The Catastrophe of the Emerald Queen (32 page)

The creature
killed the flame control. “The arena is now safe,” he said. There
was a grinding noise as the plates again began to rotate and
murmurs of confusion could be heard from the soldiers seated above.
The creature grabbed a handle and pulled down hard. The grinding
stopped, the plates frozen once more. 

“
Raise the
maintenance portcullis on the right of this room,” Scious
said.

 
The
creature stared at him with petrified eyes and pleaded. “Could you
erm…make it look like we tried to stop you? We Chupateen will end
up in there too if King James even imagines we didn’t at least
try.” 

“
My
pleasure,” Scious said beaming, “Now, open the
portcullis.”

 
The
creature moved to a set of glistening steel valves on the wall and
began to twist one hard. Bue and Jared moved to the small open
entrance to the arena floor. As they turned there was a couple of
thudding noises and groans. Scious smiled, wiping his hands
briskly, the Chupateen unconscious behind him. “Call the Caracalic
over, he has one chance to make it so he does,” he whispered.
“There are bowmen all around the walls, yes bowmen.”

 
As the
hubbub increased and the King glared angrily around him, the
combatants looked about anxiously. A few still believed this was
part of the games to torment them, but others realised something
had gone wrong. The crossbow men lined on the walls had lowered
their weapons and were glancing around baffled. Mordalayn saw Kloee
in her glass prison and as he wondered what was happening a small
gate rose up across from him. Looking over, he saw Bue’s face in
the shadows behind it. Bue beckoned to him and then pointed up and
around, indicating the danger. Most attention was now on the king
as people looked for answers in their confusion. Bracing himself,
Mordalayn tensed his muscles ready to jump. 

From the
angle they were at Jared could just see the royal box with Kloee’s
glass dome perched on the balcony. He prodded Bue. “Can you break
the glass and free her?” he asked. 

Bue looked up
and his face creased. “I’d rather put a bolt through James’ss
neck,” he replied bitterly. 

“
We don’t
have time,” Jared replied. “Can you smash the glass with a shot?
Then she can come with us.” 

“
What do you
think?” Bue replied and raised his bow.

As King James
sat waiting he pondered what might have gone wrong. His prisoners
were securely chained, with no access to either their weapons or
magic. Those who had embarrassed him would be dealt with
accordingly but he knew the system that powered the arena was
sturdy and reliable and had existed for hundreds of years. The
arena itself had fallen out of use due to Alegria’s pacifism and
dislike of such spectacles. Faced with a neighbouring kingdom so
powerful no ruler of any other realm had tried to continue with
such practices. Forever in Alegria’s shadow. Well, not any
more. 

As he turned
to look behind him to see if his advisor was returning there was a
crash and the glass of the domed cage next to him shattered. Acting
on reflexes, he hurled himself back out of his chair and down on
the floor, face down with his arms over his head. Kloee flew up
angrily from the shattered remains. As the remaining guard moved
towards her, she hurled her hands out and a blinding flash of light
erupted from her palms. The guard shrieked, temporarily blinded and
dropped his spear.  

“Nasty,
horrid, horrid bully!” Kloee shouted pouting and flew to where
Mordalayn’s sword was resting. It glowed yellow and she flew up and
out over the arena with the huge weapon floating next to
her. 

“
Here! Over
here!” a voice shouted and she frantically looked around to see
Jared and Bue shouting at her from behind an iron grill in the
wall. A couple of crossbow bolts shot past her. The bowmen on the
walls were recovering their composure and Jared and Bue ducked down
as quarrels ricocheted off the wall and iron bars in front of them.
One or two passed into the engineering room to clatter off the
walls. 

Mordalayn saw
his chance and sprang lithely across the floor. King James stood up
and shouted to the bowmen. “STOP HIM!!!” As the Caracalic bounded
over the grill, bolts sprang from the weapons and whacked into the
floor around him. He leapt for the small opening just as Kloee flew
through it with his sword and grunted in pain as a bolt thudded
into the flesh of his left arm, above the elbow. 

He slid
through the gate and Scious grinned at him. “Hello there sir, I
told you Scious honours his debts.” 

In the arena
every soldier was on his feet and there was a pounding on the
locked door of the tiny room. “Hold hands please everyone, you too
little miss,” Scious said to Kloee who glared at him but hovered
between Bue and Mordalayn. The Caracalic snatched his sword from
her and threw the strap over his head before taking her tiny hand
in his. “Now off we go.” Scious gave a big smile and with a flash
of diamond light they were gone.

King James
strode down to the dungeons, his wary guards at his side. The king
was furious and no one wanted to say or do anything that might
further provoke his wrath. The two Chupateen who had been operating
the arena mechanisms had been found unconscious and it appeared
they had been caught by surprise. Uncharacteristically forgiving,
the king had simply walked away when faced with their explanation.
One they had given while gibbering with fear and rubbing their sore
heads. As the king reached the dungeon levels two guards bowed and
quickly opened the doors. Marching through he made for the main
cell area. Four guards surrounded the terrified dungeon
master. 

King James
looked at the man and then at the guards. “Found him asleep your
majesty,” one said. “Other two are trapped in the abyss room. The
prisoners have escaped and their weapons and belongings are
missing.” 

King James
glared at the fear stricken jailer and looked around the room. His
eyes bored into the kneeling man. “Were you asleep?” he enquired in
a friendly tone 

“
Errr…no, I
mean yes your majesty. Please forgive me.” 

“
But of
course I forgive you. Am I not a kind and benevolent
king?” 

“
Oh yes your
majesty of course you are.” 

King James
smiled and gently placed his hand on the man’s head. “You were
obviously tired, we all need a nap now and then. Even those
guarding prisoners for their king. How could any man judge you for
dozing off like that?” 

He turned to
his guards. “Assemble the Daggers and send the signal to our spies
in Alegria. We march in one hour. Our plans are not hindered by
this setback.”

He turned
back to the jailer. “Now. What shall we do with you
then?”

Chapter
28

They appeared in a field, the
moon in the sky above them throwing a milky glow over the tall
grass. Jared wobbled uncertainly on his feet, his stomach doing
flips from the magical jolt. In contrast to the shouting and chaos
of the arena, this was peaceful and his ears were ringing in
protest after the bedlam of the last few minutes. 

They all
breathed out in relief and slowly let go of each other’s hands.
Kloee flew up and perched herself on Jared’s shoulder. Mordalayn
quickly scanned the field and Bue looked Jared up and down. “You
ok?” he asked, looking concerned.

 “
Fine I
guess, you?” 

Bue smiled
but even in the moonlight Jared could see that the other boy was
hurting inside. He reached over and placed his hand on his arm. “He
gave his life for you because he wanted to,” he
whispered. 

Bue shook off the hand and
turned away.  

Mordalayn checked his wound and
grunted when he saw it was only a graze. He looked at them and then
to Scious. “Where are we?” he snapped at the little man.

 “
About
four miles from Alegria good sir,” Scious replied pointing to
lights in the distance, sparkling like jewels in the velvet
night.

 “
Could
you not have taken us nearer to the castle?” Mordalayn
growled.

 
Scious
looked hurt and replied defensively. “I saved your lives good sir,
Scious keeps his word so he does, oh yes he does. Had to land here
so we did, I’m not an alchemist, can’t just take you kind sirs just
anywhere. We could have materialised into a building or even a
horse. Would sir like that? Being merged with a horse?”

 
He
looked indignant and Mordalayn stared at him for a long moment.
“You are right. My thanks little man. Your gesture will not be
forgotten.” 

Scious beamed
and then bowed. “I bid you good night gentlemen…and lady,” he bowed
again to Kloee who narrowed her eyes at him. “Scious will be on his
way.” With that he scurried off in the direction of the trees and
in a few seconds he was gone, only the sound of his feet could be
heard, until that too faded.

 “
We
need to move,” Mordalayn said. “Alegria is four miles to the east,
the castle another seven from there.”

 
He
began moving off to the road at the edge of the field, the grass
rustling against his clothes, slinging his sword over his shoulder
he tied off the sash and Bue and Jared exchanged worried looks and
then ran after him. Kloee flew behind Jared and cast a glow in
front of him to light his steps.