"Don't move," Ned ordered Fred. Fred wanted to argue, but the fiery look in the old man's eyes cowed him.
Ned stood, tightly grasped the instrument in his hand, and nimbly sped across the piles until his feet hit the bare ground around the stone. He raised the instrument at the same time a distant din caught his attention. It sounded like a horn. The stone took advantage of his distraction to shoot a wall of light at him. He pulled up a thick barrier, but the light crashed through it and threw him to the ground. His hand hit the dirt, and the instrument broke free and bounced away.
Fred saw the attack. His eyes narrowed and he clenched his teeth. He snatched his stick and willed himself to stand. The stone reached out for the instrument, but he raised his hand and opened his palm. The instrument transported from the ground into his hand. The glowing rock shook the earth and it cut off the column of light from its top. The energy within the stone increased tenfold as it charged itself for a powerful shot. Fred wouldn't be able to block this blow with a barrier.
Fred held up the instrument at the same time the stone shot out a wall of light at him. He stood in the face of the oncoming brilliance and clanged his staff against the inner ring of the square. The sound echoed through the decimated city blocks and vibrated off the debris. The noise created its own earthquake and a hole opened beneath the stone, tipping the rock and its beam of light. The brilliance missed Fred by a few feet and shot harmlessly into the air above the high walls of the city.
The instrument in Fred's hand shattered, and he looked to the rock. The stone shook as cracks spread from its base to the very top. Light seeped from the cracks and in one explosive second the whole mass burst apart. The light vanished and plunged the area into shadow, but Fred was comforted by the darkness. The stone was defeated and they were safe.
CHAPTER 26
Safe, that is, until rocks and pebbles rained down from the sky and pelted Fred with their pointiness. He winced and set a barrier over himself to deflect the stones. The staff also lit up the dark area, and he saw Sins and Ruth hurry over to Ned. Hywel, too, floated down from the air along with his people. They illuminated the ground around the group, and Fred was relieved to see Ned stand and dust himself off while the others crowded around him. "Are you hurt badly?" Ruth asked him.
"I'm fine except for my foolish pride. It needed a few notches down, anyway," Ned consoled her. He glanced over the pair to see Fred hurrying toward the group, and a smile lit Ned's face. "A fine display of focus and skill, Fred," he complimented the young man.
Fred dropped to the barren area and sheepishly shrugged. "I guess I had a good teacher," he replied. Fred heard a whimper and noticed Fluffy still on the ground. His eyes widened and he rushed over to his beast-pet. The cantankus had a good knock on the head and cuts from the sharp light beams of the destroyed stone.
Ned came up beside him and chuckled at the boy and his steed. "He's hungry. A good meal will fix him up." At the mention of food Fluffy stopped his whining and perked up his head and ears.
Fred rolled his eyes and received a good, long lick from his pet. He laughed and pushed Fluffy's head away. "Fine, I'll feed you."
"And yourself," Ned added. "With as much magic as you used I'm surprised you haven't-" Fred's eyes slipped into the back of his head and he collapsed onto his pet. Fluffy yipped and frantically nuzzled his nose into the unconscious boy's face.
"Fred!" Ruth yelled. She rushed over to them, but Ned held out his hand to stop her. He knelt down beside Fred and gently pushed away Fluffy's face.
"An apprentice often overexerts himself when using multiple skills. He'll be fine after a night's rest," Ned assured her. He brushed away a wild lock of Fred's hair and smiled down at the young man's serene face. "You did very well, Fred. Very well."
Outside the city the defenders were in for a pleasant surprise. The moment the stone blew into pieces the undead army dropped to the ground in piles of rotting clothes and flesh. Canto swung at his opponent and his blade met only air when the thing collapsed to the earth. He looked around and saw that the entire army had likewise fallen, leaving the living dwarf army confused. He steadied his face, adjusted his crown and climbed atop an overturned cart. He held his ax above his head and looked out over the decimated field. "Victory!" he cried out.
"Victory!" Shilo and Thino joined in.
"Victory!" Kilo yelled.
"Victory!" Pat and Percy returned.
The word rang through the army and there was much clanging of axes against axes and shields. A perceptive dwarf noticed the crown atop Canto's head and narrowed his eyes. "Wait a second. Who the hell are ya?" the dwarf spoke up.
Shilo climbed beside his head and scowled at the doubter. "He's Canto, our new king," she announced to them.
"Where's Piako?" another asked.
"Where's Danto?" came another voice.
"Fled from the battle," Canto told them.
"Ah have not!" a voice shouted. Danto pushed his way through the crowds and stood before Canto. "And Ah charge ya with treason for disobeying yer king's order!"
Canto scoffed. "Ah got it by right of forfeit, and Ah won't take any arguing about it," he replied.
Danto patted his ax in his hand. "If that's how ya want it then fight for it. We'll show everybody who's the best king."
Canto dropped from the pile and stood before Danto with his ax at the ready. The dwarven onlookers closed in and chose sides while around them still lay their grisly, defeated foes. Pat stepped forward, but Percy grabbed her arm. She whirled around and glared at him. "We have to stop this madness!" she argued.
Percy shook his head. "This is their custom, and Canto would appreciate it if we didn't interfere," he replied.
"But we didn't just defeat the undead dwarves so these idiots could fight!" Pat persisted.
"The battle is over, and now they fight for the future of their people," Percy pointed out. "Let's let them do this." Pat bit her lip and whipped her eyes to the duel.
Canto and Danto circled one another with their axes at their sides. Neither had a shield, and both were covered in blood and wounds. "So ya didn't cower with yer king?" Canto asked his opponent.
Danto scowled. "Ah go where Ah'm needed. That's my job as the captain of the king's guards."
Canto smirked. "Then as yer king Ah'm about to make ya unemployed."
Danto ground his teeth together and jumped at his opponent with his ax pointed down to slice into Canto's skull. Canto easily stepped to the side and blocked a wild swing as Danto turned to face him. They pushed apart and Danto charged Canto. The two blocked and swung their axes, Danto always aiming for the head and Canto aiming to throw off his swing. Canto caught his opponent off guard when he stepped back when the other swung forward. Danto stumbled forward and Canto deftly grabbed his ax. Rather than ripping it from Danto's hands, Canto thrust the butt of the ax handle into Danto's gut. Danto's eyes bulged out of his head and he tumbled to his knees clutching at his stomach. He made terrible wheezing noises and the onlookers cringed and rubbed their stomachs.
Canto then grabbed Danto's weapon and flung it away from him. He sneered down at his opponent. "Ah owed ya for those two hits." The victorious dwarf set his ax over his shoulder and glanced out over the spectators. "Anyone else want to challenge me?" Canto dared them.
There was a lot of mumbling and shuffling, and a small, lone voice spoke up. "Ya've got a lot of strength, but so did Piako and he was an ass," one of the others pointed out. "So why should we follow you?"
Canto chuckled. "Because yer all invited to the castle for a feast. My treat," he told them.
There was silence through the whole field. Then one of the doubters turned to the army and pumped his ax into the air. "Long live the king!" he shouted.
"Long live the king!" came the reply from the army.
Pat rolled her eyes. "Dwarves," she grumbled.
Percy stood beside her and chuckled. "Simple pleasures for a simple folk," he pointed out. Pat didn't reply, but instead turned and w
earily stumbled toward the city. "Where are you going?" Percy asked her.
Pat paused and looked over her shoulder. "To a simple boy to see if he made it out of this complicated mess," she replied.
"Then let's go together. I'm curious to know how if their troubles were as much fun as ours," Percy commented.
The pair wound their way through the dead bodies, through the gate of the city, and up the destroyed street to the remains of the stone. They found their friends beside the rock with Fred slumped over Sins' shoulder. Pat's eyes widened and she hurried forward. She touched Fred's back and was relieved when she felt warmth in his body. "Is he all right?" she asked them.
"He'll be fine. He's merely sleeping," Ned assured her.
"And the rest of you? No major damage?" Percy wondered.
"A few close calls, but nothing serious," Ned replied. Hywel swooped down from the air and landed on Ned's shoulder.
"All clear of dark magic," Hywel announced. "My people are setting the trapped Stars free and we'll be back in the swamps before the dwarves know we're gone."
Ned chuckled. "I'm sure Canto will be disappointed to hear he doesn't have a say in the agreement."
"If he did the other dwarves would have killed him for agreeing to it, so it's better this way," Hywel pointed out.
"Getting soft for a dwarf?" Ned teased.
Hywel's color took on a red tinge and he beat his wings. "Not likely, but it's good politics to be sensitive to others' positions."
"Especially when they're the king of the dwarves," Percy spoke up.
Ned's bushy eyebrows shot up. "King? Canto? Willingly or unwillingly?"
"Willingly. He took it upon himself rather than let Danto receive the crown," Percy replied.
While they discussed politics, Pat checked Fred over while Ruth came up beside her. Sins' eyes darted behind him at the fretting girls, but otherwise he held still. "He used too much magic and fell asleep," Ruth whispered to Pat.
"Too much? What did he do?" Pat asked her.
Ruth smiled. "I think he'd like to tell you the story himself when he wakes up."
Pat frowned. "Sometimes I wonder whose side you're on," she mused. Ruth shrugged, but there was a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
Ned's attention turned from the conversations to the night sky. "The sun will rise soon, and these old bones would like some food and sleep before a new day dawns."
"Canto has invited all the dwarves to the castle for a feast," Percy told him.
"Splendid. A dwarf feast promises some food that might be edible."
"I doubt it," Pat mumbled.
Hywel flew off Ned's shoulder and into the air above the group. "Then this is goodbye for me. If you ever pass through here again feel free to visit our home," he invited them.
"No more wall?" Ned wondered, referring to the inner wall behind the main gate.
"No more wall. I'll make sure of that," Hywel promised. "Farewell!" The group waved to him as he flew upward. Other Stars arose from all points of the city and joined each other above the friends. Their soft light cast a warmth over them and Pat felt a tingle spread through her body. Then the Stars flew away to the west and the warmth left with them.
Ned chuckled and looked to the group. "That was very kind of them. Now let's be off before Canto wonders if any of us survived this adventure."
Sins flung Fred over Fluffy's saddle and the group followed Ned down the road. Percy held back for a moment and his eyes hurriedly glanced over the ground. They lit up when he spied a piece of the stone, and he picked it up and set it safely in his pocket. He patted the slight bulge and followed his friends to the feast and relaxation.
CHAPTER 27
Fred tossed and turned, but he couldn't get comfortable. The bed was too hard and the sheets too coarse. He creaked open his eyes and winced when the setting sun pierced them. Through his blinking eyes he could see he was in a room with stone floors and walls. There were a few slits for windows, and through one of these shot the last fading beams of the sun. By his side lay his broken stick.
"You must stop doing this to me," a voice spoke up. Fred whipped his head around and found himself staring at Pat's smiling face. She sat on the other side of his bed in a rough chair. "This isn't the first time you've exerted yourself far too much and forced me to watch over you," she scolded.
Fred sheepishly shrugged. "I guess I don't know when to stop. How long was I out for this time?" he asked her.
"Only a day. Last night was the battle," she replied. She sighed and scooted her chair closer. "Ned told me you mastered some very useful abilities, and that without you all would have been lost."
"Ned would have done something, or Ruth or Sins," Fred protested.
"But they didn't. You were the one to defeat the stone," she pointed out. She turned her eyes to the windows across the room. "Canto's hailed you as a hero, and the Stars are all free. It seems the Uncomfortable Chair's prediction is coming true. You are a change in the world."
"We are changing the world," he corrected her.
"We play our parts, but I believe you have the larger role," she argued. "You give a little more effort, even if it means sacrificing yourself."
Fred grimaced and shifted atop the bed. "I just don't want anyone else to die," he told her.
"And you care nothing for your own life when you try to protect others. That makes you a leader." She picked up the stick, and swept her eyes over the scratches and marks. "Would you. . .would you mind showing me later what you can do?" she asked him.
Fred smiled and took the stick from her hand. "I can show you now," he replied. He raised the staff and a fizzle of white magic petered out the top.
Pat snorted and covered her mouth. "Maybe you'd better wait," she advised him.
Fred sheepishly smiled and tucked the stick into his waistband. "I guess I don't have all my strength back."
"Then it's the perfect time to find some food. If any of it is edible, that is," she suggested. She stood and held out her hand. "Everyone is at the feast, and we should be, too," she told him.
"Feast? Didn't they have one last night?" Fred asked her.
"Yes, and they haven't finished it yet. I once read that dwarves don't stop feasting until they're too drunk to tip their goblet for another drink."
Fred smiled and took her hand. "This I have to see."
The feasting hall was filled with dwarves partaking in every drunken antic known to all the races, and some new ones. There was loud singing, loud laughing, fist fights, river dancing, heated political arguments, and eating contests that left all parties under the table. Some of them even managed to climb onto the high chandelier and swing it in a wild circle. The companions were seated to King Canto's left with Thino and Shilo beside him, Ruth, Pat, and Percy next to them, and Ned and Fred beyond them. Sins wisely abandoned them, no doubt to find edible food. Fluffy lay on the floor gnawing on what Fred hoped was an animal bone.
In the great crowded hall sat Danto and Piako, now stripped of their titles and positions. They ate with a hunger that comes from the bitter knowledge that feasts for them would now be few and far between, so they needed to pack away good food while they could.
The young humans would have argued about there being good food. Fred, Percy and Pat watched the dwarf swinging around the chandelier because that sight was less sickening than watching the dwarves eat the muck they called food. Heaping plates of squirming masses sat in front of them, and the teenagers turned various shades of color as some of the food slithered away. There was also their own companions to watch. Canto enjoyed the festivities with the loudest burps and the fastest eating.
Pat, Fred, and Percy watched Ruth consume the dwarf food with their expressions varying from sickened to morbidly fascinated. "How are you doing that?" Pat whispered.
Ruth looked up from her plate and smiled. "Gargoyles don't have any taste buds, and the food is absorbed into our bodies without consequence."
Percy picked up a forkful of goop and watched
it splash down onto his plate. "You fortunate soul," he murmured.
Canto stood and pounded his goblet on the table. The hall quieted and he stuck out his full and ample chest. "Now that Ah've got my king's share of the feast, Ah want to announce my abdication." Wagging tongues whispered among the crowd, Piako choked on a leg of some large creature, and Danto raised an eyebrow.
"Yer giving it back to me?" Piako spoke up.
Canto sneered at the former king. "No, and don't be asking for it."
"But yer the ones who caused all this trouble," Piako argued.
"And we're the ones who tried to warn ya about the trouble in the first place, and we're the ones who fixed yer mistake," Canto countered. "Now shut up and let me finish what Ah have to say." Piako cringed and remained silent.
"So ya really don't intend to keep it for yerself?" Danto insisted. Every conscious person in the room could see the hopeful glint in his eyes.
Canto snorted. "Of course Ah'm not keeping it. Ah don't have the patience for ya fools, and Ah've got more important things to deal with."
"Then who are ya giving it to?" Danto wondered.
Canto looked to Thino with Shilo seated on the other side of her husband. "There's only one dwarf Ah'd trust with this crown. Someone who's helped us out a lot since we got here."
Danto scoffed. "You want to make Thino king?"
"Not Thino, ya dolt, Shilo." The silence was deafening until Danto barked out a laugh.
"Shilo? A woman? Have ya lost yer mind?" he argued.
"Nope, but Ah'm losing this crown." He tossed the crown at Shilo, who juggled the crown a moment before she clasped it against herself.
"Me?" she squeaked.
"Yep. It won't be a fun job, but Ah suspect ya've got the makings of a good leader in ya," Canto told her.
"But how do ya know Ah've got what it takes to be in charge?" she countered.
The Unwilling Ambassador (Book 3) Page 17