“No, Autumn. I need to go alone.”
“What? Why?”
“If Firerock is being swayed by Oaktongue, he’ll either know that Oaktongue has spoken to you or Oaktongue will have at least fed him some sort of reason for him to mistrust you. Oaktongue may even be trying to peg you as an instigator. He might have told you those things to get you to try and start trouble. He’s probably trying to cause a rift between Firerock and myself. I’ll go alone. I’m still the Queen, and I have good reason to be speaking with him without anyone thinking it’s because of you or because of Oaktongue. I’ll go now and see what I can find out. I’ll be back before lunch.”
“This is all so strange. Why is Oaktongue trying to cause trouble?”
“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”
•••
“That is truly upsetting to hear, my friend.”
Firerock grimaced at Oaktongue.
“I’m sorry I had to be the one to tell you, Firerock. But I just didn’t think it would be fair not to say anything.”
“No. Thank you for your honesty. It is important that I know these things.” Firerock was deeply unsettled. “I just can’t believe that the Queen feels that way about me. She really called me an idiot?”
“According to Autumnbreeze. Autumnbreeze said she is looking for ways to release you of the responsibility Eveneye has given to you, because she doesn’t believe that you are capable.”
“I have never done anything to displease her. I have always had the deepest respect for her. I would place my life on the line for her. Have I been blind?”
“I hate to say it, but I’m not sure she is to be trusted, my friend. It would seem that in her husband’s absence, she seeks to have control of the Kingdom to herself.”
“This is most unsettling.” Firerock paced the cave. “What should I do?”
“The King gave you a responsibility, Firerock. The Queen cannot change that.”
A young bear walked into Firerock’s chamber.
“Excuse me, sir, but the Queen is here to see you.”
Firerock and Oaktongue glanced at each other. Oaktongue nodded.
“See her in,” said Firerock.
This is going so perfectly, thought Oaktongue.
Goldenheart walked into the chamber and jolted when she saw Oaktongue. Am I too late? she wondered.
“Firerock, if I could have a moment of your time, I would like to speak with you alone.”
Firerock again looked toward Oaktongue.
“I’ll speak with you later,” Oaktongue said to Firerock and stood up from the table he had been sitting at. “Good day to you, my Queen.”
Goldenheart nodded to him and he began to leave the chamber, but before he had made his way out of the door, the three bears heard screaming coming from outside. They immediately ran out of the cave to find the source.
The roads of Gray Mountain were madness. Bears were running every which way in total panic.
“The mountain is under attack!” someone yelled.
“The wall has been penetrated!” shouted another.
The mountain was total bedlam. Young cubs were crying everywhere. Everyone was in confusion. Some bears were packing things up and trying to flee the mountain, while others were trying to blockade the entrance to their caves. More screams came from off to the left. The three bears swung their heads around and then they saw it.
A large, black creature ran up the mountain on four legs. It roared and gnashed its teeth, its blood red eyes flashed in the sunlight.
“What is wrong with that bear?” said Goldenheart.
“That is no bear,” replied Oaktongue.
The creature reared up on its hindquarters as three soldiers approached it. They were no match for the beast and it crushed them in mere seconds, their blood spattering against the creature’s black hide. It shrieked in victory as the bears of the Kingdom ran for their lives.
Firerock had seen enough. He immediately called four soldiers over to him.
“Escort the Queen into the nearest cave and barricade the entrance,” he barked at them. “Guard her with your lives!”
“Yes, sir!” the soldiers replied in unison and quickly ushered Goldenheart away.
Firerock turned to Oaktongue. “Go to the arena and raise all of the gates. Have bears posted at each one, ready to close the gates upon my command. Do this as quickly as you can.”
“But, Firerock–”
“Do it NOW!”
Firerock roared and Oaktongue scrambled away toward the arena at the center of Gray Mountain. Firerock then turned his attention back toward the beast who was battling a fresh group of soldiers. Firerock roared again, as loud as he could, and barreled toward the intruder.
The soldiers had the beast’s attention, which gave Firerock the opening he needed. He ran full force into the side of the beast, knocking it to the ground.
“Run!” barked Firerock at the soldiers. “Retreat! Get out of here!” The soldiers looked at Firerock in total confusion as the beast began to gather itself and get back to its feet. “That’s an order!” yelled Firerock.
The soldiers fell back and Firerock now had the full attention of the beast. The creature swung a mighty claw at Firerock, but he ducked the swing and rolled to the side. He began circling the beast so that it could not get a good target on him, and the creature shrieked an unearthly shriek. The area had now completely cleared out, and Firerock was alone with the creature who followed his every movement, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
I hope Oaktongue has made haste, Firerock thought to himself. He stopped circling the beast, anticipating the attack, and it came immediately. Firerock again ducked the creature’s swing and rolled to the side. This time, however, he dug a claw into the ground and threw dirt up into the eyes of the beast. Without waiting, he ran.
The creature shook its head and wiped at its eyes with its front legs, trying to get the dirt out. By the time the creature had cleared its sight, Firerock had put quite a distance between them. The creature again gave a blood-curdling shriek and began to run after Firerock. Firerock ran as fast as he possibly could. He could hear the creature behind him and knew he would not be able to outrun the beast for long. If Firerock could not make it into the arena, it would mean his death. Run, he told himself. Run.
The roads of Gray Mountain had cleared; there wasn’t a bear in sight. So far, Firerock’s plan was working, but the black beast gained on him every second. His lungs burned but he knew he couldn’t give in to the pain. He grit his teeth and ran harder.
He could now see the entrance to the arena in front of him. Please, Oaktongue. Please. If Oaktongue couldn’t hold to his end of this plan, all would end in tragedy. The creature was gaining on Firerock all the time. Firerock could hear the beast’s grunts and pounding paws against the road, growing louder behind him.
Fortunately, the entrance gate was open, dug out of the mountainside and leading directly onto the arena floor. Relief ran through Firerock’s body and reenergized his legs. Just a little further. Firerock came flying through the entrance to the arena and the beast was directly on his heels.
“Close the entrance!” roared Firerock. “Close the entrance!” The heavy door of the arena entrance came crashing down as the beast chased Firerock around the arena floor. Then, Firerock gave his second command. “Close all gates but one!” he yelled. “Close all gates but one!”
Gates all around the floor level of the arena began to close as the beast bore down on Firerock and snapped at his back with its razor teeth. Firerock ran in circles as he watched the gates closing, knowing this would all be over soon. His legs and lungs burned as they never had before, and he felt as if he were tearing his own muscle with every stride.
There was now just one gate open and Firerock darted for it. He could see Oaktongue through the gate, with his paw upon the lever, ready to drop the door as soon as Firerock was through. One hundred feet away now, then fifty, then Firerock felt something
hit his back leg. He tumbled forward upon the arena floor, a mere ten feet from the gate. He rolled over to see the beast looming over him. It reared upon its hind legs and shrieked with victory. Its red eyes were afire in the dimly lit arena.
“Close the gate! Save yourselves!” commanded Firerock, trying desperately to catch his breath. “Close it!”
Five spears flew forth from the open door, striking the beast in its chest. It fell to the ground as five soldiers ran to Firerock and dragged him through the gate to safety, all while Oaktongue sent the final gate crashing closed, trapping the beast inside the arena.
“What on earth is that thing?” Firerock gasped, looking up at Oaktongue.
“I have no idea.”
•••
Firerock and Oaktongue stood in the King’s box, far above the arena floor, looking down upon the beast they had trapped. It looked back up at them and gave a low growl. The beast had torn the spears out of its chest and the wounds bled freely. They had no ill effect upon the beast. It shook its hairless, black hide and paced upon the floor of the arena, looking for some escape.
“I don’t know how long we can hope to hold it,” said Firerock.
Oaktongue shook his head. “I am at a total loss. I don’t know what that is or where it came from.”
“This must be the work of the Tyrant,” guessed Firerock. “I wish Eveneye were here.”
The wheels began to grind in Oaktongue’s mind and fire burned in his eyes. The Tyrant and Eveneye. Eveneye and the Tyrant. The names danced through his mind, intertwining with each other to create a most devious concoction. This couldn’t be more perfect.
“My friend,” began Oaktongue. “A most shocking and unfortunate revelation has just occurred to me.” Firerock looked up from the monstrosity below. “Tell me, Firerock. Does this creature not look similar, in some ways, to a bear?”
Firerock furrowed his brow. “That thing is nothing like us.”
“No, hear me out,” said Oaktongue. “If you saw it in the dark, just saw its silhouette, could you mistake it for a bear?”
“Possibly at a distance, I suppose.”
“All right, so it does look somewhat like a bear.”
“No,” argued Firerock. “Its hide is black, it has no fur, its eyes are red–”
“It walks on four legs, is roughly shaped like a bear, but larger, and it infiltrated our defenses.”
“What are you saying, Oaktongue?”
Oaktongue sighed. “We know that the Great Tyrant is out there right now. Whiteclaw has already fallen to him…what if another of our great leaders has fallen to the Tyrant?”
Firerock was very confused. “I don’t understand.”
“Where is Eveneye, Firerock?”
“I do not know.”
“Have we heard anything from Eveneye since his departure?”
“No.”
“Look at that creature upon the arena floor, Firerock. You know him well. He was transformed by the Tyrant’s evil magic. That beast you see is your King. It is Eveneye.”
“No, Oaktongue. No. It is impossible.”
“Impossible for the Great Tyrant to transform a bear into a twisted creature of evil through magic?”
“No. I can’t believe it.”
“Tell me then, Firerock. What is that thing? What animal of Ephanlarea is that? Where does it come from? Where is Eveneye and why does he not keep contact with our Information Department?”
“I don’t know, Oaktongue. I don’t know.”
“It is time to act, Firerock. Bring the Kingdom to the arena so that they can see what the Tyrant has done to their King. They need to accept what has happened…so that they can begin to accept what needs to happen. So they can begin to accept that there needs to be a new King.”
Chapter 12: A Bitter Old Dog
There had been a certain tension present upon The Rusty Nail ever since the night the Farsider had attacked. Part of that tension was in the knowing that an attack like that could come again at any time, but mostly the tension was due to the words that had passed between Evercloud and Captain Nesbitt just before the attack. They spoke sparingly to each other and when they did speak, it was about things that did not matter, such as their current course or the chance of oncoming weather. No more stories had been told, no more secrets unveiled, they had all gone back to being strangers.
Riverpaw was taking it with a bit of difficulty, as he and his companions had decided not to share their powers with Nesbitt and Mr. Tripp. Tomas didn’t shoot his bow, Evercloud had nowhere to use his speed and did what he could to conceal his strength, and Riverpaw did not fly. Yet, his hours spent looking longingly toward the sky could have given anyone cause to wonder.
“When we reach land, we will attempt to separate,” Evercloud told Riverpaw as they sat alone on the deck. “We won’t need Nesbitt any longer. We’ll be fine on our own.”
Riverpaw nodded.
Later, Evercloud parlayed the same information to the brothers Floyd while the three of them were alone below deck.
“We’ll need to get more information before we reach Felaqua if we plan on splitting up,” replied Ben. “We know nothing of Felaqua. We don’t even know where to start looking.”
“I’ll leave that to the two of you,” said Evercloud. “I’ve no reason to speak to that bitter, old dog.”
“Don’t forget that it was Tenturo who sent us to this bitter old dog, Evercloud,” reminded Ben. “We may need him more than we think.” Evercloud shook his head and grimaced. “I’ll talk to him,” said Ben.
Ben Floyd walked up the stairs that led to the deck and found the Captain beside Mr. Tripp at the ship’s wheel.
“Are we close?” asked Ben.
“We’re close,” replied Mr. Tripp.
“Where do you suppose we should begin looking, once we reach Felaqua, Captain? None of us have ever been to Felaqua and wouldn’t know where to start.”
“We’ll be visiting a friend of mine,” replied Nesbitt. “He knows a thing or two about spells and history. I figure if anyone can point us in a good direction, he’d be the one.”
“You say he knows about spells,” continued Ben. “Is this friend of yours a magician?”
“No. Magicians are tricksters, entertainers. They know nothing of how things really work.”
“So what is it that your friend does to be so knowledgeable about spells and such?”
“Mr. Floyd,” said Captain Nesbitt, turning away from the wheel and facing toward Ben. “It seems to me that there may have been some trust lost between our groups. Would I be accurate in that assessment?”
“I believe a more accurate assessment, Captain, would be that you are traveling with a group of four who have recently learned to distrust things as benign as the moon. Our being careful of new situations does not imply mistrust in you or Mr. Tripp.”
“Understood, Mr. Floyd. Gather your group on deck. I’ll give you the need-to-know.”
“Thank you, Captain.”
“On one condition,” added Nesbitt. “You lot quit hiding what you are. I see more than you think. You’ve got your need-to-knows and I’ve got mine as well.”
Ben Floyd nodded and turned to find his companions. It seemed as though tensions were about to be relieved or cause an explosion.
•••
Night fell and The Rusty Nail dropped anchor. The sky was clear, the air was warm, and the ocean was still. The six travelers gathered on deck and stared at each other, waiting for someone to start speaking. Ben Floyd thought it prudent to break the ice.
“I’ll start,” Ben cleared his throat. “Captain, my group is interested in knowing exactly who we are meeting in Felaqua and what sort of help you believe he can give us.”
“Fair enough,” said the Captain. “We are going to meet a man I have known for almost one hundred years. There are only two men living on this earth that I trust, and he is one of them. He is known as Saquu, and he is the eldest of the Felaquan monks. There are always ten
Felaquan monks and the eldest is always known as Saquu, which in their language means one. I have known him since he was Sudali, or six. If there is anyone in the whole of Felaqua that can give us the information we seek, it is he.”
“Why do you trust him?” asked Evercloud.
“He knew what I was as soon as he saw me, yet to this day, has told no one. He is a man who has the knowledge to see the world for what it really is, and the wisdom to let it be. That’s enough for my trust.” Nesbitt paused. “Now my turn.” The Captain turned to Riverpaw. “Tell me why you stare at the sky for hours in a day.”
Riverpaw looked at Evercloud and Evercloud shook his head just slightly. The Captain noticed Evercloud’s movement and glowered at him.
“I want you off my boat.”
“We’re in the middle of the ocean,” said Tomas.
“I don’t care. I don’t trust this one. I’ve shared more of myself than I ever should have, yet you four keep your secrets. How did you kill the Farsiders? Why was the Floyd family entrusted to protect Chera? Who left this one in a forest to die and be rescued by bears?” The Captain growled at Evercloud. “Who are you? What is your purpose here?”
Evercloud had had enough accusation. He stood so that he towered over Nesbitt. The dog took a tentative step back, but never took his eyes away from Evercloud’s. Mr. Tripp tensed and readied himself for a fight, and the others did the same. Evercloud looked down upon the Captain and spoke clearly.
“I am Evercloud, son of Eveneye, King of Bears. I know not where I came from or why I was left to die as a child, but it matters not. What I am is human. Who I am is bear. I fight for my Kingdom and I quest for my Kingdom. Returning the Ancients to power is what my Kingdom has wished for and that is my purpose.”
“How did you defeat the Farsiders in the White Mountains?”
“With poison from the Tree of Death in Oldham’s Bog. We’ll take you there if you like, there’s a lovely witch that would just eat you up.”
“Don’t get smart with me! You think I don’t have a right to know these things? I’m not the one keeping secrets!”
Everflame: The Complete Series Page 35