‘Then the next time your instincts tell you something is wrong, I’d listen if I were you, lest it cost you more dearly than today,’ said the other.
Kira looked thoughtful. She nodded. ‘I will!'
He smiled. ‘I've been expecting you. The time of the Quest is the only occasion when mortal beings come here. In fact, they come and some never leave as you can see by the bones hanging from the chamber walls, and by the stench of death lingering in the air.' His blunt tone was icy.
‘Who were those poor souls?’ she asked, a shiver running down her spine. 'They've been mutilated beyond recognition.'
The stranger shook his head sombrely. ‘Warriors like you. And they died painfully. Their limbs were hacked off with blunt instruments while still alive. They also allowed themselves to be followed in here by the Dark Demon of Balthazar – a big mistake and a deadly one. Unfortunately, they were not as agile or resilient as you were, and I am merely the Guardian of the Enchanted Stone, so I dare not interfere with the fate of mortals. Were you afraid?’ he asked, a curious stare embedded upon his ancient face.
‘No, but today isn’t a good day to die,’ she answered honestly.
‘I'm an immortal and ignorant of that concept,’ said the Guardian. ‘However, I would imagine that there is never a good day to die, if you are a blue-blood.’
She sighed, touching her singing wounds. In that moment, she noticed the storm had blown itself out and she couldn’t hear thunder or see lightning any more. It was deathly quiet outside and the air was fresh and still with the passing of the storm. ‘Now what?’ she asked.
‘You may go to the throne room and claim the enchanted Firestar. You've earned it by killing the demon. Then sit on the throne and sleep. For tomorrow when the sun rises, you will have far to travel and much to do.’ Even as he spoke he faded into the darkness of the shadows and was gone.
Not wanting to waste time, she went out through the iron door and entered the throne room, striding purposefully across to a small pedestal, where she lifted the Firestar sitting there. She placed it in her knapsack and then collapsed onto the throne and duly fell asleep. And as she slept, the other five heroes in their respective cities participated wilfully in sexual acts, drunken brawls and debauchery of every kind, awaiting their turn in the Quest. All were having the time of their lives, bragging about how they would fare against their fellow warriors, each confident of the outcome. None of them even considered failure. Each one of them imagined that they would be the final victors, even though out of the whole group Kira had the best chance of winning because she had already begun her long journey. This gave her the advantage and she would exploit it to the full.
*
Now only four hundred leagues to the north, Koki’s ghostly voice whispered, echoing over the land. ‘Tonight more puny humans will bow down before my deadly disciples or die. Every brave spirit will be broken and every blue-blood soul will be mine, one way or another.’ His voice carried on the wind. ‘Tonight,’ it cried.
‘Tonight,’ screamed birds of every kind.
Even the land seemed to breathe and whisper, ‘Tonight… tonight… tonight…’
Very softy there was a horrifying laugh as night finally closed in over the land like an advancing black wall. And a dark moon hid from a starless sky between the clouds and shimmering heat hazes.
*
The next morning Kira awoke and wiped the sleep from her eyes. She climbed down from the throne and walked over to the door. Opening it she stepped down onto a blue marble balcony with a tarnished silver balustrade. She stared out across Balthazar and could imagine that it had once been a very beautiful place with sprawling green lawns, strong sweet smelling palms and rushing rivers. But it was now arid and long dead. The regular flood waters had washed the fertile soil away and there wasn’t a soul to be seen. She turned, walking back inside, but didn't close the door behind her. Suddenly, the voice of the Guardian echoed around her. ‘It's time for you to leave,’ he announced.
She spun around, studying him thoughtfully, her eyes wide, encompassing his shadowy, wise looking features. His fever bright blue eyes burned into hers and they seemed to reflect his soul – a good soul, reflect even his heart, a good heart. The eyes tell more about a person than anything else does, she thought.
‘You must leave this place now with all speed and stop for nothing and no one, unless you have no choice in the matter,’ he said.
She nodded taking a deep breath, noticing the graveyard silence. She stared out across the deserted city. Then, without saying another word she ran out through the doorway and began her long descent towards the ground. And as she ran down the seemingly endless staircase, she noticed that with every step she took, it vanished behind her as if it had never existed. The whole temple was dissolving into a fiery red mist right before her eyes. She stopped suddenly, her curiosity getting the better of her. Turning around she leaned forward and touched where the last step she’d trodden on had been. Although she couldn't see it, it was still there, she could feel it. She turned and began her descent with even greater speed.
Faster and faster she raced down the staircase, wanting to make the most of the daylight, for as far as she was concerned, the further she travelled by day, the more she could rest by night. Now she was running like a panther and within minutes was back at the outcropping from where she had begun her ascent the day before. She leapt out across the lava pit the instant her feet touched the ledge, and only just made it to the other side after a heart-stopping wobble. And so she began her long mile-eating sprint back across Balthazar, her legs pushing her forward tirelessly, endlessly. And everywhere she looked there were the signs of death and decay.
Then once again she had the fleeting feeling that someone or something was watching and studying her. And again she was right. Another monstrous ancient evil was stalking her. But she ran on blissfully unaware of the danger across the weed covered floors of the colossal alleyways, where once there had been teeming life in the bazaars and street merchant shops. Littering the area were the bones of blue-bloods and animals, all long dead, bleaching in the broiling sun. It was a pitiful sight.
She crossed the city quickly and it wasn’t long before she was back at the gate by which she had entered Balthazar. It was almost midday now. The sky was cloudless and the heat intense with no hint of any possible change. Scorpions and cockroaches were the only creatures moving around above ground. Everything else had taken to what little shade there was.
Tumble-weeds blew in the wind, rolling down the deserted ally-ways in the soaring temperature, and her view was a vista of bare rock and drifting sand. She paused, listening to the steady haunting, click, click, click of a derelict windmill turning in the breeze. It reminded her that she was completely alone. She decided to rest awhile in the shadow of the ivy covered gateway as it was surprisingly cool beneath it. A soft breeze wafted through. Laying down on a flat rock she closed her eyes, finally succumbing to her tiredness and drifted off into a deep sleep, dreaming the strangest dreams.
*
Two long hours passed as the sun climbed high into the sky. Then she was startled awake by the sound of hissing. Opening her eyes, she focused them on a small striped slake lying coiled on her sweating abdomen. Terror gripped her like a vice – snakes and spiders being her only fears. She didn’t have a great knowledge of them, but did recognise most of the venomous ones and one in particular – the red and black striped snake staring into her eyes. It was an asp. Common but deadly.
Kira’s breath caught in her throat and she stifled a scream. She would rather face the dreaded seven-headed Lygra of legend. Never had she stilled so quickly. She stifled another scream. The snake hissed, swaying back and forth, spreading its coils wider and wider as if ready to strike. Suddenly the hypnotising swaying stopped. It moved closer to her face. Opening its jaws, a long thin tongue flicked out licking a bead of sweat from the tip of her nose. She drew her sword from its scabbard. Raising it above her head she was ab
out to cut when… the snake spoke.
‘That won’t be necessary,’ it said with a hiss.
She gasped in disbelief. 'What?'
‘Sssstop panicking. I’m not a real snake. If I were, I would have bitten you by now and you would already be dead. Clearly that's not my intention, so stay your sword. It isn't needed.’
‘Who… who or what are you then,’ she asked, her voice a quiver. ‘And why did you sneak up on me while I was sleeping?’
‘I'm Artelmus, and I resent your remark. I do not ssssneak. Sneaking is for lowly, cowardly blue-bloods and I am a Shape-Shifter.’
Kira looked visibly stunned. ‘What’s that?’ she asked, dabbing the sheen of sweat from her brow.
‘I'm the off-spring of a man-god and a blue-blood, sent here to aid you, and I can change into anyone or anything I like.’
She studied the snake thoughtfully. Its slitted eyes burned into hers and its smooth black tongue flicked repeatedly at her.
‘Let me see you change,’ she said.
It slithered to the ground and began to count. ‘One… two… three… four…’ Instantly it transformed into a handsome young male right before her eyes. He smiled, stroking the faint and fragile gossamer weave of his golden clothing. ‘The man-gods have a reason for everything they do, although it may not be clear to you. However, I came to inform you that there is a cave quite close by, and that you must go and seek out the one known only as Tanith. If you can then do what is asked of you, you will travel further and faster than you could possibly imagine.’
Kira glanced about uneasily. ‘In which direction is this cave to be found?’
The young man-god looked thoughtful. ‘You must follow your own instincts, but I can tell you that when you feel the touch of a cool breeze upon your face, as if the hand of Loden himself has brushed by you, then you will be close to the one I have spoken of.’ He began to count again. And by the time he had counted to ten, he was ten times his size. He lay down by the side of the gateway, blocking the entrance to the city and fell fast asleep.
Kira spun away from the sleeping giant, following her own nose, her gaze wandering out across the countryside. She headed off in the direction of a beautiful waterfall that was no more than a mile away. ‘Now that’s just what I need. A refreshing drink and a cool swim, for this midday heat is unbearable,’ she said.
And as she set off striding in the direction of the waterfall, two piercing red eyes were watching her every move, following her progress from out of the shadows of nearby rocks.
Chapter 7
A short trek across rough, bumpy, countryside through a gauntlet of bracken and gauze brought Kira to within earshot of the beautiful waterfall. Long green vines spread out like the fingers of a giant hand from the surrounding vegetation, piercing the water’s edge, and seemed to cling to rocks beneath the surface of the idyllic lagoon. She couldn’t believe how beautiful the view of the waterfall and neighbouring countryside was. A huge swatch of green dominated the centre of the valley. She stared out at a checker-board of meadows and fields, dissected by winding rivers swathed in mist and shadows. White foam billowed down from the top of the falls, turning blue at the bottom, and she watched fish of many sizes and colours darting about playfully in the depths of the lagoon.
She undressed quickly, down to her undergarments, placing her belongings on a tree stump at the water’s edge. She dived into the pool with a splash, startling the fish. Then she swam for some time beneath the surface, until she bobbed up through the water like a cork from a bottle to take a deep breath of fresh air. The water was so invigorating after her long march through the hilly countryside, and the heady scent of wild roses filled the air, dizzying her.
She relaxed now for the first time in days and swam around trying to touch the fish, but each time she managed to get almost close enough, they darted off in every possible direction. And so the hot summer afternoon passed in the blink of an eye, and she began to forget what she was there for, until she was startled by the high-pitched scream of a horn blowing, which seemed to be coming from somewhere behind the waterfall.
Then she became aware of what seemed to be the cold touch of an unseen hand passing across her face. It surprised her even more than the blowing of the horn. Unnerved by the experience she used her hands as paddles, spinning around in the water, first one way and then the other to see who or what might have touched her. There was no one there. Artelmus’ last words came to her: I can only tell you that when you feel the touch of a cool breeze upon your face, as if the hand of Loden has brushed by you, then you will be close to the one I have spoken of.
Mindful of his words, she swam towards the waterfall to see if anyone was hiding there. She could see no one. However, she did notice the entrance to a cave, covered in green vines, ivy and creepers, hidden from view by the rushing water. Grasping a vine she climbed from the lagoon and made her way up the few moss covered stone steps leading to the cave. Pausing at the entrance, she peered inside. It was pitch black.
‘Hello!’ she called out. ‘Is there anyone in here?’
No one answered. She called out again. ‘Hello! Is there anyone here?’ Still there was no reply. A sharp frightening hiss ripped through the still air. And a geyser of white-hot flame and smoke lit the cavern, jetting past her like a blaze of sunlight, missing her by inches. She screamed. Panic shot through her like a searing torch. And for a single moment she felt alone in an alien world. She screamed again. More flames jetted past her. She leapt behind a stalagmite growing up from the cavern floor.
Trembling and gripped by fear, she clung to the rock wall as if nailed to it. Another deafening hiss ripped through the ice cold air. Flames jetted through the darkness, illuminating everything briefly. Now she could see the silhouetted outline of something gigantic moving around at the rear of the cave, and smell of sulphur. It lingered heavily in the air. Two blooded eyes stared at her from out of the darkness of the shadows and then a dreadful ear-shattering roar that made her whole body vibrate rendered her almost senseless. She cupped her hands over her ears. But the sound was so shrill that her face was pinched with pain. Suddenly, there was a flurry of movement. An immense winged shadow that grew in size against the cave wall lumbered further forward, taking on a more definite shape.
As it approached, leathered wings flared. Spines arched. Scales and plates stretched on a barrel shaped serpents body. And great talons clawed the ground, scraping noisily like fingernails on slate. A snake-like neck and head lurched awkwardly toward her, hissing and puffing plumes of fire and smoke.
In that one terrifying moment, the only thought running through Kira’s mind was that whatever was lurking in the shadows of the cave, it might want to get past her. And there she was without a weapon, with hardly a stitch of clothing on. Finally she realised that it was a Razorback dragon. What type is it, she thought. There are many different kinds. Is it a meat-eating carnivore, or a relatively harmless plant eating herbivore?
The problem she faced was that it was hard to differentiate between different types as all belch flames, making deafening nasal noises when angered. In fact the only way she knew of telling one from another was by their sheer size. Most carnivorous dragons were about thirty cubits in length, where-as their vegetable-eating counterparts might grow to at least three times that size. However, she didn’t dare get close enough to get a good look at it.
Terrified, she panted for breath, frozen suddenly. Her eyes were bleak, dark and haunted. She watched the huge shadow on the cave wall halt only a few feet away. There was another ear-shattering roar, shrill and clear, echoing throughout the halls of the cavern as if great horns were blowing the same note wildly and repeatedly. She didn’t dare make a sound and was even reluctant to breathe heavily in case the monstrous thing realised she was there. What am I to do, she pondered?
A loud flapping sound erupted in the cave. A long spiked tail came flailing at her like a ball and chain, narrowly missing her head. She ducked for cover behind anothe
r stalagmite. It was smashed into thousands of pieces, pelting her with stone fragments.
‘No!’ she yelled. The tail thundered at her again, narrowly missing her. It swung several times. Each swing missed cutting her in half by a hair’s width. She threw herself to the floor, falling heavily, punching the air from her lungs. Her foot was caught firmly in-between two rocks. She began to panic, watching the thing in awed silence. Sitting up quickly, she tried to pry her leg loose. It loomed over her. Its hot breath was fetid and raw, burning against her back. She screamed. Fear turned to terror, streaking through her like a hot knife. She screamed again, staring up into the jaws of the dragon.
She froze. It flapped its wings, slowly unfolding its spines, scales and claws and she found herself staring up into two blood-red eyes. She screamed again, and carried on screaming for as long as her breath held. The creature roared, shaking the cavern like an earthquake. It was an awesome, yet ugly creation.
‘Oh, the man-gods help me,’ she whispered. Blood dripped from its jaws as it ate its latest victim – a full grown horse. She stared wide-eyed. ‘I’m going to die,’ she said in a small voice, swallowing hard. Awaiting her fate she closed her eyes, thinking of far off days.
Peering through squinted eyes she watched the monster swallow the horse whole in one great gulp and open its jaws wide. Her jaw was hanging slack. She stared at row upon row of razor sharp teeth. Trembling, she closed her eyes and rolled into a ball, praying quietly. She had lived most of her life trying to please the man-gods. Now it seemed as if she was going to die to please them.
She stayed stock-still and was going to cry, she could feel it. But then she screamed, ‘Go away! Get out of here! Leave me alone and go pick on something your own size!’ Her eyes sank deep into her skull and despair washed the colour from her face. Another sharp, frightening hiss ripped throughout the halls of the cavern, shaking the ground and walls.
The Blackhawks Impossible Quest Page 8