Sarah turned andmoved to Cyrus’ side. Lars Hoblkalf stepped through the throng and stood terrifiedbefore the intruder. The starved man looked haggard in his loose-fitting, tatteredrags. Little of his curly hair remained on his round head. Lars held in his armshis relic of a father, Mayor Hoblkalf. The small, bitter, bald man looked littlemore than a withered corpse.
“This young man -”
Hoblkalf broke outinto a fit of coughing and wheezing.
“This young man,”he began again, “has bargained with the Sea Zombie and become her merchant of doom.He has returned to us in an attempt to corrupt our spirits and steal our souls...”
“ENOUGH!” Cyrus shouted.
Hoblkalf’s accusationsignited a long-buried rage that festered within his guts.
“Look where your lies have gotten you,” he cried,waving his hand across the ruined island. “Look at all of you, starved and strandedon this crumbling tombstone. Have you not yet had enough of ignorance and stupidity?Are you not yet tired of being afraid?
“I bring you life,”Cyrus said, “I bring you hope. Me, the one you tried to have killed. This oldman brings only death. I told you this island was once a living giant, and now onestands before you,” he pointed out to sea, beyond Myrkur Island, to where Gabriel’smassive form loomed, “and still you doubt me? His name is Gabriel. He is family.He is home. He brings fertile land, a place to thrive. When will you stop listeningto fear and cowardice and start listening to reason?”
Mayor Hoblkalf wasvisibly shaken, lost for words. The mob’s faces shifted from anger and fear toshame and remorse. Cyrus saw a wraith-like form with long black hair turn and retreattowards the woods.
“And you!” he roared,pointing a thick finger at the woman.
The figure froze. Thevillagers parted way, avoiding Cyrus’ accusatory gaze. Slowly, the woman turnedto reveal herself. Llysa LongBones stood before Cyrus, gaunt, grey and terrified.Her hands trembled, and her eyes stared low.
“You, who harm theinnocent,” Cyrus said, advancing on his stepmother. “You, who prey upon theweak. You, who pretend to stand against evil, when you are the very evil youspeak of, what do you have to say for yourself?”
Sarah stood stunned,speechless. Cyrus rounded on the crowd.
“And you! You allwho speak bravely against evil, yet stand idle while evil lurks amongst you, enjoyingyour sympathies and encouragements, what do you all have to say for yourselves?You dare judge me? You dare sentence me to death? Cowards! Hypocrites!”
Cyrus felt his bodysurge with rage. He glared at the mob, piercing their very souls with his fierce,pale grey eyes. Not a single person dared look back at him. Good. He felt vindicated, righteous, victorious.He had confronted his stepmother, confronted his accusers, and this time they hadbeen the ones to recoil in terror.
Cyrus bathed inthe triumph of his long-desired retribution. He turned to Sarah, his chest wide.She was now standing several paces away from him, staring at him as if he was astranger.
Cyrus’ glory turnedto shame. His eyes fell to the earth. What had he done? Why was Sarah lookingat him like that? Could she not see that this was the justice that the villagersdeserved?
He felt Knavish’s predatorygaze probing his back, measuring for weakness. Cyrus’ stomach tightened like afist. This was no time for self-doubt. He recalled scaling the Himmel Horn, infiltratingthe klappen fortress, and penetrating the wendigo mines. He had ridden dragon, slainbatalha, and liberated yeti. He was the savior prophesied, the Dragon Eater, theQueen Slayer. Who were these peasants compared to him?
Cyrus’ jaw hardened.He cast aside Sarah’s rebuff. She did not know him. She had not suffered whathe had suffered, but soon she would understand. Soon they would all understand.
“Knavish,” he shoutedover his shoulder, “signal the tail fortress.”
Cyrus turned his backon the ungrateful alvelings.
“Their reinforcements have arrived.”
Chapter21
REINFORCEMENTS
THE CROSSING WAS BLUSTERY and grey. The flotilla was small and somber.Cyrus navigated the shabby villagers towards the aft of the tail fortress. He prayedtheir introduction to Captain Oks would be an uneventful one.
He took theoarsman’s position in the lead craft, ferrying Sarah, her sick parents, and onewithered old woman towards Gabriel’s shores. Edward crouched on Cyrus’shoulder, flanked by his three kin. Knavish sat nervously, occupying the stern.All four alvelings stared horrified at their strange companions. Cyrus thought of Moro’s tale, of howshe had told him that the water klops were fallen hune alves, twisted and soulless. The idea darkened his mind.
In the followingskiff sat Hoblkalf and his son, Lars. Three of the old man’s goons surrounded thepathetic pair. All looked with terror at their klops oarsman.
Cyrus searched thetrailing vessels for his bitter stepmother. He found mostly sickly adults and starvedchildren. Where had all of the elderly gone? Llysa, he reckoned, had remained onVirkelot, waiting to cross with the second group of refuge-seekers.
Finally, the rescueships made landfall on Gabriel’s back.
Crunch!
The waves struck thesmall vessels hard against the hune’s barnacled shell. Cyrus leaped ashore and hauledhis boat clear of the frothing surf.
Once on dry land, thevillagers studied their new home. They searched the shoreline, the tiled beach.They stared at the cold steel wall beyond. Cyrus followed their gaze. He spied crooked,armored shapes atop the parapets. Then he inspected the sealed gun ports set intothe armored facade. So far, so good. He looked to the alves and klops under hisprotection. The klops appeared sullen and resentful. The villagers looked frightenedand confused.
Several alvelingsknelt down and touched the hard, rock-like surface of the living island. Tearsformed in their grey eyes. Cyrus felt Gabriel flush with joy. Others too seemedto sense the hune’s warmth. They turned to their new leader, trembling with hope.
“I can feel him,everywhere,” Sarah said, wiping tears from her cheeks, “You did it. You found usa new home.”
She looked as ifshe was about to give Cyrus a hug. Then she saw the spiders on his shoulders.
A small, fair-hairedchild with ice-grey eyes ran up to Cyrus, smiling.
“He likes me,” shesaid, “I can feel it.”
One of her front babyteeth was missing. She clutched dearly to an old, tattered doll. Her parents ranup, apologizing. They pulled their daughter away, looking sideways at Cyrus.Cyrus watched as the family fled towards the wall.
“Is this a trick?”the
