The Familiars: Secrets of the Crown (19 page)

Aldwyn lifted the rubble off her telekinetically and sent it hurtling towards Paksahara. The hare twitched her ear and a black hole of darkness formed before her, sucking up the attack. She then flicked her wrist, shooting out two bolts of lightning that turned the first two rocks to dust.

Gilbert was hopping for the fourth stone, with Shady bounding behind him. His webbed hands reached out and made contact. “
Howler donkey!
” he shouted excitedly.

“I think you meant ‘
howler monkey
’,” observed Skylar, who was getting dizzily back to her feet.

“Right,” said the tree frog. “It’s kind of hard to hear with the storm and Paksahara blowing stuff up next to my ears.”

Paksahara turned her attention to the stones that remained standing, and Aldwyn could see the energy beginning to crackle at her paw tips. He sprinted for the rock, hoping to distract her long enough for Skylar and Gilbert to gather the last three species’ names. But before he could make contact with the stone, he felt a tearing sensation rip through his back. Aldwyn tumbled end over end, looking up to see Malvern atop him, claws digging into his flesh.

“I told you I would show no mercy,” hissed Malvern.

Out of the corner of his eye, Aldwyn saw Gilbert whispering in Shady’s ear. The next thing Aldwyn knew, the shadow pup was throwing itself at Paksahara, distracting her before she could send out the blast.

Malvern pinned Aldwyn to the ground, pushing him into the mud and holding him down. A large piece of loose rock flew for the back of Malvern’s head, but was stopped in midair.

“Come now, nephew,” scoffed Malvern. “You’re no match for me, not in strength and certainly not mind versus mind.”

While he tried to fight off his uncle, Aldwyn could see Shady nip at Paksahara’s leg and Skylar, who was still a bit off balance, sailing towards the fifth stone. She was able to touch the surface with her wing, and although Aldwyn couldn’t hear what the rock said, he was sure Skylar had learned the name of the fifth species they needed.

Malvern had taken control of the piece of rock that Aldwyn had initially lifted, and it was now hovering directly above his nephew’s head. Aldwyn pushed with all his mind to hold it back, feeling his temples strain and eyes burn.

“If I was the only one who could find the Crown, why not just kill me when you first had the chance?” asked Aldwyn.

“After you came to Maidenmere and revealed who you were, I contacted Paksahara. She directed me to follow you and your companions at a distance, to ensure that you would make it to the Crown safely. I couldn’t take the chance of travelling at your side, in case you possessed the same mind-reading ability as your mother.”

Despite Aldwyn’s own precarious situation, he could see that Paksahara had cast a light spell, surrounding herself in a bright glow of sun that forced Shady to retreat.

The evil hare addressed Skylar. “You disappoint me the most,” she said to the blue jay. “I see a lot of myself in you. Your thirst for knowledge. Your want for more. I was just like you once.”

“You’re nothing like me!” cried Skylar, who had almost reached the sixth stone when Paksahara conjured a glider cage in the air and sent it hurtling towards the bird, entrapping her in mid-flight. Aldwyn tried to attract Gilbert’s attention, but the tree frog was fumbling through his pouch, removing some nightshade and juniper berries.

“Gilbert, get to the last two rocks,” called Aldwyn. “What are you doing?”

“Stopping Paksahara,” he answered.

“But you can’t cast spells!” Aldwyn said.

“I know. But nobody’s better at miscasting them.” With these words, Gilbert threw the components into the air and shouted, “
Send a flame from whence you came!
”

Just like in the cave, a glowing fairy started to form, but quickly became an explosive firework. It blasted up and down, from rock to mud, zipping straight over Malvern’s head and into Paksahara’s back. She was knocked face-down into the mud. The glider cage came crashing down to the ground.

Aldwyn and Malvern continued to wrestle telekinetically as the rock lowered towards Aldwyn’s face. He knew that its weight would crush him if he wasn’t able to keep it hovering in the air.

“You still haven’t answered my question,” panted Aldwyn. “There would have been no need to destroy the Crown if only the child of Baxley could follow the path here.”

“You’re not the only child of Baxley,” said Malvern. “You have a sister.”

Aldwyn couldn’t believe what his uncle had told him. For a split second his concentration wavered, and the large rock descended closer towards him. But then Malvern’s revelation gave Aldwyn an unexpected surge of strength. He was able to win the tug-of-war with Malvern’s mind and toss the rock aside. Aldwyn leaped up and thrust his head into Malvern’s nose, causing his uncle to stumble backwards just as Skylar busted out from the now weakened cage and flapped to the sixth stone, touching it with her wing. This time Aldwyn was able to hear the rock speak: “
Bloodhound
.”

Now only one stone remained before all seven of the stones had revealed themselves to the familiars.

Paksahara, back on her feet, shook off the last burning embers clinging to her fur from the flame fairy. Looking more annoyed than angry, she turned to Gilbert, who could hardly believe that his miscast spell had actually struck its intended target. But there was no time for gloating. Paksahara conjured a wind gust and hurled it at the tree frog, picking him up off his feet and throwing him off the crest of the hill and down the white-flowered slope.

Skylar, meanwhile, was charging for the final stone. But before she reached it, Paksahara fired a trio of ruby needles towards the blue jay’s wings. Skylar darted out of the way and chanted, “
Shieldarum resisto!
” and a shield spell intercepted the flying needles.

“Your magic has grown stronger since we last met,” said Paksahara. “But even a student of the Noctonati cannot withstand me for long.”

Her pink eyes stared coldly, much like those in the circles of the double hex, and sparks of energy bubbled in her paws.

Aldwyn wanted to come to Skylar’s aid, but he still had his uncle to contend with. Malvern was licking blood from his lip, smiling at the taste of it.

“You’re unworthy of calling yourself a Mooncatcher,” he snarled. “Just as your father was.”

Aldwyn’s mind and body were exhausted, and he wasn’t certain he would be able to withstand another of Malvern’s attacks. His uncle leaped, paws outstretched towards his neck.
Let your mind breathe. And let yourself be as calm as the Enaj River.
A swirl of dirt and mud whipped up off the ground and formed the Mooncatcher sand sign – a paw reaching for a crescent moon.

Out of the corner of his eye, Aldwyn saw that Paksahara had summoned a spear of white energy and was pointing it at Skylar.

Aldwyn’s mind gave life to the paw, and as if it was his own, he thrashed its claws across Malvern’s eyes. The pride leader was blinded by the sand, causing him to veer off course…

… directly into the path of Paksahara’s death blow!

The bolt meant for Skylar ripped through Malvern’s chest, evaporating flesh and leaving only bone. He collapsed dead upon the ground. Aldwyn felt a momentary pang of sadness for this close relative, but Malvern’s death would not be mourned for long. He wasn’t worth Aldwyn’s tears. He was a traitor and a murderer.

Gilbert had pulled himself up from wherever he had fallen and rejoined his fellow familiars. Now Aldwyn, Skylar and Gilbert were left face to face with Paksahara.

“The final stone!” cried Skylar.

The familiars made a dash for it. Aldwyn’s paws bounded across the mud, kicking up sprays of wet dirt behind him. Paksahara lifted her paws above her head and brought them to the ground with furious might. A shock wave of energy pulsed through the earth, and like a shark through water, it sped to the stone. Aldwyn’s paw reached out and touched the surface of the seventh rock. A voice began to speak, but before Aldwyn could hear the words, the stone exploded.

Aldwyn flew backwards, hitting the ground hard. He hadn’t heard it! The final species that needed to be collected round one of the glyphstones remained unknown. Their whole adventure had ended in total failure.

In rapid succession, Paksahara fired a series of blasts from her paws until all seven stones had been turned to rubble.

Once the ringing in his ears subsided, Aldwyn got back to his feet.

“Now you will never be able to summon the Shifting Fortress,” said Paksahara. “My Dead Army is going to lay waste to Vastia. I just wish the three of you could have seen it.”

The grey hare raised her paws one last time – and the familiars ran. They sprinted behind the steel pedestal still standing at the centre of the crumbled Crown. When they came out round the other side, Paksahara incanted, “
Ekonpiske v prave!
” and a double blast of energy shot from her paws.

The two bolts struck the familiars, sending electricity coursing through their bodies. By the time the energy dissipated, there was little left of the bird, frog and cat but dust.

Paksahara shape-shifted back into a periwinkle falcon and disappeared into the stormy night sky.

Shady, who had been hiding behind the rubble of one of the stones, came out and approached the pile of dust. The shadow puppy hung his head low and let out a little whimper for the fallen familiars.

“Hey, cheer up, Shady,” shouted Gilbert.

The shadow pup spun round with a confused look on his smoky black face to see Gilbert, Aldwyn and Skylar emerge from behind the steel pedestal, alive and unharmed.

“It was only an illusion,” explained the tree frog, welcoming Shady into his arms.

Aldwyn and Skylar looked around at the devastation.

“Did you hear anything before the stone was destroyed?” asked Skylar. “Even just a sound?”

“Nothing,” said a dejected Aldwyn.

“Unfortunately, six of the species won’t do us any good,” replied Skylar.

Aldwyn ran his paws through the dusty debris of the seventh stone, hoping to hear what he hadn’t before. But there was only silence.

“I don’t think there’s anything more for us here,” said Skylar. “It’s time to return to Bronzhaven. Gilbert, now might be a good time to use that last journey bead.”

As Gilbert dived into his pouch, Aldwyn let out a heavy sigh. “My mother and father are dead. My uncle betrayed me. I have a sister, but I have no idea where she is, or if she is even alive. At least before, I could imagine a day when we’d all be together again. Now I’m truly alone.”

“You’re not alone, Aldwyn,” said Skylar. “You’ve got us.”

“We’re your family now,” said Gilbert.

Aldwyn felt a webbed hand on one shoulder, and a wing on the other.

“Come on, Aldwyn. Let’s go home,” said Skylar.

Gilbert held up the silver chain of beads from the mawpi’s lair and rubbed the only one that still shimmered blue between his suction pads.

“Take us to the New Palace of Bronzhaven,” he said aloud.

Again, the wooden door with the brass knocker materialised before them. Again, the knocker banged three times, and again the door swung open. Just on the other side was the magnificent throne room of the palace. The familiars stepped through the opening, and just like that, they were returned to where their long journey had started six days ago.

The door immediately closed behind them and vanished. Aldwyn, Gilbert and Skylar hurried through the halls, shouting the names of their loyals. Soon, young wizards and familiars were reunited in a flurry of hugs and tears. Queen Loranella joined them and was briefed on all that had happened: of their trip to the Beyond, Baxley’s path, the Crown, and how their urgent quest was far from finished. And they of course told her how the only way to summon the Shifting Fortress was to gather seven descendants of the First Phylum round one of Vastia’s three glyphstones. The Crown had revealed six of the seven species – mongoose, golden toad, wolverine, howler monkey, king cobra and bloodhound – the seventh, however, remained a mystery. Without it, there was no purpose in collecting the six.

“I’ll have every wizard, soldier and familiar protect the glyphstones,” said the queen. “I refuse to surrender without a fight. Somehow, we’ll find the name of the last species.”

But Aldwyn was not so certain. There was a reason the Crown had been hidden from humans, and he was sure that its secrets had died when the stones had been destroyed.

Jack and Aldwyn sat by the golden eel pond in the courtyard of the palace. It had become their special place, where loyal and familiar could talk in private. Jack told Aldwyn how he had spent the last six days building fortifications round the outside walls of Bronzhaven. The carpentry and handicraft lessons his uncle had taught him before he began his wizard training were hardly a substitute for magic, but better than nothing. Dalton had been out helping the farmers, stockpiling crops in case the city came under siege. And Marianne had assisted in the smithies, smelting swords and shields.

“It wasn’t as exciting as riding on the back of a travelling whale, that’s for sure,” said Jack.

Aldwyn’s paws stroked the whisper shells, which were still hanging from the string round his neck. He had been touching them often without even realising it, as if the voices from his past were bringing him some comfort in the aftermath of all he had experienced.

“I found these in my father’s pouch,” said Aldwyn. “One has the voice of my mother. Another sounds like my sister and me.”

Aldwyn leaned his head down so Jack could take the necklace from him. The boy put his ear to the first shell.

“Your mum has a nice voice,” said Jack.

The boy then moved to the second shell. He smiled.

“Is that really you?” he asked.

“I think so. And I’m pretty sure you can hear a second kitten too.”

“What about the third one?” asked Jack.

“It’s empty.”

Jack brought the shell to his ear.

“I hear something,” he said.

Aldwyn looked at him with disbelief.

“It’s hard to make out,” continued Jack. “There’s a lot of commotion. It sounds like
lightmare
. What does that mean?”

Aldwyn climbed on to Jack’s shoulder and leaned his ear towards the shell. He could hear the battle atop the Crown of the Snow Leopard. The sound of rain and crackling energy filled the air. The faint cry from Skylar, “The final stone!” A loud explosion. And through it all, there was a single word being uttered in that ancient, mysterious voice.

“
Lightmare
.”

It was the seventh stone revealing the last species.

Aldwyn could hardly believe it. The whisper shell had captured what he feared was lost. And suddenly new hope coursed through his body.

“Skylar, Gilbert!” he shouted across the courtyard.

From beneath the colonnade, his fellow familiars ran, with Marianne and Dalton following behind them.

“What is it?” asked Skylar.

“The whisper shell,” said Aldwyn. “It recorded the voice of the final stone.
Lightmare
. The seventh species of the First Phylum is
lightmare.
”

“Then we have them all,” said Skylar. “We need to seek out a descendant from each at once. There’s no time to waste.”

“Great,” said Gilbert. “And just how do we do that?”

“Some of these species have not been seen on these lands for hundreds of years,” said Skylar. “It will take a master tracker. A tenacious hunter of all creatures that walk on four legs. Someone who will search every corner of Vastia and the Beyond for an animal that does not want to be found.”

The group stood quietly for a moment.

“I know just the person,” said Aldwyn.

The streets of Bridgetower had not changed much since Aldwyn had last seen them. He would have liked to give Skylar, Gilbert, Jack, Marianne and Dalton a tour of his favourite rooftops and alleyways, but the six of them had a far more pressing matter at hand. They had rushed to the white-walled city in the royal carriage, accompanied by two of Queen Loranella’s soldiers. It had been early morning when they left Bronzhaven, but by the time they arrived it was already dusk. And once the moon rose over the northwestern horizon, it would be full.

The group stood across the street from the Tower Pub tavern. Aldwyn had sneaked into the cider house before to lap up bits of cheese that had fallen to the floor. It was an establishment frequented by the shadiest characters this side of the Ebs: elvin pirates, sewer market vendors, even the occasional Gordian mindcaster. It was hardly a place for young wizards and their familiars, but few would ask questions once they revealed the queen’s decree they were carrying.

Escorted by the soldiers, the group entered the pub. They got more than a few sideways glances from tattooed driftfolk and long-bearded beast tamers. Aldwyn’s eyes scanned the room. They quickly fell upon a figure sitting by himself in the corner, cloaked in shadows.

“There he is,” said Aldwyn.

Jack pointed him out to Dalton and Marianne. They all approached.

“Excuse me, sir,” said Jack. “We have a job for you.”

The figure turned to reveal a claw-scarred face.

It was Grimslade, the infamous bounty hunter.

Aldwyn’s old nemesis was dressed the same as he always was. Pouches dangled from his belt. A crossbow was slung over his back. His bronze-tipped boots shone bright beneath the table. The only new piece was a six-inch black dragon tooth that hung round his neck. He glared at Aldwyn and the other familiars. They had outsmarted him once before, leaving him asleep beside the Hydra of Mukrete.

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t noose that cat right now,” he snarled.

One of the queen’s soldiers dropped a heavy Hessian bag full of gold coins on the tabletop before Grimslade. The stray hunter wrapped a gloved hand round the drawstrings and pulled the bag towards him. He looked inside.

Just then, a loud horn blared outside, followed by the sound of people screaming. Pub patrons began crowding at the windows.

“What’s going on?” asked Gilbert.

“I have a suspicion,” replied Skylar, and Aldwyn could tell she was truly terrified.

“Stay close,” said one of the soldiers to the young wizards.

Grimslade pushed out his chair and stood up from the table.

“Follow me,” he said.

He moved swiftly through the bar, elbowing past ale swillers and kicking open a door that led to a stairwell. Aldwyn and the others hurried behind Grimslade as he took two steps at a time. The stray hunter pushed open a hatch to the roof and climbed out. The others followed him as fast as they could.

From the roof of the Tower Pub, Aldwyn could see that the full moon had risen. The screams were coming from citizens who were huddled atop the city walls and looking out into the distance. There, advancing across the plains, was an army of thousands. Skeletal wolves, zombie bears and ghoulish animals of every size and shape marched in step. It was Paksahara’s Dead Army. The uprising had begun.