Keeper of the Realms: Crow's Revenge (Book 1) (28 page)

Sinuous shadows detached themselves from the murky darkness. Snaking their way across the floor, they removed Narcissa from the guard’s grasp. Enveloping her in their sinister embrace, they began to make their way from the Throne Room.

Bane stared after Narcissa as she was borne away by the Shades. ‘Do not fail me,’ he snarled after her.

The room fell into a deep silence as Bane settled back into the cold embrace of his Devouring Throne. Nothing moved apart from the gentle flicker of mist and shadows that hugged the chamber’s floor. Guards and footmen stood at attention, almost statue-like, their attention focused solely on their lord.

It was only after the passing of several hours that Bane once again moved.

‘Shades, attend me. I wish for you to bring me that filthy, greedy magpie of a Human from Charlie Keeper’s home. Bring me that sneaky lawyer, Mr Crow. I think it is time for him to be put to some use. He will make a most perfect and suitable servant to attend to these matters at hand. Go.’

38

The Law Comes Knocking

Charlie awoke with a groan. As ever, bad dreams haunted her sleep. Pushing her messy hair from her face, she struggled into a sitting position. Nibbler still lay coiled and snuggled up at the foot of the bed.

Swinging her feet out from beneath the bedcover, she stood up and shuffled over to the window. The sun was rising and as usual Sylvaris looked gorgeous. The city was a vision she never grew weary of.

There was a soft knock at the door. Azariah popped his head in. ‘Ah, I see you’re up. Excellent. I have just sent a runner to inform the Jade Circle that they should expect us. So if you please, get dressed and meet me downstairs.’ Azariah pulled the door shut, but his voice shouted back a moment later, ‘Oh, and there’s food for the two of you on the kitchen table. Help yourselves!’

A little later, after a belly-swelling breakfast of Landlion-Bark Brownies and Calice-Goldenberry Cakes, Charlie felt ready to face whatever new challenges the day would bring. Nibbler had feasted on Thrice-Spiced Kangol Rump, but he had been a bit too greedy when drinking his portion of Ferral
and Bokonut Iced Tea and had spent the last ten minutes burping so loudly that he sounded like a foghorn. Fortunately, as his stomach finally digested his bountiful breakfast, the burping had diminished and had now thankfully stopped.

‘So are the two of you ready?’ enquired Azariah. Charlie and Nibbler both nodded. ‘Good. But before we go, a quick word of warning. Not everyone will be thrilled to hear our accusations against Lady Narcissa. She is a well-respected and, though I know this is going to sound odd, a well-loved member of the Jade Circle. She has over the years presented such a kind and caring façade that just about everyone on the council has fallen for it, hook, line and sinker. So when we do raise our accusations against Narcissa don’t be too shocked if there’s a lot of shouting and anger.’

Charlie nodded determinedly. She wasn’t going to let Narcissa deceive the council any longer, but would they really believe what she had to say? Maybe it would be like trying to convince her teachers back home about how horrible Mr Crow was. Because he paid them so well and always wore a false smile in their presence, they consistently ignored her claims.

‘Do not worry,’ said Azariah, seeing her concern. ‘With all of the evidence that we have at hand, it shouldn’t take long to open the councillors’ eyes to the truth. Hopefully by the day’s end Narcissa will be behind bars and we can proceed with investigating your pendant.’

A loud banging interrupted their conversation as a heavy hand beat against Azariah’s front door. Nibbler and Charlie both looked up in alarm. Just who was that making so much noise?

‘Do not worry yourselves,’ said Azariah with a gentle smile. ‘I thought it would be prudent to arrange for some guards to escort us to the Jade Tower. After all, we cannot allow Narcissa or the Shades another chance to steal the pendant or harm you, Charlie.’

The banging started up again, louder than before. A small frown creased across Azariah’s face. ‘They might be guards of the Jade Circle, but there is no excuse for such rudeness. Please excuse me.’

Striding towards the entrance with an irate expression on his face, the councillor began to unfasten the many locks on his door. ‘OK, OK, I heard you the first time! There is no need to use my beautiful door as a punch bag!’

Azariah pulled the door open and immediately stepped backwards. A whole squad of Treman guards in Jade uniform crowded his ornate garden, ruining his manicured lawn and trampling across his shrubs.

It was obvious to Charlie that something was wrong. Many of the guards had heavy scowls plastered across their faces and a few had drawn their swords from their scabbards.

The squad’s captain – an arrogant and rather haughty-looking Treman – lowered his hand. Apparently he had been enjoying slamming it against the door. He was dressed in a plumed helmet and wore a smart green kilt. Sucking in his podgy gut and straining to push out his chest, he attempted to look as official as possible.

‘Azariah and Charlie Keeper, I presume?’ he asked, peering past Azariah to stare at Charlie standing nearby.

‘Yes, that’s correct, Captain. May I point out that
attempting to use my door as a snare drum will not speed up your prospects for promotion!’ snarled Azariah. ‘And you there, yes, you by the pond, you horrible man, get off my Zephyrillis shrubs this instant! Now, what is the meaning of this? I request an escort to maintain my guests’ safety and this is how you respond? Explain yourself immediately before I really lose my temper!’

‘Explain meself, ta ya?’ leered the captain. ‘I don’t think so. The only explaining that’s gonna be done around here is when ya lot are in jail! Ya and Charlie Keeper are under arrest for treason, for consorting with Bane’s agents and for assaulting Lady Narcissa!’ Lifting his hand high, he waved his guards forward. ‘Men, grab them!’

The Treman guards sprang forward. Rushing up the path, they hurtled towards Charlie and Azariah.

Charlie was astounded. Didn’t they know they’d got it wrong? They were supposed to be arresting Lady Narcissa for her crimes, not the other way round. Although the guards, like all Tremen, were small, they made up for what they were missing in size with sheer determination. Shouting and hollering, they sprinted up the garden path.

Azariah stepped forward to meet them. A small vein on his forehead began to throb and pulse as his eyes squinted into a terrible stare. His mouth tugged into a fierce grimace and his clothes began to writhe and ripple in an unseen wind.

Charlie froze. She had never seen Azariah looking so angry. In fact, she’d never seen
anyone
looking quite like that.

‘HOLD!’ he roared in such a loud voice that the captain’s plumed helmet flew from his head. ‘HOLD, I SAY!’

Hooking his hands into the odd clawing shape that Charlie had previously seen on the Torn Bridge, Azariah swept out a golden, treacle-like tide of rippling light that enveloped and trapped the startled guards. Punching his hands forward, he knocked all the officers off their feet. Scowling murderously, he marched forward, swinging his arms from side to side, pushing and rolling the guards backwards until, with a great splash, they all ended up in the ornamental pond.

‘How dare you!’ bellowed Azariah, his anger unabated. ‘How dare you believe that you can come to my home and try to arrest me? I am AZARIAH KEEPER! Does that mean nothing to you? I have walked the paths through light and dark. I have held fast the Gateways against the rampant tide of darkness and fought daemons from the abyss! I have travelled where none would dare and you believe that you can treat me and my guests like this? I should tear the very heavens down around your heads!’

Azariah stopped shouting and blinked. The guards, waist-deep in water, were petrified. Shaking and shivering with fear, they groaned and begged forgiveness. The captain, covered with pondweed, was weeping and blubbering like a three-year-old, while a frog perched nearby was quite happily croaking away on the captain’s floating helmet. The guards had gone from dangerous foes to bundles of whimpering jelly in four seconds flat.

‘Gah!’ snorted Azariah, his anger quickly mellowing. ‘What are you, men or children? Come on. Stand up, all of you. Come on. Up you get. Good … Now, if you would … Hey, you! Watch out for my lilies! OK, look, just line up on the path and don’t touch anything.’

‘Y-y-ya won’t hurt us?’ whimpered the captain. ‘Ya won’t turn us inta skunks or nothing?’

‘No, no,’ promised Azariah. He threw Charlie and Nibbler a quick wink. ‘I won’t do anything like that. Just so long as you behave.’

‘We will, we will!’ promised the tearful captain, his kilt now heavy and dripping with water. ‘I’m sorry ta have been so rude, b-b-but I was just following orders.’

‘Yes, I’m sure you were,’ agreed Azariah, quite amicably. ‘And out of interest, whose orders were they?’

‘Lord Nazareth’s, yer honourship.’

‘Aah,’ said Azariah, giving Charlie a knowing look. ‘Everything becomes clearer now. And what were his exact orders?’

‘Ta place ya under arrest and bring ya back ta the Jade Circle.’

‘Oh, how very surprising,’ said Azariah in a dry drawl. Charlie got the impression he wasn’t at all surprised by this news. ‘Hhmm, well, we can’t allow you to disappoint Lord Nazareth, can we?’

‘Er … no, yer … lordiness,’ gabbled the captain. ‘We can’t?’

‘No of course we can’t. Arresting me and my guest is obviously out of the question, but I’m sure that no harm would come from you escorting us to the Jade Tower. What do you say?’

‘Uh, wotever yer most excellent excellency requires,’ the captain quickly agreed as he clutched at the few straws on offer.

‘Glad to hear it, old chap. Very well, then. Nibbler, Charlie, if you would be so good as to join me.’

Charlie grinned, impressed by how quickly Azariah had turned the situation around in their favour. Nibbler smirked as he passed the sodden Treman guards. The captain was on his hands and knees, struggling to reclaim his helmet from the pond and the bemused frog.

Once all the guards had collected their discarded armour from across Azariah’s lawn, they fell into place behind the three companions to form a guard of honour, albeit a very soggy and dishevelled one that squelched as it marched across Sylvaris to the Jade Tower.

39

A Courtroom Fiasco

People began to point and stare as the small procession walked past. Much of the attention was reserved for Nibbler, but the city’s inhabitants were also curious as to the identity of the scruffy young girl walking at the head of the small parade. Charlie began to blush at all the attention. Nibbler, on the other hand, appeared to love it and soon he was strutting up and down by Charlie’s side.

‘Stop it!’ hissed Charlie. ‘Everyone’s looking!’

‘I know. Great, isn’t it?’ smirked Nibbler, puffing out his chest and prancing about. ‘I could get used to this.’

‘It’s embarrassing!’

‘What? No, it’s not – it’s great! Hey, look at those guys, they’re all waving! Hiya! Hi, guys, how you doing? Hey, look at me! Check these bad boys,’ bragged Nibbler, tensing his muscles, pulling some fancy footwork and flapping his powerful wings for everyone’s entertainment. ‘Wheee, yeah! I’m hot, I’m smoking, I’m on fire!’

Charlie slapped her hand over her eyes as Nibbler started blowing smoke rings, shooting out little jets of flame and generally making an exhibition of himself. Did he have no shame?

Azariah smiled fondly as he watched the antics of his young charges. Turning off the main boulevard, he led the small procession across a sweeping bridge and into the Jade Tower.

Upon their arrival, servants swung open the many doors that led into the Council Chamber. Footmen cried out to announce their arrival as the unusual procession swept in to meet the Jade Circle.

‘At last,’ spat Nazareth. His beady shark’s eyes glared at the trio.

‘A Winged One?’ exclaimed Dridif, observing Nibbler. ‘But the hibernation period is not yet over.’

Nibbler stepped forward as the other councillors expressed their shock at the sight of the sacred creature. They all quietened as he spoke. ‘I am a Hatchling,’ he explained. ‘My Chrysalis Period was interrupted by a call for help from this young Keeper.’ He nodded towards Charlie. ‘But I’m afraid I don’t yet possess the wisdom of my elders.’