“Leave that to us,” Cassey and Flo said, entering the lounge area.
“Hey, what are you two doing here?” Noah asked in surprise. “I thought you were positioned in the woods?”
“Long story,” Cassey said, slightly embarrassed to admit that she and Flo had run away from the woodland in terror, that Jazmine had let them in, and that they’d been hiding upstairs.
“Well, if anyone can stop a ferocious animal from biting, you girls can. You’ve saved me from many a snapping jaw over the years.” Noah grinned.
The vet nurses disappeared back upstairs, quickly returning with a couple of strong belts.
Harry was looking out of the window. He could see Nicor’s windstorm creating a swirling channel of sand that spiralled down toward the ocean. Harry rushed over to the far corner of the lounge where his parents and sister were. “I have to go back outside, looks like they need my help. Are you going to be okay in here?”
“Yes, we’ll be fine, darling. Don’t you worry about us, just take care of yourself and your brother for me,” Mary said.
“I will, Mum. Love you!”
“Wait!” Mary yelled as Harry approached the door. She dropped the barrier and ran to her son, wrapping her arms around him. “I love you, be careful,” she said, squeezing him tight.
Harry hugged her back, “I’ll be fine, Mum, and so will you,” he said, holding his hands apart behind her back. A glowing orb of water appeared between his palms. He slammed the liquid ball against his mother’s body and she instantly felt its energy coursing through her.
Grace took advantage of her mum’s distraction and raced to Christian’s side.
“Grace, get back here!” her mother ordered.
“It’s okay, Mum, you should have enough power to put a barrier around the whole of the house now. Grace can roam about inside freely. Once I’ve gone, you can place it,” Harry said, closing the door behind him.
Jazmine secured the lock. Mary prepared to put the shield around the whole of the house, but Chester stopped her.
“No, not yet, Mary,” he chirped. “We need to deal with this first,” he said, looking toward the Nomed. “You don’t want to seal Grace inside with that when it comes round, do you? Keep the barrier placed around you four for now, and only extend it when it’s safe to.”
“Grace, come here, darling. You heard Chester. Let them deal with the Nomed, then I can place the barrier around us all.”
“Christian, come inside the barrier with me,” Grace begged, tugging at her friend’s hand.
“We need him to stay here. He’ll have to release the Nomed from its paralysis, so that we can remove it from his father,” Chester explained.
“Grace, come on, sweetheart, the sooner you do as you’re told, the quicker I can extend the barrier, and then you and Chris can be together.”
Grace reluctantly let go of Christian’s hand and joined her parents and Henri inside the protective shield.
“So what exactly are we going to do?” Poppy Paul asked.
Kyle grimaced and stared down at the monster that was chomping into his side. “Whatever it is, just bloody well hurry up and do it already, would you?” he groaned.
Mrs Potts took hold of a sharply-pointed spear and aimed it at the Nomed’s head. “Let me kill it. Then Christian can undo the paralysis.”
“That might not work. We can’t guarantee that the Nomed will release its grip when it dies. We’ll have to get it to let go before we kill it,” Noah said, rubbing his chin.
Cassey placed the middle section of one of the belts as far under the Nomed’s upper teeth as she could without causing Kyle too much pain, then she grasped the ends of the belt and positioned them ready to pull the beast’s jaw upward. Flo did the same with its lower jaw and prepared to pull her belt down. Mrs Potts directed the spear up one of the Nomed’s nostrils, ready to drive it into the monster’s brain.
“Let me know when you’re ready and I’ll release it,” Chris said.
“Okay, read…”
“No!” Jazmine screamed, causing everyone to jump. “Look,” she said, picking up the Nomed’s clawed hand. “We nearly forgot about these.” She gathered cushions off the sofa and rummaged in the kitchen drawer for string. Then she tied a cushion to each of the Nomed’s hands and feet, covering its dangerously sharp talons. “Now you can release it,” she said, standing back.
Christian was fearless. He didn’t hesitate. The slug-like texture of the Nomed’s skin didn’t bother him at all. He just wanted to save his dad, and so he licked the Nomed’s side, his tongue bumping over its protruding ribs. The Nomed let out a high-pitched scream as Cassey and Flo pulled with all their might, prising its mouth apart. Noah and Paul firmly held the panicking Nomed’s arms, but the fretting creature still managed to flail its limbs around. It gouged into the cushions with its claws, sending a flurry of white feathers into the air.
When the beast was eventually pulled away from Kyle’s bleeding body, Mrs Potts drove the spear up its nose and into its brain. They thought the screaming would stop then, but it didn’t; the eerie shriek carried on for what felt like eternity, but in reality it was probably only a few seconds. Noah and Paul lay on the floor beside the now lifeless monster, their exhausted bodies covered in sweat and feathers. Jazmine began to wipe away the blood from around Kyle’s wound, while Elsie began the healing enchantment. Once Paul and Noah had regained their strength, they lifted the Nomed’s corpse and tossed it out of the door like a sack of potatoes. It thudded three times against the wooden steps of the beach house before it finally came to rest on the sand. Paul and Noah closed and secured the door and Mary extended the barrier to cover the whole of the house.
Elsie finished off the healing enchantment by spitting into Kyle’s wound.
“Well, I wouldn’t have cleaned it so carefully if I’d have known you were going to spit in it,” Jazmine said, with a disapproving look.
Kyle’s wound granulated, growing new tissue and contracting before their very eyes. Other than feeling fatigued, he showed no evidence of having been through such an ordeal. He sat himself up and grabbed hold of Christian in a tight embrace. “Thank you, son, you saved my life,” he said, with a tear rolling down his face.
Grace stood beside Henrietta at the window. They looked out across the beach from within the safety of the barrier protected house. Grace pressed her nose against the glass and watched the goings-on. What she could see didn’t alarm her at first. She saw that Zavier and most of the creatures were safe within the confines of the barrier he had placed around them. She saw that there were other creatures that had been cut off on the far side of the beach. They were unprotected, but they weren’t under attack. Why not? she thought, as she watched the sand swirling down toward the ocean.
Then she saw Nicor and the juvenile Nomeds. She could tell that it was Nicor who was creating the sand storm. He was leant forward with his chest pushed out as he blew. He stopped exhaling and began to inhale deeply through his nose, filling his lungs. Once again he pursed his lips, this time blowing with more ferocity. Grace watched and listened as the air whistled through his jagged teeth and hurtled down the beach. The sound that it created was one that she’d never forget. It was a sound that was out of place in Serenity in the same way that a jet plane roaring through a library would be.
The loud rumbling caused everyone in the house to look out of the windows, except for poor Angelo the Harp Seal. He was too small to see out of any of them, and he was also very scared. He decided to take himself off somewhere that he felt safer. He flopped on his belly all the way into the kitchen, nudged a cupboard door open with his velvety nose and shuffled himself inside.
The ferocious roar grew louder. What happened next alarmed Grace, and horrified all of the good creatures that witnessed it. The usually calm ocean was whipped up into a mass of raging waves. These waves were different, though; they weren’t rolling ashore, they were heading in the opposite direction, out to sea. Nicor began to walk down th
e pathway that had been cleared for him by his soldiers. The closer he got to the water, the further back he pushed it. The ocean receded so fast that many of its creatures were taken by surprise, stranded on the newly exposed sand. The glow from the starfish began to fade, as they no longer had the energy of the ocean to power them. Fish flipped and thrashed frantically on the wet sand in a bid to make it back to the safety of the water, while those caught in the strongest winds were sent flying through the air.
Mateo was beached. He squeaked with fear when he realised that the ocean water had been pushed too far away, and that neither he nor the fish would make it back safely. Soon, even the shipwreck was uncovered, its skeleton just visible over the edge of the reef. The sharks, Abigail and many of her hatchlings were also exposed and vulnerable. Nicor stood on the wet sand, close to where Mateo was beached. He waved his soldiers forward, signalling them to search the wreck for the Heart of Gold.
Mateo lay on the exposed sea bed, frozen still with fear. He’d read many minds over the years, and he had occasionally been shocked by what he’d learnt, but nothing could have prepared him for what he saw when he looked into Nicor’s mind. For behind the brightness of Nicor’s eyes dwelled a dark and soul-consuming evil, an evil that filled Mateo with terror.
Grace had cupped her hands either side of her eyes and pressed her face against the glass of the beach house window. She was staring hard at the beach “Oh no, he blew away the sea! He… blew… away… the sea!” she cried in astonishment, fearing for the creatures that were stranded on the sand, thrashing for their lives.
“Don’t worry, Grace, look,” Jazmine said, pointing toward Zavier and Pelagia. “They’ll do something to help, you’ll see.”
Henrietta twirled her dark hair around her index finger the way that she often did and smirked in awe. Wow! she thought, looking on as Nicor’s storm grew stronger.
CHAPTER 45
SMASH AND GRAB
Zavier, we need to pass through the barrier. We must help our creatures, return them to the water. Nicor might try to push us back with his storm-force winds, but he can’t harm us. Let us out,” Pelagia requested.
“Of course, but Pelagia, you must exit quickly. I can’t risk leaving the barrier permeable for more than a couple of seconds.”
“That’s all we need,” Pelagia boomed.
The commander and his furious Warriors exploded through the barrier’s membrane and began their mission to rescue the creatures of the sea. They expanded their fluid bodies, scooping up many of the sea dwellers that had been stranded. Una’s voluptuous swell of water rolled across the beach toward Abigail, immersing the two-hundred kilo green sea turtle and many of her hatchlings in her watery body, sweeping them away to safety. Luckily, Nicor had no interest in hindering the Warrior’s rescue attempts as he was too focused on finding the Heart of Gold.
“What about the rest of my babies? Y’all better save them too,” Abigail gurgled from within Una’s fluid stomach.
She needn’t have worried. The faster, sleeker warriors, Galene, Thoosa and Dorien, were already combing the beach, collecting the smaller creatures and holding them safely inside their seawater; while the larger, stronger Warriors were attempting to rescue some of the bigger creatures.
Jaladhi and Aphros surged to the wreck, where the sharks had become stranded. Nicor’s storm was focused in that direction and it hit the male Warriors hard. They battled against the gales in an attempt to reach the sharks, eventually arriving at the grand old ship around the same time as the juvenile Nomeds did. Aphros fumed with anger as he approached the soldiers. His foamy hair was wild and furious, spraying turbulently, splashing salt water all over the Nomeds. The soldiers hissed and spat at him as their young skin began to blister.
“Leave them. We’ll deal with them later!” Jaladhi yelled at Aphros. “Here, catch!” he shouted, using his huge, muscular swells to toss a thrashing great white shark at Aphros. Aphros consumed the shark safely within his body and carried it away, reluctantly leaving the Nomeds alone to search the wreck.
Pelagia was desperately trying to reach Mateo, but the beached dolphin was too close to Nicor and every time Pelagia got near, the wind violently swirled his white hair and tore strips of water from his body, reducing him in both size and strength.
The Warriors rushed up the sand to join Pelagia, their waters churning with life and glowing brightly, as the light of the starfish contained within them shone.
“What shall we do?’ Thoosa asked. “We were going to take these animals back to the ocean, but when the water returns it will do so with such force that it will probably extend as far inland as the woods before receding back to its normal level, in which case these poor creatures will probably become stranded again.”
“Keep them safe inside you for now. Take them to Zavier. We will return them to the ocean later.”
“What about you? We can’t leave you here alone, Pelagia,” Thoosa exclaimed.
“You will do just that! Now go, take those creatures to safety. I will return when I have Mateo and not before!” Pelagia asserted angrily, his hair and beard storming more turbulently than Thoosa had ever seen them do before.
The Nomeds searched every inch of the old wreck, pulling wooden boards from its deck and punching holes in its walls, but they found nothing. Their skin bubbled with blisters and they had no choice but to return to Nicor empty-handed. When Nicor spotted the juveniles running back up the beach, he initially ran eagerly toward them, thinking that they were excited to deliver the Heart to him. But then he saw the pained expressions on their faces, and noticed the fluid-filled eruptions that covered their skin; he realised that they were in fact running for their lives and that the time had come for him to leave the beach as well.
With Nicor now further down the beach, Pelagia seized the opportunity to sweep up Mateo. He dashed to the safety of the barrier with the dolphin inside him, crashing through its membrane in just enough time for Zavier to place the shield back around them.
Nicor was seething. He had neither the Heart of Gold nor the heart of a Berthold to return back to his king with. He didn’t even have any kills to take back, other than those of his own kind. His skin was sore and sloughing and he knew that he was going to be in serious trouble. He reduced the hurricane-force wind and, instead, turned his attention to Zavier and the creatures behind the barrier. He cursed and spat at them with irritation at having failed and, while he was doing so, he didn’t notice the creatures that had been cut off at the south of the beach. They had seen what was coming, and they were running for the cover of the woodland.
Thoosa had been right, the ocean was returning with might. By the time Nicor and the Juveniles had spotted the immense wave that was steaming towards them, it was too late. Those at the house, and the creatures within Zavier’s barrier, were safe and sheltered as the ocean crashed and tumbled around them; whereas the Nomeds were helpless against its force. The raging water slammed into them, lifting them off their feet and sending them crashing into the woods.
The ocean receded, leaving the woodland decorated in Nomeds. Some of them were tangled within the shrubbery. Some ended up wrapped around low level branches. Others were sprawled out across the ground like soggy ragdolls. Some were alive, while others were dead, but each and every one of them had failed their king.
Nicor hauled himself free of the bramble bush in which he’d become entangled. Thorns ripped through his body, peeling away shreds of his sloughing skin, which were then left hanging from the bush like toxic tinsel. He scanned the woodland with his torch-like eyes and gave the order.
“Revocer ruo daed dna teg kcab ot eht pmaws.”
CHAPTER 46
NOT SAFE YET
The ocean had been sucked back into its normal position and was now gently lapping at the sand. Zavier and Pelagia were standing together at the front of the barrier, trying to determine whether or not it was safe to exit, when they spotted the woodpeckers, Jock and Joanney. The birds glided out from wit
hin the cover of the woodland, soaring into the open airspace of Serenity Sunrise Beach. Walking below them were Arthur, Lizzy, the rabbits and the squirrels, along with many of the creatures that had been cut off at the south end of the beach. They were all a little bedraggled, their fur, feathers and hair dripping wet with salt water. But at least they were alive.
Jock swooped down and gripped onto the barrier in front of Zavier. “Och they’ve returned to the swamp. We’re safe for noo,” he said.
Zavier removed the barrier and everyone instantly began rescuing and retrieving the animals that had been washed ashore by the surging sea.
* * *
“Mum, it must be safe now. Look, Zavier’s taken down his barrier. Can we go out?”
Mary bit nervously at the inside of her bottom lip. She looked out of the window, her eyes darting from side to side as she scanned the beach in search of Dan and Harry. There amongst the hustle and bustle, she spotted Dan’s fat head. He was still in his Meh-Teh form and would probably remain that way until his adrenaline levels dropped. Harry was right beside, him holding an armful of starfish and hatchlings ready for returning to the water. “Oh, thank God! The boys are fine! Evan! The boys, they’re okay!” Mary cried, elated.
“Mum! Can we go outside?” Grace yelled again, tugging at her mother’s arm impatiently.
“We’d best wait a little while, just to be sure.”
“But Mum, Zavier wouldn’t be letting everyone onto the beach if the Nomeds hadn’t gone.”
Mary watched as the creatures rushed about on the sand. Harry had made his way down to the shoreline, where he was carefully placing the starfish and hatchlings that he’d gathered back into the water. Dan was further up the beach struggling to keep hold of a thrashing stingray, its wing-like fins slapping against his chest. Mary looked on, smiling to herself, feeling very proud of her strong, caring and courageous sons.
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