Cyrus reached out and claspedFibian in a bear hug. Fibianwinced and clutched his ribs.
“Easy, young Master,”the froskman said, smiling. “This battle is not over.”
“Sarah!” Cyrus said,releasing his friend.
He forgot all his painand injuries and rushed to the ship’s cabin. He passed through the broken doorwayand stumbled down the treacherous stairs. Sarah lay unconscious, curled up at thebottom. Cyrus lifted her off of the boards and brought her back above deck. Helaid her on the ground and rested her head in his lap.
“She defied the villagersto save me,” he said.
He touched her cheek andshook her ever so slightly.
“Sarah, wake up.”
She did not stir. He put hispointed ear to her mouth. He heard nothing.
“Sarah, please!”
He shook her harder.She did not move.
“Sarah!”
He slapped her cheeks anddrew back her eyelids.
“Sarah!”
Sarah coughed and shiftedin his arms.
“You’re awake. Are you okay?”
“Stop slapping me,” shesaid, her eyes fluttering open.
He kissed her hard on thecheeks.
“What were you thinking?”he asked.
“He was going to hurt you,”Sarah said, rising onto her elbow andrubbing her head. “What else could I do? Is he dead? Did you kill him?”
Cyrus nodded to the whitespider perched on his shoulder. Sarah looked around at her three companions, confused.
“You should have seen thedragon that Master Edward once slew,” Fibian said,smiling.
She looked at the dead nagen, bleeding out onto the deck. Then she staredat the pile of armor and sand.
“The spider did that?” Sarahasked.
Cyrus nodded. She set herface in an expression of stern resolution.
“I know they betrayedyou,” Sarah said, “but I can’t leave my parents.”
“We’re not leaving anyof them,” Cyrus replied.
Sarah looked bewildered.Edward grew enraged. Fibian’s expression remained even.
“After what Hoblkalf and Llysa did?” Edward asked.
“It’s not about them,”Cyrus said, “It’s about the children, the ones that don’t have a choice. The villagers’betrayal changes nothing. Rorroh must die, or we are alldoomed.”
Chapter33
ESCAPE
THE GROWING LIGHT in the east threatened the dark earlymorning skies. They were going to need a diversion. Cyrus’ plan was to free the villagers, escape to thehead fortress, and then mount a counter-attack. It was a desperate strategy,but it was all they had.
Cyrus searched the cabinfloor. He found three large candles amongst the scattered plates and cutlery.Sarah brought him a bed-sized sheet of torn canvas. He took the large scrap of sailand laid it across the deck boards in thecenter of the room. Then he found an oil lamp and doused the canvas, as well as the surrounding cabin, in fuel. Finally, he propped the candles against one another on top of the sodden cloth. Fibian delved into the ship’s hold. He returned with a foot-longsplinter of wood lit on the embers of the stove. He ignited the candles, then extinguished the torch.
“You think this will work?”Edward asked, crouched on Cyrus’ shoulder.
“Sooner or later thosecandles will tip,” Cyrus replied.
“Hopefully later,” Sarahsaid.
Cyrus exited the cabin,then dressed in Captain Greves’ armor. Sarahand Fibian helped him with the leather straps. The armorfelt light, though a little tight around his broad frame. The silk paddingwithin the bearded mask stank of rancid oil. He found the dropped nagen blade and sheathed it within his leatherbelt.
“Quick,” Fibian said, “while the night is still on our side.”
The four made their wayto the starboard rail. They climbed down the mesh ladder to the nagen craft tetheredbelow. Cyrus sat in the center of the boat and managed the oars. Sarah and Fibian crouched at the bow. Edward stood on Cyrus’ shoulder,searching the skies for the troublesome flock of black-feathered spies.
Cyrus paddled towards theghost ship’s mooring line. Fibian cut the moldy, tautrope. Slowly, the boat began to drift south, towards several enemy vessels. Sarahand Fibian then wrapped their wrists behind their backsin loose twine. Cyrus rowed for shore.
The sea was slack and the wind was still. The rescuers struck land along the portside wall. Two rock klops stood watch on the battlements above. Cyrus’ heartdrummed. He imagined the innocent, terrified children. His purpose gave himstrength and resolve. He leaped out of the craft, favoring his aching stomach. Suddenly,he felt struck by lightning.
Run, a strange voice cried in his mind.Gabriel? Somebody was shouting in thedistance.
“We weren’tnotified of any incoming captives,” one of the greenish grey brutes above bellowed.
Cyrus forced Gabriel fromhis mind. He knew what awaited.
“I’m notifying you now,”he yelled back. “Get down here and help withthese prisoners.”
His impression of Greves’ voice was terrible.
“We don’t take ordersfrom rats,” the second klops chuckled.
“Then you can tell our Mistressthat you’ve left Captain Greves standing outsidethe wall with news of the yeti encampment.”
The first klops snorted. The otherspat. The wall hatch clanked and creaked, then swung open. Two more rock klops ventured through the threshold, drawing their swords.
“Take the line,” Cyrusdemanded, “I’ll get the prisoners.”
The long-haired bruteslumbered down the tiled shore, looking about for trouble.
“We never saw either ofthese two pass through the gate,” the red-beardedguard said.
The ruffian was missingtwo of the three fingers on his left hand.
“Yeah,” said the second,rubbing his braided mustaches, “and where’s the big male you took through here?”
“These two fled before theattack,” Cyrus lied. “Found them trying to steal a ship.”
The two barbarians weighedhis words. Cyrus searched the battlements above. In the dark, he spied at leastsix more guards stationed along the wall. Cyrus’ hands began to tremble with adrenalin.
“Fire!” a klops shouted from the parapets, “There’s a fire on the Mistress’ship!”
Cyrus looked out to sea.For the second time, Rorroh’s cabin was ablaze. Thank the Angels! The flaming ghost shipstruck another boat. The fires from Rorroh’s craft began to lick at the bowsprit of a rock klops attack vessel.
“Quick,” Cyrus shouted, “save the fleet.”
The two klops leaped aboard a rowboat and began to speed towardsthe flaming ship. More rock klops emerged from the hatchways.They grasped their landing crafts up off the shore and ran them down towards thesurf.
“Go, go!” Cyrus cried.
He thanked the AngelKing for klops stupidity. Then he marched Sarah and Fibian up the tiled beach, past more running wall guards.Edward crawled within his helmet. They reached the defenses and passed through theopen hatchway. Cyrus spied a large, pale rock klops fleeinginto the woods, towards the island’s center.
