Chapter 38: The chase

The air was chill and biting as they made their way briskly across the estate, towards the Persephone that had been moored against the banks of the river Marland.

A mist had formed, but in many ways it was different to the ones they had come to know in the past few days, and so didn’t alarm them greatly this time. The fog had settled relatively quickly but looked like it would soon disperse. After all, they’d released Boaz the Djinn from captivity, and so a little night mist seemed inconsequential.

Hillary had kept unusually quiet and said little as he walked side-by-side with Eliza, who seemed to have withdrawn into a world of her own. In her mind, she kept repeating the events of the day, and the silly mistakes that had brought them to their present situation. With every step it seemed that those despicable traitors of Talistay had kept one step ahead of them, and had thought things through, whereas they had not. The Ivory Flute had been stolen - most probably by Toadflax, under the direction of Godfrey - and used to summon Torfang who had, in turn, been petrified by the Cockatrice. It seemed like a simple plan, but at the same time, it was something that hadn’t occurred to her at all. The simple plans were always the best, she thought, and this was proof of it.

She looked up as they made their way towards the stone circle, where - in the middle, perfectly frozen in stone - sat the last Fire Drake on earth – Torfang, son of Brindall.

Hillary hung his head in shame as they silently marched past the hulking dragon.

Thomas reached for Scarlet’s hand and gripped it tightly as they passed. With her free hand, she touched the cold stone that Torfang had become, closed her eyes, and mouthed a few quiet words – a small prayer to a god she didn’t believe in - asking that whatever had happened to him wouldn’t be permanent.

Tobias, on the other hand, was spooked and kept turning around every now and again, half expecting to see something in the dark chasing after them. Try as he might though, it was a feeling that he just couldn’t shake off. It reminded him of the time in the wood when he’d been driven to the point of madness by a scimitar-wielding Toadflax. He secretly hoped that he’d never have the misfortune of running into that maniac again, and rummaged around in his pocket for a handkerchief - something to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

It was then that he heard the sound.

It was quiet at first, but became louder by the second. He swallowed hard, and then something inside him snapped and he panicked, and he found himself stumbling and falling over as he tried to look behind in the direction they’d come from.

Maybe something was following them in the dark! Oh god, he thought, please don’t let it be a goblin! He started to pick himself up from the dew-laden grass and looked at everyone ahead in the distance.

‘Something’s coming!’ he hissed, to himself. ‘Get up you idiot!’

Then he heard the sound again, this time it was much louder and closer. A desolate wail from the direction of the distant dark sailed past him, almost making him fall again as he tried to convert his stagger into a run, using his hands to protect his ears from the terrible sound.

Hillary spun round as soon as he heard it. It wasn’t a sound that you could easily forget. The last time he’d heard it was over six hundred years, when farmer Fox Tufford defeated the Cockatrice under Hillary’s directions in 1362. It was a sound that he hoped he would never hear again.

Tobias ran towards him, his eyes wide open in terror.

‘Something’s coming!’ he repeated breathlessly, as he ran past Hillary.

Hillary nodded but he knew instantly what was happening.

‘Quick, everyone run! They’ve released the Cockatrice!’ he said.

Eliza quickened her pace and looked back to the children.

‘Run ahead to the boat,’ she shouted. ‘Get it ready for a quick get away!’

She squinted towards the shadows of the house behind her, curious to see if Hillary was right. But, before she had a chance to look away, a wicked shape emerged out of the shadows and screamed with rage into the air. Its gimlet eyes, burning like coals in the dark, fixed themselves firmly onto her gaze. She tried to tear her eyes away, but the damage had already been done, and she cursed herself for being so stupid. Her legs – like lead weights - began to feel heavy, and with every step she took her walking slowed. Somehow it felt like burning ice water running through her veins. And then, when the feeling and burning coldness had made its way to her heart and she could walk no more, she stopped and quite simply turned to stone. The passage of time slowed and slowed, until only one thought remained, which repeated itself over and over again in her head: How could she have been so stupid?

Scarlet looked at Eliza, as she started to turn to stone.

‘No!’ she screamed. ‘Not you too!’

Hillary grabbed her and forced her onwards.

‘Come one! You’ll be next if you don’t get a move on!’

* * * *

Back in the study, Gideon sniffed the air.

‘Someone’s been in here,’ he said. ‘I can smell them. You were too quick to kill Edgar.’

Godfrey turned quickly and shot him a withering stare, holding his gaze until Gideon looked away.

‘Yes, I suppose I did didn’t I?’

Gideon, not wanting to incur Godfrey’s wrath, and with bowed head, said nothing for a moment.

‘What now then?’ he asked, eventually.

‘The cockatrice is out there in the dark somewhere,’ said Godfrey. ‘It hunts by sight and smell. It should find them relatively easily. If you want to be extra sure, release the Djinn and instruct it to reveal their whereabouts.’ he said, curtly.

Gideon found the book, and pulled the spine downwards, the hidden door opened, and he disappeared into the secret room. There was silence for a few moments, before he reappeared with a look of shock.

‘You’ll have difficulty – it’s gone.’

Godfrey frowned.

‘What?’ he said.

Godfrey ran into the secret room, towards the vase. Sure enough, there it stood, completely empty. With frustration, he picked it up, and with a bellow of rage, smashed it against the wall.

‘I will make sure you die for this, Hillary,’ he whispered.

After several deep breaths, he pointed to the floorboards.

‘Check it,’ he said.

Pushing the table over and a few chairs, Gideon grabbed the rug and dragged it away. Then he knelt down and pulled a couple of loose floorboards up.

‘Is it there still?’

Gideon reached down into the cavity and hauled up a box. Slowly, he opened it.

‘Well?’

Gideon nodded.

‘Yes, they’re all here. All three of them.’ He said smiling. ‘Exactly where I left them, not even an hour ago.’

He turned the box around, so that Godfrey could get a good view of them. There, sitting in the box, were the three elements; the Wyvern egg, the Cockatrice egg, and now the Fire Drake egg. Godfrey’s hand hovered over them as if they were the most precious items in the world. He swallowed.

‘Bring out the book.’

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