by Suzie Taylor
After a considerable walk, the passage opened out into a wide cavern where the roof was lower and the floor was made up of smooth glutinous mud. Thick vertical roots protruded from floor to ceiling in various places and in other areas it was more of a tangled mesh.
“Do you know which way?” Ben asked Mouse.
Mouse indicated a direction and Ben took a step forward only to have the mud bubble slightly around his feet trying to suck him down. He hastily pulled himself free and stood once again on the edge. Walking was clearly no longer an option; they would have to be flown. The bug dragons crouched to let the children climb aboard and get themselves comfortable. They did not have saddles, but they did have a chest harness with a stout rope to hang on to.
Flying in the dark with little visibility was an eerie experience. It was cold and everything was deathly quiet with only the whirring sound of wings to disturb the staleness of the air. The blackness up ahead gave them no sense of how far they needed to go or even whether they were travelling in a direct line, but gradually they all became aware of an unwelcome change. A foul smell - the same rotten stench they had experienced twice before began to increase in intensity. Ben called across to Alf and ruby who were flying next to him.
“Hey can you smell that?”
“Yep. I’m guessing this must be where it came from,” said Alf. “Gas leaks in the mud.”
“Zombies I reckon,” said Nadia and steadied her weapon with one hand. Emily’s eyes widened and she clung more tightly to Needles. Mouse said something to the other bug dragons and they responded by picking up speed.
Suddenly a huge slimy shape rose up out of the darkness before them and opened a hideous mouth. The bug dragons swerved to either side in panic.
“Leech!” Ben yelled.
It was not the only one. Other leeches rose up from the mud and swung out at them, hideous black and brown slimy creatures with frightful teeth and trembling suckers wanting to grasp them and suck them dry as they passed! The bug dragons swung frantically this way and that and it was all the children could do to hang on. Emily felt the heavy wet slap of a leech against her leg, knocking Needles sideways, but before she could regain her balance a sudden jerk in the opposite direction threw her off completely. She hit one of the tree roots at speed then landed with a splat on the mud, winded and barely able to breathe. Everything was dark and confused. She floundered as best she could towards the nearest root vaguely aware that something was pursuing her. Needles had immediately turned to fly back but by the time he got there her legs had sunk into the mud completely. He grasped her in his claws, tugging and flapping with all his might and only just managed to pull her free before another leech reached out to grab her.
Dangling precariously from his claws, Emily was too much in shock to even scream, and as they continued their crazy flight onwards, it was all she could do to focus on breathing.
Ben, Alf and Nadia had reached the end of the cavern and the safety of a steep rocky slope.
“Where’s Em?” Ban panted. “She’s not here!”
But Nadia was already hoisting her gun into position. They could see Needles desperately weaving this way and that, trying to find a way through a line of leeches that was blocking him. Nadia took aim and fired into the mass of slimy black bodies but instead of firing bullets or lasers as she had been expecting, the gun lit up angrily and issued the sound of heavy rock music. Waves of energy flew out causing the very air to shudder, and the leeches when hit, crumpled to the ground and slithered out of the way as fast as they could.
“Oh yeah!” yelled Nadia.
Needles immediately zoomed through the gap and upon reaching the slope dropped Emily gently before closing his wings and panting from the exertion of their flight.
“Ok Em?” asked Ben anxiously.
“No...” gasped Emily. “Stomach.”
Ben put his arm around her shoulders, the reality of the danger they were in hitting him for the first time. This mission could actually go seriously wrong! What if one of them was killed or seriously injured? What on earth would happen back at home? Home. His room. Bed. Nothing could have felt further away at that moment. “I’m sorry Em,” he murmured. “You gonna be ok?”
“I think... it was the way I fell,” she croaked. “Just give me a bit...”
“That was awesome!” said Nadia “Who’d have thought that leeches are allergic to metal?”
“Metal what?” asked Emily.
“Music! Surely you heard it?”
“I heard something but I didn’t recognise it,” said Emily. “There was too much happening.”
“Well it certainly worked on the leeches. Don’t know why though.”
“A psychological attack with musical ammo,” said Alf. “Apparently it plays what you want to hear but the enemy hears something that it hates. Inter-dimensional sound. It was probably all in our heads.”
“It was awfully quiet,” said Ben.
“That’s because it’s directional,” said Alf, “like most weapons.”
“Amazing! So how did it know what kind of music I like?” asked Nadia.
“I’m guessing it probed your subconscious and that was what you had going on in there!”
The slope was steep but way up at the top was the tell-tale gleam of outdoor light. As soon as Emily felt up to it they made their way towards the opening. Nadia took the lead and as they neared the top she lowered herself, gun at the ready and scanned the outside world.
“Be careful,” whispered Ben. “No going out there alone.”
“Hard to see much,” she said over her shoulder. “I was forgetting how small we are. It looks confusing out there because the ferns and plants and everything are huge. There’s loads of cover though, we can probably get close to the edge of the water without any hassles. I couldn’t hear anything because of the waterfall and I couldn’t see up into the trees because of the ferns – and the fact that it’s almost dark. ”
“Ok, doesn’t sound too bad,” said Ben.
They crawled out into the open one by one but the bug dragons shook their heads. They knew that their colours would shine through the undergrowth and if anything was waiting overhead the children would have a much better chance alone. They could however be called if anything went wrong. Ben led the way down towards the water and being so small meant that there was plenty of cover. They moved quickly, crouching below fallen leaves that were like huge sheets of cardboard and skirting beneath the protective canopy of brown striped fungi that grew on the many sticks and logs on the forest floor. They could hear the sound of the water up ahead and knew that it wasn’t far, but then there came another, less welcome sound. The leaves were rustling behind them – something large was pursuing them in the dark! They shrank back against a fallen stick and Nadia readied her gun.
“Don’t shoot unless you have to,” murmured Ben. “It may not be anything dangerous.”
“I could shrink it?” suggested Alf.
“Or set it on fire... ”
“Shhh!”
A large millipede came into view, its many legs beating rhythmic pattern over the fallen leaves. It paused to look at them, its antenna twitching busily, but otherwise standing motionless, its face almost robotic and expressionless. Emily gasped and wanted to squeal but Ben clamped his hand firmly over her mouth. “shhh! We don’t know what else is out there!”
“One false move and you’re insect soup,” growled Nadia.
“Does it want to eat us?” asked Emily in a quavering voice.
“Don’t worry,” said Alf “They eat rotting wood and fungi and stuff.”
The standoff continued for a short while before Ben decided to make a move. “Go away!” he said and waved his arms. To his surprise the millipede turned away slightly but continued to stare at them. They edged their way along the side of the stick and cautiously continued on their way. The millipede paused then followed from a distance. It was presently joined by a cockroach and several woodlice. The children looked back nervo
usly.
“They’re keeping their distance but i don’t like it,” said Ben.
They began to jog a little faster, dodging the forest debris where they could and clambering over it when there was no other way. The insects likewise increased their speed but they seemed to recognise the threat of Nadia’s gun and continued to keep some space between them. The fast moving water of the stream came into view and before it lay a deep carpet of moss. The children had no option but to plough into it, but it was hard going with the thick wet foliage almost waist high. The insects had called in more reinforcements; creepy crawlies of all kinds had joined the pursuit and some had nasty looking pincers and stings!
Ben pointed to a tree root that extended down into the water. “Up there,” he panted, “we’ll be able to see better and it’s a high point which will be easier to defend.”
They clambered up and the crowd of insects formed a wide circle around the root.
Emily crouched with her back against a knot in the bark and Nadia squatted next to her, gun poised at the ready. The moon was just beginning to rise, but the forest was very dark and it was difficult to see the island clearly. Ben thought he could just make out the tip of the pedestal against the slightly paler mist of the waterfall. The water rushed past the root at his feet and looked even more turbulent further in. He had not remembered the pool being so rough – but then last time he was a sensible size!
“I reckon I need to be grown bigger again,” he said. “It’s the only chance I have to get over there.”
“Grow us all,” said Emily, “At least then we’ll be able to deal with these insects!”
“Why stop at human size?” said Nadia. “Become a giant, pick up that log for a weapon and just run out there as fast as you can. What can get you if you’re a giant?”
“A dinosaur?” said Alf. “And don’t say they’re extinct. I saw one out by John Carmody’s creek last summer. Dad said it was an emu, but I saw.”
“Ok. Sounds like a plan,” said Ben. “I don’t think there’s too much danger of dinosaurs. I’ll stand still right here. Aim carefully Alf!”
Alf turned the device on and aimed it at Ben who immediately began to shrink.
“Not that way!” yelled Nadia “reverse!”
“Alf hastily made the adjustment but before Ben had quite made it to the size he had been before, a spider that had been lowering itself stealthily from overhead grabbed Alf from behind and began to haul him up into the tree.
Emily screamed. Alf was wriggling with all his might and the web began to swing this way and that. The modifier which was still switched on, dropped to the ground. Nadia tried to hoist up her gun, but the ground around them began to cave in and she found herself staggering to regain her balance. Ben made a dive for the device and managed to turn it off, but the other insects who had been waiting for the distraction, took the opportunity to charge. Nadia began firing as fast as she could, drawing all her energy and enthusiasm from the music. Everything ahead of her turned and ran the opposite way but there were insects coming up from behind and even more coming down from the top of the tree. A large spider finally managed to grab the gun from over her head.
Ben was grappling with a huge praying mantis and several oversized ants. Emily fell victim to a group of stinkbugs, and Nadia who struggled and fought like a demon, had three earwigs, a cockroach and a spider attempting to control her. She resorted to biting one of the spider’s hairy legs only to be bitten in return. Gasping in pain and shock she continued to struggle but her arms and legs began to fail her – she felt a burning sensation running through her body and was soon hanging as limp as a rag doll. The other three children continued to scream and yell as they felt themselves being hauled up into the tree. Ben kicked his legs frantically, and managed to free one arm. For a brief moment he stared into the face of the mantis, its green eyes gleaming in the moonlight and its expression disconcertingly fixed and robotic. He began beating at it with all his might, but the mantis was stronger and the ants had gripped every part of him firmly in their pincers. The mantis pulled his arm down and held it firmly but as it did so Ben suddenly became aware of the hard shape in his pocket. The stone! As soon as he thought of it, he knew he had to have it and began twisting his hand and trying to bend his elbow enough to reach in and grasp it. ‘Help me, Help me,” he moaned. He felt the rim of his pocket and fumbled frantically before finally getting his hand around far enough to push down into it. The moment his fingers touched its surface he felt a wave of strength go into him. He yanked his arm free once more; the stone firmly in his grasp, and without thinking about why, slammed it between the mantis’s eyes.
“Go away!” was all he could think to say. “I need to get to the Orator!”
To his immediate disappointment, nothing appeared to happen, but what he didn’t see was a brief glow from the pedestal on the island, the faint whisper of a word, and something like a tiny star fly out and hit the top of the tree. Although the star was small, the tree trembled under the impact then shivered and groaned right down to its roots. A shock of vivid green flashed like lightning through its veins and branched out into every twig and leaf. Upon reaching the web from which Alf’s spider was hanging, it burned rapidly down the fine strands like a fuse, causing the spiders to stiffen suddenly as if paralysed. The other insects reacted in a similar fashion, the green energy coursing through their bodies and causing them to freeze. Ben wrenched himself free and grabbed a nearby branch whilst insects all around him plopped down into the water. Emily yelled for help and between them they managed to grab Nadia, only just saving her from falling. The groaning of the tree continued and the ground seemed to heave as the roots tore themselves from the earth. The children hung on for dear life, but they soon lost their grip and were flung off into the stream as the tree, with a mighty splintering of branches, crashed into the water.
Ben spluttered to the surface, still grasping Nadia by her overalls, and together all four children were carried by the current back to the trunk of the tree which now lay like a bridge from the bank where they had originally stood, to the island.
“Well that was unexpected,” panted Emily.
The clouds had completely encircled the city and were closing in on the centre. Nexus, armed with an unusual device that looked rather like a vacuum cleaner, was speeding up towards the ceiling of the cave on his disability platform. He looked tiny against the growing cloud mass which suddenly took on a darker, angrier shade as he approached. A tiny spark shot out, hitting the edge of the platform with a resounding crack. Nexus fought to regain his balance but determinedly aimed the hose of his device and managed to suck out a tiny portion of cloud before racing back down towards the ground.
“What is it?” demanded the King as he landed.
“Definitely not friendly,” panted Nexus as he ran inside. The King and Growler followed and watched anxiously as he extracted the cloud portion into an enclosed glass bowl. This he attached to a complex arrangement of chemistry equipment. The cloud which had initially puffed out as a swirling mist condensed itself into a small innocent blob of fluffy pink.
“Right... let’s see what you’re really made of,” said Nexus. He added a drop of something and slowly began to turn a dial. The cloud began to become darker and began to shudder angrily before finally giving in under the pressure and expelling a few drops of liquid. This was then sucked down into a tiny vial which Nexus extracted from the apparatus and carried outside. Having identified a suitable spot, he crouched and allowed a drip to fall on the coloured, living stone of his stalagmite. At first there was no reaction but then the colour and life slowly began to bleach out and rise into the air as a fine thread, leaving a dead whitish grey patch behind it. Nexus shook his head grimly and tried another drop on a nearby weed. The plant seemed to tremble slightly as if impacted by force greater than the weight of the drop itself and then the colour was slowly sucked away, radiating out from the spot where the drop had struck and leaving only a fragile skeleton of
ghostly white ash. Nexus exchanged a look with the King and Growler who had been watching anxiously over his shoulder.
“This is what we can expect if it rains,” said Nexus.
“So what is going on with the boy?” asked the King anxiously. “I thought he’d be back by now! Will he succeed?”
“That depends on him,” said Nexus.
“Why him?” said the King in frustration. “I could have done this!”
“Really?” Nexus replied. “Would you have been willing to go out there alone and without your armour?”
The King said nothing.
“But you can help,” said Nexus. “Assuming he is still alive, you can at least give the boy less of the enemy to deal with.”
The King nodded then jumped to his feet and began talking urgently into his transmitter. It was time to summon the full strength of his troops! He and Growler put on their armour, grabbed their weapons and flew straight for the perimeter of the cave. A narrow crack in the wall led them down a short passage from which they emerged into the small entrance cavern where the children had first entered. Scamp had indeed taken them the hard way!
An entire bug dragon army was soon pouring out of the narrow passage until the cave foyer was filled with noise and action. A small group carried weapons but the majority were unarmed. A circle was hastily cleared on the floor, and various individuals (mostly the youngsters) began to busy themselves with the task of making balls of coloured light. Their cheeks and neck sacs would swell out like a frog’s and then a small cloud of light was puffed out. This was then deftly shaped and squeezed into a ball with their hands, and tossed onto the pile. The smallest of them could only produce tiny balls but everyone was giving it all they had and doing the best they could.
The crash of the falling tree outside reverberated from down in the valley and for a moment they all paused in their activities and exchanged worried glances, wondering what to do. At that moment Mouse zoomed into the hole, and began squeaking frantically, almost jumping up and down in his excitement. Gypsy, Needles, Ruby and Pixel, flew in close behind him and likewise began speaking all at once. The King held up his hand for order and Mouse continued to chatter, his eyes wide, pointing out into the darkness of the forest. The King nodded grimly and responded with the urgent call for them to work faster. The pile of light balls grew rapidly but it seemed to take a lot out of them. Their tail lights started to fade and eventually all but the strongest lay down in exhaustion, the youngsters slumped across their mothers and the older ones lying spread-eagled on the ground. The bug dragons that were left grabbed as many of the light balls as they could, piling them into pouches which they carried over their shoulders, and then when they were ready, the King led the way out into the night.