Pat's face fell when she beheld the object. "The treasure?" she guessed.
Ned smiled and nodded. "The treasure," he replied as he picked it up. He admired the smooth sides and gave it a soft tap against the stone pedestal. The fork quivered in his hand and the vibrations bounced off the walls. Dust crumbled from the ceiling, and then small stones dropped around them. Ned looked up and frowned. "That may not have been a good idea," he commented.
Pat dodged a larger stone fallen from the ceiling and glared at him. "That was most certainly not a good idea."
The walls shivered and shook, and a rock knocked Pat hard on the head. She glanced up and her eyes widened. The walls around the boulder cracked and crumbled, and with each tremor the large rock dropped a few inches. Pat grabbed Ned and pulled him off the pedestal just as the boulder slammed down where they had stood. She dragged him a half dozen yards and breathed a sigh of relief. The respite was short when the boulder slowly rolled in their direction. The pair quickly stumbled backwards and the boulder matched and exceeded their pace.
"Run!" Pat yelled. They turned and raced down the passage. The boulder rolled after them and fit perfectly inside the tunnel. Pat glanced over her shoulder and her eyes widened when she beheld the stone just a body's length away from them. In a moment their bodies would be stretched out beneath its bone-crushing weight. She looked to Ned. "Do something!"
"I don't believe it will listen to reason," he argued.
"Destroy it!" she snapped back.
"Oh yes, that." Ned set his staff on his shoulder with the tip pointed at the stone and a half dozen fireballs blasted from the end. They hit the boulder and ricocheted into the walls. "It seems the ancient castors enchanted it," he told her.
"I can see that!" she growled.
The pair raced forward along the passage with the boulder eating away at their advantage. Its stony sides nipped at their heels when they glimpsed the small chamber that held the staircase. The stairs stood on Pat's left, and when they burst into the chamber she grabbed Ned and swung them both onto the bottom steps. The boulder rolled past them and down the tunnel. In a moment they heard it drop into the pit and a flurry of pointy hats changed it from a boulder into dust.
When Pat recovered from her gasping she snatched the tuning fork from Ned. "I don't believe you can handle the responsibility of this treasure," she told him.
Ned chuckled. "Perhaps not," he agreed.
They climbed the winding stairs that stopped at a landing with a circular covering above them. Pat pulled it up and to the side, and blinked when she peeked her head out. They were atop the cliffs and close to the top of the stairs. A harsh wind whipped over her face and thrust dirt into her eyes. The setting sun lay behind her and the shadows of the cliffs stretched over the city. She jumped out and was helping Ned up when the sound of a horn came to their ears.
They looked up into the eastern skies and saw a giant black cloud sweep toward the city from the sea a hundred miles off. The cloud stretched for miles both southward and northward, and it blotted out the darkening sky and out-flew the swiftest birds. The noise from the cloud was a low rumble that quickly gained volume and echoed off the walls of the cliffs around the city like the roar of a wild animal charging its victim.
"My god, what is that?" Pat whispered.
Ned's face was solemn and he grasped tightly to his staff. "The Chaos Winds have arrived early," he told her.
"Chaos Winds?" she repeated.
"The winds Ti spoke of. Come, we must hurry to the ground," Ned commanded her.
"But what about Fred and Ruth? They're still in the air!" she protested.
He whipped around to her and his eyebrows crashed down over his firm eyes. "There isn't time. We must get down from these cliffs or the wind will take us," he insisted.
Ned hurried along the cliffs toward the stairs, but Pat paused and glanced up at the kites over them. "I have faith in you two, so don't fail me," she murmured. Then she hurried after Ned to the safety of the city below them.
CHAPTER 25
Percy and Canto had said their farewells to their friends and gone about their duty to watch the prisoner and administer the valum venom every four hours. Percy sat quietly on their bed and turned his head to and for as he watched Canto pace the room. "Why so nervous?" Percy asked him.
"Ah'm not nervous," Canto argued.
Percy chuckled. "You're as nervous as that hen downstairs watching his sister. Come, tell me what it is."
Canto grumbled, but sat in a spare chair opposite the bed. "Ah got a bad feeling about today. We've had a fun time here and nothing much has troubled us," he replied.
Percy scoffed. "I would hardly call Fred's terrifying ordeal last night much trouble, nor our long adventure," he reminded him.
"He's all right. A good, strong lad, and we're none the worse," Canto commented. He stroked his beard and furrowed his brow. "No, it's that blasted stone. We've had no trouble from it and Ah don't know why."
"Perhaps you're looking a gift-horse in the mouth, or perhaps it's this dreary room driving you to distraction," Percy commented. His eyes broached the stained walls and worn floor boards. "I also would like a change of scenery, and wonder how our friends are faring in the tournament."
Another roar erupted from the crowd outside, followed by a strong gust of wind that rattled the window panes. The happy cheers of the people changed to cries of panic and screams. The sounds of horns erupted throughout the city. The two men lifted their heads and Percy pursed his lips. "I wonder what that could mean," he mused.
"Trouble," Canto replied.
"It does seem as though something is going on. What say we climb atop this matchstick of an inn and see what everyone else sees?" he suggested.
Canto's eyes darted to their captive. "Ah can't remember when we last gave the fellow the drop."
Percy frowned. "At least three and a half hours ago," he admitted.
"That's too close to leave him," Canto commented.
"And we can't give him the dose early," Percy reminded him.
At that moment they heard a wild pounding of feet in the hallway and their door was flung open. Ti stood in the doorway with her chest heaving and her hair askew. The two men were mesmerized by her rising and falling assets. "Your friends! They're in trouble!" she told them.
That broke the spell. Percy and Canto jumped to their feet. "What kind of trouble?" Percy asked her.
"The Chaos Winds are coming! They'll be here any moment!" she replied.
Canto scoffed. "What's a little wind?" he wondered.
Ti scowled at him. "A little wind could bash them against the cliffs or break their anchor lines!" she argued.
"How can we help them?" Percy asked her.
"You can get to the cliffs and help reel in their anchor lines. All the men in the city have been called to do that," she told them.
"But we can't leave Crash," Percy pointed out.
She marched into the room, scooted behind the two men, and pushed them toward the door. "I'll watch over him. It wouldn't be the first time," she offered. She shoved them down the hall and caught Sins who stood against a nearby wall. "You're coming, too!" she scolded him. She herded the men out into the muddy square and shoved them on their way. "Now get helping your friends!"
Even as she spoke a dark cloud appeared over the eastward cliffs behind them. The three turned around and their eyes widened when they glimpsed a massive wall of dust fly over the tops of the eastern cliffs and slam into the kites who were only half pulled in. The kites were swallowed by the dust and they heard the horrible sounds of ropes snapping. A dark shape fell from the thick black cloud of dust and slammed into a neighborhood two blocks to the north. Ti clung onto Percy, making Canto envious. Sins pulled her off and steadied her as a a thick rain of dust descended on them.
The wind inside the dust cloud roared overhead, but didn't dive into the city. Unfortunately, that didn't keep the cloud from dropping a hail of debris. Trees, trunks, boulders, and even
birds fell from the sky and landed on rooftops and streets.
"Let us hope that wasn't the cliff falling into the city," Percy commented.
"There's only one way to find out," Canto replied. He hurried forward with Percy close behind.
Ti turned to her brother with a frown and pointed at the retreating figures. "Go on! Go help your friends!" she ordered him.
"They are not my friends," he corrected her.
"Then why don't you go make them your friends?" she countered.
Sins' eyes narrowed, but he strode off after the pair. Ti watched him leave with a twinge of dread in her heart. She clutched her chest and glanced up at the roaring dust cloud over them. The men pushed through the chaos in the streets as the remaining spectators rushed to their homes or to the cliffs. Dust choked everything, and the noise above them was almost deafening. In a few minutes they reached the source of the crash close to the northeast cliff walls.
It was a thick, heavy tree, and wedged into the trunk was a spool that held the tow line with part of the rope still attached. The end of the rope was snapped and the kite was nowhere to be seen. The rope was strewn between the cliff walls and several blocks into the city. Its thick line lay atop several dozen houses, but the sturdy roofs had weathered the light rope. The only damage was where the spool and tree landed, and that was in the center of a street where it left a large crater.
"Where are the kites?" Percy asked his friends.
Canto nodded at the cloud as it roared westward. "In that," he replied.
As everyone else had their adventures in other parts of the city, Fred and Ruth hurried to the cliffs to start theirs. They reached the stairs and Fred glanced up at the top. His face paled when he noticed men in white robes standing close to the stairs. They were the senexers, and each of them shook the hands of the aviators and squires who reached the top. Behind the senexers stood the bureaucrats, and Topper stood out as the tallest-hatted person. Beyond the senexers and bureaucrats stood wealthy citizens of the city dressed in their finest, and among them was Cheatum.
Ruth shook his shoulders and smiled at him. "We are in disguise. They will not recognize us," she assured him.
Ruth pushed him up the stairs, and he managed a shaky smile when they reached the top. The first senexer was Regis, who smiled at Fred and held out his hand. "I have heard much of you, Mr. Enburn. You seem to have caught the interest of many in the city," he commented.
"You have no idea. . ." Fred mumbled. He distinctly felt his sticks hidden in his waistband.
"Beg your pardon?" Regis wondered.
"Um, I had no idea," Fred rephrased.
"Well, I wish you well," Regis replied.
Fred nodded and moved through the people until he came to Topper. The tall-hatted bureaucrat looked bored and didn't even glance at Fred when they shook hands. "May Phaeton give you victory," Topper absently commented.
"Thankyou," Fred quickly mumbled. He stepped away, but Topper grasped his arm and pulled him back.
Topper leaned toward him and looked into Fred's eyes. "Do I not know you from somewhere?" Fred vehemently shook his head, but Topper's eyes narrowed. "I don't recall the face, but I'm sure your voice is familiar."
"You're holding up the line, Topper," Regis scolded the magistrate.
Topper reluctantly released Fred, but the young man felt the man's eyes on him as he moved down the line. Fred stepped quickly through the remaining well-wishers and arrived at Cheatum. The man looked him over with a careful eye. "I've heard there's a lot of bets for you. You'll make a lot of people very happy if you win," he commented.
"Are you one of them?" Fred wondered.
Cheatum coughed and quickly shook Fred's hand. "I'm afraid I'm in the opposite betting pool, but I still wish you well."
Fred grinned. "Thanks. I'll try my best," he promised.
Fred and Ruth left the line and walked over to their kite. Ruth had a grin on her face when she leaned toward Fred. "I would be very glad to win the tournament," she told him.
Fred smirked. "So would I, so let's go do it," he replied
They strode over to their kite and Ruth helped Fred into his straps before she took her place in front of him. Rather than one at a time like at the practice, starting at the east end of the cliffs the officials lined up all the kites ten feet back from the edge of the cliff so they would have an equal start. Behind the kites spaced at the ten-foot intervals were fifty anchor spools, one for each of the competitors. Fred noticed a giant horn that sat on the ground with its pipe stretched out behind it. Its bell was two feet wide and from its position atop the cliffs the noise could carry across the entire city valley.
When everyone was lined up the head official stepped in front of kites. "Before we begin I will state the rules of the competition," the man shouted to the aviators. "The first rule is no one shall attack another kite until both kites are a hundred yards above the city. The second rule is that no weapons can be used to cut the rope or kite of an opponent. Only your own tow rope can be used to defeat another kite. Finally, as a friendly reminder-" he pointed at the sun in the west, "-you are limited to half an hour before night falls. If there is more than one kite left than the tournament will be continued tomorrow. If for any reason we need to end the tournament early this horn will blow and we will reel you in." He gestured to the large horn and its operator. "Any questions?"
"Can we get started?" Advesario spoke up. Several of the other aviators guffawed, but the official scowled.
"Very well," the high official agreed.
The man stepped back to the edge of the cliff and raised his arm. The aviators tensed. There was silence from the crowds below. The man lowered his arm and the kites sprang forward. The tournament had begun.
CHAPTER 26
Being the least experienced, Ruth and Fred were one of the last ones to leave the ground. They pulled the kite up to fly to the other aviators high above them, but before they reached the group the aviators sank into battle. As the pair climbed ten of their fellow competitors fell past them, their lines cut by the blades of the other kites.
They reached the battle altitude and Ruth took evasive maneuvers as five of their opponents decided they were an easy target and dove at their tow line. The pair had the advantage in that the pilot was beneath the squire. Fred could see Ruth's muscles tense before she moved, and he adjusted his own movements to match hers. That made their movements more fluid and less wasteful so they exerted much less energy than their foes. Ruth was ever-conscious of their rope tail and made sure to keep it constantly whipping about so no one could pin it down and cut through it with their own rope.
Unfortunately, for all their skills they were still outnumbered five-to-one and it was only a matter of time before an opponent dragged their rope across Fred and Ruth's anchor line. Two of their kite foes swooped down so they flew on either side of Fred and Ruth while another pair took the spots behind and in front of them. That left them very little space to maneuver as the final foe of the five guided themselves toward their anchor rope.
Fred glanced to their right where their final enemy was approaching their rope. "Ruth!" he shouted.
Ruth bit her lip and glanced around. Side to side, and forward and backward were not an option, but there were two other directions. Up would mean their rope would still be in danger, but down. . .
She whipped her head up to Fred. "Please hold on! I'm not sure if this will work!" she ordered him.
"What will work?" he asked her. Fred's eyes widened when he saw her reach up to where her amulet lay hidden beneath her disguise. "No! Nonononono!"
Ruth rubbed the amulet and her body began to change to her gargoyle form. Unfortunately, the setting sun still cast its light over the sky and the right side of her body quickly transformed to stone. The sudden weight meant their kite plummeted toward the ground and dragged their anchor line out of harm's way. At the cliffs the strongman at their spool frantically reeled in their line so it wouldn't fall onto the roofs beneath them.
Fred gripped his handles as the wind whipped past them and the ground was fast approaching. Ruth rubbed her amulet before her entire body changed and she reverted back to her human form, but minus the disguise. The entire episode only took a few seconds, but for Fred it felt like a few eternities.
Ruth glanced at her female self and the color drained from her face. "Oh dear," she murmured.
"The ground!" Fred reminded her. Their descent had slowed, but the ground still loomed large beneath them.
"Sorry!" Ruth apologized.
Ruth shifted her weight to the rear and the front of the kite lifted up. They caught a draft which propelled them into the sky, but they still flew beneath their opponents. The anchor ropes of their foes dangled around them like barbed fishing lines and Ruth turned her head to grinned at Fred. "Should we?" she wondered.
"Yes," he firmly replied.
The pair leaned to the right and flew westward, dragging their line with them. Their blades cut across that of two of their opponents' lines and the ropes tore. The two kites wobbled and shook. Without their anchor line their kite was now a glider, and in order to steer a glider one needed to shift their weight along the rungs to turn the machine, rendering the handholds beneath the canvas useless and the aviator dead weight. Since the squire was only a secondary pilot and the glider was so large, the best the glider passengers could do was point the front of their glider downward to land on the rooftops and streets. The fickle wind also forced their landing as it shook their gliders and tried to toss them end-over-end.
Their remaining three opponents steered away to safety. Fred slumped in his harness, but Ruth tightly gripped the bars beneath her and looked her female hands. "Are you able to change me to my male form?" she asked Fred.
The Unwilling Aviator (Book 4) Page 16