But then the golden boy was there, protected by his pieces of armor, climbing onto the dragon’s snout. The dragon opened its mouth. The golden boy disappeared inside.
The fighting stopped. We all held our breath.
The dragon opened its mouth again. Instead of flames, sparks flew out, and the golden boy tumbled out with them, his golden body bouncing on the hard earth. He lay beside the dragon, unconscious.
The dragon’s tongue lolled out, resting on the mud. Its eyes closed.
Sam and I turned to Seth. He shrugged. “I was aiming for its head.”
The Corrupted left on the other side of the river began calling out, their voices changing from human to something much more reptilian. Their bodies were changing, too, shedding their armor and their clothes. Scales appeared on their skin. Tails sprouted from their butts. Men, women, children … the Corruption was taking them over.
They jumped into the river, using their tails to fight the current.
More were swarming the second golden boy, pushing him toward the river even as he swung his arms like airplane propellers to knock them away. But there were too many, and once they were at the riverbed they gave him a strong push. He fell into the river, sinking fast. A little spark lit up the murky water and for a moment I could see the golden boy’s peaceful face, his hand stretched up toward the surface.
“Go!” Hans shouted to us, turning his horse. “You’ve done enough here.”
“He’s right,” Sam said, pulling us back to the road leading into town. “We need to follow your crazy plan!”
“That’s going to be easier said than done!” Seth pointed above the rows of houses along the main road. Between them were the giants, each one ten times more gnarled and disfigured than I remembered from my dreams. The Corruption was changing them just as it had changed the land to the west. Their skin was gray and chapped, their hair nothing more than black clumps, their ferocious red eyes sloughing down into their cheeks.
They brought their fists down on the houses. Roofs split apart. Wooden beams splintered; stone tiles slid away and crashed onto the street.
A volley of arrows went up, hitting the giants and sticking in their thick skin. Their moans caused the windows of the homes to crack into little spider webs.
“They need to concentrate their fire,” Sam grumbled, leading us down the main road and away from the giants. A dozen blue-clad soldiers were between a pair of houses, unloading a cart of explosives. As we passed, they stopped to look at us.
And one of them definitely wasn’t like the others.
“Snow!” Sam exclaimed. “Are you insane? You should be in your castle!”
“Oh, come off it,” she said, taking off her steel helm. Her hair tumbled over her shoulders. She was wearing fewer pieces of plate than the others but it was clear from the scrapes on her shoulder guards that she’d already seen some action. The ground rumbled again as the giants began tearing into more houses. “Those creatures are leveling our city! I won’t sit back and watch. Not while I have all this gunpowder lying around.”
Sam examined the barrels. He reached out with a finger and tasted the powder. “The mixture could be better. Wouldn’t carve out more than a few inches of rock—weren’t you listening at all when I showed you how to mine for gold all those years back?”
Snow White shrugged. “My memory is shaky.”
“We need to get as many of them over here as we can,” Sam said. “Tell your soldiers to keep the explosives near these two houses … if we spread them out any farther, it won’t do much good. We need enough force to knock them unconscious.”
“We can help you here.”
We turned. Tom Thumb and the helpful cute fox were standing on the cobblestone road. More precisely, Tom was sitting on the fox’s back, clutching his red fur.
“Hope you don’t mind,” the fox said, “but I can’t bear to just sit back and watch this unfold. I did enough watching on earth.”
“What will you do?” Snow White asked.
Tom laughed, scratching his head furiously. “I think once the giants notice me, I’ll have no trouble bringing them here. I did trick them into the getting killed in the first place.”
Sam nodded. He turned to me. “We can’t stick around to help. We need to get to the castle in Gunswick.”
“Go,” said the fox, slipping past us. “And worry not. From what this little fellow has shared, I’m quite sure these giants will be in the mood for revenge.”
Sam looked up at Snow White. She smiled down at him with a sisterly compassion. “Once you light the fuse,” he said, “run. Back to the castle. Hold up there and hopefully …”
“You will stop Agnim,” she finished. “Be careful, Sam.”
We hurried to the eastern end of the town, sprinting down the empty side-streets and around the more modern-looking buildings with tall windows and blocky architecture. I stopped for just a moment to watch all of the giants turn and begin walking toward the trap.
“Yeah,” Seth huffed, “they probably wanna squish Tom Thumb good. Wish we could see the looks on their faces when they realize they’ve been tricked.”
“It won’t stop them all,” Sam said. “Come on! Our horses are waiting at the ranch on the edge of town.”
We reached the town limits. To our left, hundreds of Corrupted creatures had begun pushing their way between the buildings, fighting off the terrified reinforcements from the other kingdoms. The Corruption was changing Agnim’s soldiers, turning them into wide-eyed creatures with graying skin and twisted limbs. Sparks flew between the houses. A young girl stood at the edge of the fray, leering from underneath her red hood. Her black butterfly wings fluttered, pushing back a valiant prince who fell into the side of a house. His scream reached me after the spark, after Red Riding Hood landed on him and closed her wings around her prey.
We hopped over the wooden fence of the first eastern ranch and hurried to the little red-brick barn next to an abandoned house. Just as we reached it, an explosion rocked the ground. I turned, watching smoke rise up from between the houses near the river. After a moment, one giant got up, using the roof of a house for leverage and ripping the stone tiles away. He clutched his head.
“If only one is left,” Sam said, “then consider that a victory.”
“Our luck is changing,” Seth said, pulling on the iron bar of the barn door. “I can feel it …”
We stepped inside. The stench of death hit us like a freight train. I blinked a few times, adjusting to the darkness. The horses were lying on the ground, dead. Each of their stalls was destroyed.
“No,” Sam hissed.
There was only one horse left, bucking wildly in her half-destroyed stall, keeping her distance from a little gray dwarf with an axe.
“Vincent,” Sam said.
The gray dwarf stepped forward. His beard was stringy and curled, full of dead leaves. His ashen skin was caked with boils. The whites of his eyes were so bright they seemed to be glowing. His spindly, twig-like fingers clutched the axe. “Hello … brother.”
Chapter 14
“Get away from that horse,” Sam growled.
Vincent chuckled. He was definitely not well. The Corruption seemed to be squeezing on his bloodshot eyeballs, popping them out like ripe red grapes. The stench inside the barn was almost enough to make me gag, and it was more than enough to have that effect on Seth.
“I don’t know what would be more gratifying,” the evil dwarf said. He sounded like he was choking when he spoke—all phlegm and no enunciation. “Killing the horse and seeing the looks on your faces … or watching all three of you riding away awkwardly on the last mount.” He glanced at the nervous horse. She had dark brown fur and a black nose. One ear was clipped just a bit, flicking back and forth nervously. She’d at least stopped bucking. Maybe if we get her away from Vincent, she’ll reward us with a nice, smooth ride.
“Don’t do this, Vincent,” Sam said. He pointed the pickaxe at the dwarf. “I won’t hesitate.”
“You were a liability,” Sam said calmly. “The Corruption made its mark. It was only a matter of time before a hero dreamt of you.”
“You abandoned me!” he screamed.
“I gave you a fighting chance!” Sam shouted. “Who do you think sent you that infernal monster pet? Do you think the creature magically appeared in the tunnels one day? No. I sent him there.”
“You’re a liar,” Vincent said. He stepped closer.
“The Corruption changed me, too.” Sam met his brother halfway, kicking aside a little pile of hay that lay between him. He’s calculating … getting rid of any possible variable … he’s going to strike down his brother.
“You left me all alone,” Vincent snarled. “Back then there weren’t as many people in this world and they were all so good. No one else’s skin was turning gray. No one else was turning Corrupted except me.”
“You brought it with you,” Sam whispered in horror. He was about to take another step forward, then faltered. What are you doing, Sam?
Oh no. He’s wavering.
“Because you abandoned me!” Vincent screamed. “Your own brother! And I suffered here, too. I could feel the Corruption digging its tendrils into my spine, twisting it.” He smiled. “And then, one day, a dark wizard found me and promised he would make the suffering stop. And now here I am, right as rain, couldn’t be better thank you very much for asking!”
“But … but you’re still gray,” Seth whispered.
Vincent looked down at the skin of his mangled hand, examining it. “Huh. Would you look at that.” And then, without warning, he pulled back his axe and lunged at Sam. Sam fell back, either unable or unwilling to raise his pickaxe in defense. I stepped forward and thrust my blade at Vincent’s neck. A spark flashed between us; he collapsed like a sack of bricks.
Sam took a breath and bent down, turning his brother over. Already, the gray Corruption was pulling away. Color was returning to Vincent’s cheeks.
“He’ll be OK,” I said.
Sam shook his head. “Not unless we stop Agnim.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” Seth asked. “Let’s all get up on this horse and go stop the evil wizard already!”
I took the saddle, letting Sam squeeze in front of me so Seth could take the rear. He was out of arrows. My leather armor was damaged from that Corrupted woman’s ridiculous toxic jelly. My shield had gouge marks from wolf teeth. Sam’s pickaxe and my sword were both nicked, the steel damaged from so much use.
And we were riding a single horse northeast to a castle full of lions.
“We probably look ridiculous,” Seth pointed out.
I used the reins to guide the horse carefully over Vincent’s unconscious body, out of the stable. The town was deserted—all of the Corrupted and Snow White’s remaining soldiers were at the castle walls now, fighting underneath the arched gate. Every few moments, a spark erupted. The last remaining giant raised his fists high and brought them down on the walls, pulverizing the stones and sending them rolling down the hill, smashing into the houses below.
There wasn’t much time left.
“There,” Sam said, pointing right to a dirt road that branched off in two directions: north and northeast. North led between the mountains. It was where the giants and Scar’s army came from. Northeast led to Scar. The road looked unused, barely there at all. But I remembered it from the painting in Snow White’s castle. The road would get us there.
“Please buckle up, and keep your arms and feet inside the vehicle,” I said, kicking the horse into a full gallop. Seth clutched my leather armor. Sam hung on for dear life to the horse’s brown mane. The wind blew across our faces. The fragrance of blossoming cherry trees replaced the stench of death and war. We passed the ranches and farms, cutting through a clearing of tall grass. It seemed to stretch our forever, blessed with a few tall trees and nothing else. Just beautiful, gently rolling hills.
“I do hope we can save this,” Sam said.
“Me too,” I whispered.
Every second felt like a minute. Every minute felt like an hour. The empty road wound its way around rocky bluffs at the northern end of the valley. As the old road flattened out again, the horse slowed, sensing that we were no longer safe. We traveled in silence, all of us feeling the same icy tension that hung in the air and warded off the sun’s warm rays.
We made our way through a forest that had begun to succumb to the blight of Corruption. Leaves were scattered over the road. Empty tree branches seemed to reach out to us, begging for help. I slowed the horse to a much smoother canter, guiding her around fallen logs. Clouds covered the sky above us. The air chilled, sending goosebumps across my bare arms.
We passed two damaged wooden carts, their contents spilled across the road. Clothes. A sack of rotting apples that no animal had dared to pick at. Two straw dolls with button eyes. A cast-iron skillet with little brown flecks of food in one corner.
“Crap,” Seth said. “Couldn’t we just have one good sign? One thing that goes our way? Is that really too much to ask?”
“They might have been refugees,” Sam said, looking down at the cart as we cantered past. “Or Corrupted.”
“That’s insane,” Seth said. “Why would Corrupted attack Corrupted?”
“There are other forces at work here,” Sam said. He nodded to our right. I didn’t look; I knew what was over there. And instead of letting it spook me, I allowed myself just a glimmer of hope. I kept the horse moving fast.
“Uh … they’re following us,” Seth whispered.
“Good.” I tugged on the reins, slowing the horse down. Ahead, the skeletal trees thinned out, bumping up against a crop of dead, yellowed corn stalks no taller than a couple feet. The road stretched on, leading to a cluster of small homes made of dark wood. Twisted black vines spread up the sides of the houses, squeezing the timbers.
Behind those homes, sitting on a little tree-covered hill, was a castle. A simple castle with three crumbling towers and a crumbling outer wall.
My body slumped. I leaned hard on Sam’s shoulder for a moment, willing my strength to return.
“Alice,” Seth said.
“I’m fine.”
The small trees at the edge of the forest shuddered. Black shadows moved past them, blocking our way. Their red eyes glowered at us. One lifted her hand to halt us, revealing two golden rings on her fingers.
“Whatever you’re going to do,” Sam whispered, “do it fast. They don’t seem quite as patient as the other wraiths.”
I drew one of my enchanted knives and dangled it by the handle so that the tip of the blade pointed to the ground. The wraiths moved closer. I dropped the knife. It landed in the dry dirt on the edge of the road; almost immediately, a few blades of neon green grass sprouted up. The Corruption floated back, watching the grass spread like a blooming flower.
“I don’t know if you’ve had a chance to talk to your friends out west,” I said, turning the horse. “But we both want the same thing.”
The shadows said nothing. Their black, wavy hair drifted as another cool breeze slipped between the dying trees. At least their creepy red eyes aren’t bright … that’s a good sign. I think.
I turned the horse again, trying my best to stave off the chill that kept running down my back. I pointed to the castle. “We’re going in there, and we’re going to put a stop to this Corruption once and for all. You can either help us, or you can sit here and keep whispering to the trees. Your choice.”
They moved closer.
“I don’t think they’re convinced,” Seth said nervously, pulling on my armor. “Say something else!”
“Um … please?”
They moved closer, then stopped. T
hen … nothing. They just floated there, waiting. What are you waiting for? What do you want?
“If they’re convinced,” Sam said slowly, “they’re going to need you to tell them what to do. This isn’t a movie with a script.”
I pointed to the castle. “We need to get past the lions …”
That was all it took. Suddenly, dozens of black shadows were moving past us, slipping out of the forest and between the dead corn stalks.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Seth asked. “Come on! We’re going to miss all the fun!”
I kicked the horse into a gallop. We followed the wraiths into the empty town, through the empty street, right up to the castle’s closed gate. Guarding the gate were two massive lions with dark red manes. They watched us approach, getting up from where they’d been sitting. The wraiths groaned, sliding like shadows over the road.
The lions looked at each other.
“Ha!” Seth shouted. “They totally weren’t expecting this!”
The wraiths swarmed them both, dragging them away from the gate. The lions barely put up a fight, and in a moment two flashes of light signaled their demise.
“Alice!” Sam shouted.
I looked ahead: the gate was slowly opening. On the other side were pairs of hungry yellow eyes. Dozens of them.
“How many,” I hissed, pulling the horse back a few steps.
“That depends,” Sam said. “The Brothers Grimm were so fond of throwing lions into their stories. Twenty or more.”
I looked around. The wraiths were all around us, waiting patiently for the gate to rise. We had the numbers. But they have the ferocity. Each of the lions was big, with soulless black eyes and mangy fur that had fallen off in clumps. Black veins slipped across the thick muscles of their front legs. Flies clung to their stringy manes.
“No time to help,” I said.
“My thoughts exactly,” Sam said.
“Hold on tight.” I squeezed the rein. “We’re not stopping for anything.”
Seth’s arms wrapped around my stomach. “Just please promise we’ll be OK.”
The Grimm Chronicles, Vol. 4 Page 30