Moon-Faced Ghoul-Thing (9 page)

Chapter Sixteen

“Catch him!” Paradise shouted.

Ben looked from her to Wesley and back again. “What, me?”

“Anyone!”

Wesley was falling too fast. He twirled around in a tangle of robes, the wind spinning him as he plunged towards the ground. “Feel free to rescue me any time!” he shouted.

“Hey!” Paradise yelped, as Burnie bumped into her. Paradise fell on to the dragon’s back just in time for Burnie to scoop Ben up with her long neck.

With a groan of effort, the little dragon hurled herself into the air and beat her stubby wings. Ben and Paradise grabbed on tightly as Burnie lurched sideways and bounced on the sand.

“You can do it, Burnie!” Paradise cheered.

“I doubt she can,” said Ben. He caught Paradise’s look. “I mean … you can do it, Burnie!”

With a hiss of effort the little dragon began to climb. She banked upwards until she was above Wesley, then swooped down. Her claws snatched at him, snagging his robe and
stopping his fall with a sudden jerk.

Wesley stopped screaming for a few brief moments, then started again when Burnie began to fly higher and higher towards the sky.

“No, go down!” he cried. “The ground’s that way!”

“She’s not aiming for the ground,” Ben
realised. He pointed ahead to one of the holes in the sky. It was the last hole to have opened. It was the last hole to start closing. It was the hole that led home.

“Go, Burnie, go!” Paradise urged. The dragon was struggling with the weight of all three children. She flapped and flapped, but the hole was closing over too fast.

“We’re not going to make it,” Wesley wailed. “We’re too heavy.”

Ben looked down at the gauntlet and the sword. He looked at the hole in the sky. He
had been the one to get his friends into this and there was no way he was leaving them trapped here. No matter what the cost.

With a deep breath, Ben tossed his gauntlet and sword away.

“No!” Paradise yelped. She grabbed for them but they were already tumbling towards the ground far, far below. “Your gauntlet. Your sword. They’re important.”

Ben shrugged. “There are some things even more important,” he said, then he leaned down low and gave the dragon an encouraging pat. “Now go, Burnie. Get us out of here!”

With a screech, Burnie beat at the air. The hole was just ahead of them now, but closing fast. They rocketed towards it, the wind whipping at them and stinging their eyes.

“We’re not going to make it!” said Paradise.

“Yes,” said Ben as they streaked towards the shimmering purple glow. “We are!”

There was a sound like rushing water, a flash of white, a scream of Wesley and then … there was nothing at all.

Ben opened his eyes in time to see a large dragony tongue lick his face. He spluttered and sat up, pushing Burnie away. “Ew, get off.”

He was lying in a grassy field, covered in twigs and clumps of mud. Paradise and Wesley propped themselves up beside him. They looked one another over. “Anyone broken anything?” Wesley asked.

“Nope,” said Ben.

“I’m OK,” said Paradise. “And nobody
landed on me this time, which was a nice bonus.”

Ben looked up at the blue sky overhead. It was dotted with fluffy white clouds. There wasn’t a portal to a demon dimension in sight. “So,” he said, “are we—”

“Home!” said Paradise, getting to her feet. “We’re back home. We’re just a few miles from Lump.”

Wesley leaned down and kissed the ground. “Oh, the World, how I’ve missed you.”

He and Ben stood, enjoying the feeling of
the sun on their backs. Burnie circled them, her tail wagging excitedly.

“You know who I feel a bit sorry for?” asked Paradise.

“Me?” said Wesley. “I had a terrible time.”

“Scarrabus. I wonder what’s going to happen to him.”

Wesley fished up his sleeve. After a moment, he pulled out a large white rabbit. “Ask him yourself,” he said, passing her the demon-lord-turned-bunny.

“I think I prefer him like this,” Paradise said, tickling the rabbit under the chin. She tucked Scarrabus under one arm. “Let’s go. Home’s this way.”

She skipped off in the direction of the village. Wesley hurried along behind her. They
both stopped when they saw Ben looking at his bare hand.

“Oh, Ben. I’m sorry about your gauntlet,” Paradise said.

“And the sword,” said Wesley. “You’d just got it too.”

Ben waggled his fingers. “It’s OK,” he said.

The others gathered around him. “They were important. They were clues to your family,” Paradise said.

Ben smiled. “Guys, it’s fine. Besides,” he looked at them both in turn, “I’ve already got a family.”

The three friends didn’t speak for a few long moments, until Paradise eventually broke the silence.

“Wow, that nearly made
me throw up in my mouth,” she said.

“Yes, that was truly corny,” Wes smirked.

Ben laughed. “Ah, shut up,” he said. “Let’s go home.”

And, with Scarrabus the rabbit under one arm, and Burnie the dragon trotting alongside them, they all did just that.

Together.