Blood and Fire (Book 3) Read online

  ‘Yes,’ acknowledged Nibbler. ‘You have. Both of them were there, they were riding those things.’

  ‘Seen who before?’ asked Marsila. ‘Who was riding those –’

  ‘Stix and Stones, the Delightful Brothers,’ growled Charlie. ‘Right?’

  ‘Right,’ said Nibbler.

  ‘Oh, those low-down, spiteful, sour-faced chumps,’ began Charlie, then added, ‘I knew it. I just knew it! There’s no way they were ever going to disappear. Not after what I did to their mother. Argh, and look at them now! Riding those … those … what were they?’

  ‘I’m not sure,’ said E’Jaaz. ‘I’ve never seen things like that before but I can’t help thinking that they look like Wyrms.’

  ‘Just like Wyrms but bigger and certainly meaner,’ said Marsila.

  ‘And what was with those spikes on their tails?’ asked Charlie. ‘It’s like someone took the Wyrms and put them into some evil genius’s laboratory, stuck some bolts through their necks, added some heavy stitching and made them more …’

  ‘Efficient?’ suggested E’Jaaz.

  ‘I was going to say stupidly scary,’ said Charlie. ‘But efficient works.’

  ‘They were made from stone,’ said Nibbler.

  ‘Rubbish!’ snorted Marsila. ‘There’s no way something made from stone could fly. Certainly not something that big.’

  ‘I’m telling you,’ insisted Nibbler, ‘they were made from stone! You didn’t see them up close – I did. Their scales looked like they had been carved from basalt and their flesh looked rocky and their wings seemed to be made from some sort of crystal. Besides, each time I hit them with flame it just bounced off.’

  ‘It’s that power-hungry fool Bane,’ grumbled Charlie. ‘This is his work. I mean, come on, just think about it. The real Wyrms were thought to be extinct and we know who sent those, right? And for these weird stone-mutant-Wyrm-things to appear with Stix and Stones on their backs? It’s got to be Bane’s doing. It’s got to be.’

  ‘Why didn’t you use your lightning on them, Nibbler?’ asked E’Jaaz.

  Nibbler opened his mouth but nothing came out; he was clearly embarrassed that he had not thought of that. After a while he shut it, then tried again. ‘Erm … I’m not sure. I panicked, I guess.’

  ‘Well, try it next time and if that doesn’t work aim for the Delightful Brothers. I’m sure that’ll slow them down.’

  ‘Young Hatchling,’ said Marsila, ‘did you note all the temples in this sector before those things came?’

  ‘Er, yes,’ said Nibbler.

  ‘Good. Mark them on the map.’

  While he did so Marsila stared, thin-lipped, at the distant beasts and slowly shook her head. ‘These new arrivals will make our task more complicated. We all know what we have to do and we all know how we’ve got to do it, but does anyone have any ideas on how to counter this additional problem? If they attack us while we’re in a temple we’re going to be in a world of trouble.’

  There was a thoughtful silence and much rubbing of chins but no answers were offered. Charlie, who normally found it easy to think outside the box, was at a loss for words. After hours of hard work her muscles were laden with lactic acid, her limbs felt heavy and a throbbing headache robbed her of the ability to be creative. Grumbling at her own failures, she crossed her arms and stared grimly at Stix and Stones’s new rides.

  ‘How about I distract them while you three continue checking the temples?’ suggested Nibbler.

  ‘What do you mean by distracting them?’ asked Charlie. She had a sinking feeling that he was about to put himself in harm’s way again.

  ‘Fly circles around them and hit them with lightning when they get too close.’

  ‘What? Nibbler, you just got an arrow stuck in your wing and you want to go back for more! Even for you that’s crazy.’

  He was about to retort but E’Jaaz got a word in first. ‘How is your wing?’

  Nibbler spread it so they could all admire the hole. ‘OK,’ he admitted. ‘I think it just looks worse than it is.’

  ‘If we sewed it up, do you think you’d be able to fly?’

  ‘I think I can fly now,’ said Nibbler and flapped his wings to prove his point. Even with the small hole in it, his wing looked none the worse.

  ‘Whoa, hold on!’ protested Charlie. ‘You can’t seriously be thinking about sending Nibbler back out there? Those two blooming big monsters almost yammed him up!’

  ‘Ah, Charlie, we’re all taking risks,’ said E’Jaaz with an apologetic grimace. ‘It doesn’t matter if we’re up in the air or down in the temples; there’s danger everywhere. If Nibbler can keep some of the heat off us and allow us to continue checking Gateways off the list, then it makes sense.’

  ‘But we’ve got a shield of Will to protect us,’ argued Charlie. ‘Nibbler’s got nothing and I don’t know about you but I’d rather face the Shades and Stonesingers than those … those …’

  ‘Stowyrms?’ suggested Marsila.

  There came a rumble of agreement from E’Jaaz and Nibbler, who approved of the name.

  ‘– than those Stowyrms,’ concluded Charlie.

  ‘I’ll be fine, Charlie,’ said Nibbler. ‘I won’t be fighting them, just annoying them, and we all know I’m good at that. If they look like they’re going to come for you I’ll spit lightning at them and fly circles around them.’

  Charlie pursed her lips.

  ‘Really, Charlie, don’t worry. I’ll be OK and I promise not to do anything stupid.’

  Charlie was not convinced, particularly when he promised not to do anything stupid, which almost guaranteed that he’d wind up in trouble. Just as she was about to protest, Lady Dridif’s words came to mind: the end of days. And if she was honest with herself, it really was the end of this world as she knew it. If Bellania was to regain its freedom, if Bane was to be defeated and if she was ever to see her parents again, then risks had to be taken. Not just by her but by her friends too. For this to work, everyone would have to contribute.

  ‘All right, just don’t –’

  ‘I won’t, Charlie. Don’t worry.’ Nibbler grinned cheekily. ‘Well, don’t worry too much. Rest assured, I’d hate to be Stowyrm food, so you can be certain I’ll be flying as fast as I can.’

  ‘Right,’ said Marsila, ‘enough chit-chat.’ She pointed at the map. ‘Hatchling, if we get into trouble or need you in a hurry we’ll throw another flare, but if not we’ll meet you back here when we’re done.’ She rummaged through a small pouch until she found thread and needle. ‘But before you’re done, let me sew you up. We don’t want that hole to get any larger.’

  Nibbler suffered through her ministrations but once she was done he appraised his wing with a little smile. ‘Thanks, Marsila, that looks great.’

  ‘You’re welcome. Now off with you.’ As Nibbler beat his way into the air, she turned to E’Jaaz and Charlie. ‘Ready?’

  Torrents of golden Will gushed from the three Keepers’ hands. A Portal blossomed open and with grim looks of determination they jumped through.

  22

  Challenges Given, Challenges Met

  Shoulders bunching, wings flaring, Nibbler corkscrewed up into the sky. He knew that rage should be filling him, that the sight of these alien interlopers riding above the Winged Mount, the hereditary home of his people, should be fuelling a terrible anger. To his shock, what he felt instead was a savage joy.

  Grinning madly, he realized that he relished the chance to test himself, to prove that he was the better flyer and that he, not they, belonged in these skies. With talons flexing in and out of their sheaths and with his heart pounding so loudly that he could hear the pulse of his blood over the rushing wind, he drew nearer, ever nearer to his unsuspecting foes.

  Their attention seemed to be fixed on the ground below and just as Nibbler was beginning to think that he would be able to close in on them unawares, Stones swivelled in his saddle to fix Nibbler with his menacing yellow eyes. Screaming something to his brother,
he freed his bow, unsheathed an arrow, then sighted, pulled and released in one smooth motion.

  Nibbler turned the arrow to ash, just as he had at Lady Narcissa’s tower many days ago, then (completely forgetting his promise not to get into trouble) he was there, within striking distance of the Stowyrms. Breathing deep, he tensed, flexed some internal muscles and unleashed a sparkling torrent of lightning that scorched and crackled along the side of Stones’s ride. The Stowyrm screeched. Desperate to distance itself from the jagged forks of electricity, it rolled and dived, and Stones was nearly flung from his saddle. Only by grabbing hold of the reins did he manage to prevent himself from plummeting to his doom.

  Nibbler grinned, then yelped in alarm as he was drenched in shadow. Carried away by his success, he had failed to notice that Stix had manoeuvred his Stowyrm overhead. As Nibbler desperately wheeled aside he caught a whirlwind glimpse of dragonfly wings, a flash of dark scales and Stix’s pale face twisted into a grimace of hatred. Then they were past and Nibbler lost some altitude as he was buffeted by the beast’s wake. Righting himself, he felt something whirr past his face. He turned, shocked to see that not only had Stones regained both his seat and his composure and let loose with his bow again, but that his steed was almost upon him. As he forced himself into a high-G manoeuvre he could see that his recent barrage of lightning had failed to do any real damage. The flank of Stones’s Stowyrm sported a long line of white scarring, but that was it – no gaping hole, no smoking ruin.

  Nibbler grunted in annoyance.

  Completing a series of tight loops, he sped past Stones and his Stowyrm only to be forced aside as Stix rose to cut him off. Nibbler’s earlier bravado swiftly evaporated and as the two brothers started to gain the upper hand he began to regret his cocky lack of respect for the flying beasts. He had thought himself capable of besting them but the truth was they were simply too strong, too large. Maybe he could take on one but not both.

  Muttering to himself, he tried to create some distance. If he could widen the gap, then perhaps he could pursue his original intention of merely antagonizing them to the point where they forgot about Charlie and the other Keepers.

  His ears pricked up as he caught the strident sound of a distant horn. Risking a glance over his shoulder, he was surprised to see that he was alone in the skies.

  The Delightful Brothers and their brutal steeds, heeding the call of the horn, had disappeared.

  The temple was much the same as the others and, true to form, it came with a variety of enemies. This time it was Shades and Stoman soldiers.

  Hissing and snarling, the Shades had rushed forward to envelop the Keepers’ shield of Will with a fleshy wall of darkness. Just before they cut off the last remnants of light Charlie thought she saw a soldier raise a bugle to his lips.

  Her suspicions were confirmed when a blaring horn rang out.

  ‘Forget about that,’ said Marsila, ‘and test the Gateway. Quickly now!’

  Charlie pushed the pendant into the keyhole and funnelled her Will into it. As the Gateway began to scream and the wall began to glow, the nightmare details of the Shades’ features were revealed through the golden shield. Charlie shuddered as she saw their glaring eyes, long fingers and rubber-like flesh pressed against the bubble of Will. It was a sight she would never forget.

  As the Gateway began to dull and the screaming noise receded she could once again hear the blare of the soldier’s horn. She opened her mouth to inform Marsila that she was done when the mass of Shades abruptly disappeared. The return of bright daylight was blinding.

  ‘What’s going on?’ growled Marsila.

  E’Jaaz looked to Charlie. ‘Have you –’

  The far side of the temple exploded. Great slabs of masonry cracked and slammed against their shield. Snarling and gnashing, the two Stowyrms forced themselves into the building, their huge teeth tearing at structural supports and crushing blocks of stone into fragments. Upon their backs rode the Delightful Brothers. Stix held a sword in one hand, reins in the other. Stones, somehow managing to steer his mount with just his knees, raised his great bow.

  TH-DUNK!

  A heavily barbed arrow ricocheted off the Keepers’ shield and buried itself in the wall.

  At this range the Delightful Brothers could easily be seen. Looks of obscene enjoyment were plastered across their faces; Stix’s facial scar was noticeably flushed and Stones’s lips were peeled back in a mockery of a smile.

  Scrabbling through the wreckage of the temple, they drew nearer. The three Keepers, stunned by the sudden turn in events, were momentarily frozen. Darting forward like a striking snake, Stix’s Stowyrm brought its teeth down on the Keepers’ bubble of Will.

  KKRICKKA-KRACK!

  Even though it succeeded in forcing one of its sabre-like teeth through the shield (it came perilously close to E’Jaaz’s head), the barrier held.

  ‘We’re getting out of here!’ screamed Marsila.

  Hands aglow, she tried to open a Portal but the Stowyrm shook its head from side to side like a dog worrying at a particularly tough piece of meat. The bubble of Will was flung around, causing the Keepers inside to lose their footing. As the Stowyrm tried to get a better grip on the shield’s shiny surface it opened its mouth a touch wider only for the bubble of Will to slip from its grasp and ricochet through a hole in the wall. Bouncing down an incline, it rebounded off a rock spire and crashed through a thicket of golden-leaved trees before finally coming to rest. Dazed and bruised, the Keepers tried to pull themselves upright.

  ‘You brat!’ bellowed one of the Delightful Brothers as he and his mount wriggled through the wreckage of the temple.

  ‘Think you could get away from us?’ shouted the other as his Stowyrm joined his brother’s.

  E’Jaaz was the first to regain his feet and tried to help Marsila and Charlie up, but he had a sinking feeling it would be too late.

  Then there was a rumble of thunder. A fork of lightning spat down from the heavens and grounded itself in one of the Stowyrms. The power of the strike lifted Stones clear from his saddle and deposited him several metres away. Seconds later Nibbler streaked by; the wind from his passing caused the Stowyrms to rear and fluster.

  ‘Get us out of here,’ groaned Marsila. She held her left wrist gingerly with her right hand.

  Charlie opened a Portal and they limped through. They held its shimmering circumference open only long enough for Nibbler to join them before allowing it to ripple shut, leaving the frothing, hate-filled faces of Stix and Stones behind.

  23

  Shadow Play

  Marsila hissed as E’Jaaz examined her wrist.

  ‘It’s not broken,’ he declared. ‘Just badly sprained. We could do with a Treman healer.’

  ‘Well, we’re not going to get one out here,’ muttered Marsila. ‘Just wrap it tightly.’

  E’Jaaz rummaged through his backpack. Pulling his blanket free, he cut a long strip from its fabric then went to work binding Marsila’s hand and forearm.

  ‘Some ice would slow the swelling,’ he murmured.

  ‘While we’re wishing for the impossible,’ said Marsila with an unexpected grin, ‘a long bath and a cocktail or two wouldn’t go amiss.’

  ‘Are you going to be all right?’ asked Charlie.

  ‘So long as you don’t ask me to punch anyone with my left hand I should be fine.’ Marsila nodded her thanks to E’Jaaz, then experimentally flexed her wrist. ‘Good enough.’ She heaved herself upright. ‘So that didn’t go quite as well as we’d hoped. Nibbler, I take it your tactic of distracting them didn’t work as you’d planned?’

  ‘I – er … no. No, it didn’t. If I had enough time maybe I could take one of them down, but both of them together? I don’t think so.’

  ‘How’d it go with the lightning?’ asked E’Jaaz.

  ‘Well, it definitely hurts them,’ admitted Nibbler, ‘but no permanent damage. They veer off for a bit but come right back for more.’

  ‘And distracting them didn�
�t work,’ said Marsila.

  ‘Actually, it did, but only until they heard the trumpet. Then they didn’t hang around. As much as I annoy them, I think they want to stop you more than they want to fight me.’

  There was silence as each member of the group pondered their options. Charlie, looking towards the Winged Mount, was once again struck by the odd shape of the peculiar mountain. Something about it seemed to call to her but the thought swirling inside her head failed to form, proving as elusive and as annoying as a word stuck on the tip of her tongue. As she stared, cock-eyed, at it she mulled over the words on her pendant. From Wings on high seeking prey … For some reason her brain kept repeating that line as an endless litany that whispered incessantly in the sleep-fogged corners of her mind.

  ‘– listening to me, Charlie?’ asked Marsila.

  ‘Huh?’

  Marsila sighed. ‘I said that we should take out the Stoman bugler before entering the next temple. That way they won’t be able to signal to the Delightful Brothers.’

  ‘Bugler?’

  ‘The soldier with the horn or trumpet.’ Marsila paused to scrutinize Charlie. ‘Are you OK?’

  ‘Uh, wait. Let’s forget about the bugler … I think …’ Charlie tried to rally her thoughts and spur her tired tongue into motion. ‘Do you think that the shadow of the Winged Mount …?’

  Growing irritated, Marsila opened her mouth to berate Charlie and tell her to focus on the job at hand but E’Jaaz held up a calming hand. ‘Hang on, Marsila, let’s hear this.’

  ‘I – I think …’ Charlie paused to sort through her muddled thoughts. Only once she had reached a moment of clarity and was absolutely sure she had indeed untangled the riddle that had been haunting her did she open her mouth. She spoke quietly but with a certain confidence. ‘I think the shadow might be the Serpent’s Tail.’

  ‘Mighty General.’

  ‘Yer Chancellorness.’