by SJB Gilmour
As they looked about, the group shielded their eyes as they sought shelter under the palms.
‘See?’ Mel muttered to Sarah. ‘Desert. Cassandra was right. She said we’d be going over sand.’
Ronald the gnome rubbed his hands together busily. ‘Right,’ he said in a no-nonsense tone. ‘The tents!’
Following the bossy little gnome’s instructions, the group soon had the tents strung up among the palms. The tents did manage to keep the sun off their backs, but inside they were stiflingly hot.
‘This is ridiculous!’ James declared, with rivers of perspiration running down his scalp.
‘I thought you liked the heat, cousin,’ Angela remarked, wiping her brow with a handkerchief.
James snapped, ‘I do, but this is too hot, even for me! I’m going to get us some air-conditioning!’ He pointed at a corner of his tent and muttered a quick spell. A small portal about half a metre wide appeared. Through the shimmering empty space, a howling, ice-cold wind blasted into the tent. Within minutes, the air in the tent was much, much cooler.
‘There,’ he said confidently. ‘That ought to do it.’ He wiggled his fingers, shrinking the portal until it was the size of an air vent in a car dashboard.
‘Where does that portal lead to, Master Isaacs?’ Sarah asked politely.
‘Oh, it’s a trick I learned ages ago,’ James told her. ‘I was trying to prune a Mexican flame tree. Its burning branches were really overgrown and, phew,’ he waved his hand at his face, ‘it was hot. So, I opened a portal directly to the South Pole.’ He pointed at the air pouring through the portal. The occasional snowflake fluttered out, only to melt and evaporate before it hit the floor. ‘That air’s coming straight off a million-year-old glacier. Now, I’ll just go and do the other tents.’ He strode purposefully out of his tent.
Later, when the group had unpacked their belongings, Ronny made a quick lunch of salad and cold meats. As the group sat down to eat, Benjamin pulled a large scroll out of his satchel and laid it down on the sand.
‘Here is the oasis where we are,’ he told them, pointing at a small green spot on the map. ‘And here,’ he moved his finger slightly to the west to where a large brown mountain was drawn, ‘is Erta Ale. It’s not marked here of course, but Troll Mountain is right there,’ he said, pointing his finger next to the volcano. ‘It’s a few hours on foot from here. We should wait until dusk, and then head out in the cool of night. Tonight is just going to be an advance sortie,’ he told them. ‘All we are going to do is scout around and find out the lay of the land. I don’t want anyone taking it upon themselves to do anything foolish. I can handle several trolls by myself, and as a group, we could probably cope with a few dozen. No heroics,’ he said, looking at Sarah pointedly.
‘Me?’ she protested mildly.
‘Yes,’ he said firmly. ‘You. An army of trolls is a lot more dangerous than one nearsighted dragon.’
After they had rested for the rest of the day in their polar-cooled tents, Sarah and the others rose at dusk and changed into dark, loose-fitting cotton clothes provided by Angela. She dressed Ronny and James in black robes with exquisite gold-trimmed headbands. She then outfitted them each with shiny black leather boots and long curved scimitars. She dressed Mel and Sarah in matching robes of the deepest cobalt blue with light leather sandals. She even provided a small dark headdress for Jimbo.
James hefted his scimitar a few times. ‘This thing is stupid,’ he scoffed. He discarded the weapon. He reached into his satchel and withdrew a pair of secateurs and a large spray bottle full of water. He squirted several jets of water into the air and snipped his secateurs a few times. ‘Now, this is more like my style!’ he declared, striking a fencer’s pose, holding his secateurs up in place of a sword.
Angela rolled her eyes skyward. ‘Why me?’ she asked in a tragic voice, her blue eyes shining with mirth.
James snapped to attention. ‘Who else is there?’ he asked her in a mercurial tone, and then sprayed her mischievously.
She chuckled playfully. ‘Stop that,’ she told him. ‘This robe shouldn’t get wet.’ It was true. Her robe was very thin indeed. With the thin spray of water, it was now almost completely transparent. She had donned loose black silk pantaloons that hung immodestly low on her hips, and a matching black halter-top. Over this, she wore a long flowing black robe that only just managed to cover her bare midriff. Around her bare waist, she wore a long charm-laden chain. Like the others, she wore simple leather sandals. Around each ankle, she wore a number of thin chains from which dangled more tiny brass bells and charms like her earrings. To top it all off, she wore a traditional Arabian lace veil, complete with still more small brass charms and coins. She glanced quickly in her enchanted mirror, sighed and then shook her head.
‘It’s nice to dress up, but this isn’t really all that practical.’ She smiled at Benjamin. ‘It’s been a while, but I guess it’s time to get back in uniform.’
Benjamin was quite serious when he answered. ‘I wouldn’t worry too much, Angela. I doubt you’ll need to wear it for long. Everything’s going to be alright.’
Sarah and Mel had no idea what these two were referring to but it was quite obvious that Angela had avoided whatever military history she’d had because of something fairly traumatic.
Angela clicked her fingers and was once more dressed in her Amazon uniform. Oddly enough, Sarah noted, this uniform didn’t seem so out of place on her now.
She turned her attention to Roberta and Robert. For them, she chose identical chocolate brown robes and pantaloons. For Benjamin, she provided jet-black pantaloons with a silver trim, a robe of black silk over a tissue-thin black shirt. She provided him with a long staff and a jewelled sabre.
‘Now,’ she said, clapping her hands briefly to get their attention, ‘Fall in!’ She pointed out a line outside her tent. ‘I want to get a look at you all.’
Like schoolchildren, the group shuffled into a line in front of Angela. She examined them briefly. ‘Now then, everyone. Gather your things and we’ll take our camels and be off.’
‘Umm, Aunt Angela,’ Mel said nervously. She obviously thought her aunt was slipping a bit. ‘What camels?’
Angela grinned mischievously. ‘Those camels,’ she said, pointing behind them. There, parked quite casually under the palm trees, were eight camels, all saddled and ready to go. On top of one of the shaggy beasts sat an elaborately dressed pixie. He wore a studded green leather vest, snug red leather pants and bright purple boots with toes that curled right up and around. Tiny bells hung from the point of each boot. On his arms, he had a number of evil-looking tattoos and a variety of gold bracelets. The pointy-eared pixie leapt from the back of his camel and landed softly on the sand. He then marched in a most comical fashion up to Angela.
‘Eight camels,’ he stated and waved grandly at the shaggy beasts. He then produced a small notepad and a large flowing quill and handed both to Angela.
‘If you’ll just sign the bill of sale, I’ll be off.’ He folded his arms across his chest self-importantly.
Angela signed the form and handed the pad and quill back to the pixie. ‘Thank you, Neville,’ she said. The pixie bowed and then promptly vanished in a puff of foul-smelling smoke.
Sarah watched the others climb aboard their camels then nervously approached hers. The camel turned to regard her with huge brown eyes.
‘Allo!’ the camel said suddenly. ‘Wot are you doin’ out ‘ere then, eh?’ The camel dropped to its front knees. Nervously, Sarah clambered into the saddle. She had never met a camel before, and was even more surprised to hear it talk in an accent more befitting an English hoodlum.
‘Um, we’re on our way to Troll Mountain,’ she told the camel.
‘Off to Troll Mountin’ are ye?’ The camel repeated. ‘I do ‘ope you’ve bin invited! Them trolls don’t like nobody just turnin’ up there, they don’t!’
‘All right,’ Benjamin chided the camel. ‘That’s enough chit-chat from you.’ He gave the
camel a friendly tap on the snout. Then to Sarah he said, ‘Now Sarah, riding is easy. Just hold onto the pommel up the front of your saddle there. There’s no need to hold the reins. This camel knows to follow the rest of the group.’ He grabbed hold of the camel’s reins and stared forcefully at it. The camel nodded and Benjamin let the reins go and climbed on board his own camel.
Sarah found riding her camel more challenging than she originally thought. Its uneven gait was difficult to get used to and the saddle was most uncomfortable. After only a few minutes of riding along in the cool desert night, she found herself getting quite sore. Most of the others appeared to be feeling the same discomfort.
Angela seemed used to the camel’s strange swaying gait, however she also seemed quite unhappy with the uncomfortable sitting position. Finally, she had had enough of the hard, chafing saddle. She reached into her enchanted satchel and withdrew a large red satin cushion. It took a bit of most un-ladylike wriggling to get the cushion into position, but eventually, she was much more comfortable.
She turned to the others. ‘Would anyone else like one?’
The girls gratefully accepted Angela’s offer. James, however, scoffed at his cousin. ‘You’re too soft,’ he snorted while he watched Sarah, Mel and Roberta all wriggle onto the large shiny cushions. ‘Wouldn’t see your Amazon sisters going in for such foppery!’ He smiled proudly. ‘I once spent twenty years on a camel,’ he announced. ‘The only time I set foot on the sand was to… ’
‘Never mind,’ Angela interrupted James. ‘We’re all sure you’re tough. I feel sorry for that poor camel.’
Sarah and Mel giggled.
‘What?’ James protested. ‘You think people on adventures never stop to go to the loo?’
Angela laughed at her cousin and leaned over to pat him on the arm. ‘You’re impossible,’ she chuckled.
‘No I’m not. Improbable perhaps, but I’m every bit as possible as you are!’
Now that her sore behind was more comfortable, Sarah found herself enjoying the ride much, much more. She gazed up at the night sky. The stars shone brightly. The air was so clear and fine she could see thousands more stars than ever before. Even the moon, which was well past half-moon stage, was incredibly bright.
Nathan, the giant purple bookwyrm, proved he was as at home on sand as he was in mud. He wriggled along beside Sarah’s camel. He looked about nervously. ‘There aren’t any birds out here are there, Miss Sarah?’ he asked.
Sarah grinned at him. ‘Probably, but don’t worry, Nathan. We won’t let any bird, not even a golden eagle get close to you.’
‘Golden eagles!’ Nathan shrieked. ‘Have you seen how big those things are? They could even swoop down and pick you up!’
A screech overhead echoed down. ‘Fear not, bookwyrm!’ called an eagle from high above them. ‘Your hunt is more important than ours. Hunt well.’
Nathan gulped and he looked up in with both fear and gratitude. Sarah watched the eagle fly away. Absently, she wondered how many days it would take for the moon to become full again.
‘Nine,’ Angela remarked. Her teacher had sidled her camel up to the other side of Sarah’s so she and Nathan flanked her. Together they trotted and wriggled over the sand dunes towards a huge grey mountain that had become visible against the clear night sky.
‘What?’ Sarah asked in surprise.
‘You were wondering how long before it’s a full moon again and this is all over. We’ve got nine more nights to go.’
‘But we’re almost there!’ protested Sarah, pointing to the huge grey mountain rising up in front of them.
‘Yes, I know. Before we meet with the trolls, something else has to happen. I’m not exactly sure what.’
Sarah stared at her teacher, but her expression gave nothing away. It was certainly exciting to be travelling all over like this and she had seen a great many things so far, but still… She couldn’t help wondering where they would all end up.
Then James drew his camel alongside Angela’s. ‘I suspect we’re about to find out,’ he said and pointed back in the direction they had come from.
Sarah turned and gasped in alarm. The entire oasis was on fire. Huge streaks of fire burst from the tents. The date palms were exploding from the heat and the flames rose high into the night sky. Behind the burning oasis was a huge black shadow. It rose and spread out monstrous clawed arms.
Nathan gave a startled shriek and turned to Sarah. ‘Miss Sarah! Your satchel!’
Sarah held the satchel open and Nathan dived inside. Then she looked back at the burning oasis and the huge shadow behind it.
‘What is that thing?’ she cried in fright.
‘It looks like a demon!’ Ronny observed, more surprised than alarmed. ‘What’s it doing all the way out here I wonder?’
Jimbo launched himself high into the air in a wild panic. He instantly opened a portal and disappeared through it.
The enormous thing strode forward directly through the burning oasis. The flames had no effect on it whatsoever. In the light of the fire, Sarah could see it more clearly. Its hide was horrible black skin covered with scabrous-looking patches of fur. Its face was vaguely human and it had a long, thick body and short, misshapen legs. Its arms were abnormally long and covered with scales up to the elbows. Its stumpy, bowed legs had the same sort of ugly-looking scales up to the knees. In place of hands, it had enormous claws that it balled up into spiky fists. It had long, pointy ears and a human sort of nose and chin. Its eyes glowed with horrible green fire.
It opened its mouth and roared at them. Inside its mouth were thousands of long, vicious-looking fangs. Instead of a tongue, in its mouth was an enormous burning furnace. Huge bursts of green flame shot from its mouth as it bellowed horribly at them in a language Sarah didn’t understand.
‘What is it saying?’ she cried in near panic.
‘I don’t know!’ Angela yelled. Instead of appearing frightened, she seemed very angry. She drew her bow and fired three arrows in quick succession at the demon. They bounced off its body harmlessly.
‘Don’t bother,’ Ronny advised. ‘You’d need a cannon to make a dent in that hide.’
He stared at the demon critically. While most of the group seemed alarmed, Ronny and James were quite calm. ‘That,’ he observed, sounding a little relieved, ‘is a bullious demon. What is that thing doing out here?’ he repeated to himself.
‘Who cares?’ Mel demanded, terrified.
James was also looking at the demon critically. He nodded sideways at Ronny, not taking his eyes off the demon. ‘How can you tell what sort it is? I’ve always been hopeless when it comes to demon genealogy.’
Ronny pointed at the demon’s ears. ‘It’s size, mostly. Bullious demons can puff themselves up to enormous proportions, and they have tufted ears,’ and he pointed at the awful beast’s clawed hands, ‘and six claws. The claws do have a mild venom, but you’d need to drown in the stuff before it had any effect. Their cousins, demonosa machiavelli, are more dangerous. They’re smaller and have five claws and round ears, and,’ he stressed, ‘they don’t feel pain. They’re ruthless buggers.’
The demon continued to howl. Its cries became louder and louder as it approached them.
‘That was no ‘Good evening’!’ Ronny yelled to the others over the howls of the demon. ‘It wants a fight!’
‘Then it’s got one!’ snapped Benjamin. He leaped from his camel and changed mid-air into the great Silver Shroud werewolf. He bounded over the sand dunes between the group and the monstrous demon.
‘Benjamin! No!’ Angela yelled desperately. She fired several more arrows at the demon’s face. It roared and swatted them away as if they were little more than harmless insects.
‘Too late,’ James observed. ‘He’s committed himself now.’ He shook his head. ‘Werewolves are so impulsive,’ he lamented. ‘Always rushing into a fight!’
‘You can understand that thing?’ Mel demanded of Ronny.
‘Hey,’ the gnarled little gnom
e yelled back. ‘You try living so close to Neroland! Demons are everywhere there. This one’s ventured out of its lair somewhere and it’s not happy! We’d better give Master McConnell a bit of room.’ He backed his camel away several metres.
The demon reared back and bellowed, shooting giant bursts of fire high into the night sky. Sarah was unable to watch any longer. She leaped from her camel and changed form. Then she bounded to the aid of her uncle. The two werewolves raced over the sand dunes towards the monstrous demon.
Mel and Angela both yelled at Sarah to stop but she wasn’t listening to them. As it had in the cavern underneath Conundrum, Sarah’s instinct took over. This time however, she was thinking quite rationally. The excitement of the hunt surged through her and she knew instantly what to do. This was hunting!
She joined Benjamin, who was crouched in front of the demon, growling. The demon swung at him with one huge clawed fist. The great silver and black wolf bounded out of the way. While the demon was distracted, Sarah nimbly darted in behind it and attacked the demon’s heel. She bit off several foul-tasting scales to reveal the rope-like tendon at the back of the demon’s left heel.
The demon howled and swiped at her viciously. Sarah scampered out of the way and then darted back again for a second bite. This time, her fangs ripped into the demon’s heel. Its skin was icy cold and tasted of death and soot. Though every fibre of her being screamed at her to release the horrid mouthful of demon heel, she clung to it, sinking her teeth in deeper and deeper.
The demon screamed. It lifted its foot and shook it violently. Sarah was flung dozens of metres away as if she was little more than a rag doll. She landed on a sand dune, shaken but unharmed. She shook her head once to get the sand off her face then leaped back into the fray.
The demon had focused its attention on Benjamin. The wound Sarah had inflicted on its ankle was minor but obviously painful, and the demon was limping badly. It swung at Benjamin repeatedly. Each time the demon swung, Benjamin darted out of the way.
