“Idiot,” said McVale crossly, as she realised what had happened. The portal closed and she walked forwards and then jumped down into another passageway further on, the grey creatures following her.
Yas and Sam landed on their feet on stairs in another part of the realm, and nearly lost their balance because of the mixed orientations. Sleight, who appeared next to them, landed further down on a small landing, which other staircases led to and from. He immediately ran up a staircase and turned to fire.
Sam pulled Yas to him again and returned fire, Sleight ducked and continued to fire back.
“We need cover,” Sam shouted, as they moved further up the stairs and jumped across onto another to try to cover themselves.
“Where are we?” asked Yas, trying to get her bearings.
“I can still hear others. I think we’re not too far from the battle,” replied Sam.
Sleight changed position to regain his height advantage and continued to fire at Sam and Yas. The room that they were in seemed to be impossibly tall, with staircases leading to passageways off the room. Yas and Sam made their way to one passageway, only to find that grey creatures were already approaching them from the other end.
“Crap,” said Sam, looking around to try to find a way out. “I think we’re trapped.”
They backed out again and down the stairs, defending against a fresh volley from Sleight. Sam created a word net like umbrella to shield them while they ran down the steps to choose another route.
Sleight saw them moving downwards and leapt onto books moving out from a bookcase, then down onto another staircase to gain a new position from which he could fire. Sam and Yas moved to another passageway and used the wall to give themselves some cover. Sleight continued to fire while approaching. He was causing pieces of the wall to explode around them. They both realised that their cover would not last long.
“Yas,” urged Sam. “We need to get out of here.”
“I know! I’m trying to think of something,” she replied, irritated.
She looked up and saw a collection of books moving across in a ‘V’ formation. It reminded her of geese flying south for the winter. Remembering that Sleight had jumped between books earlier, in her mind she asked the books for help. In reply, the lead book twisted, to spill the air from its wings, and divebombed Sleight. It hit him on the back of his head. Surprised, he turned around to see other books doing the same. It was enough of an opportunity for Sam to leap out from the passageway and down the stairs, firing word arrows. He caught Sleight in the shoulder, knocking him backwards. Sleight tried to regain balance by stepping down but missed. He staggered backwards and then toppled off the side of the staircase and disappeared.
“That was awesome,” said Sam to Yas as he ran back up the steps.
“Thanks,” she said. “You weren’t too bad yourself.”
“Come on,” Sam said, grabbing her hand. They ran along the passageway. Doorways appeared off above and below them, and they had to jump across each to avoid falling through, while also fending off creatures appearing through them.
Other battles were taking place in different rooms. Raelinn had arrived in one room along with Eddie and his father, Wheeler. She was fighting two other guardians.
“Why have you brought us here?” asked Wheeler angrily. They had been bound in the forest by this vampire and dragged here through a portal. Wheeler tried to pull his hands free, but the magic bounds prevented him from conjuring an escape.
“Index needs you both,” Raelinn replied, fighting off two other Guardians.
“Index, who?” said Wheeler, trying to get as much information as he could from her. He knew Orfeo was incredibly tight lipped, but he hoped this woman might give him something.
“Dai, lookout!” he shouted, nodding upwards to one of the Guardians. In the ceiling above the man was an opening and two creatures were readying themselves to jump down.
Dai looked up and fired word arrows, hitting one of the creatures and raining down word fragments. Raelinn planned to use the distraction to fire, but Wheeler backed himself into her, knocking her off balance for a moment and sending her shots wide of the Guardian.
She turned, regained her balance and then launched a kick at Wheeler. “You!” she shouted. It hit him on his side and with his arms bound, caused him to lose his footing. He fell to the ground awkwardly.
Eddie, who was linked to his father’s binding jerked backwards and down. He landed next to him.
“Dad?” he asked, concerned. “Dad? Are you alright?”
“I’m okay,” he replied. “Are you?”
“Yes,” Eddie replied, still very wooden and controlled in his responses. The magic that had previously controlled him was taking its time to fade.
Raelinn moved so that Eddie and Wheeler were between her and the two Guardians. They had ceased firing. Inky grey creatures made their way down the walls to surround them.
“You won’t win!” shouted Raelinn, defiantly. “You have no idea of the magic at play here!”
“Tell us then,” retorted Kierra, the other of the two Guardians in the room.
Raelinn laughed. “If only you knew,” replied Raelinn, enjoying the exchange. “I’m not your average simpleton, like these two.” She nodded towards Wheeler and Eddie.
“Who are you working for?” called Kierra. “Who's this Index?” She grabbed a book from the air and shot a stream of words towards Raelinn.
Raelinn created a word shield in front of her, laughing. The words bounced off in all directions, some raining down on Eddie and Wheeler. “So little imagination,” she shot back, “when you could create anything to fight me?” She summoned a book from behind her and used its words to send flying bats towards Kierra and Dai. They both defended themselves using word nets.
Unnoticed, Wheeler had managed to scoop up some of the magic and had used it to loosen his and Eddie’s binds. Free, they stood and turned, Wheeler keeping Eddie a little behind him, to join in the fight against Raelinn.
“One against four!” she shouted. “Hardly fair, don’t you think?”
The bats that had attacked Dai and Kierra peeled away as a single cloud and formed a rectangular doorway, between Raelinn and the two Guardians. She waved her hand and it opened, air rushing towards it. It started to pull in anything it could. Dai and Kierra lost their footing and fired out tendrils to the stairs. Hanging in mid-air, it was all they could do to work their way along the tendrils to firmer handholds.
“Dad!” cried out Eddie, losing his footing and scrambling with his feet as best he could. Wheeler also lost his footing but used what little remaining grip he had to launch himself at an inky grey creature, that was unaffected by the rushing air. He landed in a bear hug around its neck, grabbing Eddie with his other hand.
Raelinn laughed at the scene. She was also unaffected and moved towards Eddie.
“I brought you here because you can’t be trusted,” she said, looking at Wheeler. “Index wants me to keep an eye on you.”
“Penn?” asked Wheeler, trying to buy some time. He cautiously changed his grip on the creature so that he could pull Eddie away from the door. The creature was wriggling under his grip, trying to get its teeth onto him.
“Index,” Raelinn replied simply. She wasn’t giving anything away.
“And what if I don’t?” asked Wheeler.
“Then I’m afraid your son here will be lost into the void. Its up to you.”
“The void?” asked Wheeler, using his feet to move himself and Eddie away from the doorway.
On the other side, the two Guardians had reached the stairs and were firing magic across the top of the doorway to Raelinn. Nothing was reaching her though. The shots curved around, pulled by the air, and disappeared into the doorway.
“A doorway into the far reaches of the realms,” she added.
“Escape from it all, you mean?” asked Wheeler sarcastically, trying to manoeuvre himself closer to Raelinn. “I could do with some R&R!”
&nbs
p; “Once closed, there’s no easy way back,” continued Raelinn. “He’ll be lost, forever.”
“What about you?” Wheeler said, inching his way further and away from the centre of the door.
“What do you mean?” she asked crossly.
“Ever want to get away from it all? Out of the clutches of this... Index?”
“Why would I want to do that?” she asked, looking at him puzzled.
“Because...” Wheeler started, and then in one movement swung Eddie to the side of the doorway and with his other hand let go of the creature and grabbed Raelinn on her leg. The rushing air caught him and pulled him towards the doorway, Raelinn in tow. “I do!” he finished.
She screamed, kicking at him in anger and firing word tendrils backwards as she slid along the floor. None had enough time to grab on to anything firm though.
“Dad! No!” Eddie cried out, seeing what was happening. He slid to the frame of the doorway and stopped, then watched in horror as his dad and Raelinn disappeared through it. The door vanished, and the other two Guardians dropped to the floor. The inky creatures scattered in all directions, to join a different battle.
Sam and Yas had made their way through a number of passageways. Nearing the end of another, three inky grey prairie dogs dropped down behind them from an opening they had just passed.
“Where the hell did they come from?” Sam asked.
They hissed. Sam glanced behind. “Crap!” he said as they continued to run.
The creatures ran after them but kept pace. They could have easily attacked.
“Why are they not attacking?” asked Yas, breathlessly. Every other inky grey creature they had encountered so far had wanted to.
“It feels like they are blocking our way back,” said Sam, glancing ahead. “I wonder why?” Then he noticed the end of the passageway darken. McVale appeared. They skidded to a halt.
“I wondered where you two had gone,” she said, moving her hands over each other, readying more word magic. Yas and Sam backed away.
“Look out!” Sam shouted to Yas, as he almost tripped over a painting forming on the wall behind him. He looked at McVale who was nonchalant, but he wondered if she’d had a hand in causing that to form. Sam started to form a protective word dome around them again, so at least they had some cover while they decided what to do.
McVale threw a word bomb that dropped through the hole at the top of the forming dome. It landed on the canvas, fizzing and popping. Then, just as Yas was about to step back onto it, he realised that McVale had changed the painting into an open doorway.
In slow motion, Sam watched as Yas took a step backwards, unaware of the danger.
“Yas!” he yelled, as she flailed in the air before losing her balance. She screamed out in surprise. Sam reached forwards and caught her arm, then he was pulled down himself onto all fours. He gripped the edge of the opening with one hand, giving him leverage with the other. McVale took the opportunity to fire more words at the word dome, which combined with the creatures gnawing at the magic behind them caused it to fail and dissolve.
Yas looked up at Sam.
“I’ve got you!” he shouted. “I won’t let go!” He looked around himself nervously. He wasn’t sure how long they had.
Yas looked down. Just below her, she spotted books emerging from the top of a bookcase. While still holding onto Sam, she jumped quickly across these, using them as a springboard to to jump back out of the hole. Then, crouching on the side of the doorway, she summoned to the books below. They formed a white unicorn, which leapt upwards and charged, head lowered, to the grey creatures behind them. It speared one of the prairie dogs, causing it to dissolve and disappear. The unicorn continued to charge, but one of the other prairie dogs grabbed onto the unicorn’s front leg, then both dropped out of sight through another opening. Yas and Sam backed up the passage further. Only one grey creature was behind them now, but it hissed, menacingly.
“You can’t kill us,” called out Yas in anger to McVale. The older lady stopped firing and stepped forwards.
“You need us to release the peacekeepers,” Yas continued, challenging her.
McVale stopped. “I don’t want to harm you, my dear” she said, smiling. “I just want to get you away from these bad influences.” As if to illustrate the point, the tongue of the hissing hyena from behind shot out and caught Sam on the leg. Serpent like, it was incredibly long and coiled around his ankle. He cried out and scrambled for a grip as he was pulled back towards the doorway that Yas had just climbed out of.
“Sam!” shouted Yas, as she shot a word rope of her own to him. She hoped she could buy him some time. She looked up at McVale. “Let him go, now!”
“You know, you were like the daughter I never had, Yas,” McVale said, stepping forwards again.
“What do you mean?” A book floated above her, and she mentally asked it to help remove the tie around Sam’s ankle. It spilled some words which started to dissolve the tongue. Sam kicked his legs to remove the rest of it. The hyena spat and gnarled as the dissolving tongue worked its way back into its mouth and then caused the rest of it to explode outwards in a thousand word fragments.
“I just wanted to show you the potential of your gifts,” McVale appealed. “Your family has had a poor view of me, Yas.”
“That’s a lie!” Yas shouted back. “And you know it.” She stopped, looking directly at McVale. There was the slightest moment of surprise on McVale’s face. She hadn’t expected the challenge.
“I want to talk with you, Yas. You’ll soon see things from my point of view.”
“No! You had that chance! You’re a Controller!”
McVale sighed. “It’s a shame you see it that way.”
“You’ll lose!” shot back Yas. “The Fates told me. You’re the friend I had to lose in order to win the battle.”
McVale laughed. Finally, Yas felt that what she portrayed was true to her motives. “The Fates! Listen to yourself child! You don’t know what you’re talking about!”
“I know what I believe. You have to be prevented from using the peacekeepers for your own ends!”
“And who’s going to stop me?” countered McVale, brewing more magic between her hands. “You? Him?” She sighed. “Stop ignoring the potential, Yas. We could have control of everything!”
There was a blur behind McVale as a figure moved very quickly.
“No, you won’t!” came the voice of her mom. “Its time you were stopped!” She threw a word spear at McVale.
McVale turned, surprised. She dodged the spear and returned fire. Meanwhile, Sam got to his feet and rushed at McVale, throwing a word bomb at her. McVale saw the first coming and dodged it, firing back and catching Sam on the shoulder. He flinched in pain and ducked down, firing another. McVale threw up a shield to protect against the bomb but did not see a slew of arrows that Yas had unleashed that followed it. As the shield dissolved, the word arrows came straight through her defences and into her side, causing her to cry out in pain and slump down. Yas was instantly mortified. No matter how she felt about the woman, she felt guilty about the pain she had just caused. She put her hand to her mouth in horror.
Yas’s mom walked up to McVale, fresh word balls brimming in each hand. She crouched over the slumped McVale.
“You’ve caused a lot of sorrow to our family,” Yas’s mom said. “I don’t know what involvement you had in Akoni’s disappearance, but I know you offered my father no compassion.” She paused. “I am willing to provide you some.” She offered up a word ball in her hand, humming gently. “This will heal you if you agree to banishment to a realm.”
McVale looked at Yas. “Yas, please? Can’t you see the prejudice? We could do so much together.”
Yas didn’t answer. She was torn by guilt and knew she was being played.
“Give it up, McVale,” Sam said. “You can’t win!”
Then, he touched Yas on her back in support. “You okay, Yas?”
Yas nodded.
“And i
f I don’t agree?” asked McVale through narrowed eyes, wheezing with pain.
“It will consume you,” her mom said. “Its up to you. I’m giving you a chance.”
McVale nodded, sensing defeat. She took the ball contritely and it spread across her body, healing the wounds that Yas had inflicted. Yas was relieved. Perhaps there was a way forwards in co-operation and peace.
Then, after a moment, there was a change in McVale’s expression. It became more determined, sinister, even. Yas wanted to call out, but it happened so quickly. McVale reached out to grab Yas’s mom, sending some form of magic over her. The magic enveloped her mom causing her to shake and collapse down onto the floor.
Yas tried to rush forwards, but was pulled back by Sam.
“Stay back,” Sam urged. He moved slightly ahead of her, trying to shield her against whatever was happening.
The magic turned inwards on McVale, as her intentions changed. It created a black inky container around her moving inwards, imploding. McVale screamed as the magic dissolved her at the edges causing her to shrink away to nothing. Yas’s mom remained crouched and weak, as if she’d just experienced an electrical shock.
Yas ran over and touched her mom. “Mom, Mom, are you okay?” she asked, scared.
Her mom looked up at her and nodded weakly. “I should have expected that. McVale could never be trusted. At least the magic took care of her.”
Sam moved forwards also and together they helped Yas’s mom to her feet. Sam winced as he did so, his injury making itself known.
“I’ll be alright in a moment,” said Yas’s mom, taking a shaky breath.
“Thanks Mom,” said Yas. “I’m glad you were here.” She then turned to Sam, realising his injury. “Sam?” she asked.
“Just a scratch,” Sam said, looking at a rip in his jacket and a cut on his shoulder. “What should we do now?” he asked.
“Let’s find the others,” suggested her mom. “We need to end this!”
“Where’s Penn?” asked Yas.
“This way,” said Yas’s mom, and they followed her.
They ran to the end of the passageway, then followed the trail of destruction and noise to the epicentre. The end of the passageway opened into a larger room. Above them on the ceiling, and upside down, a guardian and a white fox were fending off four grey hyenas. As Yas’s mom, Yas and Sam passed through, they fired shots upwards to try and help, but then had to fend off other creatures who charged down the stairs on either side of the room. They split up. Sam managed to get around the side of two gnarling spiky headed creatures and fired word arrows at them, causing them to dissolve into the floor. Yas fended off two creatures heading towards her. Yas’s mom ran towards the remaining creature. It decided to leap at her, to grab her by the throat, but Yas’s mom slid underneath, firing upwards into its belly. The shot hit home, the creature splitting apart into words, flying in all directions, covering her with wet inky drops.
The Word Guardians: and the Battle for the Peacekeepers Page 26