by John DeJordy
Picayune plunged his sword into Tim's back. The sword's sharp tip easily skewered the entire body, embedding part of the blade in the wall.
Tim wailed and reached around his back, wrapping his claws around the blade. He hissed at Picayune. “She will become one of us soon. You will lose her forever.”
Picayune's face flushed red. He grabbed the hilt of his family's heirloom and summoned every ounce of his strength to yank it free from the wall and his enemy. With the extra power behind the move spinning him around, he exposed his back for an instant. Tim attempted to grab Picayune, but the knight used the motion to spin around with the sword and remove Tim's head.
The body fell in place and the head skittered across the floor past Picayune.
Picayune closed his eyes and bowed his head. “I am sorry, Tim.” He considered sheathing Puissant as he walked to the passage, but the glowing blood distracted him. He squinted into the gloom of the unexplored passage.
The head on the floor opened its eyes. “You will not succeed!” With its final warning, Tim's head dissolved into wispy smoke.
With his sword extended, the blood on the blade cast enough of a bizarre light that Picayune could see ahead of him a few paces. He crept down the descending mine passage, stopping when it opened into a larger, high-arched chamber.
In the center of the chamber, a massive stallion stood still. In the gloom of the cave, the beast's midnight-black coat would have been impossible to see had it not been for flames coming from its eyes, mane, and tail.
The horse lowered its head until its eyes were level with the knight's. Picayune's heard a voice in his mind. “You abandoned me! You left me to die!”
The knight took a step back. “Dauntless?”
“You know who I am. So much for being together through countless battles. Where were you when they attacked?”
“What? Who attacked you?”
“What do you care? I am stronger now than I ever was with you.”
“But I am not. I lost a piece of me that day in the swamp and feel weaker because of it. Are you still my companion?”
Dauntless tapped the ground twice with his hoof in response. “If you are weaker, it will be that much easier to trample you into the ground.” With that, Dauntless galloped full force at Picayune.
Picayune grunted, jumped to the side, and slapped Dauntless on the rear with the flat of his blade.
Dauntless flung his body around, impacting the wall with his side hard enough to cause debris to fall from the ceiling. He dashed by Picayune, nipping him as he passed, then watched him from the opposite end of the room. “Feel some of the pain that you inflicted on me.”
Picayune reached down to feel what was causing the wetness on his leg. He glanced down to see his hand stained crimson by the blood oozing from the wound. He gritted his teeth and charged the stallion.
Dauntless recognized Picayune's next move from their many battles. He cantered forward and leapt into the air when Picayune made an overhead swing. The powerful horse kicked his back legs to avoid the tip of the blade and hit the ceiling with his hooves. Cracks appeared, letting water drizzle into the room. “Traitor!”
Picayune performed a roll, letting his momentum carry him forward to stop just short of the wall.
Dauntless showed remarkable grace as he landed and spun in place. He charged Picayune and lurched his body sideways, using his flank to slam into Picayune, crushing him against the wall. “Feel my despair. You left me to die. Know what I felt.”
Picayune's fingers lost their grip on Puissant. It clattered on the ground. He felt the burning sensation of the fiery mane against his skin while he tried to take in air. He pushed with all his strength, but couldn't move the mighty creature pinning him.
Dauntless ground his body against Picayune. “Feel the chill of emptiness as it consumes you. Know what I felt.”
Picayune’s face started to become blue. He dug his nails into the side of his horse and bit Dauntless as hard as he could.
Dauntless whinnied and pranced into the center of the room. The falling water soaked him. He snorted, pausing for a moment before galloping at the knight, lowering his head for the charge.
Picayune struggled to take air into his starved lungs. When he saw the death-charge from his former horse, he fell to his knees, closed his eyes, and waited for the blow. His knee hit the hilt of his sword when he fell, propping the tip upwards.
Dauntless barely touched Picayune on the chest and stopped in place. The sounds of battle washed away until the only noise remaining was the sound of rain. Picayune opened his eyes.
His knee was still on the hilt of the sword that was now buried in Dauntless’ chest. Picayune gasped, frozen in fear. The water extinguished the flames and started to wash away the blackness, revealing a pristine, pearly-white stallion.
“You have slain me again, by your own actions. You will fail!” With that, the rain washed away the image of Dauntless, leaving Picayune alone in the chamber.
Picayune remained motionless, until an itch from his wounded hand demanded his care. He ran his hands together, then jumped to his feet when he saw the horrific condition of his body. Tawny fur had grown, completely covering his hand and forearm. His fingernails had darkened to gray before becoming black and elongated. He ground his teeth together and his body shook. He stomped off down the passage.
His vision started to clear as he hustled down the twisting passage, even though he knew everything was getting darker. The itch was getting more distracting, not only on his hand, but also on his bitten leg. Picayune ran until his muscles ached. When he finally paused to catch his breath, he noticed a yellow light glowing at the end of the tunnel. He grimaced and put his hand on his chest, taking deep breaths through his mouth. He entered an enormous chamber and whistled.
The stalactites glowed with a variety of different colors, showing off veins of precious minerals. His eyes darted around the room until they locked on a pair of golden eyes that appeared to be floating in the distance over an indistinct image. He took one last deep breath and held it. Then he charged.
Running past massive stalagmites, he kept his head straight. His aching body only urged him to quicken his pace.
When he got close enough to recognize the form as his love, he slowed his sprint and crept forward.
The yellow eyes, which had been watching the woman, shifted to Picayune. A voice from the eyes cackled. “Oh, look. Your savior is finally here.”
The woman stared at Picayune, paralyzing him with fear. Instead of his love, a female dormouse stood there in a long green dress with a white apron.
Picayune drew his sword and looked at the eyes. “What have you done to her?”
“Me? Silly boy, I didn't do this to her, you did, the same as you did to yourself.”
Picayune examined himself and peeped. HE was a dormouse in simple leathers, not a human in shining armor. With his free hand, he grasped his tail, pulled, and yelped as he felt the pain of his actions. He lost his grip on the sword, letting it clang on the craggy ground. His face lost all expression and he concentrated on the eyes again.
The eyes moved forward, allowing Picayune to make out the wispy form of a creature much larger than a dormouse.
“And to think, you've come all this way, just to fail. How charming is that? And I won't have to exert myself. You are a fool, don't you think?”
Picayune stood up and frowned. “No. When your quest is noble and just, it is never foolish.”
The shadowy form took another step, inching closer to Picayune. It did not come close enough for him to see the face behind the voice, but razor sharp talons came into view. “And what of your true love? Are you not appalled by her appearance?”
Picayune stood tall and growled through his muzzle. “No! Love goes beyond appearances. When you share what is in your hearts, appearances don't matter.”
White fangs became visible when the creature exposed his mouth. “I like my meals to have pluck. Are you ready to perish, l
ittle one?”
Picayune snarled, snatched Puissant from the floor, and heaved it up at the space between the eyes. “NOOOO!!” The sword spun like a top, rushing directly to its target.
The creature simply ducked and lowered its belly to the ground. It watched the blade until the tip embedded itself in the bottom of one of the stalactites. The beast mewed hysterically, closing its eyes.
His love ran to his arms. “Whatever happens, we will face this together.”
Picayune embraced her and closed his eyes. He leaned to her ear and whispered, “I will never leave your side again.”
From their bodies, a column of brilliant, white light erupted, reaching the ceiling. The light reflected off the multicolored veins in stalactites, causing them to pulsate with a more powerful glow.
The beast snapped its eyes open and yowled. It swiped at the pair, slamming them into a nearby stalagmite. Holding the two under its clawed paw, it drooled on them. “Are you afraid, mousey?”
Picayune focused not on the creature holding him down, but on the ceiling. The light had continued to ricochet and split until all the rays converged on the stuck sword, making it glow white-hot. The blade melted the imprisoning rock and fell point down. “No. I am not afraid anymore.”
The entire chamber erupted into sunlight just before the blade hit and Picayune had to close his eyes.
Chapter 20
Picayune sat up and stretched. He stood, closed his eyes, then stared into the sun, feeling its warmth on his body. The tingling sensation on his whiskers made him feel more energized than he had in a long time.
He walked through the camp, waking anyone who was still sleeping. He stopped and sighed happily when he found Trailblazer and Azure-Bound, watching how they cuddled together. “It's time to get up. It's time to go!”
Trailblazer yawned, then kissed Azure-Bound on the beak. “We need to get everyone ready, dear.”
She gave him a little peck on the cheek as she hurried into the branches to sing a good morning song.
Time to rise, for the sun is shining bright.
We wave as we say good-bye to the night.
Hurry and gather everything that is right.
We will face Dragon and bring him our fight.
Everyone gathered at the base of the tree where Azure-Bound was singing. Maharajah rushed from the tree branches and landed in front of Picayune. “What plan do you have to deal with Dragon?”
“I was thinking direct confrontation. Tell him to leave.”
“I like the direct approach.” Maharajah addressed the crowd. “We are off, but don't underestimate Dragon. There is a reason he has been around for so long.”
Picayune glanced around for his friends, but noticed they had all approached their travel companions. He hustled over to introduce himself to one of the hawks he hadn't met yet. “Greetings! I am Picayune.”
The hawk moved near Picayune and bowed, showing black marking around his eyes that resembled a mask. “I am Rascal. Please let me know if my grip is too tight.” He launched, grabbed Picayune around the shoulders, and soared over the treetops to join the formation.
Picayune flung his arms out, pretending to fly. “That is perfect!” he yelled to Rascal. “Unlike my first frightening encounter with flight, I really enjoy this.” He looked at his friends, who all looked like they were enjoying the sensation, too. All except Alacrity, who had grabbed his long ears and was using them to shield his eyes.
Rascal chirped loudly to get Picayune's attention. “Look there! That is Dragon's lair.”
Picayune strained his eyes, but all he could see was a horseshoe-shaped canyon, covered in mist. “You can see that?”
“Aye, quite well, in fact, but hawks have excellent eyesight. We will have to land before the only entrance. There is a large, ancient tree that has foliage too thick to fly through.”
Picayune strained to see the area for the rest of trip. Only when they were almost on top of the area could he finally see it in any detail. The tree Rascal spoke of looked like the top of an umbrella and took up the entire canyon floor. The only access to the area was covered by long, hanging vines. The forest before the opening looked old – older than anything Picayune had ever seen.
Rascal gently glided to the path and released Picayune before landing behind him. One by one, the rest of the hawks landed until everyone was on the ground.
Maharajah spoke first. “We have to be careful and stay together. We don't want to get separated.”
Picayune drew his sword and stepped forward, slashing the lower half of the hanging curtain of vines while Phineas slashed higher. They stepped through, sank until their ankles were covered in the mud, and were assaulted by a cacophony of sounds from the many types of insects and frogs. The noise immediately ceased when the first of the hawks entered.
Alacrity hopped behind Picayune and Phineas, grabbing Lacer's arm. His whole body trembled, chattering his teeth. “I-I-I don't like the looks of this place.”
Picayune inhaled sharply. Under other circumstances, I'd agree, he thought to himself. The weeping willow trees and slightly moist ground made the place frightening, especially now with the stillness. He turned around, put a finger to his lips, and glared at Alacrity.
Alacrity grabbed his ears and held them under his chin to try to muffle the sound of his chattering teeth.
Maharajah whispered in Picayune's ear. “Perhaps we should spread out in a skein formation?”
Picayune looked back puzzled. “Skein?”
Maharajah suppressed a smirk. “An inverted 'V'.”
“Let's do that.”
Maharajah nodded and gave a quick whistle to his troops. They fanned out, leaving Picayune as the point with Phineas and Lacer behind him, Alacrity in the center, and everyone else a little further apart than the one in front of them.
The group began to side step, inching forward. The vines from the trees became denser, slowing them further until they finally broke through the gloom to see a massive willow tree on top of a slight hill, above the muck.
The trunk was more than five times as wide as their current formation, dwarfing them. In the center of the trunk, a large opening resembled a giant mouth ready to consume them.
Picayune stepped on the hilly path and shook the mud from his feet. He moved closer to the opening, and waited until the last of his group cleaned some of the mud from their feet. He heard a voice from behind him, coming from the entrance of the tree.
“Well, it's about time. It's been so long I didn't think any more of you were going to show up.”
Picayune spun around and saw two large yellow eyes that appeared to be floating in the darkness. He pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
From behind the eyes, a female voice shouted, “Pica! Help me!”
Picayune drew his sword as he heard the familiar voice. “Ameera!” His shrill voice decried at the image. “If you have hurt her…”
The eyes moved forward, allowing him to see the wispy outline of an oval head, a snout, and long, white teeth. “Hurt her? My dear boy, why would I want to hurt her when she continues to bring us such wonderful meals?”
The rest of the group ran forward, led by Phineas with his rapier in his hand. “Let her go, Dragon, and we might let you live. You are out-numbered.”
The large creature stepped forward, allowing everyone to see his form. His coat had dulled to a muddy-brown and black from the conditions of his home. His stubby tail wiggled slightly behind him as he extracted his claws. He squatted with his rear in the air as he stretched. Dragon the Bobcat snickered and stood straight up, towering over even Maharajah, who was the tallest of Picayune's group. “An interesting notion, letting your enemy live; it is a notion I don't share. As for being out-numbered, well…” He paused and showed his teeth. “I don't think you are quite right about that.”
From the tree branches, more yellow eyes blinked open. One by one, the owners of the eyes jumped down, opposing Picayune's group until there was a total of
eleven bobcats. All of them were slightly smaller than Dragon, but still large enough to be individually dangerous.
“Well, now that my family is awake, I think it is time for lunch.”
The five bobcats on each side of Dragon rushed forward, scattering everyone into smaller groups until only Picayune, Phineas, and Swift-Hopper faced Dragon.
Phineas snarled at Dragon and motioned to Swift-Hopper, then darted right. Swift-Hopper nodded and moved to the left.
Dragon chuckled, picking some food from his teeth. He stared directly at Picayune, ignoring the movements of Phineas and Swift-Hopper. “So you must be Picayune. Funny, after listening to her, I didn't take you for the bold one. But if you added a little spice to your life, so much the better…” Dragon paused and smacked his lips, then grinned wide, “…for me.”
Swift-Hopper jumped on top of the base of Dragon's tail and bit as hard as he could.
Dragon swatted the kangaroo rat off his tail into the side of the tree, knocking him out. “Pesky bugs.”
Picayune backed up a few steps. His sword trembled in his hands as he held it forward. He glanced around and his eyes opened wide. Out of all the smaller groups, Lacer and Alacrity seemed to be doing the best. Their bobcat was on her back. Everyone else seemed to be in some kind of trouble. With the remnants of the mud still on the hawks’ feet, they were having difficulty getting off the ground at all.
Picayune snapped his head back just in time to see Phineas lunge with his rapier when he heard Dragon’s voice. “Oh, you are a fighter! Superb!” Dragon extended his claws and riposted Phineas' thrust, ripping the squirrel's opposite arm open.
Phineas grimaced and dropped to one knee. He pushed Dragon's claws away with the basket hilt of his sword.
Dragon drew his front leg back, holding his paw behind him for a moment. “Prepare to become a shish kabob.”
Picayune puffed his chest out and stood tall. He ran forward and caught Dragon's paw on the downswing, cutting the feline's pad.
Dragon snatched his paw with his other and jumped back. “Why, you little…” he cried out, stepping next to Picayune.
