey sniffed sourly. 'When it comes to the Unreal, there aren't any experts. Just people who've stayed alive longer than others. Fill me in on what's been happening here, Tim. Maybe we can still nip this in the bud before it has a chance to establish itself.'
    'Things started to feel wrong about an hour ago,' said Blood, glancing briefly at the darkness down the corridor, to make sure it wasn't getting any closer. 'One of our regular patrols in this area hadn't reported back. I sent in another patrol to see what was keeping them. They didn't report back either. And then I started to hear some disturbing rumours. On a normal day, people pass in and out of this Wing all the time, just going about their daily business. Only now people were still going in, hut they didn't seem to be coming back out again. And people who went to look for them just vanished without trace. So I sent for a Sanctuary. Just before you got here, this darkness appeared in all the corridors that led into the West Wing. Whatever's in there knows you're here.'
    'That's what I like about you, Tim,' said Davey. 'You're always such an optimist.'
    'Would you rather I lied to you about our chances?'
    'It couldn't hurt.'
    They stood together a while, looking down the corridor. The darkness seemed to shift and stir, as though it was watching them. Behind them, Blood's company of guards murmured uncertainly among themselves, and waited for orders. Blood glanced back at them, and knew he'd better get them moving soon. Once they were doing something, they'd be too busy to be scared. He wished for a moment that he'd brought more than just the one squad. A dozen guards weren't much to set against the Unreal. On the other hand, when it came to the Unreal he could have a hundred guards at his back and he still wouldn't feel secure. He looked at Grey Davey, and decided he'd better start the ball rolling. Left to himself, Davey tended to forget the urgency of the situation, and just stand around thinking. But Blood couldn't give the order to go in himself; that had to come from Davey. The Sanctuary outranked him.
    'Any advice for my men, before we go in?' said Blood, tactfully.
    'Yeah. Try not to get killed.' Grey Davey scowled suddenly, and glanced sideways at Blood. 'Sorry, Tim. This business has got me all upset. The West Wing has always been the most stable part of the Castle, the one area you could depend on. If that's been breached by the Unreal, then nowhere's safe any more. Get your men ready, Tim. We're going in.'
    Timothy Blood nodded to his men, and there was a brief whisper of steel on leather as they drew their swords. Blood moved unhurriedly among them, checking their weapons and equipment, and murmuring the odd word of encouragement where needed. He forced himself not to be over-anxious. The Unreal was always dangerous, but these were good men. Professionals. He could trust them to do their job.
    Blood detailed three of them to carry torches. He wasn't sure how much use they'd be in the Unreal darkness, but he wanted the option. He racked his brain for anything he might have forgotten, but quickly realised he was just putting off the moment when he'd have to lead the way into the darkness. It was at times like this that he really missed being a spy. He nodded brusquely to Grey Davey, and the two of them set off down the corridor towards the darkness, the company of guards close behind them.
    The darkness seemed to swirl hypnotically as they drew nearer. The temperature dropped sharply, and Blood clenched his teeth to stop them chattering. He shivered once, and hoped no one would mistake it for nerves. The Unreal night loomed up before them,