Orc and Bunny

Chapter 4 - Hermcrest Takes Over

Lord Hermcrest was a man who always got what he wanted. Not in the way that a spoiled child gets what they want, but in the way that a person who will let nothing and no one get in the way of obtaining what they want. He was not by nature a cruel man, but he was not above using cruelty to achieve his aims. He was a man who, if Machiavelli had existed in his world, would have loved the phrase, “the ends justify the means,” and he would have followed that philosophy closely.

His current aim was to bring the lands belonging to that over-lucky country bumpkin Hilcrest into his own domain. Since he was a boy, he had been raised on stories of how the land was stolen from his family by the king, and it should rightly belong to the Hermcrest family. So he had employed every means at his considerable disposal to ensure that the land would be once again brought into the family.

He had even gone so far as to poison Lady Hilcrest and her young daughter. It had been ingenious too. No one suspects poisoned candles. Slowly the poison builds up in the system and manages to effectively mimic the natural progression of illness. He would have managed to destroy the family line too, but that lucky bastard Hilcrest moved the daughter away from her mother before it could do the job, and only Lady Hilcrest died.

He sat in the rocking coach moodily staring at the beautiful farmland that ought to by rights be his. His son sat on the red velvety seat across from him, absorbed in a book. He sighed, and reached for the pipe in his jacket pocket. At least, that’s where it should have been. With a sigh, he rapped at the window behind his head, which the coachman dutifully opened.

“Yes, my lord?” the coachman asked over the clopping of the horses’ hooves.

“Turn around, I’m afraid I’ve forgotten something important.” Lord Hermcrest responded.

“Yes, my lord.” the coachman answered sharply, before closing the window, and the coach began the arduous process of turning around.

Lord Hermcrest’s plans had finally achieved fruition with the engagement of Anne Hilcrest to his own son George. When the two were married it would be a simple matter to create an accident that killed both her, and her father, leaving George the heir to both lands. It was all so simple and there was nothing that could possibly get in his way now, and the thought brought a smile to his face.

As the carriage entered the gate of Hilcrest’s estate at the pinnacle of the hill that the town was built on, everything changed. From deep within the manor house, a large beam of green light burst through the roof, sending chunks of wood flying up into the sky. He was no sooner out of the carriage than he was surrounded by the brightest light he had ever seen in his life. It shone even through his eyelids, and temporarily blinded him.

It took Lord Hermcrest several minutes of blinking and rubbing his eyes for his vision to return to normal. He was kneeling on the ground surrounded by servants. He quickly jumped to his feet as his vision cleared, ready for any threats.

“Where is Lord Hilcrest?” He loudly demanded of them, “What is the meaning of all this?”

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“I’m sorry, my lord, I don’t know. That light, it came out of nowhere,” one of the older maidservants answered him. She was clearly trying not to cower before his anger.

“You don’t know where Lord Hilcrest is?” He loomed over the maidservant who had answered him, his thoughts beginning to hatch a sort of plan.

“No, my lord, and what’s more,” she finally shrank underneath his scrutinous gaze, “we don’t know where we are.”

Hermcrest was dumbfounded for a moment.

“What do you mean, you don’t know where we are? We’re clearly in Hilcrest,” he paused when he noticed the confusion of the servants around him, “are we not?”

The last was said more to himself, than to those around him. His cape swirled behind him, ears flattened to his head, as he entered the gate tower around Lord Hilcrest’s estate. He heard the sounds of the servants following him as he marched up the circular staircase. He gawked at the strangeness that met his eye. his mouth was open despite himself and his genteel upbringing.

What had once been nothing but fertile farmland far to the horizon, was interrupted by mountainous forests. The orange of the trees, and the pale gold of the harvest was interrupted in a perfect, uninterrupted circle by lush greenery. Trees, and plants he had never seen before marked a border that was incomprehensible to him.

As Lord Hilcrest’s butler, Adam, stood next to him, he regained his composure.

“Adam, are you familiar with the laws regarding the transfer of power in the absence of your lord and an emergency?” Hermcrest questioned.

“Of course, my lord,” Adam said without a trace of emotion.

“Good, in that case, there should be no problem with what I am about to do. Correct?”

“Of course not, my lord. By your leave, I shall inform the staff at once.”

“Good. Do so. I would also like to see the head of Lord Hilcrest’s military forces in his office.”

“It shall be done as you command, my lord,” Adam said with a bow, and was gone.

No sooner had Lord Hermcrest settled himself into the former office of Lord Hilcrest, than a knock rapped loudly against the door.

“You may enter,” Hermcrest called out in his best officious voice, he was quite proud of how it made him sound.

Obediently, the man he had summoned entered.

“You may close the door, and have a seat,” Hermcrest began, he continued once the man had settled himself across the desk from him, “I’m afraid we have not met before, may I ask your name?”

“Of course, my lord, I am Commander Gareth,” the man bowed after giving his name, “I am pleased to make your acquaintance, I believe Adam said that you are Lord Hermcrest?”

“That is correct. I am taking command of Hilcrest, and all of Lord Hilcrest’s estates under provision 12b of Her Majesty's Lordly Duties Act of 1354.” Lord Hermcrest explained, “Are you familiar with it, commander?”

“I am, my lord,” Commander Gareth looked unsurprised, Hermcrest supposed Adam had explained what was going on to him, “With the absence of my Lord Hilcrest, you will be taking over his duties until such time as he returns, in which case power will be ceded back to him. If instead his body is found or he has been absent 6 months, you will be made lord of this domain permanently.”

“That is a very thorough explanation,” Lord Hermcrest was impressed, not many people were so well versed in the law, “and completely correct.”

“In that case, what would his lordship have me do?” Gareth asked.