She ran away from the gate and towards a scraggy rock face, which had appeared in front of her. Halfway up the rock was a tunnel entrance. As she had predicted, her arms had become loose again once she had escaped the field and she climbed up, her hands scrabbling for grip. She reached the edge of the entrance, which she saw now was a cave, and she stopped to gather her breath and look back.
The giant numbers had breached the gate and were closing in on her. They were chanting over and over in a familiar voice; “Sarina can’t count. Sarina can’t count. Sarina can’t count. Hahahahahahaha!” The high-pitched silly laugh at the end was particularly grating—and she realised who the voice reminded her of.
Nathan.
Weirder than weird. She knew she had to get out, and without hesitation, she ran down the cave entrance towards a faint light.
She emerged from the entrance tunnel into a cathedral-like cavern, lit with flickering flares all around the walls, creating an eerie atmosphere. The cavern was empty, apart from a structure that she couldn’t quite make out at the far side.
She was rid of the Nathan Numbers, so now what?
She took a moment to survey the dark interior, which appeared calm enough, at least compared to her recent experience. She decided it would be safe to explore.
Sarina made her way across the cavern, picking her path across the rocky surface, made more difficult by the flickering light.
When she got closer to the structure, she saw that it was a cage, encircled with vertical bars in a cube-like structure, and there was someone inside.
She crept along the side of the cavern towards the cage, when at last she recognised who was in the cage, and she ran to it.
“Paolo! Paolo!” she shouted. “What are you doing here? How did you get in that cage?”
Paolo’s head jerked up and he looked around, peering through the bars, straining to see in the dark.
“Paolo, it’s me, Sarina!” She rattled the bars, looking straight at Paolo, who was looking right through her. “Paolo, what’s going on? I’ve been chased by giant numbers, almost crushed by huge magnets falling from the sky and nearly strangled by bionic-growing grass so I ran down this tunnel and found you here and oh I have no idea what is going on and you can’t even hear or see me. Oh it’s no use!”
The words flew from her mouth faster than she could think until she couldn’t think anymore, and she sank down and sat on the floor, exhausted.
“Paolo, I really have no idea what to do or why you are here in this cage.” She looked at Paolo, who was now looking out the other side of the cage and extending his hand through the bars. What was he reaching for? Nothing, as far as she could see.
She pushed herself up and walked around to where Paolo’s hand was extended. She waved her hand in front of his eyes. “Hello, hello. Earth to Paolo, Earth to Paolo.” He couldn’t see or hear her, although she thought she saw his eyes flicker in recognition.
She reached out to take his hand—and he grabbed hers, hard. She shrieked.
~~~
“Sarina, wake up!”
Her mother had a hold of her hand and was shaking it to try to get Sarina to wake up.
“Whaaa?”
“Yes darling, it’s Mummy—you were out for the count, so I thought I’d better wake you—it’s a big day today you know.” She squeezed Sarina’s hand and let go. “Hmmm, what are these doing here?” Sarina’s mother looked down at the bed, puzzled and picked up several brightly coloured numbers from Sarina’s counting set she had when she was four. “And magnets too?” She held up three magnets from Sarina’s “Science For Dummies” set.
Sarina looked at her mum with a weak smile. “I think I must have been playing with them when I fell asleep.”
“Well it’s nice to see you are doing something a little more scientific for a change.” She gave Sarina an encouraging smile. “Come on then, up you get. Time to get ready for school.”
Sarina pushed back the covers and stood up out of bed, yawning. School was the last thing on her mind. All she could think about was the boy in the cage and his desperate lunge for her hand.
~ 6 ~
Capture
Paolo sat on the edge of the well, twisting coloured threads into the braided wristbands he loved making.
He looked up at the clear sky and wished that life was different. Simple, sunny and clear, like the sky.
No use in wishing though. Ever since one of Makthryg’s curses backfired and rendered him deaf and mute, life had gone from bad to worse. He hadn’t been there to stop Valkrog killing his father; and he hadn’t been able to save his brother and mother.
He sighed and slumped against the well post.
Now the townsmen were sure to give him up to Makthryg, but if they did, then what? No doubt Makthryg would torture him. It probably had something to do with that blue earth. He twisted his hands around and looked at his palms, but they offered him no insights.
He saw the two buckets nearby that Andreas had asked him to fill, still sitting empty by the side of the well. He knew Andreas was being kind and keeping him away from the township. He was probably trying to talk the men out of using Paolo as a peace offering, but he was not sure even Andreas, who could be exceptionally persuasive, would succeed.
He stretched and jumped off the side of the well, and back onto the grass. Judging by the sun in the sky, he’d been away long enough and Andreas would either have sorted everything out, or—
Or what indeed?
No use moping around. Time to fill up the buckets and head back.
He picked up one bucket and lowered it down the well, sensing the splash from the vibration in the rope, letting the bucket fill, then pulling it up. The well drew a mineral-rich water and was much-loved by the townsmen.
And townswomen and children too. He gazed into the treetops, wondering where his mother and his brother were, and what they were doing right now. Were they still alive? He could only hope that the work they were doing for Makthryg was valuable enough that he wouldn’t harm them.
He thought of his other friend, the blue-eyed girl. Right now she was the only person who understood him, who didn’t need him to write his words down. Maybe she was special, like a good luck charm. He smiled and hoped he would see her again soon. And that one day he would be able to see his mother’s face in his mind as clearly as he could Sarina’s.
He attached both buckets to the wooden balancing bar and then picked it up and placed it across his shoulders. He turned to head back down the path—and looked straight into a line of loaded crossbows aimed directly at his head. Staring back at him from behind the crossbows were some very ugly-looking warriors.
“You can put those down, boy.” A brutish man with a shaved head stepped out from behind the archers and pointed to the buckets.
Even though he had read his lips, Paolo tried to signal to the man that he could neither speak or hear, but as he raised his hand to his mouth, another man stepped up to shaved-head-brute and whispered in his ear, pointing to Paolo.
The leader nodded and brushed the other man away, then repeated himself, this time motioning and pointing to each of the buckets in turn and gesturing for Paolo to lower each one to the ground.
“Put … the … buckets … down … boy.” He said the words slowly. Paolo was used to it—just because he couldn’t hear, people thought he was dim-witted too—which he had to admit, was helpful in sticky situations, this possibly being one of them. Time to act stupid.
Paolo looked back at the man with a blank expression, and pretended it had suddenly dawned on him that shaved-head wanted the buckets down. He mouthed “Oh!” and put them both down and stood waiting, his arms by his side.
“Come … with … us,” the brute raised his voice and over-emphasised each word, “we … will … shoot … you … if … you … try … to … escape.” He mimicked loosing off an arrow.
Paolo nodded and waited while the man instructed the archers to surround Paolo and get ready to march, with two
in front, two on each side and two behind.
Shaved-head pointed forward and they set off in a brisk march.
Paolo was certain they hadn’t seen him drop his braided wristband next to the buckets.
~~~
After several hours of non-stop marching through a forest track Paolo never knew existed, they continued further up into the hills where they emerged tired and sweaty into a clearing. The sun was close to setting, which only made the looming black silhouette of the fortress look more ominous.
Paolo swallowed. Although he knew it might come to this one day, now that he was here, he wasn’t sure if he had the courage or stamina to stand up to Makthryg and his sadistic second-in-command. The pit in his stomach grew as they approached the huge iron gates, which creaked open after shaved-head spoke to the guards through the hatch.
The group walked in, and were confronted by a severe man in a black cape who had walked out onto the top step of the large stone stairs leading up to the central fort.
Makthryg held up his hand and the group came to a halt at the bottom of the steps.
“Good work, Hursk. Your team will be well rewarded. You are dismissed.” He waved shaved-head and his archers away with a dismissive flick and beckoned Paolo to come up the steps.
Feeling the fear coursing through his body, Paolo did his best not to show it and marched up the steps to stand in front of Makthryg. He looked up at him, chin jutted forward, determined not to be intimidated.
Makthryg said nothing and smiled. “Still have some fire in your belly do you, boy?” He reached down and jerked Paolo’s chin up, then leaned into his face, his eyes piercing. “Tell me where the Xtrium is, or I will have the town completely levelled.”
Paolo shook his head, still held in Makthryg’s strong grasp and shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t have to lie, he really didn’t have any idea what the sorcerer was referring to.
Makthryg let go of Paolo’s chin in disgust and moved aside.
Paolo let out an involuntary gasp. Stepping forward from behind Makthryg was Valkrog.
Valkrog reached out, leering at Paolo and clasped his elbow so tightly in his talons that he gasped in pain. His voice rasped. “My Lord, if he proves to be as stubborn as his father, and refuses to give up the whereabouts of the Xtrium, I will take pleasure in following your orders and disposing of the township. But not before I incinerate each and every one of the men, just as I did to his father.”
Paolo had trouble deciphering all the bird-man’s words, but the message was clear enough. He shuddered at the thought.
“Take him to the cage,” Makthryg said, and he turned on his heel, his black cape swirling behind him as he marched inside.
He was part force-marched, part dragged by the creature down to a small door with vertical iron bars bolted across its width. Paolo couldn’t help but notice the bird-like creature was nursing its shoulder, and under its cloak, he saw a wrapping of bloodstained cloth that looked suspiciously like a bandage.
Was this proof that Makthryg’s creation was vulnerable? And who had the power to wound the bird? He pushed the thought away, knowing it would only lead him to wish he’d had the power to injure the creature. Even if such power existed, it wasn’t going to help him right now. He would need his wits about him if he were to survive.
The creature rapped impatiently on the door and it opened immediately. They entered and ascended several flights of stairs—maybe up two floors?—and then Valkrog opened the door of a small room and dragged him over to a cage. He shoved him inside and closed the cage door with a resounding clang.
~~~
Makthryg sat at the end of the table holding up a large, tattered map, inspecting a heavily marked section in the corner. He put the map down and looked at Valkrog, who was sitting across from him while his injury was being tended by two Healers.
“Valkrog. We must take this opportunity and strike now we have the boy in our possession. With him I can achieve two things at once. I can force the townsmen to surrender their land. Then, whether the boy realises it or not, I will use his knowledge to find the Xtrium. These people will know what it means to live under a rich and generous ruler.”
“Your Greatness, I must raise a difficult subject,” Valkrog winced as his shoulder dressing was being removed. “We have not discussed the Orange Witch and how we might defend ourselves should she reappear and join the townsmen against us.”
Makthryg laughed. “Why Valkrog, I do believe your injury has softened your brain. This is precisely why we must move fast. Once I have the Xtrium, the witch will not stand a chance—the entire world will be forced under my control—and that means she too will be under my control.
“It is unfortunate that we can no longer summon the Darkness. From what I deduce, the witch was able to destroy it permanently. But this is no longer of any import. The old knowledge passed down is irrefutable and it is clear that the Xtrium will unlock a far superior power. After years of searching, a chance discovery by a young boy has revealed that it not only exists, but that it is close. Only the boy and the townsmen now stand between it and me.”
He appraised the bird-man as he spoke, wondering if the creature was prepared for the fight ahead of them.
“I have a proposition for you, Valkrog. Devise a plan to capture the villagers quickly and find me the Xtrium by extracting the information from the boy, and the witch is yours.”
Makthryg stood to leave. “But whatever happens, do not let your obsession with this witch interfere with our plan. Fail me and your place in the new world may be very different. Our principal focus is the subduing and control of the township, and the extraction by any means possible of the information from the boy.”
Valkrog’s beak twitched. “Very well, your Greatness, as you command.” He dismissed the healers with his good arm and watched Makthryg stride out of the hall.
~~~
The search party arrived at the clearing and Andreas held his hand up to bring them to a halt.
“Friends, remember the boy is scared. I believe he saw us arguing about giving him up to Makthryg in exchange for a peace treaty, and the return of our women and children. He has already felt the curse-power Makthryg possesses—and he has suffered first-hand the evil that is Valkrog.” He paused, slowly looking at each of the men in turn.
“I trust each and every one of you as my own brother. I know it is not in your heart to betray Paolo, but there are those among us who would. So here is what I propose. Once we locate him, we will reassure him of our intentions and Tomas will take him to a safe hiding place. We will use the time this gives us to build our defences and attempt to contact the girl-who-flies.”
He turned and pointed with both arms to indicate their search direction. “Paolo would have come along this path to the well, therefore we will start over at the well in pairs and fan out from there, and systematically make our way back to the township.”
He faced the men and raised his eyebrows, “Any questions?”
The men shook their heads.
“Good. I am quite sure that Paolo has not witnessed the defeat of Valkrog by the girl, since he left for the well before the creature came. So if you are first to find him, show compassion and remind him that we have reason to hope.”
Andreas set his expression firmly. “My friends, we will win against Makthryg. It is not a fight we can afford to lose. Come, let us search.”
He turned to lead them across the clearing.
Andreas and Tomas were among the first pairs of men to reach the far side of the well and Tomas spied the full buckets on the grass. “Look Andreas! Paolo was here,” he looked at his friend in dismay, “but if the buckets were left here?” He glanced at Andreas. “Do you think he was—”
“No, Tomas, I do not.”
Andreas bent down to pick up an object on the ground and held up a wristband made of finely braided thread.
“He is safe, Tomas, for now. When Paolo tangled with Makthryg and was cursed mute and deaf, I made an ag
reement with him that he would leave me a sign if he was in danger. The fact that he has deliberately left behind something his mother taught him to make”—he waved the finely-threaded wristband—“tells me that although he may be in danger, he did not encounter a fight and was taken away without incident.”
He lowered his hand and looked out toward the far side of the clearing where the woods rose up into the hills. “And truthfully, there is only one place he would have been taken to.” Andreas looked at Tomas grim-faced.
“Aye, I believe that would be the truth of it, Andreas. But truth or not, what will we do about it?” He held Andreas’s gaze for a while, before turning to watch the other men still combing the undergrowth.
~~~
No-one had returned to the room since Paolo was thrown in the cage and he was beginning to feel hungry and tired. He thought about the blue-eyed girl again and wondered what someone as smart as her would do in this situation. She’d find a way to get out, that’s for sure. He needed to figure out a way to escape and raise the alarm. He picked at the loose thread on his tunic, thinking, and an idea came to him. Didn’t the girl appear in his dreams? If he could dream right now, he could ask for her help.
But how do you fall asleep when you are in an uncomfortable cage, he wondered, looking around at the rough cage floor, trying to see if he could find a spot less hard than anywhere else.
He gave up on the idea of comfort and decided to curl up on the floor like a cat and do his best to fall asleep. He was certainly tired enough.
He lay down and pulled his knees up towards his chest and rested his head on both arms. The room was dark and his eyes were heavy with sleep. He only had to let himself sink into a dream. He thought of the girl and her bright eyes, trying to hold the image fixed in his mind as he drifted off.
~~~
The girl was standing far away at the end of a long, white spacious corridor, facing away from him. The sun was streaming in from windows on each side of the corridor and he guessed it was a connecting walkway, but from where to where?
The Dreamer Chronicles Trilogy Boxed Set Vol I - III: A Sci-Fi Parallel Universe Adventure (The Dreamer Chronicles - Science Fiction For Kids And Adults) Page 6
