by K J Taylor
They moved, and in no time at all word had spread and the streets were lined with people waving and cheering. Nobody mentioned Ambit at all. If anyone knew he was the Chosen One it would probably have raised some awkward questions. He attracted plenty of stares, as people in chains tend to do, and a few of the onlookers threw things at Snarl. Rocks bounced off her cage, and the small demon hissed and showed her fangs.
Before too long, though, the gates opened to let the party through and they marched into the open, stopping for a moment to get themselves in order. Ambit could clearly see the First Mountain, a dim, smoking shape in the early morning light. The eruption was over, but the land around the mountain was broken and churned up, and the rivers and pools of lava were still glowing faintly. He could see the withered grass and plants and the blackened craters where flaming boulders had landed. Sometimes the boulders themselves were still clearly visible atop the scorched earth, but others had broken into pieces of shrapnel which had scattered everywhere in the grass. The gates themselves had been hit at some point, but they had bent rather than broken and a small group of workmen were already there with their tools, ready to fix them.
The eight companions and their guards stood for a moment in respectful silence.
‘We have to stop this from ever happening again,’ said Srawn.
‘Then don’t make Ambit kill the demon lords,’ said Snarl. ‘I’m telling you, if –’ She broke off with a yelp as one of her guards sprayed her with water from a leather waterskin.
‘Leave her alone!’ said Ambit, but the only answer he got to that was another whack to the head.
Northrop took up position at the head of the party. ‘It’s time,’ he said. ‘Let’s go.’
The journey began.
The road to the Sixth Mountain was a long one, and Ambit and Snarl did not enjoy one moment of it. Northrop and the head guard, a woman called Captain Rai, did the navigating, taking them around the edge of the First Mountain’s territory and then on toward the ordinary mountains beyond it. It took weeks. Once, before they left the First Mountain’s land behind, they were attacked by a gang of demons. The guards and the companions fought them together, and Ambit’s guards attached his chains to Snarl’s cage and left the two of them to watch with a detachment of guards to keep an eye on them. Ambit’s spear was safely in the hands of Captain Rai, and he had to watch her use it for him. She was good with it and killed at least three demons single-handedly, which attracted shy and admiring stares from Rigby. The other guards had good quality weapons as well, but they melted every time they killed a demon, and had to be constantly replaced. Only the nine special weapons stayed intact. Ambit watched the fight, silently hoping the demons would win, but the eight companions and their weapons quickly discouraged them, and the few who survived ran away back into their own territory. The group re-formed around Ambit, who had sat himself down on Snarl’s cage, and Northrop sneered at him.
‘That should have been you,’ he said, nodding toward Rai. ‘But your spear still does the work it was made for, even if you won’t use it.’
‘Then why don’t you let her do the demon lord slaying?’ said Ambit. ‘I’ll watch.’
‘Because you’re the Chosen One,’ said Rigby, who kept looking at him with a mixture of hope and disappointment.
‘Choose someone else,’ said Ambit.
It was the most he got to say that day, and more than he’d said the day before. They didn’t like it when he talked too much, possibly because he kept saying things they didn’t want to hear. Sometimes they’d yell at him to shut up and when that didn’t work they’d hit him. When that didn’t work either, they would hurt Snarl instead, and that was enough to make Ambit keep his mouth shut.
The punishments, and the constant slogging, were enough to make the trip particularly depressing for both of them and by the halfway point both of them had stopped talking. Ambit would have given anything for a chance to talk to Snarl alone, so they could plan their escape, but his captors followed Deever’s instructions and kept them well apart. Instead, he had to try and think of something himself, in between watching Elyne and Tannock making eyes at each other, and listening to Wittock giving Rigby inspiring life lessons. Northrop kept talking wistfully about the princess, and Ambit had to put up with that as well. The two were a perfect match, he thought, both as insufferable as each other. Northrop was such a hateful, self-righteous bastard he was probably king material. Ambit just wasn’t sure where all that left him. He’d refused to fulfil the prophecy, so now they were going to force him to do it, and he didn’t know how he was going to get out of it this time. Just lie down and let the demons kill him?
What made it worse was the place he was heading for: the Sixth Mountain. The one place he had sworn never to return to.
Now, though, he had no choice. The eight companions left the First Mountain and Lucknow City behind and went up into the Western Mountains. They passed through villages like Pollenvale and Leafpool along the way and the locals obeyed the king’s command to give them food and shelter. When they found out who the travellers were they cheered, even if Ambit was identified as just a prisoner. Maybe the Chosen One wasn’t here, but surely the eight companions could deal with the Sixth Mountain.
As with the other demon mountains, the Sixth Mountain was easily visible long before they reached it. It jutted up among the other mountains, though it wasn’t particularly big. Its shape was squat rather than pointed, its top rounded. But it was still jagged, its top giving out a steady plume of dark smoke. The demon country it had created had flowed down into the valleys around it, which divided up the land rather than covering it completely. Hills and small mountains jutted up between the demon valleys, some of them with settlements on them. They stopped at one of those on the last night before the final push to the Sixth Mountain: a small town spread over two adjacent hilltops with a strip of demon country in between.
When Ambit saw it, he groaned. ‘Not here.’
‘You know this place, do you?’ said Northrop, dropping back to look at him.
‘Yeah, and I really don’t want to go there,’ said Ambit. This was the first time anybody had spoken to him in days.
‘Well, that’s too bad,’ said Northrop, ‘because that’s where we’re going.’
‘What a shock,’ Ambit muttered.
Northrop went back to his place beside Captain Rai, who was still carrying Ambit’s spear. ‘According to the map, this place is called Acornville,’ he said.
As usual the name was appropriate to the place. Big oak trees grew around Acornville, sometimes directly through the houses. A couple that had grown too close to demon country still stood as huge, blackened stumps, like jutting teeth. The eight companions went up to the nearest of the settlement’s two halves, and were immediately greeted by a small group of curious locals with mossy shades of green and yellow in their hair.
‘What brings you here, strangers?’ one of them asked.
‘We are the eight companions of the Chosen One,’ said Northrop, ‘here to destroy the Sixth Mountain. By order of King Eyton, you must give us food and shelter for the night.’
It was the same thing he’d said at every other town and village, and it had a similar effect. The Acornvillians murmured excitedly amongst themselves, and a couple of them hurried off to spread the word. But then their spokesman, a short man with a beard, spotted Ambit. His mouth dropped open. ‘Ambit?’
Ambit grimaced. ‘Hi, Thorwald.’
The man shoved toward him. ‘Ambit Afterman – what are you doing here? And why are you in chains?’
‘He’s our prisoner,’ said Northrop, blocking Thorwald’s path. ‘Do you know him?’
Thorwald stopped. ‘Know him? He grew up here! Why are you keeping him like this? What did he do?’
Northrop looked surprised. ‘You grew up here?’ he said to Ambit. ‘You said you were from Vinewood.’
‘Of course he was,’ said Thorwald. ‘He was born there, but after the demons destro
yed it he came here. He came wandering into Acornville one night, half unconscious with an infected burn on his hand and a huge spear slung on his back. We took him in until he was a man, and then he left one morning and never came back.’
‘Is this true?’ Northrop asked Ambit.
‘Yeah, it’s true,’ said Ambit. ‘My home away from home. They make acorn beer here.’
‘Which you could never keep away from,’ said Thorwald. ‘What happened to you? Why are you a prisoner now? What did you do?’
‘Perhaps it’s better if we don’t discuss that in front of people,’ Northrop interrupted. Plenty of other locals had gathered now, and were listening keenly. Several of them looked at Ambit in amazement.
‘Yes, understood,’ said Thorwald. ‘Maybe you could bring him inside. At least let him sit down.’ He looked at Snarl. ‘What about the demon?’
‘She’ll have to stay in the open,’ said Rai. ‘My men will keep an eye on her.’
‘Good,’ said Thorwald, ‘we don’t want that thing in our village.’ He glared at Snarl, but didn’t show as much fear as most people did.
A short time later everyone had been settled. Snarl’s guards took her to a spot under a tree at the edge of the village, close to a pool which they said they would throw her into if she tried anything funny. Northrop and Rai took Ambit into Thorwald’s house, where they gave him a moment’s privacy to clean himself up – only because Thorwald insisted on it – and then sat him down on a chair, to which they attached his chains so he couldn’t stand up properly. Rai kept hold of the spear.
‘Now then,’ Thorwald said once everyone had sat at the table in his oak-panelled kitchen. ‘I’ll get you something to eat and you can tell me what this is about.’
He served them hot acorn bread, carrots and smoked sausages, and Ambit chewed listlessly while Northrop did the talking.
‘I suppose you know what this is,’ he said, taking the spear from Rai. Its leather wrappings had been removed, and the nine empty sockets on its shaft were clearly visible.
‘Of course I do,’ said Thorwald. ‘That’s Ambit’s spear. He never lets it out of his sight.’
‘But do you know what’s special about it?’ said Northrop.
‘It was a gift from his grandfather – old Andor Afterman,’ said Thorwald. ‘I knew him – he used to come visiting sometimes. He said that spear was made by one of his ancestors and it was a precious Afterman family heirloom.’
‘It’s also the sacred spear,’ said Northrop. ‘Like my sword. It can kill demons.’
‘Oh, I know that,’ said Thorwald. ‘Old Andor said that one day it would be used by the Chosen One. Not that we’re seriously expecting him to ever show up.’
‘He has,’ said Rai, speaking for the first time. ‘Ambit is the Chosen One.’
Thorwald looked at Ambit, and then stifled a laugh. ‘Him? That drunken troublemaker? You think he’s the Chosen One?’
‘We know he is,’ Northrop said reluctantly. ‘He has the silver bellflower mark. Or he did, anyway. He came and found the eight companions, just as the Chosen One was supposed to. Then he betrayed us to the demons.’
Thorwald gaped. ‘What? Ambit did all that?’
‘Yes,’ said Northrop. ‘He also helped the demons kidnap the princess.’
Thorwald was looking at Ambit now. ‘But why?’
‘You tell him,’ said Northrop, jabbing Ambit with the point of his own spear. ‘Go on.’
‘Because I don’t want to be the Chosen One,’ said Ambit, ‘and I don’t want to follow the prophecy.’
‘Then what do you want to do?’ asked Thorwald.
It was the first time anybody had ever asked him that.
Ambit shrugged. ‘I want to get drunk and have a good time,’ he said. ‘I never claimed to have any big ambitions. Is that so much to ask?’
‘You’ve got to be joking,’ said Rai.
‘He’s not,’ said Thorwald. ‘I know Ambit. Beer and women are all he ever seemed to want or care about. That and his spear.’
‘Well, it doesn’t matter,’ said Northrop. ‘I’m not letting this selfish little bastard wriggle out of doing what needs to be done. We’ve brought him back here to begin fulfilling the prophecy, whether he wants to do it or not.’
‘Is that really something you can force him to do?’ said Thorwald. ‘I mean . . . forgive me, but isn’t the Chosen One supposed to destroy the Nine Mountains because he wants to do it?’
‘Actually, the prophecy didn’t say anything about wanting to do it,’ said Ambit. ‘I checked. What I want never came into it.’
‘Exactly,’ said Northrop. ‘It still counts even if he has to be pushed into it.’
‘I hate you,’ said Ambit. ‘I hope you understand that, Northy. I hate your guts.’
‘Trust me. I hate you just as much,’ said Northrop.
‘I don’t trust you, but you don’t have to tell me that,’ said Ambit. ‘I think it’s pretty fucking obvious by now, you self-righteous little –’
Thorwald stood up. ‘Stop. Northrop, why don’t you let me talk to him?’
‘Fine,’ Northrop spat, ‘but be careful. Don’t trust anything he says.’
Thorwald took the spear from him. ‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘I know him well enough to know when he’s lying. Now go on – just wait outside.’
Northrop and Rai left reluctantly. Once they were gone, Thorwald reached down and undid the shackle around Ambit’s waist.
‘There,’ he said, ‘why don’t you stretch your legs a bit?’
Ambit stood up, rubbing his back. ‘Thanks. But don’t bother to try and persuade me into changing my mind.’
‘Why?’ Thorwald kept back, holding the spear. ‘What’s the matter with you, Ambit? Why are you so bent on running away from who you are?’
‘Because I know who I am,’ said Ambit. ‘And I want to be me, not what people want me to be. Me, a brainless thug like Northrop? Swaggering around making speeches about saving the world? Fuck that. That’s not me. You know it isn’t, Thor. Never was, never will be.’
‘Being the Chosen One doesn’t mean being that kind of person,’ said Thorwald. ‘Why would you ever think it was?’
‘Because that’s what granddad wanted me to be, and my parents as well, and everyone in Vinewood,’ said Ambit. ‘Everyone wanted me to be someone I wasn’t, except for Snarl, and she’s the only one who ever stuck by me. Anyway, you know what happened in Vinewood,’ he added, ‘and that was because of me being the Chosen One. Why would I want to be the Chosen One if that’s what it means?’
‘The demons destroyed everything you cared about,’ said Thorwald. ‘Doesn’t that mean anything to you?’
‘Er, yes?’ said Ambit. ‘I just told you it does. It’s what made my mind up. That’s the day I burned the mark off my hand.’
‘You did what?’ said Thorwald.
Ambit held up his right hand, which had healed by now. This time, the silver bellflower had not reappeared. ‘Burned it off,’ he said. ‘Twice now. But this time I’m not letting it come back.’
‘Holy hell,’ said Thorwald. ‘Well, if you’re that sure . . .’ He offered the spear back to Ambit.
Ambit took it. ‘What, you’re letting me go?’
‘If that’s what you really want,’ said Thorwald. ‘If you want to walk away from who you are, then . . .’
‘Oh, I get it,’ Ambit nodded. ‘We’re into the guilt-tripping now. You’re very disappointed in me, and I could just walk away, but my conscience will make me come back and do something stupid and brave.’
Thorwald sighed. ‘All right, I was hoping.’
‘Yeah, well, it’s not going to work,’ said Ambit. ‘Thanks anyway. See you later.’
He pulled the window at the back of the room open, slipped through it, and made a break for it – straight into the arms of six guards. They had Snarl’s cage between them, and Whitear and Deeble were there, weapons pointed through the bars. An arrow and the point of Deeble’s d
agger had already sunk partway into Snarl’s neck.
Ambit started to make a rush at them, but then Northrop appeared, blocking him.
‘We thought you’d try something like this,’ he said.
‘Let her go or I’ll have your head on my spear,’ said Ambit.
‘No,’ said Northrop, ‘we’re keeping her, and here’s your one and only option: go to the Sixth Mountain right now, and kill the demon lord inside. Otherwise, your pet demon dies.’
Ambit lowered the spear. ‘And then what?’
‘I’m sorry?’ said Northrop.
‘If you kill her, then what?’ said Ambit. ‘You won’t have her as a hostage anymore, and then how will you make me do things?’
Northrop paused. ‘Don’t try and bluff your way out of this,’ he said eventually.
‘I’m not bluffing, I’m asking,’ said Ambit. ‘You can’t kill her, or you’ll have nothing to hold over my head anymore.’
‘We can’t kill her,’ said Deeble, ‘but we can hurt her. Let’s dunk her in the pond until he gets the point.’
‘All right, that does it,’ said Ambit. He moved to attack Northrop, but then Snarl spoke.
‘Stop,’ she said. ‘Do it, Ambit. Do what they want.’
Ambit stopped. ‘What?’
‘You heard me,’ said Snarl, twisting her head painfully to try and get rid of the sharp metal sticking into her neck. ‘Go and kill Lord Phos, if they want you to do it so badly.’
‘Are you crazy?’ said Ambit. ‘Now you want me to kill your lord? The Sixth Mountain was your home, Snarl.’
‘Yes,’ said Snarl. ‘I got your home destroyed once, Ambit. You have the right to do the same to me. Do it and these people will find out what happens when you do. Trust me, Ambit.’
‘Do as your little friend says,’ said Northrop. ‘Otherwise . . .’
Ambit threw his hands up. ‘Fine, fuck it, I give up. Let’s go.’
Snarl gave him a long, slow look through her gleaming red eyes. ‘Good luck, Ambit,’ she said. ‘One day this will be over, and we can be together again.’