The PriZin of Zin (26 page)

Chapter 39: Castle

cas·tle
[kas-
uh
l, kah-s
uh
l]
noun, verb,
cas·tled,

a strongly fortified, permanently garrisoned stronghold

The crack of a whip sliced through the air like a knife. The snap so jarring, all three flinched.

“Shhhh.” Ian stepped forward, in between Aeryn and the scene unfolding in front of them.

“Dad,” she called again. “Is that you?”

Ian’s hand clamped down over her mouth. “Shhh. Not now.”

The whip cracked again, followed by an eerie laugh. At the rear of the crowd loomed a serpent. Not just any serpent. It was the razor-toothed monster that had taken their father what seemed so long ago. It hovered over the crowd below, dripping saliva from its enormous jaws, tongue whipping out and snapping at the prisoners below.

Chained beneath were rows of sheep. Not ordinary sheep, though. Each had a human head. Sheeple. They blindly followed, one after the other, wherever the smaller serpents at the front of the line led them. One of the smaller serpents seemed to take extra pleasure leading the group astray. It zig-zagged this way and that, as the sheeple blindly followed its lead. When the followers ran into one dead end after another, a tree or a cliff, the monster would exude a deep belly laugh, then turn the group another useless direction. All the while, the other serpent guards applauded and watched, snickers plastered across their hideous faces.

When the group turned toward the children, the sheep with Morgan’s head swung their direction and saw them. “Ruu-uu-uu-uun,” he managed to bleat out.

“Daddy!” Aeryn screamed out, but little sound barely cut through Ian’s tightly clamped hand.

“Get baa-aa-aa-ck. It’s daa-aa-aan-gerous.”

“Pleaa-aa-aa-aase,” one of the other sheeple begged a guard. “It’s ho-o-o-ot. Can we haa-aa-aa-ve some waa-aa-aa-aa-ter?”

“You want water?” The whip cracked again from the giant serpent’s tongue. Here’s your water.” Gills on the side of its head flared out, making the thing look like a giant cobra. Small appendages raised outward and the thing howled, head thrown back toward the darkened sky, flames bursting out of its snout. The darkness tore open with red jagged lightning and the rain poured down, soaking the sheeples’ thick woolen coats. They trudged on aimlessly, bumping into one obstacle after another, now weighed down heavily. Again, the giant serpent laughed. A winter chill swept over the group, and the sheeple began to shiver, frost from their breath filling the air. “Noo-oo-oo-oo,” they all begged.

Aeryn started to cry.

“So what— Now you want the rain to stop?” The serpent shook his giant head in disbelief.

“Plee-ee-ee-ee-ase,” they begged again.

“I gave you what you asked for, you lousy ungrateful, stupid creatures. Fine!” it growled. “You want heat, here it comes!”

Again howling at the sky, gills spread, the creature snarled, and set fire to the rain. “Careful what you ask for. Now move!” Every ounce of moisture burst into flame.

Aeryn’s tears stung her eyes and burned her face.

Hunter reached out and extinguished the flames from his sister’s cheeks. He clenched a rock. “I can take the big one,” he told Ian. “Move so I can get a clean shot.”

“No,” Ian blocked the way. “Not now.”

“I can take him,” Hunter ground out between clenched teeth.

“And then what?” Ian fought to keep his voice a whisper. “What about the others? You can’t take them all.” Ian refused to move. “Wait till the time is right. Then we strike.”

“I need to get my dad. I can save him.”

“No. You can’t. Not like this. You can’t save them all now. Wait,” he cautioned Hunter again, “till the time is right. Don’t let your anger drive you.”

“Welcome to your new home,” the smaller serpent at the front snarled.

“Moat!” he snapped toward the sky.

The earth shook and the sky flashed. Again, the fiery rain poured down, spewing flames from the top of the volcano, heavier this time. It rumbled and roared, glowing brightly in the sky. The mountain groaned and split the earth in front of them, tearing a ring around itself. The ground beneath them gave way. All three slid down the side of the crater circling the spewing mountain. The thick black liquid that had run through the black valley behind them, now flaming, diverted its path and turned to fill the moat. All three were trapped in the trench.

“We gotta get out.” Ian’s panic was evident. “Now!” He scrambled up the side ahead of the other two. Bracing himself against the top, he grabbed a branch from the ground and extended it back down to the other two. Aeryn grabbed it, and pulled herself up alongside Ian. The branch went back down. The thick black sludge continued to fill the ditch, black mounds and rocks spilling over the edge with the flaming rain. Hunter scrambled to keep his feet from becoming submerged.

“Don’t let it touch you!” Ian called.

“Drawbridge,” they heard the serpents command. Obeying the order, three dead trees fell from one side of the moat, laying perfectly in line with one another over the expanse of the flaming moat, forming a footbridge for the sheeple to cross.

“Hunter!” Ian’s voice was near frantic. “Grab it!”

Hunter turned back from the bridge to the extended tree limb. He took hold and pulled himself up, just as the jaws of a giant croc pierced the flaming black sludge and snapped down where his ankle had been.

Ian hoisted him to safety and the three sat, backs to the volcano, watching the lost, helpless souls cross over the bridge.

“Castle!” Earth moved and sky flared. The volcano transformed before their eyes into a beautifully lit palace. The entrance was wide and accommodating. “See,” the serpent leader smiled, fangs glistening in the radiating glow. “I promised you a large home, filled with many others just like yourself. I am the prince of this dark world, and all princes live in castles. You will live here forever now, too. All you had to do was follow me.” When he laughed, the world shook.

Hunter, Aeryn, and Ian all watched as Morgan was led, chained to the others, into the castle. The snarling giant was the last to cross the bridge. Reaching the other side, he turned to the three children, huddled on the side of the moat and winked. A cruel smile spread across his horrid jowls, sliding across jagged glistening fangs.

“Close” he commanded, disappearing into the castle.

The dead trees rose back up again, re-rooting themselves on the other side of the moat. The entrance to the castle dimmed and closed. Again the earth shook, the sky rained fire, and the castle disappeared in a flash. The three were huddled against the side of the cold, dark volcano.

Chapter 40: Fortress

for·tress
noun:
a large fortified place; a fort or group of forts, often including a town; any place of exceptional security; stronghold

The tips of his fingers and toes barely clung to the rocks, yet still Hunter climbed. Higher and higher, burning and bleeding, he clung tightly to both the razor sharp rocks of the volcano, and to hope. Methodically, he scanned the black lava mountain looming above them.

“Tell me again why we’re climbing up the side of an active volcano.” Ian struggled to keep up with his friend.

“Because my father’s inside.”

“Hey, where’d you learn to climb like that, anyway?”

“I already told you,” Hunter said, stopping to scan for his next move, “from the Indians.”

“Oh, yeah. Right. You just happened to run into a band of indigenous people who took you in, taught you how to hunt, fight, apparently climb, and then they sent you on your way. Does that about cover it?”

“Yup.” Hunter stretched and grabbed another thin ledge. Pulling himself up, he paused and smiled. Pleased with their progress, he scanned for his next move.

“Slow down, man,” Ian snapped. “I can’t do this.” A gust of wind burst around him. Ian clung to the thin rocks at his fingertips.

“You wouldn’t have to,” Aeryn fluttered behind him, “if you would just trust me.”

“Oh right! I forgot. You,” he tried to point at her and nearly lost his footing. Ian snapped back to the mountain and the tiny ledge. “You were with some paramilitary boot camp who taught you how to sprout wings and fly.”

She danced on the air, twirling, flapping her wings, and laughing at the two struggling boys in front of her. “I can help you, if you just let me.”

“Help us where?” Ian snapped. “Up to the top where the lava is boiling? No, thank you. I’ll take my chances behind the Lone Ranger up there.”

“What do you say, Hunter?” Aeryn asked her brother. “Let me help you?”

“I have to find the best way first. We need a good defensive fortress.”

“Why?”

“The best defense is against the rocks.”

“Why do we need a defense?” Again, Ian stopped. “I can’t go any more. I’m not strong enough.”

“I’m sorry?” Hunter turned back. “What did you just say? Where’s the Ian who used to get mad and bully his way through everything.”

“Choose your battles wisely,” Ian shot back. “Fight only those you can win.”

“So, tell us then,” Aeryn probed, “where were you for the last three days?” She floated down to the ground, settling at the base just a few feet below.

“With the pirates.”

“Pirates?” Her eyebrows rose.

“Hey, they saved my life.”

The siblings nodded, and turned back to the looming mountain in front of them. All three stared, motionless and speechless.

“Sure is big,” Aeryn whispered.

“Big, and impossible,” Ian said back.

“Not impossible,” Hunter said.

“Look,” Ian pointed up to the top, “we need a better plan. We can’t climb up to the top and slide down inside with the lava. It’s enormous.” He pointed up to the top. “Look how jagged it is. Our hands will be shredded by all these sharp rocks. It’s like a giant cheese grater. There are no landings to rest on. We’ll be here for days.”

“Well, right now there aren’t any better options. We have to get inside. Besides,” Hunter said, “there have to be some landings somewhere.” He tried to settle back, but couldn’t rest, hanging from the rocks. “You’re right,” he conceded, “we do need a better plan.” Hunter took a deep breath. “Aeryn, help me down.”

She flew up to her brother, hovering behind him. “Piggy-back,” she said. Hunter climbed on, wrapping his arms around her neck, legs around her waist. She fluttered a little, zig-zagging her way down. Hunter laughed. For the first time in three days, Hunter laughed. Aeryn landed at the base of the volcano. He released his grip and slid down to the ground.

“Hey, how ‘bout me?” Ian still clung tightly to the ledge.

“Jump,” Hunter laughed again. “You’re only three feet up.”

“Really?” Ian turned his head. Looking down, he laughed. “Sure seemed like a lot more.” He released the rock and jumped back.

“Definitely have to find another way inside,” Hunter whispered to Aeryn.

“So what now?” she asked.

“We check the volcano for alternate access.”

“And just what,” Ian asked, “does alternate access look like?”

“When I find it,” Hunter winked at him, “I’ll let you know.”

“Hey, look,” Aeryn blurted out. “That looks like a face up there.” She pointed halfway up at the rock formations in the side of the volcano. “See, there’s the nose, two eyes, and a mouth.” Her finger pointed nearly straight up.

“Yeah, it does.”

“Sure does,” Hunter mused. “The eyes look almost real from here.”

The eye closest to the trio glimmered, and winked at them.

“Whoa! Did you see that?” Ian jumped back and tripped over some rocks.

“Careful!” Hunter snapped. “You’ll fall back in the moat!”

“It winked. It winked. Did you see that?” Aeryn fluttered off the ground, voice giddy. “It winked at us. The volcano winked at us.”

“So, what does that mean?” Ian stood up and rejoined the group. “Does it like us?”

The lava mountain winked again.

“There! There! It did it again!” Aeryn could barely contain her excitement. “What now?”

“What are you askin’ me for?” Ian looked at his two companions. “I’ve never had a mountain wink at me before. I don’t know. Let’s wink back.”

“Maybe we should just talk to it.” Aeryn looked back up at the smiling face.

“Talk to a pile of rocks? Are you insane?”

“Yes, Ian. After three days down here and all of the stuff that we’ve been through, I would have to say I’m pretty close to insane right now.” She was losing her patience. “But we still have to get inside and get to my father.”

“Go ahead,” Hunter said. “Give it a try.”

Aeryn stuck her arms out. She shivered, fluffing her feathers, and floated a few feet off the ground. Looking up, she spoke loud and clear. “Please, can we get inside?”

The face nodded, dislodging some of the smaller rocks beneath it, the boys deftly dodging them as they tumbled down. When the head moved, Aeryn noticed a prickly circle around the forehead area, almost resembling a crown, but not really— more thorny. It circled the forehead, as far as she could see. She looked at the boys for help. Two shrugs answered her. She looked up again, and flew a bit higher. “How?” 

The face smiled at her. She felt at ease for a moment, until the face wrinkled, gritted its teeth, squeezed its eyes shut, and shook. Rocks loosened and raced down the slope, forcing Hunter and Ian to again dive for cover. Tons of black, hardened lava bounced from one mountain ledge to the other, finally crashing at the base, throwing dirt and mud up into the air.

Aeryn raced down like the wind. “Hunter! Ian!”

“We’re okay.” Ian was the first to emerge from their hiding place behind some boulders. “That wasn’t exactly what I’d call a success.”

“Maybe you’d like to try, smart-aleck.”

“Maybe I should.” Ian stood tall. “At least I could manage not to get us buried by an avalanche of rock.”

“Hey, what’s that?” Hunter pointed toward the rocks at the volcano base. As the dust cleared a door emerged. The three stared at it. In unison looked back up at the face. It winked.

“A door? No way.” Hunter shook his head. “It can’t be that simple.” The other two stared, dumbfounded.

“Knock,” Ian said. Hunter shot him a nasty glare, but didn’t move. “No, really. Trust
me
now. Just knock.”

Hunter stepped up to the door, reached out, tentatively trying the handle. Locked. Gathering his resolve, he tapped lightly on the massive wooden door.

The lock clicked. The handle turned. The door opened.