by K J Taylor
Ambit drew himself up. Time for an inspirational speech. ‘Listen,’ he said, ‘my whole family – my whole village – was destroyed by demons. I was the only survivor. I should have died that day, but I didn’t, and I know why. I survived because I’m the Chosen One. And if I don’t take this risk, if I don’t take the fight to the demons, then there was no point to any of it. It would mean I escaped for nothing. I know you’re afraid. I am too. But unless we have the courage to do this, the demons will destroy everything we care about. Today we can strike a blow that will set Sandfire free, a blow that will echo throughout the whole of the Land of Flowers. What we do here today will inspire every man, woman and child in this country. And it will show those demons that we’re not afraid of them.’ He held his spear up while he spoke, to emphasise the point, and it worked. He saw the gleam start to show in their eyes, and as he finished they held their weapons up as well.
‘Now who’s with me?’ he roared.
‘I am!’ Rigby shouted back.
The others stamped and clashed their weapons together. ‘Death to demons!’ said Tannock.
‘Then let’s go and get them!’ Ambit shouted, and with that he turned and charged off toward the mountain like a reckless idiot, before any of them could think too hard about what they were about to do.
He ran faster than he really needed to, not just to inspire the others, but also because they were behind him and he was in front. And if he was ever going to escape from them, it would be today. His heart was already pounding – not just with fear, but also excitement. After all these long, agonising weeks, it was finally about to end.
Snarl drew up alongside him, claws skittering on the rock, and the two of them exchanged triumphant glances before the small demon gave him a nod and ran away by herself. She would come and find him later. This next part was up to him.
They didn’t manage to run the rest of the way to the mountain – it was too far – but they were quite close to it by the time Ambit slowed down and let the others catch up. More demon dwellings had appeared on either side, but none of the occupants appeared to challenge them. Ambit hoped it was because they already knew who was coming, and had been given orders.
‘They’re too afraid to attack us!’ he declared, hoping to make the others overconfident.
It worked.
‘They know the Chosen One is coming,’ said Tannock. ‘They should be afraid.’
‘Yeah!’ said Rigby.
Whether that was true or not, they managed to get to the base of the mountain without any trouble. There were demons perched on its ragged flanks, but they stayed where they were and silently watched the humans coming closer.
‘This is too easy,’ said Wittock. ‘They must have a trap ready.’
‘Who cares?’ said Ambit, quickly brushing the old man’s doubts aside before anyone else could latch onto them. ‘If we can get in, we can fight our way up to the demon lord and kill him. Once he’s dead the whole mountain will come crashing down. They might think they’ve got us the moment we go inside, but they’re too confident. That’ll be their downfall.’
He found an entrance at the base of the mountain and barged on into it before anyone could object. The others followed. They might be afraid, but they weren’t going to be left behind.
The tunnel was dark inside, as expected, and quite narrow. Ambit followed it, silently planning what he would do when they were attacked, which they would be any minute now.
‘I don’t like this,’ said Wittock. ‘I really think . . .’
Ambit ignored him. There was still no sign of demons, but he soon saw a faint glow up ahead, and from the change in the air he knew they were approaching some kind of open space.
Not much further on the tunnel opened into a round cave. Ambit had already seen the demons waiting for him, but he barged on in anyway. He pretended not to notice the great hot presence lurking above the cave entrance, and as the gang of twenty demons in front of him gathered to attack he yelled at the others to charge, and rushed in immediately, before they could spot the danger.
They fell for it and came running after him, and the instant all of them were in the cave a great rumbling crash shook the ground as the demon perched above the entrance kicked away a small rock from under a much larger boulder and sent it smashing onto the tunnel opening, which collapsed, completely blocking the way out.
Ahead, the ambush closed in.
‘Get them!’ Ambit shouted, and launched himself at the nearest and largest demon. He deliberately missed with the spear, turned, and deliberately missed again. The demon lashed out with a huge fist, aiming for his head. Ambit knew he should really let himself be knocked unconscious, but he dodged the attack and let himself be lost in the melee. He’d had enough head trauma for one lifetime.
Thankfully, the demons had brought nets woven from some apparently fireproof rope. Ambit deliberately went for the nearest net, making an inept attempt to attack the hulking demon who was holding it. The demon easily netted him, and he made a great show of shouting defiance as he went down under it. In fact he very quickly tangled himself in it so badly that he really was trapped, and didn’t have to bother with anymore acting. The demon picked up the net with him caught up in it, and he hung around and watched the others.
They fought very well. Each one had picked an opponent and was busy trying to take them down in their own particular way. Rigby stabbed a demon through the foot with his trident, and as his enemy fell he yanked the trident out and impaled her through the throat. The demon made a sound like gurgling lava as she died. Tannock fought with surprising speed given his size, swinging his club as if it weighed nothing. It was indeed spiked, and when he smashed it into a demon’s face the rocky skin collapsed inward, spraying lava everywhere. A spot of it hit Tannock on the elbow, leaving a smoking black crater, but he didn’t seem to notice.
Wittock swung his staff, bashing a demon in the shoulder with the heavy end; it made a nasty crunching noise. Beside him, Elyne swung her morningstar and it gave a whirring sound as it flew through the air. It hit a small demon and ripped his head clean off. Ambit winced at the sight, but he didn’t have to watch anymore. The demon holding him lifted him up, net and all, and bellowed over the sound of the fight.
‘Surrender! Or your friend dies!’
The others backed off immediately, looking up at Ambit in horror.
‘No!’ Rigby yelled.
‘Don’t worry about me!’ said Ambit. ‘I’ll be fin – ow!’ The demon had just jabbed him with a red-hot claw.
‘Surrender!’ the demon said again. When they didn’t, and Ambit kept urging them to fight on, several more painful claw-jabs did the trick. Rigby threw his trident down, and was immediately netted. Elyne went to his rescue, only to be caught as well, and after that Wittock surrendered. Only Tannock tried to fight on, gallantly trying to save Elyne, but his club got caught on a demon’s net, and after that he was finished.
‘Gotcha,’ said the demon holding Ambit. ‘You lot – get the weapons.’
A couple of his fellows gathered up the weapons, including Ambit’s spear, and in spite of their protests he and the others were hauled out of the cave and into captivity. Ambit considered playing up the captured hero thing, but decided not to bother. He’d had enough of pretending, so he just sat passively in his net and let himself be dragged off into the tunnel beyond the cave where they’d been caught. The demons followed it until they reached a fork, and there Ambit’s captor took the weapons in one hand and pulled him aside.
‘Take them to the dungeon,’ he told his underlings. ‘I’m taking him to Lord Ophel.’
‘Leave him alone!’ Elyne shouted. ‘Ambit!’
‘Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine,’ said Ambit, with complete truthfulness. ‘I’ll see you later, okay?’
The others were hauled off.
‘All right, can I come out of this net now?’ Ambit asked as soon as they were gone. ‘I can walk up there myself.’
‘S
ure.’ The demon holding him easily ripped the net apart, and Ambit shook himself free.
‘Phew,’ he said. ‘For a while there I thought maybe . . .’
The demon glowered at him. ‘Don’t think I like you, human. But I know who you are. My Lord Ophel told me everything. And thank you for what you did for me in there.’
‘Missing you on purpose?’ said Ambit. ‘You’re welcome. Shall we go and see him, then?’
‘Yes,’ said the demon, ‘come on.’
Ambit followed him. He thought of asking for his spear back, but didn’t – better not push his luck. He wouldn’t be needing it here anyway. His new friend took him up through the mountain with a couple of other demons in tow. Along the way he saw plenty of other demons, of course, and they all looked at him with frank curiosity.
‘Are you really the Chosen One?’ one called after him.
‘No, I’m a fraud,’ said Ambit, remembering that was what the demons believed.
‘That’s good. Otherwise I’d eat you,’ the demon answered.
‘I don’t think chosen ones taste any different to ordinary humans,’ said Ambit. ‘But thanks.’
As for the demon lord himself, he was at the centre of the mountain in a throne room a little like the one in the Third Mountain. This one was longer and wider, though, and its walls were studded with precious gems. The demon lord at the far end had legs this time, but his back and shoulders melded into his throne. He had four arms and massive horns, and his gem was pale-blue flecked with rainbow colours.
Ambit bowed to him. ‘Pleased to meet you, Lord Ophel. I’m Ambit.’
Ophel leaned down to examine him. ‘So you’re the one Saphron told me about.’ His voice was higher and lighter than Saphron’s, and Ambit examined him while he spoke, wondering if this demon lord was, in fact, a demon lady.
‘Yeah, that’s me,’ he said. ‘Pleased to meet you.’
‘Did he bring anyone with him?’ Ophel asked, turning to the demon who had brought Ambit it.
‘Yes, he did. Four of the eight companions,’ the demon answered. ‘All of them are in our dungeon now.’ He came forward, offering the weapons.
Ophel took them and examined them closely. ‘The so-called sacred weapons . . . which one of them was yours?’
‘The spear,’ said Ambit. ‘Saphron said I could keep it in return for bringing the companions to him.’
‘Yes,’ said Ophel. He looked closely at Ambit. ‘Tell me about these companions. Where did you find them?’
‘Around the country – always close to one of the mountains,’ said Ambit. ‘I told them I was the Chosen One, and they fell for it and followed me all the way here.’
‘They still believe that?’ said Ophel.
‘Yeah, I let myself get captured by my buddy here,’ said Ambit, nodding toward the demon who’d netted him. ‘They think you’re torturing me right now.’
‘Good,’ said Ophel, ‘then here is the plan. I will have you put in the dungeon with them. Then all of you will be sent to the Third Mountain together as prisoners. When you reach it, Saphron will lock them up with the others and you will be set free.’
Ambit groaned. ‘I have to spend even more time with them? Why can’t you just let me go now?’
‘Because Lord Saphron wants to see you again,’ said Ophel. ‘And until the companions are all locked up together, we will keep up the pretence that you are the Chosen One. And you will too. Is that understood?’
‘Oh, fine,’ said Ambit. ‘What about Snarl?’
‘Your demon friend?’ said Ophel. ‘I don’t know where she is, but when she comes to me I will send her to the Third Mountain. She can meet you there.’
‘All right,’ said Ambit. ‘When are we leaving?’
‘Immediately,’ said Ophel. ‘I’m taking no chances.’
Ambit nodded. ‘There’d better be an extra reward in this for me, that’s all I’m saying.’
‘There could be,’ said Ophel. She nodded to the demon who had brought him in. ‘Ice, give him a convincing wound and put him in the dungeon with the others while the escort is being prepared.’
‘Wait, what convincing wound –?’ Ambit began, and broke off into a yelp when Ice punched him in the ribs. He tottered sideways, swearing and clutching at himself. Ice followed it up with a slap to the head which singed his hair and raised several blisters on his ear and cheek.
Ambit yelped again. ‘Will you stop that?’
‘It’s all right. I’m done now,’ said Ice. ‘C’mon. Make sure you’re limping when they see you.’
‘I think I can manage that,’ said Ambit, walking unsteadily toward the door. ‘See you later, Ophel. It was nice meeting you until the last two minutes.’
‘Goodbye, Ambit,’ said Ophel. ‘And thank you for what you’ve done for us.’
‘Frankly, I’m starting to feel like I’m being taken for granted,’ Ambit muttered, rubbing his side. ‘Argh, I think you cracked my rib.’
‘It’s nothing a good lava bath can’t heal,’ said Ice.
‘Yeah, if you’re a demon,’ said Ambit. ‘I’m going to need a few weeks and plenty of rest.’
‘You’ll get plenty of that on the way to the Third Mountain,’ said Ice. ‘Now stop whingeing and walk.’
‘I’m walking, I’m walking,’ said Ambit. ‘Limping, anyway.’
Ice took him down to the dungeon, and roughly shoved him through the stone door. Ambit meant to be melodramatic about his arrival, but he collapsed on the floor, cried out and curled up on his side without needing to do any acting at all.
‘Ambit!’ Rigby tried to get to him. ‘Ambit, are you all right?’
Ambit dragged himself up. ‘I’m all ri – argh, son of a– ahem, I’m all right.’ He could feel himself sweating, and the pain in his ribs radiated through his chest to his breastbone.
The others were chained to the walls by shackles around their waists, just as in the dungeon at the Third Mountain. None of them looked hurt, but all of them were rather pale.
Ambit carefully edged over to the wall by Elyne and leaned back. ‘Are you hurt?’
‘We’re fine,’ said Elyne. ‘But you . . . what happened?’
Ambit offered up his bravest smile. ‘It’s all right,’ he said. ‘They roughed me up a bit, trying to make me tell them where I found you. They wanted to know if I was the Chosen One. I didn’t talk, but I think they saw the mark on my hand . . .’
‘What about our weapons?’ Tannock butted in. ‘What did they do with them?’
‘The demon lord has them,’ said Ambit. ‘But don’t worry. They can’t destroy them. They’re indestructible.’
‘But they won’t do us any good up there in his hands,’ said Wittock.
‘All four of them, no,’ said Ambit. ‘I’m sorry about this. I guess we couldn’t take the mountain by ourselves after all.’
‘Don’t blame yourself,’ said Elyne.
‘Why not?’ said Ambit. ‘It’s my fault. The whole thing was my idea. You trusted me, and I took advantage of it. I should’ve listened to you, Wittock.’
‘You’re as reckless as my nephew,’ the old man said severely. ‘Just because you’re the Chosen One doesn’t mean you should be complacent.’
‘You’re right,’ said Ambit, privately wondering which one he preferred to be: a liar who’d deliberately gotten them all captured, or a reckless idiot. After some thought he decided he liked the first version best, if only because it wasn’t the one where he was stupid.
A short time later, as he’d been told to expect, Ice and several other demons came in to collect the prisoners. Ambit was fitted with a waist-shackle, which made him yelp, and he and the others were pulled along by the attached chains out of the dungeon. Rigby was sniffling a little, but Tannock managed to reach over and give him an encouraging pat on the shoulder.
The demons took them to the lowest level of the mountain, where a massive cave opened up in front of them. A group of ten six-legged giant demons were waiting for them
– the same kind who had attacked Daisyfield. A string of five cages on wheels had been strung between them, and the five prisoners were each pushed into one and their chains attacked to rings welded to the bars before the doors were locked.
Ambit got the cage at the back, and was pleased to find that they’d at least put a proper floor on it. He braced himself against the bars in the hopes that his throbbing ribs wouldn’t be thrown against them if the cage lurched. It did just that a short time later, when the giant demons started to move. They walked toward one wall of the cave, and the one at the front casually shoved right through the solid rock, shouldering it aside as if it were nothing more than a curtain. Huge chunks of rock fell away on either side as the caravan passed through, and the other smaller demons hopped out of the way. Once the giants were through, their smaller comrades came out after them and formed themselves into an escort on either side, with two demons keeping pace with each cage. Ice took command, climbing onto the back of the giant at the front, and giving the order to move out.
Ambit carefully sat down on the floor of his rattling cage, and watched the Fifth Mountain recede into the distance. A group of large, hulking demons took up the rear of the prisoner caravan. One of them nodded to him, and he nodded back and then turned to look at Elyne, who was in the next cage along. Tannock was in front of her, and the other two were further ahead, being pulled along by another one of the giants.
‘Where are they taking us?’ Elyne called.
‘I don’t know,’ Ambit lied. ‘To the demon king, maybe. He might want to eat us personally.’
Elyne groaned. ‘What are we going to do?’
‘We’ll think of something,’ said Ambit, hoping to cheer her up.
Elyne smiled. ‘Nothing ever breaks your spirit, does it?’
‘Haven’t found it yet,’ said Ambit.
‘You’re the most resilient man I ever met,’ said Elyne. ‘Truly.’
‘Thanks,’ said Ambit, ‘you’re not too bad yourself.’
‘Don’t worry,’ Elyne went on. ‘I know you’ll find a way to get us out of here. I believe in you, Ambit.’