by Paul Cude
"Thoughts?" asked Yoyo.
"Best guess," added Tina, "is that of a mantra being set off. It's a pretty good bet whoever's down there, knows that we're here."
'Damn!' screamed Yoyo inside his own head. 'What the hell are we going to do now?'
Before he had a chance to even ask the two youngsters, Hillier piped up.
"If this is as important as you've led us to believe, I really think we have to get down there, and fast," he yelled over the shrieking wind.
'It has to be something else... doesn't it?' Yoyo told himself. But even inside his head it sounded lame. Whoever or whatever was down there had been expecting visitors. That changed everything. They had, for better or worse, to go and join Flash, and hope that they were still in time. Yoyo could never remember being this afraid.
Back pressed flat against the chilling wall, Flash peeked through a small gap in the ice, to see what lay around the next corner. The sight that greeted him turned his stomach. Stretched out on the cold ice, a ragged, flimsy looking dragon body in its natural form lay for all to see, the extent of the injuries inflicted on it all too evident. Both wing membranes were gone, scales were missing, bones jutted out at impossible angles and sickly, thick patches of green blood littered its legs, arms and back. This, Flash knew, was a dragon that had been tortured in the most unimaginable way possible. Even a dragon's worst nightmare wouldn't have got close to what had gone on here. A cold rage boiled up inside him at the thought of what the now deceased dragon had gone through. Anger pumped through his veins, ran through his blood, seeped into every living part of him. Beings would pay for this. Maybe not now, but he vowed there and then to hunt down whoever had done this and play a major part in their own nightmares. Just as he was about to move on, satisfied that nothing untoward awaited him around the corner, he caught sight of the chains binding the dragon to the icy wall in the background. Tank's whispered message came back to him, there and then. He thought about trying out the mantra on the chains in front of him, but had no idea just how draining it would be. If it took too much out of him, he might not be able to free the naga king, and of course Fredric, Peter's grandfather; he hadn't forgotten about him. But to have some laminium with him to boost his powers, was indeed a temptation. In the end, he decided against it, knowing that he would have chains from either of the prisoners he'd come to liberate.
Skulking around the corner, he could just make out the faint buzz of the flickering light, interspersed with the sound of gurgling water.
'Oh my God,' he thought. 'I'm here, I'm actually here.'
Using the giant dragon's corpse for cover, he scrabbled along the ice to its tail, where he stopped, all the time making sure to keep his damaged, exposed arm flush against it. Popping his head up briefly, he took in the scene before him. There, right in front of him, stood both the naga king and Fredric, Peter's grandfather and creator of the 'Crimson Guards'. He felt almost giddy with excitement knowing that in only a few moments' time, they would all leave this place forever. With pride swelling in his chest at what he'd accomplished, he stood and boldly started to walk towards the two prisoners.
He'd told them they were under no obligation to do this. Just as he'd thought, they weren't having any of his warnings. As they'd all said, they wouldn't have come this far if they hadn't meant to follow it through. He'd tried to explain just what they might be facing, and exactly how dangerous that might be. But typically, they didn't seem to care. He didn't know what more he could do. He didn't want to send them in after Flash; he cared for them a great deal. The sensible part of him knew though, that they might be the difference between winning and losing, here today. And that in turn might have consequences of epic proportions. So without further ado, Yoyo explained exactly what they were going to do once they reached the bottom of the icy shaft.
A few steps in, he suddenly wondered how he should reveal himself. He'd thought only moments ago that he should just stroll up to the naga king, remove his mask and introduce himself. Now, that seemed a very risky thing to do, given that he had no idea just how the naga monarch would react. So he'd changed things on the hoof, deciding to reveal himself to Fredric first, with a view to speeding up their escape and making things run a bit smoother. Padding along the ice as quietly as he could, he made his way over to the old dragon, who was currently doing one handed push ups on the icy cold cavern floor.
Abruptly Fredric stopped, the bulging, taut muscles in his right arm easily supporting his weight, as he looked over his shoulder for something he knew to be there, but could not actually see. Flash was amazed. He could have sworn he hadn't made any noise at all, even though it was clear that Fredric knew he was here. Without further delay, he brought up his arm, and peeled off his mask. The look on Fredric's face was an absolute picture.
"Hi," was all Flash could think to say. Looking back, that was probably the lamest introduction in the history of introductions.
Fredric jumped to his feet. His bonds rattled as he did so.
"Hi yourself," he said, smiling. "You're the youngster we had the pleasure of meeting, albeit rather briefly, if I'm not mistaken?"
"I am," replied Flash.
By now, the normally docile looking naga king had taken a keen interest in what was going on, and had slithered as close as his chains would allow.
"I've come to free you," said Flash. "There's little time to lose. The dragon kingdom and the world above it are in dire need of you both."
"I hope you have a way to release us from these chains," uttered Fredric, a sense of hope etched across his face.
Flash was just about to tell him about Tank's mantra, when he caught the tiniest movement in his peripheral vision. Clearly Fredric had too. They both turned, to find the evil, villainous looking jailer, seemingly having appeared from nowhere, standing not twenty metres away. Flash turned, already in fighting stance, waiting to destroy anything standing in his way. And this one being didn't look nearly tough enough to give him any trouble. Just as he thought this, dark shapes from almost every corner of the cavern slithered into view, some sliding out from beneath the ice, others dropping down from the ceiling, half a dozen or so slipping around the rock face Flash had previously navigated, looking like Olympic speed skaters, so fast was their cornering.
As the evil jailer cackled with delight, Flash turned his head to look at Fredric. The hope that had been carved into his face moments ago had disappeared. There must have been thirty or so nagas surrounding them in the cavern. Flash hadn't been prepared for all of this. Half a dozen or so he could take, but not this. Never this!
6 A Surprising Blow
They'd all been watered (in Richie's case, quite literally) and fed. Dragons encircling the humans roared with laughter at the dumbstruck looks their charges gave the cooking equipment... a faint glimmer of amusement on a very dark day. For their part, the humans were fascinated by the sheer size of the pots, pans and utensils. Hook was keen to find out what a dragon portion of breakfast looked like, and was desperate to try one. In the end he had to settle for a helping of beans, bacon and dragon toast (toasted with the flame from a dragon's mouth) three times the size of a normal human amount. Everything was cooked to perfection.
Sitting in and around the still slightly stunned humans, dragons wolfed down industrial amounts of bacon and beans, the occasional 'crunch' of dark charcoal being gobbled up interrupting the whispered conversations. Having taken his seat with the others, Gee Tee mused about just how good the breakfast was, something he continually reminded Tank about, much to the rugby player's annoyance.
Almost as soon as it had started, it was done, and the motley group of dragons and humans were ready to move out. All but one of the tors had decided to stay at the nursery ring, much to Richie's disappointment. They had, however, gained nine of the older students, with the much younger ones having been forbidden to join by the tors with them, considering the doomed quest nothing short of suicidal.
A standing semicircle of dragons and humans surroun
ded Richie, the raggedy bunch waiting for their instructions, humans at the front, dragons behind, apart from the old shopkeeper who sat slumped on the world's biggest cushion, off to one side.
It was time!
"You've chosen me to lead you," Richie announced to the gathered crowd. "In doing so, you've sworn your undying loyalty to free our king and take back the kingdom that is rightfully ours. Now is not the time to falter. We all need to be strong, brave, courageous and fearless. Everything, the fate of the underground domain that we love so much, the fate of the planet even, depends on us and our actions today. It won't be pretty, it won't be nice. All of us will have to do things we won't want to," she said, knowing that hers was only moments away. "Some of us won't be coming back."
Richie paused, letting a long silence encompass the courtyard. She wanted them to think about what was to come, how dire things were... the severity of what they were about to embark upon. The stoic look on all their faces told her they were doing just that. After what she judged long enough, she resumed.
"Here and now, we're going to split into two forces. One to take back Fleet Street, hopefully allowing us get communications with the rest of the world back online, with the other heading to the council building, its primary mission to rescue the king. That comes before anything else. Secondary to rescuing the king is defeating Manson's army, no mean feat given how badly outnumbered we are. Everyone here is to use whatever means possible to accomplish those tasks. Today, everything will be forgiven and forgotten, on that you have my word. I take full responsibility for every single act that occurs today. You will all have to be ruthless, efficient, brave and bold. You'll need to seize opportunities when they arise. You'll need all your training and knowledge. If we're to succeed, you'll have to think outside the box, use your imagination to create magic, mayhem and misery. Use your anger. Unleash those primal instincts that you all keep bottled up. Today is not a day for regrets. One day. One chance. One outcome!"
Again, another pause, this time for effect, letting her words sink in, inspire.
"So now to the teams! I don't want any questions, arguments or suggestions. My mind is made up. In an ideal situation we'd have hundreds, if not thousands of dragons to take on Manson's army. We don't. So we just have to live with it, and do the best we can. Gee Tee, master mantra maker and the wisest dragon I know, will lead the group to retake Fleet Street. You need to follow his instructions without question, no matter how bizarre they may seem. He, and he alone, is the reason we are currently in any state to fight. Most of you would already be captured or dead if not for him. Remember that! Sam, Taibul, Emma and Angela, having worked so well together back in Salisbridge, you will be the human contingent. I'd like you," she said, pointing to one of the dragon healers who had helped heal Flash when he was saving Tank from his injuries during the previous battle, "to go. Along with all of you," she ordered, splitting off half a dozen of the Salisbridge dragons from the main group with a wave of her hand. Gee Tee smiled inanely at seeing the beautiful female dragon he'd only just got acquainted with, head his way. Richie went on to assign five of the nursery ring students, as well as the only tor to volunteer, to Gee Tee's group.
"I know as fighting forces go, this is incredibly small, but there really is no other choice. You may find you'll be able to pick up other dragons along the way. Hopefully what you'll be up against will be minimal. The rest of you will be going to the council building." What she'd missed out from that was the 'with me'. "There are two things I haven't mentioned so far, so listen up. Your strengths lie in your togetherness. Work in sync, fight and stay strong for one another. Watch each other's backs. You are stronger as a team. That I truly believe. That could make the difference today."
Richie swallowed, dreading what she had to do next, as those gathered around her looked on.
"For those of you not going to Fleet Street, a more dangerous mission I cannot imagine. But it has to be done, and done today. What you'll face at the council building, we really don't know. But you can assume you'll be dealing with beings who have no compunction about using deadly force. Torture and murder will be top of their agenda if they capture you. Remember that. Fight for your lives, for the lives of others, those around you, those that have already been killed by these twisted monsters. Fight with everything you have, right up until your very last breath, should it come to that."
Richie ran her hand through her curly brown locks, noting how matted and tangled they were. So far she'd shied away from it, but she knew if she didn't blurt it out now then she just wouldn't, and everything would be lost. So that's exactly what she did. She blurted it out.
"Tank will be leading this group," she stated, pointing directly towards her friend.
Eyes bulged, jaws dropped, looks of confusion spread across all of those gathered, not least Tank, who had absolutely no idea what was going on. Closing her eyes for a split second, she tried to compose her thoughts and filter out the turmoil of everything inside her mind. To an extent, she succeeded. By now though, whispered grumbles had started to spread across the crowd. Knowing that her leadership was hanging by a thread, she fought to find the right words.
"Most of you are rightly confused about what I've just said. While I'm not sure I can explain to your satisfaction, I will endeavour to do my best."
Gee Tee looked on, from his laid back position on the gigantic cushion.
'This,' he thought, 'was what she was talking about earlier. Oh my, what exactly have I done?'
"There's something I have to do. It could change everything that happens today. I don't want to do it. I don't want to be alone. But it has to be like this. I'd much rather be alongside all of you, going to the council building. If I'm saying I'd rather be fighting Manson's army than attempt the task I've set myself, perhaps that gives you some idea of what I will face. And no, I'm really sorry, I can't tell you what it is. But know this. I'm not running away. This is important. I will be there for the fight. I might be a little late, but rest assured... I will be there."
The restlessness faded. She'd regained their trust... well, almost.
"There's nothing much else to say that hasn't already been said. Follow those in charge. Give your all, for dragons across the world, and our beloved monarch. WE WILL PREVAIL!"
"WE WILL PREVAIL!" the crowd shouted in return.
"Sort out your things. Both teams will move out in five minutes."
The beings dispersed, some checking their equipment, others adding some last minute essentials or saying goodbye to friends on a different team. All were doing something, all except Tank and the master mantra maker. A knot in her stomach, she walked over to them both.
"What the hell?!" exclaimed Tank, before either of the other two could say a word.
"I'm sorry," Richie mumbled.
"SORRY!" Tank yelled. "What good is that? Tell me, how on earth am I supposed to lead this lot?" he motioned to everyone else who'd been in the crowd.
Richie started to flush crimson. She'd never seen her friend so upset. All the neat planning she'd done in her head was coming unravelled. She was sure she'd got it spot on, but that was clearly not so.
"Tank," whispered a soothing, soft voice. "Calm down. There really is no need for all this," managed the old shopkeeper.
Tank turned to face his employer, his mentor, his friend. Anger and confusion melted away as he did so. He found it hard to be upset around the old dragon these days.
"I don't think your friend here would have put you in charge if she didn't have total and utter faith in your abilities," continued the old dragon. "You ask how you're going to lead this peculiar mix of humans and dragons. Undoubtedly... with ease. You have a better grasp of the world around you than almost any other dragon I've met. You're logical, and yet have the most fantastic imagination. For you to lead these beings into battle will not require any qualities you don't already possess. Of course you lack the stomach for the really dirty deeds that may be necessary today, but you have others around you that w
ill almost certainly make up for that. In short... you'll make a fabulous leader. Just believe in yourself."
Tank was completely taken aback. He'd never heard the master mantra maker talk like that.
By now the humans, Janice, Hook, Sam, Taibul, Emma and Angela, had surrounded all three of them and were listening intently to the conversation. The wise old shopkeeper hadn't finished though.
"Perhaps instead of losing your temper with your friend, you might want to consider exactly what she will face on whatever singular quest she's set herself."
This time it was Tank's cheeks that were flushing. He chided himself for not knowing better.
"It's me that should be apologising, Rich," he opined. "Of course I'll do what you ask. It was just a surprise, that's all."
Richie smiled meekly at her strapping great friend, a massive weight taken off her mind. It was then that she noticed the others, the humans that had accompanied her on this crazy, roller coaster ride of a journey. She urged them to come in. They did so.
"Listen," she said. "I'm truly grateful for your company and efforts today. But now, I'm so sorry to have gotten you all involved. If anything should happen to any one of you here, I'll be absolutely crushed."
They all looked on, not knowing what to say. That is, until the wisest of them spoke up again.
"It'll be alright. Let's not forget that despite what you think, we're not alone in all this. Young Flash is undoubtedly even now freeing the prisoners in the Antarctic, while working out how to get back here fast enough to be of some good. As for the king, well, let's just say he and I go way back. Most might see him nowadays as frail, past his best and weak. Let me assure you that is not the case. We've had our differences of course, but I'll tell you now, there are few warriors as mighty as he still is. Under that charming and caring demeanour, beats the heart of a fierce and cunning warrior. If that army of Manson's is trying to take the king and the seat of power, he's in for the surprise of his life. George will unleash hell on his sorry little arse."