The Unwilling Aviator (Book 4)

by Heidi Willard

"We were swept ten miles to the west," Ruth replied.

  "That's quite a distance. Were others thrown that far?" Percy asked her.

  "Several, but we were the last to land," she told him.

  Percy raised an eyebrow. "Does that make you two the winners, and our mission a success?"

  "The Senex wants to meet to talk about it, but maybe," Fred spoke up.

  Ned chuckled. "Fred brings success on the heals of trouble."

  "We shouldn't expect success until the Senex makes its decision," Pat pointed out.

  "Then while we wait might I suggest we rest?" Ned suggested.

  Canto arched and cracked his back. "Ah second that. It's not easy moving all those damned trees."

  "You insisted on being the mule," Percy countered.

  "Ah didn't know it'd be to pull every tree off every roof," Canto growled.

  "My friends, let us argue in the comforts of our rooms," Ned insisted.

  The group stopped their arguing and returned to the inn. Ti anxiously awaited their return on the doorstep of the inn, and her face brightened when she saw them walk into the square. She hurried toward them and smiled at the group. "I have some congratulations and thanks to give to you," she told them.

  "For what?" Canto asked her.

  "For possibly winning the tournament and for helping everyone in the city remove the trash," she replied.

  "Congratulations and thanks for another time, if you please," Ned begged her. "For now we only wish for our beds."

  A shadow crossed over Ti's face and she glanced over her shoulder at the inn. She dropped her voice to a low whisper. "Perhaps you had better take the back door. Hugh may seek the money you owe him," she pointed out.

  "Then we will avoid him until we have the verdict from the Senex," Ned agreed.

  The companions snuck inside by the rear door and went to their respective rooms. Crash still sat safely in his chair, but he had a lump on his head as though from a serving pan. That was when Canto and Percy recalled they hadn't given her the juice to keep Crash unconscious, but Ti had managed to handle Crash through her own means.

  The weary friends did as their captive's name implied, and crashed on the beds and floors. They were soon asleep, and many of them dreamed of victory tomorrow and moving on with their journey.

  CHAPTER 28

  The next morning the companions awoke to the sounds of hammers and shouting as the people of String repaired their city. They didn't dare venture downstairs for food for fear Hugh would demand payment, so they went out to eat. The streets were filled with people building and rebuilding. Tourists and natives alike offered a helping hand to neighbors to repair the damage caused by tree and rock. Fortunately, nothing was as severe as the dislodged spool, and there were no deaths reported.

  To distract themselves, the people talked about their common interest: the tournament. There was a great deal of speculation about the winners, and many talked about Ruth being revealed as a girl. More than one person recognized Fred and Ruth, and they whispered to their neighbors how the Senex would decide their fate.

  "There they are," a stranger murmured to a friend.

  "Do you think they'll be tossed out? It's against the rules for a girl to fly in the tournament," the friend wondered.

  "I know that just as well as you, and I don't think they should be. If they managed to fly those winds then they deserve to win," the first replied.

  The companions sat down to breakfast at a small, out-of-the-way restaurant and Ned chuckled. "It seems you two are very popular," he commented, addressing Fred and Ruth.

  "I am sure they are just being kind," Ruth returned.

  "Kind or not, what is our plan if they don't win?" Pat spoke up.

  Canto tapped the ever-present ax on his back. "We'll get to it the hard way."

  "Do you still have the fork?" Percy asked her, and Pat nodded. "In all the excitement I haven't yet caught a glimpse of it. May I?" Pat pulled out the tuning fork and handed it to him. He examined the treasure and raised it to tap the top against the table.

  Pat caught his hand. "Don't do that," she ordered him.

  Percy raised an eyebrow. "Is this dangerous to more than the stone?"

  Ned chuckled. "I'm afraid it is, as we learned the difficult way," he commented.

  "It causes earthquakes that would equal Fred's destruction," Pat added.

  Fred frowned. "I haven't caused chaos with those in a long while," he defended himself.

  "Very true, my apprentice. You have shown a high degree of control over your castoring abilities," Ned agreed.

  Pat sighed and swiped the fork from Percy. She stuffed it beneath her shirt and jerked her head toward Ned. "We should be focusing on our alternate plan in case his masterful plan should fail," she sarcastically commented. "Fighting our way in wouldn't earn us the gratitude of the city, especially if the stone did not awaken and show itself for the danger it is," she pointed out.

  "Perhaps we could take one of the tours of the stones? That would allow us past the guards and within hearing distance of the stone," Percy suggested.

  "I don't believe they'll allow those any time soon. Not after the recent attempt on the stone," Pat reminded them.

  "Ah'm not waiting around here forever just to keep from bashing a few skulls," Canto refused.

  "Force won't help us against so many guards," Pat insisted.

  Ned held up his hand. "Perhaps the second plan is best set aside until the outcome of the first is decided," he advised them. "For now let us partake of a fine meal and return to the inn to await notice from the Senex."

  The companions ate heartily and returned to their rooms. The floor boards creaked with many of their feet as they paced the dingy rooms. The hours ticked by, lunch passed, and still nothing came. Close to sundown there was a knock on Fred and Ned's door, and Ned opened it to find Ti standing in the hall. She had an envelope in her hand which she held out to him. "This came for Crash from the Senex," she told him. The doors to the rooms of the others opened and they peeked out.

  Ned took the envelope and opened it to find a letter. He broached the contents and folded the note back into the envelope. "It seems Crash and Ruth have been called to the Senex for final judgment," he told them. Fred gulped and Ruth clasped her hands in front of herself in prayer.

  "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get seeing if Ah need to use my ax," Canto commented.

  The six companions made their way into the alley and found Sins leaning against the rear of the inn. He pushed off the wall and faced them. "I will go with you," he volunteered.

  Canto snorted. "Your sister making you go again?" he wondered.

  "No," Sins replied.

  Canto paused and raised an eyebrow. "Then why are ya offering to go with us?"

  "I'm not offering. I'm going," Sins pointed out.

  Ned stepped forward and smiled at him. "And we are very glad to have you with us." He glanced over his shoulder at Canto. "Aren't we all?"

  "Ah 'spose," Canto grumbled.

  "Then let's all be off," Ned proclaimed.

  They ventured into the streets and saw the repairs were mostly finished. With the night coming on the people rested or partook of the nightlife. Their small group caught the attention of the tournament fans who whispered among themselves. Some noticed the direction they were headed was the Senex, and slowly they amassed a following. The crowd exploded when the companions passed through the major streets, and by the time they reached the Senex half the town was behind them. The people carried torches to light their way against the coming darkness and the procession was a ghostly illumination of excited and curious faces.

  Topper and Regis met the group at the portico. The bureaucrat had a disdainful look on his face as he cast his eyes on the crowd, but Regis smiled and bowed his head at the companions. "It seems we won't have to use the twinners to announce the news tomorrow," Regis commented. He stepped aside and gestured to Fred and Ruth. "If you would please follow us, the Senex awaits."

&
nbsp; Fred and Ruth reluctantly separated from their companions and followed Regis and Topper to the Senex chamber. The senexers in their robes sat solemnly on the benches and behind them were the guards who protected the curtain behind which stood the stone. Fred noticed Honorous stood off to the side near the room entrance. Regis directed the pair into the depression and when they were settled he turned to the Senex.

  "These fliers have been accused of breaking the rules of the tournament. They knowingly deceived the tournament officials as to the squire's gender. How does the Senex find them? Guilty or not guilty?" he asked the robed men.

  One of the gentlemen stood. "We find them guilty," he replied.

  Ruth's face fell and the color drained from Fred's. Canto's plan just became their only option. Fred's eyes flickered over to the guards who stood at attention in front of them, and he slowly raised his hand to where his staff was stuffed into his belt. He didn't know the penalty for breaking the tournament rules, but he knew they couldn't save the world being confined in a prison.

  Regis continued. "They have also been found to be the last fliers in the air during the said tournament. By the rules they are the winners, but their deceit brings this into question. How does the Senex find them? Winners or disqualified?"

  "We find them the winners, and drop the charge of breaking the tournament rules," the man answered.

  Ruth's face broke out into a wide smile and she wrapped her arms around Fred's neck in a tight hug. He blinked and stood in stupefaction, unable to believe their luck. Regis patted him on the back and smiled, but Topper was aloof and only glared at the aviator. He was apparently of the mind that the pair should have been punished and not rewarded. In the background Honorous smiled and pulled aside her robes to reveal her breastplate. She wouldn't need to hide it any longer, not after the rules were changed.

  "Now let us tell the entire city the news. It waits outside," Regis called to the senexers. He guided the crowd of robed men with Fred and Ruth on either side of him to the Senex portico. Ned and the others stood off to the side, and even the face of the old castor was tense. The senexer held up his hand and the large crowd quieted. He gestured to the pair beside him. "May I present to you the winners of the tournament!" he shouted. The crowd erupted in cheer and the other companions relaxed.

  People came up to the steps of the portico and shook hands with both Ruth and Fred. Fred felt his hand was going to fall off when he felt a hand settle on his shoulder. He turned to find Ned close behind him, and the others beyond him.

  "Tomorrow you will be crowned the tournament winner and allowed to see the stone, and then we shall be off," Ned commented.

  "Thank Phaeton," Pat murmured.

  CHAPTER 29

  "Why wait until tomorrow?" someone nearby in the crowd yelled.

  "Yeah, let's see what happens tonight!" another cried out.

  A roar of agreement erupted from the crowd, and they pressed against the companions and senexers. The crowd pushed aside Fred's friends, Regis, and Topper, and lifted Fred onto their shoulders. They marched him across the portico and through the door. Fred clung onto their clingy hands and tried not to tip over. "No, really, I can swear on the stone later!" he protested. They ignored his concerns and marched him inside.

  Pat was jostled and pushed, and she in return shoved the people aside and made her way over to Ned. He stood near one of the columns and watched the procession with a smile on his face. She grasped his shoulder and shook him. "We must stop them!" she told him.

  Ned chuckled. "I'm sure they won't bruise him too badly," he consoled her.

  "What about Fred's disguise? If he goes through that magic barrier won't your magic be dispelled?" Pat reminded him.

  Ned's eyes widened and his face drooped. "Oh dear. . ." he murmured.

  Pat rushed past Ned and pushed her way through the crowds and into the entrance hall. The crowd had pushed aside the senexers and guards, but paused at the entrance to the Senex hall. Fred had a death-grip on the sides of the door frame. They tried to pull his hands away, but he was held too high for anyone to reach them.

  "Let me down!" Fred shouted.

  "Fred!" Pat called.

  Fred glanced in her direction in time to see her toss something at him. He instinctively released his hands and caught the fork. The crowd pushed onward and he opened his hands to find the tuning fork. "How is this going to help me?" he cried to her as the crowd pushed its way into the Senex chamber.

  "Use it!" she yelled back.

  Fred tightly gripped the fork as the crowd carried him to the rear of the chamber where hung the curtains leading to the stone. The dozen guards at the entrance barred the way with their halberds, but the crowd easily pushed their way through the long sticks and shoved the men aside. They set Fred down and parted the curtains to reveal a small room about fifteen feet square. The walls were made of a simple white plaster and the ceiling was a short twelve feet. In the center of the room was a depression with four steps leading down to the middle in which sat the stone. It was as large as the other stones, and had a yellow tinge to its surface.

  Fred's ability to see magic meant he could see the barrier around the area that warded off powerful magic. It was at that moment he recalled Ned mentioning it dispelled magical disguises, and he turned on his heels to the crowd. He noticed Ned and Pat push through the crowds toward him, but ahead of them was Regis and a very annoyed Topper.

  "I-I don't think I want to be the winner," Fred told the mob. "How about I just give the title to somebody else and-"

  "Get on with it!" someone cried.

  "Yeah, touch the stone!" another added.

  "Touch the stone! Touch the stone!" rang the mantra.

  Hands grabbed Fred's shoulders and he was pushed backwards into the room. Fred felt his body pass through the magical barrier and the Crash Enburn disguise fell from him. He tripped and fell onto the hard floor just in front of the stairs leading down to the stone. The fork broke from his hand and clattered away from him. Everyone in the doorway froze and a collective gasp replaced the mantra. Fred sheepishly grinned.

  "Surprise?" he told them.

  "The castor! He means to destroy the stone!" Topper screeched as he pointed an accusing finger at Fred.

  Fred's face drooped and he scuttled backward on his hands until he felt a heat build up behind him. He turned and his eyes widened as he watched the stone awaken. Its yellow color brightened and pulsed with power.

  "It is me," he whispered.

  "The fork!" Pat yelled at him.

  Fred shook himself, lifted his hand and saw it was empty. He whipped his head around and saw the fork at the base of the stone. He crawled toward the treasure and reached out his hand to grab it. A powerful burst of magic erupted from the stone and knocked him back into the wall. He fell forward onto the floor and lay there unconscious.

  "Fred!" Pat cried out.

  A thick beam of light flew from the top of the stone and broke through the ceiling, raining plaster and rock down on the panicked mob. The onlookers screamed and tried to flee, but people kept pushing into the Senex chamber and the opposing forces collided. Dozens of thin shadows spilled from the beam and swooped around Fred's prone body. The bodies of the shadows lengthened and ruffled wings sprouted from their backs. Short, thin legs that finished in long, taloned claws grew from beneath their fat bodies, and at the top of the shadows sprouted the head of an old hag with sharp teeth and cruel, yellow eyes. They opened their cracked mouths and cackled in high-pitched voices.

  "It's my ex-wife!" someone screamed.

  "Harpies," Pat heard Ned mutter in disgust.

  The harpies snatched Fred's arms and pulled him upward through the hole in the ceiling between the ruined roof and the beam. Another harpy grabbed the treasure and flew after them. Pat rushed forward, but Ned grabbed her and pulled her back. "Let me go!" she ordered him.

  "We can do nothing for him. We must find Ruth," Ned told her.

  The pair ducked as the harpies flew over
the crowd and snatched at peoples' hats and hair. The creatures slammed into the walls and ceilings of the chamber and entrance hall, and they spilled small bits of marble over the crowd. Other harpies remained in the stone room and swirled around their creator in a protective tornado of gnashing teeth and swiping claws. The people moved as a single mass out the chamber door, but Ned pushed Pat and himself against the wall and allowed the mob to pass them.

  More screams erupted and a dark figure jumped from the crowd in the entrance hall. It was Ruth transformed into her gargoyle form, and she grabbed the wall like the harpies to gain a view of the crowd. She saw Ned and Pat inside the Senex chamber and pushed off to glide over the heads of the people and into the chamber. The crowd was terrified enough to make room for her and Ruth landed beside them. The room was fast emptying and in a few moments they would be the only ones left besides the harpies. The creatures swooped over them and called in their terrible voices. Ned put up a barrier to prevent the harpies from clawing them.

  "Where is Fred?" she asked them.

  Ned nodded at the hole in the ceiling of the next room. "They took him up there."

  "I will follow them," she promised. She turned and hurried back the way she'd come. It would have been impossible to penetrate the room with so many harpies inside.

  Ruth pushed through the crowds and arrived on the portico to look out over the city. Screams erupted from the streets as the harpies swooped down and captured spectators. The demons carried the people over the tops of the buildings and dropped them where they pleased. People were dropped on carts, rooftops, crates, horses, cacti, and into the large, panicked crowds. The streets were filled with the terrible creatures as they clawed and tore at any human or animal who crossed their paths. Guards and twinners alike battled the fierce monsters, but the number of harpies overwhelmed them.

  Ruth latched onto one of the columns that held up the portico and climbed to the roof. She batted away a few harpies and looked into the sky. A large group of harpies flew southward over the city and in their claws was a limp figure. She opened her wings and jumped off the roof. The night winds weren't as strong as the day, but she was able to gain enough altitude to match that of the harpies.