03 Sky Knight (9 page)

There was an unusual heat emanating from the bag, and as that warmth spread through her body, Sky realised that whatever she had been given was a gift far greater than any mortal girl had ever received before. ‘What do I do with it?’ she asked.

‘When the world is darker than it ever should be, you will have this,’ the fairie said. ‘Use it well. And remember that it only has power at night. We all have limits.’ She leaned closer. ‘I believe I know why it is you do not cry in my presence. You have not yet lost the one you love.’

Sky flushed red. ‘Why is everyone talking to me about love all of a sudden?’

‘Because we can all see it. Your love makes you stronger. Do not be ashamed of it.’ She turned to Onyx, who was munching some grass on the side of the road. ‘Onyx, come to me. There is something I need to say to you too.’

Onyx sniffed, as if to say surely whatever the fairie had to tell him could wait until he had finished eating; and then he trotted over, allowing Moon to stroke his sides. Light seemed to be annoyed by the attention the horse was receiving, and he growled in the back of his throat, clawing at the dirt. Sky took the hint and gave the wolf a tickle under the ears.

‘Onyx. You are a swift and noble animal, but you are taking your friends into a grim place, where even your speed may not be able to lead them to safety. Should you need me, you only have to look.’ She touched Onyx’s snout with one finger. ‘Light, it is time for us to go. We have already been here too long.’

Silver got to his feet, approaching as near as he dared. ‘Will you be safe on your own?’ he asked.

‘We will manage. But you would do well to worry about your own safety. The soldiers you fought will not be far away, and they are sure to regroup to come after you.’

‘But where are you going to go?’ Sky asked.

‘There is something I must do. Before the end.’

‘The end of what?’

‘The end of everything.’

The fairie vanished among the trees, and as she left, it felt to Silver as if she took a piece of his heart with her, and he might bleed to death from the loss.

CHAPTER EIGHT

For a long time, Nimbus sat on the beach and watched the waves rolling up the sand. He didn’t speak; he couldn’t find the words to say. Discovering just how much Tidal now hated him had been hard, and he was a seething mass of emotions that were almost too big for him to comprehend. First he wanted to cry, then he wanted to find Tidal and bash his head in, and then he was filled with guilt for making Tidal feel so bad in the first place.

The guilt was the worst thing: The realisation that he had been so wrapped up in his own importance that he had failed to see how much Tidal was hurting. By overlooking Tidal’s feelings, he had put the lives of everyone he knew at risk; and he had lost his best friend forever.

‘It is a savage world that turns friends on each other,’ Cumulo muttered, as if he had been reading the Wing Warrior’s mind.

‘A savage world that chains up legends like dogs,’ Nimbus snapped.

Cumulo nodded solemnly, and the chain around his neck clanked. Even now he could feel the links draining the life out of him. A day, perhaps two, and he would hardly have any strength at all; perhaps not even the strength to breathe.

He hunkered in the mouth of the cave, and rested his head on his front claws. He had failed Nimbus utterly, and he could not help but feel as if this slow death was a suitable punishment for that failure.

Far out on the ocean, where the water chopped and splashed and made a white haze of the horizon, the spiny tail of the leviathan reared up. Even from this distance it was obvious quite how gigantic the reptilian monster was.

‘Even if I could break free, I would be no match for that thing,’ Cumulo said.

Eventually, Nimbus got to his feet. ‘I don’t think anyone is a match for it.’ He walked up the beach and perched on a rock by the mouth of the cave. ‘And if it is that strong now, imagine how much stronger it will be if Tidal finds the coral.’

‘You must stop him,’ Cumulo said.

‘But how? You can’t get free, and he has my sword. Just one nick from that blade will kill me. And I can’t get off the island, either. Even if there was a boat I could use, that leviathan would smash me to pieces before I got anywhere near the mainland.’ He held his head in his hands. ‘If I could get a message to the mermaids, maybe they’d help. Then again, maybe they wouldn’t. They’re more at risk from the leviathan than we are. They would probably side with Tidal.’

‘That leviathan could destroy their underwater cities with one flick of his tail. Self preservation can cause people to choose the wrong allies. There is nothing we can do about that.’

‘Who else could help? What about this nymph from Tidal’s story?’

Cumulo closed his eyes, taking a long, serious rummage around the fragmentary memories that had been left in his brain by the ancient dragons. Half formed ideas, glimpses of landscapes and civilisations he had never seen himself, conversations with people who had been dead for hundreds of years: All these things he found, but none of them seemed to be any help in this situation. ‘I don’t know,’ he confessed. ‘The nymph was a devil of the sea. He was not to be trusted.’

‘Then who else is there?’

Cumulo chuckled quietly. ‘There is you, Nim. Just like always.’

‘There is nothing I can do.’

‘Tidal is off somewhere on the island, looking for the coral. He is a proud boy, and overconfident in his abilities, so overconfident he did not even bother to tie you up. There is no reason why you cannot go looking for the coral yourself.’

‘And what do I do when I find it?’

‘I don’t know. But I would certainly feel much happier if you had it rather than him.’

‘I’m sure you would,’ Tidal said, appearing from among the rocks. ‘But don’t hold your breath about the mighty Wing Warrior finding it. I’ve been searching this island day and night for almost a week. I’m beginning to think there’s nothing here.’

‘Giving up?’ Nimbus asked, in a mocking tone.

‘I don’t give up, Nim. I keep on plugging away. And I don’t have all the special friends that you have to help me.’

‘What about the leviathan? Isn’t he your friend?’

Tidal ignored the question, striding down to the water’s edge. As he approached, the ocean began to boil as if thousands of eels were suddenly swimming up from the depths.

‘Be prepared,’ Cumulo growled.

Nimbus watched in horror as the ocean surface was broken by a massive reptilian head with hollow eyes, a sharp snout, and flapping fins like ears. Up and up and up the head reared, on a long muscular neck that was heavily armoured with closely fitted, mud–coloured scales. Up and up, until Nimbus thought the leviathan’s bony horns would tear through the clouds.

Cumulo spread his wings protectively and used one claw to drag Nimbus into the cave. He stood in the entrance, his full bulk between the Wing Warrior and the leviathan, and bared his teeth, daring the sea serpent to come nearer.

The leviathan cocked his head to one side, and his snake–like tongue flickered. The water running off his scales formed waterfalls as his eyes narrowed.

‘Stupid dragon,’ he hissed. ‘I don’t want to eat your stupid Wing Warrior any more than I want to risk a bellyache eating you. You are only here because Tidal wanted you to suffer. You are of no interest to me at all.’ The leviathan brought his head down low, until it was level with Cumulo’s. ‘I care for you no more than a human cares for ants.’

‘He’s a real charmer,’ Nimbus whispered, from behind Cumulo’s tail.

‘Just stay where you are,’ Cumulo said. ‘He can’t reach you as long as I am in the way.’

The leviathan turned his attention to Tidal, who was standing with his feet in the water. Hundreds of terrified fish were flopping and flapping along the beach, as if they had been fleeing from the leviathan and had leapt up onto dry land in an attempt to escape.

‘My King,’ Tidal said, bowing his head slightly.

‘Have you found it?’ the leviathan asked. ‘Have you found the coral?’

‘I’ve searched every inch of the island, it must be very well hidden. I even –’

‘Silence,’ the leviathan screeched. ‘I don’t want to hear your excuses. I want that coral.’

‘I’m doing everything I can. I’ll find it.’

‘You better. I have done what I agreed to do. Your enemy is trapped here. The dragon is enslaved. I have fulfilled my end of the bargain.’

‘I said I’ll find it.’

The leviathan snapped his jaws at Tidal, who tried not to shrink away. ‘I am a prisoner in my own body, Tidal. It hurts. I need to grow, but I cannot. I am suffocating in my own skin. Find the coral, soon, or I will dispose of you, and find some other boy who will be able to help me better. Perhaps your friend Nimbus.’

Tidal’s brow creased, and he clenched his hands into fists. ‘You don’t need to get him involved. Leave it to me.’

The leviathan scooped up some of the flailing fish, swallowing them without chewing. ‘You have until the dragon’s heart stops beating, Tidal. If I do not have the coral by then, I will eat you.’

Without another word, the leviathan dived back under the water, causing a massive wave and a splash that echoed around the cliffs. Tidal stared at the water, his jaw set in a grumpy expression, his hands still clenched.

‘Things not all going your way then?’ Nimbus shouted.

Tidal ignored the taunt, leaving the beach so he could continue his search among the rocks of Serpent’s Coil.

***

Sky bit back a terrified squeal, latching her arms around Private Silver’s waist as Onyx went even faster. The whole world was a sickening blur that kept tilting at crazy angles, and each lurching movement made her feel like she was going to vomit.

‘Hold on!’ Silver shouted, stating the obvious as Onyx leapt over something in the road and then veered off onto an uneven stretch of wasteland. ‘They’re still right behind us.’

Sky risked glancing over her shoulder, and then immediately wished she hadn’t. The spider–soldiers had regrouped since their earlier defeat, and they were now in pursuit, jumping from tree to tree like horribly deformed squirrels. Despite Onyx’s best efforts, with every second the enemy was gaining ground.

‘I’m heading out into open space,’ Silver shouted. ‘I need to get away from the trees or we don’t stand a chance.’

‘Whatever you think is best,’ she shouted back.

Onyx bellowed as Silver yanked on the reins, snapping the horse around almost one hundred and eighty degrees. Onyx slipped in the mulch, then thrust on, his legs pumping frantically.

One of the soldiers came leaping out of nowhere, with its legs splayed and sword drawn. Silver roared in pain as the blade sliced along his left arm. Another soldier appeared in the road ahead. Onyx shied away, changing direction just in time.

Another blade caught Silver on the leg, and his vision swam. He was already losing a lot of blood, and he swayed in the saddle. Sky punched him on the arm. ‘Don’t you dare,’ she said. ‘You’re steering this thing.’

Gritting his teeth, Silver pulled on the reins, manoeuvring Onyx away from another soldier. Somehow they were back in the thick of the trees, where they were in the most danger. ‘We could be in trouble, Sky,’ he said, weaving Onyx between the trunks.

‘I should never have brought us here,’ Sky said. ‘I’m so stupid.’

‘No time to worry about that now. Just keep your head down while I go through –’

Silver’s last words were completely lost to Sky, because at that moment a spider–soldier came crashing through the leaves and dragged him to the ground.

Onyx bucked angrily. Sky tried to grab something, but there was nothing to grab. For a second she felt as though she was hanging in midair, suspended only by her desperation not to fall; but then with a stomach–churning flip she slipped from the saddle. ‘Silver,’ she screamed, as she tumbled into a hedge.

Somewhere nearby there was a cry of pain, and then a horrible gurgling sound like someone was trying to speak with a mouth filled with water. By the time Sky had crawled out of the undergrowth, Private Silver was on the ground with three soldiers standing around his motionless body.

‘No,’ Sky shouted, as she saw the bloody swords the soldiers were carrying. ‘No!’

She was on her feet and running at them, ready to claw their eyes out with her bare hands; but before she had gone more than ten paces, a soldier had picked her up and slung her over his shoulder.

‘Let me go,’ she shouted, kicking frantically, and flailing her arms; but it was useless. Private Silver was already dead, and she had been captured.

Her attempt to rescue Cloud was over.

CHAPTER NINE

As the sun began its slow descent, and the first shadows of evening formed beneath the trees, Moon and Light approached the northern reaches of the Forbidden Woods.

Here, the trees were thin and crooked, twisted by an over–exposure to magic during the great war. The rocks hummed with life, and all around the lesser magical creatures were gathering to whisper the secrets they had heard in the dreams of children.

‘There is a lot of power still here,’ Moon said to Light, as they entered a small clearing. ‘It’s not surprising this is where the unicorn brought her.’

Light was cautious, watching for signs of the girl they had come to meet. The trees seemed to lean closer, as if they were worried they might be missing out on something interesting.

‘She’s definitely here,’ Light said.

‘Oh, you speak at last. I thought you were going to give me the cold shoulder for the rest of the day.’

‘You wasted a good star on that girl earlier. She’s going to die on her fool quest, along with that soldier who was with her.’

‘You don’t know that.’

‘The two of them, strolling into a city full of the enemy? They aren’t going to last five minutes, and that star is going to fall into Crow’s hands. We could live without that.’

‘I had to help them.’

‘If you wanted to help them that badly then you should have gone with them. You aren’t supposed to give stars to mortals.’