by Victor Kloss
Joshua paled a little. “It's an unusual sort of appointment.”
The dwarf laughed again, a hearty sound that defied his size. “Of course it is. Now, you should head home before it gets too dark. It gets cold out here at night.”
“Can't do that, I'm afraid,” Ben said. “My arrogant friend is right – we need to see the baron. If we can't use your car, we'll just have to walk.”
The dwarf's humour evaporated, replaced by what looked to Ben like genuine concern. “I'm warning you. There are creatures up there – things that the baron likes to collect. He lets them roam the castle grounds, and they don't respond well to intruders.”
“We'll worry about those,” Ben said, injecting a cheerfulness he didn't feel. “Unless you fancy changing your mind?”
“I wish I could,” the dwarf said, spreading his hands. “But it's not under my control.”
“A pity,” Ben said. He waved to the others, and started his climb around the tunnel, continuing up through the forest.
There wasn't much of a path, but, with their spellshooters lit, they were able to pick their way through the shrubbery and undergrowth. It was slow going, as they often had to lift their legs over gorse and pine, but slowly the giant rock in the distance became larger.
A sudden rustling noise halted their advance.
“What was that?” Charlie asked.
They aimed their spellshooters over the undergrowth, like searchlights.
There, less than twenty paces away, something was writhing its way towards them. It looked like a snake, but it was far larger than anything Ben had ever seen before. The moment the light hit its eyes, the snake leapt up, and snapped its sharp jaws into the open air, before diving back down again.
“Stunning spells!” Ben said, pointing his spellshooter at the enemy.
Ben's aim was true, and his spell knocked the snake out cold. But the moment he did so, the entire undergrowth seemed to shudder and move of its own accord.
More snakes. Lots of them.
Hissing, snarling and even leaping, they slithered forwards from all angles.
“Oh my!” Natalie said with a gasp.
The four of them started firing at anything that moved.
“There are too many of them,” Charlie said. He had to scream to be heard over the hissing and shooting.
“We should retreat and find another way forwards,” Joshua said in rare agreement, as he took down a large red snake that had got a little close.
“No,” Ben said firmly. “We push forwards.”
Overcoming all natural desire, Ben put one foot in front of the other. Unlike the others, he had the composure to aim and shoot, without scatter firing.
“Stop wasting pellets!” he ordered. “It only takes one head shot to take these things down. You don't need to hit them a dozen times.”
“You do if your aim is as bad as mine is,” Charlie muttered. He had crept up behind Ben, using him as a human shield.
Progress was slow, but Ben could see, less than fifty yards ahead, the forest opened up to a clearing, and the snakes seemed absent there.
“Keep going forwards,” he urged. Natalie and Joshua were several paces behind, but both were making slow progress. The snakes were starting to thin, and Ben was able to pick and choose his shots. But it was dark, and difficult to see, which was why he didn't notice the snake that slipped past him.
Charlie cried out suddenly and he fell, disappearing into the undergrowth. Ben could just about see the tail of a snake whipping around Charlie's legs. With a cry of pain and horror, Charlie was dragged along at a frightening pace, deep into the forest.
Ben whipped his spellshooter round and squinted at the rapidly departing Charlie, whose arms and legs were flailing, making the snake an impossible shot. Ben had but seconds before they would be out of sight. He aimed as best he could, and fired. The snake stopped dead, as did Charlie. To Ben's dismay, Charlie didn't get up, but instead lay prostrate in the undergrowth. Ignoring his own advice about not rapidly firing, Ben shot left and right like a mad man, forging a path before any more snakes could grab Charlie. One almost reached him, but a good kick to its jaw sent it packing. Ben reached down, grabbed Charlie as best he could, and then, still firing at anything that moved, somehow managed to run to the end of the undergrowth, and threw himself into the clearing beyond. To his great relief, the snakes shied away from the bare ground, and Ben was left alone with an unconscious Charlie.
“Is he okay?” Natalie said.
She and Joshua arrived moments later, panting and grimacing.
“I shot him,” Ben said, wiping sweat from his brow. “I can't believe it. He was being dragged away, and I didn't have much to aim at. My spell must have hit both the snake and Charlie.”
“Well, it was just a stunning spell, right?” Natalie said. “There is no lasting damage.”
“How long will it take for him to come to?” Joshua asked.
“Half an hour, maybe,” Ben said, trying to remember what Charlie had told him earlier. “But I don't know if the effect is reduced because the spell was spread between him and the snake.”
Joshua looked unhappy about the waiting, but he didn't complain. They moved Charlie further into the clearing, and placed his backpack under his head as a cushion. Natalie had a basic healing spell that she fired at Charlie. His colour started to look better immediately, but they had an anxious twenty-minute wait before he started to stir, and finally opened his eyes. He sat up gingerly, rubbing his face. Finally, he turned to Ben.
“You shot me, didn't you,” he said.
“Yeah. Sorry about that,” Ben replied with a sheepish grin.
“Are you okay to continue?” Joshua said. “We still have a lot of walking to do.”
“Don't have much of a choice, really, do I,” Charlie said. He stood up with a grunt of pain, clutching his back.
“We'll go slow,” Natalie said, giving Charlie's shoulder a squeeze. “At least the ground is easier now; it's just dirt.”
“I'll manage,” Charlie said. Ben couldn't help noticing the way Charlie glanced up warily at the night sky. Was there something else out there? Ben decided now wasn't the best time to ask.
Charlie battled gamely with his aches and pains, but though the ground now made for easy walking, it was still uphill, and the huge rock on which the castle was mounted seemed to be taking an awfully long time to get within reach. They were very exposed now, and though that meant they should have been able to see anything coming, there was also nowhere to run. Charlie had taken to looking skywards every few minutes, and it was starting to unnerve Ben.
“What is it?” he asked eventually.
“I think we should hurry up,” Charlie said out of the blue.
“Why?” Joshua asked.
“The open air and the cliff – it's perfect for one of the creatures I read about, and they're not pleasant.”
“What are they?” Joshua asked a little impatiently.
A horrible screeching noise rent the air, making them all jump.
“Harpies,” Charlie said, glancing up at the night sky.
Dozens of the most peculiar creatures Ben had ever seen dropped out of the sky, diving right for them. They were far more terrifying than the harpies he'd seen in video games. Their upper bodies were that of a witch, with matted black hair and malevolent green eyes. The rest resembled a savage bird of prey, with sharp claws that looked ready to rip something to shreds.
“Fire spells!” Ben cried, aiming his spellshooter above his head.
He unleashed swirling balls of heat, but the harpies were remarkably nimble, and they dodged many of the spells with deft manoeuvres, barely losing speed as they did so. Suddenly, Ben was staring up at half a dozen sets of claws, about to rain down on him. He had a split second to prepare for impact, and then, with a mighty crash, they collided. Ben felt claws grapple on his wrists. The harpies hissed and spat at him, their green eyes full of hatred. Ben
gave one a mighty whack round the head, but another immediately took her place. He unleashed a spell from point-blank range, which even the nimble harpy could do nothing about.
It was a mass of confusion, with limbs and talons everywhere, on top of the screams of both pain and glee from the harpies. Ben was vaguely aware that there were now several harpies lying motionless on the floor, and one or two had beat a retreat.
A cry of horror cut through the screeching harpies.
Natalie was airborne. Two harpies had gripped either wrist, and were flying away with her, or trying to – Natalie was kicking and screaming with such frenzy that the harpies were having a hard time gaining air. Ben attempted to batter his way through to her, but the harpies seemed to guess his intent, and they snapped at him, even attempting to lift him from the ground. Ben suddenly found he was surrounded by three harpies who had vice grips on his wrists. Joshua was attempting to reach Natalie, but he was also pinned down.
Another scream, this one of defiance, ripped through the air. Charlie powered through the harpies as if they were nothing more than teddies and, with a mighty leap, jumped and grabbed Natalie's ankles as the harpies made to do away with her.
“I've got you!” Charlie cried.
The harpies, suddenly inundated with weight, almost dropped both of them. Charlie started wagging and kicking. The harpies screamed in protest. Their grip was loosening, but all the while they were gaining altitude. Five feet. Ten feet. Fifteen.
The harpies gave one final scream, and then dropped Natalie and Charlie. Ben watched in horror as they fell, and hit the ground with a bone-crunching thud.
“They're fleeing!” Joshua said, kicking out at a harpy that was trying to escape.
The harpies had had enough, and those that still could took to the skies, promptly disappearing into the night, still screeching.
Ben and Joshua ran over to Charlie and Natalie. Charlie was moving; Natalie wasn't.
“Shit,” Ben said, staring despairingly at Natalie. There was blood pooling down her forehead. Ben wanted to do something, anything, but he felt powerless.
“Out the way,” Charlie said, pulling free his spellshooter. He closed his eyes, and focused. Ben watched as his breathing slowed and the frown on his face receded, replaced by a calmness of sorts. Ben waited impatiently, but was careful not to make the slightest of sounds. After what seemed like an age, Charlie pointed his spellshooter at Natalie's head. Eyes still closed, he pulled the trigger. A white mist flowed from the barrel and over Natalie, covering her like a blanket. Ben watched in silent apprehension, almost forgetting to breathe. After what seemed like an eternity, Natalie gave a soft groan, and her eyes flickered open.
Charlie sat back, and wiped his brow, as if he'd just run a marathon. “I've never cast anything as powerful as that before. I almost lost it.”
“You did great,” Ben said. He turned to Natalie. “How are you feeling?”
“Tired,” Natalie said with a weak smile.
“Can you make it to the rock?” Joshua asked.
Ben was about to mutter an angry reply about giving Natalie a minute, but Charlie intervened.
“Joshua is right. The cover of the rock will be safer than being exposed out here.”
“I can walk,” Natalie said.
It took Ben on one side and Joshua on the other to help her up. Charlie wasn't that much better off, but he managed to get to his feet. Together, the four of them hobbled their way to the sheer rock. Ben kept looking up at the night sky, but the ominous presence of the harpies, or anything else for that matter, remained absent.
The closer they got, the more imposing the rock became, until the mighty structure loomed over them. Charlie and Natalie collapsed against it, both groaning as they sunk to the floor.
Ben and Joshua immediately stepped back to inspect the rock. There were plenty of footholds and crevices, should climbing be required, but Ben knew instinctively that they wouldn't all be able to make it.
“Over here,” Joshua called with a wave.
Joshua was staring at a piece of the cliff, not twenty paces away. The moment Ben approached, he could see what Joshua was referring to. It was a door, cut into the rock. There was no handle, but there was a small slit.
“Let me guess, that's for the ID card,” Ben said, running his hand over the slit.
“I believe so,” Joshua said.
Ben stepped back again, and stared up at the cliff. He turned to Joshua, and gave him a small smile.
“Well, looks like we're climbing.”
— Chapter Twenty —
The Stone Soldier
There has to be another way,” Natalie said
Her green eyes were determined, but Ben noticed that neither she nor Charlie had moved from their sitting position.
“There isn't,” Joshua said. “We have to climb.”
Despite everything, Natalie tried to get to her feet. She made lots of noises, but very little upward motion occurred. Eventually, she slumped back down, visibly crestfallen.
“I can't do it,” she said, her voice soft. “I'm in too much pain.”
“I don't expect you to,” Ben said with a gentle smile. “You've done quite enough already. The cliff is hard enough to scale when fully fit, and then there is the small matter of what lies at the top, right, Charlie?”
Charlie nodded. “If my research is correct – and it normally is – you'll have to face a stone soldier to gain entry.”
“A stone soldier?” Joshua asked. “Who is that?”
“Not a 'who’, but a 'what’,” Charlie said. “It is a soldier crafted of stone – one of the baron's most prized possessions.”
“Won't he get upset if we destroy it, then?”
“Possibly, if he didn't have a whole unit of them. He's quite a collector.” Charlie's face turned grave. “Be careful up there. The stone soldier will not be easy to take down.”
“Don't worry about us,” Ben said. “You guys just stay low, and we'll be back shortly.”
Ben and Joshua left Charlie and Natalie lying against the rock – Natalie looking considerably more miserable than Charlie – and they turned their attention to the climb. It took them a good fifteen minutes to find the best place to ascend, and another five to prepare themselves.
Ben took one look at the sheer cliff, then turned to Joshua, who was still staring up at the daunting challenge.
“Good luck,” Ben said on impulse. “See you at the top.”
Joshua appeared surprised by the wish, but not displeased, and returned it with a nod.
Ben always liked to climb. He had plenty of experience, and counted himself competent at it. He was athletic, his limbs were strong, and football had given him a fair amount of stamina. But five minutes into this ascent, and Ben quickly realised this wasn't like anything he'd done before. For starters, there was no safety net. He made the mistake of looking down once, and almost fell from the shock. It was also several times higher than anything he'd ever encountered and almost impossible to see the top.
Concentrate on one foothold at a time, he kept repeating to himself. It was slow going, but it forced him to focus. When his limbs started to ache, he would hold his position and attempt to relax for a moment, before taking a deep breath, and ploughing on. By the time he could see the top, his arms felt like they were about to come off; every inch gained took supreme effort and his mouth was dry from the constant grunting. What would happen when he reached the top? Would the stone soldier be there waiting to chop him down? It didn't matter now – he was spent, and all he could think of was lying down at the top of the rock.
Ben's heart jumped when he finally sought out a hand slot, and found only air. With a final surge of energy, he scrambled up and onto the rock. He turned onto his back, and lay there, panting, as his limbs were finally able to catch a break.
Ben saw a hand in his peripheral vision and, a moment later, Joshua scrambled up and lay prostrate on the ground, his che
st heaving.
“Soldier?” Joshua whispered, unable to do anything more than use his eyeballs to indicate direction.
Ben sat himself up, and gasped at the sight that beheld him. Set back some hundred yards from the rockface was a castle that looked like something out of a story book. It wasn't large, more like a house, but every stone and battlement was perfectly cast, with turrets and towers that gleamed in the moonlight. It looked as though it had been constructed just yesterday, and yet still had an age about it lacking in most theme park reproductions.
The stone soldier wasn't immediately obvious, for he was made from exactly the same grey stone as the castle. But Ben could just detect a faint outline, in front of a gated entrance.
The figure moved forwards, and suddenly the stone soldier became very real indeed. Both Ben and Joshua scrambled to their feet, taking in deep breaths of air in an effort to recover. Thankfully, the stone soldier appeared to be in no hurry, giving them both time to inspect their adversary as he approached.
“I see why he's called the stone soldier,” Ben said.
Even from a distance, it was clear he was made entirely from stone. He wore short-plated armour and breeches, though it was clearly cosmetic because, armour or not, everything was stone, even the feather that protruded from his helmet. He wore a short sword and a small circular shield. There was something about the way he held it that spoke of both experience and skill.
Ben felt the first surge of adrenaline course through his body, fuelling his tired limbs. He focused, and fired a complex spell into his hand. A glowing blue-tinted sword materialised in his hand, just as Joshua fired the same.
“You realise we are going to have to work together here?” Ben said, glancing at Joshua.
“I'm aware of that,” Joshua said. Ben was pleased to see the way Joshua held his own weapon. He had also received lessons from Volvek.
“You circle left; I'll circle right,” Ben said. “Don't launch into an attack – let's measure him first. I've got a feeling he's going to be quick. He might be made of stone, but he's pure magic, not restricted by normal material limitations.”