The Flight of the Griffin (15 page)

‘As I was saying the other day…’

‘Liquorice - did they bring liquorice? I’ve had a hankering for a nice piece of liquorice for ages.’

‘You can’t eat liquorice; you’ve no stomach for it,
haaaaaaaa haaa!’

‘I said it would be today, didn’t I say they would come today?’

Some were moaning, some were singing, but most were trying to get the visitors’ attention with questions and comments; the noise was unbearable.

‘Silence!’
bellowed Magician Clement who, after finally making the top of the stairs, had entered the chamber.

‘Ooh, who’s this?’

‘Bit loud, isn’t he!’

‘Who does he think he is, eh?’

The noise returned, this time, with sounds of laughter joining in.

‘I said silence and I
mean
silence!’ Magician Clement banged his staff on the floor several times then walked around, peering closely at the skulls. ‘Bleak's work this is, all stained with Chaos.’ The noise reduced to a low murmur for a moment…it didn’t last.

‘He’s looking at me.’

‘He said you were stained, are you stained?’

‘He was talking to you!’

‘No he was not!’

The noise picked up again, becoming deafening as, once again, each skull fought to be heard above its neighbours.

‘Don’t let him get too close, we don’t know him yet!’

‘Well I don’t think he’s being very nice.’

The skulls’ chatter ebbed slightly but didn’t stop; it seemed they were unable to do anything else. Pardigan stepped forward.

‘We seek the skull that links to Magician Pew,’ he shouted.

‘That’s me, that’s me!' cried just about every skull in unison.

‘Nice try, lad,’ murmured Magician Clement when the noise had once again abated.

They started searching for anything obvious that could help them. The shelves, desk, windowsills, the bed and a good part of the floor, were covered in chattering skulls.

‘This is hopeless,’ screamed Mahra over the noise. ‘How are we meant to find the right one amongst all these?’

‘There’s one here that says he knows which skull we’re looking for, and if we take him with us he’ll introduce us,’ shouted Pardigan, but he didn’t sound very convinced.

‘Yes and there’s one here that claims it’s the one we want, but it keeps trying to bite me, so I think
it’s lying.’ Tarent dodged back from its snapping jaws.

‘There it is!’ shouted Loras, pointing up to the top of a shelf. He started to clamber over several chairs and shelves pushing skulls out of the way as he went, apologising profusely to the complaints and gnashing teeth that followed his progress. The others stood back and watched his efforts, hoping he was right. As Loras touched a glowing blue skull, the others stopped whatever they had been saying and froze mid-sentence; hundreds of jaws clicked shut at the same time; the silence was deafening. Loras looked down at his friends. ‘Well I think this
must
be the one if it shut that lot up.’ He carefully picked up the skull and brought it down to the table. It was crystal and pulsating with a steady blue light. ‘It was the only one,’ he explained. ‘Everything else, like the knife and the book has done the same thing with a strange blue light, so it was a fair guess that it was the magician's skull.’

‘Well I don’t know about being Pew’s actual skull,’ said Clement. ‘But I do think it is the one we were looking for.’ The skull glowed brighter. ‘Clement is that you?’ The skull’s jaw didn’t move but a voice came from it sounding muted and distant.

‘Pew, are you alive in there?’ the old magician dropped to his knees to be level with the strange skull.

‘Alive yes but in here no, as my heroes will tell you, this is the skull that links to me, not my actual skull, I’m still using that.’ A deep throaty laugh came from the glowing skull.

‘I just explained that to them! I’m not daft, Pew,’ grumbled Magician Clement.

Mahra pushed forward and gave a little yelp of joy. ‘Master it
is
you!’

‘Mahra, oh, Mahra you’ve done so well. The heroes are together and Bleak left us one hero extra, I hear. Clement will be of great help to us.

‘Let me give some small explanation if I may.’ The skull glowed even brighter. ‘The great spell was conceived and wrapped around three crystal skulls of the kind you see before you. By uniting the skulls at the correct time, the spell will be activated. All of this, the creation of the spell, your Quest, Mahra’s long vigil, is to counter the ultimate threat of the balance swinging to Chaos with no expectation of return. You must find the three skulls and bring them back to me and we can complete the spell; you cannot fail. The book will show you more when this first skull is placed with it, now flee this island as quickly as you can, there is nothing more for you here except trouble. May the Source speed you.’

The glow returned to normal and Loras placed it into his bag. Taking a last look around at the rows of silent skulls, Mahra and Clement offered up a prayer to the Source for the souls of their lost friends, and they left the tower, trailing down to the bottom of the stairs.

When Magician Clement finally arrived, Quint made to open the door to the corridor and lead them all out.

‘Hold fast, young man!’ cried Clement as he hobbled forward holding Mahra’s arm. ‘I am afraid we have a problem. One of my gifts is to sense the presence of Chaos. Sometimes, as with that knife, I must be close, other times as now, I can sense the presence from some distance away.’ He sighed. ‘I’m sorry to say that there is a demon in the academy, and it must be that it searches for us.’

****

Belial sat, as his rank demanded, higher than anything else, human or demon, on a platform made from a hastily cut-down table. Beside him to his right, stood Matheus Hawk and to his left, stood a demon. The demon had simply arrived, saying nothing before moving to Belial’s side, where it now stood with its head bowed. 

The room above the inn was stifling hot and Bartholomew suspected the smell that filled the air was emanating from this latest visitor. He eyed the demon from where he was crouched uncomfortably on a small wooden stool at Belial’s feet. The new demon was hooded, but Bartholomew could still make out the twisted features of a bestial face. The sound of its coarse, laboured breathing was all that broke the silence of Belial’s frequent meditations, and he couldn’t be sure, but it felt like the demon was watching him as he fidgeted uncomfortably.

Things had taken a decided turn for the worse for Bartholomew. It was only a few blissful hours ago that he had been happily without any inkling that demons actually existed, and now here he sat in the presence of two of them. One apparently, almost set to eat him and the other was a king of demons no less. He was becoming somewhat desperate to get away, but had no idea how.

Belial had been in this latest meditation for some time, with his head propped upon his hand and his face set in a slight frown of concentration. At last he came back to them, his expression turning to a broad smile that was at once both beautiful and terrifying.

‘Mr Bask, I am sure you will be as delighted as I, to know that one of my agents is closing in on this ‘
rabble of Order
’ even as we speak. We shall soon be able to question them and return your goods to you.’ He smiled down at Bartholomew. ‘Which of course, shall make you beholden to me, but we will discuss my fee upon completion.’ Bartholomew felt like a mouse being toyed with by some giant cat. He scowled up at the Hawk. Didn’t that fool know the trouble he had gotten them both into?

Belial’s features clouded once more as he communed with his agent. ‘Excellent, oh yes excellent,’ he murmured. ‘The prey is in sight and the game underway.’ The beautiful face split once more into a broad smile and a deep rumble of laughter erupted, echoing around the room.

Bartholomew started to feel sick again and once more sought for some means of escape.

****

‘It walks the halls now searching for us.’ Magician Clement slumped to the floor as he concentrated. ‘We will have to face it, my young friends, and I’m afraid I’m not up to facing it alone. I am already tired and wouldn’t last long.  I can, however give some advice for when you do meet in battle.’ He took a deep breath. ‘Magician, do not attempt to use any magic of fire upon it, for it comes from a realm of fire and it would only enjoy the sensation. For the same reason however, it may dislike the feeling of cold.’ He gave Loras a smile of encouragement. ‘Use your staff. It will increase the power of any magic you choose to send through it, Source be true.’  Next his gaze found Tarent and Quint. ‘Do not slash at it with your swords or shoot at it with any normal arrow. Unless I am much mistaken, a demon of this kind and power has skin tougher than you could ever imagine, you will not be able to harm it.’ His features glazed over.

‘It comes closer and we have not much time. Pass me your arrows, boy, and you your knives, lad. I shall attempt to enchant them with what little energy of Order I have left, for that is the only thing I know that can stop it.’ He passed his hands over the arrows that Quint held out, as well as the knives that Pardigan produced. Each pulsed with a fierce bright blue light of Order, before returning to normal. ‘Aim for its eyes, they are its only vulnerable part.’ He held Quint’s arm. ‘ I know there are precious few arrows here, fighter, but would you humour a very old man and allow me to keep one?’ Quint nodded his agreement and the old man smiled his thanks. With an effort he pulled himself to his feet. ‘It is time to meet it.’ He held the gaze of each in turn. ‘Are we ready?’ He saw the group of young anxious faces around him, these heroes of the balance, and added a small prayer.

‘May we be blessed today with courage and with skill,

May our luck hold true,

And may the Source preserve us all.’

‘The Source,’ they echoed in return, raising their weapons.

Quint threw open the door.

****

Chapter 10

To Battle A Demon

The glow globes were first into the corridor, closely followed by Quint and then Tarent. Light from the globes’ movement sent a confusion of shadows dancing on the walls and doors to either side. The crew watched nervously as a large dark shape about halfway down slowly came into view, the globes' dim light gradually exposing the demon’s features. It was huge. Its head almost touched the ceiling and its massive shoulders were brushing the walls to either side, dragging plaster and old hangings down as it lumbered forward. It was completely black except for the deep red smouldering glow of its eyes, which were set above large flaring nostrils. Pardigan pushed through to join his friends. His first thought on getting a good look at the creature, was that it resembled the features of a giant bat freshly drawn from the worst of fevered nightmares. Wings could be seen above its shoulders, folded now, but flexing from time to time as it crunched along the bone-strewn corridor towards them.

One taloned hand held a long, heavy blade that dripped an evil, pungent mixture in a steady green flow; the sticky goo hissing as it landed in sticky lumps onto the floor. The other hand was empty, but was flexing, ready to rip and tear at anything that came close. As it approached, it opened its mouth and let out an ear-splitting screech, almost deafening them with its intensity. Without hesitation, Tarent strode forward to meet the creature, closing the distance between them quickly, his twin blades unsheathing in a blur.

Quint watched Tarent’s attack and strained to draw his bow back before quickly letting fly two arrows - the first bounced from the creature’s head, a little above its left eye, the second was snatched from the air and flung to the ground in contempt. The demon lurched into action, its huge sword swinging high and Tarent quickly found himself being pushed back into the others. Unable to do much against the creature’s sheer size and strength in such a narrow space, he battled to keep fear, as well as the demon at bay.

Mahra, now in the form of the Black Panther, ran forward and leapt using her weight and speed to push the thing back. In the confines of the corridor it wasn’t possible for them all to charge at once, so Tarent and Mahra fought from the front with the others striking from behind. Mahra was really unable to do little more than distract it; her claws doing no damage even when she was able to strike at it. Magician Clement had been whispering to Loras who now also joined in sending spears of ice flashing at the demon from the tip of his staff. The demon screamed in pain as ice spears struck and then enveloped it. Enraged, it broke the ice and struck out making Mahra leap back with a yelp as the black blade carved a path along her side, peeling her skin back with a deep red flow of blood. She sobbed in pain and fell whimpering, as Magician Clement shuffled to her side attempting to find a little more energy to heal her.

Light from one of the globes briefly lit further back down the corridor. Pardigan snatched the opportunity and place-shifted behind the demon. He immediately turned and sent electrical charges into its back that struck with loud cracks sending sparks flying, diverting its attention, forcing it to turn and try to swipe at him. As it did so, he sent a knife spinning into the demon's face.

‘Eat that!’ he screamed in triumph as the blade entered the demon’s eye, striking with a meaty thunk before sinking to the hilt. It howled and snarled in agony as it faced him, enraged, half blind and seeking revenge. The knife fell from its eye and black blood and gore oozed down its cheek as it ran towards him screeching.