"We can do this," Scruff screamed. "Let's ki—"
Vanderbeak's talon kicked, hitting Scruff in the chest. His breastplate protected him, but the blow tossed Scruff through the air, knocking the breath out of him. He hit the ground, for a moment unable to breathe. The talon came down again, slamming against his chest, and Vanderbeak began to push down. Scruff could not breathe. His armor began to creak and bend, and Scruff opened his mouth to scream, but no sound left it.
"Scwuff!" Cobweb screamed, running forward. Lying under Vanderbeak's talon, Scruff could barely see. Cobweb seemed all fuzzy, and stars floated across the chamber. Scruff felt ready to pass out. Darkness was spreading over his eyes, like curtains being drawn. Stay awake, don't die now, LIVE. Cobweb must have been out of arrows. Scruff saw her draw her dagger, lunge forward, and bury the blade into Vanderbeak's foot.
Vanderbeak screeched and lifted his talon off Scruff. Lying on the ground, Scruff took a huge breath, a breath almost large enough to suck in Vanderbeak himself. The darkness lifted from his eyes. Scruff coughed, blinked, and struggled up.
"Cobweb," he said, every inch of him aching, "are you—"
Vanderbeak lashed his talon, hitting Cobweb in the chest, sending her flying.
"Cobweb!" Scruff screamed, running toward her, Vanderbeak screeching behind him. Cobweb flew through the cavern, hit a stone wall, and fell to the ground. Is she dead? The other Bullies were battling the roc, but Scruff just ran toward Cobweb, tears in his eyes.
He dropped Norman and knelt by Cobweb, eyes blurry with tears. She was lying still on the cave floor, face bloody, eyes shut. "Cobweb," Scruff whispered, tears on his cheeks. Her eyes would not open, and she lay limp. God, is she dead?
An anguished cry filled the cavern. At first Scruff thought it his own cry of anguish, or maybe the sound of his heart renting. But no. This sound came from the shadows in a distant nook, and Dry Bones burst out of the darkness.
"Dry Bones!" Romy said from above, wings flapping, pitchfork bloody. "Where were you hiding all this time?"
The skeleton paid her no heed. He ran, screaming, cloak flapping. He shouted a spell, and lightning flew from his fingertips, hitting Vanderbeak.
The roc howled, sizzling. The black lighting ran across his body, and feathers flew from him.
"I told you not to hurt the spiderling!" Dry Bones screamed, firing more lightning bolts into the towering bird. The roc screeched, burning, eyes blazing, fire leaving his beak. Dry Bones tossed a third volley of lightning, and Vanderbeak fell onto his back. He twitched, raising smoke, kicking his claws. A smell like roast chicken filled the cavern.
Vanderbeak's head fell back, and his tongue hung from his beak.
He's dead, Scruff thought, holding Cobweb in his arms. Is Cobweb dead too?
Dry Bones ran toward him, knelt by Cobweb, and shoved Scruff aside.
"Get back!" Scruff warned, reaching for his mace.
Dry Bones shook his head. "Let me see." He leaned close to Cobweb, placing his ear—or at least, the part of his skull where his ear had been—over Cobweb's mouth.
"Is she dead?" Scruff asked, eyes moist. The other Bullies gathered around them. Jamie was bloody and panting, dripping blade clutched in her hand. Romy was bruised and battered, and tears flowed down her cheeks. Neev stood, face ashy, watching from behind like that day Father died. A tiger tail peeked from under his cloak.
"She's still breathing," Dry Bones said, and Scruff sobbed in relief. "But she's hurt. Badly. She's dying."
"Can you help her?" Jamie asked, face sweaty, and Scruff knew she was remembering the potion that healed her leg.
Dry Bones nodded, rummaged through his robes, and produced a golden vial. He uncorked the vial, releasing a poof of green smoke, and poured purple liquid into Cobweb's mouth.
At first nothing happened, and Scruff held his breath. The purple potion stained Cobweb's lips. Then suddenly she coughed, breathed in deeply, and opened her eyes.
"Cobweb!" Scruff said. He shoved Dry Bones aside and hugged her, weeping, and Cobweb held him. He helped the spiderling to her feet, and she stood beside him, shaky.
The Bullies all turned, bruised and bloody, to face Dry Bones. For a moment they just stared in silence, giving the warlock their sternest glowers.
Dry Bones shrugged. "What?" he said.
"You tried to kill us again!" Jamie said. "Not cool."
"You t-t-twied to kidnap me again!" Cobweb said.
Romy howled, hair crackling, eyes flaming. "And worst of all, you broke my glass lion!" She opened her palm, showing shattered glass.
Neev took a step toward Dry Bones, his fingers smoking and crackling with the first hints of a fireball. "Why are you doing this, Dry Bones? Why are you trying to kill us? We are no threat to you."
Dry Bones sighed. "Oh, all right, all right. Don't get your underpants all in a bundle, kids. I'll explain. See, I have nothing against you personally. Scruff, you're a nice guy. Jamie, you're a cute little hellraiser. Neev, you're a brilliant young man. Romy, you... you...." Dry Bones thought for a moment. "Well, Romy, I'm sure there are some positive sides to you, too."
"So why are you trying to kill us?" Neev demanded.
"Because of this." Dry Bones passed his hands—skeleton hands—over his skeleton body. "Do you know how hard it is to be a skeleton? No woman wants me. That's why I have to enchant them. Kids run away from me in horror. I have no friends. No family. I'm lonely. And it's your father, Neev, who did this to me. Sam Thistle tossed my spellbook into a fire. When I tried to retrieve it, the fire ate my flesh." Dry Bones clenched his bony fists. "I swore vengeance that day... not just against Sam Thistle, but against his entire family. I swore to wipe out the Thistle name. So I killed Sam Thistle and his wife five years ago, on the night I burned Burrfield. And when you showed up at the Coven, Neev, I learned that there were more Thistles in the world, more Thistles to kill. And well, you know the rest."
Romy rolled her eyes. "Bo-ring! God, you talk a lot, Dry Bones. Is your new plot to bore us to death? Your name should be Dull Bones."
"See, Romy?" the skeleton said. "That's why I'm going to kill you too. You're not a Thistle, but you're annoying."
Romy pouted.
Cobweb, her legs still wobbly, took a few hesitant steps toward Dry Bones. Scruff let her go, but kept his hand around his mace, ready to leap forward should Dry Bones try anything funny. The spiderling placed her hand on Dry Bones' shoulder.
"Dwy Bones, pwease," she said, voice soft. "Can you s-stop youw quest against my fwiends? I know y-you awen't a b-b-bad man. You'we just wonewy."
Dry Bones nodded. For a moment, it almost seemed as if the skeleton would cry. "I am lonely, you're right. You can't understand how lonely I am. You can't understand what it's like to be different, to be shunned from society."
Cobweb smiled sadly. "B-but we can. I was b-banished fwom my cwan because I t-tawk funny. Scwuff was banished for b-being b-b-bad at da swowd, Jamie for being a giwl. Even Womy is an outcast in dis wowwd. Dwy Bones, pwease. I wove my fwiends so m-much." Tears appeared in her eyes. "You s-saved me, and I know I'm fowevew in d-debt to you. If you pwomise to stop hunting my fwiends, I... I'ww dwink youw wove potion and b-b-become y-youw w-w-wife."
"No!" Scruff said, horrified, and took a step forward... but Neev placed a hand against his chest, stopping him.
"Let's see what she does," Neev whispered.
"Do you agwee, Dwy Bones?" Cobweb said, tears spiking her eyelashes. "Pwease. Fow me. I'ww be youws f-f-fowevew if you pwomise to wet my fwiends go."
Dry Bones shrugged. "Why don't I just kill them now, then force you to drink the potion?"
"Why don't we kill you now?" Jamie growled, standing by her brothers, raising her bloody sword.
"No!" Cobweb said. "No mowe fighting. Pwease. We've f-f-fought enough." She turned to Dry Bones. "You've twied to k-k-kiww us befowe, but faiwed. We'd aww j-just end up kiwwing one anotew. You've made us misewabwe awweady; you've achieved youw v-vengeance against da Tistwe
s. We'ww be togeder, Dwy Bones, and wet my fwiends go."
She took a deep breath and wiped sweat off her brow. Scruff knew how hard it was for Cobweb to speak so many words. He was proud of her for speaking so well, so nobly. I love her so much.
Dry Bones tapped his chin, thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Very well, I accept." He pulled a love potion from his pocket and handed it to Cobweb. "Drink"
Scruff tightened his lips. I can't let this happen. He looked at his fellow Bullies, but they just stood bewildered, not knowing what to do.
Cobweb reached toward Dry Bones' love potion, her hand trembling, her eyes teary.
Scruff leaped forward, rolled across the ground, and snatched the fallen healing potion, the potion Dry Bones used for healing Cobweb. Half the bottle remained. Would it be enough?
Scruff glanced at Cobweb. She had taken Dry Bones' love potion and was holding it, eyes closed and teary. Don't drink it, Cobweb, please.
Clutching the healing potion, Scruff rushed toward Vanderbeak. The roc lay on his back, smoking, one talon twitching. He's still alive, but barely.
Glancing back at Cobweb, he saw her hesitate, tears flowing as she brought the love potion close to her lips. Not wasting an instant, Scruff shoved the healing potion into Vanderbeak's beak and spilled it onto his tongue.
The roc swallowed, coughed, and ruffled his feathers.
Cobweb brought the love potion to her lips. She was about to drink.
Vanderbeak rose to his feet, dozens of feet tall.
"Kill Dry Bones!" Scruff screamed at Vanderbeak, pointing at the skeleton. "He tried to kill you. Get him!"
Screeching, the roc leaped forward, fire blowing from his beak.
Cobweb leaped aside, the love potion falling to smash against the ground. Thank God, Scruff thought. "Sic him, Vanderbeak," he shouted. "Kill Dry Bones! He tried to kill you, get him!"
The roc jumped onto Dry Bones, clutched him with his talons, and tossed the warlock into his beak.
"Scruff, damn you!" the skeleton screamed.
"Eat him!" Scruff shouted at the top of his lungs.
Vanderbeak tossed his head back, gulping Dry Bones down.
"Mmm mmm, crunchy," Romy said and patted the roc.
From inside the roc, came the sounds of Dry Bones screaming and casting spells. The roc's belly bulged, and electricity flowed across him. The screams were horrible, both Vanderbeak's screeches and Dry Bones howling in his belly. The chamber trembled and fires burned. The Bullies rushed back and flattened themselves against the wall, watching the scene.
Dry Bones was shouting spells inside the roc, and the great bird burst into flames, lightning crackling across him. Smoke and fire flowed. The screams swirled in the air. The cave trembled. Boulders fell from the cave ceiling, crashing against Vanderbeak. Even the boulders that had trapped the bullies came loose, tumbling into the chamber, hitting Vanderbeak.
The great vulture fell over, crushed with stones, burned with fire, crackling with electricity. His screeches turned into a whimper, then died.
Inside his belly, Dry Bones fell silent.
The fires died.
Silence filled the chamber.
The Bullies stood still, ash on their faces, blood on their weapons. Scruff clutched Cobweb's hand. Jamie grabbed his other hand. Neev and Romy held each other. For a moment nobody dared move.
Finally Romy broke the silence. "Are they dead?"
Neev shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and muttered a spell. It must have been a simple spell; his jinx didn't act up, and he sighed in relief, his breath shaky. "I sense no life from them. They're dead, Romy." For the first time in his life, Scruff saw tears in his brother's eyes. "They're dead," the young warlock whispered.
Romy cried too, embracing Neev. Then the demon turned to Jamie and embraced her, both crying.
Scruff stood still, looking at Cobweb. She gazed back, lips trembling, tears drawing purple lines through the ash on her cheeks. For a moment they just stood still, staring at each other.
Then Scruff felt tears in his eyes and embraced her.
"I love you, Cobweb," he whispered.
She kissed his lips. "I wove you too," she said.
Scruff smiled and laughed through his tears. "You said that so well. You're getting better." But then his smile vanished. He touched Cobweb's cheek, his fingers trembling. "Did you drink it, Cobweb?" He didn't even care that she saw him crying.
"No, it f-feww from my hand befowe I c-couwd," she said, holding him, tears in her eyes.
"Not that one," Scruff said, tears blurring his vision. "I mean the love potion Dry Bones tried to force into you, back at his tower in the forest. You had the bottle to your lips, and then looked at me. Do you love me because of the love potion, Cobweb? Did you drink it before looking at me? Is that why you kissed me?"
Cobweb laughed as she cried. "Is dat what's b-been botewing you aww dis time? Of course I didn't dwink it, Scwuff! I wove you fow weal, and vewy much, not because of some p-potion." She kissed him. "I woved you fwom the moment we met."
Scruff stared at her, confounded, then laughed. Then he kissed her again, hands in her hair.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Bullies for Ever
When the Bullies dragged Vanderbeak's head into Greenford, the townsfolk gaped, too shocked to speak.
"Well, here you go," Scruff said, pulling the rope tied around the roc's head. With the other Bullies' help, he dragged the head into town square. The head was the size of a wagon, dusty and very very dead.
The townsfolk just stared silently, and Scruff bit his lip and twisted his toes. Did we do something wrong? he wondered. Did we kill the wrong beast?
Finally one peasant broke the silence.
"That's gross," said the blond girl, the one who'd first doubted them. "That head stinks."
The other townsfolk gaped, then one—Old Julian Glassblower—laughed. The others soon joined the laughter, and the Bullies laughed too. The townsfolk ran toward them, patted their backs, and embraced them with tears and more laughter.
"To hell with this," Romy said and tossed aside her cloak and hood. "I'm sick of hiding who I am. Look everyone, I'm a scary demon! Look!"
Scruff winced, knowing how people hated demons, and he prepared to flee with Romy. But the townsfolk didn't seem to mind. They hoisted Romy onto their shoulders and carried her around, cheering for "the benevolent demon" as she squealed in delight.
The party lasted all day. The townsfolk danced and drank. Somebody cleaned and stuffed Vanderbeak's head, and the townsfolk mounted it in town square. As evening fell, lanterns were lit, more wine was passed around, and musicians played fiddles and flutes. Romy danced and drank so much, that she soon passed out and lay sleeping under a tree, Neev sitting beside her and caressing her hair.
The Lord of Greenford rode out of his manor atop the hill, bearing a chest of gold. The townsfolk fell silent as the lord presented the gold to Scruff.
"Five hundred golden coins," said the lord, an apple-cheeked man in a purple cape. "Every one well spent."
The lord opened the chest, and Scruff was nearly blinded. He had never seen so much money, and probably never would again. The golden coins glinted like stars. Their very presence seemed to wake up Romy, who wobbled toward the chest, gazed in, and promptly passed out again.
"So much money," Jamie whispered, the golden light upon her face, her eyes wide. "We could buy a castle with this."
Scruff took a deep breath. He thought of all the things he could buy with this money. Not just a castle, but horses, gowns for Cobweb, a future.
Then Scruff looked around at the town. He saw burned silos. He saw a toppled church. He saw poor, ashy peasants, their farms burned. He saw bedraggled tradesmen, their shops destroyed. Even the manor atop the hill was half smashed.
Scruff looked at his fellow bullies. Cobweb knew what he was thinking; Scruff could see that. She looked at him, love in her eyes, and nodded. Neev heaved a deep sigh, the deepest Scruff had ever se
en him sigh, and nodded too. Jamie opened her mouth, eyes shocked, then closed her mouth, opened it again, bit her lip, then finally sighed. Eyes lowered, she grumbled something and nodded curtly.
Romy, meanwhile, snored upon the ground.
Scruff looked at the apple-faced lord, closed the chest, and pushed it back.
"Thank you, my lord," he said. "But we can't accept this reward. You need the money more than we do. Use this gold to rebuild this town and the farms that Vanderbeak destroyed."
Romy had woken up, caught his last words, and passed out a third time.
The lord raised his eyebrows. "You are very noble, sir," he said to Scruff.
Scruff smiled. "I'm not a sir. I'm just a Bully."
The lord whistled and shook his head. "Is there nothing we can offer you?"
Scruff looked at Cobweb. She smiled at him, blue eyes sparkling in the light of lanterns, her skin glowing. As usual, she seemed to know what he was thinking. She nodded and smiled, dimples in her cheeks.
Scruff turned back to the lord. "There's just one thing I'd like. Do you have a priest around?"
As it happened, they did. Scruff was only eighteen, Cobweb only sixteen; they were young, but they didn't care. They knew they'd love each other forever.
That Sunday, the peasants all gathered in the town square as Scruff and Cobweb got married. Flowers were set across the square, the cobbled streets were swept, and ribbons adorned the lantern poles. The peasants wore their Sunday best, white tunics and garlands of flowers in their hair. Musicians played wooden flutes, girls walked around with trays of honey cakes, and a puppet show was set up in a corner to entertain bored children (and, for an hour, Scruff).
Cobweb wore her gossamer dress and a garland of wheat. She had braided strands of her hair, weaving sweet-scented jasmines into the braid. She was so beautiful, that everyone who approached her stuttered so badly, they talked just as clumsily as she.
Scruff himself wore a white tunic the lord of Greenford gave him. He had polished his breastplate and helmet and wore them too; they glittered in the sunlight like Cobweb's eyes. It was the best day of his life. We did it, Father, Mother, he thought. We got the guy who killed you. Maybe I didn't become a knight, but I think I became somebody. And I know you'd have loved Cobweb. Together we'll carry on the Thistle name.
Eye of the Wizard: A Fantasy Adventure Page 25