Scarlet froze, staring in horror as the unicorn smashed through the soldiers, sending them flying to either side as it mounted the stairs to the throne. Then the paralysis broke and she pulled out her spell book, flicking desperately through the pages.
Pandemonium broke out around them, the courtiers screaming and running for the exits. More guards came charging out of hiding and Lara grabbed her arm. ‘What’s happening?’
She managed to mumble. ‘What do you think? We’ve been lied to. Not the first time,’ before diving back into the spell book. But she had no time to find anything and silence struck the hall. The assembled throng stared, open mouthed, and Scarlet looked up at the throne.
Elt was frozen, rearing up, his forelegs kicking out toward where the king still sat apparently unruffled by the entire thing. The unicorn looked magnificent, every muscle bunched and ready to strike, but his eyes were still moving, frenziedly flicking this way and that.
A cowled figure stepped out from behind the throne, one hand held out toward the unicorn. Hmm, poser or just having to work really hard? Elt was big, it couldn’t be an easy spell. She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Considering what would have happened to her and Lara if Elt had been successful, it was the least she could do.
The magician strode around the dais to stand near Scarlet and Lara, then bowed to the king, who nodded in return.
He leaned forward again, hands now gripping the arms of his throne. ‘This is most unfortunate. Did you think I would leave myself helpless?’
Lara stepped forward and knelt. ‘King Ilest, please believe me, we had no idea he intended to attack you. Had we known we would never have come here. He told us you had stopped anyone using magic and that we had to speak to you.’
The king sat back, chin resting in his cupped hands. ‘So you are as much his victims as I. That doesn’t surprise me. Shameful, though, that two resourceful young women such as yourselves wouldn’t check before coming here.’
Scarlet couldn’t stop herself. ‘Look, we’ve never been here before. How were we supposed to check? And why shouldn’t we believe him, he’s going to help save our world.’
The king chuckled, turning his sharp eyes toward her. ‘Your voice is odd. Are you lacking, perhaps, the character and breeding of your friend.’
Scarlet ground her teeth together, but stayed silent. She was aware of the hundreds of people surrounding them, watching them, and sweat formed on her neck. She didn’t like this guy anymore.
The king was still staring at her and his left eyelid drooped, just a little. It could have been a wink. Or he could just be bored or tired or too lazy to keep it open. Had he nodded as well?
His next gesture was all too clear. The king shook his head. ‘I understand your point, but alas, it is incumbent upon you to have discerned the nature of your companion before choosing to travel with him.’
He sat back and waved a hand. Lara had just enough time to explain to Scarlet what he meant before the guards descended, grabbed their arms and hauled them from the throne room. Elt was where they had left him, frozen solid halfway up the dais. She heard the king musing before the door slammed closed.
‘Perhaps we should keep him here, as a warning. Can you keep him in this state for ever—’
They were in a narrow corridor, the way lit by more lamps, but these were different, dripping burning bits of straw or something on them as they were pushed along. They went down a set of stairs and through a set of doors, each thicker than any sensible door had the need to be.
The corridor they entered next made the city smell like daisies and she gagged. Lara was in front of her, shoulders hunched, head hanging down. Scarlet had the overwhelming urge to hold her and when they were tossed into a cell, it was the first thing she did.
Lara shook, burying her face in Scarlet’s top and she soon felt the tears as they soaked through it.
‘Hey, it’s gonna be fine, don’t worry.’
Lara looked up, red-rimmed eyes and pale face. ‘How is it going to be fine? They’ve put us in p-p-prison.’
This was clearly the worst thing that could possibly have happened. Scarlet shook her head and put her hands on Lara’s cheeks. ‘Hey, calm down, it’s fine, really. Look, they’ve left us our clothes, which means I’ve got my spell book and ingredients. There’s nothing to worry about. If they really wanted to keep us here, they’d have chained us up or something.’
She stepped back and the unmistakable clink of chains striking her heel made them both jump, before Lara whimpered and buried her face again. Scarlet stared at the wall. When did she become the cool and calm one? She should be taking photos, this would make an amazing background for Facebook.
She couldn’t let go of Lara, though, nor did she want to. Instead, she pushed her gently away, just enough for her face to leave her t-shirt and their eyes to meet. Then she kissed her. This time it was more. Of everything. She had to stop when she realised she was breathing heavy and at risk of sounding like a creepy stalker type.
Lara’s chest was rising and falling fast, her cheeks flushed, and Scarlet realised her girlfriend felt the same way. Girlfriend. Heh.
They found a spot on the floor, just large enough for them both to sit and cuddle together and ignore the sounds from down the corridor. The groans were bearable, like the smell, but the screams made her shudder every time.
Some time passed. Then some more. They tried to talk, but the circumstances made for a pretty awkward first date and every time Scarlet thought they were getting somewhere, another scream would have them hugging, conversation forgotten. Which wasn’t all bad.
After what felt like days, but was probably closer to hours, Scarlet stood, stretched, and went to the door of the cell. The iron was rusted and damp and she pulled her sleeve up to cover her hand before grabbing it and pulling hard.
She nearly fell over as the door swung easily open. Lara gasped and jumped up, stepping to the door and peering out into the corridor. Scarlet joined her and they waited, taking tiny quiet breaths, expecting at any moment someone to leap out and attack. Or, you know, tell them off.
Finally, Scarlet stepped out and pulled Lara along with her. They headed through the doors and up the stairs, her heart rate increasing with every step she took. There were no doors, nowhere to hide if someone appeared at the top and she was bathed in sweat long before they reached the door.
Reach it they did, though and she cracked it slowly open, peering round it. The corridor that ran down to the throne room was dark, only one lantern left at the far end. She was about to step through when Lara pulled her sleeve, whispering in a voice that seemed far too loud.
‘What are we doing? I mean, we have to take Elt with us, correct?’
Scarlet nodded.
‘So if he’s still in the throne room, how do we rescue him, if he’s, you know, all frozen still?’
Scarlet leaned back against the wall, pulling her spell book out and flipping through it. The last fifty or so pages were covered in her own, bizarrely neat hand writing. It bore no resemblance to the inside of her brain whatsoever.
She knew there was nothing in there that would help, so she returned to earlier, to mum’s shopping-list scrawl and flicked page after page.
For the freeing of objects stuck in time.
She showed it to Lara, who shrugged. ‘Is he stuck in time?’
‘I don’t know. It’s the best thing in here, it’s the only thing in here that looks anywhere close to good. How else might he be stuck?’
Lara shrugged again. ‘Like, physically frozen?’
‘He wasn’t cold though. Didn’t look cold, anyway. We don’t have anything else, so let’s try it at least. If it doesn’t work we can think of something else.’
Lara nodded reluctantly. ‘You’re assuming we’re going to get into the throne room without getting killed, maimed, or imprisoned.’
‘I consider myself an optimist.’
Lara smiled and pecked her on the lips and she stayed right where she was, grinning like an idiot. Lara nodded toward the throne room, expectant look on her face, and Scarlet sighed and pushed herself away from the wall. There was a lot to be said for being locked in a small room with your girlfriend. No interruptions, no reason to go anywhere else. Girlfriend. Heh.
She slipped through the door, Lara on her heels, and they ran down to the next door. She was running, actual real running. No wonder she felt so weird.
She opened the door to the throne room the tiniest amount and peered around it. Pools of dim, fluttering light were cast by occasional lamps, but the place was empty and silent. Holding her breath, she slipped out of the door and stood in the darkness, waiting for Lara to join her.
They waited some more, alternating shallow breaths, eyes trying to pierce the shadows cast across the throne room. The one thing they were sure of was Elt, still frozen and standing in the centre of the room. His eyes were vacant, not able to close, not able to even blink.
She stared for another second, then nipped quickly across to stand beside him. She stared up into the huge eye, her fists curling into balls.
‘Why did you lie to us? Was it just so you could get in here and attack him? Man, that’s lame, that’s totally lame.’
‘But not surprising, once you know him. Elt comes from a long line of animals grossly misrepresented by mythology, both here and on your native planet.’
She jumped as the robed magician emerged from the shadows.
Next Installment Monday 10th March
