Uraza was leaping from rock to rock. Abeke saw her tail disappear between two larger boulders, before the leopard dashed into one of the caves.
A quarrel zipped past. Abeke glanced back and saw Conor barge into the crossbowman as he reloaded. Briggan leaped from one target to another, snapping and clawing wildly at anyone foolish enough to get too near. Even Jhi was causing chaos, knocking a man to his knees with heavy swipes of her paws. Meilin had wrestled a sword from Brunhild the Merry and was doing what she’d spent years training to do, fighting extremely well. Rollan had gathered big pebbles and was hurling them with frightening accuracy. The big stones clanged off helmets and bashed a few noses. Sid yelled at his wolverine to attack, but the big beast hung back, snarling and clawing wildly as Essix swooped overhead, raking her talons across the beast’s fur.
They were giving Abeke the chance to escape; she couldn’t let them down.
Armored feet crunched the pebbles behind her as Song’s warriors gave chase. But they wore heavy brass accessories and carried weapons, and Abeke was fleet-footed and unencumbered. Her heart pounded as she picked up the pace.
Behind her, the dragon roared again but she didn’t pause to look. Her entire attention was on the route ahead. Abeke sprang onto a rock just as another quarrel clattered past. Then she jumped from one slab to another, leaving her pursuers farther and farther behind with each leap. Behind her, Oathbound goons slipped and fell, unable to haul themselves onto the rocks. So much of their armor was for show, Abeke couldn’t help but find it amusing that their vanity had let her escape.
One final leap took her clear of the beach and into the cave’s mouth.
Without pausing to catch her breath, Abeke charged in.
“Uraza? Where are you?”
There was no sign of her leopard. Had Abeke gone into the wrong cave? Or was Uraza farther in?
Glancing back, Abeke caught a glimpse of the Oathbound. She couldn’t risk going back out now. Hoping Uraza was indeed ahead, she delved into the cavern.
The cave floor was broken by rock pools and the walls dripped with water and seaweed. Deeper and deeper she went. The cries of the soldiers disappeared.
A soft growl greeted her from the shadows ahead. She saw a glimmer from a pair of bright violet eyes.
Abeke sighed. “There you are. I’ve been—”
Then she turned a corner and stopped.
A figure emerged from behind a rock. “Hello, Abeke.”
Abeke blinked as she recognized the person standing before her. “You!”
“AT LEAST ABEKE GOT AWAY,” SAID ROLLAN. “GIVES US some more elbow room.”
Meilin glanced over at him. “Is that meant to be a joke?”
Rollan smirked. “Come on, admit it. You were starting to miss this cell. The damp walls, the cold breeze. The rats for company.”
Meilin shook her head but didn’t answer.
“We have got to escape,” said Conor. He was back at his usual spot by the door, searching as if there were some secret latch which, with a twist, would grant them freedom.
He needs to be busy.
Rollan put his hand protectively upon his mark. He had Essix back and right now that felt like a win. It didn’t change their situation, but it gave him some small hope.
Where had Abeke gotten to? After their friend escaped, Song had been furious. She ordered the Oathbound soldiers to scour the caves, but the whole area was riddled with them, dozens of tunnels that had been carved out by underground rivers. There had to be hundreds of miles to search. Rollan felt hopeful that Abeke would keep ahead of the Oathbound.
But Song hadn’t been angry for long. Not now that she had the Dragon’s Eye …
“Did you see the water dragon?” Meilin asked bleakly.
Conor snorted. “How could I miss him?”
When Song had ordered Seaspray back out of the water he had crawled, exhausted, to collapse in the shingles. But the lizard was now the size of an ox. Something about the ancient bond token had changed him. If Rollan was honest, the whole thing reminded him of the Bile and the way it transformed the animals who were forced to drink it.
As she watched her own spirit animal collapse, Song had stood over Seaspray, scowling in disgust. Then she’d summoned him into passive state—a newly enormous tattoo that stretched from her neck all the way to her ankle.
Meilin sighed, still gazing out the small grille. “I fear what she’ll do with such power.”
“Nothing good,” Rollan concluded. “The girl’s insane.”
They fell silent as they heard armored footsteps approach. A heavy fist beat against the door. “Food!”
The hatch at the bottom of the door slid open and a tray was shoved through.
Rollan picked up one of the three bowls. “What’s this?”
A face appeared at the small door grille. Wikam the Just sneered. “Food. You eat it. Or not. It makes no difference to me.”
“It looks like seagull droppings.”
“Is that not what you ordered?” Wikam frowned. “I must chastise the chef.”
“Great. You think you’re a comedian?”
Wikam tapped the bars. “What I am is on the right side of these. I can be whatever I want. Best eat up before it gets cold.”
He was still laughing as he left and closed the door at the far end of the corridor.
Rollan sniffed the meal; his stomach twisted in revulsion. A few bones floated in the sludge. He didn’t want to guess what animal they’d come from. Lumps of stale bread sat in the congealing mass. Rollan tested a lump. He swallowed it and had to close his eyes while trying not to gag.
When he opened them, he saw Conor had almost finished his bowl. “How can you eat that?”
“What? I’m hungry.” Conor wiped the last of the goo off with his fingers, then licked them clean. “I’m not saying I like it, but food is food.”
Meilin nibbled at hers, though her nose was wrinkled in disgust.
Rollan picked up a large piece of what might be meat and swallowed it whole, trying to get it down without touching any tastebuds on the way.
They ate in silence, each stuck in their own peculiar misery.
Rollan worked his way through his meal, reminding himself with every grueling bite that strength was all that mattered. He needed to keep his up, just in case a chance came along, as it had for Abeke.
But was that likely? The Oathbound would no doubt be watching them even more closely now.
Meilin finished her bowl then put her head in her hands. “That was the most disgusting thing I’ve ever eaten.”
“If Song’s still feeding us, she’s got something planned,” said Conor.
“Fattening us up for her dragon?” Rollan asked.
Conor waved to his empty bowl. “We’re going to need more than this to get fat, Rollan.”
The far door opened up again.
Rollan sighed. “Oh, good. Wikam’s brought us dessert.”
The footsteps paused outside the door. “Hey. Who’s in there?”
The three of them sat up. That wasn’t Wikam.
Rollan went to the door. “Who’s asking?”
“Rollan?”
Keys rattled and then there was the click-clack of the lock opening.
The cell door creaked open. A lantern shone into the cell.
And upon the face of their rescuer.
“So, who wants to get out?” asked Worthy, grinning.
MEILIN RUSHED OUT AND HUGGED WORTHY. THE BOY was blushing when she stepped back, and she couldn’t help but smile at his discomfort. “It’s good to see you, Worthy.”
“You too, Meilin.”
Rollan and Conor greeted him with knocks and friendly slaps, but Meilin saw the stunned disbelief on their faces. They, like her, had never thought to see the young Redcloak ever again.
“What happened to Wikam?” asked Rollan, searching the narrow corridor.
Worthy gestured at the far door. “Abeke’s taking care of him.”
�
�Abeke?” Meilin exclaimed. “She’s here?”
“Of course. How else did you think I’d find you so quickly? We, er, bumped into each other down in the caves.” He started walking, tying on his pristine white cat mask as he moved. “But we can talk later. We need to get out.”
The room beyond was Wikam’s, and there they found Abeke, Wikam himself, and perhaps the hugest man Meilin had ever seen. He wore the robes of a Niloan chief, and she couldn’t miss the large rhino tattoo on his forearm. He smiled as they appeared, while the Oathbound squirmed, trapped as he was under the man’s foot. Wikam was gagged and bound, with a fresh bruise swelling on the side of his head. Across the room, his vulture was similarly trussed.
Worthy bowed at the big man. “May I introduce Chief Ugo. He’s the reason I’m here.”
“So these are the young heroes I’ve been hearing so much about. The tales do not do you justice,” said the chief.
Abeke shook the keys in front of her. “Help me put him in the cell. No one will come down till tomorrow.”
“And we’ll be long gone by then,” said Worthy.
“Let me help,” said Chief Ugo, easily picking up Wikam, who was not a slim man, with one hand through his belt. The Oathbound struggled and made noises, but the gag was thick and well-stuffed in his mouth.
They dropped him, not gently, into the cell, then tossed his vulture spirit animal in after him.
“Bye-bye,” said Abeke, with a wave. Then she locked the door.
They gathered back in Wikam’s quarters, where Ugo sat down on the stout wooden table. He folded his arms across his chest. “I’ll keep this brief. I’ve had my suspicions regarding the death of the emperor from the moment I heard about it. I know the Oathbound are respected for protecting the leaders during the Devourer’s war, but I’ve had my own dealings with them before, and I’ve seen the cruelties they impart when they think no one is watching. Though they’ve never tried anything quite so bold as killing an emperor.” Chief Ugo shook his head. “The idea that it was a Greencloak plot was laughable—especially one orchestrated by Olvan and the Heroes of Erdas. So here I am. I came to find out what’s going on. And, incidentally, to get you all out.”
Worthy pointed to himself. “Which was my idea.”
Meilin stepped forward and bowed. “Chief Ugo, the false Greencloaks who killed the emperor were Oathbound impostors acting on the orders of Empress Song. She wanted her father dead.”
She watched the Niloan chief’s face stiffen with shock. His black eyes narrowed. “Be careful, child. If what you say is true, we could be talking war.”
“War?” Meilin gasped. “But we just ended the one against the Devourer.”
“The other governments wouldn’t stand for such a coup.” The chief rubbed his chin. “But Abeke tells me that Song already has four powerful items of some kind, and that makes her doubly dangerous. Song knew that if her treachery was discovered she’d be challenged. That she did it anyway means something. She’s confident she can defeat the other nations, not to mention the Greencloaks. These ‘bond tokens’ must be incredibly powerful for her to have risked so much.”
“Another war would be disastrous for Erdas,” Meilin muttered. “And especially for Zhong.” Meilin had witnessed the loss of so much of her homeland already. To have it torn apart again was too much to bear. “There has to be another way.”
Chief Ugo stood. “I must take you all back to Nilo. The High Chieftain will want to hear the full story from your own lips. Worthy has told me what he knows on the journey here, but your word will be vital if Song is to face true justice.”
“How?” asked Conor.
“My ship is anchored a mile off the coast. Your red-cloaked friend also has a boat hidden in the caves along the bottom of the cliff. You will go with him and row out to the ship. My crew is expecting you.”
“What about you?”
The chief frowned. “It will look too suspicious for me to depart the palace in the middle of the night. I’ll follow at dawn, before anyone discovers what’s happened down here. With a good wind behind us, we’ll be swiftly out of reach from Song’s navy.”
“And off to start a war?” asked Meilin. “Is that what you want us to do?”
“I want you to tell the truth,” said the chief. “I’m sorry, but some things are greater than the concerns of four children, even ones partnered with the Four Fallen.”
Rollan stepped forward. “Song’s greatest weapons are the bond tokens, right?”
“She’s dangerous already, for who she is and what she’s done, but yes, the fact that she controls such powerful artifacts only amplifies the peril we are all in.”
“Then we can’t leave without them. We steal them tonight.”
Worthy sighed behind his mask. “I saw what was happening down at the beach. But does one big lizard really change anything? We need to get away.”
“No,” Meilin said. “Rollan’s right. We need to stop Song.”
Worthy shook his head. “Meilin …”
If Meilin was being honest, she wanted to sail away. She knew the rest of them felt the same. It would be such a relief to get far away from here to somewhere safe.
But where was safe? Song and the Oathbound had grown powerful beyond belief. The Greencloaks were still imprisoned, and who knew what Song could truly do with the Dragon’s Eye?
Another war was looming on the horizon. Meilin couldn’t be a part of that.
Chaos lay ahead of them. More strife and misery for all Erdas.
She met the chief’s gaze. “All the gifts are in one place, the Summer Palace. We need to get them back.”
The chief sighed and shook his head. “I wish I had time to argue with you over this, but I suspect I wouldn’t get very far. I must get back to the main palace, before any of Song’s spies know I’m missing.” He looked to Worthy. “We sail at dawn. Make sure you’re back on board by then. With or without your friends.”
And with that the Niloan chief left.
Conor grinned nervously at Meilin and clapped his hands. “So, you’ve got a plan?”
“No,” she replied. “I haven’t got a clue.”
“WE CAN’T LEAVE THESE PEOPLE HERE,” SAID ABEKE, looking at the corridor of cells. It hadn’t been immediately clear how many others were trapped in Song’s prison. For most of the Greencloaks’ stay, the corridor had been deathly silent. Now Abeke saw why. The prisoners were listless and emaciated. Their eyes were tired and sunken with hunger.
Wikam had been starving them.
“We need to get them out,” Abeke said.
Meilin nodded. “But how?”
All eyes turned to Worthy. “My boat’s big enough for about six, comfortably.”
Abeke did a rough head count. “Apart from us there are ten others. If we get down to the caves, we can hide them. Row the first batch out to Ugo’s ship, then do another journey for the second. It will take some time, but it’s the only way.”
Conor’s eyes darkened. “Then just leave?”
“What do you mean?”
“Song and the Oathbound have the four relics, Abeke. Even if we escape, they still have all the power.”
Abeke shook her head. “It gives us time to plan.”
But it was a chance, wasn’t it? Abeke looked at each of her friends, then she smiled at Rollan. “Getting at least one of the bond tokens back would weaken Song’s power. And the Dragon’s Eye seemed to be the most powerful.”
Rollan clapped his hands. “Great. We grab the gemstone.”
Conor grinned. “I’m in.”
Meilin hesitated, but eventually nodded. “I visited the palace a few years ago with my father. I still remember the layout, more or less.”
Abeke patted Worthy’s shoulder. “You and me saving the prisoners?”
“That works.” Worthy hefted the keys. “Let’s get started.”
They crept along the row of cells, working open the heavy locks. People slowly emerged, though they were more than a little wary
of this miraculous rescue.
After a brief explanation from Abeke and the others, they learned that two of the prisoners were soldiers who’d been blamed for conspiring in the emperor’s murder. They’d both been dedicated to Song’s father and expressed suspicion about the attack.
“Song had the Oathbound lay false evidence against us, saying we were in league with the Greencloaks,” muttered Chan. “I served her family for twenty years and this is where I end up.”
“The fight’s not over yet, brother,” replied Li. “The Greencloaks will reveal the truth behind our emperor’s death.”
Chan merely grunted, glancing suspiciously at Meilin.
There were three nobles, also locked up for voicing doubts over Song’s rule. And four of the prisoners were local merchants, robbed by the Oathbound and chained for complaining. Then, in the last cell …
“Whee! Free! Free!”
Was the crazy old man.
He jumped out and hugged Abeke. “My savior!”
“Um, you’re welcome.” Abeke gently pushed him off. “But will you please be quiet?”
The old man clamped his hand over his mouth.
Abeke rejoined the others, curled in a circle with Worthy as they discussed their plans. “Worthy and I will get them away, but then what?”
Rollan bit his lip. “Give the rest of us an hour. If we aren’t back by then, go without us.”
Abeke didn’t like it, but Rollan was right. If at least she and Worthy could escape, then they’d be able to warn the other nations about Song. She smiled at him. “You’ll make it.”
“Robbing the Empress of Zhong of the most powerful relic in all Erdas? No problem.” Rollan winked. “Though my thieving credentials aren’t what they used to be.”
“Grabbing the Eye isn’t about thieving, it’s about being heroic.”
Rollan grinned. “That’s what I told myself the day I summoned Essix. I was stealing medicine for a friend.” Rollan’s face went pale. “Come to think of it, I got caught that day.”
The Dragon's Eye Page 8