“Who did you have to fight, in the end?” said Fisher. “Was it Prince Cameron?”
“Yes. I killed him.” Hawk considered for a moment, then said, “Arrogant, and a bit of an arsehole, but brave enough, I suppose. The other side didn’t take kindly to my winning. Called the whole thing off, because I cheated by not dying. The whole army jumped me, and then their General wanted to cut my head off.”
“But I stopped him,” said Chappie. “Ripped his throat out. And I just want to say, he tasted really bad.”
Fisher looked at the dog. She could see the blood still dripping from his jaws.
“Good dog,” she said.
Hawk looked at Chappie. “You said you were proud . . .”
“I know what I said!” Chappie said loudly. “It was in the heat of the moment! You’re never going to let me forget it, are you?”
“You saved my life,” said Hawk. “I’ll never forget that.”
He got to his feet, leaning heavily on Fisher, and looked at King Rufus, sitting anxiously on his throne. The Seneschal at his side, as always. Richard and Catherine, standing together. Raven the Necromancer standing to one side, looking thoughtful.
“Something just happened,” he said, in an odd, dreamy voice. “Something really . . . strange has come into the Forest. And it’s brought a whole army of most unnatural friends with it.”
“What are you talking about?” demanded the King. “Speak sense, dammit! Has Redhart brought in reinforcements?”
“Something like that, yes,” said Raven. “You need to see this.”
He opened up a large dimensional window, hanging in midair, so they could see what was happening in the Forest beyond the Castle clearing. Everyone made some kind of sound as they watched the Unreal swarming through the trees, preparing to attack. Monstrous shapes and gleaming figures, shimmering apparitions ghosting through massive tree trunks, and grey stone gargoyles flexing huge membranous wings. No two shapes the same anywhere, a chaos of flesh mixed with magical extremes; a riot of things that should never have existed in the real world.
And there, standing at the very head of them, looking out across the clearing at Forest Castle as though he knew they were looking at him: the Red Heart. The colour of freshly spilled blood, all of him, from his inhumanly handsome face to his old-fashioned clothes. He smiled slowly, like a devil let loose from Hell to work mischief.
The doors to the Court banged open, and Mercy hurried in.
“Your majesty! An army of monsters has just appeared in the Forest outside and they’re—oh, I see you already know.”
Raven shut down the window, and they all turned to Mercy.
“Will the Castle’s protections keep those things out?” said King Rufus.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” said Mercy. “Most of the defences were laid down so long ago, we don’t even know what they were originally designed to fend off. But according to all the old stories, they didn’t keep out the demons during the Demon War.”
“No,” said Hawk, “they didn’t.”
“So that’s the Red Heart,” said Richard. “Impressive, in an appalling sort of way. We’re talking Wild Magic here, aren’t we?”
“I would have said so,” said Raven. “Though I couldn’t tell you what the Red Heart actually is . . . I understand King William got it out of a Standing Stone near his Castle.”
Everyone looked at the newly young King Rufus, and he met their gazes steadily.
“Yes,” he said, “that’s where I found the Green Man. Good thing too, as it turns out. Now we have an old pagan god to set against theirs.”
“You might call it a god,” said Raven. “I’m . . . still looking into the matter.”
Fisher brought the Rainbow Sword over to Hawk and pressed it into his hands. “Told you I’d keep it safe till you got back.”
Hawk held the old familiar weight in his hand, and felt a slow refreshing strength run through him. He straightened up, stretched slowly, and then strapped the sword into place on his hip, opposite his axe.
“Just like old times,” he said.
“God, I hope not,” said Fisher. She looked Hawk over. “You look better. I think the sword agrees with you.”
“I feel better,” said Hawk. He shuddered briefly. “Prince Cameron was good. I mean, really good. If I hadn’t had the High Warlock’s axe . . .”
“I’d have rushed in and tripped him,” said Chappie. “Or bitten him on the bum.”
“That would have been dishonourable,” Hawk said sternly. “You have no sense of the fitness of things.”
“Of course not,” said Chappie. “I’m a dog! Look, he’s dead and you’re alive, and that’s all that matters.”
“Who’s in charge of their forces, now Cameron is dead?” said Catherine.
They all looked at her. She shrugged quickly.
“I never liked him. Don’t think anyone did. There was always something a bit creepy about Cameron.”
“I would assume Prince Christof has taken command,” said Hawk. “I didn’t see anyone else there with a better claim.”
“Christof . . . ,” said Richard. “Got a good reputation as a fighter, during the border skirmishes. Don’t know how he’ll do as a commander of men . . .”
“He’ll manage,” said Catherine. “He’s spent years preparing for this. It’s what he’s always wanted.”
“But now the Red Heart’s arrived, how much real control does Christof have?” said Fisher.
“I’ve been expecting this,” King Rufus said heavily. “Ever since I learned William had brought the Unreal back to Castle Midnight. He never could leave well enough alone. And he never did anything without a good reason. It’s clear he’s been planning how to win this war for a long time . . . Though I’m still damned if I can see why he wants one.” He sighed heavily and gave his full attention to Mercy. “How long do you think the Castle defences will hold, Mercy?”
“Some are so old we’re having trouble waking them up,” said Mercy. “And the Unreal is an unknown factor. So we can’t predict anything, really. The shields could go down at the first attack, and then there’d be nothing left but to guard the battlements and man the barricades, and fight them off with cold steel. I’ve ordered all kinds of really unpleasant weapons brought out of the Armoury, but there just aren’t enough people to use them. No one’s had to defend Forest Castle against an actual siege since the Demon War . . . We can only defend so many positions, but there’s enough Unreal creatures out there to hit us from every direction at once.”
“Assume the worst,” said the King. “How long could we hold against a full siege?”
“Depends what they throw against us,” said Mercy. “It’s not just the Unreal; Redhart has a whole army out there. With siege engines, assault towers, and all kinds of supplies. And who knows what kind of magic they’ve brought to back them up? This Castle was built to be big and strong and keep people out, but there’s a lot more than people coming our way. Anything will break if you hit it hard enough and often enough.”
“I say go out and fight,” said Hawk. “Take the battle to them.”
He was looking and sounding a lot better. Fisher and Chappie stood steadily on either side of him.
“Are you serious?” said Richard.
“You heard Mercy,” said Hawk. “They’re going to get in anyway. Let’s do the fighting where it won’t make a mess of the Castle. A surprise attack might just catch them napping. Hit them hard enough, hurt them enough, and they’ll scatter. Break their confidence and they’ll retreat, fall back to think again. And that could buy us enough time for the Forest army to arrive.”
“We don’t have enough armed men for an open assault,” said Richard.
“It does have the virtue of being entirely unexpected,” said the King.
“No one would expect it, because it’s completely, bloody insane!” said Richard. “Our forces would be slaughtered!”
“Not necessarily,” said Hawk. “What if you had ano
ther army to back yours up? An army of the most highly trained warriors and magic-users of all time? Fisher and I talked about this earlier. Raven . . . could you open a dimensional door, linking Forest Castle with the Millennium Oak, home to the Hero Academy?”
Raven smiled suddenly. “You just think of the exact location, sir Hawk, and I’ll do the rest.”
It took only a moment for the young sorcerer to open up a window, and immediately the witch Lily Peck was there, staring out at Hawk and Fisher.
“About time!” she said firmly. “We’ve been monitoring the situation and waiting for you to do the sensible thing. We’ve organised an attack force.”
“How big a force?” said Fisher.
Lily Peck smiled. “Pretty much everybody. No one wanted to be left out of this contest. Apart from the Administrator, whose back is playing up again. And the tantric sex bunch—but then they always were weird. Otherwise, the whole Academy’s raring to show off what they can do. From students to tutors to most of the staff.” She looked past Hawk, at Raven. “So, you’re Raven. I always thought you’d be darker. Never mind; doesn’t matter. Establish a gateway in the main Castle courtyard, and we’ll lock on from this side. See you soon.”
The window shut down. The King was already up and off his throne and heading for the doors. Everyone else followed him out of the Court.
• • •
Soon enough, everyone who mattered had assembled on the great steps outside the main entrance, looking out over the empty courtyard. And everyone else was watching from the windows overlooking the courtyard. Out on the vast cobbled space, Raven sat cross-legged in midair, muttering in obscure languages, his black robes swirling slowly around him as though bothered by unfelt aetheric breezes. His brow furrowed deeply as he concentrated, his eyes fixed on something only he could see. A growing sense of tension filled the courtyard, pressing down on everyone, a feeling of something drawing inexorably closer. There were strange lights in the sky, and great booming voices deep in the earth, and lightning dancing outside the Castle walls. And then a massive opening appeared in midair, as though shouldering Space itself apart to make way for it, and bright sunlight spilled through from another place. And through the dimensional doorway passed a whole army, the brightest and the best from the Hawk and Fisher Memorial Academy.
Fighters and magicians, warriors in training, and heroes out of legend. More and more of them, hurrying through the opening, from the newest student to the most experienced staff. No one had wanted to be left out. Roland the Headless Axeman led the warriors, while the Witch in Residence Lily Peck led the magic-users. Everyone else found somewhere to fit in. They filled the courtyard from end to end and from wall to wall, until finally the dimensional door slammed shut. Raven dropped out of midair like a stunned bird and sprawled limply on the cobbles. Mercy was quickly there at his side.
Roland and Lily came forward to greet King Rufus as he stepped down into the courtyard to meet them. The King took the Headless Axeman in his stride, and shook his hand firmly. He went to kiss Lily’s hand, but she insisted on a firm handshake too. Then they both turned away from the King to look Hawk and Fisher up and down.
“So,” said Lily. “It is you. I mean, really you. I always suspected, but . . .”
“If you’d wanted us to know, you’d have told us,” said Roland. As always, his voice seemed to come from somewhere above his bare shoulders. “No doubt you had your reasons.”
“It doesn’t matter,” said Lily. “You made the Academy possible. We owe you everything. Every man and woman here will fight for you.”
“Technically speaking, you’ll be fighting for King Rufus,” Hawk said tactfully. “To defend the Forest Kingdom.”
“As you wish,” said Lily.
“Where’s your dead cat familiar?” said Fisher. “I hardly recognise you without that appalling creature hacking and spitting on your shoulder.”
“He fell apart,” said Lily Peck. “I’ll put him back together again once we get home.”
“Thank you all for coming to our aid,” said the King, in a loud enough voice to draw everyone’s attention. “If you’ve been watching, then you know what we’re up against.”
“Yes,” said Roland’s voice. “Redhart’s army, and creatures of the Unreal. Nasty.”
“Still,” said King Rufus, “it would seem the odds have changed in our favour. A marvellous gathering of new and old talent, sir Hawk. Your students do you proud.”
“All right,” said Lily. “As Kings go, this one doesn’t seem too bad.”
“You look a lot younger than I expected,” said Roland.
King Rufus shrugged easily. “Being old was getting in the way. So I had it surgically removed.”
And then everyone stopped, and looked around, disturbed by an unexpected sound. In a far corner of the courtyard an old carved stone fountain that had stood dry and silent for many years was suddenly pumping out fresh water. Great jets of pure, clear water bubbled up and fell away in long streams, out of the mouths of ancient stone faces. And as everyone looked on, the frothing waters suddenly jumped high into the air . . . and rained down to form a single female figure, made entirely out of water. Clear blue, through and through, a tall, noble lady with a smiling face, with water running forever from her eyes. Slow tides moved through her. She walked forward, and everyone fell back to give her room.
Hawk and Fisher looked at each other. They both remembered the Lady of the Lake, though it had been some eighty years since they had last seen her, during their previous visit to Forest Castle. She seemed to be deliberately not looking at them, so they didn’t try to attract her attention. She walked right up to King Rufus and stopped before him.
“I am the Lady of the Lake,” she said in a rich, bubbling voice. “You know who and what I am from the old stories, so let’s skip the introductions. I bring you an old possession of the Forest Kings, long thought lost. I have kept it all these years, until it was needed, and now I present it to you, King Rufus. To use as you deem fit. I give you the Crimson Pursuant.”
She put forward a dripping hand, and there on her blue palm was a glowing red jewel. Darker than heart’s blood, bright as a star, pulsing with power. The King looked at it but made no move to take it.
“This was once set in the hilt of the sword Curtana,” said the Lady of the Lake. “Also known as the Sword of Compulsion. This jewel, the Crimson Pursuant, was lost when the sword was destroyed by the Demon Prince, at the end of the Demon War.”
“I didn’t know that,” Hawk said quietly to Fisher. “Did you know that?”
“Hush,” said Fisher.
“The jewel ended up in a river, and all things lost in water end up with me, eventually,” said the Lady. “I have been looking after it all this time, waiting for the right moment to reveal it. And for the one man who is destined to put it to proper use.”
It felt like everyone was holding their breath. They’d all heard of the legendary Sword of Compulsion that could make anyone do anything. That could force obedience from everyone and everything. The ultimate control, the ultimate slavery. Almost no one looked at the jewel as though they thought it was a good thing. Slowly, King Rufus reached out and took the jewel from the Lady of the Lake, his heavy hand sinking clean through the Lady’s watery fingers. The King held the jewel up, and turned it back and forth, and it shone like a coal straight from Hell itself. Until the King put it away, in his pocket. He looked around the packed courtyard, as though defying anyone to say something.
The Lady of the Lake turned away from the King and advanced on Hawk and Fisher. They moved forward to meet her.
“Mother?” said Hawk.
“Yes, Rupert,” said the Lady. She put out a hand to touch his cheek tenderly, and a dribble of water ran down his face. “It’s so good to see you again. I did say it would be a long time, didn’t I? And Julia, of course. Don’t worry; no one else can hear us. This moment is just for us. We can speak openly. For a while.”
“Then c
an you tell us what’s going on here?” said Hawk. “Why would you bring that cursed jewel back into the world?”
“Because it’s needed,” said the Lady. “I wish I could stay, my dearest boy, but I have things to do. And so do you. We will meet one more time. If everything works out as it should . . . Now you must excuse me. There’s someone else I have to talk to.”
She turned away, to address an apparently empty space. “Come out of there, sir ghost! This is no time to be hiding!”
Everyone nearby jumped just a little as Sir Jasper the ghost appeared out of nowhere. He was looking much more real now, more like just an old man in a nightie. Except that his feet weren’t quite touching the ground. He nodded bashfully to the Lady, and she smiled sweetly on him.
“The last pieces are falling into place now, old ghost. And your reason for being here draws closer.”
“Does this mean . . . there’s been a plan all along?” said Sir Jasper. “I would like to think there was some reason, some purpose, to all my suffering.”
“We all like to think that,” said the Lady of the Lake. “But trust me, it’s nearly over. One last destiny, one last act of penance, and then we can both get some sleep.”
“Am I finally going to die, at last?” said Sir Jasper. “It would feel so good, to be able to lie down at last, and know peace.”
Princess Catherine stepped forward, pushing her way through the crowd to join the Lady and the ghost.
“I brought Sir Jasper here, to help him find out who he really was. Do you know his true name, Lady?”
“Of course!” said the Lady, smiling sweetly on the Princess. “Thank you for looking after him, Catherine. I’m glad he had someone, when I couldn’t be with him.”
And then she just disappeared, falling apart into so much loose water, which splashed onto the cobbles and ran away. Catherine and Sir Jasper looked at each other, and it had to be said that neither of them looked any wiser.
Hawk cleared his throat loudly, and everyone’s head snapped round to look at him. Including King Rufus’.
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