I sat in the rain waiting for Herupah to return, when I heard the unmistakable
call of the Uni as he returned. Herupah landed next to me, and Corinth jumped
off Herupah, "I am ready for what we have to do next," he said to me.
"First of all you will have to get back on Herupah," I said, and then I clambered
on to Decorah's back. "Now I have a plan that will have us flying as ghosts
in the darkness. Just stay on Herupah's back. Before we fight we will try and
frighten our enemy Teralk."
"What will we do?" Herupah asked.
"How shall we help?" Decorah asked.
"First you two shall fly over Teralk's troops, then I will tell you what to
do."
"What if Teralk spots us?" Corinth asked me.
"You must have forgotten that it is pouring so hard that we can hardly see
our own hands. Also you must have forgotten that Herupah and Decorah are blacker
then the night itself," I said scorning Corinth.
Corinth drooped his head for not thinking the matter through. "Sorry I wasn't
thinking," he said.
"Don't worry Corinth. Every creature makes mistakes, but for now lets fly!"
and with that Herupah and Decorah took flight, and flew through the rain towards
the cliffs of Eternity.
The massive forms of rock towered in front of me as Decorah and Herupah flew
us through the cliffs. I could not think of a reason that Teralk would take
the long and dangerous rout through the cliffs of Eternity until then. He was
attempting to attack Laxcorna from behind; where they would not ever expect
to be attacked. Suddenly Decorah Jolted to the left, and then slowed extensively
almost throwing me off his back. "Zarrel Chairmain, there are too many rocks
here to fly fast."
"That's okay Decorah," I said trusting him to do his own flying. "I trust
that we are close to Teralk."
"Yes, but because we are almost to Teralk can you tell me what you want us
to do when we get there?" Decorah asked me. I could tell that he was excited
to find out what my plan was.
"Decorah, I need you and Herupah to try and screech like eagles, okay. If
you don't think that you can, just try. I want to try, and frighten Teralk's
troops. Then we can wait for Laiondite to get her fathers army over here."
"I will tell Herupah what must be done. Then we will fly above Teralk's troops
for you Zarrel Charmain." Then Decorah slowed down, and he explained to Herupah
who thought the idea to be good. Then we were flying through the rain once more.
"We are over Teralk's Troops now. Shall we start Zarrel Charmain?" Decorah
asked me.
"Yes start now," I replied, and then I grabbed hold of Decorah's mane bracing
myself. Suddenly Decorah let out a terrible screech that sounded as if it could
wake the dead. In fact he sounded like he was the dead come out of the grave.
Then Herupah let out a screech that just as terrible, if not more, then Decorah's.
They continued to screech, and my plan was working, they were scaring Teralk's
troops.
***
"Teralk, I can't control my troop. They are about ready to bolt, saying that
there is a ghost after them," one of Teralk's captains reported.
"I guess that I will have to show them that there is no ghost at all!" Teralk
said walking over with his captain to where the troops were complaining that
a ghost was after them. "Listen right here troops," Teralk started, "There is
not a ghost!" but suddenly the screeching started up again.
"It's the ghost!" one of the troopers began.
"We should leave! This place is haunted!" another began, but Teralk interrupted.
"Who said that," Teralk looked around, and then he walked up to a Kacheek.
"You Racal, you can go right now. Any one of you who wants to can leave right
now. You can go on, and have that thing pick you off one by one. Or you can
stay with me. I can insure you of one thing though, and that is that the ghost
is not a ghost!" Teralk looked around at his troops, and not one of them started
to walk away.
Suddenly there was another screech, and a black thing flew down in sight for
a few seconds, and then was back up before anyone got a close look at it. But
as it flew up Teralk saw on its back a red Zafara, Me. "Everyone that is no
ghost, but it is just that Zafara assassin. The next time you hear the screech
fire as many rounds of arrows at it as you can!"
"But Teralk," began the officer. "My archers can't fire arrows in this weather.
The wind and rain will put the arrows off course. We will not be able to hit
anything."
"I tell you what you can and can't do, and I say that you can hit whatever
is up there, hear!" and Teralk looked even fiercer than normal at that moment
with his fire Lupe fur all matted from the rain, and each of his razor sharp
teeth showing.
"Yes sir," the officer said, and when the screech rang out again. "You
heard Teralk, fire!" and all of the archers fired at once.
The wind and the rain pushed most of the arrows back at Teralk and his troops,
some of the arrows destroying those who fired them. But there was a single chance
arrow that flew in front of Decorah's face making him rear up in the air throwing
me off.
Teralk heard the screech of what sounded like a Uni, and then from the sky
a red blur fell and disappeared into the night. Teralk grinned evilly. "You
see," he said to his troops, "It was just the Zafara. Now we have no one
in our way we can get to Laxcorna without any trouble at all!"
***
I had next to no time to react when Decorah reared up, so I was thrown off
his back. I plummeted towards the ground below, the rain hitting my back, and
the wind making my eyes watery. I knew that it was the end, and I accepted it.
I was just hoping that Laiondite would get the Laxcornian army out before too
long.
Suddenly, I felt a jolt, and I was hanging in the air about ten feet off the
ground. It was a miracle. I looked up, and saw my pack, and its strap was hung
over a branch while the other end was on my arm. It had saved my life.
The rain was slowly making my bag slide off the branch, but I helped it slide
off quicker by giving it a couple of tugs. Then I fell to the ground crouching
as I did so, and then I walked towards Teralk's troops.
I could hear Teralk's troops before I saw them due to the low visibility and
the echoes that the cliffs made. I could hear the stamping of boots as if it
were all around me as. I walked closer to where Teralk was. I had to stop him
even if I had to fight by myself. I could not let him take over the kingdom
of Laxcorna. I knew that if he took over Laxcorna that he would then move on
to another city, and another until he took over the whole of Neopia.
Soon I saw my first glimpse of Teralk's troops. They were soaked, and did
not look like they really wanted to fight, but they were afraid to stand up
against Teralk. I mostly ignored them, and continued forward towards Teralk.
As I walked forwards the creatures backed away. Some of them with their eyes
filled with fright, while some of them just backed away staring relentlessly
on ahead.
As I walked forward I heard a loud rumble. Looking into the rainy night air
I caught a flash of lightning in the distance, and then a few seconds later
I heard its loud rumble. The storm was getting worse, but I could not stop so
I continued to walk toward Teralk as the flashes of light became more rapped.
As I continued to walk I could hear Teralk yelling, "Why did you stop, and
break formation. What is the matter with…" He stopped mid sentence and turned.
He looked at me, and his face was as white as a pillowcase. "You… I saw you
fall from that great height. No one could have survived that fall. No one."
"I saw her fall to. She is a ghost I tell you. Just look." I heard someone
in the crowd say with murmurs of agreement. I guess that I must have looked
like a ghost right then, with the water dripping off of my ears, and me looking
right at Teralk with such hatred like there were not any other creatures in
the world.
I pulled out my dagger, which had not fallen out when I fell. "I can not let
you take the kingdom of Laxcorna Teralk. Either leave back to your fortress
or fight!"
"I have no time to fight you Zarrel Charmain! Guards put this nuisance in
shackles!" but not a single one of Teralk's troops came towards me.
I swung my blade at him making him jump back. "Fight or be destroyed Teralk,"
I said swinging once more.
"I am afraid that it is you who will be destroyed assassin." Teralk pulled
out a sword, and stood on his hind legs. If it were not for the fact that my
side was throbbing from where the arrow had hit, and that Teralk's sword was
three times as long as my dagger I would have had the advantage in this fight,
because Lupes are slightly clumsy on their hind legs. Even so I knew better
then to get cocky, for Teralk never would have become the head of a diabolical
corporation if he could not fight.
Each time Teralk swung the sword at me I tended to jump to the right, for
my side hurt. Time after time I was favouring my right side due to the fact
that not too long ago an arrow had pierced my left side. Teralk ended up noticing
this, and he started to use my disability to his advantage. He would swing at
my left side, which I could not defend well, and so I had to jump back each
time he swung, time after time, putting all the more pain into my side. I could
only get a few swings of my blade at Teralk, and then I had to start jumping
back again.
I was so busy with trying to keep myself in one piece, that I did not notice
the large rock behind me. I jumped back from another one of Teralk's swings
of his sword, but while I jumped back my foot caught the top of the rock tripping
me.
I fell on the wet ground, muddy from all the rain. My whole hand that was
holding the dagger was covered in mud making it seem as if I had lost my dagger.
Then Teralk walked up to me, a flash of lightning with instant thunder right
behind him. "So it seems that you have lost Zarrel Charmain. Pity that you could
not have worked for me any longer." Then he raised his sword above my head ready
for the destroying stroke, but before he could strike me I jumped up slashing
him across his face, and then slipping back into the mud.
"That was for Tarnox!" I said.
Teralk then looked down at me growling. I had cut a gash across his face from
his chin to his left ear slicing half of that away. He kicked me in my left
side hard making me cringe in pain dropping my dagger, but this time for real.
Suddenly there was a loud neighing, and Herupah and Decorah landed not ten
meters away from Teralk. I was glad to see both of them safe with Corinth. Herupah
yelled out over the storm at Teralk. "The sword you hold shall be your downfall."
Then Decorah yelled, "Once it is raised, the light will end it all."
"Let the Zafara go, and you shall not be punished."
Teralk looked at Herupah and Decorah, and then started to raise his sword.
"Don't try and frighten me with all of your fake prophecies. Once I take care
of this Zafara let it be known that you will be next!"
"Very well," Herupah said.
"We warned you," finished Decorah.
"Hah! Fakes they are just fakes!" and Teralk raised his sword ready to strike
it down on me. I covered my face ready for the worst when suddenly a large bolt
of lightning struck down right on Teralk's sword.
The lightning threw me back several feet, and I shielded my eyes from its
blinding light. I heard a long howl from Teralk, which cut into the night like
a knife cutting through butter, and then the thunder boomed. It echoed across
the narrow passageway making the rocks around the cliffs of Eternity rumble,
and start to fall.
A few rocks fell towards me making me back up, and as I backed up I felt some
thing sharp poke me, so I reached down into the mud and pulled out my dagger.
More and more rocks started to fall, and Teralk's troops were scattering everywhere
to avoid the avalanche of rocks. I was just trying to think of a way out of
the narrow passageway when Decorah appeared besides me. "Climb on Zarrel Charmain."
And so I climbed up onto Decorah's back.
"I am ready. Let's get out of here!" I yelled, and Decorah spread his wings
scattering rain off of the wing feathers, and he took off. Decorah dodged left
and right around the falling rocks missing some by only a wingtip. Suddenly
we were above the line of falling rocks, and I looked down to see the rest of
the cliff collapse. "Did Herupah and Corinth make it out of there?" I asked
no one.
"Yes, we made it!" I turned, and could make out through the rain Corinth riding
atop Herupah. Then I looked towards the ground. Some of Teralk's troops had
escaped on the farther edge of the cliffs, and were making their way towards
the forests to hide, however most of the surviving troops were on the near side
of the cliffs.
Suddenly I heard the few words that I had been waiting for all night. "The
Laxcornian army has arrived!" the army marched up with Laiondite at their lead,
and while they marched up to the collapsed area of the cliffs Decorah and Herupah
landed. Corinth jumped off of Herupah, and ran up to Laiondite. "We have done
it! We have defeated Teralk!" then he turned to face me, but I had already disappeared.
I rode atop of Decorah watching as the Laxcornian army collected all of the
surviving members of Teralk's troops. Then I whispered into Decorah's ear, "Now
we can go." And we flew off into the stormy night leaving not a trace to follow.
To be continued... | 
