Return of the Crown (29 page)

After eating all she could, more than she’d
thought possible, she shouldered her pack, standing. She felt power
anew, felt the Light welling within her, filling her with a sense
of hope. She unlatched the chain mail dropping it to the ground
along with a load of worries. Pulling the pearl and crystal amulet
from under her blouse, she removed it from her neck. She wrapped
the chain around her wrist, the crystal emerging from her right
hand. Blade took her left hand in his, and they stepped toward the
murky water. The reek of the festering water choked them, and Ravyn
nearly lost the contents of her meager meal. Shoulders back and
head high, they took several courageous steps forward until they
stood on the edge of the moat.

“We dive in together on the count of three
letting the amulet touch the water first,” Ravyn calmly stated.

“Ravyn, I love you,” his green eyes bore his
message deep into her heart, embedding the words on her soul.

“And I you,” she said smiling. “One, two,
three,” she cried. They dove together, Ravyn’s right hand reaching
out before them. Deep beneath the oily black water they plunged and
surfaced gasping. The water directly around them was pure, clear,
and calm. Inches away the acrid black surface seethed and roiled.
Blade used his free arm to stroke, and they both kicked. The far
shore looked miles away, though they knew it was only a hundred
yards or so. They kicked and kicked, but the far bank remained out
of reach. They struggled for what seemed an eternity, never nearing
their goal. Ravyn faltered, crying out as her calves cramped into
knots.

“Rav, look at me,” Blade cried. Ravyn turned
her head to face him, taking her eyes off the distant bank. “We can
do this, but don’t look to the shore, look to me. Now kick, Ravyn,
kick as if the hounds of Darkness were on our tails.” Ravyn’s legs
battled with the water. She wanted to scream as her legs spasmed
with each kick. She kept her eyes to Blade, the comfort of her
soul. Moments later, they bumped into the muddy bank.

“You out first, Blade,” Ravyn gasped, “then
I’ll follow. The amulet must stay in the water.” Blade crawled up
onto the muddy bank, Ravyn scrambling out after, leaving her right
hand in the water. As she pulled the amulet free, the water churned
and fumed, splattering the banks with its acidic scum.

Ravyn felt like a drowned rat. On hands and
knees, hair clinging to her face in straggling masses, she wheezed,
“How did you know not look to the shore?” Her arms trembled trying
to hold her weight. She gave in collapsing on the ground.

“I looked behind…and saw that shore seemed
distant...as well. I figured we were trapped…in a spell. Looking
away…was the only thing…I could think to try.” He sat back, rubbing
a stitch in his side, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

Rayvn pushed herself into a sitting position,
smiling weakly, “I’m so glad you’re with me. I couldn’t think of
anything except for reaching that far shore. I never would’ve taken
my eyes off it. Imagine me treading water in that moat for
eternity.” She giggled hysterically and then sobered. “Blade, I
don’t know what I’m doing. How can I save anyone? You have to keep
saving me.”

“Ravyn, you’ve saved me as well, and Giallag,
and Medina. The Light is with you; it’s helping us.” He reached for
her hand, entwining his fingers with hers and giving her a gentle
squeeze. “You have to stop worrying. We have Medina’s feather, a
free ticket through the vortex. Then we’ll have Zelera as
well.”

Ravyn looked to the sky. It was
mid-afternoon. “Blade,” she cried, “the sun, we have to hurry. Time
keeps running away with us. I thought we’d be in the castle
already. The army has been fighting nigh on a full day.”

Blade pulled her into his arms, staring hard
into her face. “They will fight till their last breath, as I would.
You can’t save them all, and yes, too many lives will be lost
today. That’s what Zelera will have to pay for. They fight freely,
not for you, but for a return to the Light. They rail against the
Darkness that has a stranglehold upon our land. Believe in the
Light Rav. Believe in yourself.”

Ravyn cringed at the mild rebuke, knowing
Blade was right. She grasped the Light within her, seeking solace
in its steady warmth. She reached into her pocket and caressed
Medina’s feather. She straightened herself up finding a
half-hearted smile to paste over the wounds etched into her heart.
“Let’s go, and Blade, thank you.”

Late afternoon Medina landed beside Connor
again, “Sir, I’ve spied them on the opposite banks of the moat.
They are heading into the vortex.”

“Good, good. I was beginning to worry when
you didn’t return sooner.”

A sheepish blush graced Medina’s cheeks. “I
got caught up in the melee, sir. First, those hornets arrived. They
aren’t my favorite food, but it was kind of Zelera to provide us a
meal chock full of protein. Then I needed to fight with my clan for
a while. A leader drives the charge, or the troops might lose
faith. That tasty looking General told me that.”

“And right he was.” He chuckled to himself as
he looked at the beautiful harpy. Leave it to Ravyn to take a
centuries old foulness and make it something glorious. “I know I’m
not as tasty looking as General Joff, but if you’d like to share my
meal, you may. Have you had time to eat?”

“Nothing but those hornets. But only a quick
bite as I’ve got messages to relay for the General. When we harpies
aren’t fighting, we act as couriers.”

“Take what you’d like, my lady,” Connor
tilted his head, indicating a loaded plate beside him, “and leave
when you must.”

Connor scanned the aural plane, waiting for
Zelera’s next move. It had been quiet for some time now. Too quiet.
He felt movement in the atmosphere; Zelera was looking for his
thread. Too late, he realized he’d let the indigo coloring fade.
“Into the vortex, little bird, before she discovers you.”

Lightening streaked from the castle arcing
across the sky, followed by a crazed shriek of rage.

Down in the dungeons Jedro shivered, hopping
from foot to foot. Foul energy emanated from every brick of the
castle. His feathers tingled with it. Something in the placid male
harpy snapped, waiting for a rescue was no longer an option.
“Guard, help, help,” he squawked, moving to the side of his door
out of the guard’s line of sight.

The guard arrived, mumbling curses under his
breath. Jedro could smell the fetid reek, hear his snuffling breath
through the heavy oak door. “What’s wrong with you, birdbrain?”
grunted the guard. His pudgy cheek mashed around the bars as he
peered through the gaps in the cold metal. “What’s up? Where are
you, you dumb cluck?”

Jedro held his breath. He heard keys
jangling, then the click of the lock. Jedro tensed, watching the
guard stump into his cell. He sprang at him, talons slashing his
chubby face. The keys clanged to the floor jangling of freedom, the
guard squealed like a stuck pig. Months of pent up fury unleashed.
Bloodlust colored Jedro’s vision, and he attacked with wild
abandon, talons ripping into soft flesh. The guard fell to his
knees, reduced to a bleeding mass on the floor. A pool of blood
seeped across the cold stone, and the anger slipped away. Jedro
shuddered at the bloody mass slumped over on the floor. He snatched
up the keys in his talons and flew out the door, never looking
back.

Jedro careened down the hall, looking for a
way out. The labyrinthine passages disoriented him, driving him
around blind corners, his frantic wings pumping the stale musty
air. Heart racing, internal alarm bells sounding, flustered he
crashed hard into the wall. The stones were hot to his touch,
warming his fingers. Curiosity overcame panic, and he peered
through the window bars. A small red dragon sat in the center of
the chamber, munching and crunching the remains of his keepers.

“Hey, wee mite; you’re a prisoner here
too!”

The dragon swiveled its sinewy neck to look
at the door, cocking its head. Golden eyes focused on Jedro, a
smoky belch erupting. It sneezed, blowing blood droplets across the
room.

“I’m not another meal for you mate, but I’d
see you free. I’ll unlock the door and let you out, but mind you,
don’t eat me.”

The dragon gurgled happily, puffs of smoke
issuing from its nostrils.

‘Jedro, you’re a fool,’ he thought to
himself, ‘but you can’t leave the wee beastie for that witch. He
doesn’t deserve that.’ After sticking several different keys in the
rusty lock, one clicked home, the door swinging free. The baby
dragon squeezed its great girth through the door, peering at
Jedro.

“Now remember, I’m not food,” Jedro said,
staring deep into the curious orbs. He flapped his wings, steadying
himself in the air.

The baby dragon tilted his head, examining
the harpy’s wings, and then beat his own. “Crawk?”

“Yes, we are both beasts of the skies.
Brothers, in a way. We need to find a window or door to the outside
so we can escape.”

The baby dragon bobbed its head, chirruping
deep in its throat. It hiccupped, another plume of smoke drifting
from its nostrils.

“Now, most of the guards are gone. Fighting a
battle I heard them say, but we must remain quiet. Have you met
Zelera yet, the mean lady?”

The dragon shook his head no.

“Well, trust me, you don’t want to. Now, we
need to get out of these dungeons. Maybe we should head to the
roof.”

The baby dragon nodded, nudging Jedro as if
to say, ‘lead on.’

Together they passed through the dark maze of
halls. The dragon was too big to fly in the narrow passages, so he
ran along behind Jedro, his nails clicking along the stone floor.
They happened upon stairs leading to the upper floors of the
castle, and freedom, or so Jedro hoped.

Zelera was fuming. All her warriors were on
the battlefield; no more poured through the gates. They fought like
the savage beasts they were and outnumbered the foe five to one,
but their numbers were dwindling at an alarming rate. To make
matters worse, every spell she cast was deflected or turned against
her own forces. How could a girl with no training be so adept?

Zelera cast her aural thread out above the
battle, locking onto Ravyn’s image. She shrieked in rage, lightning
flying from her fingertips in response to her anger. Ravyn’s thread
was now golden, not violet. The visage of Ravyn fell away, Connor’s
image blossoming in its place. He smiled, bowing theatrically.

‘You think you have won the battle,’ she
seethed, sending the message along her thread to his. ‘This was
just a game. I will destroy the king and queen, and your precious
little princess too. Hell will own you all!’

Storming off the battlement, she thundered
down the halls. “I’m coming for you, harpy! You and that blasted
dragon are going to die! I will win. I will not be denied, the
Darkness will not be denied,” she screamed, blasting down the
stairs into the dark belly of the castle.

Jedro and the baby dragon dove into the
kitchens as a scream ripped from the battlements. The swinging
doors thunked together, and Jedro held his breath. The cute little
dragon cocked his head and chirruped in Jedro’s ear. They slunk
into the shadows, scarcely breathing. Zelera’s screeching tirade
reached them in the kitchens, her words clear as a bell.

Wringing his hands, Jedro looked about for an
exit. “Hear that, my friend? We’re doomed if we don’t escape soon.”
Jedro heard a crunching slurping sound, and he spun around to see
the dragon ripping a turkey carcass to shreds, the juices running
down its scaly throat. “No time for that now. We have to get out of
here!”

Jedro bustled out the back kitchen door, the
little dragon trailing after, his long tail scraping the tile
floor. Rushing down the hall, they darted into a big open room.
Books lined the walls, rows upon rows from ceiling to floor. Two
large doors opened up onto a balcony overlooking the grounds. A
fierce wind swirled all about the castle; a malevolent angry
whirring sound filled the air to overflowing, piercing their
ears.

“Can you fly, mate?” Jedro asked, flapping
his wings and lifting up in the air. “You try.”

The red wings beat furiously as the dragon
lifted off the ground. It grinned, sharp teeth flashing.

“Good, now we’re going to jump off the
balcony and use our wings to stay aloft. Understand?” Jedro walked
out onto the balcony, the wind wailed like a banshee, and dust
stung at his skin.

The dragon edged through the door, eyeing the
raging wind. It grumbled a growl, backing up.

“Hush now. I know it’s frightful, mate, but
I’d rather die in the air than wait for that hag to catch us. Now,
just follow me.” Jedro hopped onto the railing, the shrieking wind
battering at him, threatening his balance. He teetered a moment
before diving into the raging gale. Harpy magic worked, and though
it was straining, he could hover in front of the dragon. “Come on,
lad. You can do it.”

The doors to the library crashed open,
ripping from their hinges. Zelera spied the baby dragon and
screamed, extending her hands before her and rushing towards the
open window.

“Now, little guy! You’ve got to do it!
Jump!”

The baby’s head swayed left to right, and the
shiny red wings began beating. The dragon leaped over the balcony.
Down plummeted the little beast, the winds tossing him this way and
that. Diving down, Jedro placed his wing onto the scaly back.
Instantly the dragon was able to gain control of his movements.
Jedro plucked a feather from his wing, pressing it into the
dragon’s talons. “Hold tight to that, little guy, and we’ll be all
right.”

Ravyn and Blade stood in front of the howling
vortex, their hands gripping Medina’s feather. Ravyn turned to face
Blade. He smiled and took a deep breath, readying himself to enter
the melee. Ravyn wrapped her arms about him, gathering much needed
strength in his embrace. Reluctant to let go, but knowing she must,
Ravyn released her grip. As one, they turned to face the storm and
they stepped in.