Creeping Shadow (The Rise of Isaac, Book One) (23 page)

The committee looked alarmed then slowly, one by one, they all voted yes.

"Fine," Abbicus snarled. "You can compete, but this better not come back to bite me in the arse." He stormed out of the room.

"It'd take a whale of a mouth to bite that arse," Quinn muttered.

* * *

They returned to the hotel. Oliver didn't say a word on the journey home. He still felt the strong urge to be as far away from people as possible. He was beyond grateful to Rogan for swaying Abbicus's decision but guilt wracked at him. He hadn't been honest and now he had put his friends in the firing line alongside himself.

They exited the pod and walked into the lobby. Oliver trailed behind the others. He walked forward, intending to take the lift straight up to his room but Rogan put an arm out to stop him. "Can I talk to you a sec?" He was smiling but Oliver could tell he didn't have a choice.

He shrugged and followed Rogan into the lounge. Oliver looked back to see Ely and Quinn heading towards the lift. Anna and May were watching them from the lobby. They hesitated, looked at each other uncertainly, then followed Oliver and Rogan into the lounge.

"Look, before you say anything I just want to say sorry. I should have been honest with you Rogan," Oliver said. "I told Anna. I should have told you too."

She nodded a little guiltily.

"I get why you didn't," Rogan said, his mouth turning down at one corner.

"Thank you for standing up for me. There's no way Abbicus was gonna let me compete," Oliver said.

"Don't worry about it," Rogan said earnestly.

"There's something else." Oliver hesitated. He wanted to be completely honest about everything. "May do you mind?" He looked at his sister who's green eyes blazed at him.

She wet her lips before she answered. "No, but I'll say it." She looked at Rogan and Anna then took a breath. "I'm cursed. I have to get to Brinatin as soon as I can or the curse is going to kill me." Determination spread across May's features and Oliver felt a swell of admiration for her.

Rogan and Anna were stunned into silence.

"And we're going to see your father to find out if he can help May," Oliver said, delivering the final secret to Rogan.

Rogan nodded slowly and, for a moment, Oliver thought he was going to storm out of the room never to be seen again. But, instead, he took two long strides over to May and pulled her into a hug. "Then we'd better get you a key," he said, setting his jaw.

20

Those Who Wait

Ten Days Ago

"K
ogure?" Rimori addressed the vark, pacing the cave. His bare feet slipped in the thick grime on the floor. He could sense the creature's presence.

"Yess. I'm here," he answered.

"Is he ready for us? Is it time?" Rimori snapped anxiously, his heartbeat quickening with excitement.

"Yess, yessss. It's timee. He iss beyondd the Gatewayyy. Let usss go. He iss waiting," Kogure's voice was full of anticipation. Rimori knew it was the most dangerous time to be around him but there was nothing he could do to prevent it.

Rimori stopped pacing and relief flooded every inch of his body. He almost felt like weeping. He was returning to the human worlds at long last after ten years in Vale. He could take Kogure with him, he hardly believed it was true. The creature had power over an army of varks and they were his to command now.

"Yes, Kogure. It is time to go at last." He glanced at the remains of his discarded bag in one corner of the cave. He didn't need it anymore. He kept the knife at his waist as one of the only items that would return with him, along with the Lock that had hung at his neck for all these years.

His clothes were in tatters and it was so long since he had been clean he had forgotten what it was like. His thick beard itched; he had dreamed of the day he could take a razor to it and now that day was within reach.

"Noww? Are we going nowww?" Kogure hissed anxiously.

"Yes. But you remember our agreement? You will stay with me unless I tell you otherwise. You will do as I command until we have conquered the seven worlds. Then, and only then, will you be free."

"Yesss. Oh, master, yess, I agree."

"Good. Then we shall go. Lead me back to the Gateway, Kogure."

"Yess." His voice became distant and Rimori could feel the pull of him.

He followed the vibration out of the cave and across the desolate landscape.

They arrived at the Gateway: just a blackened, dead tree. A branch curved over to make the archway on one side of it.

Rimori's heart was beating at an alarming rate. He couldn't believe he was returning after so many years of living in the same cave with only the vark for company.

There were so many things he had forgotten. It all started to flood back: hot showers, fine food, the feel of the sun on his skin.

"Noww. Do it noww," Kogure said.

"Hush. You must learn to be patient. Once we go through, there'll be many things to do before we'll be able to bring down the Gateways."

"I underssstand."

Rimori nodded. He held up his Lock and red light the colour of blood emitted from the key to Vale. He felt the creature inch closer and the archway filled with light.

It had taken him ten years to reach this moment. Ten years in Vale.

He had greatly underestimated what it would take for him to be able to return to the human worlds with the vark. He had waited whilst his friend set everything in order. He had had to convince him to trust Kogure over time. His friend had performed new magic on the vark, designed from his own experiments, that would allow Kogure to come through the Gateway into the human worlds in his full form.

He hadn't realised that the varks who visited the human worlds did so at a cost to themselves. They were damaged by the journey in the same way he would be by returning from Vale, although, they weren't susceptible to death like he was. But he would survive, he had taken precautions to be sure.

He felt nothing but pure joy as he stepped through the Gateway, any pain to come would be worth it.

A soft breeze was the first thing he experienced. Then the smell of dust and a wave of heat from the desert in Arideen. He fell to his knees, his body suddenly weak and exhausted. He couldn't see because of how watered his eyes had become.

He felt pain rip through him so sharp that he almost passed out then the strong arms of someone pulling him into an embrace.

The sound of a man laughing with elation and saying his name. Someone actually saying his name aloud. The noise was music to his ears.

"Isaac, you did it. You
actually
did it."

21

No Going Back

O
n the day of the race, Oliver awoke in the early hours of the morning in a cold sweat. He had dreamt that he was entering the Hogtrout caves alone to a chorus of boos then Truvian Gold appeared in his speedos and ordered him to be sent to Vale as punishment for being William Knight's son. He took a deep breath and smiled at the stupidity of the dream.

He showered and dressed before sitting in the living room with the survision on quietly. A news broadcaster was presenting a story about hundreds of people who had camped out by the Hogtrout caves to try and get last minute tickets to see the race. Oliver's stomach knotted tightly.

He switched the survision off, laid his head back against the chair and closed his eyes. He had just managed to calm his thoughts and was starting to doze off when a knock at the door roused him. He glanced at the clock: it was already eight.

He answered the door to find Ely there holding two packages.

"Ah, you're awake. I suppose you had a rough night, eh?" Ely said, walking into the room.

Oliver nodded and rubbed his eyes which were aching with tiredness.

"What's that?" Oliver asked, gesturing towards the packages.

"These are your team outfits."

Oliver reached out for one. "Can I see?"

"This one's yours and the other's May's. I better go and make sure she's up. Come to my room when you're dressed. Oh, and pack your things and bring them with you. I can check out for you if you qualify for tomorrow's race and take your bags," Ely said, handing him the package and taking his leave.

Oliver opened it and pulled out a navy blue jumpsuit with light blue accents and some boots. On the front of it was the word
Pandalin
and, on the back, the word was repeated with his own name beneath it.

Oliver went to the bathroom and changed into it. The material was soft and lined on the inside for warmth but lightweight and flexible for ease of movement. He looked in the mirror, glad he didn't look too ridiculous.

Satisfied, he packed his bag, put on the pair of boots and went to Ely's room.

May was already there in her suit. It was a more fitted version and she had longer boots pulled over the outside of the material, giving it a more feminine look. Her long, blonde hair was pulled up into a ponytail.

"Well, don't you both look the part? How are you feeling?" Ely asked, briskly rubbing his hands together.

May bit her lip and looked to Oliver. "Pretty nervous,' she said.

Oliver nodded in agreement, dropping his bag onto the sofa next to May's.

"No surprise there. You'll be fine. You just need to focus. Don't think about anything but getting through the race in time. You've got a good team together so there's no reason for you not to qualify for the second stage," Ely said but the words did nothing to ease Oliver's nerves.

Another knock on the door sounded and Ely opened it to find Anna there. She was wearing her jumpsuit with her dark hair tied up like May's. "Hi, can I come in?"

Ely stepped aside and she strode across the room, slumping onto the sofa.

"Anyone else freaking out?" she asked, looking around at Oliver and May who both nodded. "All my life I've wanted to compete in the race and now it's actually happening I'm terrified."

"You'll be fine. You all will be. I have every confidence that, by this evening, you'll all be celebrating your first successful day," Ely said cheerfully.

The evening suddenly seemed like a thousand years away. Oliver couldn't think beyond the dreaded moment of stepping into the caves in front of a booing crowd in a couple of hours' time. He sunk into a chair.

"You alright?" Anna asked with concern.

"Yeah, it's all this waiting around. I can't stand it," Oliver said, tapping his foot.

"It's torture," May agreed, taking a seat next to Anna.

Another knock on the door sounded and Rogan entered, followed closely by Quinn. They had both managed to make the jumpsuits look incredibly stylish. Rogan had the buttons undone slightly at the top and the suit somehow accentuated his broad shoulders and muscular frame.

Quinn had her long hair pulled into a side plait and the suit was much more fitted to her curves than Oliver thought it should have been. He wondered if they had altered the suits using their magic which didn't quite seem fair somehow. He noticed May tugging on her suit's sleeve self-consciously.

"How's everyone feeling?" Rogan clapped his hands together and grinned.

He was brimming with confidence and was clearly excited about the day ahead. Oliver couldn't help but feel resentful as his stomach cartwheeled for the hundredth time that morning, sending a wave of nausea through him.

"Not great. You don't seem too bothered though?" Anna said.

Rogan bounced across the room and sat in between May and Anna. He pulled Anna into a one-armed embrace.

"You'll be okay, Anna," he said, rubbing her shoulder.

Quinn threw him a filthy look.

"You alright, man?" Rogan said, eyeing Oliver with a worried look.

He hoped his face didn't look green. "Yeah, I think so," Oliver said with a slight smile.

"Don't worry. We're gonna smash this," he said, making Oliver feel a little better.

Rogan took his arm off of Anna and patted his knees as he bounced up and down in the chair. May laughed and he grinned at her, making her cheeks burn bright red. Rogan didn't seem to notice.

"How are you feeling, Quinn?" Ely asked.

"Just perfect," she said with a forced smile.

"Are we all ready to go, then?" Ely asked and they nodded. "Laura should be downstairs, she went to check out."

"Why? Where's she going?" Oliver asked.

"She'll be staying near to the race with the rest of the committee," Ely said.

They descended to the lobby and found Laura waiting with her suitcase at her feet. Her face broke into a huge smile as she spotted them and rushed forward to hug Oliver and May.

"How are you guys feeling?" she asked, looking concerned.

"Not bad," Oliver lied and May smiled.

"You're going to be great," she said and turned to the rest of the group. "I've got a pod waiting outside to take you to the Hogtrout caves. You're going to be dropped off nearby where the teams will be briefed for the race. There's some food and drink there as well, so make sure you eat something because you're going to need the energy." Laura grinned around at them all and walked through the door.

They followed her to the large pod that was waiting for them and climbed inside. The seats were topped with soft cushions and peaceful, classical music was playing through the speakers.

They whizzed along through the city, taking a route through a tunnel in Thorn Mountain towards the caves. The closer they got, the more Oliver's stomach clenched.

No one spoke much along the way and Oliver could have sworn the trip had been longer the first time. The pod stopped in a torch-lit passageway that led towards an immense cavern.

They exited the pod and Oliver gazed at the giant, shimmering stalactites that hung from the ceiling. The crowd of people in the room moved between colossal stalagmites protruding from the floor.

Mineral deposits sparkled as they caught the light of burning torches set in brackets along the walls. The immense crowd filling the cavern were dressed in the same jumpsuits with different colours distinguishing the teams.

"This is where I leave you, I'm afraid," Ely said and Laura nodded as she linked his arm.

"Okay," Oliver said, distracted by his surroundings.

"We'll be watching you every step of the way. See you at the finish line. You'll be fantastic," Ely said as he climbed back into the pod.

"Good luck," Laura said as she followed him.

Quinn had already disappeared into the cave but Rogan and Anna stayed and waved goodbye as the pod zoomed away down the track.

"Are your parents going to be watching?" May asked Anna.

"Yeah, they got time off work to stay for the race. How about your family, Rogan?" Anna asked.

"My mum and sister will be. My brother Alecs is working back in Alevale."

They joined the queue for the breakfast buffet. The thought of eating made Oliver feel ill but he knew it was important to get something down. He took some toast and butter with a hot cup of Glacian tea and followed the others to a table.

It looked like it had been chiselled out of the cave wall with small boulders around it for chairs. Quinn had decided to sit elsewhere, which Oliver was actually quite pleased about.

He spotted her across the room sitting with Larkin and his team. They were dressed in maroon-coloured jumpsuits with their team name
Visikin
emblazoned across their chests and backs in black. He noticed Rogan looking over at them as well.

"I can't
believe
she's sitting with Larkin," Anna said, shaking her head at her.

"Do you mind her doing that?" Oliver asked Rogan.

"She can do what she wants. I just think we should all be sitting as a team right now," he said, though his eyes continued to flit in her direction from time to time.

Oliver sipped at his Glacian tea. It helped his nerves recede and excitement itched at him instead. He took another large gulp. May was sipping on a cup of her own and looked more relaxed.

Oliver glanced around the room to read the different names on the jumpsuits as he nibbled on his toast. He read several before he got bored:

Thrake, Lost, Zhoulin, Gallit, Harvin, Koop, Nittle, Relic, Krandle, Suddle, Loop, Squail, Sister, Justice, Ninagoon, Ganderfield, Thorn, Visikin and Pippin.

He recognised many of the contestants from the opening ceremony a lot of whom cast glances at Rogan and Quinn. The odd person eyed Oliver with discontent but he avoided their gaze, forcing himself to ignore them.

"Has anyone ever got hurt racing?" May asked tentatively and Oliver zoned in on the conversation.

"Quite a few. Injuries are pretty common. A girl lost an arm a few season's back," Anna said, her face contorting.

"Yeah, 'cause she tried to stop a rotating blade with her elbow. Idiot," Rogan said, swigging his drink.

"A rotating blade?" Oliver asked with a spike of panic.

"Yeah, one of the challenges was to get through a room with these blades flying around but there was an obvious pattern to it. Anyone could have done it," Rogan said but Oliver felt his insides churn.

"I hope we don't get that room," May said, turning a paler shade of white.

"A boy drowned a couple of years ago in one of the water rooms," Anna said sadly.

"What? He
died
?" May asked in shock.

"Yep," Rogan said then spotted the look on May's face. "Don't worry it doesn't happen often. Especially if you're not a moron about the tasks."

"If we take our time we'll be fine," Anna said, nodding repeatedly as if to reassure herself.

"The worst season was the terrorist attack," Rogan said, grimacing.

Oliver remembered the tourist information in the pod mentioning the attack.

"Yeah, that was bad. After Rimori entered Vale there was a sudden surge of anti-Gateway rebels all grouping together. I guess they got overexcited 'cause a group of them entered the race and when they got into one of the challenge rooms they blew the whole place up, including themselves and about five rooms around them," Anna said in a dark tone.

"And the people in them," Rogan added with a grimace.

"Is there any chance of that happening this time, seeing as Rimori's come back?" May asked in a hushed voice.

"I doubt it. They've
seriously
upped security since then and no doubt they'll be even stricter this season," Anna said.

"Please would you all be seated," a man's voice boomed out over the crowd.

The remaining people standing found a seat and silence fell over the room. Oliver spotted the man raised up on a podium behind the breakfast buffet. It was Abbicus Brown.

"I'd like to welcome you all to this year's third season of the Great Race of Aleva. You are all blessed with the privilege of taking part in Aleva's famous challenge, in the hope that you might win a key to Glacio. Although I am sure you will all race valiantly, only the first ten teams to reach the Gateway on the second race day will be granted this highest honour. But don't be disheartened. You may, of course, reapply for entry the following season.

"I must remind you that by taking part, you are responsible for your own safety. This is a high risk activity and accidents occur every season. You can reduce these risks by following the rules and taking time to assess each challenge. To reduce the risk of injury further we do have mages on hand to assist you if needs be.

"The following rules must be adhered to to avoid disqualification. Number one: no team is allowed to directly inhibit the progression of another team through the course, number two: all teams must stay together at all times throughout each race and must cross the finish line together to qualify. And number three: mages are forbidden from using magic during the race and will be equipped with gauntlets to prevent cheating."