Immediately tongues of blue flame leapt up then roared into a fierce fireball. The first rats to reach it sizzled in the flames, unable to escape.
Saxon and the others leapt back, their hair and clothes scorched by the leaping fire.
Saxon grabbed a torch of burning wood and threw it at the loathsome rats. It fell and started another blaze. Soon all four were throwing burning missiles towards the flood of seething rodents.
The fire quickly spread back towards the mountain of rubbish. The rats hesitated then turned and fled, back the way they had come. And so did the five friends, running, stumbling, cursing in the dark as they banged knees and shins on the rocky tunnel walls.
Back through the seething tunnel of cockroaches they ran, back to the steep flight of stairs and back down to the fork where they had first turned off.
It was only here that they eventually paused, breathless and panting. Their throats were dry and parched, their muscles screaming with pain and exhaustion. Tears pricked their scorched eyeballs and their hearts felt as though they were breaking.
Roana slumped to the ground, covering her eyes with her hands.
‘It’s hopeless,’ she muttered through clenched teeth. ‘We might as well go back. We will never make it past those rats.’
‘No, I wouldn’t want to face those rats again,’ agreed Ethan, throwing himself down next to her. ‘Or those cockroaches, for that matter. Uggh!’ He shivered in disgust. ‘But perhaps that wasn’t the right way.’
They all looked up at him, then turned to the other tunnel. The left-hand tunnel meandered gently away downhill.
Ethan stood up and wandered over to the tunnel entrance.
He lifted his candle up to the stone wall and rubbed his fingers over a slight indentation there. The dirt crumbled away and there was a carving. Ethan rubbed harder. A symbol revealed itself – a carving of a royal sun, its rays beckoning welcomingly.
‘You’re right,’ Lily murmured. ‘We did go the wrong way.’
Roana shuddered in disgust. ‘Maybe. But who is to say the other way will be any better? I think we should leave this horrible tunnel and go back into the fresh air. I cannot breathe in here.’
‘We can’t do that, Roana,’ Ethan said gently. ‘We must keep going.’
Saxon nodded. ‘We can’t give up now that we’ve come so far.’
‘We have to find the Sun Sword, and the Sun Gem and Moon Pearl, and the Star Diamonds … and we need to rescue our parents, and your brother, Roana,’ added Lily, ticking the impossibly long list off on her fingers.
Roana sniffled, her head buried in her arms, and shook her head vehemently.
‘I’m sure the other tunnel will be much nicer,’ grinned Ethan. ‘I’m sure your royal ancestors would never have built their secret escape tunnel through a rat-infested rubbish dump. The other tunnel must have been the escape tunnel for the grubby commoners.’
‘No, not an escape tunnel,’ retorted Roana, smiling weakly. ‘I think all the rubbish from the town above must be tossed down through a crevice into the caverns below. A perfect breeding ground for rats and cockroaches! I will have to do something about that when I am queen.’
The others grinned in relief, the tension broken.
Saxon took a big swig from his drink bottle, dribbling water down his chin in his haste. It was still cold and felt delicious on his parched throat.
‘Cheers, fellow rat fighters,’ he crowed, raising his bottle in a salute. ‘To the best bunch of ratters in Tiregian.’
The others laughed and all smashed their drink bottles together, before taking a giant swig.
‘Come on,’ Lily said more cheerfully. ‘Let’s check out all our wounds. Rat bites can be nasty, not to mention the horrible grazes on our hands from moving all those rocks.’
She dug around in her pack for a herbal antiseptic wash, clean cloth and ointment. She inspected each one of them closely, including Aisha, and carefully washed and anointed their multiple bites and scratches.
‘Well, this time, we really are going to have a rest before we go on,’ she ordered brusquely, glaring at Saxon. He nodded meekly and obediently pulled his cloak around his shoulders.
‘Yes, ma’am,’ he saluted smartly. ‘Perhaps we can have something to eat too, or are we to go straight to bed with no supper?’
Lily giggled. ‘No, food is a fantastic idea,’ she agreed. ‘Mama always said that good food was the best healer.’
At the memory of Marnie and her simple folk wisdom, Lily stopped joking and frowned, fighting back sudden tears.
‘So – another feast,’ said Roana with false cheer, as she started to unwrap some dried fish and berries. ‘Come on, Aisha – I think you are the only one who truly likes this horrendous fish.’
Aisha bounded up immediately, sitting promptly and begging expectantly with her liquid brown eyes. Roana hugged her and gave her a stick of dried fish.
‘Oh, Aisha, what would we have done without you – yet again?’ She rubbed the beautiful dog all over her soft head, as Aisha crunched on the fish in delight.
Charcoal ventured out of Lily’s pocket to nibble delicately on a piece of fish, patting it playfully with her paws.
After some food they all fell into a troubled sleep.
Roana rolled out of her wide four-poster bed and stretched. A roaring fire blazed in the grate, warming the whole chamber with its cheerful crackling. In front of the fire was her deep bathtub, filled with sweet scented water.
Deep crimson and yellow rose petals floated on the top. Roana stripped off her nightgown and sank gratefully into the warm, soothing water. Her three maid servants knelt at her side.
One gently washed her long golden hair with lavender soap, massaging the soap into a rich white lather. The second poured luscious hot water over her head from a jug, rinsing away the suds. The third girl carefully washed Roana’s feet with a soft flannel.
Roana lay back, her eyes closed, enjoying the luxury of the warm water lapping against her bare skin. One maid servant washed her face with rosewater and chamomile to soften and whiten the skin, while another massaged a creamy lotion into her hair and started to comb it. The comb tangled in her hair and pulled.
Roana screamed with rage and slapped the maid hard across the face. An angry welt rose on the girl’s cheek and her eyes filled with tears before she dropped her eyes, murmuring a barely heard apology. Roana glanced down into the bath.
The crimson rose petals had turned to spots of bright red blood. They spread and widened until Roana realised she was sitting in a tub of hot, red blood. She screamed and screamed in fright, and jerked awake.
Lily leant over and rubbed her on the arm.
‘It’s all right, you were just having a nightmare,’ Lily grimaced. ‘I had one too. I dreamt of red-eyed rats scurrying all over me. It was disgusting.’ She shivered.
Roana looked around at the three other filthy children, rubbing the gritty sleep from their eyes.
‘Sorry … sorry to wake you,’ Roana mumbled. Her cheeks burned in shame at the memory of striking the poor maid servant in her dream. ‘I thought I felt something in my hair.’ She rubbed her short brown crop ruefully.
‘It may have been one of those cockroaches, or just the memory of one,’ Ethan said gently. ‘Even Aisha was whimpering and shivering in her sleep, with her legs twitching as though she was chasing a hundred rats!’
‘Well, since we’re all awake now, perhaps we should move on,’ Saxon suggested, groaning as he hoisted up his pack.
The others all clambered to their feet, shouldering their packs.
‘Well, let’s hope the left tunnel is actually the right tunnel,’ quipped Ethan, flashing a tight smile at the others. Saxon groaned and slapped Ethan on the back.
At that moment, Governor Lazlac was down at the port. A ship had just arrived from Sedah and the Nine Isles, bringing missives from Emperor Raef. It also brought the latest forceful weapons in the subjugation of Tiregian – thirteen High Priests of Krad.
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The thirteen priests stood on the deck, shrouded in long black tunics, with sweeping hooded black cloaks. Their faces were hidden deep in the shadows of their hoods. The only sign of colour or life was a small brooch each wore at the throat to fasten their cloaks. A glowing red eye gleamed above two crossed silver cutlasses, encircled by silver wire.
‘Welcome,’ Lord Lazlac said softly. ‘We are most honoured to have the priesthood of Krad here in Tiregian. My soldiers are looking forward to taking you out to the far corners of Tiregian to spread the law and word of Krad, and our most fearful majesty, Emperor Raef. You may be sure his law will be enforced with the full might of our army.’
‘As it should,’ replied the Head Priest. ‘Emperor Raef is most impatient to hear from you. He wishes the first and most valuable coffers of Tiregian treasure to be sent to Sedah as soon as the ships can be loaded. The ruby is particularly important. It will make a fitting tribute to our most powerful Emperor.’
Here the Head Priest rubbed the red eye he wore at his throat.
‘I myself will see to the education of the Tiregian prince,’ he continued. ‘I will set off for the far north in the morning. My brothers will start work immediately on stamping out the local superstitions and rituals. We have an arduous task ahead of us all.’
Governor Lazlac bowed.
‘Follow me to the Palace of Tira,’ he invited. ‘I have had rooms and a meal prepared for you.’
‘That will not be necessary. We will stay here tonight. My brothers and I will fast to prepare for the battles ahead. We will spend the night praying to Krad for guidance.’
‘Krad be praised,’ intoned Governor Lazlac automatically.
He hurried back to the palace, his mind whirling with all the things he had to do.
The left-hand tunnel wound down for a few minutes then started to climb more and more steeply. No-one had any clear idea in which direction they were walking. They had been underground for so many hours and had twisted and turned so often that they could almost be walking in circles.
Once again, the tunnel turned to steep, slippery steps, running with rivulets of water. Roana slipped and skinned her knee but scrambled up silently and kept on climbing.
Aisha stopped and turned to face the rear of their column, her ears pricked. Ethan, who was now bringing up the rear, stopped too. His ears strained through the darkness. He thought he heard a faint noise behind him. A moist flip-flop.
‘Ssshhhh,’ he hissed. The others stopped obediently. It was clearer now. A soft rhythmic padding.
The noise stopped too.
‘It sounded like footsteps,’ Ethan whispered. ‘I think we’re being followed.’
Lily shivered. ‘Let’s keep going.’
They kept walking, a little faster now. The noise continued behind, coming gradually closer, despite their increased pace. They came to a sharp bend in the tunnel.
‘You keep going,’ whispered Ethan. ‘I’ll wait here and see if I can find out what it is.’
‘We should all wait,’ argued Lily. ‘It might be dangerous.’
‘No,’ insisted Ethan urgently. ‘It will stop if it hears we have stopped.’ Sure enough, the padding footsteps had halted too. ‘You keep going. I’ll keep Aisha with me for protection.’
Saxon nodded in agreement and tugged at Lily’s shoulder. ‘Come on.’ As the footsteps echoed away up the tunnel, Ethan crouched behind an outcrop of rock. In his right hand he tightly clutched the dagger and the edge of his cloak, holding it away from his body to make a tent. In his left hand, he held the candle, with its flame hidden underneath the cloak. His eyes adjusted slowly to the darkness.
Flip-flop. Flip-flop. The padding footsteps came closer and closer.
A small shadow hobbled around the bend. Ethan pulled out his candle so that it shone on the creature.
Huge round eyes stared up at him for a second. Then with a shriek they closed and moist webbed hands covered them from the harsh light. The creature was about the size of a small toddler, dark green and slimy like a frog. It had a long pointy nose and large ears, and its skin bubbled with warty protrusions and knobs. It wailed and cowered back from the candle.
Ethan stared at it, fascinated. He had never seen a creature like it before. Was it dangerous? Or merely curious?
The creature peeped slyly from between its webbed fingers. Then it made a sudden leap for Ethan, knocking the candle out of his hand. The tunnel plunged into darkness and Ethan felt cold, froggy hands clutching him tightly around his neck, squeezing the breath from his throat. Ethan choked and spluttered, wrestling with the slimy creature who was clinging around his neck.
He tried to stab the creature with his dagger, at the same time using his left hand to try to break the creature’s choking grip on his throat.
Then Aisha was upon them, snarling and leaping, snapping at the creature’s webbed feet dangling around Ethan’s waist. Ethan fell backwards and at last Aisha could get a good hold on the creature. She bit it on the hind leg and shook it furiously. The creature squealed and loosened its choking grip on Ethan’s throat. He gulped in sweet lungfuls of the dank tunnel air.
As it shook back and forth in Aisha’s strong grip, the creature seemed to open the knobbly protrusions on its body, which leaked out a bitter evil-smelling ooze. Asha sneezed and spat the little creature out, shaking her head furiously to remove the taste.
The creature shot a venomous glance at Aisha and Ethan, then loped away into the darkness. Ethan grabbed for it and caught its leg in his hand. But it slipped through his hand like a greased pig, leaving a searing acid burn on Ethan’s skin.
He ran down the tunnel after the creature but it had disappeared back into the darkness. Ethan stopped and wearily jogged after his companions, Aisha at his heels.
By the light of their final candle, Lily examined the bruises on Ethan’s throat and the burn on his hand. She sighed and rummaged in her pack for ointment and a bandage.
‘What sort of creature do you think it was?’ Ethan asked them all after he’d described his experiences.
‘I have heard stories of hobgoblins living down in these caverns, but I thought they were merely servants’ gossip,’ replied Roana. ‘The kitchen maids leave out saucers of milk for them in the larder. I always thought it was the cats who drank it.’
‘That creature was no cat,’ murmured Ethan ruefully, nursing his burnt hand. ‘I’m glad there was only one, or it would have been much worse.’
‘It has given you a nasty acid burn,’ agreed Lily as she gently dabbed and probed. ‘We’re certainly running through Mama’s medical supplies. Aisha’s lips are burnt from the ooze too, but fortunately her tongue seems unscathed … There. That’s all I can do for you, girl,’ she murmured, gently rubbing the last of the ointment around Aisha’s lips.
Ethan winced as he brushed his hand against his pack. Roana picked it up and tried to carry it for him.
He smiled. ‘Thanks, Roana, but I can manage it, if you could just swing it round onto my back.’
‘We’re off again,’ Saxon called, leading the march.
So it was that, stumbling with weariness, they nearly missed the end of their journey.
On their right in the shadows, Roana, walking in the rear, spied a shallow arched niche that seemed to be merely decorative. Above it were the familiar rays of a carved sun.
‘Stop a moment,’ hissed Roana in excitement. She took the candle and examined the carving, brushing over the rays with her fingertips as she had done in the first cave. The rounded sphere of the sun gave slightly under her fingers. She pushed harder.
With a shuddering, grinding noise the back of the archway slid aside to reveal a secret opening.
The others crowded around to peer inside.
‘I think this might be the secret way into the palace,’ Roana exclaimed. ‘This should lead us into the cellars and dungeons underground.’
‘Well, the way has been marked everywhere else by the royal sun,’ Lily agreed. ‘Let’s go
. Lead us to your palatious abode, your royal majesty,’ Lily said with a mock curtsey.
‘Follow me, my trusty courtiers,’ said Roana, lifting up the hems of a pretend gown and stepping daintily over the step into the new tunnel. ‘Come, trusty hound, lead on!’
The new tunnel was in fact the back of a dusty storeroom filled with ancient crates. They crept through the towers of crates and boxes.
The last candle had burnt down to a spluttering stub. They came to a low doorway that led out into a passage, wider and taller than the one they had been following until now.
To the right the passage stretched away in a long straight line, while to the left it petered out in a dead end. On either side of the passage were more doorways, some open and some barred with stout timber doors, securely padlocked.
They peered into a couple of doors. Each was filled with shadowy barrels and crates.
‘Storerooms,’ muttered Roana. ‘I have never ventured down here before. I know there are treasure chambers down here on the east side, the side of the rising sun, while on the side of the setting sun are the dungeons.’
Everyone gave an involuntary shiver.
‘That might be where our parents are being imprisoned – in the dungeons,’ murmured Ethan. ‘They must have arrived at Tira weeks ago.’
‘But which way is east and which way is west?’ asked Saxon. ‘We have twisted and turned around so many times underground that I hardly know which way is up and which way is down, nor how long we have even been down here.’
‘I think we must be on the south side, the seaward side,’ said Roana, drawing a rough map in the dust with the toe of her boot.
‘The underground tunnels are built radiating out from a central circle, like the rays of the sun. The centre is the guardroom and weapon storage and the stairs that lead up to the main palace. The wine and food cellars are to the north. If we follow this passage it should lead to the central guardroom. If we can creep past the guards there we should be able to get to the other tunnels.’
‘The treasure chambers to the east may be where the Sun Gem has been hidden,’ said Lily. ‘You can be sure the very first thing the invaders would have done was set about finding the treasure chambers. They may be storing their plunder down here until they can send it across the sea on ships.’
Quest for the Sun Gem Page 16
