Read Online Forest Kingdom Trilogy 1 - Blue Moon Rising by Simon R. Green - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Simon R. Green
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stared out into the darkness; looking at Julia hurt too much. He could hear the demons gathering. There seemed no end to their numbers. Rupert turned to the
dragon, crouching exhausted by the fire. One wing hung limply, half torn away, and golden blood ran steadily down his heaving side. The dragon slowly raised his great head and studied the blood-spattered Prince.
'Did you reach the Rainbow's End?'
'Yes,' said Rupert. 'It was very beautiful.'
'What did you find there?'
'A sword. Just an ordinary sword.' Rupert couldn't keep the bitterness from his voice as he threw the sword on to the ground before him. The dragon studied the sword, and then looked away.
'The Wild Magic is often . . . capricious.' He stared out into the darkness. 'The demons are almost ready. One last attack, and it will all be over.'
'We can't just give up,' Rupert protested. 'We've beaten them off twice . . .'
'I'm hurt, Rupert,' the dragon said simply. 'I'm too old for all this nonsense.'
Rupert shook his head, searching for some kind of anger to hold back his growing despair. 'What happened to the unicorn?'
'He's over there,' said the dragon.
Rupert followed the dragon's gaze. Not a dozen feet from the fire, the unicorn lay stretched out and unmoving, half hidden under a pile of demon bodies.
'Unicorn!' Rupert staggered over to his fallen steed and knelt beside him. The unicorn tried to raise his bloodied head, and couldn't.
'Will you keep your voice down? My head hurts.'
Bloody rents crawled along the unicorn's flanks, and his rib cage had been smashed in. His hom had been broken off at the base, leaving only a jagged stub.
'I'm sorry,' said Rupert. 'I'm sorry.'
'Not your fault,' said the unicorn. His voice broke, and he coughed a bloody foam.
Rupert started to cry.
'Stop that,' said the unicorn gruffly. 'You should see the other guy. Did you find the Rainbow's End?'
Rupert nodded, unable to speak.
'Well, how about that. Some quest, eh, lad? They'll sing songs about us for ever.'
'And get it all wrong,' said Rupert.
'Wouldn't surprise me,' said the unicorn. 'I think I'll take a little rest now, lad, I'm tired.'
'Unicorn?'
'I'm so tired.'
'Unicorn.''
After a while, Julia came and crouched beside him.
'He lost his horn for me,' said Rupert bitterly. 'What did I ever do for him, except lead him into danger?'
'He was your friend,' said Julia, gently.
She couldn't have hurt him more if she'd tried.
'Rupert!' cried the dragon. 'Demons!'
'I brought your sword,' said Julia as they rose painfully to their feet, and she offered Rupert the sword he'd found at Rainbow's End. Rupert glared at the sword, and felt a slow, steady rage burn within him.
All around him he could see demons spilling into the clearing, bringing the darkness with them. Firelight gleamed on fang and claw. The dragon stood ready to meet them, crippled but undefeated. Julia stood before him, bloodied but unbowed, waiting for him to take his sword and fight at her side. And the unicorn lay dying at his feet.
He was your friend.
Rupert reached out and took the sword. Anger and sorrow surged through him as he realised there was nothing left for him to do except die bravely, and take as many of his enemies with him as he could. He raised the sword above his head, and then all his rage, all his anguish, all his determination seemed to flow up into the blade and out, out into the long night and beyond, like a great shout of defiance against the dark. Light burst from the blade, filling the clearing. The demons cowered and fell back, and then turned to flee as with the thunder of a great waterfall, the Rainbow slammed down into the Darkwood.
Time seemed to slow and stop. Brilliant colours scorched back the night, scything through the demonkind, who fell to the blood-soaked ground and did not rise again. And still the shimmering light poured over them, until their misshapen forms melted and flowed into the broken earth and were gone.
And then the Rainbow was gone, and
dragon, crouching exhausted by the fire. One wing hung limply, half torn away, and golden blood ran steadily down his heaving side. The dragon slowly raised his great head and studied the blood-spattered Prince.
'Did you reach the Rainbow's End?'
'Yes,' said Rupert. 'It was very beautiful.'
'What did you find there?'
'A sword. Just an ordinary sword.' Rupert couldn't keep the bitterness from his voice as he threw the sword on to the ground before him. The dragon studied the sword, and then looked away.
'The Wild Magic is often . . . capricious.' He stared out into the darkness. 'The demons are almost ready. One last attack, and it will all be over.'
'We can't just give up,' Rupert protested. 'We've beaten them off twice . . .'
'I'm hurt, Rupert,' the dragon said simply. 'I'm too old for all this nonsense.'
Rupert shook his head, searching for some kind of anger to hold back his growing despair. 'What happened to the unicorn?'
'He's over there,' said the dragon.
Rupert followed the dragon's gaze. Not a dozen feet from the fire, the unicorn lay stretched out and unmoving, half hidden under a pile of demon bodies.
'Unicorn!' Rupert staggered over to his fallen steed and knelt beside him. The unicorn tried to raise his bloodied head, and couldn't.
'Will you keep your voice down? My head hurts.'
Bloody rents crawled along the unicorn's flanks, and his rib cage had been smashed in. His hom had been broken off at the base, leaving only a jagged stub.
'I'm sorry,' said Rupert. 'I'm sorry.'
'Not your fault,' said the unicorn. His voice broke, and he coughed a bloody foam.
Rupert started to cry.
'Stop that,' said the unicorn gruffly. 'You should see the other guy. Did you find the Rainbow's End?'
Rupert nodded, unable to speak.
'Well, how about that. Some quest, eh, lad? They'll sing songs about us for ever.'
'And get it all wrong,' said Rupert.
'Wouldn't surprise me,' said the unicorn. 'I think I'll take a little rest now, lad, I'm tired.'
'Unicorn?'
'I'm so tired.'
'Unicorn.''
After a while, Julia came and crouched beside him.
'He lost his horn for me,' said Rupert bitterly. 'What did I ever do for him, except lead him into danger?'
'He was your friend,' said Julia, gently.
She couldn't have hurt him more if she'd tried.
'Rupert!' cried the dragon. 'Demons!'
'I brought your sword,' said Julia as they rose painfully to their feet, and she offered Rupert the sword he'd found at Rainbow's End. Rupert glared at the sword, and felt a slow, steady rage burn within him.
All around him he could see demons spilling into the clearing, bringing the darkness with them. Firelight gleamed on fang and claw. The dragon stood ready to meet them, crippled but undefeated. Julia stood before him, bloodied but unbowed, waiting for him to take his sword and fight at her side. And the unicorn lay dying at his feet.
He was your friend.
Rupert reached out and took the sword. Anger and sorrow surged through him as he realised there was nothing left for him to do except die bravely, and take as many of his enemies with him as he could. He raised the sword above his head, and then all his rage, all his anguish, all his determination seemed to flow up into the blade and out, out into the long night and beyond, like a great shout of defiance against the dark. Light burst from the blade, filling the clearing. The demons cowered and fell back, and then turned to flee as with the thunder of a great waterfall, the Rainbow slammed down into the Darkwood.
Time seemed to slow and stop. Brilliant colours scorched back the night, scything through the demonkind, who fell to the blood-soaked ground and did not rise again. And still the shimmering light poured over them, until their misshapen forms melted and flowed into the broken earth and were gone.
And then the Rainbow was gone, and
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