“You've met him, then?”
“No, I saw the paintings of the hunt and didn't especially want to meet anyone in them.”
“Well, I found him, introduced myself, explained whom I'd served under and who commissioned me, and asked his leave to cross his lands in my own hunt.”
“And that's not cheating?”
“... It's the exact opposite of cheating, Miss. That's how it's done when you hunt across someone else's land. And I was hunting, after a fashion.”
“And the scary faerie guy with the horns and the black horse and a pack of dogs almost as big, he just said 'okay'?” Megan asked.
“He granted the request, yes. Seemed like being asked was a bit novel.”
“Did he give you a ride across the unfordable river, too?”
“No, had to swim that.”
“You swam? But there were rapids with monster fish and migratory whirlpools!”
If not for the all the effort he and Lani were putting into immobilizing his arm, Justin would probably have shrugged again. “I watched the currents for two days to find the most possible crossing-point. Fish are the least active at high noon, so that's when I swam. Very hard.”
“And then you climbed through the plains and hills without the dogs bothering you, and then you heard the song—”
“What song?”
“On the wind. To open the gate.”
“There's a lot of sound on the wind, Miss. I didn't see any way of opening that gate.”
“But you're in here.”
“I climbed the fence.”
“You just... climbed it?” Megan was blinking.
“Okay, as soon as your good hand's free, I want to shake it,” Lani said, smiling as she finished wrapping his arm tight.
“But what about the gross hazy feeling?” Megan could not get over the idea of climbing that huge, disgusting fence.
“You've lost me, Miss. I... take it you're... of the Fair Folk, then?”
“Half,” Lani said. “She's the Unseelie King's daughter.”
“Oh.” Now Justin actually got to look surprised. “Pleasure to meet you, Highness.”
“Just Megan, please.”
"Megan then," he said, a little confused, but offering his good hand to Lani when she finished binding his shield arm. "The fence was a hard climb, to be sure, but I'm not … that is, I'm quite, quite mortal. I don't think it was meant to keep humans out. On the other hand, I was definitely not going to get back out with the bad shoulder."
"And a couple of cracked ribs, I think," Lani added. "Your shoulder was dislocated. Just a little, so hopefully it will heal fast. You won't be able to use it at all for a while though, so I've got it as secure as I could with the supplies we have."
"My thanks.”
Megan smiled a little. “Thinking of going pre-med instead of majoring in engineering now?”
Lani smiled back. “You canceling art school plans because you sang a gate open? The human body's just another machine. Except when it's not.” She looked back to Justin. “You're welcome.”
The boy nodded, still trying to take a lot in. “When we've rested, I can guide you to the sword. We'll need a plan, though."
"Even with one arm, I think Justin should get the sword," Lani said. "He actually knows how to use one, and has the best chance to hurt the golems with it."
"He won't be able to run much, though. And there's a lot of golems," Megan said. "One of us should probably try to get it, and the others can make a distraction to draw them as far away as we can get them? Once he has the sword, hopefully it will be able to damage them."
"Agreed," Justin said. "They're slow enough that with a working weapon, I think I can best one of them at a time. The problems were numbers and having nothing that threatened them.”
Megan looked towards where Ashling was resting, nestled up against the Count. "Are you two going to be in any shape to help with the distraction? I don't want you to hurt yourselves worse."
"We'll manage," Ashling said. "After all, you need us."
Megan sat down next to Ashling, and carefully, after making sure the bird didn't seem to object, stroked the crow's headfeathers a little. "Thank you. Both of you. I know you really care about my dad.”
“Yeah, well, he's care-about-able.” Ashling smiled. “Starting to think it runs in the family. And Lani is such a team player. And you've got to realize, the Count really likes teams. Hates doing without them. He's attempted murder a few times, but it never worked out.”
As Megan felt the crow sigh under her fingers, she tried to parse that sentence.
“Because…no other crows showed up to be in the murder?”
“Obviously.”
“Yes. Obviously.”
Lani wanted them all to try sleeping at that point, but Megan gave up on that fairly quickly. While none of the iron giants ever tried to break into their shelter, the loud metal-on-stone noise passing by every hour or so not only woke her, but kept her on edge until it passed. Each time, just as exhaustion started to push her to sleep, the noise would arise again, bringing her back to paranoid alertness. Looking around, the others weren't faring much better. Justin often seemed the closest to drifting off, but the binding on his arm made any position awkward.
Their basic plan didn't help Megan relax any either, particularly with half of the group injured. No one was able to come up with anything better than 'grab the sword and run during a distraction,' though, and they weren't likely to when they couldn't even sleep. At least it was simple.
After the passage of yet another golem, after she was sure no one was asleep, and no one looked likely to change that, she finally stood and headed for the window, surveying the city outside. "If the Count can fly, we should start moving as soon as it's light enough to see."
"We need to rest and heal," Lani said. "We have a couple of days’ supplies."
"Do you feel any better rested? And Ashling is getting worse, not better. Besides, in two days, we might be healed more; we might not, but I'll definitely be going stir crazy.” It might just have been the sleep deprivation, but Megan could almost feel the city sapping her strength as well. “Let's do this."
While the teens looked between each other, Ashling spoke to the crow. Finally, the Count tested his wings, hopped a couple of times, and then flew to Megan's shoulder. "He says he can fly, but maybe not while carrying me." She looked to Megan. “Can I have the left shoulder?”
“Okay,” Megan said, picking the pixie up gently.
"I guess I'm running for the sword, then?" Lani asked.
"You're faster than I am. You've proven that a couple of times. Ashling, the Count, and I will work on the distraction.”
"And what am I to do?" Justin asked.
"Stay out of the way, and Lani will get you the sword. Then it will be up to you to get them off of us."
"I'll be ready."
Chapter 22: The Sword is Drawn
At first light, they followed Justin's directions through the city, having to backtrack and change directions at the sight of various golems. As they got closer to the center of the city, the patrols grew more frequent. By hugging buildings and scouting as best they could, they managed to avoid any more chases, but it was slow going, and there were a lot more close calls than Megan was remotely comfortable with.
At last, Justin stopped them. "Around the next corner, you'll be able to see the great hall. All of the doors have been torn off and the golems come and go. Pay very close attention to where the doors are and don't let them corner you. They'll try."
"How reassuring. So the sword is in there?" Lani asked.
"Laid across the arms of the great chair in the main hall," Justin said. "Just as much of a taunt as the rest of this place. Also easy to guard. There's four golems there. Two of them gave chase, two remained on watch. More came when they called. We will need to make this quick."
"And indoors, the Count won't have as much room to fly out of reach," Megan said, starting to turn the corner
anyway, with Ashling sitting astride one shoulder, the crow perched on the other. "If we need to hurry, let's hurry."
Justin reached out, pulling her back. "Wait, time the patrols."
She watched from around the corner, until a golem tromped by their hiding spot. Megan couldn't help reflecting that the tower emblazoned on its shield looked a little like a rook in chess. It paused there for a moment, but showed no sign of turning towards them, and eventually began walking again. "Now," Justin whispered, starting around the corner. Following his lead, the others quietly paced several yards behind the tower-golem, following it into the building before ducking into an alcove to hide.
"Right... they travel one at a time. And make a lot of noise. Can I shake your hand again, for good measure?" Lani asked.
"There will be more than one soon enough," Justin replied, instinctively reaching for the sheath that no longer held a sword.
The tower-golem disappeared down a hallway. They could hear more footsteps echoing down other halls, and even the sound of footfalls from the next floor up. For a few moments, all the different footfalls in all directions tested Megan's nerves. She started entertaining the thought of ducking back out the door.
Justin led the way a short time further, with the group doing their best to remain near hiding places, having to duck back a few times to avoid being spotted, waiting there nervously until the golems passed. Finally, he gestured to a wide passage where double doors used to stand. "There."
Through the doorway they could see the room he'd described, great chair and all. Otherwise, Megan couldn't help but notice the similarities between the rest of the room and some of Seattle's concert halls. A large part of the room was left open for dancing or spectating, but there was still plenty of space for a truly grand stage. The red curtains of the stage were even mostly preserved through whatever odd effect kept most of the city intact, though they were tattered and threadbare.
The rest of the room was a sight. All over the stage, and particularly on the floor, there was the remains of all manner of instruments and stage props. Most of the cloth, wood, and paper had disintegrated, but there were a few hints of those. There was plenty of metal, however, with the twisted frames of horns mingled with strings and struts, strewn among the wrecked frames of drums, with the odd bits of old costumes, prop weapons and now-unidentifiable things scattered among them. While most of the city was left to simply stand as a tortured reminder of what it had been, this place seemed intentionally ransacked and the contents destroyed and discarded. Among the wreckage were several clear lanes, where the golems passed through the room, from the doors to the grand chair of the lord of the hall.
As promised, laid across the arms of the chair, as if in waiting for the lord's return, was a sheathed sword with a jeweled hilt. Also as promised, four golems stood sentry, one at each corner of the massive chair. One carried a shield with a hand symbol on it, one with a boot. A large, singular eye was emblazoned on each of the shields of the two behind them.
Megan started into the room with the pixie on one shoulder and the crow on the other. She darted towards the throne, picking up speed as she went.
It took only a few moments before the golems took notice, all four turning their heads in her direction in an eerie unison. The two at the back raised their heads, starting into the grating bellow she'd heard on the first encounter. The other pair turned, continuing to move in almost perfect symmetry, raising their swords, lowering their shields and advancing on her. Megan let them get a little closer, then turned, racing back for the door out of the room.
To her surprise, when she turned, she saw Lani and Justin rushing into the room coming towards her and waving frantically. Before she could turn around, she saw the reason for their alarm. The tower-golem was advancing on the door. When it arrived just behind Lani and Justin, it crouched and raised its shield, blocking the exit and trapping them in the room.
Megan spun again, seeing the hand-golem and the boot-golem coming at her along the path through the wreckage. After a moment of hesitation, she rushed towards the stage, risking the minefield of ruined instruments and stage props. She heard the sound of crunching metal all too close behind her, and could see the others not far off in her peripheral vision. Lani seemed to be navigating the garbage well enough, but Justin nearly fell when he stepped on the remains of a drum, catching his balance, but allowing the hand-golem to close a lot of the distance while he did so.
"Split up!" Megan yelled. "They can only follow two of us, someone can try to get the sword." It seemed like their best bet on the spur of the moment.
Justin ducked under a swing of a sword, then headed back towards the door, trying to draw his attacker away from the girls. Lani took off to the left, nimbly moving through the wreckage. Drawing a mixture of chagrin and relief at once, the boot-golem stayed on Megan's heels.
"Get to the stage!" Ashling yelled in her ear. As she offered her guidance, the Count lifted off Megan's shoulder, flying towards the golem pursuing Justin. Megan almost lost her balance, sliding on some old strings left on the floor. As she got her leg unensnared from the wires of the old lute, they cut into her ankle. The bleeding wound threw off Megan's stride even as she started running. In the process of catching herself, Ashling went pitching forward off of Megan's shoulder. Megan paused to grab for her, but Ashling gestured backwards. "Look out!"
Megan glanced back in time to sidestep. The boot-golem's sword cleaved deep into the floor next to her. While it was recovering, Ashling dove back towards Megan, starting to climb her pants leg until Megan could get a hand on her.
"I'll just slow you down. Throw me!" Ashling shouted. Megan was about to protest, but the sword had been pulled free, and was coming up for another swing. She desperately threw the pixie towards the curtains as hard as she could, then ran for the stage. The sword crashed down just behind her, barely missing her leg, buying her another moment when the golem had to remove its blade from the floor.
Managing to pick her pace back up, she tried to leap onto the stage, failing to clear it by inches and ending up sprawling forward. She turned over to see a sword coming down at her, and desperately rolled to one side, avoiding a swing that cut deep into the stage. The giant pulled the blade free, and she dove out of reach as the next swing came at her. The golem pursued, the front of the stage collapsing under its weight with each step towards her.
"Banzai!" came a voice from above. Ashling, having pulled or cut a portion of the curtain free, clutched it as she dove toward the boot-golem, pulling more of the ragged red fabric down with her, tattered wings flapping furiously to attempt any control over her descent. The golem looked up, to see a wave of red coming down at it. It thrust its sword upward, the blade tearing through the fabric and just missing Ashling. A moment later, the pixie hit the stage, stunned. The golem was staggering, head and sword arm entangled in the fabric for the moment. Megan took the opportunity, scooping up Ashling on her way to going running towards Justin.
While Megan had been on her own chase, the hand-golem had been working to herd Justin back towards the tower-golem at the door. Every time it came too close, the crow flapped past its eyes, drawing the hand-golem's attention. Still, the squire was running out of room.
Megan grabbed for one of the ruined horns, flinging it at the hand-golem. The metal instrument rang off the back of its head, causing it to turn enough to look her way. Justin took the opportunity to run towards her, past the golem's shield arm.
When she spun back around to flee the hand-golem, now chasing them both, she saw the boot-golem pulling free from the curtain in one corner. On the other side of the room, Lani was playing chicken with the eye-golems, ducking into reach, then back out when they swung their swords. Try as she might, she couldn't draw them away from the great chair, though it also meant that, as long as nothing else came for her, Lani was safe from a certain distance away. That didn't help in getting to the sword, though.
"Go and help her,” Justin said. “Get the sword.�
�
"What about you?" Megan asked, out of breath.
"I have an idea."
Megan nodded, racing back for the throne and Lani. She pulled up short, just out of reach of the swords, staring up at the twin sentries.
"Any more ideas?" Lani asked.
"Just one. You go left; I go right," Megan said, setting Ashling down. "She goes for the sword."
"What?" Lani asked, looking at her incredulously. "How is she going to do anything with it?"
"Trust me. Ashling, just try to shove it this way."
The pixie focused on the sword. "Ready when you are."
"We have to buy her time," Megan said. "Keep them busy."
Both girls rushed forward, then charged to either side, drawing the eye-golems while Ashling rushed forward, climbing the side of the throne.
On the main floor, Justin ran from the hand-golem, slowed down by his injuries, but staying just ahead of it. He set his sights on the boot-golem as the curtain fell to the floor at its feet. He ran directly at it, the boot-golem readying its sword as its fellow chased the squire towards it. Near the last second, he gestured towards the pursuing golem's head. "Count!"
The bird swooped past the eyes of the hand-golem, distracting it for a moment. At the last second, Justin dropped, sliding along the floor just under the boot-golem's swing. He lay there, wincing and glancing back. Distracted by the Count, and with a lot of forward momentum already, the hand-golem failed to stop in time and crashed into the boot-golem, still off-balance from the swing at Justin. Both crashed to the floor—Justin barely managed to roll out from under them before they fell, gritting his teeth hard to avoid crying out as he rolled over his injured shoulder. Justin pulled himself to his feet, getting a little more distance before the golems untangled themselves.
Megan and Lani feinted towards the throne in turns, trying to hold the attention of the eye-golems. After a hard swing that Megan barely evaded, she ran behind the great chair while her attacker freed his sword from the floor. He recovered faster than she expected, and all she could do was drop to the ground under a new swing that crashed into the back of the chair. To Megan's surprise, the great chair held with only a small nick, though the blow threw up sparks. The impact also rattled the chair enough that Ashling staggered, almost tumbling off of the front of the chair before she recovered her balance amidst furious flapping. The pixie grabbed for one of the straps on the hilt and began pulling as hard as she could, budging the sword an inch at a time.
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