Gary Saves The Multiverse- The Complete Novel

by C. F. Cooper

  "There are tales of the Ice King's magic," said Octavia. "I didn't believe them before, but I do now. It is his magic that has won him his many victories."

  "She is right. It is his magic that has gathered him an army of unquestioning followers," said a voice from behind them.

  Gary turned to see the tavern owner, Midnight, approaching.

  "Sasha is not the same person," he continued. "There's something different in her eyes. A distant look."

  "You think she has been entranced?" asked Daisy.

  "I know it. When I took her in my arms, there was no warmth returned in her embrace. She felt physically cold. I tried to press a locket with picture of her mother into her hand. I thought it might spark something in her. She looked at it as if she didn't recognise it and she let it fall to the ground. I know Sasha. That is not the same person that left Clowder Hollow. Something has happened to her."

  "I agree," said Octavia. "I don't recognise my people anymore. There is a sickness in their soul. We may win battles with swords, but we will only win the war if we find the source of the sickness and destroy that."

  "Whatever magic is at its heart, we know it's the Ice King that controls it," said Gary.

  "And you pledge to us that you are not here to destroy the garden?" Smallgrass said to Gary.

  "On my life Smallgrass."

  "He has been infected," said the other Smallgrass. "We must watch over Smallgrass and protect him until we can find a cure. I will not let him slip away."

  "None of us will," said Gary. "I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, but we stick together."

  "Agreed."

  The group huddled together on the rampart. Gary tried without much success to get some sleep. Opening his eyes every now and again he could see Octavia pacing backwards and forwards, keeping a lookout. Her gaze was inwards to the village as often as it was outwards. Finally giving up the attempt at sleep Gary got up and joined her. The others were dozing lightly leaving them alone in their conversation.

  "We didn't make love tonight Gary," said Octavia.

  Gary spluttered for an answer. "I...uh..."

  Octavia laughed. "I don't think anyone was in the mood tonight."

  "Yes, that's it," said Gary.

  "Is it? Gary from Uffern. Your ways are different to ours. When you look at me you see something hideous and you can't imagine making love with me."

  "Well, I wouldn't quite put it like that. I care for you Octavia, just not in that way. I just don't understand how we could even...I mean you are completely different."

  "You don't know what you're missing out on Gary. This could have been the greatest night of your life." Octavia winked at him and gave him a shoulder punch.

  "You're the best companion I could ever imagine for this quest," he said.

  "If we survive the morning, we shall be more than friends Gary. Tomorrow night?"

  Gary laughed. "Sure, tomorrow night it is Octavia."

  ***

  The drumbeats started about one hour before dawn. Looking out from the village, Gary could see the doomwalkers putting out their campfires and assembling into attack groups. In front of the gate, a group of lizard people formed what looked like an arrowhead. Two group of lizards formed a point, with a third group making up the shaft. Gary looked closer. The shaft of the arrow formation was a battering ram.

  Immediately behind the lizard people were cat people, with Sasha taking the lead. What had happened to her, he wondered? What was happening to Smallgrass? That was the key to the future if only they could survive the day ahead.

  Gary heard a commotion below. He looked down towards the inside of the gate. Oscar and his friends stood guard facing inward. A large crowd of villagers approached them.

  "Stand aside Oscar," one of them said. "We have come to open the gate."

  "Never," said Oscar. "Can't you see that Sasha is entranced. She is not herself. Stand firm."

  "There will be no Clowder Hollow to speak of if we don't open the gate before sunrise."

  "Are you all entranced like Sasha?"

  The tavern owner, Midnight, stepped to the front of the crowd. "Stand aside Oscar. We wish you no harm."

  "You too?"

  "I am not entranced Oscar. I have no love for the Ice King. I was not beguiled by the fog, but I will not watch the village being destroyed, watch villager fight villager. I will not fight my own daughter even if I disagree with her. The only way peace can be restored is to surrender."

  Oscar walked forward to meet the group and stood alone between them and the gate. "Uncle, you must fight for what you know to be right or strike down that which you know to be right." Oscar dropped his sword to the ground and held his arms palm out to the side. "I cannot surrender to the Ice King, even if it means we break the bonds of family."

  "Please," said the tavern owner.

  One of the other villagers stepped forward towards Oscar. "You will always be my friend," he said, taking his hand in greeting. Then suddenly and without warning, he reached into his belt and pulled out a long knife, plunging it into Oscar's belly and ripping it upwards. "But the village comes first."

  Oscar fell to his knees, eyes staring at his friend with an uncomprehending look. His uncle rushed to his side and cradled him in his arms.

  "Why?" cried Oscar.

  "Forgive us dear nephew."

  "Surrender is not the way," he whispered. Blood oozed from his mouth and his eyes grew still and unblinking. The body slumped backwards out of his uncle's arms to the ground. A pool of dark blood spreading in the dirt.

  In the distance the sun rose above the hills and the drumbeat got louder. Oscars friends ran forward swords raised against their fellow villagers and disappeared into the crowd under a hail of blows.

  "No arguments, no heroics, no honour, we must go," said Octavia. "The soul of this village has turned and there is nothing to save." She grabbed Smallgrass who by now seemed to be in trance and flung him over her shoulder. "This way." She ran along the rampart away from the gate.

  Gary looked back and saw the gate being opened by the villagers.

  The lizard people entered the village followed by Sasha. "Go door to door and kill anyone who refuses the pledge," she shouted.

  The black swarm spread out and streamed through the narrow gaps between houses like an engulfing flood.

  When they had outrun the doomwalkers, they jumped down from the rampart to the street below. They were near the centre of the village. "Quick," said Daisy. "Head for the tavern."

  "We can't hide there," said Gary.

  "Trust me," she replied.

  They cut through the houses and ran across the open space of the village square. Gary reached the door first and shoved it open. The others ran in and he quickly closed the door again behind him. The tavern was empty and quiet.

  "Why here Daisy? We are in the dead centre of the village."

  "Because it's dead centre. The last place taken in an attack."

  "I don't think we can hold them off."

  "That's not the plan. Smallgrass, sniff it out."

  "I'm on it." Smallgrass for the first time since Gary had met him got down on four feet and scuttled around the ground sniffing.

  "There will be an escape tunnel somewhere in this building. All villages have them. The doomwalkers may already know about it but it's our only chance," explained Daisy.

  "If anyone can find it, I can," said Smallgrass.

  "Ok, I'll keep lookout," said Gary opening the door slightly and peering out into the square. He couldn't see much but palls of smoke were rising into the sky across the village and the air was punctuated with drumbeats and screams.

  Smallgrass moved as fast as he could but it was a large space. Octavia and Daisy scoured the building, but they knew it would be well hidden and needed Smallgrass to locate it by the smell of tunnel air.

  "I don't think we've got too much time," said Gary. "They’re getting closer."

  "I'm going as fast as I can," said Smallgrass. "
If there were two of us, we'd have found it by now. Damn Smallgrass."

  "He's completely gone," said Octavia. "We need to get him away from here if he's going to recover."

  "Shit," said Gary. The tavern owner was crossing the square towards the building. "Keep looking, I'll deal with this."

  Gary stood behind the door as the tavern owner let himself in. Gary slammed the door shut and raised his sword. "Let's just stay quiet and no-one gets hurt."

  "It's too late," he said. "Oscar is gone. The family is torn." A tear welled up in his eye. "I just wanted to save everyone. Was that wrong?"

  "Sometimes you can't save everyone. Sometimes you have to take sides," said Gary.

  "I can't let anything happen to Sasha. She can still be saved, can’t she?"

  Gary felt for the man. "Perhaps, but only if we can find the source of the entrancement and destroy it. Stop the fog from spreading its poison further."

  "You must find it. You must save us all. Save Sasha."

  "Where is the entrance to the escape tunnel?" said Gary.

  "Behind the bar," shouted Smallgrass. "I've found it."

  Gary looked at the tavern owner who nodded.

  "Just need to find out how to open it now," said Smallgrass, his head peering over the bar.

  "Lizard Ale," said the tavern owner. "Pull the tap for Lizard's Piss Ale. No one ever orders it, it's a dummy tap."

  "Charming," said Octavia.

  The tavern owner shrugged his shoulders. "It seemed like a good idea at the time. We never usually get any Lizards in here who would be offended by it."

  "Okay, let's go," said Smallgrass disappearing below the bar. Octavia pulled the other Smallgrass over her shoulder and walked behind the bar followed by Daisy.

  "Thank you," said Gary. "If we can save Sasha we will, I promise."

  Just then the door swung open and the beautiful cat women entered the tavern alone. She stared at her father and then at Gary, taken aback by the scene.

  "Don't kill her," the tavern owner cried.

  Gary turned his sword inward towards himself and punched Sasha with the butt of the sword's hilt. She collapsed on the ground. "She'll have a nasty bump but that's all. You've lost enough family today."

  The tavern owner hugged Gary. "May the lifeforce bless you."

  "The lifeforce blesses us all, good and bad. It is the living that must make the difference," Gary said.

  "You speak wisely for a man of Uffern."

  "I'm learning as I go." Gary left the tavern owner kneeling over his daughter and descended the secret stairway behind the bar, closing the hatch door as he entered.

  "Where are you? I can't see a thing," he whispered.

  "Above grounders, what can you expect?" came the familiar voice of Smallgrass. He struck a match and sucked air into his pipe, a small light growing and shrinking as the tobacco ignited. "Follow me and stay quiet."

  Chapter 13

  Just as he had done the day that he met Smallgrass, Gary followed behind, using the dancing light of the pipe as a guide. It was obvious now, but he realised that was why Smallgrass had lit the pipe the first day. He could see clearly in the dark, but he also knew Gary couldn't as an 'above grounder'.

  Gary had a renewed respect for his small but tough companion. This journey had all been above ground where Smallgrass had very few advantages. He could have probably chosen to hide in his sett as the doomwalkers swept all before them and his life would have carried on pretty much as normal. Smallgrass had chosen his side and had chosen to put his life on the line on more than one occasion. Now the other Smallgrass was sick and they had no idea how to cure him.

  "Stop," came the whisper from Smallgrass.

  "What is it?" Gary asked.

  "We have four paths to choose. This means we are near the end of the tunnel. Each path will lead to a different exit. Hold my pipe." The dancing light moved backwards.

  "I've got it," said Daisy.

  "I won't be long." And with that they heard the sound of Smallgrass scurrying away. After a few minutes he returned. "Not that way. I can smell people." Smallgrass scurried down the next passageway and then returned. "Ok, this way," he said taking the pipe back from Daisy.

  They followed on behind in silence until they could make out the faint glimmer of light ahead. Smallgrass extinguished his pipe and moved forward. The tunnel entrance was covered in heavy bush, not unlike his own sett. He pushed the bush to one side and stepped out. The others followed.

  They were in a small forest clearing. The ground was covered in a bed of brown pine needles which dampened the sound of their walking. They looked around and tried to get their bearings. Which way was the village and which way would take them away from danger?

  "I think we should go this way," said Smallgrass.

  "Bad choice. That will take you straight back to the village."

  Gary scanned the surroundings, looking for the owner of the voice.

  "Up here."

  He looked up and saw a red squirrel sitting on a branch directly above them. "Hello," Gary said.

  "Hello to you," replied the squirrel. "I take it the village of Clowder Hollow has fallen?"

  "It has. Who are you?"

  "I keep watch over the secret passage. How many are still to come through the tunnel?"

  "None," said Gary.

  The squirrel shook his head. "The whole village has fallen? It can't be true."

  "There are many strange things happening," said Gary. "Watch out for the fog. That seems to be what turns people."

  "We will be fine. Nobody ever notices us. Sometimes that's a good thing. We shall live in the treetops until it all passes over. A squirrel is of little use to anyone else other than another squirrel."

  Gary nodded. "We need go little friend but take care."

  "The same to you," said the squirrel. It turned and ran up the trunk of the tree until it disappeared into the higher branches.

  "Let's go," said Gary. "No more villages to save. We need to get to the Crystal City and cut off the snake at the head."

  "I don't know if Smallgrass will last that long," said Octavia.

  Smallgrass was still slumped over her shoulder but was beginning to rise from his trance and become more agitated. "Long live the Ice King," he mumbled.

  "We're not leaving him behind," said the other Smallgrass.

  "Agreed," said Gary. "We need to make good time. Let's go."

  The companions began their trek through the forest, subdued but determined.

  ***

  They slowed as they reached the edge of the forest. The valley below was covered in snow. Some villages billowed smoke from chimneys and other lay devastated, with smoke rising from the ruins.

  "Some have resisted the doomwalkers," said Octavia. "But which are friendly, that is the question?"

  "The villages that lie in ruins most likely," said Smallgrass.

  "I think we should stick to the forest," said Gary. "That will give us cover to travel towards Autumnfall in safety."

  "Friend or foe," boomed a voice from behind them.

  "Doomwalkers," said Octavia. "Stay calm and turn around slowly. I count ten of them. Let me do the talking."

  They turned slowly, glad of the warning that Octavia's rear vision had given them. A group of Lizard people stood at the top of the small incline directly behind them.

  "Which are you?" replied Octavia. "Do you pledge allegiance to the Ice King?"

  "That we do."

  "Then friend it is," she replied. "I am escorting these prisoners to Clowder Hollow."

  "Do you seek our assistance?"

  Octavia laughed. "Does a lizard woman need help with these puny specimens?"

  "I can spare one man if you need him," the leader replied.

  "I need the help of no man. I shall be fine."

  "Very well, we shall continue our patrol of the forest."

  Gary sighed. They seemed to have gotten away with it. Damn, Octavia was good for someone only just learning to li
e.

  "Demon of Uffern," cried Smallgrass.

  "What did he say?"

  "Ignore him, he is weak of mind."

  "She hides the demon of Uffern. Gary is his name, and these are his conspirators." Smallgrass flailed widely on Octavia's shoulder trying to break free.

  "We shall escort you all. Stand still," commanded the leader of the doomwalkers.

  "Shit," said Gary. He looked at Octavia and motioned his headed in the opposite direction from the lizards. She nodded her agreement. "Run," shouted Gary.

  The companions bolted through the woods as fast as they could. Spears and arrows whistled past them as they weaved in and out of the trees in their path. The forest rushed at them as they made their escape. Gary pushed foliage out of his way, blinded by the branches whipping his face. Suddenly he found himself in mid-air, falling. He looked down and saw rushing water below. He plunged feet first into the pool, sinking below the surface and aware of the momentary silence as he pushed his way back to the surface. Above him he saw Smallgrass falling and Octavia and Daisy standing at the edge of the cliff. Octavia held on to the other Smallgrass tightly and jumped.

  "Come on Daisy," Gary shouted. "You can do it."

  Daisy hesitated and shook her head wistfully.

  "Come on Daisy," Gary repeated.

  "I can't swim," She shouted.

  "I'll help you."

  "I'll find another way."

  "No."

  Daisy turned and disappeared from view. Gary punched the water. Would he ever see her again? He couldn't lose her now. He tried to swim to shore, but the current pulled him forward towards the sound of thunder. He looked around and saw that the river seemed to disappear. Shit, it was a waterfall. Gary swam as hard as he could against the current to no avail. He and his friends were swept over the edge, this time plunging deeper into the blackness of the water. Gary pushed up, but the surface was not yet within reach. How deep was he? He pushed again but the air in his lungs was burning, desperate to escape. Gary fought the urge to breathe. The air escaped from his mouth despite his best efforts, bubbling away from him towards the surface that he himself could not reach. Gary felt the world go dark as his body became limp, no longer able to fight against the water.