Keeper of the Phoenix (15 page)

“Come on, you can do it,” Rhyll said encouragingly.

Bath-eth-sheerah and her sisters flapped their wings harder. Gradually, they began to rise.

“That’s it, keep going,” Ash said.

The butterflies set out across the ravine in single file, carrying their human cargo with them. Although Rhyll seemed to be enjoying the ride, Ash noticed Taine was sitting very still and had gone pale. He remembered Taine was afraid of heights.

He can’t be enjoying this, Ash thought, making the mistake of looking down. The sight of the drop below made him dizzy. He cried out in fright, nearly toppling off Nanageesa.

“Don’t look down,” Rhyll shouted to him from her perch on Bath-eth-sheerah. “We’re nearly there.”

Ash gave Rhyll a stiff salute then held onto Nanageesa even tighter.

Moments later the butterflies landed beneath the shadow of the castle walls. Ash, Taine and Rhyll slid down and thanked them for their help.

“Take care,” Bath-eth-sheerah said before she took to the sky once more. “Evil lives here.”

Ash and the others waved farewell.

“What do we do now?” Taine said.

“Now we find a way in,” Ash replied.

Though they searched everywhere, Ash and the others couldn’t find a way into the castle. Taine leaned against the outer wall, tired and exasperated. “They mustn’t get many visitors,” he said.

“Perhaps we should have asked Bath-eth-sheerah to drop us inside the castle walls,” Rhyll suggested.

“Zadoc might have seen us coming,” Ash said.

“Who’s to say he doesn’t already know we’re here?” Taine said.

A slithering noise sounded from inside the castle.

“Shush,” Ash said. “I think someone’s coming.”

The friends pressed themselves against the castle walls, trying to melt into the shadows. The slithering grew louder. With a crisp click a hatch opened in the ground only a few feet away. Out poured a mass of goblins with tall, pointed ears and hooked noses. Each goblin carried a barrel strapped to its back and sat on top of a gargoyle, using leather reins to direct the odious creatures.

“So Zadoc isn’t alone,” Taine said. “He’s got an entire army in there.”

“Keep it down,” Rhyll whispered. “They’ll hear you if you’re not careful.”

The gargoyles with their goblin riders flew up into the sky, filling it with their hateful slithering. When the last goblin had left the castle, the hatch began to slide back into place.

“Now!” Ash said. “Run for it!”

The friends sprinted towards the hatch. Rhyll reached it first and clambered inside. In his rush, Taine tripped and almost went flying headlong into the opening. Luckily, Ash caught him in time. He helped Taine to his feet then shoved him through the narrowing slot.

“Hurry,” Rhyll called from below.

The hatch was almost shut. Ash closed his eyes and lunged into the gap. He landed on Taine, knocking him over and sending them both tumbling down a long, dark tunnel. Shrieking in fear, they clung to each other as they plunged through the darkness before shooting out the other end into a candlelit room where they landed with a thud.

Ash heard a groan and realised it was coming from him.

“Get off me,” Taine said.

“I’m trying.” Ash attempted to untangle himself. “Are you okay?”

“Fine. Just a few bruises.”

The boys heard a whooshing sound from inside the tunnel. The next moment Rhyll shot out and landed neatly on her feet.

“Will you two be quiet?” she hissed. “You’re making enough noise to wake the dead.”

Ash stumbled to his feet, brushing his clothes off and gazing around. They were in a large underground cavern filled with enormous machines which had cogs and wheels, levers and strange mechanisms he’d never seen before.

“What is this place?” Taine asked.

“I don’t know.” Ash took a step closer to study the machinery. “And we don’t have time to find out. We’ve got to find Gwaam.” He poked his head out into a long corridor, looking left and right in the light that glowed from candles set in wall alcoves. “I think the castle is that way.” He pointed left.

“How can you tell?” Rhyll asked.

“I can’t really. I’m just guessing.”

“Shush,” Taine said. “I hear voices.”

“Someone’s coming,” Ash said. “We’ll have to go this way.”

Ash swung right and dashed down the corridor, away from the approaching voices. Taine and Rhyll ran after him.

“I don’t like this,” Rhyll muttered. “It reminds me of the trog city.”

“Me too,” Ash agreed. “Stay close.”

At the end of the corridor they came to a staircase leading downwards.

“What do you suppose is down there?” whispered Ash.

“Dungeon, probably,” Taine said.

Rhyll shivered. “I really hope Zadoc doesn’t have any giant earthworms hidden away. They’d feel right at home here, that’s for sure.”

The sound of footsteps grew louder.

“We’re going to have to go down there,” Ash said.

Ash led Taine and Rhyll down the staircase. At the bottom was a room containing a large cage, like a prison cell. Peering into the gloom, Ash thought he caught movement in the shadows.

He ran back up the stairs, plucked a candle from an alcove in the wall then ran back down to peer into the cell. “Anybody there?”

A hand shot out between the bars and seized Ash by the neck. He dropped the candle to the ground where it lay on its side, struggling to stay alight. Ash’s face was pressed painfully against the bars. By the light of the dying candle, Ash saw a young man, his hair knotted and greasy, his beard scraggy and unkempt.

“Help us,” the stranger groaned. “Please, help us.”

Ash gulped his fear down, willing himself not to scream. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Taine’s head loll. The next thing he knew Taine, clearly overcome by fright, had slipped to the ground in a dead faint.

The candle guttered and almost went out. Rhyll ran forwards and picked it up just in time. She held the candle high. “Let him go,” she said.

“Help us,” the youth rasped.

Ash thought he recognised the voice. Hope flared inside him. “Duncan?” Ash’s question was strained and uncertain, his throat so tight against the bars he could hardly breathe. “Is that you?”

“Ash?”

The young man let go of Ash and grasped the bars instead. Ash rubbed his neck as he searched his brother’s eyes.

“Duncan, it
is
you.”

Meanwhile, Taine was slowly coming around. He sat up, rubbing his head. “What’s going on?”

Ash beckoned to him. “Come see, it’s Duncan.”

Taine ran towards the prison cell. He grabbed Duncan’s hand and shook it vigorously. “I can’t believe it,” he said.

Ash turned back to his brother, marvelling at the changes in his brother’s face. Not only did his beard disguise his usually clean-shaven features, so did the grease and scars that lined his face. He had grown so desperately thin.

“You’re the last person I expected to see here,” Duncan said.

“That makes two of us.” Ash’s mind was reeling. “How did you get here?”

“That’s a long story,” Duncan said. “Too long to tell now. You have to get us out.”

“Who is ‘us’?” Ash asked.

A rush of familiar faces pressed to the bars: Gentle Ben, the blacksmith; Myer, the cobbler; Big Stan, the wheelwright, and others. Ash was surprised to see Lord Belgrave’s son, Raymond, looking as tired and dirty as his companions. He had only ever seen Raymond draped in silk and furs and jewels. Now he resembled a street urchin.

Hands snaked through the bars to touch Ash. He blinked hard to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. He couldn’t believe so many men from the village were there. It made him feel homesick and proud and relieved all at once.

They’re alive! Ash thought. Imagine how happy everyone back home will be to see these men.

“You’ve come to save us, have you?” Myer asked, his voice filled with hope.

“Yes … yes,” Ash said, still in shock.

Duncan understood Ash’s hesitation. “You didn’t know we were here, did you? So why did you come?”

“We’ve come to save the phoenix, Gwaam,” Ash said. “Zadoc is holding him captive.”

“Phoenix?” Big Stan looked confused.

“That’s also a long story,” Ash said.

“That murdering Zadoc,” muttered Duncan. “He took the Draygonian side in the war. He’s responsible for our capture by the goblin army. If I could get my hands on him–”

“Where’s Pa?” Ash interrupted him.

Duncan shook his head. “We were ambushed by a Draygonian battalion several weeks ago. They cut us down where we stood. Pa died protecting Lord Belgrave.”

“Pa’s dead?” A rush of hot tears sprang to Ash’s eyes.

I don’t believe it. It’s not true, he thought.

“I’m sorry, Ash,” Duncan said. “But you must mourn Pa later. Right now you have to get us out of here.”

“What about Lord Belgrave?” Taine asked. “Is he alive?”

“Lord Belgrave is resting.” Duncan motioned to the rear of the cell. “He’s alive but gravely ill.”

Rhyll gently tugged Ash’s sleeve. “I’m sorry about your pa, Ash, but Duncan’s right. We have to do something.”

“Let us out,” Duncan said. “We’ll storm the castle from the inside. Zadoc won’t know what hit him.”

“I can’t let you out,” Ash said. “The door’s locked.”

“Go upstairs and steal the key from the goblin leader. He’s the one with the scar on his left cheek and the enormous ears.”

“What about Gwaam?” Ash said. “I have to save him from Wizard Zadoc. That is, if it’s not too late already. And we have to break the spell on the village.”

“What spell?” Duncan asked.

“A spell that has the entire village frozen under black snow,” Ash explained.

Footsteps sounded on the stairs above.

“Someone’s coming,” Rhyll said. “We should split up, you and Taine can try to find Gwaam while I find the keys. We’ll save time that way.”

“I’m not sure splitting up is a good idea,” Taine said, clearly worried for his sister.

Rhyll stomped her foot stubbornly. “Well, we have to do something. Have you got any better ideas?”

“No, we haven’t,” Ash said. “I don’t like it either, but it’s all we can do.”

“Right, let’s go then.” Rhyll tugged Ash’s sleeve. “Before they find us. There’s a corridor along here.”

“Yes, follow that all the way along and it will eventually lead you up again,” Duncan said.

Rhyll nodded then hurried off, taking the candles with her.

Taine followed close behind. “Come on, Ash,” he said as he disappeared into the darkness.

Ash felt sick to the stomach leaving his brother and the other men locked in the cell. Pa was dead. He didn’t want to lose the others too.

Focus on saving Gwaam, he told himself. Focus on saving the villagers from the black snow. And trust that Rhyll will be able to help the others.

Blocking the image of the men’s pleading, frightened faces from his mind, Ash raced after the twins.

“Which way?” Taine whispered.

The friends stood in an empty vestibule with several corridors leading off it. Ash glanced around. Every corridor but one looked the same. It had the image of a griffin carved into the stone above the archway.

“That one,” he said. “Zadoc seems to love his griffins, so let’s try that one.”

“I’m going to try back this way,” Rhyll said. “I’ll meet you outside. Don’t be long.”

“Stay safe,” Ash said.

Taine gave his sister a quick, rough hug.

“What are you doing?” Rhyll hissed at him.

“I don’t know. Just in case I don’t see you again.”

“You idiot,” Rhyll said. “Of course you’ll see me again. Now, go on. I’ll be fine.”

Leaving Rhyll behind, Ash and Taine stepped cautiously down the hallway, passing room after room filled with great treasures, opulent furniture and woven tapestries. Displayed in cabinets of the finest rosewood was crystal serving ware, gold plates and cutlery, jewellery and crowns embedded with gemstones the size of bird’s eggs. Never before had they seen such riches, not even in Lady Belgrave’s chamber.

“Where is everyone?” Ash said. “There aren’t any servants.”

“It
is
hard to get here,” Taine said dryly. “First, that ravine then the heavily barricaded gates and those goblins.”

“It’s like a tomb,” Ash said. “Do you see the dust on everything?”

They had reached the end of the hallway and were faced with a studded door with a red griffin painted on it.

“Let’s see what’s through here,” Ash said.

He pushed the door open to reveal a winding marble staircase. At the top they came to another door bearing the image of a red griffin.

Ash tested the latch. “It’s open.”

They tiptoed inside. Across the room, an old man lay sleeping in a four-poster bed carved with griffins. Ash surveyed the room, taking in the wardrobes, heavy dressers and chests; the stone floor covered with rich, red carpets embroidered with griffins shooting flames from their nostrils; and the paintings and tapestries depicting gruesome battles between knights and dragons, blood splashing everywhere.

“Do you think that’s Zadoc?” Taine whispered.

“Who else could it be?” Ash said.

“He looks so old and helpless,” Taine said. “Not at all like Gwaam made him out to be.”

Ash pointed to a large gold cage in the corner of the room. “Look.”

Inside the cage perched two huge birds, their heads tucked beneath their wings. Ash’s heart throbbed with relief. Gwaam was alive. He looked healthy and was much bigger than when Ash had last seen him. His feathers were a rich black colour and very glossy. Gwaam’s mate, Suela, was slightly smaller and was a deep grey colour. Both birds wore heavy clasps around their legs, which were secured by chains and padlocks to the stone floor. Zadoc had made sure there was no escape.

Ash cleared his throat softly. Gwaam lifted his head. When he saw Ash, the phoenix fluttered his wings in greeting. Ash held a finger to his lips. Gwaam nodded.

Turning his attention back to Zadoc, Ash inched towards the bed. Taine followed behind him. Zadoc lay with his eyes closed. His hands, gnarled with age, rested on his chest while his long white hair flowed about his head. His beard was plaited, his thin, pale face as wrinkled as a peach left to dry in the sun.