02 Unicorn Rider (11 page)

The rider pulled sharply on the reins. His mount scrambled to a stop in a spray of mud and dirt, neighing loudly.

Onyx snorted challengingly, and stamped his hooves. He was not in the least bit impressed by the other horse’s dramatic entrance, and had no intentions of being intimidated.

‘Who goes there?’ Cloud demanded, resting one hand on the hilt of his sword.

‘I am Private Clay of Flint Lock Fort,’ the rider said. ‘I have come here to bring you a message.’

‘Me?’

‘You are Cloud, aren’t you?’

‘I am.’

‘You are the Wing Warrior responsible for building Flint Lock Fort.’

‘That is hardly common knowledge, Soldier.’

‘You cannot keep a secret forever, Lord Cloud. And now is not the time for games. Your presence is requested.’

Cloud stroked Onyx’s dark mane. Onyx snorted and stared at the other horse.

‘Who requests my presence?’ Cloud asked.

Private Clay glanced around, making sure they were alone; then he leaned forwards in his saddle. ‘Captain Shard needs you. He believes something may have got inside the fort.’

‘That’s not possible. The only way into the fort is through the gate or over the wall.’

‘But he believes it, just the same. He needs you, as the man who designed the fort, to help him find out what it is and where it is. Will you come, Lord Cloud?’

Cloud shook his head. ‘You’ve got the wrong man, Soldier. I am no Lord. I am not a Wing Warrior.’

‘But we need you.’

‘I’m sorry, I have my own problems. There are people close to me I must protect. A banshee’s warning should not be taken lightly.’

‘What banshee?’

Cloud leapt up onto Onyx’s back. ‘I’m sorry, you’re going to have to find someone else. Protecting my family is the only thing I’m worried about right now.’

‘And how safe will your family be if the enemy has found a way into one of our greatest strongholds?’

‘You don’t know what you’re asking me to do.’

‘But there is nobody else who knows the fort like you do. The tunnels below it are a maze that only you can solve.’

Cloud sighed hopelessly. ‘You aren’t going to let me go about my own business, are you?’

‘I would be failing in my duty if I did that. And so would you.’

The night seemed eerily alive, like the shadows were creeping nearer. Flittering lights above the thatched roofs of the houses gave away the location of playful pixies who were somehow oblivious to the terrors of the violent world in which they lived. The trees creaked and murmured.

‘Do you ever feel like you have no choice in what actions you take?’ Cloud asked.

‘All the time,’ Private Clay smiled. ‘I’m a soldier.’

Cloud straightened up in the saddle. ‘Okay. I will go to the fort. Will you return with me?’

‘I cannot. I head for Crystal Shine, to inform them of the situation.’

‘Of course. Be safe on the road. There are many evil things on the way.’ Cloud dug his heels into Onyx’s flanks and the mighty horse sprang into motion, galloping into the timeless dark of the night.

Private Clay watched until Onyx was nothing more than a formless shade fading out of existence. His smile turned into a mean smirk. ‘Goodbye, My Lord,’ he said.

***

Private Silver sighed heavily, pushing the Land Lock board away from him. ‘Game over,’ he said. ‘All is lost.’

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Nimbus stood in the doorway of Glass’s bedroom, watching her sleep. Her hair was spread out on the pillow. Her face was as pale as the sheets.

Strata was sitting beside the bed. Her eyes were closed, and her mouth was a stern, straight line. She was holding Glass’s hand, which glowed as if a stray sunbeam had been trapped under the skin.

‘I have to go now, Mum,’ Nimbus said, buckling the Wing Warrior sword to his belt.

‘I know,’ his mother said. ‘Look after yourself.’

‘Are you going to be okay?’

‘It’s not me you have to worry about.’

Nimbus swallowed. ‘I’m making things worse, aren’t I? Between you and Dad?’

‘This isn’t your fault, Nimbus.’

‘The angrier I get with him, the angrier you get with each other.’

His mother shook her head. ‘Don’t worry about me and your father. We don’t matter any more. All you need to worry about is making sure your sister gets better.’

‘But you all matter,’ Nimbus said, trying not to let his voice crack. ‘We matter. As a family. My life has been flipped upside down. What am I supposed to do if my family flips upside down with it? What am I fighting for if it’s not us?’

His mother’s eyes glittered sadly. ‘You can’t save everything, Nimbus. No–one can.’

‘Well I don’t believe that,’ Nimbus shouted. ‘I won’t believe that. I’m going to save this family.’ His gaze fell on Glass’s face. ‘One piece at a time.’

He stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

Glass opened her eyes. ‘Mum?’ she said.

Strata leaned forwards excitedly, her grip on Glass’s fingers tightening.

Although Glass was looking around, she didn’t seem to be focusing on anything. ‘I don’t feel well,’ she said.

‘It’s okay. You’re going to be okay. I’ll make you some soup.’

‘Mum?’

‘Yes, Glass?’

‘Why is everybody fighting? Don’t they love each other any more?’

Strata’s mouth twitched into the fleeting memory of a smile. ‘They’re just scared. They’re not sure of the best way to help you.’

‘Then why don’t they ask me? I’m not just a problem.’ She twisted her sheets up in her little hands. ‘I’m not just something that needs to be fixed. I’m a person. And even with all this magic, I’m still me.’

‘Of course you are.’

‘I’m always going to be me.’

Strata kissed her daughter’s forehead. ‘Don’t worry,’ she said.

But Glass didn’t hear; she had slipped once more into the black, comforting arms of unconsciousness.

***

Nimbus had only got as far as the end of the path before a small scurrying animal darted out of the undergrowth in front of him. Instinctively, he grabbed the spindly creature and held it at arm’s length. It was like holding a thorn bush that had come to life. Its thin grasping arms and horrid legs thrashed violently.

‘Calm down,’ Nimbus ordered, using the sternest voice he could manage.

The creature stopped struggling. Its little head drooped sadly.

‘What have you got there?’ Cumulo asked, as he approached from the direction of the village square.

‘Goblin,’ Nimbus said. ‘The little creep was hiding in my Mum’s hedge.’

‘Is he alone?’

The goblin looked at the dragon and grinned sheepishly. If it wasn’t for the evil glint in his cruel eyes, it would be easy to think he was a totally innocent creature.

‘I didn’t see any others,’ Nimbus said. ‘What do you think I should do with him?’

‘It depends why he was here.’

The goblin pointed frantically at the hedge, chittering loudly. Cumulo sniffed the shrubs.

‘What is it?’ Nimbus asked.

‘Rabbits,’ Cumulo said. ‘I think he was hunting rabbits.’

‘He’s a little far from the woods, isn’t he?’

‘I’m not surprised. Those woods were on fire this morning, after all.’

‘Good point. And as for you...’ He set the goblin back on the path. ‘Get out of here, and don’t ever come back to my garden. If I see you again, I’ll set my dragon on you.’

The goblin shrieked and dashed off along the street, waving his ugly arms in the air all the way.

‘I take it we are going somewhere?’ Cumulo said.

‘We are,’ Nimbus said.

‘I’m sure I don’t need to tell you, you’ve forgotten your helmet again?’

‘I can’t breathe in that stupid thing.’ Nimbus leapt up between Cumulo’s wings. ‘Besides, we’re only going to Mother’s temple in the Sanguine Mountains. I’ll be fine.’ He paused, glancing off into the night sky. ‘Everything’s going to be fine.’

***

At the same time Cumulo was leaving Landmark, a second winged creature was approaching. It swooped low over one of the houses on the outskirts of the village, and landed close to the garrison building. The creature was as quiet as the night itself, so even Private Silver and Captain Obsidian, playing their game of Land Lock, were not alerted to the monstrous presence outside.

Barely visible in the moonlight, two armoured soldiers climbed down from the back of the creature; and then, with a flutter of its leathery wings, the creature settled expectantly by the garrison doorway.

The two soldiers approached in a clumsy way that suggested walking was not something they often did. Their faces were concealed by their helmets, and they wore black capes that wriggled unpleasantly.

One of the soldiers drew his sword. The metal made a cobra–hiss as it slipped out of the sheath. The second soldier put his shoulder to the door, and then with one mighty upwards movement, he ripped the door from its hinges.

Captain Obsidian jumped to his feet, but one of the soldiers was already resting the point of a sword against Private Silver’s throat.

‘Don’t move,’ the soldier said. ‘Don’t even make a sound or your friend will die.’ His voice was wet and phlegmy behind the visor of his helmet. It was a voice that one might imagine had been coughed up from the very depths of the ocean floor.

‘Who are you?’ Obsidian demanded angrily. ‘What do you want?’

The soldier chuckled, but made no effort to answer. Private Silver swallowed carefully, shuddering at the way the blade of the sword resting on his neck moved every time his throat moved.

‘Any plans?’ he said.

Obsidian’s hands flexed uselessly. ‘Not right now. Give me a minute.’

A hundred thoughts, a hundred questions, were bustling in his mind. How had these soldiers managed to get past the watchmen stationed at their posts around the village? Had they fought their way in? Were his men already dead?

As if to answer his questions, there was an obnoxious, slippery flapping sound just outside the broken doorway. ‘The wyverns,’ he said, feeling sick with dread. ‘This morning wasn’t just a random attack, was it?’

The closest soldier turned his head to look at Obsidian. It was a movement that seemed to take forever. Obsidian couldn’t see any eyes behind the visor of the soldier’s helmet, only a dark space where eyes should have been.

‘Your village is ours now,’ the soldier said.

Suddenly, the door to the bunk room was flung open and the other men of the garrison rushed out.

What happened next, none of the men could say for sure; it all happened in such a blur. All they could recall was a tremendous noise, and an explosion of nightmarish motion, after which the two strange soldiers were gone. The fading repetitive flap of huge wings told them that the wyvern was gone too, leaving only a broken door to say the garrison had ever been under attack.

Obsidian wasted no time in buckling on his sword. ‘Private Silver, take two men and round up the night watch,’ he ordered. ‘I want every one of the garrison accounted for.’

‘Yes, Sir,’ Silver said.

‘Private Meadow, saddle up your horse and ride to Crystal Shine as fast as you can. I want a full battalion of soldiers here by tomorrow afternoon.’

‘Yes, Sir,’ Meadow said.

‘The rest of you, sweep the village. Arrest any suspicious characters. Kill anything with wings.’ He pulled on his gloves. ‘I’m going to Cloud’s house to speak with Lord Nimbus. We need to formulate some kind of plan before those things come back.’

Even as he spoke, there was a dull, wet thump as something was dropped outside the door. It was followed in quick succession by three more thumps.

Private Silver edged closer for a better look, and his breath caught in his throat: Four human bodies had been thrown together in a heap. ‘It doesn’t look like we need to go looking for the night watchmen,’ he said.

Private Meadow, who was closest to the terrible scene, drew his sword and rushed into the night. ‘Cowards,’ he shouted. ‘I’ll kill you all.’

Before Obsidian could order the rest of his men to stay calm, there was a darting movement from the direction of the garrison roof, and Private Meadow disappeared from sight. There was a rattling sound, a single flap, and then silence.

‘The wyvern’s still here,’ Obsidian said.

The other men were hovering near the doorway, but not so near as to be within striking distance of the beastly thing on the roof. ‘It picked him up,’ one of them said. ‘Straight up off the ground like he was a rag doll or something.’

‘Can you see him?’ Obsidian asked, glancing out of the closest window. ‘Has it still got him?’

There was an unpleasant crunch, and then there were five bodies stacked by the door.

‘What do we do?’ Private Silver asked. ‘I don’t think they’re dead.’

‘We have to go out and get them,’ someone else said.

‘No. Stay where you are,’ Obsidian said. ‘They’re being used as bait to get all of us.’

 ‘We can’t just leave them,’ Silver said. ‘Those are our friends out there.’

‘It’s too great a risk.’

‘But, Captain...’

‘You heard me. We stay here.’

Obsidian moved closer to the doorway. He made fists with his hands as he saw his men sprawled over the ground like broken toys. A muscle pulsed in his jaw, and his eyes narrowed. ‘Okay,’ he said, trying to keep his voice level and commanding. ‘New plan. One of us has to make a break for the horses.’

‘There isn’t a horse that could outrun that wyvern,’ Silver said.

‘There’s one. Onyx. If we all went out the front and distracted the wyvern, you could jump through the back window, alert Lord Nimbus to the danger, then ride Onyx on to Crystal Shine for reinforcements.’

There was rustling from up on the roof, and one of the wounded men whimpered.

‘Okay,’ Silver said. ‘Let’s give it a go. Get ready to distract that thing, because if it sees me I’m not going to stand a chance.’

Obsidian rested a hand on his friend’s shoulder. ‘We’ll do everything we can.’

Silver climbed into the window, and prepared to leap out; but he hesitated when he saw hulking shapes, like gigantic gargoyles with nasty glittering eyes, hunkered just a short distance from the garrison building.