Uki and the Outcasts

by Kieran Larwood

  The worst thing, worse even than the fact that it was all about to be over, was the knowledge that he had failed. Failed his friends, failed Iffrit, failed the whole rabbit race. He hadn’t even managed to capture one single spirit on his own.

  Iffrit was wrong to have trusted you. Uki’s dark voice sounded almost smug. He should have chosen someone else.

  Uki closed his eyes, waiting for the moment that the dagger did its horrible work. His little heart beat once, twice …

  Kerr-ack!!

  A slamming, splintering clap of thunder shook the whole warehouse. Dust and cobwebs poured down from the rafters and Balto jumped away, giving Uki a clear view of the wide-open doors.

  Blocking the gap was the rear end of a jerboa, its giant legs bouncing back from the colossal kick which had smashed the doors off their hinges. A jerboa with a bald little pink stub for a tail.

  ‘Mooka!’ Uki cried, even as rabbits ran past the jerboa into the warehouse. Five, ten, fifteen of them, all wearing the grey cloaks and black-leather armour of Clan Septys. At their front was Jori, with Kree peeking out from behind.

  ‘Get away from my friend!’ Jori shouted, before taking a huge mouthful of potion from the flask in her paw. Two of the other Septys rabbits did the same. The others had spears and clubs at the ready.

  ‘Nox, you sneaky old weasel!’ One of Uki’s rescuers was Venic, he noticed. He stared at his old servant with a grin that was half amused, half spiteful. Nox began to stutter a reply but was interrupted by Necripha’s furious shrieking.

  ‘Don’t just stand there! Kill them!’

  The four Endwatch rabbits who had accompanied Necripha into the warehouse all drew blades from beneath their cloaks. They were joined by Nox’s two henchmen.

  ‘For Septys!’ yelled Venic, and the two forces charged at one another.

  Jori and the other dusk wraiths clashed with the Endwatch rabbits first. Uki gasped as he watched the three blurred forms zip in and around the black-cloaked rabbits, their swords flashing as they caught the lamplight, leaving streaks of orange glow across his vision.

  He saw three of the Endwatchers fall almost instantly, then gaped as he noticed Nox drinking from a flask himself. Nox is a dusk wraith, too, he realised. Uki had assumed he was just a servant.

  Or perhaps he was? After swallowing from his flask, Nox choked and coughed. He dropped it to the ground and a gloopy grey liquid spilled out, smoking as it mixed with the dust and air. And then Jori was upon him. The old rabbit raised his sword and blocked Jori’s blow. He blocked again and again, the potion he had taken allowing him to move almost as fast as his attacker.

  Clangclangclangclang!

  The clashes of their swords were too fast to see. There were sparks blossoming everywhere and a rattling of metal.

  A splintering of wood drew Uki’s attention away. On the east side of the room, the hulking figure of Balto had smashed open one of the wooden shutters. He had Necripha clutched in his arms like a baby, and the two were climbing to safety.

  ‘She’s getting away!’ Uki shouted, but no one could hear him. The warehouse was full of crashing metal, grunts and screams.

  ‘No!’ Nox’s voice cried out. Jori had slashed him across his arm and his sword clattered to the ground. She span around, faster than the wind, kicking out her leg and knocking the old rabbit off his feet and into a stack of crates.

  By the doorway, the Septys rabbits had nearly finished off the Endwatch. The two other dusk wraiths dropped one in a flurry of blades. Venic’s men clubbed another to the ground, and Venic himself blocked a blow and then swept his sword low, taking out the last rabbit’s feet. It crashed to the floor in a cloud of straw and dust, then Kree stepped in with a plank of wood she had found and clonked it on the head.

  Everything was still and silent for a few moments, all except for Nox’s groans of pain.

  Uki looked around at the splintered pieces of wood everywhere. At the empty hole of the window Necripha had escaped through. She would probably be long gone, now.

  Venic was looking around, too. He nodded at the dangling form of Uki and then took command. ‘Tie them up,’ he ordered his rabbits. ‘Someone find the key for those shackles. And bring me that traitor, Nox.’

  The Septys rabbits rushed to obey, all except the dusk wraiths, who slumped to the floor, their energy spent. Uki looked down on his friends, tears spilling out of his eyes. They came for me, he thought. They really came.

  The keys were found and then Kree clambered on to a crate to unlock Uki’s iron cuffs. He felt himself being passed from rabbit to rabbit, and then he was on the floor, his shoulder joints burning like fire.

  ‘Uki!’ Kree hopped down from the crate and grabbed him in a fierce hug. Jori was suddenly there too, flopping against him, fighting for breath.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Uki managed to gasp through sobs as the tears spilled from his eyes. ‘I’m so sorry.’

  ‘Why did you run off?’ Kree asked. ‘Why didn’t you wait for us?’

  ‘I … I just …’ Uki looked away, ashamed. His tears fell on the dusty floor, making tiny little puddles of mud. ‘I didn’t want you to be hurt. Not because of me. I knew it would be dangerous and something … something might have happened to you. I’ve never had friends before and … and I couldn’t stand the thought of losing you.’

  Kree punched him on the shoulder. ‘What do you think friends are for? We know about the danger. We’re ready to take the risk. Pok ha boc! Don’t ever run off on your own again!’

  Jori grabbed his arm. Her eyes were almost closed, blinking and blinking as she tried to keep Uki in focus. ‘Don’t … don’t you think …’ She was struggling to get each word out. ‘Don’t you think … we’re worried about you too?’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ said Uki. The tears kept coming. ‘I’m so sorry. Please don’t be angry with me.’

  ‘Stupid … rabbit …’ Jori said, then wrapped an arm around him. Kree grabbed both of them in a tight squeeze and the three of them sat like that for a long while.

  *

  ‘That’s the last of them,’ said Venic. His rabbits had bound the paws of all the Endwatchers and dragged them out of the warehouse. Venic himself was propping up the groaning figure of Nox.

  ‘What will you do with them?’ Uki asked. The blood had started flowing back to his arms, and the worst case of pins and needles he’d ever had was beginning.

  ‘Clan Septys has some very deep, very dark dungeons,’ said Venic. ‘Or perhaps Mayor Nilla might like to ask them a few questions.’

  ‘And what about Nox?’

  Venic passed Nox over to his rabbits and they dragged him out of the warehouse. ‘Oh, he’ll be taken back to the clan warren, I should think. He’s in for a very unpleasant time. That’s if he lives long enough. He must have been stealing dusk potion for a while, taking little sips to build up his resistance. Even so, the amount he drank tonight will probably kill him. It takes years and years to handle the stuff properly, doesn’t it cuz?’

  Jori managed a grunt. She was sitting up by herself but had her head in her paws, still recovering.

  ‘Don’t go anywhere,’ said Venic. ‘It’s not safe outside. I’ll just see this lot on their way and then I’ll be back.’

  He left them sitting on the warehouse floor and stepped out into the night.

  ‘What’s going on out there?’ Uki asked. Now that the fighting was over, he could hear some strange noises. Shouts and yells and things crashing about.

  ‘It’s chaos,’ said Kree. ‘The fighting in the stadium has spread to the cities. They are both trying to burn each other to the ground.’

  ‘How … how did you find me?’

  Kree beamed. ‘Kalaan Klaa tracking skills!’ she said. ‘We ran to the gates but you were gone. Then Jori spotted your spear. We knew you wouldn’t have left it behind, so we thought something terrible had happened to you. That’s when I spotted your claw marks on the ground. Scratches every twenty paces – I thought you must be leaving a trail
.’

  ‘I was.’

  ‘That was good thinking! It was easy to follow. We got to the warehouse and peeked in through a gap in the shutters. That was when we saw Nox. Jori was furious – she thought her cousin had taken you, until we heard him talking about this End of the Watch. She realised he had betrayed Septys and that they would want to punish him. So we ran back to the clan house and told Venic all about it. He was kind enough to bring all his soldiers, otherwise …’

  They both shuddered at the thought of what might have happened.

  ‘That she-rabbit is the one who’s been following us,’ said Uki. ‘She’s after the spirits too. And she wants to take Iffrit out of my head.’

  ‘Well, now she has no rabbits to help her,’ said Kree. ‘Apart from that big, fat one of course.’

  ‘I think she will find more,’ Uki said. ‘She told me there were lots of them, hidden all over the Five Realms.’

  ‘No time …’ Jori muttered. Uki and Kree both leaned forward to hear her faint words. ‘No time to worry … about that. We must … must get Valkus … before it’s too late … Finding him comes first.’

  ‘I don’t think you’ll be doing that, cousin dear,’ Venic stepped back into the warehouse, his rabbits having disappeared with Nox and the Endwatchers.

  ‘What … what do you mean?’ said Jori.

  ‘I mean, you’ll be coming with me as well.’ Venic gave a smug smile and preened his whiskers. ‘Did you really think I hadn’t heard about your little … disagreement … with the family? Ran off because you didn’t like the idea of killing anyone? A granddaughter of Lord Toxa himself? How do you think our clan has become so powerful over all the years? Killing rabbits is in our blood.’

  ‘Not … mine,’ said Jori through gritted teeth.

  ‘Brave words,’ said Venic. He sniggered. ‘But I’ve totally outfoxed you all. Did you notice how I let you and the others take dusk while I didn’t?’ He patted the flask on his belt. ‘You’re in no state to fight back, and if your friends do, I shall make short work of them. A toddler from the plains and a funny-furred ragamuffin from Kether-knows-where. They have no hope against a trained dusk wraith. You were their only chance and now you couldn’t even lift a spoon. If only grandfather could see you now. He’d be so disappointed.’

  ‘Nam ukku ulla!’ Kree shouted, about to leap up, but Venic’s sword was out of its sheath and pointed at her throat before she could blink.

  ‘I don’t think so,’ he said. ‘Not if you desire to live. Besides, the clan will probably want nothing to do with you. It’s Jori who’ll be spending the rest of her life in the warren dungeons. Or perhaps in the poison kitchen, testing out deadly new concoctions. While I get a lovely reward for capturing her, of course.’

  Jori let out a sob. Her paw reached for her sword hilt, but it was shaking too much to hold it.

  ‘Yes, you and the magpie-rabbit will probably be spared. Unless of course, Jori has been stupid enough to tell you any of the clan secrets.’

  Uki thought about the dusk potion and how Jori had told them about her training.

  ‘What if she has?’ Kree asked, obviously thinking the same thing.

  ‘Then,’ said Venic, his blue eyes twinkling, ‘I hope for your sake whatever poisons they try will kill you quickly. Although that isn’t very likely. Not very likely at all.’

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  A Spot of Midnight Swimming

  The tip of Venic’s sword moved lazily between Uki and Kree.

  He doesn’t expect either of us to do anything, Uki realised. He thinks Jori is the dangerous one and that she’s been dealt with. He hasn’t even wondered what Necripha wanted with me, or why I was chained up.

  Venic was a very arrogant rabbit and, like most arrogant creatures, he assumed anything smaller than him wasn’t a threat.

  Jori had realised the same thing. She leant as close to Uki as she could and whispered, ‘Uki … throw him. Throw him through the wall.’

  ‘What’s that?’ Venic said. ‘Planning an escape? It won’t do you any good. Unlike you, cuz, I finished my training and am a qualified ass—’

  He never got to finish his unfortunate sentence. As Venic leant over to sneer, Uki jumped up and grabbed his waist. Even though his shoulder muscles still burnt, he had enough power to hoist the bigger rabbit over his head and hurl him across the warehouse. He hit the far wall with a crump and flopped to the ground. A stack of crates tumbled on top of him for good measure.

  ‘Pok ha boc!’ said Kree, her eyes boggling.

  ‘Sorry he didn’t go through the wall,’ said Uki. ‘I think my strength is fading a little. And my arms are still quite sore.’

  Jori managed a little laugh. ‘Oh, I think that’s good enough,’ she said. ‘Help me up. We have to get out of here.’

  Uki pulled her up from the floor and let her lean across his shoulders. With Kree leading the way, they shuffled out of the warehouse to where Mooka stood waiting in the street.

  ‘Put Jori up on Mooka’s back,’ said Kree. ‘And here is your lost spear.’

  Uki heaved Jori up and draped her over the jerboa’s back. Mooka gave a little neek and licked Kree’s fingers. Then Uki took his spear and slotted it into his harness, next to the others.

  ‘What now?’ he said. The streets of Nys were filled with smoke and the stink of burning houses. Screams and yells echoed down the alleys, seeming to come from everywhere.

  ‘Valkus,’ said Jori, her voice still weak. ‘We get him … then run.’

  Uki nodded. All the fighting would have created confusion in both cities. They might be able to use it to their advantage. They could sneak into Syn, try and get into the mayor’s fortress. And they had to do it quickly. Once Venic awoke he would be after Jori again. And he wouldn’t underestimate Uki twice.

  ‘Let’s go,’ he said. ‘The river is near here. We might be able to find a way across.’

  *

  The night was painted orange by fire. They passed several houses that were alight, with teams of rabbits throwing bucket after bucket of water over them.

  Balls of flame kept soaring over their heads, fired from catapults on the Syn side of the river. The Nysian rabbits were replying with waves of fire arrows, whooshing across like flocks of burning birds.

  Dodging smoke and clouds of sparks, they made their way to the river. Its black surface was lit up with the reflection of burning buildings in Syn. On both sides of the bank, rabbits were scrambling to scoop up water, all the while dodging rocks and arrows from their enemies opposite.

  ‘This is awful,’ Kree said. ‘I never liked all these buildings, but to burn them down – and all because of a neekball game.’

  ‘The game was just an excuse,’ said Uki. ‘This is all Valkus’s doing.’

  ‘Even so,’ said Kree. ‘I told you neekball was bad.’

  ‘Can we … get across … a bridge?’ Jori struggled to raise her head from where she lay on Mooka’s back.

  ‘Not a chance,’ said Uki. The remaining bridges were guarded at both ends by soldiers hiding behind shield walls and popping up every now and then to throw spears. ‘We might be able to take a boat …’

  ‘Mooka can swim,’ said Kree.

  Uki looked at the dark water gently lapping at the riverbank below. It hinted at great depth, maybe with slinking, hidden water creatures. Leeches, fish and eels. ‘I don’t think I can,’ he said. ‘At least, I’ve never tried.’

  ‘Just hold on to Mooka,’ said Kree. ‘He will pull you across. Won’t you, boy?’

  ‘Neek,’ said Mooka.

  It didn’t seem as though there was any other option. Uki helped Kree tie Jori in place with Mooka’s reins, and then they all edged down the bank towards the river. It lapped at Uki’s toes as he stepped in, chilling his fur like liquid ice.

  ‘I’m not sure about—’ Uki began to say, and then the ground suddenly disappeared from beneath his feet. One second he was breathing smoke and feeling waves of heat against his fur, the nex
t he was under the water, choking, flailing, no idea what was up or down.

  He felt the icy river flow up his nose, into his mouth. He coughed and more rushed in. He could feel his clothes and his harness pulling him down to where tendrils of reeds lashed about his feet. There was thick, sucking mud there and things that slithered between his toes.

  He tried to yell for help, but nothing came out of his mouth except bubbles. Gulps of river water flowed in to replace the precious air. Uki flung his arms out to where he thought his friends might be – grasping, desperate.

  It was only by chance that one of his flailing paws caught hold of something large and furry. Mooka! he thought, grabbing tight. He brought his other arm across and began scrabbling up the side of the jerboa, until at last his head broke free of the surface and he sucked in great lungfuls of beautiful, smoky air.

  ‘You’re pulling me under!’ came Jori’s voice. Uki stopped gasping for a moment to see that he had grabbed tight hold of his friend’s back and was tipping her off, into the river.

  ‘Sorry,’ Uki managed to say, in between coughing.

  ‘Ig eggeryun all ight?’ Kree called from somewhere. Blinking his eyes, Uki could see they were all in the water, powering towards the far side of the river as Mooka kicked with his huge legs. Kree was keeping pace, the jerboa’s lead rope gripped in her mouth.

  ‘Yes,’ called Uki. ‘Apart from I nearly drowned.’

  ‘You were only under … for a second,’ said Jori. It had seemed a lot longer than that.

  ‘Eerly dare,’ said Kree. Uki held tight to Mooka and felt the water whooshing past him. Moments later, Mooka was clambering up the bank on the other side, dragging three soggy rabbits with him. They had made it.

  A brief pause to catch their breath and then they were ready for the next part of their ordeal.

  A few steps into the territory of Syn and Uki could feel it. The air was thick with smoke and soot but also something else. It was the rage of Valkus, hot and bitter. It crackled everywhere, infecting all the rabbits of the city, driving them on, making them want to fight and hurt their neighbours.