Arthur and the Andarran Rescue

by Craig Speakes

  ‘What happened? You really scared me!’

  ‘I’m not sure exactly. One second I was reaching out to touch the stone on the end of this sword, and the next I was flying out of the window in that direction,’ he said, waving an arm. ‘And then down into a Solarian base, and into where they were holding my father!’

  ‘Really?!’ She cried.

  ‘Yes, really! There were a couple of other people in the room with him, but I didn’t recognise them.’

  ‘Is he okay? Did he say anything about the others?’

  Using the sword as a support, Arthur shakily got to his feet and shuffled to the window, holding his head.

  ‘He said he’s okay but I don’t know, he looked bad… He said something about “those who were left”. I tried to ask what he meant but there wasn’t enough time.’

  Arthur examined the sword in his hand. ‘This stone must have some kind of power. All I did was touch it, but it looks different now. Look, it’s brown. When I touched it, it was red, I’m sure of it.’ He held his breath and touched it again, but this time nothing happened.

  ‘What are you going to do with it?’

  ‘Take it with me, of course. Maybe Insuro will know what it is.’

  ‘Are you sure? It’s not yours. Don’t you think it’s like stealing?’

  Arthur raised his eyebrows.

  ‘Well, I don’t think he needs it any more, Sky,’ he said.

  ‘That’s not funny!’

  ‘It wasn’t meant to be.’

  Arthur resheathed the sword, and working out that the straps were similar to the ones on his pack, he fastened it over his back.

  From the window they could see that Insuro and the others had already returned and were starting across the fog-covered part of the ridge.

  ‘We should go and meet them. We need to tell the Major and Insuro about what happened.’

  Then, taking one last look around the room, they quickly and quietly descended the broken staircase, and hurried down to meet the others.

  13

  A Change Of Plan

  The Major was the first to emerge from the fog and climb up the steep path towards where Arthur and Sky were waiting.

  ‘Here you go, lad,’ he said and handed him his plasma rifle. ‘We don’t want to be forgetting this now, do we. And your pack. But be careful, I think your little friend is asleep inside.’

  ‘Not so little, thank you!’

  ‘Or not, as the case may be,’ chuckled the Major.

  Arthur put the pack on the ground.

  ‘Oh ho! And what have you got there then?’ He asked, spying the sword on Arthur’s back.

  ‘We found a tower…’

  ‘I see,’ he said, the smile disappearing from his face. ‘And you didn’t think it wise to wait for us before you went to investigate it? There could have been any number of nasty surprises lurking in it.’

  Arthur nodded apologetically. ‘I know, Major, but it felt safe. We were okay. At the top of the tower is a room where we found the skeleton of an ancient warrior. This sword was on the table in front of him, and when I picked it up and touched the stone on the hilt, I was suddenly able to see my father!’

  The Major raised his eyebrows. He hadn’t been expecting that story. ‘I suggest you wait for the others to get here and then tell us all what happened.’

  It wasn’t long before the group had all made it safely across. When they had gathered at the top of the slope, Arthur and Sky recounted what had happened in the tower. Intrigued, Insuro instructed him to give the sword to Vello to examine. Vello held it in both hands with his eyes closed. On hearing about the skeleton of the warrior they had found, Sava was immediately convinced that it was one of the Lords of the Northern Domains. Insuro, however, was more interested in the stone on the end of the sword. When Arthur asked about it, he told him that there existed other objects of power, like the Arnac. He saw no reason why the stone might not be one of them.

  ‘I have known many stories of warriors and spiritual men who were said to have possessed and wielded such objects, but I have never seen such a relic of the past. If the stone is one of these objects, then this is fortunate indeed.’

  ‘I’m confused,’ said Margot, fascinated by what she was hearing, ‘about how this tower has remained untouched for so long. I mean, the Solarians, amongst others, would’ve seen it from the air or from land, and I don’t imagine that they would have just ignored it.’

  ‘Unnatural is the fog that hangs over this valley,’ said Sava. ‘I believe I have told you about the Legends of the Northern Lords and their attempt to take control of the gateway to the afterlife which is said to be situated in in this valley. After their defeat, this fog shrouded the valley, and nothing that is in it or resides by its edges can be seen except by those who are within. This was many thousands of your Earth years ago.’

  ‘And no one ever comes here?’

  ‘Come they might, but I have not heard tell of stories of this valley from any who lived to leave it.’

  ‘I see,’ replied Margot. ‘That’s encouraging!’

  Arthur, who was listening to what Margot and Sava were talking about, could not help but be excited by the idea that he might have found a sword that was thousands of years old. He found it hard to imagine that it had just lain there all this time until he’d come along and picked it up.

  ‘Keeper,’ said Insuro, interrupting his reverie about the sword. ‘Keeper, you said that in your vision you saw how to get to where your father is being held?’

  ‘Yes, it was straight over there on the Northern Plateau.’ Arthur pointed in the direction that the vision had taken him.

  ‘Over there?’ questioned Sava.

  ‘Yes, that’s right.’

  ‘The direction in which you point is not the Northern Plateau, it is the Elizian glacier. The Northern Plateau lies much further beyond this valley and over the Torran desert. I do not remember there being a Solarian base on the Elizian glacier.’ Sava glanced at Luca.

  ‘It is so. I, too, have no knowledge of such a base there.’

  ‘Are you sure that is where your vision took you?’ asked Insuro.

  ‘Yes, very!’

  As they walked towards the tower, Vello handed him back the sword and spoke to him through his thoughts.

  ‘This sword once belonged to a very powerful warrior. His energy lies still in its blade. I caution you to be very careful if you choose to wield this blade in combat; you are not yet its master. Still, I feel the stone has bonded with you. Take the sword and treat it with respect. The weapons of the ancient world are not as those of today. Their masters blessed them and bestowed powers unto them, to gain advantage in battle. Much of this knowledge has been lost and so you must be careful.’

  It was Yan who discovered the passage that led to what Margot would later describe as ‘the steps of doom!’. He had been helping the Major and the Captain look over the tower for anything that might be useful. When the Captain showed him a strange triangular object that he’d found among the possessions of the ancient warrior, Yan asked if he could borrow it for a moment. Examining it carefully, he took it over to the collapsed fireplace and inserted it into a recess he’d come across earlier. As he turned the object sharply, there was an almighty cracking sound and the floor of the fireplace gave way in a choking cloud of dust and ancient soot. The loud sound brought the others, who had been waiting outside, running in to see what had happened.

  ‘It was just a hunch,’ said a startled-looking Yan.

  ‘Well then, let’s see what you have found. Arthur, Captain Schmidt, give me a hand.’

  The Major switched on the light at the end of his plasma rifle and stood over the hole, pausing to let the dust settle a bit before trying to look down it. Arthur did the same.

  ‘Okay, Captain, when you’re ready,’ said the Major once
the dust had dispersed enough.

  ‘After you, sir,’ winked the Captain at Arthur, and before Arthur had had time to react, the Captain had already lowered himself into the hole and disappeared. The Major followed and then Arthur.

  The hole under the fireplace connected with a low, roughly hewn tunnel which led downwards, twisting and turning, before finally opening out into a sizeable chamber. The walls were racked with rows of ancient weapons, their once-bright blades now darkened by the passage of time. On three big tables in the middle of the room lay piles of armour, faded and covered in dust.

  ‘Well, well,’ said the Major, ‘it’s as if time really did forget this place.’

  Arthur picked up an odd-looking object from the table and blew the dust off it.

  ‘Come on, let’s not be touching things, remember what happened the last time,’ said the Major, referring to his sword. He stopped to watch Arthur put it back and then followed the Captain out of the other side of the chamber and down another tunnel. This tunnel felt much cooler than the previous one. At what he thought might be the end, there was a faint greyish light. They approached it cautiously.

  ‘Major, I think you should see this,’ called out the Captain, who had reached the end and disappeared out of view. When they got there, Arthur felt his stomach sink. The tunnel opened out onto a ledge on the other side of the ridge and a sudden sharp drop. Worse still, carved into the rock wall was a narrow staircase that led all the way from where they were standing down to the ground far below.

  ‘About two thousand metres at a guess,’ said the Captain.

  Climbing down two thousand metres on that! That’s just mad, Arthur thought. There is no way I am going down there.

  ‘Looks like we have a decision to make, then, doesn’t it,’ said the Major and left to get the others.

  Arthur and the Captain waited for them by the ledge, both of them continuing to stare at the steps. Somehow they had been painstakingly cut into the rock face.

  ‘Can you imagine how long it must have taken to carve that lot out of this rock face, and how dangerous it must have been? An amazing feat, don’t you think?’ said the Captain.

  ‘I’m getting vertigo just looking at it!’ commented the cat, peering over Arthur’s shoulder.

  ‘I didn’t think that cats got vertigo,’ mused the Captain, affectionately scratching him behind his ears.

  ‘No, what you are thinking is that we always land on our feet, which we do, but that’s probably not going to do me much good if we fall from this height! I will look like a cartoon splat – as opposed to you lot, who will likely land head first, I imagine.’

  ‘Charming!’ interrupted the Major, returning with the others. ‘As I said, with the discovery of these steps, we now have an option not to have to continue our journey through that fog.’

  Arthur and the Captain stepped aside so that the others could come forward and view them.

  ‘Fascinating!’ commented Vello. ‘Created long before the time of plasma cutters… this is truly a marvel!’

  ‘Truthful words, my friend,’ said Insuro, holding out a hand upon which stood a small device. It flashed open, revealing a three-dimensional holographic map.

  ‘Such are the effects of the fog on this valley that it cannot read our exact position. That being said, I estimate us to be about here.’

  ‘I agree,’ confirmed Yan, who had also been keeping careful track of where they were.

  Insuro smiled respectfully.

  ‘As you can see, we are no more than halfway across the Valley of the Serena, and there is no certainty that following the ridge will not take us back into the cursed fog again. Given the Keeper’s assertion that his vision took him onto the Elizian glacier, it is my view that we should make for the glacier by way of these steps.’

  ‘Frog feet!’ meowed the cat. ‘I am not jumping down that lot. I demand to be carried!’

  Ignoring the cat, the Major agreed with Insuro. ‘If anyone has any concerns apart from the obvious fear of falling, then speak now.’

  ‘Isn’t the fear of falling enough?’ asked Sky, looking very uncomfortable.

  ‘Sorry, lass.’

  14

  Yan

  It was already approaching evening when Arthur finally made it to the bottom of the steps, very relieved to have got there without falling. His legs felt heavy and they wobbled like jelly as he threw himself down on the ground to rest. From the moment he and the others had stood on the first step, a relentless wind had whipped up around them. Howling and wailing, it seemed to be always trying to push them closer to the edge of the narrow steps. It became even worse if any of them took a break or went particularly slowly. Then the wind would immediately become even stronger and more unpredictable. A number of times they were forced to cling on to anything they could grab hold of on the rock face.

  They had hardly started when Yan had come perilously close to falling off. He had only rested for a few seconds. The wind had suddenly begun buffeting and pushing him towards the edge. Not realising what was happening, he tried to steady himself by putting one foot onto the step below, but lost his balance. He toppled forwards, narrowly missing Margot, in front of him, and falling flat on the steps next to Sezan. It was only Sezan’s strength and quick reactions that saved Yan’s life. He had already rolled over the edge when Sezan grabbed him by his pack and pulled him back up. Again the air swirled around the both of them, screeching and howling and tugging at them.

  ‘We must keep moving!’ called out Insuro. ‘This force of air is not natural. It feeds on your tiredness!’

  The Major unhitched a coil of rope from the side of his pack, took out a hammer and a load of small metal objects, and moved down to the front of the line.

  ‘We are going to have to rope ourselves together!’ he called out and hammered one of the metal objects into the rock wall before attaching a carabiner to it. Handing carabiners to everyone to attach to their belts, he instructed them to pass the rope through. When they were all roped together, the Major led the way down the steps, hammering in metal spikes at intervals. This ensured that if one of them fell or was pushed over, the others would be able to break the fall and pull them back up.

  Exhausted, they stayed near the bottom of the rock face that night. Being out of the fog meant that their equipment had begun to work normally again, and that night they were able to keep warm using the heaters. Cloaking shields were also set up, even though Insuro was sure that being so close to the valley would make them invisible in any case.

  ‘That was a killer!’ exclaimed Sky, finding a space and lying down next to Arthur. ‘I almost fell off so many times, I’m not even sure how I’m still here.’

  ‘Yeah, same,’ grinned Arthur. ‘I’m just glad we’re out of that place!’

  Arthur was also grateful for the chance to eat and close his eyes. None of them had slept for at least a day, and the last time they’d eaten had been shortly before starting to descend the steps. Yan, too, appeared desperately in need of some rest. His fall had left him trembling, despite Sezan’s best efforts to help.

  ‘There is nothing physically wrong with him,’ the Treskan told the Major. ‘While I can fix bodies, I cannot heal minds.’

  After reaching the bottom, Yan had just sat, staring vacantly into the distance. He seemed oblivious to the Major, Insuro and Sezan talking about him.

  ‘It’s the talking to himself that’s worrying me. Captain Schmidt tells me that before his fall, Yan asked him several times if he could hear the voices in that wind. Is that right, Captain?’

  ‘Yes, that’s what he asked, if I could hear them,’ confirmed the Captain.

  ‘Did he make mention of anything that the voices were saying?’ asked Insuro.

  The Captain shook his head.

  ‘It could be that the stress and lack of sleep is getting to him,’ continued the Major, and a
sked Sezan if he would give Yan something to help him sleep. Sezan agreed and took out a pen-like object and pressed it to Yan’s neck. A few seconds later, he was asleep.

  As for Arthur, it took him a long time to fall asleep that night. The hard, rocky ground dug into him every time he tried to get comfortable. In the end he was too tired to care. For a while he lay staring up at the valley ridge far above them. He could make out its outline under the starlight. As he stared, he imagined what it would look like if the fog began to flow over the edge, and pictured a waterfall of swirling cloud descending over him. Feeling his eyes closing, he did not notice the giant birdlike creature which landed on the ridge. Had he not been so tired, he might at least have wondered what it was. But his eyes were heavier than his thoughts and he fell asleep. With the coming of morning, he would not remember anything about it.

  The next morning, all attention was on Yan, whose condition had changed for the worse during the night. He had begun talking to himself strangely.

  ‘Physically, he is still fine,’ confirmed Sezan. ‘What he is speaking appears to be a language. It has form and it has structure. I believe also that he is repeating himself.’

  Insuro stared thoughtfully at Yan, while Vello frowned.

  ‘You speak as though his mind has been occupied,’ said Insuro.

  ‘With the equipment that I have, I can neither confirm nor deny it,’ replied Sezan. ‘After all that has happened in this valley, I feel it would be wise not to ignore the possibility.’

  Insuro and Vello agreed.

  ‘Very well, then we must see how this unfolds.’

  It took several days for the group to make the journey across the rolling hills that rose gently upwards from the shores of the Spice Sea before finally meeting the massive glacier. From the very beginning, Yan had moments when he was his normal inquisitive self, and then times when he would, without warning, revert back to speaking the strange words that no one could understand. There were times, too, when he would suddenly drop to his knees wherever he was and begin to draw frantically in the dirt or snow. The group tried to guess what his drawing could be. Arthur suggested that it looked like a star map.