Murgatroyd's Menacing Machination

By Edward Taylor

Murgatroyd's Menacing Machination is a fantasy story about a young man Alaric travelling aimlessly from place to place, with his antique sword that is all rusty and appears totally useless. Little does he know his journey will result in him saving a couple of countries at the very least. Along his journey he encounters friends, magical creatures, shadowy figures and wizards. Everything you could possibly wish to happen and maybe more. How will our lovable hero cope with murder, sneaking around castles and even the occasional guillotine I suppose you'll just have to read it and find out. 

The first chapter is available for free, if you can find it?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Edward Taylor
• Release date: Apr 21, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386535997

Book preview

Murgatroyd's Menacing Machination

Edward Taylor

Published by Edward Taylor, 2018.

This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

MURGATROYD'S MENACING MACHINATION

First edition. April 21, 2018.

Copyright © 2018 Edward Taylor.

ISBN: 978-1386535997

Written by Edward Taylor.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Murgatroyd's Menacing Machination

Murgatroyd’s Menacing Machination

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Chapter 1

A man was walking down a wide track. He was of average height with a fairly slim build, his hair though short still looked scruffy. His name is Alaric. His shabby and well-worn clothes seemed even duller from the dusty track. The track was leading through a small wood, it had been a while since he had seen anyone else travelling on the rural track, his only company came from the occasional rustling of small animals and birds in the undergrowth. He turned and glanced behind him, but he discovered nothing, he had been getting the feeling he was being watched more and more often recently. He continued on, and almost immediately he saw a village just beyond the edge of the wood. A small group of men were standing at the edge of the wood blocking his path, they were armed but from the look of them they were farmers not guards of any sort. When he got up to them, one of the group began talking to him demanding payment so he may pass unharmed. He was a rather rotund man and reasonably small in height, at the same time as he was talking, the other 2 men came round to his side carefully inspecting him.

I don’t think he’s worth too much, all he’s got is some basic supplies.

There must be something we can sell that might raise a few shillings. The portly man replied.

Alaric wasn’t used to being in situations like this, his breathing became rushed and his mind raced, he decided the thing to do was to try and act calm and pretend that he wasn’t in the least bit concerned by them. He deeply wished they wouldn’t call his bluff. I’m afraid these are my belongings, I can’t let you have them for nothing. Alaric said nicely.

What are you going to pay us with then? Don’t tell me we’re going to have to get forceful with you.

Now I don’t want to... Alaric stopped as his voice gave him away releasing his bottled up anxiety. The men found confidence in his weakness and started to advance towards him. He quickly drew his sword still sheathed, from its hiding place beneath his long coat, waving it in front of him wildly still hoping he could get them to back down. The fat man still thought he had the upper hand and moved closer still, Alaric struck the fat man in the knee, with his sword, and he quickly fell to the ground. Alaric had played soldiers many times with his friends and his brother when he was a boy, now those instincts took over. The other two men began to draw their weapons but Alaric spun round and gave one of the men a cracking blow to the side of the head before he was able to ready his weapon. But by now the final attacker had drawn his sword but unlike Alaric his sword was unsheathed. The attacker swung his sword high aiming for Alaric’s neck but he rolled out of the way. Again the attacker swung, Alaric blocked the swing with his sword, he brought his free hand round arcing into the attacker’s jaw and the attacker fell to the ground dazed. Alaric thought this was a good opportunity to run off, with the safety of knowing that none of these bandits were capable of chasing after him.

Unknown to Alaric a final bandit was crouched behind some bushes he took his loaded crossbow and was lining up his arrow. He was concentrating so hard he didn’t notice that two eyes had opened from the shadows behind him. His finger began to curl around the trigger. Alaric had only just began to set off when he heard the bushes behind him shaking violently, he glanced at the bushes but they seemed calm now, running over to investigate, he found a crossbow behind the bushes but nothing else, nothing to explain the noise earlier. He found the situation eerie and decided to run before it got any worse.  While he was running off some of his food supplies fell out of his pack, he glanced back but now they men were beginning to get back up, the supplies were a lost cause and he carried on running.

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Eventually he entered the village and immediately started to look for an inn to spend the night before it grew dark. This was only a small farming village with few buildings and it wasn’t too long before he found the inn and they had rooms available, with so few people visiting the village the inn always had rooms available. After he had taken his belongings to his room, he went back to the innkeeper to see if he could find a good meal. He got a small amount of stew and a chunk of bread, it wasn’t very much but he could see the innkeeper had tried hard and Alaric didn’t want to offend him. While eating he began to talk to the innkeeper, when the heard that he had travelled through the wood, he asked, Did you get through safe or did you meet any of the bandits that live around here?

Unfortunately, I did meet three of them, as I was leaving the wood

How much did they take from you then, not too much I hope? the innkeeper inquired.

They didn’t manage to steal anything from me, I managed to get away.

There have been more and more bandits appearing around here recently. I wish I could use a sword like you have.

"Well having a sword isn’t the only reason I escaped the bandits, there’s something strange about this particular