“
A
braham, we must go. There is not anything we can do for them now,” Clarice said as she dragged him through the darkness. “They are Henchmen. They can handle themselves. Maybe they won’t be there. They are savvy, are they not?”
“Yes, but I won’t abandon them,” he said as he ran over the rain-slick grasses. “I’ll help fight.”
“But you don’t have Black Bane.” Clarann stopped running as soon as the castle was out of sight. She caught her breath. “The horses are ahead.” She pointed. “See?”
Four horses were there. Two of them had riders. One of the riders was the amazon of a woman, Swan. He could only guess that the other was Queen Clarann. They all met up.
“Ruger?” Clarice asked.
“No.” He climbed into the saddle. “Listen, ladies, it would be best if you went back. They are looking for me, not you.”
“Where you sail, we sail,” Clarann said.
“Sorry, dear, but we aren’t sailing. I’m thankful, but I am going to the Stronghold. I have to beat the king’s Riders there.”
“You won’t beat the Golden Riders,” Swan said. “They have the fastest horses in the kingdom. They ride like the wind.”
With the rain in his face he said, “Then I guess I will have to do the same thing.” He felt like a new man and looked at Clarice and said, “What was in the bucket of water?”
“The Guardian Maidens aren’t without their own mystical resources. That was ahber root. It restores vitality. Feeling yourself?”
“Sort of.” He nodded at the women and tipped his head. “Ladies, I have to go. You need to lie low until it’s o—”
“Golden Riders!” Swan said. “We’ve been spotted.”
A half score of the men in full suits of golden armor rode like bats from hell through the rain. They were less than one hundred yards away and closing fast.
“It looks like we are all going the same way now.” Clarann snapped her reins. “Eeyah!” Her horse bolted away.
The small group rode like thunder.
Abraham looked over his shoulder. The Golden Riders would ride them down in minutes. He dug his heels into his horse. “Yah! Yah!”
The foursome rode into the brush where a large tree had fallen. Clarann’s horse leapt it first, landed hard on the other side, and tossed her from the saddle.
Thunder popped with a loud boom. Lightning streaked across the sky.
Clarann’s horse kept running.
Abraham, Clarice, and Swan gathered around the queen. Clarann was holding her ankle. A hard grimace was on her face.
He jumped off his horse and said, “Tell me it’s not broken.”
Clarann frowned as she nodded and said, “Ride! Ride on!”
“It’s too late now.” Standing behind the fallen tree, he faced the oncoming riders. He stretched out his hand. “Swan, tell me you brought an extra sword.”
“No,” Swan replied, “because I only need one.” She lifted her sword high, and her horse reared up with a lightning bolt streaking the sky behind her. “Yah!” Her horse jumped the log, and she thundered toward the Golden Riders.
“She’s crazy!” Clarice pulled out her rapier and got a wild-eyed look. “I’m crazy too.”
“Clarice, don’t you dare! Abraham, stop her!” the queen said.
He took a swipe at the reins of Clarice’s horse and narrowly missed.
Over the log went the queen’s daughter.
The Golden Riders lowered their lances.
Empty-handed, Abraham watched in horror. They are gonna die!
A giant black shadow passed over him and the queen.
Gazing up with eyes bigger than saucers, Clarann said, “What in Titanuus’s Crotch is that?”
Abraham pumped his fist and said, “Holy sheetrock! It’s Simon the Fenix!”
The Fenix dropped in front of the Golden Riders, wings spread wide like a black cloud of death. The fearless knights thundering out of the House of Steel didn’t slow their charge. With lances lowered, they spurred their mighty beasts onward at breathtaking speed.
Simon—the Elder Spawn—opened his great mouth. With his eight large eyes narrowing on the charge, he unleashed a stream of misty breath. The white cloud of geyserlike mist covered the charging knights from head to toe.
One of the Golden Riders evaded the stream. His lance busted off of Simon’s shoulder with a loud snap.
The horses snorted and bucked as they slowed their pace. They wriggled their mighty necks as if shaking away a swarm of stinging insects. Covered in the milky grime sprayed by Simon, the horses’ efforts slowed. The knights climbed out of their saddles at an agonizing pace. Many of them fell from their horses and no longer moved.
Abraham picked up Queen Clarann, climbed over the log, and moved to a spot where he could get a better view.
The horses that didn’t fall lay in the grass, frozen stiff. The same could be said for the Golden Riders. Many were stuck in their saddles as if frozen in time. Others were on the ground, snoring loudly and asleep.
He caught up with Clarice and Swan. Both women walked through the field of sleeping men and beasts. Their jaws were hanging open.
“Should I kill them?” Swan asked. Her nostrils were flared, and her chest heaved behind her breastplate. “I wanted to kill something.”
“Count your blessings, and let them be. They aren’t our enemy.” Abraham looked at the queen. “I need to set you down.”
Clarann nodded and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’ll be fine.”
Clarice steadied her mother.
Abraham approached the great beast, which had nestled on the ground. “My, you just keep on growing like a weed, don’t you?”
Simon snorted. He was an ugly creature that looked more like a gargantuan hammerhead bat than anything else—an eight-eyed bat, that is. He was covered in brown fur that appeared coarse.
Abraham touched the Elder Spawn. The thick coat of fur was soft. He petted Simon’s flat head, which was almost as big as an entire horse. “Your timing couldn’t have been better.” He looked at the Golden Riders, not one of which moved a muscle. “Thanks for not killing them. Let’s see how this shakes out because you might have to snack on them later.” He climbed onto Simon’s back.
“Wait! What are you doing?” Clarann asked.
“I’m going to the Stronghold to warn the Henchmen. With Simon, I can easily beat the king’s forces there.”
With Clarice holding her side, Clarann hobbled over. “We have nowhere to go. We are coming too.”
“I’m not getting on that thing,” Swan said with a disgusted face. “I’ll keep an eye on the Golden Riders. You can all go.”
“Are you sure?” Clarice asked her friend.
With a raised eyebrow pointed at Simon, Swan said, “Oh, I’m sure—unless you’re going to order me to do so.”
“No, I wouldn’t do that.” Clarice hugged Swan and moved over to the Elder Spawn’s monstrous side. “There should be a saddle and stirrup.”
“Sorry, ladies,” Abraham said as he reached over Simon’s side. “Grab some fur.”
Abraham, Clarann, and Clarice positioned themselves uncomfortably behind Simon’s head. Clarann wrapped her arms around Abraham, and Clarice wrapped her arms around her mother.
Taking in the bizarre situation, Abraham said, “This is crazy. This is crazy!”
“What’s crazy?” Clarann asked.
“Nothing. Just hang on. The Stronghold is over a league away. Let’s just hope we can beat them there.” He firmly patted Simon on the back of the head. “Simon, we’re ready for liftoff!”
Simon’s monstrous bat wings spread out. He leapt into the sky, let out a ferocious screech, and bolted toward the Stronghold.
