Wychetts and the Thunderstone

by William Holley

  “Some other day.” Bryony turned back to the whirlpool, lowering her hand again.

  “I’d be careful with that.” The leprechaun hurried to Bryony’s side. “That there Rainbow Magic is powerful stuff.”

  “It’s OK,” Bryony assured him. “I’m a Guardian of Wychetts. I’m good with magic.”

  “That’s as maybe.” The leprechaun shook his head. “But it be magic of the rawest kind. Even the Wise Ones of old wouldn’t be going anywhere near it, to be sure.”

  “Don’t worry, er…” Bryony frowned. “What was your name again?”

  “Trevor,” said the leprechaun.

  Bryony’s frown deepened. “I thought it was Patrick O’Tipsy-Something?”

  “Not really.” Trevor suddenly lost his accent. “That’s just for the tourists.”

  Bryony gestured around her. “I don’t see any tourists.”

  “Yeah. Well.” Trevor puffed his cheeks and blew. “I could have picked a better spot, to be sure. And I don’t really say ‘to be sure’, either. And I’m really from Croydon.”

  Bryony looked Trevor up and down. “So you’re not a leprechaun?”

  “Of course I’m a leprechaun.” Trevor seemed offended. “Why else would I dress like this?”

  Bryony supposed not, but had other more important things to worry about.

  She leaned over the whirlpool, dipping her cupped hand into the swirling rainbow water. It felt surprisingly warm, and a tingle spread up her arm as she sank her hand deeper.

  “Then how about two wishes for the price of one?” suggested Trevor. “With the amusingly oversized hat thrown in for free?”

  Ignoring the leprechaun, Bryony lifted her hand from the pool. The water drained through her fingers, but her hand now glowed with pulsing bands of colour.

  “I have it,” she gasped. “I have the Rainbow Magic.”

  Then Bryony heard a loud snapping noise. Lifting her head, she saw cracks appearing in the rainbow.

  “It’s starting to break up.” Bryony gaped with horror. “I’ve run out of time.”

  Then she had an idea, and turned back to face Trevor.

  “You said you’d grant me three wishes. I don’t have any shillings, whatever they are, so could you grant me a wish for free?”

  “Certainly not.” Trevor looked horrified. “That would be against the leprechaun trading rules.”

  “Then I’ve failed.” Bryony glanced at the rainbow again. The cracks were getting wider, and she feared it wouldn’t be long before the Bridge of Fire crumbled into nothing.

  “I may not be able to grant you wishes for free,” said Trevor. “But I could make a suggestion. And leprechaun suggestions aren’t covered by trading rules. Unless I was to suggest that you make three wishes, in which case it gets complicated and there are forms to fill in.”

  “Well?” Bryony stared expectantly at the leprechaun.

  “Look at your hand,” said Trevor. “See how it glows with colour? That there is pure Rainbow Magic, and with it you can do anything.”

  Bryony examined her colourful glowing hand. She could feel the power flowing up her arm and spreading inside her. It felt like Wychetts’ magic, only much more powerful.

  “I can do anything.” She spread her arms, and with a single leap she jumped over the pool and onto the rainbow. She waved a thankful farewell to Trevor, and then sprinted up the Bridge of Fire in a blur.

  Trevor waved back, rueing another missed business opportunity.

  He looked around the tourist-free rainbow garden, and sighed.

  “Ah well. Next year I’ll try Margate.”

  Chapter 22- The Power of Asgard

  “Get ready,” announced the Weather Vane. “Here comes the first wave.”

  A cluster of Storm Hags peeled away from the main swarm. Edwin counted eight of them, and watched with horrified fascination as they approached the car in a ‘v’ formation.

  Screeching fury, the leading Storm Hag dived at Val. Edwin couldn’t just sit and watch, so lunged forwards to grab the old lady’s cardigan. Luckily for him he couldn’t quite reach…

  The Storm Hag shot a bolt of electricity at Val, who blocked the attack with her walking stick. There was a spark as lightning struck wood, and then the stick, Val and cardigan were enveloped in a flickering silver glow.

  “Val!” Edwin’s scream was drowned by the triumphant scream of the Storm Hag that wheeled away from its victim.

  The electric glow faded, and Val slumped back into her seat. Her glasses were cracked, and her hair stuck out in all directions.

  “Val!” Edwin leaned forwards to shake her shoulder. “Can you hear me? Are you all right?”

  Much to Edwin’s surprise, Val smiled as she answered.

  “Never felt better. There’s nothing quite as revitalising as a dose of elemental power.”

  “Huh?” Edwin could only gawp as Val stood up again.

  “Another blast should do the trick.” Val tore her shattered glasses off, then waved her walking stick at the circling Storm Hags. “Come on, I’m waiting. Give me all you’ve got, girls!”

  Three more Storm Hags came screaming at the car. Edwin shrank back, but Val laughed as she lifted her walking stick for what would surely be the final time…

  The Storm Hags fired in unison, and Val’s laugh became a scream as the lightning bolts found their target. There was a bright flash accompanied by a boom of thunder. The car shook violently. Edwin closed his eyes, fearing they would be hurled from the sky.

  Val’s scream grew louder. Then Edwin realised it was more a shout than a scream.

  “By the Ancient Gods of Valhalla, I come to reclaim the Thunderstone and smite the enemies of Asgard!”

  Edwin opened his eyes, and cried out in astonishment when he saw Val.

  Or rather, the person in the front seat where Val had been.

  She was a tall woman with long golden hair. Her face was beautiful yet stern, with piercing blue eyes, high cheekbones and an angular jaw. She wore an armoured dress with a shiny bronze breastplate, and her bare limbs were lean and muscular.

  “Behold,” roared Val. “A Shield Maiden of Asgard!”

  Edwin blinked, scarcely able to believe the transformation. Although there was one thing about Val that hadn’t changed.

  “Your feet?” He pointed at her fluffy pink slippers.

  Val shrugged. “Who says you can’t combine battle dress with comfort?”

  “More Storm Hags approaching,” cried the Weather Vane. “At one o’clock.”

  “Huh?” A frowning Bill looked up from his car manual. “I wish you’d make your mind up.”

  “Leave them to me.” Val raised her walking stick, which had transformed into a long, fork-tipped spear. Lightning crackled from the spear to strike the nearest Storm Hag, which shrieked mournfully as it plummeted from the sky in a bundle of smouldering rags.

  “Come!” Val hoisted her spear above her head as she addressed her enemies. “Come and test yourself against the power of Asgard.”

  The Storm Hags accepted the Shield Maiden’s challenge, rushing at her in a shrieking tide. Val withstood the assault with ease, dispatching her attackers with a series of graceful spear thrusts.

  Still the Storm Hags came on, flying faster and faster at their target. Val responded in kind, her arm becoming a blur as she sent her enemies to oblivion.

  “You killed them.” Edwin watched the remains of the last Storm Hags scatter like ashes in the wind. “You killed them all.”

  “Storm Hags can’t be killed.” Val’s hair streamed behind her like strands of gold. “They are elemental beings of immortal power, and will soon regroup. We have won but a momentary respite.”

  “Then we must seize this opportunity,” said the Weather Vane. “The East Wind tells me the girl has crossed the Bridge of Fire and is returning to Darkwing with Rainbow Magic.”

  “I see her!” Edwin spotted a dark haired figure standing on the rainbow directly below the airship. “Take us down to he
r, Inglenook.”

  Inglenook obliged, but Val kept her spear raised as the car descended. “This day is not yet won,” she warned. “If the girl has Rainbow Magic, she could yet be the death of us all.”

  Chapter 23- I Don’t Need Rescuing

  Bryony felt the Bridge of Fire trembling beneath her as more cracks snaked across its glassy surface; yet she made no attempt to enter the cage hanging before her.

  The return trip across the rainbow had only taken a matter of seconds, but Bryony was in no hurry to return to the Darkwing airship.

  “You have succeeded.” Katya Pauncefoot’s voice sounded from the airship’s loudspeaker. “Now step into the cage.”

  “No.” Bryony planted her feet firmly on the trembling rainbow. “Not until you honour your side of the bargain.”

  Katya snorted. “I don’t recall striking a bargain. You forget we have your father. Now step into the cage before we set the Storm Hags on you.”

  Bryony looked up at the sky. Despite Katya’s threat, there were no Storm Hags in sight.

  “Hurry,” snapped Katya. “We are running out of time.”

  “You can’t tell me what to do.” Bryony pointed her glowing right hand at the airship. “I have Rainbow Magic now. So release my dad, or I’ll blow you out of the sky.”

  Bryony felt quite capable of carrying out her threat. She could feel the Rainbow Magic flowing inside her, every nerve and muscle tingling with power. It was never like this with Wychetts’ magic. And now there was no Inglenook to answer to, no one and nothing to hold her back. She felt all-powerful, invincible.

  “Didn’t you hear what I said?” Bryony took delight in repeating her ultimatum. “Release my dad or I’ll blast you with Rainbow Magic.”

  “You cannot begin to comprehend the powers within you,” purred Katya. “You are as capable of destroying yourself as the Shadow Clan. Return to the cage before the Bridge of Fire shatters. There must only be seconds remaining.”

  “I’m not worried,” said Bryony. “With Rainbow Magic I can do anything. It’s you who should be scared.”

  She clenched her raised hand into a fist, and closed her eyes as she felt a surge of power pulsing through her arm. She knew she could obliterate her enemies with just a flick of the wrist…

  “Destroy the Shadow Clan if you wish,” said Katya. “But you’ll never see your father again.”

  Bryony lowered her arm a fraction, then heard a cry from above.

  “Bryony!”

  The voice was familiar. Very familiar. But it couldn’t be…

  Bryony looked up to see a car flying towards her.

  She couldn’t believe her eyes. It wasn’t just that the car had wings. Or that it had a weather vane in the shape of a cockerel poking through the opened sunroof. Or a beautiful armoured spear-wielding woman hanging out of the front passenger door…

  It was the sight of the driver that made her gasp with astonishment.

  “Dad?”

  “Hi love.” Bill waved cheerily at his daughter through the driver’s window. “Pleasant day for a drive, eh? Nice to have the sunroof open for a change.”

  “Dad.” Bryony shook her head in disbelief. “How come your car is flying?”

  Bill shrugged. “How else am I supposed to pick up my daughter when she’s standing on a rainbow?”

  “Fair enough,” conceded Bryony. “But it still doesn’t explain...”

  “Wychetts’ magic, of course!” A ginger headed boy popped up through the car’s sunroof, waving a large key.

  “Edwin!” Bryony gawped at her stepbrother as the car circled the rainbow. “What are you doing?”

  “Huh?” Edwin thought that was obvious. “We’ve come to rescue you.”

  “I don’t need rescuing,” yelled Bryony. “Clear off before the Storm Hags get you.”

  Another swarm of ragged forms had appeared from nowhere, and was now tearing towards the car in a screeching mass of fury.

  “Get ready,” Edwin told Bryony. “We’ll fly down and pick you up.”

  “I don’t need picking up.” Bryony shook her head. “I can look after myself.”

  “But you don’t have Wychetts’ magic,” cried Edwin.

  “I don’t need Wychetts’ magic. I have Rainbow Magic now, and it’s much more powerful. So scarper while you have the chance.”

  Bryony waved her glowing hand in a shooing motion. Before she realised what had happened, a beam of multi-coloured light shot from her fist straight at her father’s car.

  The car swerved to avoid the coloured beam, and Edwin ducked as it fizzed narrowly over his head.

  “She’s a smidgen ungrateful,” observed the Weather Vane.

  “On the contrary,” said Stubby. “We’re lucky to have found her in one of her more reasonable moods.”

  “Sorry,” shouted Bryony. “Didn’t mean to do that. Now make yourselves scarce. I can handle this on my own.”

  Edwin’s response was drowned by a cacophony of screeches as the swarm of Storm Hags closed in on the car.

  Bryony rolled her eyes with despair. Why couldn’t her idiot stepbrother do as she said? He’d come here to rescue her, but she was going to have to rescue him.

  “Call them off.” Bryony swung round to point her glowing hand at Darkwing. “Order the Storm Hags to let them go.”

  Katya purred pensively. “And then you’ll come on board?”

  “My dad is safe,” sneered Bryony. “You can’t blackmail me anymore.”

  She felt the Rainbow Magic burning ever stronger inside her. So strong it began to hurt…

  “I’m going to blast you anyway.” Bryony knew she couldn’t resist the surge of power. “I’m going to rid the world of the evil Shadow Clan, once and for all.”

  “Then do it,” shouted Katya. “But you’ll never learn the truth about your mother.”

  Suddenly Bryony remembered Katya’s promise to her.

  “You said you’d tell me everything. Everything that Inglenook has kept secret.” Bryony’s raised arm started trembling. “So tell me. Now!”

  “I can do better than that,” said Katya.

  There was a pulse of light as a figure materialised in the hanging cage. It was a slender woman with long blonde hair…

  Bryony blinked.

  It couldn’t be.

  “Bryony.” The woman held out her hand. “I’m here.”

  Bryony lowered her arm, her quivering lips scarcely able to form the word…

  “Mum?”

  Chapter 24- A Very Complicated Manoeuvre

  “It’s no use.” Keeping his head as low as possible, Edwin peered through the rear car window. “We can’t shake them off.”

  The car swerved hard right, but the pursuing swarm of Storm Hags kept close on its tail.

  “We should turn and fight,” suggested the Weather Vane. “These wretched creatures are no match for the Shield Maiden’s power.”

  “But the Storm Hags will absorb my power, as I absorbed theirs.” Val turned her head as a bolt of lightning crackled past. “For every Storm Hag I strike down, another two will appear to take its place.”

  Edwin groaned despairingly. “So we can never beat them?”

  “The Storm Hags cannot be defeated.” Despite her words, the Shield Maiden smiled as she spoke. “But we can use their power to our advantage. And for that we’ll need the Thunderstone.”

  The car changed direction, angling steeply towards the Shadow Clan’s airship.

  “But what about Bryony?” Edwin peered at the rainbow, trying to discern his stepsister on the shimmering multi-coloured arch. “We should rescue her first.”

  “The Thunderstone is our only hope of saving the Young Mistress.” Inglenook’s miniature metal face smiled reassuringly at Edwin. “Fear not, Young Master. I would never desert a Guardian.”

  “Darkwing will be defended,” warned the Weather Vane. “The Four Winds tell me the vessel is equipped with High Capacity Magic Cannons.”

  Right on cue there was a fla
sh from the underside of the airship, followed by an echoing boom. An orb of red light arced through the air, trailing flames as it sped towards the car.

  “There’s a red light ahead.” Bill glanced up from his manual to point at the oncoming orb. “I think that means we should stop.”