The four spread out across the room and chanting filled the air. It was a little like being in this drama lesson when they all had to say ‘rhubarb, rhubarb’ over and over again. Why had they had to do that? She shook her head and ducked as the first fireball whooshed past her toward Malient.
His hands rose and the fireball burst over some kind of shield, throwing tails of flame to the floor. He responded with his own fire, blasting it straight at Evil mastermind. His shield was just as strong. Beard thrust his hands out toward Malient and blades appeared in the air, dark steel that caught the light as it crossed the space between them.
Scarlet squeaked, expecting Malient to be chopped into bits, but the blades abruptly changed direction, veering around him and racing around the curved walls. They headed back for Beard guy whose chanting had risen in volume and pitch. He waved his hands frantically and some, but not all, of the blades dropped from the air.
The first struck him in the chest and knocked him backward. The next took him high in the leg and she screamed as blood fountained out. Another went through the side of his throat, at which point she buried her face in her hands and huddled on the floor. It was her fault. Again it was her fault and people were being hurt.
She crawled around the wall, head down. The next time she glanced up a huge dragon filled the room. It was actually a dragon, with actual claws and two heads. Surely a dragon was cool enough and, like, bad-ass enough to not need an extra head? Its roar filled the room as it lunged toward Chin. He danced out the way and poured this sort of green energy stuff from his hands.
It struck the dragon full in the faces and the creature roared even louder. Then it vanished, making a loud pop as it went. She’d stopped crawling, mouth hanging open, and she had to stare at her legs to make them move again. Her feelings of regret were being rapidly overwhelmed by a deep-seated desire to get the hell out of here.
Her hand banged against something and she whimpered. She knew what it was. She looked through her hair at the blood-stained face only inches from hers. This close, she could see the flecks of white and grey in his beard and the sickly yellow at the edges of his eyes. His eyes that were blinking.
She shrieked and pushed herself back. How was he still alive? He lifted one shaking hand and beckoned to her. She swallowed and tried to go around him. His other hand shot out and grabbed her arm, surprisingly strong. Not only was he not dead, he was stronger than she was.
She grunted as her knees slid across the floor. He hauled her close and she turned her head away, scrunching her eyes shut.
‘You have to stop them. They will end everything if this goes on.’
‘What?’
‘This battle. It raged once before. It mustn’t happen again. You must stop them.’
She looked at him, mouth open to say how the hell was she supposed to do that when his head fell to the floor with a thump and the hand gripping her wrist relaxed and dropped. What had he meant, they will end everything? What was everything? Everything? Sweat dripped from her forehead onto his and she crept back.
She shook, her shoulders aching, and she sat against the wall. The fires had made it hot in here and her breaths were short. The three remaining Council members were huddled close together behind an invisible shield against which Malient hurled fire and lightning and all manner of things.
It would have made an awesome movie, had she not been there. Instead, it was far too close and far too hot and she still had no idea whether she was going to get out. He thought she should stop them! Hah, that was funny. She touched the spell book in her pocket. A Book of Telling. What did that mean?
She crept further around the room, getting closer to the door every second. It was only a few metres away when she heard a shout. The three had split apart, running in different directions. All three turned and cast something and Malient was engulfed. First flames wrapped around his shield, then he was picked up and flung against the wall by some invisible force.
As he struck the floor, a huge jaw, long jagged teeth surrounded by darkness, appeared and dove toward him. Scarlet watched, transfixed, waiting for the blow to land. Malient grabbed one of the massive incisors and heaved at it. It tore free from the gums and the mouth howled, its voice thin and wretched and agonised.
The magician rose to his feet, brandishing the tooth like a trophy and the three came running back together. They weren’t quick enough and when Malient threw the tooth, it flew through the air far faster than it should have. It slammed into Chin, taking him full in the stomach and bursting out the back. Scarlet groaned, put her forehead on the floor and tried to ignore the bile that filled the back of her throat.
She retched but kept it down. Chin collapsed, blood coming from his mouth and his companions crouched and tried to pull him behind their shield. They were too late again and moments later, a ball of fire covered him. The screams were too much and now she did vomit, heaving until her stomach hurt.
She scrambled on, racing toward the door and reached it without anyone burning her alive. She hauled it open and fell into the corridor, sobbing as the cool air struck her face. She landed on her knees and took huge breaths. The sound of feet coming down the corridor made her shudder, but she looked up. She burst into tears and started laughing.
Martin knelt and wrapped his arms around her and she buried her face in his chest.
‘Easy now, easy.’ He gave her a few seconds before pulling her to her feet. Just beyond him, Red watched, one eyebrow raised. Martin clicked his fingers before her glazed eyes and she nodded, blinking.
‘We need to get out of here.’
Scarlet put her hands on his chest and pushed him gently away. ‘Not yet. We have to stop this.’
‘What’s happening?’
She told him in the shortest way she could think of, interrupted by the sounds of fire slamming against the walls and the screams of something she was fairly certain was either mythical or made up. Unless that meant the same thing. In which case it was both. He was shaking his head long before she finished.
‘I know Malient. It does need to be stopped, but I’m not sure you are the person to do it.’
‘I went to another dimension.’
For the first time ever, Martin looked completely stunned. She beamed and patted him on the shoulder. ‘It’s alright, it happens to everyone. All the best apprentices surpass their masters, it was only a matter of time.’
‘Where did you go?’
‘Oh, you know, an alternate reality where I was skinny and Red’s world and The Shadows.’
The blood rushed from his face and his mouth dropped open. There was no way she could be enjoying this more.
‘You cannot have been to the Shadows. The champion has never failed.’
‘Yeah, well, we go way back. We had a chat and it was cool.’
Martin gave her the look and she smiled innocently. Another huge explosion from the round room made her ears ring and she turned back. Then it hit her. Of course.
‘I know what we’re going to do. Martin, when you use a unicorn, does it have to be near you?’
‘Typically, the closer it is, the easier it will be, but no, not as far as I know.’
She punched the air with her fist and blushed. ‘Right, come with me.’
She stepped back into the round room. The temperature had risen again and she was sweating before she’d taken two steps. A haze hung in the air and the walls were shattered in many places, smoke rising where fires were trying to take hold. The two remaining Council men were where she had last seen them, dug in behind a shield and soaking up the attack.
Malient snarled, fists clenched as he poured fire at the two men. Martin took in the scene and ducked back out, forcing Scarlet to come with him. ‘It is best I am not seen. They will all try to involve me.’
‘Why?’
‘I have taken vows. I regret them deeply and have done my best to remain distant from these men, but they would have every right to demand from me something I’m not willing to give.’
‘That’s great, really, could you, like, wear a mask or something?’
He rubbed his temples with his thumb and forefinger and gave her the look.
‘I have to go in there. Did you really come all the way back from Australia just to wimp out now?’
Red flashed a sharp smile at that and pulled her knife from her waist. Martin put his hand on her arm, shaking his head. ‘They will sense that, put it away. Scarlet, what do you intend to do?’
She shook her head and pushed back into the room. If he had any idea what she was going to do, he’d stop her and that would be no fun. The smoke was thick now and she coughed the moment she stepped through the door. Red and Martin crowded in behind and he shoved the door closed.
They turned as one to see the battle and as one they were thrown back into the wall. A bubble, shimmering like oil on water, had sprung up around the two remaining Council men. Waves of energy pulsed, like the light off a TV in a darkened room and with every one that washed over her, she felt progressively more dizzy and sick.
Another blast of energy was unleashed. It picked them up off the floor and threw them against the wall. The bubble shifted, its surface becoming uneven, but it remained intact and the two men within slumped to the floor. Through slitted eyes she saw Malient take a step closer, hands raised palm-out toward the men. His face twisted in a snarl and sweat poured from his forehead.
Martin shouted above the din. ‘This has to end now.’
‘What’s going to happen?’
‘If that bubble expands it will destroy everything.’
Next Installment Friday 23rd May
