Return to Canifis

Only Castimir can help us now.

The wizard had opened his eyes and now kept his gaze held steadily on the approaching enemy. At his side, Arisha helped him organise his runes.

Theodore leaned toward Kara.

“How many wolves do you count?” he asked quietly.

“At least sixty,” she replied. Certainly at least one for each of us. Maybe they will fight among our corpses, like dogs after scraps. She smiled grimly, though the thought was far from humourous.

“Do you think your adamant sword will be any good against the Vyrewatch?” the knight asked.

“I doubt it. Not unless they plan on attacking us directly,” she said. “Their best course would be to cripple the balloon, and then engage us on the ground, if any were left alive after the fall.”

Castimir’s face paled as he overheard her words.

“Nothing like looking on the bright side,” he said angrily.

Suddenly Despaard shouted out in warning. The Vyrewatch were near now, the gap closing quickly, coming in two waves, five in the front, the rest behind. Even without the spyglass, she could see the detail in their armour. The second wave broke off and flew higher.

But for those who were ascending, the gap widened again.

“Aha!” Harold growled triumphantly. “They’ve dropped back. It’s doubtful they will catch us now!”

“Don’t be too sure,” Despaard observed. “They might have sensed a higher current which could speed them along. Keep an eye on them. And don’t forget about the first wave.”

Kara watched as the Vyrewatch gamble seemed to fail. The vampires wasted precious minutes climbing, and once again they were only silver flashes, as they had been when they first appeared.

Within a few more minutes, even these had disappeared.

But still the five came on, closer now than ever. From higher up, the sun intermittently shone in her eyes and masked their presence.

She put one hand in front of the sun, and found the five Vyrewatch in the shadow of her palm.

They are within range now, she observed. But is it worth attempting a shot?

They will probably try for a sudden dive, to expose themselves to our fire for as short a time as possible. And Castimir will be their first target.

A bowstring twanged from behind her. A black arrow passed overhead and through the line of their pursuers. One of the Vyrewatch dipped its wing slightly and moved to the left. Even had it not bothered, the arrow would still have missed by a wide margin.

Kara heard Arisha curse.

“Castimir, use your magic only when you are certain of it,” the priestess shouted. “The Salve is no more than fifteen minutes away. We just need to buy time.”

The wizard’s reply was lost to Kara on the wind. Quickly, swaying unsteadily from her position, she readied an arrow and raised it toward the sun, her eyes narrowed against the light.

I don’t have to hit them. I just need to slow their flight. If I can force them to dodge, it might buy us precious minutes.

She aimed at the nearest and breathed out, ignoring the cold that numbed her fingers.

Then she released the bowstring.

The arrow flew upward but missed by at least ten yards, caught in the violent wind. Two more arrows arced overhead, and then a third and a fourth, all going wide. Kara turned behind as she notched a second to her bow. Now Despaard and Harold were reaching for their quivers.

Castimir cried out a warning as once of the Vyrewatch dived.

She raised her weapon and fired instinctively, again missing widely. The five creatures split, three down the port side and two to the starboard, leaving those on top without a target.

She heard Theodore curse loudly as she drew and readied a third arrow.

There is nothing I can do from up here, save wait.

And in battle, that is the hardest thing of all.

Jack screamed from her right. Something silver flashed by Pia’s face and when she opened her eyes she saw fresh blood on Albertus’s face. The old man remained still, and she wondered if he was even still alive.

“What is happening, Pia?” The blind spirit woman asked from her side.

“It’s the Vyrewatch!” someone screamed. “They are upon us! There is no hope!”

Pia turned and looked behind her. Below, hanging from the balloon was Master Peregrim, standing alone upon the small wicker basket with his burner. The gnome gave a pull on his metal contraption and a blast of yellow flame roared upwards, the heat warming her.

But on the opposite side of the balloon, amongst the netting that hung beneath the balloon’s base, the people there fought desperately. Pia saw two of the Vyrewatch biting and scratching amongst them, their commotion jostling the netting violently.

Her stomach froze as a horrid sound reached her.

It was the sound of tearing fabrics.

No. Oh by the gods no!

The net gave way on the opposite side. She watched, unable to scream, as a dozen or so individuals fell with the netting, which grappled itself about the two vampires and dragged them down with their victims. As they fell, their cries were lost in the wind.

Doric cursed from his position nearby.

Pia wanted to be sick.

Suddenly the balloon tilted, and Pia added her screams to the many others. Peregrim was shouting over their cries.

“Gleeman!” he cried. “Get up top. Tell Kara to release some of the gas. We are too light now. If we go much higher the balloon won’t survive. Go, man, go!”

She saw King Roald’s jester untie himself and climb toward the rope ladder above her. He vanished around the curvature of the balloon.

A silver flash followed him.

“Gleeman!” she shouted as loud as she could. “Behind you!”

Kara kept the bow taut as she looked around her fearfully. Behind her, she knew, her friends stood back to back, ensuring that none of their attackers could surprise them.

Before her, she watched as Karnac crawled toward the platform. His hands and legs sunk into the balloon’s surface as he made his way along the rope ladder. Behind him, Kara saw Gleeman’s head appear around the edge of the balloon.

And he wasn’t alone.

“Castimir!” She shouted as she saw the Vyrewatch fly toward the jester’s unprotected back. She knew she couldn’t dare risk a shot with her bow, and she doubted that Castimir’s magic could be so precise either.

The wizard aimed but she saw him hesitate.

The Vyrewatch seized Gleeman from behind and pushed him down, out of her sight.

No chance. He had no chance at all.

Suddenly she thought of Gar’rth and a hatred flared in her. She cursed loudly into the wind. “Is this what your word is worth?”

Pia saw Gideon fall from above. The jester grabbed at the rope ladder as he fell, his outstretched arm entangling itself in the lines.

But still he wasn’t free of his attacker.

“Doric, Gideon needs you,” she shouted to the dwarf, her head turned to his position. “Use your arrows.”

From above there came a strangled scream and when Pia looked back up she saw the creature glide away, its wing broken, flames engulfing its body. Down it went, spiralling into the swamps below where it disappeared from sight. She saw Gideon grimace and raise his hand to her, and she noted the wound on his face and shoulder where he had been bitten or scratched.