Keeper of the Realms: The Dark Army (Book 2) (35 page)

Charlie felt a little flutter of relief. Jensen’s suggestion was sound in principle and at least offered them a viable alternative.

‘What about the gargorillas?’ asked Nibbler. ‘We can’t leave them here can we?’

‘Who’s gonna mess with them?’ said Jensen. ‘They’re big and scary enough not ta have ta worry about anyone. Charlie has control of that freaky heart too so they’re not going ta go anywhere without her permission.’

Charlie nodded. ‘They can wait here until we call for them.’

Taking a deep breath and summoning perhaps the final drop of energy in her body, she opened a smaller Portal. She quickly led her bruised and battered friends through to the relative warmth and wonderful dryness of the Keepers’ Room of Travel, high up in the Jade Tower. Crumble, Nibbler and Jensen groaned as they approached the top of the great stairs.

‘Stairs,’ grumbled Jensen. ‘If I survive this war I’m going ta give up my Willow Tower and start living in a bungalow.’

‘Or you could put an elevator in your tower,’ suggested Charlie. ‘You’re certainly rich enough to afford it.’

‘That’s a good point,’ mused Jensen. ‘They haven’t been widely accepted in this realm, but now that ya mention it maybe I’m the man ta make them more fashionable.’

‘Or you could just grow a set of wings,’ smirked Nibbler with a flutter of his own.

‘Don’t push it, pickle brain,’ said Jensen.

Limping and hobbling they began the descent, followed by Sic Boy who had suffered no injury on his travels, and Charlie who, although more bruised than the others, was fuelled by the darkness in her heart.

A footman followed by a maid with a mop and bucket bumped into them on the stairwell.

‘Go and inform Lady Dridif that Charlie Keeper and Jensen the Willow have returned,’ instructed Jensen. ‘And make haste! Dis is a matter of utmost urgency. Run, man, run!’

The footman, spurred on by Jensen’s stern look, scampered down the stairs as the maid continued up to the Room
of Travel. It was only after she’d passed that Charlie realized that she recognized her face.

‘Constantina!’

Lady Narcissa’s daughter stared back down at Charlie. But it was not with the smug satisfaction that she had exhibited in their K’Changa battle. It was an odd look, one of malice mixed with resignation and a touch of humility. Looking deeper, Charlie could also detect from the set of the girl’s mouth and the way she held her eyes that she harboured a sense of dread.

‘They’re coming for us,’ said Constantina flatly. ‘They say the Stoman Lord’s armies are as endless as the grains of sand in a desert.’ Then she thrust out her chin with a nostalgic sense of defiance. ‘I-I hate you, Charlie Keeper. You killed my mother,’ stammered Constantina. ‘But they say you’re our last hope. You’re the only one who can stop us being slaughtered.’

Overcome by a variety of emotions, the girl ran up the stairs and in her haste slopped soapy water over Jensen’s feet. Already soaked from his time on the Great Plains, he merely shook his head in dismay rather than causing a fuss. Charlie watched Constantina’s skirt whisk round the corner.

‘I think that means, me little Hippotomi, that time is running short,’ Jensen advised. ‘We’d best get down ta see Dridif – and fast.’

Jensen began to hobble down the stairs at a swifter pace than before.

Charlie couldn’t get the image of Constantina out of her head. ‘She seemed a bit … different.’

‘Working under Dridif and the First Maid will do that ta a person. Those two won’t suffer fools.’

‘But it was like she was scared and humble at the same time.’

‘Like I said, Dridif is a hard taskmaster. She could scrape barnacles off a ship with her tongue. Knocking an air of superiority off one spoilt brat probably didn’t take too much effort on her behalf.’

‘And the fear?’

Jensen paused to look at Charlie, but before he could answer the tower was fiercely rocked from side to side. Charlie staggered, lost her balance and nearly fell over the narrow railing. Crumble grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to safety.

‘Wot the b-bloomin’ –’ stuttered Jensen.

‘Lady Dridif has been told of yer arrival,’ announced a pale-faced footman who raced up the stairs to greet them. ‘She requests that ya meet her and the councillors with all due haste.’ Tugging at his collar, the Treman appeared quite agitated. ‘Please do hurry.’

The companions shared a look then bustled into motion. Moving at speed, they raced down the the stairway and passed beneath the long line of arched doors that led to the Council Chamber. Two stony-faced guards pushed open the last door and then they were there, back once more in the Jade Circle.

The room was unusually crowded. Important-looking people were pressed against the walls, scrolls and notes clutched in white-knuckled hands. The beautiful circular Jade Table was covered with maps and military markers.

Oddly enough considering the crowd, several seats were noticeably empty. Flint, Lady Narcissa’s and several other seats had not been filled.

‘Charlie Keeper,’ said a familiar voice. ‘It is good ta see yer still amongst the living. Yer a most welcome sight indeed.’ Lady Dridif appeared from amongst the throng looking harassed but determined.

‘Wot news do ya bring us?’ asked the old lady as she moved hastily round the table. ‘And have ya uncovered the pendant’s secret?’ Clasping Charlie’s hands with her own Dridif smiled, delighted to see the young Keeper return. Her smile changed as she examined Charlie’s face. ‘Ya’ve changed since we last met. Are ya well?’

‘My trip didn’t go too smoothly, but we uncovered the pendant’s secret. We’ve also –’

Charlie was interrupted as a smoke-smudged soldier burst into the Council Chamber. ‘Brace yerselves!’

There was a hubbub of urgent voices and someone screamed. Before Charlie could ask what was going on the tower shook yet again. With a groan of terror everyone held on to the table and walls, desperate to keep their balance. The shaking stopped as suddenly as it had started.

‘Wot’s going on?’ demanded Jensen.

‘We’re under siege,’ stated Dridif.

‘They’re here already?’ asked Jensen, mouth agape. ‘I didn’t think –’

Lady Dridif cut him short. ‘Young lady, ya have the pendant?’

‘Yes, but –’

‘And ya have the secret?’

‘I do, but –’

‘Good. Good! Maybe we have a chance yet,’ said Dridif, a wild spark of determination ignited in her eyes. ‘It is a weapon is it not?’

‘No, it’s not a weapon.’

Dridif’s jaw muscles clenched, but she kept her disappointment in check. ‘Go on.’

‘It’s a key that we can use to release the Winged Ones.’

‘I’ve been reliably informed that Bane has succeeded in blocking their return. Knowing dis would the pendant still be of use?’

‘The Winged Ones figured that Bane would seal their Gateway so they prepared an alternative, but it needs the pendant in order to be opened.’

‘How long would it take you ta get there?’

‘I … I don’t know. It’s somewhere close to the Winged Mount in a place called the Serpent’s Tail.’

‘I’ve never heard of such a place. How close does it lie ta the Winged Mount?’

‘I don’t know. The god –’

‘God?’ said Dridif with a startled look.

‘Long story,’ said Charlie with a dismissive wave of her hand. She doubted Dridif really had time for a step-by-step account of her adventures. ‘The god said it was somewhere within the Winged Mount’s shadow.’

‘I journeyed ta the Winged Mount once when I was young. It’s a huge peak and its shadow even longer and that’s not accounting for the passage of the sun nor the movement of the shadow throughout the day. That’s a vast amount of ground ta cover.’

‘And if Bane has blocked the Gateway,’ said Jensen, adding his thoughts, ‘that would mean he’s garrisoned a large force there ta protect his interest.’

‘Yer talking about looking fer a needle in a haystack while either running away from or fighting an armed force.’ Dridif rubbed at her forehead in an agitated manner. ‘No easy matter and time … time is most pressing.’

‘Lady Dridif –’

‘Ssh, child, let me think.’

‘Dridif, ya need ta listen ta the lass.’

Dridif first fixed Jensen with her steely gaze then turned to Charlie with a questioning look.

‘There’s no time for the Winged Ones,’ said Charlie.

Dridif’s lips twitched with the desire to speak, but she held her tongue and merely raised an eyebrow.

‘And if Sylvaris is already under attack I don’t think ya can afford to lend any of yer men to confront whatever forces are waiting at the Winged Mount.’

Dridif, finally unable to maintain her equilibrium, put a hand up to stall any further words. ‘Charlie, we’re at a crossroads. Sylvaris and our very way of life is under threat of extinction and we have nothing with which ta reply ta Bane’s offensive other than taking a gamble. Dis is it. We have no other choice than ta send ya ta the Winged Mount –’

‘Well that’s the thing,’ said Charlie, turning to smile at her weary friends who had risked everything to help her. ‘Thanks to these guys … I have an army.’

48

E’Jaaz Keeper

Fo Fum paused as his compass suddenly spun to point in a new direction.

He looked east towards Sylvaris then back to his original destination.

‘Fe-fi, Fo Fum, where has my fickle bounty gone?’

Not yet willing to turn from his previous path, Fo Fum jogged over the ridge so that he could see into the valley.

The slim half-smile on his lips crept slightly higher. Realizing that his target had flown the coop, but suspecting that Charlie would return at some point to revisit the silent army, the mercenary jogged down into the gorge. Sensing a flicker of movement, he fixed the pack of distant crows with his blindfolded gaze. Accepting that they were dangerous, but not necessarily a threat he dismissed them as a minor inconvenience. Padding over to the furthest line of stony soldiers he too settled down to wait.

Dridif blinked in astonishment. ‘Ya wot?’

‘I have an army. That’s the reason we came back instead of pressing on to free the Winged Ones. I can help.’

Dridif was at a loss for words. She turned to Jensen for confirmation.

‘It’s big, Dridif,’ said Jensen with a confirming nod. ‘Maybe big enough ta give us a real chance.’

‘Ya mean ta tell me that while out on yer travels ya stumbled across an army that’s not only powerful enough ta put a dent inta Bane’s forces but also yers ta control?’

‘Yes.’

Dridif paused to search their faces. Detecting no hint of deception or tomfoolery – and not being a lady to look a gift horse in the mouth – her lips twitched into a faint smile. ‘Well go get this army of yers and be quick about it.’

‘We can’t. It’s too big and too far away for me to Portal them here. I need help. I need some other Keepers.’

‘Then yer in luck. Five have returned ta defend Deepforest.’

Charlie felt a small lurch of relief. ‘Where are they?’ she asked.

Lady Dridif closed her eyes and when she opened them she didn’t appear happy. ‘Yer guess is as good as mine.’ Snapping her fingers she gestured for the captain of the guard. ‘Open the balcony.’

Unsure what to expect, Charlie trailed after Dridif. Sic Boy, however, detecting that he was no longer needed, ambled off to find Kelko.

Four of the guards loosened heavy brackets that were mounted on the wall and slowly, muscles tensed beneath the great weight, heaved back a sliding partition to reveal a sweeping balcony that spanned one side of the tower. Lady Dridif gestured for the companions to follow her.

‘All I know is that they’re somewhere down there.’

Charlie’s mouth fell open, Jensen groaned in dismay, Crumble staggered and Nibbler froze as their eyes took in the sight.

Deepforest was burning.

Great behemoths lurched head and shoulders above the tall trees, tearing at towers and flailing at the once great bridges of Sylvaris. Black smoke, cries of terror and the squawk of terrified birds bubbled into the sky. Where huge swathes of Deepforest had been torn or burned to the ground battles could be seen as Bane’s soldiers and desperate Tremen tore at one another. Explosions of sparks erupted amongst the treetops as treesinging collided with stonesinging. Hand-to-hand fighting swept up and down streets and boulevards as the invaders moved closer and closer to the heart of Sylvaris.