Now in a solid form he began to laugh madly, through thick sullen lips and the rock face shook and echoed to the sound of his mighty voice. Then came the moment when the laughter stopped. ‘What is it that you wish of me, Little Master?’ he asked in a mocking tone. He laughed again.
Baltar stared angrily at the Mage. ‘Are you amused by my plight?’
The Mage’s eyes were fever bright. He sniffed the air. ‘I think you have very little time left hero,’ he said. ‘Is that why you call me forth? To save your sorry hide!’
Baltar was furious. ‘Would my death be so amusing to you?’ he protested.
The Mage’s eyes were sharp and piercing and his whole expression had an air of alertness and decision. ‘Why, not at all, Little Master. In fact, it is of little consequence what happens to you as far as I'm concerned. I care not whether you live or die. But I must do your bidding before I am released from my eternal prison in the Shadowlands.’
Baltar shrugged. ‘Ha, well I don’t care about your freedom. Shall I return you from whence you came, to live in darkness and silence for all eternity? Would that stop your arrogant attitude?’
Instantly, the Mage’s demeanour changed. A look of panic lit his face. ‘Oh little master, please, please don’t send me back to purgatory, I implore you. I am a servant of the man-gods, imprisoned for all time except by your leave. Use me now and save yourself. And by the same token release me from my incarceration. I swear I will not only save you from the giant spider, but I will also repay you a thousand-fold somehow.’
Baltar stared hard at the Mage, slowly but purposefully running his fingers over the oil lamp, tapping it to remind him who was the boss and who had the power. ‘You’re not laughing now the tables are turned are you, my fine fellow?’ he said, smiling to himself. ‘I think I’ll send you back anyway and take my chances with the spider. What do you think to that?’
‘Please, please forgive me,’ begged the Mage, his hands steepled in front of him. ‘I’ve been in the imprisoned for so long that I’ve become insensitive.’
Baltar cocked his head to one side. ‘Well, the next time someone summons you,’ he snapped, ‘be sure to think long and hard upon your words before they leave your addled brain.’
‘Oh Little Master, please don’t send me back,’ begged the Mage. ‘It’s my last chance for freedom.’
Baltar stared back over his shoulder at the spider. There were numerous gouts and splashes of blood smeared all around from previous victims. Even though frozen in time the spider would be upon me in seconds with the Mage gone. So would it be wise to return him to the lamp unused, he pondered?
‘No, discretion is the better part of valour,’ he said to himself. 'So make me an offer I can’t refuse. And make it a good one. For your everlasting release from purgatory depends on it.’
The Mage smiled. ‘As a Majiker I'm bound by certain protocols, but there is nothing to say that I cannot do what you ask. I warn you though, be careful what you do ask of me. For that is how and why I was imprisoned in the first place.’
Baltar’s eyes sparkled like wild fire as he considered his options. He was evidently in a state of suppressed exultation at having got one over on the Mage. Nevertheless, there was also a flicker of genuine fear in his eyes. He knew if he wasn’t careful the Mage might trick him, leaving him imprisoned for all eternity, until another unsuspecting blue-blood came along.
‘Know you this also,’ the Mage continued, pointing a giant finger at him. ‘I can save you, but not by taking a life. So before you ask me to kill the thing above, know you that I cannot. I can create an invisible barrier in-between you and it, or take you to some other time and place in the near future or recent past. I can even make you invisible for a short period of time, allowing you to escape, but I cannot kill. And now I have said what I have to say.’ He spoke no more, awaiting a reply.
Baltar raised his eyebrows, staring hard at the Mage. ‘My struggle against the spider would indeed be a grievous one if it came to be. And although I have seen death in many forms, I must admit that it has never appeared before me in a more fearsome shape,’ he said, his face rigid with a look of horror. 'I have no hatred of the spider. And so, I want you to send me on my way with an old friend named Abu.’
The Mage’s eyes widened to encompass the spider’s grim, motionless figure. ‘Oh Little Master, your command is my command,’ he said wanting to please. His words echoed around them like thunder.
Suddenly, there was a breath of wind and everything around Baltar became indistinct and began to spin wildly. The Mage laughed mirthlessly, watching him spiral backwards as if being dragged through the eye of a storm. And to Baltar it seemed like a dark, empty black hole without end. He was drawn through the air, watching the spider disappear in a mist of ribbons and trailers that swirled as if stirred by the invisible hand of a man-god. Yet everything seemed quiet. Still. And empty. Even the passing wind made no sound. However, unidentifiable sounds drifted through his mind, black and distant as the fabric of space and time closed in on him. He felt as though he was suffocating and about to die. And the only thing he could hear was the Mage laughing and shouting. ‘I’m Free! Free! Free! Freeeeeeeee!'
His heart raced and pounded. Suddenly blackness engulfed him and the spinning stopped. He passed out.
*
Three hundred leagues to the north on a misty mountainside, Koki's voice screamed a warning to the world, borne on a howling wind. ‘You will bow down before me as all have done down the centuries. Every spirit shall be broken. Every soul shall be mine,’ his chilling voice announced. The sound died away into a frightening hiss.
The raw white bones of blue-bloods recently consumed by his monstrous creatures littered the mountainside – the bodies of the hapless victims being a reward for doing his bidding without question.
Then his demons broke from the mist, materialising as if from a black-hole that had opened in empty air – an army of stick-like forms as shadowy as night, a thousand strong in a ragged line, their sharp white teeth gleaming and red eyes shining from beneath the hoods of their cloaks. The sound of their breathing filled the void left by passing thunder and they flew onward to their next destination screaming and howling.
*
When Baltar came back to his senses he had no idea where he was, how he had gotten there or how long he had been there. In fact, the only thing he knew for sure was that he wasn’t where he had been some seconds, minutes or even hours earlier. And again he wasn’t sure which.
Now he was lying on his back on a cold stone slab in a swamp and he could hear the eeriest, most ghostly sounds. Sniffing the warm breeze, he recognised the smell of the tall amber and bean trees. And he found his surroundings unnerving to say the least, made even more so when he closed his eyes and felt something large and spiny slide down the whole length of his body, leaving a trail of red marks which stung and burned his skin.
Paralysed with fear, an icy chill ran down his spine and he was silent, until he was sure that whatever it was had gone. Then he let out an inexhaustible, irrepressible scream, followed by a tirade of colourful foul language. Has the Mage tricked me and sent me to purgatory, he thought?
Suddenly he became aware that he wasn't entirely alone. At a distance not too far away, he could hear the deep but muffled sounds of heavy breathing and stealthy footfalls moving around in the undergrowth to his rear. There was the snapping of dry twigs, the soft rustle of crisp leaves and a somewhat familiar scent from a past age long forgotten. Mere heartbeats later the sounds of movement drew ever nearer. He sat bolt upright, clutching the leather bound hilt of his sword in readiness for action. Then while scanning the undergrowth, he caught sight of something huge and black approaching on all-fours. It was hissing, spitting and growling and didn’t take its unblinking eyes off him. His shone with fear, realising he was in the presence of an enormous panther, far bigger than any he had seen before.
Now what, he thought? My sword against razor sharp claws that would peel
the thickest armour from the bravest hero and rip him to shreds. He would have given anything at that moment to have a longbow in his hands.
The animal paused briefly, peering through the undergrowth. It sniffed the air. Whiskers twitched and tweaked and its upper lip lifted above the gum in a vicious snarl. It arched its back in readiness to pounce. He sprang to his feet urgently, awaiting the attack.
Flexing its muscles like tightly coiled springs, its bright eyes stared out of the undergrowth at him. ‘The man-gods protect me,’ he whispered as it launched itself his way with the speed of an arrow.
Pure instinct made him dive for cover. And as he crashed head-over-heels into the bushes, he glimpsed a white blur smashing into the panther mid-flight. It tumbled and rolled, hitting the ground hard. Then as it crawled toward him, growling and snarling, it was confronted by a black and white striped tiger of enormous size.
Now he watched the most savage fight he had ever seen take place, as two of the fiercest creatures on their planet tried to kill each other. Claws gouged and ripped. Teeth sank in and bit. Heads butted. Snarling, spitting and hissing, neither seemed to be getting the better of the other, until Baltar climbed to his feet and shouted. ‘Abu kill!’ The tiger pounced on the panther, crunching its teeth like a vice about its neck, dragging it to the ground. Rolling it over onto its back it ripped out its throat with great ferocity. And as suddenly as the fight had begun, it was over. Abu had saved the life of his old master.
‘Come!’ he called to the tiger. And it responded as if it was the meekest of creatures. However, had he not witnessed it for himself, he would never have believed this was the same animal, which only seconds earlier had ripped the life from its adversary. Now it purred like a kitten, nuzzling and brushing up against him. Many years earlier, when he was a child of no more than ten years, his father and a band of followers had hijacked and raided a wandering Bergonza circus, relieving them of their Golden Starpieces, and a rare albino tiger cub he had subsequently reared as his own. And except for his black stripes, Abu was as white as the driven snow.
That night in the swamp it was cold, grey and alien and the jagged edges of the tree line were masked in trailers of thick mist that glistened through a steady downpour. The two long lost friends settled down, sheltering in the hollowed-out bole of a towering oaken tree, shrouded in layers of shadow. Baltar lit a camp-fire by rubbing two pieces of flint together. Then he skinned the panther and roasted the ribs. And as night closed in around them like a black wall, tiger and warrior began to forge a new bond between them as they ate their tasty meal. Afterwards they both fell asleep, listening to the raindrops and the eeriest sounds as their fire blazed inside the hollow tree.
*
Early the next morning, Baltar awoke to the sound of the Oracle’s gravelled voice drifting into his mind. He felt exhilarated as it announced that it was his turn to begin the Quest. However, Abu was gone. And when he called to him, there was no response.
An hour passed slowly as their red star climbed higher in the sky, and he was beginning to worry that he would never see Abu again, because if he wasn't back soon he would have to leave without him. He had been ordered to begin the Quest now and didn’t dare anger the man-gods by keeping them waiting. Striding back to the edge of the swamp, he stared at his own reflection in the muddy water for a moment. It was a less than elegant reflection of the giant man. However, he did exude an air of distinction that befitted his hero-warrior status and stature. ‘Abu! Abu! Where are you, my friend?’ he called out through cupped hands. Birds of every kind and colour screeched into the air, startled by his booming tones.
After the sudden exodus, there was silence followed by strange and exotic noises, which blended in with the returning echoes of his voice. However, there was no sign of his friend. ‘Damn,’ he said shaking his head. Then he heard the snapping of twigs, the rustling of leaves and became aware of a presence behind him. Spinning around he stared into two bright green eyes. Abu was back, carrying a small dead mammal gripped firmly between his powerful jaws, lips curled, showing teeth stained with blood.
‘So, that’s where you’ve been. To catch breakfast,’ he said with a broad smile. ‘Well, I hope we’re sharing like yesterday because I’m so hungry I could eat a whole horse myself.’ The tiger dropped its catch at his feet. ‘Your generosity overwhelms me, and no one could wish for a better friend. We’ll eat first and then we must begin our journey this very day.’
He skinned and cooked the animal and they devoured it, leaving nothing but bones for roaming scavengers, and a warm ambience spread throughout their makeshift camp as the scent of roast meat hung on the air. After finishing their tasty meal, Abu took great delight in chasing the flying bones, cast aside by his master, while Baltar watched him soar high into the air trying to catch them before they hit the ground. It was an amusing game.
He watched the tiger playing for quite some time, but paid the animal respect. Abu had thrown him around like a rag doll with its playful antics, even though he was a giant of a male. He had also been badly injured on occasion, even though Abu had nothing more than play on its mind. For this reason if no other, he would always pay his friend the greatest respect.
His belly full, he swallowed the last mouthful of charred meat and cast the bone aside. Abu caught it in spectacular style. ‘That was the sweetest tasting meat I've ever eaten,’ he said followed by a rich burp. Climbing to his feet he stretched and beckoned for Abu to follow him. ‘Come friend, we must navigate the swamp before nightfall. For the hours of darkness will make it impossible to find our way through, and I’m mindful of all the deadly creatures that lay in wait out there.’
He stepped into the muddy water, followed by Abu, just as the most terrifying green and black spider-fish was passing, pursued closely by a long red snake. A momentary thought drifted into his mind. By the look of the bizarre creatures in the swamp, we’ll be hard pushed to tell predator from prey. I just hope we don’t become the latter.
Then for hour after hour, fleas, tics and mites bit them as they marched on through the foul smelling swamp. An odd swirling haze hung over the whole area obscuring their vision, and they found it difficult to see clearly. Everything was swathed in mist and shadows that floated past like clouds dropping down to earth. The swamp was a dark forbidding place, appearing almost ghostlike within the swirling haze.
Baltar squinted against the muted light of the fiery sun to see more clearly, but the mists kept closing in on them. ‘Damn, this place is a nightmare,’ he said swatting flies away from his face. And a faint suspicion that the Mage had tricked him was beginning to gnaw at him too.
Finally, after another hour, the haze began to clear as they approached an island. It was some yards distant and there was a huge swatch of green in the centre. It seemed to be populated by the strangest creatures he had ever seen in his entire life
He watched and studied them as they herded their young towards an open cavern on the bank side. Then his eyes zoomed in on hundreds of skulls and bones heaped in piles. Panic flooded through him. Were the bones the remains of other warriors who had undertaken the Quest and fallen foul of the man-gods? He shambled on through the swamp, exhausted from his long trek through the waist-deep water, thinking that even the cast of the day was strange. Swirling trailers of mist lent a shadowed look to the whole area, even though it was now mid-day.
Suddenly, he noticed the entrance to a monolithic tomb or temple on the bank furthest away from them. It had sunk into the soft soil with the passing of the millennia, but he could see two huge pillars and a closed iron gate through the bracken and gauze undergrowth. Abu saw the temple in the same instant and went off ahead to investigate. Baltar followed, and it only took him a dozen or so purposeful strides to reach the moss covered stone steps leading up to the temple. He climbed them vigilantly, peering from side to side and pushed open the massively thick rusted gates with Herculean strength. His big eyes were wide. His jaw even wider.
He went inside a
nd was greeted by the loudest screeching sounds. He stared up at millions of bats perched in the roof space of the temple. They squawked, screeched and shuffled uncomfortably, and he was taken aback by the rancid smell that pervaded the whole place, somewhat more than by how it looked. But it did have an evil feel to it. It even frightened him.
Abu slunk through the shadows, his brows lifting slightly as he peered into the darkest recesses. Baltar shook his head, frowning. He felt as if he were in another world entirely. As if he had somehow stepped through time. Damn this is exciting, but terrifying too, he thought. He glanced about uneasily, chewing at his lower lip. The stench of death and decay lingered heavily in the air.
Abu’s snout twitched and tweaked and his long whiskers vibrated in the light breeze filtering through the giant corridors and hallways. His fever bright eyes narrowed in an attempt to see through the gloom. Baltar stumbled forward. Eyes shifting nervously from side to side along the high parapets, corners and crevices. The damp walls were a maze of spider webs. Suddenly, he thought fondly of the other heroes and wished they were here with him.
A voice boomed out behind him and he jumped a foot. ‘Well then, here you are at last. I've been expecting you.’
Suddenly, there was a rush of ice-cold air. It filled the whole temple. And a light brighter than a star appeared, illuminating the room as if a million candles had been lit. Baltar turned at once. The speaker stood about twenty feet behind him. Abu wheeled about and snarled viciously at the newcomer, clad in brightly coloured attire and adorned in an array of beautiful sashes and jewellery. He appeared as a spectre within a swirling haze, blurred and shadowy, his face hidden beneath the hood of a cloak. ‘You are the dark-skinned warrior, Baltar, yes?’ A Firestar dangled from a chain about his throat.
The Blackhawks Impossible Quest Page 12