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A mile beyond a wide pass that led to the mountains, Feverfew and the others saw the castle. It was built into the mountains. Great turrets were carved into the rock. On the ramparts of the castle, hundreds of guards watched as the drawbridge was dropped across a wide moat. The small company were led across it.
Looking down into the muddy water, Feverfew gasped when she saw the black knife-sharp fin of a huge creature that swam easily below them.
“Lady,” whispered Orleo, as they passed through, and into a courtyard that was about the size of a small football ground. “We have to get away. Time is...”
“Patience, Orleo,” whispered the Lady. “King Valter will see reason, when I speak to him.” Turning to Feverfew, who was riding behind one of the Gourgers, she smiled encouragingly at her.
It was then everyone saw Prince Salter being led by the four Gourgers who had chased him, across the courtyard to a cart near a wide row of steps. He smiled at the Lady and shrugged his shoulders, before he was flung roughly into the cart. Moments later he was being driven across the courtyard.
Looking around the wide courtyard, Feverfew couldn’t get over how big the castle was. It must have taken hundreds of years and many people to dig into the mountains to build it, she thought, wondering now about King Valter. What would he do to them? She also wondered about her magic. It hadn’t acted against the wicked old woman. The Lady had called Isla a witch. Was it true? She studied the Lady now, who, though her hands were tied behind her, held herself proudly erect. She appeared unafraid.
Shortly, they were led to a door at the bottom of one of the turrets. When their hands had been untied, they were then led up a steep row of steps.
Feverfew studied Ferol, who was being led by the hand by Isla. He seemed to be still in a trance. The black magic ring around his neck seemed to be growing brighter.
At the top of the steps they came to tall double doors.
When one of the Gourgers pushed them open, everyone heard loud trumpets being played.
Inside was a hall almost a hundred meters square. It was packed with thousands of hump-backed beings- goblins and other strange creatures. They all studied the small company, as they were being led across the hall to the far side, where King Valter sat on a throne in the middle of a dais. The king- who was twice as big as Baldo, and every bit as muscled, was a pale man with a ginger beard and thick eyebrows. He wore a long purple cloak braided with yellow. Beside him sat his wife, Alatia, a slim, pleasant-looking woman with black hair. She wore a cloak similar to her husbands. On her thin long feet she wore light leather sandals. She had the slanted eyes of the elfin race.
As the small company approached, they saw Prince Salter being pushed from behind the seated king and queen to stand beside them. Salter's father turned and scowled at him, but said nothing, when Eyepatch spoke.
“Your majesty we stopped these spies on the plains.”
“Spies? We aren’t spies!” shouted Baldo.
The King frowned and bent forward to study Baldo. Slowly he began to smile. “So it’s the little General,” he said. “And what were you doing spying in my domain?”
“Father they weren't spying, they saved my life!” cried his son.
“Be quiet!” roared the king. With a curse he cuffed Salter hard on the head, throwing the little boy to the ground. With another loud curse he stood up and shouted at Baldo, “You were caught spying! The penalty for spying is death!”
“But... ” began Baldo.
“And you will be the first to die!” shouted the king.
At this Baldo shouted, “Still can’t get over your defeat by me when we were young, can you? You may have a dislike for me, Valter, but release the others. They did nothing wrong. They weren't spying. They are on a quest for...”
“I know where they are heading,” snapped Valter. He looked at Isla and smiled. “Isla has told us all about your quest for the amulet. Batach must not be stopped. He has promised our lands and this castle will not be touched when he rules the Lands.”
“And you would believe the monster!” shouted the Lady. “Valter you're a fool!”
At this the queen gave a start. At the same time, one of the Gourgers reached to strike the Lady, but she turned to look at him. Seeing her cold look, he backed away.
“It's you, who is the fool!” shouted Valter. “The Gilas have not attacked us because the great Batach has commanded them not to!”
“They tried to kill your son!” shouted Baldo.
“He should not have run away!” shouted Valter, turning to glare at Salter. “He was warned.” Looking out over the many in the hall now he shouted, “Enough of this. What should be done with these spies?”
“The pit!” shouted a broad shouldered goblin near the dais.
“Aye, take them to the pit!” shouted another.
“The pit! The pit! The pit!”
The deafening two words echoed around the hall for almost twenty seconds, until the king raised his hand.
“Very well!” he shouted. “You have decided. They will be taken to the pit and...”
“Father, no!” shouted Salter. “They did no harm. They saved me from the Gilas. I would surely have died if... ”
Suddenly, with a curse, Valter hit his son hard on the face. As the queen cried out, Salter slid on his back across the dais unconscious. With his face blazing with anger, Valter roared, “Take them to the pit now!”
****
The pit was over fifty meters round, and almost as deep. Rows of seats, similar to those in the Chamber, were positioned in such a way as to allow the thousands of spectators, who had come to see the small company, killed. At one side of the base of the pit was a wide iron gate.
As Feverfew, Orleo and Baldo, who still had his weapons, and the Lady, were led into the pit, from another door, everyone heard the roars.
Frightened, Feverfew looked for Ferol. He was standing, still in a trance beside the grinning, witch. They stood beside King Valter, Alatia and their son, who looked worried.
Suddenly, the Gourgers, that had led them into the pit, ran for the door. As they did the roaring grew louder. It was then the gate opened. The silence in the pit now was of anticipation, until all of a sudden a thing appeared at the gate.
The sight of the monster had Feverfew’s legs almost buckling under her with fear. When the cheering began, the monster raised its massive head, roared and looked around the pit. It roared again, the sound making the ground beneath Feverfew's feet tremble. It was then, the monster saw them.
The monster’s body was as thick as a bus. It had twenty short legs. It was as black as night and had a long neck, a ten meter long tail and the head of a ferocious lizard. Its curved teeth that glistened with thick blood red saliva, were as long as cricket bats.
“Lady,” whispered Baldo. “Magic?”
“I have not enough to kill it,” answered the Lady, looking at Feverfew and thinking, if her magic is going to act, please let it do so quickly.
Almost before she realized it, the monster was towering above them.
Its porthole-size eyes widened slightly as it decided quickly whom it would eat first. But before it could attack, Baldo had leapt at one of its legs and cut deep into it. With a roar, that had the whole pit shaking, the monster backed away. Blood was pouring from its leg. And Baldo was there again, attacking another leg. Shocked and surprised, the monster, roaring with pain and anger, backed towards the gate. Then just when Baldo was getting ready to run at it again and cut into another leg, the monster leapt. One of its legs caught the General and bowled him over. As he fell, his sword dropped from his hand. But he was quickly on his feet again, reaching for his knives. Instantly one of them flew from him straight into the monster’s neck. It was followed by another, that stuck into the lower part of the monster’s mouth. Shaking its head, and still roaring with pain the shocked, angry, monster backed right to the gate. But as Baldo moved towards it, getting ready to throw his last knife, the monster suddenly turned, its tail lashing out. With a surprised gasp, Baldo was thrown high into the air to land hard on the ground behind the Lady and the others.
Turning, Orleo and the Lady saw that the General was dazed but unhurt. It was up to them. With magic arcing up into the monster’s face, they attacked. Though they were doing a lot of damage to the monster, it was much stronger than they realized.
As the Lady and Orleo, bombarding the monster with magic, at the same time, trying to keep out of its way, Feverfew stood, almost in a terrified trance, watching. She gasped aloud, when she saw the Lady trip over a piece of the monster’s leg and fall. With a roar the monster leapt at her.
But suddenly, the hum that echoed around the pit, had everyone stunned everyone. The most powerful of magic blasted from one of Feverfew's into the monster’s neck and up into its head. As bits of hard skin and bone flew into the air and splattered around the spectators, the monster fell dead, almost landing on top of the Lady. However a long piece of bone and grizzle landed on Feverfew, knocking her to the ground. She was dazed but unhurt.
As Feverfew scrambled to her feet, the silence was deafening.
Suddenly the pit resounded with loud cheering.
Looking up, Feverfew saw Salter grinning. He waved at them.
Beside him his father was scowling.
Now as the Gourgers came running into the pit, the Lady and Orleo hurried over to check on Baldo. He had been winded, but he was all right. Grinning, he rose to his feet.
“What happened? Your magic?” he said to the Lady.
“Feverfew’s, and you should have seen it, Baldo. Oh, you should have witnessed it.” Turning, she looked up at Isla and smiled.
As she did, the old witch swung to Valter and screamed something at him.
“Take them to the cells!” screamed the king. “We’ll deal with them later!”
As the Gourgers approached Feverfew, they hesitated, but the magic that had erupted from her was dormant now.
Amid loud cheering, they were shortly being led back through the door and taken deep into the bowels of the mountain to the cells again.