Thomas Grey shook his head slowly. “I’m to be King. King of the Forest Land. You promised me!”
The Demon Prince smiled, showing his teeth. “I lied.”
He rose to his feet in one sudden movement, and started toward the Astrologer. Thomas Grey backed away, and then turned and ran. He barely made half a dozen steps before the night closed in around him like a living cloak. Grey fell struggling to the ground, wrapped in darkness, and screamed horribly as within his body he felt his bones and muscles moving, changing, twisting …
The screams finally died away, and King John watched horrified as the thing that had once been his friend rose slowly to its feet as a demon. A low-browed head squatted on broad, muscular shoulders, and its overlong arms fell down past its knees. Thick oily hair showed clearly through great rents in the sorcerer’s torn robes. A simple, crafty intelligence showed in the glowing bloodred eyes, but there was no trace of recognition in them when the demon glanced briefly at the King before scuttling away to crouch fawningly at the Demon Prince’s side.
“Well?” said the Demon Prince to the King. “How do you like your friend now?”
Rupert lunged forward and slammed into the Demon Prince. The creature staggered backwards and almost fell, but recovered his balance at the last moment. Rupert caught the Demon Prince in a bear hug, and hung on grimly, his head pressed against the creature’s bony chest.
“Father!” he yelled desperately. “Get the sword! Get the damn sword!”
The Demon Prince’s head snapped forward, the long spindly neck stretching impossibly. Rupert had only a brief glimpse of vicious teeth reaching for his throat before he released his hold and threw himself backwards. The jaws snapped together just short of his face, and then a hard bony knee shot up to slam into his side. Rupert groaned as he felt newly healed ribs break, and then the ground rose up to hit him. He rolled slowly onto his face and pushed himself up onto one elbow, just in time to see Julia try again to reach her sword. The demon Astrologer drove a fist into her gut, and she collapsed again, fighting for breath. The demon giggled. The Demon Prince moved slowly forward, chuckling softly. Rupert braced himself, and glanced quickly at his father. The King hadn’t moved at all, and the sword still lay where Rupert had dropped it.
“Father!”
The Demon Prince stopped before the King, and smiled down at him. “I don’t think he hears you, boy. He’s broken now, just another of my slaves. Aren’t you, John?” He reached down, and taking the King by the throat, lifted him easily off the ground. The Demon Prince held him out at arm’s length and shook him playfully, grinning broadly as he watched the King’s feet kicking a yard and more above the ground.
“Aren’t you, John?”
The King tore feebly at the Demon Prince’s hand, air rattling in his throat.
“You shall be the lowliest of all my slaves, little coward,” said the Demon Prince softly. He drew the King’s face close to his own, and laughed mockingly. King John spat in his face. The Demon Prince howled with rage, and his hand closed tight about the King’s throat. His other hand ripped through the King’s chain mail and sank its claws deep into the King’s chest, searching for his heart.
Rupert staggered to his feet and started toward them, and the demon Astrologer came to meet him. Julia lunged forward, snatched up Rupert’s sword from the clearing floor, and threw it to him. Rupert caught the sword in mid air, and turned quickly back to face the demon. It snarled once, and backed slowly away from him. The Demon Prince threw the King aside, and stalked toward Rupert, grinning broadly. Rupert stood his ground, hefting his sword in his hand. He could see Julia and his father, both struggling to get to their feet, their blood dripping onto the filthy moss. Even the dragon was stirring uneasily in his sleep. Rupert swallowed dryly. He knew cold steel wasn’t going to be enough to stop the Dark Prince, but he had to try. His friends needed him. He lifted his sword above his head for one last desperate attack, and then all his rage and hope and need surged up into the sword and out, out into the long night and beyond, and the Demon Prince screamed despairingly as with the roaring of a mighty falls, the Rainbow slammed down into the Darkwood clearing.
Brilliant colors threw back the darkness, thundering endlessly against the long night. Rupert turned his face up into the cascading light, and laughed aloud as strength flooded back into him. Vivid shades and colors burned through the night, driving back the Darkwood. Rupert looked around him for the Demon Prince. He could just make out a tall spindly shadow struggling weakly among the colors, like an insect trapped in hardening amber. And then, even as he watched, the shadow melted away into nothing. The Rainbow blazed bright and glorious against the night, and then was gone.
Rupert slowly lowered his sword, and looked up into the night sky. For a moment he thought nothing had changed, and then, one by one, the stars came out, and the full moon overhead shone silver bright. The brooding oppression of the Darkwood was gone, as though it had never been, and already the first faint red gleam of dawn was spilling out onto the darkness. The long night was finally over.
Rupert sheathed the rainbow sword, and looked about him. The mosses and fungi that had covered the clearing floor were gone, replaced by a thick carpet of grass that glowed softly with its own inner light. The Demon Prince was gone, and with him the creature that had once been the Astrologer. The dragon was sitting up on his haunches, shaking the last drowsiness out of his head. His emerald scales shimmered brightly where the Rainbow had touched them. Julia was standing beside the dragon, happily flexing her newly healed hand, and staring about her in open wonder. Rupert went over to her and took her in his arms, and the rising sun was like a benediction.
King John sat beside the decaying throne with his head in his hands, and wept for the loss of his friend.
CHAPTER TEN
Endings and Beginnings
Out in the Forest, birds were singing. Leaves had begun to appear on some of the trees around the clearing, and the air was full of clean, familiar Forest smells. Sunlight poured down through the slowly widening break in the canopy overhead, and the early morning sky was so brilliant a blue it almost hurt Rupert’s eyes to look at it. High above the Forest, the dragon soared effortlessly on the gentle morning winds, his scales shimmering brightly in the golden sunlight. Rupert could feel the winter cold finally leaving his bones, and the sun was warm on his face. All around him he could hear the quiet, furtive sounds of animals emerging from their hiding places to investigate the returning Forest. And yet, for every tree that stood wreathed in green or bronze, another stood stark and dead, its wood eaten away from within. For some, for all too many, the Rainbow had come too late.
“Half the Forest’s still dead,” said Julia. “I thought that, once the Demon Prince was gone, everything would just return to normal.”
Rupert shook his head slowly. “Not even the Rainbow can bring back the dead, and some of these trees have stood in darkness for a very long time. The Darkwood may be gone, but it’ll take the Forest centuries to recover from the damage done to it. No, lass; we’re rid of the Demon Prince, but we still have to deal with the legacy he left us.”
Julia suddenly stumbled over something lying hidden in the long grass, and bent down to pick it up.
“What have you got there?” asked Rupert.
“I’m not sure,” said Julia. “Looks like a piece of bone, or horn, or something.”
“A horn? Let me see that.” Rupert reached out a hand for the object. Julia went to pass it to him, and then almost dropped it as her newly healed fingers refused to cooperate. Rupert caught the horn just in time, and smiled sympathetically at Julia. “How’s your hand now, lass? Still stiff?”
“Yeah,” said Julia wryly, kneading her injured hand with her good one. “The Rainbow healed the damage all right, just like before, but it’s going to take a hell of a lot of exercise before this hand is supple enough to use a sword again.”
“I know what you mean,” said Rupert, wincing slightly as a too su
dden movement brought him a warning twinge from his newly healed ribs.
“I wish the Rainbow could have done something for your eye,” said Julia
Rupert shrugged carefully. “So do I, lass; but then again, I’m happy just to be alive.” He studied the piece of horn in his hand. It was almost two feet long and thickly curlicued, the creamy white ivory cracked and discolored. Rupert nodded grimly. “I thought so.”
“What is it?”
“It’s the unicorn’s horn. He lost it to a demon in the Darkwood, remember? The Demon Prince used it to spread his plague.”
Julia looked at the horn warily. “Is it still dangerous? Maybe we ought to destroy it.”
“The High Warlock will know what to do with it,” said Rupert, slipping the horn into the top of his boot. “I’ll give it to him when we get back to the Castle. Maybe he can find some way to fix it back onto the unicorn.”
“Rupert,” said Julia gently. “We can’t be sure that either of them survived that last attack from the demons.”
“Damn,” said Rupert. “Oh damn. I’m sorry, Julia, I didn’t think … It just doesn’t seem possible that so many people could have died in so short a time.”
Julia put an arm round Rupert’s shoulders, and he hugged her to him. They stood together awhile, staring about them, enjoying the sunshine and breathing in great lungfuls of the fresh, untainted air. Losing themselves in the morning, so they could forget the horrors of the night.
“It’s hard to believe it’s finally over,” said Rupert.
“It isn’t over,” said a quiet voice, and Rupert and Julia looked quickly at King John, sitting alone at the edge of the clearing and staring at the ground with empty eyes. “The Demon Prince isn’t dead. All the Rainbow did was drive him back to whatever dark hell he came from. Since the Astrologer and I were responsible for summoning him out of the darkness, only we can truly banish him. One day, the Demon Prince will return. Even if it takes him hundreds of years, he’ll be back.”
Rupert and Julia waited patiently, but the King had nothing more to say. In all the time he was speaking, he never once raised his voice or looked up from the ground.
“Well,” said Rupert finally, “Even if you’re right, Father, if it’s going to take him hundreds of years to return, I don’t see how it’s any problem of ours. As long as we take care not to lose the rainbow sword …”
“Right,” said Julia. “We’ve saved the Forest, and that’s what matters.” She stopped suddenly, and looked at Rupert sideways. “Rupert …”
“Yes?”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Why did you tell me earlier that the rainbow sword didn’t work anymore?”
Rupert smiled shamefacedly. “Just before I began the Rainbow Run,” he said carefully, “the dragon told me that if I reached Rainbow’s End, I’d find my heart’s desire, but that might not be what I thought it was. When I made the Rainbow Run, all I wanted was something that would help me save you and my friends from the darkness. And that’s what I was given. When I tried to use the sword again, down in the Coppertown pit, I was just trying to save myself. So it didn’t work. This time, I didn’t care about myself any more; I just wanted to save you and the others from the Demon Prince. So the sword worked again. Simple, really, when you think about it.”
“If it’s that simple, why didn’t you think of it sooner?”
“I’ve had a lot on my mind recently.”
They shared a smile, and then looked round suddenly as a long, loud roar sounded on the morning air, silencing the singing birds. The air shimmered and broke apart, and out of an endless silver tunnel floated the High Warlock. He dropped gracefully to the ground, and the rent in space slammed shut behind him. Rupert and Julia moved forward, grinning broadly, and took it in turns to clap the High Warlock on the back. Rupert finally stood back and took his first good look at the High Warlock, and felt his smile slip a little. The Warlock’s hair and moustache were pure white, and if anything he looked older and frailer than he had when Rupert first met him.
“Well, sir Warlock,” said Rupert uncertainly. “You’re looking … uh …”
“Yes,” said the Warlock dryly. “I know. That’s what being sober and respectable does for you.”
Rupert laughed in spite of himself. “All right; what happened to the Castle after we left? Last we saw, the courtyard was swarming with demons.”
The Warlock shrugged nonchalantly. “They didn’t stay long enough to do any real damage. We all retreated inside the main Castle and manned the barricades, and then the next thing we knew the demons were attacking each other. Without the Demon Prince to hold the horde together, it didn’t take long for the demons to revert to type, as mindless animals. Most of them died at each others’ hands, and the guards drove out the rest without too much trouble. I doubt the survivors will last long in the Forest, now there’s no darkness to hide in.” He stopped suddenly and looked searchingly to Rupert. “Tell me; how did you kill the Demon Prince?”
“With this,” said Rupert simply, showing the Warlock his sword. “I found it at Rainbow’s End; it calls down the Rainbow.”
The Warlock gave him a hard look. “Why didn’t you tell me you had the rainbow sword?”
“We’re not actually sure the Demon Prince is dead,” said Julia quickly. “King John says all we did was banish him.”
The High Warlock frowned thoughtfully. “With a creature like the Dark Prince, it’s hard to be sure of anything. Since it was never born, it can’t really die. I’d better look into the matter some more.”
They stood in silence for a while, looking about them. The Forest was ablaze with color once again, and from everywhere came the simple sounds of birds and animals and insects.
“I’m glad to see your powers have returned to you, sir Warlock,” said Rupert eventually.
“Yes,” said the Warlock wryly, “It was rather a good teleport, wasn’t it? Now that the Wild Magic is gone, the remains of my magic are back under control again.”
“What was happening at the Castle when you left?” asked Julia. “Did you take many losses?”
“Some,” said the High Warlock. “Mainly on the battlements. But most of us came through it pretty much unscathed. They’d just started clearing up the mess when I left.”
“That’s going to take some time,” said Rupert.
“Oh, I don’t know,” said Julia. “Harald’ll keep everybody busy.”
Rupert had to smile, knowing as he did his brother’s fondness for organizing things and giving orders. The High Warlock took in the way Rupert and Julia were standing together, and smiled suddenly.
“I take it Harald’s wedding is off, Rupert?”
“Definitely,” said Rupert. “Julia and I are …”
“So I see,” said the Warlock. “I hope you’ll be very happy together.”
“Wait a minute,” said Julia, “Don’t I get a say in this?”
“No,” said Rupert, and kissed her quickly before she could say anything else. They finally broke apart, and Julia smiled at him sweetly.
“I’ll get you for that,” she said calmly, and then kissed him again. The High Warlock waited a moment, until it became clear that Rupert and Julia were no longer interested in anyone but themselves, and then he moved away to stand with King John and stare out into the Forest.
“John …”
“I know. You’re leaving again, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” said the High Warlock. “I’ll teleport you back to the Castle, and then I’m off. Magic is going out of the world, and my years are catching up with me.”
“Feeling sorry for yourself?” said John.
The Warlock smiled tiredly. “Just a bit. I shouldn’t complain, really; at least this way I can say I ended my life with one last great adventure.”
“One last adventure,” said the King. “Yes. That’s a good way to end a life. I’m not going back to the Castle, either. You know Thomas Grey i
s dead?”
“Yes,” said the Warlock. “I know.”
“He turned against me and betrayed the Land, and at the end, he said it was all because of me. More and more, I think perhaps he was right. Trusting Thomas too much was just one of the many mistakes I made. I’m not going back to the Castle.
“I never wanted to be King anyway. All the work, the problems, the endless responsibility … I did my best, but somehow that was never enough. And now, more than ever, the Forest Land is going to need a strong King. There’s a lot to be done; overseeing relief work for the towns and villages, saving what we can from the ruined harvests, reestablishing Royal control over the Barons … generally pulling the Land back together again. And I’m just not up to it. Let somebody else try; Rupert or Harald. Either of them would do a good job.
“All I want now is to be alone. Maybe here in the Forest I can find some peace, some absolution; some way to live with my memories of what I’ve done, and didn’t do.”
“John …”
“Goodbye, Warlock. I won’t say goodbye to Rupert and Julia. If I did, I might not be able to go. You’ll have to find a way to do it for me. I won’t be seeing them again.”
He smiled briefly, and then walked away into the Forest. The Warlock watched quietly as he disappeared into the dark green shadows between the trees. Rupert and Julia suddenly noticed that the King was gone, and hurried over to the Warlock.
“Where’s my father?” said Rupert.
The High Warlock turned and bowed formally to him. “Your father is dead, Rupert. The King is dead. Long live King Rupert of the Forest Kingdom.”
It was three in the morning, and the Castle was fast asleep. Stars shone brightly in the night sky, and the full moon lit the courtyard bright as day. A few weary guardsmen patrolled the battlements and manned the gatehouse, but only shadows moved in the empty courtyard. Rupert crept stealthily down the main entrance steps, and then ran silently through the moonlight to hide in the shadows of the inner West wall. He pressed close against the stonework, and waited patiently while his breathing slowed and his eyes adjusted to the sudden change in light. The guards moved slowly from post to post, occasionally staring out at the Forest. None of them so much as glanced at the courtyard. Rupert let out his breath in a quiet sigh of relief, and shrugged the heavy pack on his back into a more comfortable position. He moved quickly along the inner wall, keeping to the shadows, until he finally reached the old stable. He knocked once on the door, waited a moment, and then knocked again. The door swung open just wide enough to admit him, and then closed after him.
Blue Moon Rising (Darkwood) Page 54