by M S C Barnes
Mr West placed an arm around her shoulders.
“Someone help him,” she pleaded.
Mr West turned his beady eyes towards Seb.
“Seb, no one can stop this. You must fight Braddock and take control of your body.” He said the words with a sigh of helplessness.
The huge beast was back on its feet and rounded once more on Mr Duir. The Guardians couldn’t hope to deal with this monster and the hordes that were leaping in groups towards them.
Seb heard Alice shout, “Seb, he needs you to fight. We cannot hold them back!”
The constriction around Seb’s neck was so tight now and Braddock was once more attacking his willpower.
“I can save him. I can deal with these abominations. Give me this body to use as it was meant to be used. You are weak, misplaced. Give it to someone who can use the power it is capable of!”
“Seb,” Alice repeated. “He needs you to fight! We all do!”
Through heavy lids Seb saw one last image: the massive beast crashing past Zach, hurling his friend into a standing stone to slump beside it, winded, and then hurtling headlong towards Mr Duir, before his world went black.
Guilt and Power
The sensory limits of Seb’s world now were the throbbing and tingling in his palm and Braddock’s voice, which filled his head.
“That’s it, young soul. Drift away. I will look after this body.”
But in his subconscious, something nagged; a creeping feeling of guilt. He couldn’t grasp why.
Freed from the bombardment of external sensations his mind floated. Gone were horror, fear, confusion. All that was left was guilt. Why?
Images came, memories: Mr Duir staggering to his feet to stand, head bowed, in the path of a huge beast; the sight of Zach crashing into a standing stone; words … Alice’s voice, Seb, he needs you to fight! We all do!
Braddock’s whisperings continued, “Calm yourself. Leave it to me. I will take care of them.”
“Seb, he needs you to fight! We all do!” Alice’s voice came to him again.
The tingling, the guilt. A memory: a flash of light, a blast of power … a vast horde of bats swept into a void. And more memories: Alice tumbling to the ground, smothered by vicious, tearing, clawing bats; and another, the sickening crack of a broken bone … Mr Duir crying out in pain, blood dripping from a gruesome face wound … and the words I need only Seb.
From nowhere Seb felt a swell of determination, a need to be rid of the feeling of guilt which he now understood; guilt at leaving Mr Duir – his friends, his Dryad twin – to face this onslaught when he was the only one capable of stopping it.
“You summoned the souls …” Mr West’s reedy voice echoed in his head.
But Braddock’s voice grew louder. “Leave it, young soul. This body is in safe hands.”
Seb’s determination grew until it became an overwhelming need to save the others, to redeem himself. His subconscious called out, “STOP!”
Instantly the hold on him weakened, as if Braddock had flinched in surprise. And as the hold on his throat loosened he inhaled. His head cleared. The resolve grew, as further flashes of memory, so vivid it was like they were happening afresh before his eyes, stormed through his mind; a beast scoring gashes into Mr Duir’s neck; Nat tearful; Alice exhausted; Aiden defending him against Heath’s cruel accusations; Mr Duir’s words, Seb, I need you.
He bolted upright. Opening his eyes wide he stared at the sky. It was dense with screeching, diving bats. Alice zoomed around beneath them, continually weaving netting, trying to provide shelter for those below, but obviously tiring.
At ground level so many beasts, red eyes glowing, were still attacking, their numbers barely diminished. Zach, in the midst of them, was panting for breath, exhaustion etched on his young face. Miss West and The Caretaker looked equally shattered as they struggled to keep them away from Mr Duir while Dierne whizzed back and forth in a frenzy, trying to protect his twin.
And then he saw Mr Duir. Unable to stand, he knelt with one hand on the ground, his head lowered and blood soaking his clothing. Gasping for breath he didn’t look up as one enormous creature, glowing red eyes staring maliciously at him, launched itself towards him.
In Seb’s head Braddock was shouting, “No, you imbecile, you cannot – must not –do this. You are my way back. I have the host – this is my body.”
Ignoring him, Seb acted. He lifted his arm and without seeking the light of the moon, without waiting for Aiden’s help, knowing he had this power in him, he whispered four words: “Get away from him!”
There was a thunderclap so loud the stones in the circle cracked. It whipped through the air like a tangible force, travelling from Seb’s body outward and it obliterated every single bat. The force of it struck every loathsome creature and they dropped lifeless to the ground. Out of the husks of their bodies rose a flurry of souls, spiralling upward.
Seb stared at the collection of souls now arcing and whirling in the sky above him as they rallied and formed a unified tornado flume, seemingly working as one, their single goal – him.
Mr Duir staggered to his feet and through clenched teeth, pain sounding in each word, he called, “Seb, finish it.”
Seb spoke again, quietly, arm still raised. “Do not come back!”
Behind him the black fissure opened and the vortex of white fog trails was sucked into it. There was a piercing collective scream as the souls shouted their frustration and anger, and then the crevice slammed shut.
The Twins
Seb’s friends stared at him in silence. It was broken by a sudden creaking sound followed by a crash as half of one of the standing stones fell away from its other half and toppled to the earth, splintering into rocks and chunks of sandstone, and then Mr Duir buckled. He sat, hugging his right arm to his body, head bowed, breathing heavily.
The Caretaker and teachers rushed to him and Mr West began checking his wounds. Mr Duir tried to speak but Mr West stopped him.
“Aelfric, these wounds are bad. Let me treat you.”
Seb lowered his arm. Alice whizzed down to stand beside him.
“Seb,” he said, a wide grin on his face. “You did it!”
“You’re amazing!” Scarlet laughed, wiping tears from her eyes.
Aiden patted him timidly on the back, laughing with relief.
Around them the gytrash carcasses were already disintegrating and as Seb watched they dissolved into nothing as though they had never been. The cold inside him had gone and he could no longer hear Braddock’s voice. His palm still tingled and the throbbing was there too …
Nat whispered to Seb, “It is not done yet.” She sounded fearful.
“Greg,” Mr Duir tried to stand, “we cannot leave Braddock.”
Mr West placed a hand on his shoulder.
“I feel him, Aelfric, but you have to let me deal with these injuries.”
“No, Greg!” Mr Duir paused, catching his breath, “Heath!”
It was only then that Seb realised Heath had disappeared.
Zach leapt over to them, panting. “Well, mortal, that was pretty good. Not as good, I would say, as me and my assistants, though …” He waved a hand in the direction of Miss West and The Caretaker who stood looking into the darkness beyond the circle. Seb felt a chill shiver. Where had Braddock gone? Zach was still talking. “ …Who were pretty darned amazing, don’t you think?”
Nat tugged his sleeve. “Zach, it’s not over!” The wariness in her eyes sobered him and he turned to look out of the circle.
“Are more coming?”
Seb looked out too. There was nothing he could see; but he wasn’t looking for gytrash and he knew it.
“Where did Heath go?” he asked quietly.
Nat whispered, “He is very near – and very angry.”
Mr West had stopped tending to Mr Duir. “They are together,” he murmured.
“He’s right. I can feel Heath very close
and Braddock is with him,” Nat said.
The Dryad trails in which they had been semi-cocooned had begun dissolving and Scarlet spun around, looking in all directions for a sign of Heath or Braddock.
Seb heard a skittering sound some distance away, like a few careless footsteps. It was beyond the boundary of the standing stones, way into the darkness. Then from the same direction he heard a heavier tread, an uneven stomping.
“Did you hear that?” he whispered.
Alice zoomed off in the direction of the noise.
“Where’d he go?” Zach asked as Dierne zoomed off as well.
Seb gazed beyond the monoliths. It was too dark to see either of the Dryads.
“Scarlet, can you see them?” he asked. She shook her head.
“Seb, you feel it?” Mr Duir asked through gritted teeth as he struggled to stand up. He managed with Mr West’s aid, and took the few paces over to the tower.
The throbbing in Seb’s hand was stronger now and the tingling too.
“I feel the bad, and the good,” was all Seb could say to explain what he felt.
“Yes. The bad, and the good.” Mr Duir leant against the tower, breathing hard. Close up, Seb was mortified to see the severity of his injuries. And all because I took so long to get my act together.
The look on his face must have betrayed his thoughts. Mr Duir gave a weak smile and said, “Nothing that won’t heal, Seb.” He looked haggard, his eyes unable to conceal the pain he was in.
Around them all the last fine lines of the Dryad trails were fizzling out and then, as Nat yelled, Heath loomed out of the darkness, ten feet from Seb, lunging at him.
The Guardians were all in motion instantly but Heath lifted his hand, caught moonlight on the