Chapter 24- I Didn’t See That One Coming
“Moll was the Terrible Fang.” Bryony’s voice was a whisper as she turned her incredulous gaze to Stubby. “I’m sorry. I know you cared about her.”
“So she turns into a hideous, giant serpentine monster.” Stubby shook his head with disbelief. “I’m a bit of a cynic when it comes to long term relationships, but even I didn’t see that one coming.”
“But I don’t get it.” Bryony watched the giant snake’s body swaying in a slow, hypnotic motion. “How can sweet little Moll have been this… horrible monster?”
“I was transformed by the Wise Ones,” explained the Terrible Fang, twisting her neck to glare at Bryony with those blazing red eyes. “Sentenced to spend eternity on this island in the form of a puny mouse. From being the number one predator, I had become the lowest of the low, forced to bow and scrape in a life of humiliating servitude.”
“Now do you believe me?” asked Slinker, still enmeshed in his web bonds. The question was aimed at Pipsqueak, who stared open jawed at the snake. “This monster killed your Pa, not me or the spiders.”
“That is true.” The Terrible Fang met Pipsqueak’s gaze, her red eyes blazing with pride. “I wrote that anonymous letter. I summoned your father into the lower tunnels, and there I took him. As I took many spiders. It was all part of my plan to spark a war between the Sisterhood and the Ratello Mob.”
“What could you gain from that?” asked Bryony.
“I feed in two ways,” said the Terrible Fang. “Food gives me nourishment, and so does war and death.”
“But you were just a little field mouse,” said Pipsqueak. “How could you have taken a great rat like my father?”
The Terrible Fang hissed loudly, and her eyes flared like two beady bonfires. “Over centuries of imprisonment, I learned to overcome the Wise Ones’ power. I was able to turn back into to my true form, if only for only a few minutes at a time. But it was enough. Enough to feast, to give me more strength. But it was never going to be enough to set me free. My only hope of release was to trigger a war between the rats and the spiders, and feed on the hate and conflict to follow.” The Terrible Fang switched her searing gaze back to Edwin. “But my day of release has come sooner than expected, thanks to the Principle Guardian.”
Edwin just stood there, eyes wide with shock. At first he couldn’t believe that dear little Moll had really been this horrible monster. But as he thought about it, somehow it all made sense.
“You helped us escape from the lair because you wanted the Key for yourself,” he murmured. “Then you lured Stubby away from me and blamed it on the spiders.”
“I thought I’d stand a better chance with Stubby out of the way,” revealed the Terrible Fang. “He is too clever by far, and I knew he’d see through my pretty innocent field mouse routine sooner or later.”
“Of course I would,” said Stubby, rather unconvincingly.
“But you, Edwin, were too blinded by self righteousness to see the truth.” The Terrible Fang exhaled a hissy laugh, and Edwin recoiled as his nostrils caught an overpowering blast of compost heap and fish.
“I sensed that from the moment you set foot on the island,” continued the Terrible Fang. “I knew you and your stepsister were Guardians, but I knew only you would be fool enough to help me.”
“You were watching us all the time?” gasped Edwin.
“Of course. Who do you think chewed through the rope to set your boat adrift? After trapping you here, I planned to steal the Key when the occasion presented itself, and then do a deal with you for its return. But events took an unexpected twist, and I was forced to change strategy. Still, everything worked out in the end. More or less.”
Edwin frowned. “More or less?”
“I am not yet fully restored,” explained the Terrible Fang. “If you hadn’t interfered with my regeneration, I would be back to my normal size, ten times as large as I am now.”
That news did little to assuage Edwin’s burgeoning sense of guilt.
“But at least I am free,” laughed the Terrible Fang. “Free to wreak vengeance on the world that imprisoned me.”
“But you can’t leave the island,” pointed out Bryony. “Not without our magic.”
“I do not need your magic to leave this island.” The Terrible Fang reared up, and two large bat-like wings unfurled from her back.
Edwin staggered backwards, gawping as the Terrible Fang flapped her wings and took to the air. And as the monster rose from the crack, Edwin saw something wrapped in the coils of its tail.
The Wychetts Key!
“You know so little,” laughed the hovering serpent. “You are not fit to be Guardians, so I shall take the Key instead.”
“But you’re not a Wise One,” cried Edwin. “You can’t use it.”
“That is true,” said the Terrible Fang. “But my Master can unlock the Key’s magic. He can restore me to normal size, and return all my powers stolen by the Wise Ones.”
“Your Master is the Dark One?” Bryony shrieked with horror. “You’re working for the Shadow Clan!”
The Terrible Fang hissed scornfully. “I serve a force far greater and more dreadful than that tawdry coven of third rate witches. The Dark One himself is nothing compared to my Master, the Lord of All Magic.”
“Who are you talking about?” demanded Edwin. “Who could be worse than the Shadow Clan?”
“As I said, you know so little.” There was almost a pitiful look in those fiery red eyes. “I could destroy you both with ease, but you are not worth the effort. You shall remain here, trapped on the Isle of Lost Souls for the rest of your lives. Which won’t be very long, considering who your fellow inmates are.”
Bryony knew the Terrible Fang was right. With their only hope of escape gone, she doubted if the rats and spiders would be treating Edwin and her like honoured guests.
The Terrible Fang flapped her wings faster, her snake body twisting as she rose higher. “Farewell,” she hissed, casting Edwin and Bryony a glowing red glance. “Enjoy the rest of your holiday. And do send me a postcard.”
“We’ve got to do something,” said Edwin. “Stubby, stop her!”
“What am I supposed to do?” snorted the mouse. “Sprout a pair of wings and give chase?”
“But we can’t just stand here and watch her make off with the Key,” wailed Bryony.
“The mouse is right,” said Pipsqueak, watching the rising serpent make her escape. “There’s nothing we can do to stop her.”
“Nothing you can do.” Wincella bobbed excitedly. “But the Sisterhood are not so quick to admit defeat. Sisters, to positions!”
The spiders swarmed into a circle in the middle of the Pit. Wincella raised a foreleg. “Sisters, at the ready.”
The spiders turned in unison and thrust their abdomens into the air.
“On my command.” Wincella brought her foreleg down in a sharp cutting movement. “Fire!”
There was a whooshing sound, and a mass of white strands shot into the air. The effect reminded Bryony of a massive party popper going off. The white strands hit their target, encasing the Terrible Fang in a mesh of silver webs.
“What is this?” hissed the Terrible Fang, her eyes burning angrily. “Who dares strike against me?”
“We do,” cried Wincella. “The Sisterhood will not let you escape. Sisters, bring the target down!”
The spiders heaved, and the Terrible Fang was dragged down to earth.
“Way to go!” shouted Bryony, clapping her hands.
“Your webs cannot bind me,” rasped the Terrible Fang, her body twisting in the sticky threads. Those leathery wings beat faster, and some of the web strands snapped. “You see, I am too powerful for the Sisterhood.”
“Then how about us?” squealed Pipsqueak. “The Ratello Mob won’t stand by while you make off with our Key. Gang, attack!”
The rats shrieked their battle cry, and sprang into action. Pipsqueak led the charge, leaping high onto the serpent’s tail. Th
e Ratello Mob followed, swarming up the writhing snake body and pulling the Terrible Fang down with their sheer weight of numbers.
“We’ve got her,” proclaimed Pipsqueak. “She’s fallen!”
The Pit echoed to the sound of cheering as the rats and spiders pinned their victim to the ground.
“How times have changed,” hissed the Terrible Fang. “I never thought I’d see the day when rats and spiders fought on the same side.”
“More has changed than you realise,” called out Slinker, still secured in webs. “Your master has long been defeated. He has no power or influence any more. He is imprisoned like you, bound forever.”
“My master cannot be bound,” cried the Terrible Fang. “And neither can I!”
With a rasping hiss, the Terrible Fang strained against her bonds. At first nothing happened. Then Bryony heard a twanging noise. Just one to begin with. Then another. And another. And then lots of twanging noises all at once, like someone playing an out of tune guitar.
The rats struggled to keep their prisoner held down. But it was a struggle they could not win.
With one mighty lash of her tail, the Terrible Fang broke free from the web, sending rats and spiders flying in all directions. Bryony dropped to the ground, narrowly avoiding a collision with a hurtling Dagger Tooth. She saw the rat slam into the wall of the Pit, before falling limply to the ground. She tried to reach him where he fell, but Stubby grabbed her arm.
“It’s no use,” he shouted. “The battle’s over.”
Bryony knew Stubby was right. The rats and spiders were scattered around the Pit. Pipsqueak was shrieking orders to his troops, but most of the rats were too stunned to attempt another assault. The Sisterhood were in a similar state of disarray, and Bryony’s heart sank as she watched the Terrible Fang rise again with the Key still clasped in her tail.
Then Bryony saw something jump and grab the Key. At first she assumed it was a spider, but then realised it didn’t have enough legs. Then she wondered if it was a rat, but noticed it didn’t have a tail. It did have a silly ginger head though.
A ginger head?
“Edwin?” The word escaped Bryony’s lips as a gasp of astonishment. “What does he think he’s doing?”
“Beats me,” conceded Stubby. “He’ll fall and dash his brains out. On the plus side, there won’t be much to clear up afterwards.”
“Edwin, let go!” Bryony screamed and waved her arms, but Edwin clung to the Key as the Terrible Fang lifted it higher. Knowing he wouldn’t listen to her, Bryony decided on a more drastic course of action.
“Where are you going?” Stubby caught Bryony’s arm again as she set off towards Edwin.
“It’s my fault,” said Bryony, twisting free of Stubby’s grip. “I got him into this, so I’ve got to save him.” She sprinted across the Pit towards Edwin, who was already several feet above the ground.
“Be careful,” cried Stubby. “Watch out for the crack!”
Bryony didn’t realise how close she was to the crack. She was concentrating on getting to Edwin before he was out of reach. Just a few more strides and she would be in range. Then all she had to do was jump and grab hold of him…
But Bryony never made the jump. There was a loud rumbling noise, a heaving tremor, and she was thrown off her feet. Suddenly the ground lurched sideways, and Bryony found herself sliding towards the crack.
The tremor ended as abruptly as it had begun, and Bryony stopped sliding just in time. Her head hung over the edge of the crack, and she lay staring into the abyss below.
She could see movement down in the darkness. At first she thought it was her imagination, but then she saw a leg emerging from the shadows; a hairy, segmented leg as thick as a telephone pole. And then another leg. And another. And another. A total of eight hairy legs came into view. Eight hairy legs as thick as drainpipes, connected to a bulbous body as big as a car…
Wychetts and the Key to Magic Page 25