by Kate O'Hearn
Earl sighed. ‘I’d sure like to see it some day.’
‘Maybe you will one day when all this is over.’
‘You could come with us,’ one of the agents suggested as a brilliant, almost crazed smile lit his face, ‘when we go there with Cupid.’
Emily and Earl looked at each other knowingly, but said nothing. They fell into silence as they waited for news from the others.
Time seemed to stop as they waited. As each moment ticked by, Emily felt her fear growing. ‘How long has it been?’ she finally asked.
Earl checked his watch. ‘ ’Bout an hour and a half; they should be back here any time.’
Emily started to pace the area. ‘I just wish they’d hurry.’
The two agents also stood and started to pace along with her.
‘Would you two please sit down!’ Emily shouted. ‘I’m fine. See, there’s no one here to hurt me!’
The words were no sooner out of her mouth when a huge crashing sound came from the kitchen area. Pegasus whinnied loudly and charged forward into the darkness. Emily strained her eyes in the firelight but couldn’t see anything.
The two agents burst into action. ‘Stand over there,’ they ordered, driving her away from the kitchen. ‘We’ll check this out.’ One of them pointed at Earl. ‘Keep an eye on her.’
Emily could hear Pegasus’s shrill and furious whinnies. ‘Pegs!’ she cried. She began to feel the Flame within starting to stir. ‘No!’ she told herself. ‘Not again. Not now!’
From the kitchen came more sounds. Mixed in with Pegasus came grunting and squealing. ‘What the heck is that?’ Earl cried as a large animal charged into the dining area, knocking aside the two agents.
After all her time in Olympus, Emily thought she had seen just about everything that world had to offer. But now standing before her was a massive, winged boar. It was covered in coarse brown hair, with sharp pointed tusks curling out of its large threatening snout. But stranger still were the wings. They were folded close to the stocky body and stuck out almost a metre past the boar’s hind end. Its feathers were as brown and coarse as its hair. The raging animal charged forward but stopped just short of Emily.
Pegasus followed quickly behind. He bent his head down and hit the boar with enough force to send it rolling away from Emily.
The enraged animal righted itself and turned. It charged at Pegasus. The stallion stood his ground and lowered his head again. As the two heads met, the sound of their skulls knocking together was sickening.
‘Pegasus!’ Emily cried.
Earl was beside her and holding her back. ‘Don’t!’ he warned. ‘I don’t know what that thing is, but if it’s anythin’ like the wild boars we got around here, it ain’t no friend! We gotta get outta here!’
‘I’m not leaving Pegasus,’ Emily said as she pulled away.
Pegasus reared on his hind legs and kicked out at the ferocious boar. Although the animal was big, it was lightning fast and darted away from the stallion’s lethal hooves.
‘Stop it!’ Emily roared. She could feel flutters in her stomach turning into heavy tingling as the power of the Flame increased with her fear. Soon it would rise and flow along her arms and there would be nothing she could do to control it. ‘Please, stop fighting. The Flame is coming!’
The fight was terrible. The boar charged forward and darted under the stallion’s kicking legs. When it reached Pegasus’s vulnerable underside, it threw its head up and the sharp tusks tore into the flesh of the stallion’s underbelly.
Pegasus shrieked in pain as both his hooves came crashing down on the boar’s back. It squealed and darted away. But then turned and faced Pegasus again. In the dim light, Emily could see blood pouring from the stallion’s wounds. But Pegasus wouldn’t stop. He reared again and charged the winged boar.
Suddenly from all around the boarded-up rest stop came a sound Emily knew all too well. Her eyes flew wildly around the dining area. Thick filthy fingers with sharp claws were tearing away the boards on the windows. As they came away, daylight showed the horrors yet to come. An army of Nirads were outside the Red Apple and were tearing their way in.
‘Nirads!’ she cried, running closer to the fighting stallion. ‘Pegasus, stop, we’ve got to get out of here! Nirads are here!’
‘Them the four-armed aliens attackin’ Olympus?’ Earl asked as his terrified eyes darted around the room. ‘The ones that hurt your leg?’
Emily nodded. The sounds of breaking windows, tearing wood and roaring Nirads in the confines of the tight area were deafening. ‘They’re here to kill us.’ Emily had to shout to hear herself. ‘Get the agents and go. Leave before it’s too late!’
‘I ain’t leavin’ you,’ Earl called. ‘You’re comin’ with me.’
Emily’s powers were rising. In moments her fingertips would explode into flame. ‘I can’t. The Flame is coming and I have no control!’ She shoved Earl away as the tingling rose from her stomach along her arms. ‘Go now before it’s too late!’ she howled.
Just as the first Nirads touched down on the floor of the Red Apple, Emily’s powers let loose. Despite her terror she forced herself to concentrate. The flames shot wildly out of her fingertips, but as a Nirad charged towards her, she pulled back and tightened them into a thin red beam.
She pointed her hands at the Nirad. The red beam struck the ferocious nightmare and burned right through the creature, cutting it in half. The air was filled with howls of pain as it fell to the floor and died.
But there was no time to celebrate. More and more Nirads were pouring into the restaurant. Emily ran forward and fired at a second Nirad and then a third. But in her panic, her aim was off and she only managed to wound the rampaging creatures.
With the red beam still firing from her fingers, Emily’s wild eyes found and shot at more Nirads. But as they went down, more and more seemed to replace them. She had no idea how many there were, but countless more than they had ever fought before. Even with her powers, they were badly outnumbered.
‘Pegasus!’ she cried. The stallion and boar were still fighting. As she stole a glance back, she saw several Nirads joining the fight and moving in on Pegasus. Earl and the two CRU agents were taking on a single Nirad. She ran towards them.
The Nirad quickly dispatched one agent, and then the second one. It turned on Earl.
‘Earl no—!’
The Nirad caught hold of him and raised him in the air. Emily was there in a flash. She pointed her hands at the Nirad as it squeezed Earl in a crushing embrace. Her red beam struck the vicious creature’s leg and cut it off. It roared in pain and threw Earl across the restaurant.
Emily couldn’t see where Earl had landed. She didn’t know if he was dead or alive. But she didn’t have time to find out. She turned her hands towards the Nirads attacking Pegasus, but fear for striking the stallion kept her aim off.
As Emily struggled to control the red beam to hit only the Nirads, she was charged from behind. A Nirad caught her around the waist and hoisted her easily off the ground.
Her arms flew around wildly as she lost control of the Flame. It shot in all directions throughout the restaurant. The beam burned its way through the walls, the ceiling, floor and any Nirads in the way. Everything the powerful red beam touched was sliced like a knife through soft butter. Soon the walls of the Red Apple blazed furiously.
‘No!’ she cried. As terror threatened to overwhelm her, Emily finally regained some control and pointed her hands down at the Nirad. Fire burned the creature’s legs. It roared in agony and released her; they fell to the floor together.
Emily scrambled away. But the relief was short-lived. Before she could raise her hands again, she was tackled and driven down to the floor. Pain exploded in her head as more steel-like arms wrapped around her.
As the brutal arms squeezed tighter, Emily continued to fight. But it was in vain. Her powers stopped and she had no strength against the Nirads. She looked up, searching for Pegasus.
The stallion was knock
ed to the ground and his pain-filled cries split the air as the Nirads swarmed over him. ‘Pegasus!’ she howled.
The Nirad holding Emily lifted her off the ground. But as more creatures moved forward, everyone heard the loud creaking and moaning coming from the building itself.
Emily looked up and saw the latticework of cuts and scars in the ceiling from her powerful red beam. The entire roof was a roaring flame. With the weight of the snow above and the fire below, it proved too much for the weakened timbers. Before anyone had time to react, the beams broke and the entire burning ceiling came crashing down.
14
Emily regained consciousness and opened her eyes. A scream escaped her lips before she could hold it back. She was being carried in the arms of a Nirad. The creature looked down at her as his third hand clamped across her mouth.
He shook his head. The message was clear. Don’t scream.
Emily struggled in the steel-like arms. Yet despite the Nirad’s unbelievable strength, his grip on her was surprisingly light and causing no pain.
When the Nirad was certain she wouldn’t scream again, he removed his hand from her mouth. Emily nearly gagged at the taste of filth on her lips. She looked around and was terrified to discover she was no longer at the Red Apple. She was surrounded by the huge, lumbering creatures as they trudged through the deep snow of the forest.
It was only then Emily noticed all the cuts, burns and large tears to her clothing. She was covered in blood and smelled of smoke. But she wasn’t in any pain. Her jeans were badly damaged and most of the gold leg brace was exposed. The Nirad was being careful not to touch any part of the brace, as if it somehow knew it would be dangerous.
Her hands were covered in dried blood, dirt and ashes. But the skin was smooth and unblemished. She could also move them without any trace of pain. She suddenly realized that despite the torn shreds of her clothes, she wasn’t feeling the cold of being outside in a heavy snowstorm. Cupid was right. She really was an Olympian after all.
It was only then she remembered what happened. How the entire roof of the Red Apple had burned and then collapsed on them.
What about the others? Emily suddenly remembered Pegasus. The last thing she recalled seeing was the Nirads swarming all over him. ‘Pegasus?’ she cried as panic set in and she struggled to escape the arms that held her. ‘Pegs, where are you?’
From far behind the group, Emily heard the stallion whinny. Her heart filled with relief that he was still alive. ‘Are you all right?’
The Nirad holding her gave her a light squeeze and grunted. It shook its head again. Emily focused on its eyes. They were different from the other Nirads she’d encountered. This Nirad appeared to have an intelligence and understanding. When it looked at her, it really seemed to ‘see’ her instead of the normal glazed expression and desire to kill. The creature’s skin was also a different colour to the Nirads she had previously encountered. It had the same marbled skin tone, but instead of grey, the colour of this Nirad was dark orange. Emily looked around and saw an array of different-coloured Nirads – orange, grey and some were lilac. Leading the group deeper into the forest was the winged boar. Bleeding hoof scars were imprinted on its back and wings from the fight with Pegasus. One of the boar’s wings was held at an odd angle and dragged along the surface of the snow, broken.
‘Please put me down,’ Emily said softly to the Nirad.
The creature looked at her, but remained silent.
‘Can you understand me?’
At the front of the group the winged boar stopped. It turned and trotted back to Emily. It stopped before the Nirad holding her and Emily felt the creature react. It lifted her higher away from the sharp tusks of the vicious animal and gripped her more securely.
The boar squealed and fluttered its good wing threateningly at her.
Pegasus responded immediately and whinnied angrily from behind. The boar looked back, squealed again and then moved to the front of the procession.
High in the Nirad’s arms, Emily stole a glance over its thick shoulder.
Emily inhaled sharply at the sight of her beloved stallion. Pegasus was covered in deep scratches, burns and filthy debris from the roof collapse. But worst of all were his once beautiful wings. The fire had burned most of his feathers off, leaving only singed, downy feathers behind.
‘Pegs,’ she whimpered. ‘I’m sorry.’
There were a lot more grey Nirads surrounding Pegasus. They growled, drooled and poked him with sticks to keep him moving.
The Nirad lowered her until she could no longer see Pegasus. It looked down into her face and for a moment, Emily saw profound sadness resting there as it gave her a gentle squeeze.
‘Were you ordered to capture us?’ she asked in a hushed whisper.
The creature nodded slightly.
‘You can understand me!’
The creature looked up to the boar leading the group before looking back down to her. Once again it gave a slight nod.
Emily’s mind was in turmoil. Ever since she’d encountered the first Nirad in New York, she always thought of them as mindless creatures set on only one thing: destruction. But if this Nirad could understand her, could the others? Was there more to them than she first thought?
As she was carried deeper into the forest, she continued to study the Nirads around her. She started to notice other significant differences. It was more than just the colour of their marbled skin. She observed that the grey Nirads were stockier. They drooled, shuffled and seemed to follow the others rather than lead. The lilac Nirads appeared to be in control of the grey ones as they occasionally barked growling instructions to them.
Emily then looked back at the face of the orange Nirad carrying her and noticed a big difference. It stood taller and straighter. Although it had the same muscular build, long dark hair, four arms and claws, these orange Nirads had a dignified presence that suggested intelligence and perhaps even, empathy.
Emily stole a look forward to the winged boar before asking the Nirad carrying her, ‘Can you speak my language?’
The creature shook its head. Then opened its mouth to reveal a row of terrifyingly sharp and pointed teeth. It had a very tiny tongue and made a soft sound, but nothing she could understand. She realized without a proper tongue, it could never speak her language.
When she opened her mouth to ask another question, the Nirad brought its third hand down across it again. It motioned forward to let her know the winged boar was slowing down to listen.
Emily nodded. The creature removed its hand and they walked on through the forest in silence. After a time, Emily saw the ground beneath them rising, and realized they had reached the base of a mountain. But instead of climbing up, they were walking to the left. Up ahead, Emily saw a dark area which could have been a cave entrance blocked by huge boulders.
The winged boar squealed and the group stopped. The Nirad carrying Emily stood well back as the grey Nirads moved forward. They grunted and growled as they started to shift the huge snow-covered boulders away.
Emily could see Pegasus again. Several orange Nirads surrounded him, but they left him untouched. His head was down and his eyes were closed with exhaustion. His beautiful silky mane was matted and singed from the fire. Emily desperately wished she could touch him to heal him, or even call to him. But she knew the Nirad would never allow it.
She was certain it was holding her at an angle so that she could see Pegasus. The way it looked at her told her so. But it would do no more than that.
‘It’ll be all right, Pegs,’ she called to the stallion, heedless of the winged boar standing just a couple of metres away. ‘We’ll get out of this somehow.’
The boar turned and squealed at her again.
‘What are you going to do?’ Emily angrily shot back at it. ‘Kill me? Go on then, try it. But if you dare to touch Pegasus one more time, I swear I’ll unleash my powers and kill us all! Do you understand me?’
The winged boar looked at Emily and tilted its hea
d to the side curiously. It moved closer. Once again the Nirad lifted Emily higher out of reach. But the winged boar was having none of it. It squealed angrily at the Nirad until Emily was lowered to the boar’s level.
Emily was now face to face with the large animal. She looked into its deep brown eyes and saw great intelligence there; it immediately reminded her of Pegasus. The boar’s sharp tusks were a few centimetres away from her face. But Emily felt no fear for herself. All she cared about was keeping Pegasus safe.
‘I don’t know who you are or why you are doing this,’ she said, ‘but I mean it. If you hurt Pegasus again, I will turn my powers against you. Even if it kills me, I don’t care. Leave him alone.’
The boar moved even closer to Emily until the end of its whiskered snout touched her cheek. At the moment of contact, the boar squealed in shock and jumped back. It looked down at its broken wing and moved it slightly. Then it looked over to Pegasus and grunted. Finally it moved forward and pressed its snout against one of Emily’s hands.
Against her wishes, Emily’s powers healed the boar. The hoof marks on the animal’s back faded and disappeared while the wing set and moved into its normal position on the boar’s back.
‘You’re an Olympian!’ she said in shock.
The boar stared at Emily for several heartbeats until it eventually drew away. It walked over to Pegasus and squealed.
Pegasus raised his head proudly and faced the boar. He whinnied several times and pounded the snowy ground with his sharp golden hoof. She wished more than ever that she could understand him. Something very serious was happening here and she needed to know what.
After a long exchange, the winged boar looked back at Emily. It turned and walked through the deep snow to where the Nirads were uncovering the cave entrance. When it was opened, the boar entered.
Everyone started to move. They streamed one by one into the dark cave. Soon the Nirad carrying Emily stepped forward. As she looked back towards Pegasus, she struggled to see past all the Nirads surrounding him. He was being led in behind her. Emily couldn’t see a thing as her eyes tried to adjust from bright snow-blindness to the pitch dark of the cave. She could hear the occasional grunt as the Nirads piled into the tight area. A moment later something brushed against her leg – a Nirad arm – and as it grazed along her exposed gold leg brace it howled in agony and fell to the ground clutching its wounded arm and bellowing in pain. It rose to its feet and charged towards Emily, desperate to kill. Before Emily could react, the orange Nirad holding her struck out at the attacker with one of its strong arms. She heard the fist make brutal contact with the face of the attacking Nirad. It fell backwards, roaring as it went.