Cade bowed his head. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
She placed her hands on his shoulders. Light filled her eyes and flowers bloomed around her. "All our hope lies with you and your quest, Cade, and I am glad... for I see now that we have chosen the right hero." She smiled a smile of such warmth, that Cade felt weak in the knees. "I am glad to have met you, Cade." The queen smiled at Tasha, who sat on his shoulder. "And I see that you have a stout companion, a girl who will yet prove her worth."
Suddenly she held a helmet and shield inlaid with diamonds. The diamonds covered the helmet and shield, bright like sunlight on the waters of Seashell Shore.
"Take these, Cade," she said, her smile the kindest he'd ever seen. Cade took the gifts. They were as light as silk. Among the flowers and caterpillars, fireflies hovering around him, he placed the helmet on his head and strapped the shield over his back.
Alandria laughed softly, a laugh of pure joy. The dragonflies and fireflies seemed to laugh with her. It was a laugh for the beauty of life.
"Nothing can cleave a diamond," she said. "The road will become more perilous as you approach Nightmare. May these protect you on your journey."
She turned to leave, then paused, turned back, and kissed his cheek. "All our hope lies with you," she whispered into his ear. "I await your return, Child of Earth."
She turned and, laughing again, leapt across the flowers until she disappeared into beams of light.
* * * * *
They left Caterpillar Meadow and walked through the forest for several days, sleeping among the trees. Past the forest, they traveled across raspberry fields, flowery meadows where moose herded, and grassy hills. Streams ran between the hills, the wind moved the grass, and white clouds floated in the sky. Boulders carved into the shape of pegacats--fifty feet tall each--perched upon the hilltops. The great stones reminded Cade of Easter Island.
"Ooh, pegacats!" Harmony said, pointing at the colossal statues. The figures seemed old and beaten by ages of wind, and moss covered the white stone. "Somebody carved us. That one looks like me!"
Starlight examined the pegacat boulders. "Elorians carved these," the dark pegacat said. "Thousands of years ago."
Tasha pulled a Golden Delicious apple from the breadbox, which peeked from Cade's backpack. She sat atop the box, chewing it. "Who are the Elorians?" she asked.
"A people who used to live in these lands," Starlight said. "They migrated west many ages ago."
When the morning mist cleared, Cade beheld mountains soaring in the north and south. White stones speckled the hills, and flowers and trees grew between ancient ruins and crumbled walls. Old cities once stood here, he surmised; they were nothing more than bits and pieces now, peeking from the grass, beaten smooth by ages of wind.
Cade admired the beauty of mountains, birds, and grass, but felt loneliness. He was thankful that Tasha and the pegacats were with him. Otherwise, the loneliness in these great, empty lands would have become unbearable. They walked for five more days, sleeping under the stars, eating from the breadbox and drinking from the wineskin. The grassy hills seemed to undulate forever, misty and sweet scented. I wish I could walk here forever, Cade thought. I wish I never had to reach Nightmare. Every night, the stars glowed and comets shots across the heavens.
"This land seems untouched by Phobetor," Tasha said on the sixth day. "I smelled just faint evil several times, old tracks, nothing more."
Starlight looked over the land into the horizon. "Phobetor is just scouting the land now. He will attack the key locations first. He already claimed the bridge and Ral Badar, and set a guard upon the laceleaf. But when the true invasion comes it will be swift and brutal, and these lands will fall too."
Cade shivered. Phobetor's scouts had been bad enough. He could barely imagine an entire army of such creatures. He looked at his compass. "How far are we from Nightmare?"
Starlight looked at him, yellow eyes glinting. "I don't know. I've never been this far from home."
Harmony shivered. "I don't want to go to Nightmare."
"None of us do," Tasha said. "But even more than I hate the thought of entering Nightmare, I hate the thought of Nightmare coming here."
They traveled for several more days across the hills until they reached farmlands. Cade gazed in wonder. He had been traveling through Dream for months now, had journeyed across thousands of miles. Aside from Galgev's garden, he had never seen anything but wild country until now. The sight of tilled land filled him with memories of home, of Earth. They walked through fields of golden wheat.
"What god lives here?" Cade asked the pegacats.
"It was not a god of dream who sowed these fields," Starlight said. "No Dreamgods live so far west. These must be the fields of the Elorians."
"They are people who resemble the mortals from your world," Harmony said, "but instead of hair, they have heads of fluffy feathers."
"They have several kingdoms in these lands," Starlight added, "but their loyalties lie with Yor, the greatest king of all Dream."
They walked for a moment in silence through the fields of swaying, whispering wheat. The stalks were as tall as Cade's shoulder, heavy with grains, and a fresh smell filled the air. The earth was rich and crumbly. Cade spotted several farmhouses, tall and wooden, in the distance.
"In the old days," Starlight said quietly, "Elorian kings would visit Hidden Valley Ridge to speak with Yor. We saw them then, but never visited their lands. They have not visited us in many years. Phobetor is strong here--he gains strength the closer we get to Nightmare--and the Elorians have been fighting him."
Cade reached over his shoulder and caressed the pommel of Sunclaw, the pommel shaped like Windwhisper, Guardian of Dream. He did not like the thought of entering lands where Phobetor's power was great. He remembered the red snakes and shivered. Harmony seemed to read his mind and cuddled against him.
They had walked all day when Tasha said, "There is something strange."
"What is that, Tash?" Cade asked.
"We've seen many farms. But the farmhouses themselves are all locked. I haven't seen a single farmer. It's as if everyone is hiding."
Cade pursed his lips. "What do you make of this, Starlight?"
Starlight thought for a moment. "I hesitate to say. Galgev or Tam would know; they are wise in these matters. Can you smell evil here, Tasha?"
"I haven't stopped smelling evil since we entered the farmlands," the mouse said. "It's everywhere here. And I smell fear too."
For a moment they walked in eerie silence, Tasha's words hanging in the air.
Suddenly they paused. In the distance, they could see black figures leaping fast.
"Down!" Cade said.
They crouched amid the wheat. The only sound was the breeze and the creak of swaying stalks. Ants and beetles ran across the earth as if fleeing. Slowly, Cade drew Sunclaw and gripped the hilt.
"Tash," he whispered, "climb up a stalk and tell me what you see."
Tasha scurried up a stalk and stared west, whiskers twitching. She turned her head back toward them.
"Monsters," she whispered. "At least twenty of them. Ugly ones too."
Harmony whimpered.
"Are they moving toward us?" Cade asked.
Tasha stared into the west. "No. They're cutting across us. Now they're turning north. They look like giant insects, the height of men. They leap forward, moving fast."
Starlight nodded. "The full invasion of Dream is close now. Phobetor is arranging his pieces for attack."
Cade could hear the creatures in the distance. They yelped horrible, echoing cries like a hammer against a sheet of aluminum. They crashed through the wheat. Cade dared not peek.
After several moments, the sounds faded and Tasha announced that the monsters were gone. Cade rose from the stalks but kept Sunclaw drawn. They kept walking.
They lay down to sleep in the fields that night, hidden by the stalks, and by noon the next day, they saw a mountain in the distance. Atop the mountain shone many lights.
&nbs
p; "What is that?" Cade asked, gazing at the lights. The mountain seemed covered with gems.
"The Begemmed City!" Starlight breathed. "Galgev has spoken of it. Great kings of Elorians have ruled here for many years."
"I'd like to visit it," Cade said. "It's on our way, and they might have news of Phobetor."
As they drew closer to the city, Cade saw white walls, towers, and purple banners. The city sparkled like a cluster of stars, its marble steeples inlaid with gems. Flags bearing Yor's likeness flew from temples upon the mountain.
The fields ended, and a cobble road led across grassy earth toward the city. Weeds and grass grew between the cobbles. The road was empty.
"Few people have walked here recently," Tasha said, sniffing. "Those who did smelled of fear."
Starlight nodded. "Phobetor is great here."
Cade shielded his eyes against the sun and gazed toward the Begemmed City. Behind the glitter of its jewels and marble, he saw no one. Mighty was the Begemmed City and fair to behold, but graveness lay upon it this day.
Tasha dug her claws into Cade's shoulder. "Monsters! Close!"
Cade spun around. There, behind them. Two great lizards like wingless dragons, fifteen feet tall, raced forward. One was black as pitch, the other red as lit coals, and each had eyes of burning flame, cruel beaks, and seven horns. Their scaly legs, long and thin as stilts, pounded against the earth as they raced toward Cade.
He paled.
"Golgamath and Kelra," Starlight whispered in horror. "Father and Mother of Terror; Phobetor's pets from his deepest pits."
"Incubi," Harmony whimpered.
"To the city!" Cade shouted.
He began to run with all his might. He could hear the monsters howl behind, ethereal cries like wobbling saws. The pegacats flew at his side, butterfly wings fluttering. Harmony whimpered as she flew, praying feverishly in Elorian. Bloodred clouds spread across the sky, and lightning flashed; the monsters brought storm and darkness with them.
The city gates were high and strong, carved of heavy wood reinforced with iron. Guards stood atop the walls, burnished helmets upon their heads, bows in their hands. Their robes were woven of purple and gold.
"Open the gates!" Cade called, running toward them.
He glanced over his shoulder. The beasts were close now, snapping their beaks, their eyes flaming and crackling in their leathery heads. Pus and lava dripped down their maws. I have never seen anything so horrifying. Cade kept running, and the monsters kept gaining on them, yet the gates did not open.
"Why won't they open the gates?" Tasha panted.
"They don't want to let the monsters in," Starlight said. "None dare face Golgamath the Black and Kelra the Red! To see the Mother and Father is death."
They reached the closed gates, the Incubi close behind. The dark red clouds covered the sky, cloaking the world in darkness, blazing with lightning. The forms of mocking faces filled the clouds, laughing with thunder, raining burning coals like comets. Cade spun around, drawing Sunclaw with a hiss and gleam of light. Golgamath and Kelra were a hundred yards away and coming closer, beaks snapping and screeching. Cade could smell their stench, a stench like sewage and spoiled meat.
Arrows whizzed above Cade's head, glinting in the lightning. He looked up. The guards on the walls were firing upon the wingless dragons. Cade held his breath, hope springing in him... but the arrows snapped against the monsters' scales. The faces in the clouds laughed, and flaming coals landed around Cade, whistling, burning holes into the ground.
Cade raised Sunclaw. The crystal blade glittered, nearly overpowered in the darkness and fire, but still gleaming. It seemed so small compared to the beasts' claws and fangs, but Cade held it firmly. "We'll have to face them ourselves."
"It's hopeless!" Tasha said. A burning coal shot past them, hit the ground, and disappeared underground; Cade felt the heat singe him.
He tightened his lips, though fear pounded through him, roiling his stomach and making his fingers tremble. "Then we'll die fighting."
A commotion came from atop the walls. "Starlight and Harmony!" the guards cried above. "The pegacats are here!" One of the raining coals hit a guard's helmet, burned through the metal, and the man fell dead upon the walls.
Golgamath and Kelra, Father and Mother of Terror, reached them. The scaly Incubi towered above Cade, dewlaps flapping from their gangly necks, lava dripping from their beaks to burn into the ground. Their claws were like daggers, their legs longer than Cade's full height. They shrieked so loudly that the world trembled.
"Cade!" they screeched, an unearthly sound, like a word formed by shattering glass. "Cade, we have come for you." Raining coals crashed against Cade's diamond helmet, ricocheted off, and blazed against the ground.
Then come and get me, Cade thought, unable to speak, teeth gritting against the heat and horror
Golgamath the Black thrust his beak toward Cade. Wincing, Cade raised his diamond shield. He cried out as the beak slammed against the shield. Sparks rose as from a bonfire, blinding him, and pain shot up Cade's arm. His heart raced, and he had never felt such agony. My shoulder is dislocated, he realized, trembling, terror filling him. He felt faint.
"The pegacats have arrived!" the guards cried above. "Open the gates."
The Incubi howled, that ethereal sound like wobbling metal. Cade pulled his arm, popped it back in, and screamed in anguish. Tasha and the pegacats were screaming too.
Kelra the Red thrust her serrated beak. Trembling with fear and agony, Cade swung Sunclaw, and Kelra pulled back, hissing and drooling lava. Droplets of the flaming drool hit Cade's armor, splashing onto his hands, and he screamed as his hands burned. No. These are the hands of Talon. I will not let these hands carry scars too. I won't let it happen again. For just a moment, the anger overpowered his pain.
Kelra kicked her clawed leg, hitting Cade's shield, raising a shower of sparks. The impact tossed Cade to the ground. Kelra screeched to the sky, spraying lava spit, her eyes aflame. The world shook and cracks ran along the earth. Burning coals rained from the mocking clouds, landing on Cade, blackening his armor. One coal burned against his thigh, raising smoke, searing his flesh. Kelra kicked again, hitting Cade's side. He tumbled through the air, hit the ground, and rolled. Pain, horror, and dizziness saturated him.
"Tasha!" he cried in anguish, grimacing. More coals rained.
The gates creaked open and knights poured out, swords raised. They rushed toward the creatures. "For the pegacats!" they cried. "For Yor!"
A voice spoke in Cade's ear. "I'm here, Cade. Get up! On your feet!" It was Tasha, Cade realized through the dizziness and pain.
Trembling, his wounds burning, Cade struggled to his feet. Not knowing from where he gathered the strength, he raised Sunclaw, and the blade glimmered. No, I will not die today. His Dreamblade blazed with light, and the Incubi of Phobetor winced and screamed, blinded by its glare. Cade swung the sword at Golgamath. The crystal blade sliced through scales, and black blood sprayed like a fountain. The creature screamed and hit the ground with a thud, sending cracks to race across the earth.
"Finish him off, Cade!" Tasha screamed at the top of her lungs. "Get him!"
Bleeding and screeching, spraying ooze and lava, Golgamath struggled to rise. Cade slammed Sunclaw down, severing Golgamath's head.
The world shook. Pieces of the wall broke and slammed against the earth.
"Look, Cade!" Tasha shouted through the fury of shrieking coals, thundering clouds, and screaming. "The other one is trying to get into the city."
Clutching his bloody Dreamblade, Cade looked up. Kelra the Red was trying to reach the gateway, to enter the city, but two dozen knights held her back with swords, a wall of steel. Screeching with fury, the Mother of Terror leapt onto the city walls and began to climb, her claws digging into the bricks. The knights' arrows snapped against her scales. The coals shrieked across the sky, burning the grass, leaving the earth full of holes and smoke and flame.
"If she gets into the c
ity, she'll eat everyone inside!" Harmony said, fluttering by Cade. Ash covered the pegacat, turning her gray. A coal streaked toward her, and she leapt aside just in time; the comet seared the tip of her tail.
Starlight nodded, flying toward Cade. "Only Dreamblades can kill an Incubus," the black pegacat said. She stared at Cade, golden eyes gleaming. "It's up to you."
Cade took a deep breath. The pegacats at his sides, he ran through the gateway into the city. People were fleeing around him, and the houses burned as the blazing coals rained. Inside, a stairway led up the city walls. Cade raced up and looked over the parapets. Kelra was there, climbing the wall. Thunder rolled and lightning lit the roiling black clouds.
"Cade!" rumbled the faces in the clouds, grinning, mocking. "Cade, you cannot flee Nightmare."
Cade clutched his Dreamblade. No, but I can still fight it, he thought, tightening his lips... then leapt off the wall and landed on Kelra's back.
"You're crazy!" Tasha screamed, clinging to Cade's shoulder.
Cade clung onto Kelra's scaly neck. The great lizard howled, flames rising from her eyes. Cade slid down her back until he was holding her spiked, lashing tail. The scales cut his hands, but he refused to let go.
"Off the wall!" he shouted, hanging onto the tail, pulling with all his might. His legs pushed against the wall.
"You'll kill us both, Cade!" Tasha shouted.
Kelra the Red slid down a few feet. Then a few feet more. Whenever she tried to lash at Cade, he swung Sunclaw, driving the beak back. The lava dripped from her beak, splashing against his armor, fizzing and smoking. He kept pulling her down the wall.
"I won't let you into the city!" Cade shouted, tugging the tail, straining his muscles.
When Kelra was near the ground, Cade drove Sunclaw into her back. Blood flew, the clouds shrieked, and lightning rent the world. The wingless dragon howled, then fell back dead. Cade tried to leap back, but was too slow.
Kelra fell upon him, burying him.
As coals shrieked and rained, blackness spread over Cade.
All consciousness faded.
Chapter Fourteen
The Gods of Dream: An Epic Fantasy Page 12
