Tales of Wind and Fire: Giver

Chapter 20

Clutching Bennu's katana, Cybil raced to the edge of the trail and tripped on a tree root, spilling shuriken in the dirt. Panic bubbled in her throat. What to do? What to do?
Only moments before, she'd been pacing up and down, while a flock of greenfinches tore at the yew tree's juicy pink berries, and Mystigan tugged on the leash, uttering bark-growls which Bennu would have understood, but she just found worrying.
Then the finches had fled in a twittering cloud, and she'd glanced down the hill. A gap in the fog had given her a clear view: she'd seen the stream rushing past a clump of spruce, and a big dark boulder hunched beside them. Then the bolder had moved.
Frozen in horror, she'd watched the Phoenix lifting its head, towering over the spruce. The great head swung as its glowing eyes fixed on her and it spread its wings, a wingspan longer than an entire ship.
That was when she'd run to the cave and screamed a warning to Bennu—and got nothing back but echoes.
Now, as the fog closed in again and she fumbled for the shuriken, she pictured the Phoenix flying over the hill towards her.
She knew how fast Phoenixes can move: it would be here in moments.
The rockface was too steep for her to climb; besides, she couldn't leave Mystigan. That left the cave, but every part of her screamed not to go inside. They'd be caught like hares in a trap, they'd never get out.
Mystigan's desperate tugging on the leash broke het panic.
He was pulling her towards the cave— and in a flash she knew he was right. Bennu was inside. They would fight it together.
She plunged in, dragging packs and sleeping- sacks behind her. The darkness blinded her. She ran into solid rock, hitting her head.
After a breathless search she worked out that the cave narrowed sharply to a slit. Mystigan was already through, tugging her to follow. She turned and edged sideways— quickly, quickly— then dropped to her knees and reached through the gap to drag the gear in after her.
As she yanked in packs and Shuriken and Katana, she felt a flicker of hope. Maybe the gap was too narrow for the Phoenix? Maybe they could hold out. . .
Her waterskin was wrenched from her hand with a force that slammed her against the gap and sent pain shooting through her shoulder. In a daze she scrambled sideways into a hallow, yanking Mystigan with her.
The Phoenix couldn't have moved that fast, she thought numbly.
A deep cry reverberated through the cave. Her skin crawled.
It can't get through the gap, she told herself. Stay still. Very, very still.
From deep within the cave came a cry. "Cybil!"
Was Bennu calling for help, or was he coming to help her? She couldn't tell. Couldn't call out. Couldn't do anything but cower with Mystigan in the hallow, knowing she was too close to the gap— just two paces away— yet powerless to move. Some force was keeping her there. She couldn't take her eyes from that narrow slit of daylight.
The daylight turned black.
Knowing it was the worst thing to do, Cybil leaned forward and peered through the gap. The blood roared in her head. A nightmare glimpse of dark feathers flickering in an unfelt wind; a flash of long cruel talons glistening with black blood.
A cry shook the cave. Moaning, Cybil jammed her fists against her ears as the cry battered through her, on and on till she thought her skull would crack. . .
Silence: as shocking as the cry. Taking her fists from her ears, she heard a whisper of dust.
Mystigan panting. Nothing else.
Slowly, appalled at what she was doing, she crawled towards the slit, pulling the reluctant cub with her.
She saw daylight again. Grey rockface. The yew tree with a scattering of berries beneath. No Phoenix.
A shuddering cry: so close that she heard the snap of the beak, smelt the reek of slaughter. Then the daylight was blotted out, and an eye held hers. Blacker than basalt, yet churning with fire, it drew her—it wanted her.
She tilted forwards.
Mystigan wrenched her back, breaking the spell so that she shrank out of the way just as the deadly flames burnt the earth where she'd been kneeling.
Again the Phoenix cried. Again she cowered in the hollow.
Then she heard a new sound: the clatter of rocks, the groan of a dying tree. In its fury, the Phoenix was clawing at the mouth of the cave, uprooting the yew and tearing it apart.
Whimpering, she pressed herself into the hollow.
Against het shoulder, a rock moved. With a cry she jumped back.
From the other side, she heard stones shattering, and earth being flung aside with lethal intent. She realized what was happening. The rock that formed the side of the gap was not, as she had thought, a part of the cave itself, but merely a tongue of stone that jutted from the earth floor.
The Phoenix was clawing at its roots: digging them out like wood-ants from a nest.
Sweat streamed off her. She stared at Mystigan.
With a shock, she saw that he was a cub no longer. His head was down, his eyes fixed on the thing beyond the slit. His black lips were peeled back in a snarl, baring formidable white fangs.
Something hardened inside her. "Not like wood-ants," she whispered. The sound of her voice gave her courage.
She untied the leash to give Mystigan his freedom: maybe he could escape, even if she and Bennu could not. Then she gripped Bennu's katana. The touch of the cool, smooth yew gave her strength. She got to her feet.
Concentrate on the target, she told herself, remembering the many lessons Kai had given her.
That's the most important thing. You must concentrate so hard that you burn a hole in the target. . . And keep your body relaxed, don't tense up. The forces come from your whole body, not just your arm. . .
"For Bennu," she said. "I should be able to get in a few slashes before it gets me."
She stepped out from the hollow and took up position.

顔なし顔なし顔なし顔なし顔なし

Bennu tore at the Faceless-Ones swarming over him.
Claws snagged his face and hair. Foul wings stifled his mouth and nose. Somehow he managed to pull on Cybil's mitten and reach for the world-soul. It was heavier than he'd expected. He wrenched off the mitten with the tooth inside, and shoved it into the neck of his jerkin.
"Cybil!" He yelled as he pushed himself off the stone. His cry was deadened by the leathery wings.
He struck out through the stench— but with the rushlight gone, he couldn't even see his hands in front of his face.
Faint and far above came Mystigan's frenzied yowls: where are you? Danger! Danger!
He waded towards the sound with the Faceless-Ones swarming over him, pushing him down into the stink.
Terrible images thronged his head. Mystigan and Cybil lying dead—just like Ma. Why had he made them stay up there where it was 'safe', when all the time that was where the true danger lay?
Raging inwardly, he drew his knife from its sheath and slashed at the Faceless-Ones. They seemed to lift to avoid the blade. "Oh, so you're scared of it, are you?" He shouted. "Well here's some more!" He slashed at them— and again they lifted, a dark cloud just out of reach. The hilt grew hot in his hands. Snarling, he pushed out a hand, and the cave was illuminated by a great flame. The watchers plummeted into the stench, burning like insects. Rage still flooded Bennu. He looked down at his hands, they were on fire, but he didn't feel any pain. Bennu didn't know what was going on, but he didn't care. He continued to push forward, rage still bubbling inside of him like a pool of magma.
Bennu rounded the last bend and the daylight blinded him. The cave mouth was five paces away, and wider than he remembered. The gap he'd squeezed through on his descent had been wrenched open, and before it stood Cybil, a small, upright figure, incredibly brave, dodging and slicing at the Phoenix. For a heartbeat, Bennu was back with Ma on the night of the attack, transfixed by the malice of those demon haunted eyes. . .
"No!" He shouted, flames forming around him like a tornado of wind. In his pure rage, Bennu threw his hands forward, shooting out jets of magical flames. The Phoenix was hit, but the flames had no effect, being a bird of fire meant Bennu's new found power was utterly useless against it.
The Phoenix descended upon Cybil, but just as it was about to move in for the kill, Mystigan leapt from the shadows— leapt not at the Phoenix, but at Cybil. With a single snap of his powerful jaws, Mystigan tore the ravenskin pouch from her belt— knocking her off her feet, out of the reach of the Phoenix—then sped out of the cave. The Phoenix lashed out, gouging the earth a hand's breadth from where the cub had been.
"Mystigan!" Shouted Bennu, throwing himself forwards. With the pouch in his jaws, Mystigan disappeared into the fog. The Phoenix swung round with terrifying agility and raced after him.
"Mystigan!" Bennu shouted again.
The fog engulfed them, leaving the empty hillside mocking him. The Phoenix was gone. So was Mystigan.