The Boys of Fire and Ash (32 page)

Cubby froze and threw out his arm to tell us to stop. We stood absolutely still, Blaze nearly bumping into us. There was nothing to hear, but I could see that the light from outside was getting brighter. Dawn was coming.

Finally, Cubby started moving again and we followed.

“How'd you avoid the Tunrar?” I asked.

“Like I said, Farka. She went ahead of us and just started screaming and hollering, working the Tunrar into a frenzy. They flew at her, ten at a time. I have to tell you I thought she was a goner, but she gave them a pounding. Anyway, when she made a run for the Baublenotts, most of them chased after her and it cleared the way for me and Fiver.”

Ten at a time. I made a private wish that Farka would come back. Anyone who could fight off ten Tunrar alone would be a big help when we tried to get out of this place.

Cubby came to a narrow winding staircase, the walls barely wide enough for our shoulders to fit. “Up here,” he whispered.

He scurried up the steps and out of view, and Av and I were ready to follow him when Blaze tapped my arm.

“This is it for me, Urgle,” he said. “I'm getting out of here now.”

“To go back?”

He shook his head. “To get help.”

“Help? From who?” But I already knew who. “The Resistance?”

“They need to know what's happening,” he said. “It's too important.”

“But you don't know where the Abish shroud is,” I reminded him.

He let his head drop and I knew he was losing his strength. He rubbed his shoulder and I wondered how far he would get on his own.

“You're hurt,” I said.

“Krepin doesn't know where it is either,” he told me. “But he's coming just the same. I won't abandon my Brothers.”

He was right. Blaze had done enough for us. Now the rest of his Brothers needed him. He was Ikkuman, and I'd never forget that.

I nodded and he turned to leave.

“Hey, Blaze?” He stopped and looked back. “Don't mention my name.”

A smile spread across his face. “For you, Urgle, I can't
make that promise.” And with that he disappeared into the shadowed corridor, limping his way to freedom.

Av and I climbed after Cubby in the dark, but we nearly ran into him at the top of the stairs. Cubby was frozen, staring straight ahead. Two Tunrar stood just a couple of feet in front of him, snarling and waiting to pounce. Behind them were two men holding spears.

“Run!” shouted Av.

The three of us turned and threw ourselves down the steps as the Tunrar screamed and tore after us. The two men were shouting, alerting the entire Temple to our escape. I grabbed Cubby and pushed him in front of me, forcing him to run faster than I knew he could.

We flew out of the staircase and down a wide corridor. Torchlight glowed at the end where several more guards were waiting.

“Here!” screamed Cubby, ducking down a hallway to the right.

Av nearly missed the turn, grabbing the wall to stop himself and hurling around the corner.

Our feet thundered along the marble floor, water flying up in all directions. My foot slid out from under me on the wetness and I fell face-first onto the ground.

“Urgle!” screamed Cubby.

Behind us, the guards were closing in.

Av ran to me, grabbing my arm and dragging me back to my feet. I nearly slipped again, and every moment wasted to find my footing was a moment the guards used to draw closer.

They were nearly on top of us when the leader of the group came to an abrupt stop as something hit his nose. His
friends stopped too, holding up his arms to try and block the string of stones smacking them on their heads, legs, and arms.

“Move it!” I heard Fiver roar overhead. I looked up and saw him perched in a high window, a fistful of stones gripped in his hand.

He didn't have to say it again. We ran after Cubby, careful not to fall, and he led us through small hallways and winding staircases. I had no idea where we were or where he was taking us. I doubted he knew.

Cubby stopped at the top of yet another staircase, grabbing his thumb and pulling on it over and over as he tried to decide which way to go. He was lost.

“Where are we going?” I yelled at him.

Cubby just kept pulling his thumb, and his eyes welled up with tears. “I don't know,” he whimpered, doing his best not to cry.

I was so mad at him then, just like I would have been at home, just like the old me. I couldn't be like that to Cubby again. Not now, not ever.

I squeezed his shoulder gently. “Come on, Cub. You can do it.”

He gulped in air to try and calm himself down, and Av was bouncing on his feet, ready to flee from the gang of guards that were clambering up the stairs towards us.

“There!” Cubby shouted, pointing to the left, and he darted off, followed by Av. I ran after them, and Cubby stopped abruptly at a door. He turned the knob and opened it. “Get in, get in!”

Av and I rushed inside and Cubby quickly closed the door.

The room was immense. Much bigger than the chamber
they'd held me in, and the space was filled with massive shelves, packed tightly with rectangular objects.

Cubby led us down the middle aisle and swerved in behind the last giant shelf and curled up in a dark corner. He held out his frightened hands to me and Av and we joined him on the floor.

“Where are we?” I asked him.

“The library,” he whispered. “All their teachings and stories are written down in all of these books, and they keep them here for Krepin and the scholars to study.”

Av didn't care, he was thinking like a hunter. “What do we do now?” he said. He didn't see the size of the shelves or that there were more writings and stories than a person could count. All he saw was a dead end. We were trapped.

Cubby didn't answer him and neither did I. We couldn't hide here forever, and the sun had begun to rise. We were running out of time to save Lussit.

A loud rumble split through the morning and Cubby screamed at the sudden surprise. Av was quick to cover the kid's mouth, but there wasn't really a need. The rumble was so loud it shook the entire Temple, Cubby's little squeal barely audible for the two of us sitting right beside him.

There was a sun ray across Av's left arm and I turned to see where it was coming from. A small window in the next aisle. I jumped up and ran round the shelf, Cubby begging me to come back.

When I peered out, there was a huge plume of smoke near the front of the Temple; I could see the tips of flames licking their way up the turrets as Tunrar screamed and fled, leaping off the roof and climbing in windows. For a moment I thought I was in the Pit, the Fire Mountains ready to explode.

“What is it?” asked Av.

Along the banks of the river I saw the cause of the explosion, and I wanted to laugh and throw up all at once. A group of four women were hurling flaming bundles at the Beginners' Temple. I watched as they released another and when it hit, explosion—the fireball shattered when it slammed into the marble steps, spraying fire in all directions.

“It's the Belphebans,” I told him.

Av and Cubby ran to get a look and the three of us watched as still more Belphebans poured out of the Baublenotts and advanced on the Temple. I was relieved—our army of four had just increased by dozens. But Gorpok Juga's words repeated in my head:
They will be right on time to view her die
. We needed to find Lussit, and fast.

“This is about to get really bad,” said Av.

I knew he was right as we heard the angry shouting of the Beginners, another explosion, and the battle cries of the Belphebans.

“Take Cubby and find Fiver,” he told me. “Get back to the Pit. Quick. I've got to find my sister.”

“Your what?” Cubby asked.

We both ignored him. “No, Av, I'll find her. I brought her here, it's my fault.”

“Urgle, you can't possibly save Lussit on your own,” he snapped. “You just can't. You're…” He bit back what he wanted to say, trying not to start a fight, but he was too late.

My cheeks went hot. “I'm what, Av? Useless? Is that what you were going to say?” After everything, he still thought of me as that bumbling, awkward underdog from the Pit.

“I didn't mean that!” he shouted as another explosion
rattled the Temple. “Would I have come all this way if I thought that? Would I have bothered if it was useless?”

I glared at him, not sure what to say. He was here. He'd been by me through everything.

“You have to get back to the Brothers, you can't waste time! You have to warn them about Krepin. By Rawley, Urgle! Some things aren't just about you!”

“Isn't that Fiver?” interrupted Cubby, his little arms pointing across the rooftop.

Av turned his attention from me to Cubby, but I wasn't done talking. I wanted to help him. He'd helped me, it was my turn.

“What's he doing?” said Av.

I looked out the window and sure enough, there was Fiver, lying on his belly and snaking his way towards the action.

“Fiver!” called Cubby, and I covered his mouth, afraid the Tunrar or guards might hear.

Fiver cocked his head in our direction and scurried over as soon as he saw us.

“It's getting a little rough out here, boys,” he said. “Maybe it's time to call it a day?”

“I'm going back for Lussit,” said Av.

“I'm going with you,” I said.

“You'll slow me down! Just keep Cubby safe, Urgs. That's all you have to do.”

And that was it. He wouldn't hear of me helping, and he ran out the door to find his sister.

As the door slammed shut I thought about ignoring what Av said. I thought about trying to find Lussit anyway. Then we could go back together, help our Brothers, together.

Suddenly I felt the wind knocked out of me as Cubby shoved me violently in the gut.

“You were going to leave me alone again?” he shouted, his lip quivering. “For some girl!”

I looked at his weepy eyes and hated myself. Av was right. My job was to keep Cubby safe.

“No, Cub,” I said, hugging him tight. “I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. It's you and me, right?”

Cubby wiped his eyes and took a big long sniff as he brushed his nose with the back of his wrist. When he was done, he looked up at me and managed a weak smile. “Right,” he said.

“And me too, right?”

I laughed when I looked at Fiver, his bottom lip jutting out in a fake frown.

“Come here, Cub,” said Fiver, smiling. He helped Cubby hop out the window and onto the roof. “We'll head that
way, the southeast side. There's a ton of Tunrar, but it's away from the fighting. The Tunrar seem too spooked from the explosions to care much about us anyhow.”

I nodded, barely hearing him as I made sure Cubby was safely out the window and tried not to think of Lussit, the sound of her voice when she screamed my name, the feel of her hand on my wrist. I didn't want to leave her behind. I wanted to find her.

Suddenly, without warning, I was thrown and my ears were ringing. I sailed through the air for what felt like forever, sparks dancing in front of my eyes. I landed with a painful thud on stone floor, debris and dust raining down on top of me.

Everything hurt and my head was spinning. I stumbled to my feet and looked around. The Belphebans had hit the library, splitting it open and throwing me across the room.

On the other side of the roof, so far away from me, I could see Fiver and Cubby. Cubby was all right, helping a dazed Fiver to his feet. They were near the southeast corner, exactly where Fiver had wanted to go…. Cubby was as good as safe. And with that knowledge, all my brain could think about was Lussit.

“Fiver!” I shouted. “Get Cubby out of here! We'll meet you at Abish Village.”

“What?” screeched Cubby.

His big green eyes were sparkling with tears and his little mouth hung open while he tried not to say whatever angry thing he wanted to. And he was right to be angry, he didn't understand. But he was safe now, he was free.

“I'll be right back, Cubby, just listen to Fiver!” Cubby made a step towards me but Fiver grabbed him by the shoulders. “Listen to Fiver! I'll see you soon!”

I turned and ran, my feet taking me to Lussit as fast as they would go. I heard Fiver call my name, and I heard Cubby screaming at me to come back, but I couldn't. I had to save Lussit. I brought her here, it was my fault. Saving her was my responsibility.

I leaped over the crumbled remains of fallen walls and tripped over books and trinkets strewn across the hallway. The north, Cub had said. That's where they kept the sacrifices.

I ran to the north end of the Temple, dodging crumbling pieces of fallen ceiling. There were Belphebans and Beginners everywhere, fighting and killing. The noise was deafening; I couldn't even hear the Tunrar coming before it threw me into the wall.

My shoulder was blasted with pain from the impact, and the Tunrar screeched and launched itself at me.

Pressing my back to the wall, I lifted my feet and slammed them into the beast's gut, and it squealed and fell back, hacking and coughing. I didn't wait for it to compose itself.

I ran, ducking and dodging as arrows pummeled the floor, blades swung barely missing me. They were dropping all around me: Beginners, Belphebans, Tunrar. Bodies littered the wet marble floors.

“Ikkuma!” growled someone from behind me. I whipped round to see the beast of a guard who'd apprehended me. He ran at me with his spear and I froze, unable to think as I watched him barrel towards me. There was a loud, familiar bang, and the man fell to the ground, dead.

I looked around for the pistol-wielder and I found him locked in battle with two other guards and a Tunrar Goblin. Blaze. He hadn't left. He didn't acknowledge me, he was too busy. A pair of Belphebans rushed to his side and the three
of them took down the guards and the Tunrar with ease. I wanted to thank him, but now was not the time.