Chapter Five
“Don’t you ever have any good news?” Lachy’s mark itched at the thought of that stranger coming back, the dangerous and lethal Warlock with plasma balls, that could destroy a house with one blow. Or a treehouse for that matter, Lachy added, miserably. With Jake fast on his heels, they raced up the stairs, crept down the hall, and Lachy paused, before his bedroom door. Jake’s alarm no doubt was coming from Lachy’s fear, it seemed to be contagious, and he regretted dragging Jake into all of this. “You can go home, if you want to Jake. My house.. my life, me.. well none of it’s safe.”
“I know something’s wrong Lachy, I saw it yesterday. I want to help. Don’t worry so much.” Jake replied, and Lachy thought he was very brave for saying it, and questioned if Jake wouldn’t change his mind, when he learns that what he saw was nothing in comparison to the shocking events that Lachy lived through, since.
Lachy waited a good long five minutes before he summoned the courage to enter, there wasn’t any logical reason to fear his own room, but the stillness of the house, the massive destruction of the yard had given him the willies, and he was having difficulty trusting any dark, unknown territory. His room was facing the area where the major damage was done in the yard, and he was half expecting his wall to be gone, for the side of the house to be blown to bits. Worse yet, he could discover a Warlock hiding under the bed, or in the closet, or behind the door, waiting to pounce the moment they stepped inside. He gazed over at Jake, straining every muscle in his body, conjuring the courage to open the door, to face what could be waiting for him, on the other side.
“I’m going to open the door now,” Lachy said to Jake, with his eyes locked forward. “Be ready to run out of the house, if anything looks.. um.. Well, I’ll let you know if it’s safe.”
“Lachy you’re giving me the shivers.” Jake whispered, he was looking at Lachy, with astonishment. “It’s only your room.”
Lachy nodded in agreement, it was true, it was only his room, he just tried to keep the faith that it still looked like his room, and it was vacant. He opened the door and poked his head in first. It was a bit shadowy, it normally was during the mornings, as the sun shone on the opposite side of the house, until late afternoon. Once he saw that it was exactly the way he left it, nothing was changed, moved, damaged or burned, he put forth a foot, and stepped inside. “Wait here,” he whispered, and finally was completely inside his room. He spied every corner, checked under his bed, and slammed open his closet door, slapping his arm inside against the clothes, shaking everything he could reach, with his eyes clamped shut.
He was guessing if he was going to run into trouble, it would have happened by now, and he faced up to the reality that worst was over. His room was safe. “Come on in.” He called to Jake, as he took a seat at his computer desk and booted up the laptop. Jake pulled up a chair and sat beside him, looking at Lachy with squinted eyes. ‘What was that all about?” He asked, his keen perception drifted around the room, and finally rested on Lachy’s face.
“Thought we had, um, an intruder, or a burglar. The yard was messed up by someone.”
Jake seemed satisfied with the response and adjusted his chair to get a good view of the laptop. “What are we doing?” He asked, moving his eyes onto the screen. Lachy didn’t reply, he had the mouse in hand, and clicked on a search engine. Jake leaned closer and read it out loud. “Legend of Thunderbirds.”
Lachy half smiled, it sounded like a good start.
“I’ve never heard of a Thunderbird. Where did you get that from?” Jake asked, shrugging his shoulders.
Lachy clicked on a link, and sat back as a picture popped up on the screen. “Let me see the feather,” he said, with a hand out. Jake passed it over and Lachy smoothed his fingers over it, going with the grain, it was soft and silky, and stretched over his knee, and then Lachy reached over and leaned it against the wall, with a pool of sadness swarming around him, it smelled of smoke. He scrolled down on the webpage. “Look here,” He said, pointing to a black and white picture that was posted.
“It looks like the feather we have,” Jake said, his eyebrows shot up.
“It sure does.” Lachy said, and he read the excerpt beside it. “Pennsylvania Farmer found six foot long feather, on the day four cows went missing.”
“Look at this one,” Jake said, pointing to the picture beside it. It was a picture of at least twelve men, standing shoulder to shoulder, and a dead bird lying on the ground at their feet. “That bird must be 20 feet long.”
Lachy bunched up his cheeks and mouth in revolt at the sight of a dead thunderbird. He nodded his head yes, but he didn’t say much, then he clicked on a link that said, ‘Thunderbird sightings.’
“Sounds cool.” Jake said, shaking his head.
The site opened and Lachy’s eyes locked on the screen, and he felt his body go weak, it was inconceivable that he found anything about this at all. It was all right there before him, everything Ferus told him, and so much more.
The Legend of the Thunderbird was the title, and Lachy read it out loud with breathless incredulity. “Thunderbirds were considered an urban legend, even though the sightings have been sparsely recorded for seven hundred years, by humanity. Last year backpackers in the South American Andes reported seeing a large shadow cross over them, it was a bird with about a twenty-foot wingspan. Local authorities had dismissed their claims and were quoted to say, ‘More than likely a small plane.’ Sightings of the majestic birds have been recorded throughout history from South America to Pennsylvania, over New York State, and into Ontario and as far out as BC. Giant talons, large feathers, and large bird prints have also been recorded.’
“That’s awesome!” Jake said, glancing over at the feather. “Should we take a picture and send it in to them?”
“No.” Lachy replied, flatly. He clicked on another link, it was the Black Foot Tribe. Under the list of Legends, he saw Thunderbird. “So the Thunderbirds killed the Warriors in self-dense?” Lachy was starting to understand, a little, and continued reading, completely transfixed on the words. “The creatures with wings travelled the skies for thousands of years known as Thunderbirds.” Lachy read out loud. “Seven hundred years ago, a village was attacked, one warrior lived, smite by a lightening bolt. The thunderbolt had changed the Warrior, and he had great powers.”
“That’s a wicked story.” Jake said. “Why did the Thunderbirds attack the villages. Are they evil?”
Lachy shrugged and kept reading. “Thunderbirds hunt Buffalo, and Warriors hunt Buffalo, the two did not meet eye to eye, and a war broke out. Thunderbirds were not known to attack humans, but will kill to defend if need be. The Blackfoot regard the Thunderbird as a Sacred Bird, and remained neutral from the battles.”
“Wow. So it wasn’t the Blackfoot that went to war with the Thunderbirds?”
“Guess not.” Lachy replied. He started panicking, he knew it wasn’t the Blackfoot, and he looked over at Jake, and in a low steady voice, he finally confessed what he’d been longing to say. “It was Warlocks.”
“I think you’re right.” Jake said, pointing to the next paragraph. “It says here, the Warriors struck by a thunderbolt, were changed into Warlock. Ha, get it. Warrior, Warlock?”
Lachy didn’t smile. Jake surprised him, yet again. He expected Jake to laugh it off, or go into a long speech about how it would be impossible. He seemed to take it pretty well. Lachy's fingers were gripping onto the mouse for dear life, he was picturing the glowing sea green eyes on the stranger who called himself a Warlock.
“Warlocks aren’t real.” Jake said, quietly. “But they are wicked in movies, and on tv. Wow, look at this?” Lachy looked to where Jake was pointing, he was feeling a bit shocked and upset. The drawing looked like the man he met on the road, his clothes were different, but the rage on his face, the murder in his eyes, was remarkably like him.
“You look like you saw a ghost?” Jake said, the smile fading off his face.
“I think I di
d,” Lachy said with a gulp. “Jake, there’s so much I want to tell you.” Lachy started to say.
“Check this out?” Jake said, and leaned over clicking on another link. “Thunderbird of Amphithere Serpent Deity. He looks awesome.” Jake enlarged the picture with a smile forming on his face.
Lachy was staggered, and released the mouse, he couldn’t take anymore. Meanwhile Jake took over the laptop, watching as photo after photo of the Thunderbirds came on screen. The Amphithere Serpent Deity was a small part of the website, but it clearly told him one thing.
“That’s unbelievable, he’s a dragon not a dinosaur.” Fell off Lachy’s lips. “That is so wicked, I can’t believe he’s a dragon.”
“Obviously, dragons aren’t real,” Jake said grinning. “Everyone knows that.”
“Don’t be so sure.” Lachy said in a voice so low, that Jake seemed not to hear him, or maybe he was just too excited to understand what Lachy meant. There was anther crack of thunder, and Lachy jumped nervously, wary of his window. Storm clouds were rolling over the sky, and it was getting very dark and gloomy outside, it was adding to Lachy's anxiety and alarm.
“Whoa, he’d be great to use as a character in a game though, look at the scales on his stomach, it’s like, armor. That guy is huge, and he’s all feathery, but look at his fangs, they’re ferocious.” Lachy gazed down at his arm and recalled the way his skin changed when Chris hit him, and broke his wrist on his face. Lachy's chair made a loud bark as it scraped across the floor, slowly he stood up, backing up from the computer desk.
“What’s wrong with you?” Jake said, over his shoulder. “Get back here you’ve gotta see this.” Lachy was gaping back at Jake, desperately shaking his head, no. “Lachy! Let me see the mark on your arm?” Jake said, turning his head. Curiosity got the better of Lachy, and without a word, he stretched out his arm. “I knew it! Look! It’s just like your scar.” He glanced sideways at Lachy. “It’s called the mark of the dragon.”
“A what?” Lachy blared, with a frightening intensity of fear behind it, he took a step toward the laptop, looking at the screen, like it was laced with toxic acid. Then his focus dropped down to his wrist. “Dddd.. does it say anything about it glowing?” Lachy was shaking so hard, he could barely get the words out.
Jake scrolled down the page then turned to him, shaking his head. “Nope. I don’t see anything about that. But it does say, this. ‘According to Blackfoot Legend, when a human is struck by a Thunderbird’s lightening bolt, they bear the scar for all the days of their life.’” Jake sat back, with his eyes lifting to the ceiling. “You don’t think?” He hesitated, then waved an arm in the air. “Never mind. That’s just crazy.”
“Think what?” Lachy’s voice raised a level, he already guessed at what Jake was thinking, he just wanted to hear him say it. He needed to hear Jake say it out loud, as it would somehow make Lachy feel normal, for thinking it in the first place.
“It’s just that. You know. Your eyes were glowing. Your scar glows. You broke Chris’s wrist without trying.” Jake gulped, and his voice lowered to a whisper. “You don’t think, you.. you were hit by a dragon?”
Lachy was suddenly dazed and confused. His head was going light, his body swayed from one side to the other, then he staggered over to the chair and plumped down on the seat. Jake stopped paying attention to him and was back to the screen. “Can I see that chain, again?”
“Why?” Lachy asked, reaching into his pocket and he pulled out the chain, the stone felt dreadful, heavy and cold, he was looking at it as though it was as poisonous as the laptop screen.
After a few clicks on the back key of the browser, Jake finally answered. “Because that ugly dude is wearing it.”
There was an unexpected sick jolt inside Lachy’s stomach. It was disturbing and outrageous, all of this was beyond belief. The emerald stone in his hand quivered into a vibrating machine, and he looked down startled and amazed, it was warm, and was getting hotter. “Ouch!” He yelped, and dropped it on the table. Jake reached out for it, and Lachy quickly grabbed onto his arm. “Jake don’t touch it.”
“You’re hurting me, let me go.” Jake said, trying to pull his arm out of Lachy’s grasp. Lachy's strength was more powerful than he realized, his finger tips were like iron rods of steel.
“Sorry,” Lachy said, with his face heating with shame. He made his fingers loosen their grip on Jake, as his best friend pulled his hand away. “It’s just, that.. thing.. it really is hot.”
Jake favored his wrist, and a sour look came over his face. “I think you should tell your dad what’s going on with you.”
“Maybe I should.” Lachy said, thinking there was so much more that Jake didn’t know, and he stressed over the fact, that the list also included his dad. He thought about the night he had in the Amish barn, with the David Star, and the battle he witnessed between the creature and the Warlock. He didn’t know where to start, with most of it sounding like a really big urban legend, how could he ever convince either of them, that it was true.
“Draculoc?” Came in his head.
“Where have you been?” Lachy was quick to reprimand, closing his eyes tightly. “I found your feather.”
A soft chuckle came in the back of Lachy’s mind.
“I saw you. On the internet.”
“The primitive device with the glowing light?”
“Primitive?” Lachy grunted, then he opened one eye. “Sorry Jake, I was deep in thought.” Jake didn’t seem to notice, anyway, he was back to the website, lost in another article about dragons. The printer started up, and Lachy grinned, Jake was doing some serious research, Lachy had him hooked on this, already. “My laptop is brand new, it’s not primitive.” Lachy snapped at the Thunderbird.
Another purr of laughter came in his head.
“I am going to tell my dad about you.” Lachy said sharply.
“You must choose your path, young Draculoc.”
“I don’t know what that means, Ferus, but I swear I am going to tell him all about you. I know you are a dragon, and you hit me with your lightening rod. You did something to me, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I took pity on young Draculoc.”
Lachy didn’t expect him to say that, and anxiously took a seat on the side of the bed, gazing at the window. An awkward silence passed as Lachy was registering Ferus’s response. “What did you do to me?”
“I believe you know.” The voice said at the same time another boom of thunder roared, and it shook the house, even the windows rattled.
Lachy hugged his arms around his chest, and swallowed harshly. “What you did to the Warriors. The mark on my arm?”
Silence.
“Ferus?”
“Yes.”
“Where did you go?”
“He comes.”
“Who?” Lachy glanced around, he was alarmed, severely alarmed and pounced to his feet, his entire body was trembling furiously.
“Warlock.”
“Here! To my house?”
“You must remove the boy. The Warlock will not show mercy.”
Lachy’s eyes fell onto Jake, a part of him wanted to scream at him, to fly at him in a panic, and push him out the door. To tell him, to never come back. Then there was this part of him, that was happy Jake was there. Even though Jake didn’t understand everything that was going on, he was smart, caught on quickly, and probably had learned so much about this, sitting with the laptop, that Lachy had no doubt Jake would accept that Warlocks and dragons were real. He might even be able to help Lachy figure out a way to be rid of them, permanently.
Lachy thought briefly about all the years he and Jake hung out, they’d never kept any secrets. Jake visited him every day during the time when his mother went to heaven, he was Lachy's rock, and helped him pull through the roughest part of his life. At the time Jake hadn’t really done anything much, they just sat in the treehouse, while Lachy stared into nothingness, and Jake re
ad comic books. They didn’t talk, but his presence was consoling, Lachy would have fallen apart without Jake there. He was the most loyal friend Lachy ever had, he couldn’t bear it, if anything happened to him, and that fear was what caused Lachy to press the Thunderbird with more questions. He had to know everything he could, to get Jake away from there, safely. He leaned over, trying to get a good view of the window, to see the disaster area that he once called his backyard, and very carefully posed his next question. “Can you see him?”
“Yes.”
Lachy gave up trying to see from the distance of his bed, and slowly walked toward the window, and cautiously looked out onto the hostile misty yard that was now foreign territory. Nothing looked familiar, the shadows were emitting from debris of fallen down trees, and his smashed up treehouse. The skies opened up, and rain poured down in massive bucket loads. It was pounding on the roof, hitting the window pane, he strained his eyes, there wasn’t anything moving, that he could detect, no unusual noises muffled under the beating rain. It was difficult to determine if a shadow was a chuck of wood, or something alive. “How close is he?”
“You must remove the boy now. Or he will perish.”
“Does perish mean die?”
“Yes.”
That’s what Lachy was afraid he’d say. He instantly went into protection mode, realizing there wasn’t any time for explanations. He’d seen how fast that Warlock could be, he heard him scratching and clawing all night long, he was persistent and wouldn’t give up. Lachy hurried over to Jake, pulling on his arm.
“What is it?” Jake asked, blinking wildly.
“Just go! You have to go now!”
“What? Why, it’s pouring rain outside, my mother would be cross with me?” Jake said, pulling his arm out of Lachy’s grip. “You’re strong for a kid, did you know that?”
“I am a lot of things that a kid shouldn’t be.” Lachy responded, opening his bedroom door, peeking his head out into the hall.
“What are you doing?”
Lachy took in a short breath. “The man who owns the stone is coming here. He is a big and mean, and deadly. I don’t have time to explain, but you aren’t safe here.” A long winding bolt of lightening forked in the sky, followed by three brilliant flashes, and a deafening crack of thunder. It was frighteningly brutal and wild.
Jake was standing to attention. Lachy had never seen him look so frightened, but he couldn’t worry about that now, he had one thing on his mind, he had to get Jake out of there fast. Jake was losing the color in his face, he actually was getting paler by the second. Lachy faced two choices, he was either going to carry him out, or waste precious time convincing him to feel his fear later. Later was better. Later he would be alive and well. Messing around with precious seconds, meant a great risk to everything, it meant that later may never come.
“You mean he’s a.. a.. Warlock?”
“He thinks he’s a Warlock. And he’s got powers like in the movies.”
“Like a.. a.. bad guy in the movies?”
“Yes. Now come on, we have to get out of here.” Lachy was getting impatient. It was remarkable how Jake wasn’t willing, or able to move. He was cemented on the spot. His eyes were popping, his face had gone beyond snow white, it was gray, as if he aged forty years, in the run of twenty seconds. Lachy was growing sick with worry, there was something wrong with Jake, no matter what he did, he couldn’t snap him out of it.
“Does.. he.. he have green eyes?”
“Yes. He has green eyes, like in the drawing.”
“Can he.. he.. fly?”
“How did you know that?”
Jake’s only response, was to raise a shaky hand in the air, and point at the window. Then in a ragged whisper, he said. “I think he’s here.”
Lachy’s head spun around so hard and fast he could have easily snapped his own neck, and a scream escaped him. The first thing Lachy saw were petrifying lime-green eyes, peering in through the window. Then a shadow of his face came into view, Lachy gasped as he clearly saw a look of hatred on the Warlock’s face. His eyelids slithered down, glaring at them, bitter and cold. They had to move quickly, before the Warlock had time to react, and break in. It wouldn’t take much for him to bust the window, just one of his plasma balls would do the trick, and he’d knock them both down, if not put a rapid end to their young existence. Lachy and Jake had to be long gone before he did that. They had to get a move on.
“Ferus, are you there buddy?” Lachy took hold of Jake’s arm and screamed. “He’s here.”
“I am aware.” Came calmly in Lachy’s mind.
“Well do something.” Lachy screeched, no loner caring that Jake could hear him.
“What do you want me to do?” Jake responded, with a high-pitched voice.
“Patience.” Ferus said, softly.
“Easy for you to say, you don’t have a weird green-eyed freak flying by your window.” Lachy thought.
Quiet laugher.
“You think this is funny?” Lachy thought to Ferus this time, so Jake couldn’t hear.
“Your father comes.”
Lachy felt his knees go weak beneath him.
“What do we do?” Jake asked, shaking Lachy. “Snap out of it.”
Lachy shook his head, and when he looked back at the widow, he insides went numb. The man was gone. “My father.” Lachy said, “He’s coming.”
Jake raised his head up. “I hear a truck. How did you know?”
“It doesn’t matter.” Lachy said, “It’s not safe here, I have to get you out.”
“You mean get us out, don’t you Lachy?” Jake said, his eyes round pools of fear.
“No.” Lachy replied, not looking at Jake and he stepped out into the hall. “You can get out from the kitchen door. I’ll go grab your bike and meet you on the road.” Lachy said, he was wild-eyed, feeling his knees wobbling beneath him with every step he took. Lachy could hear Jake’s panting breaths, he was staying close, as they crept down the stairs. “I’ll go down first,” Lachy whispered. “To see if it’s safe.”
“What if it’s not?” Jake’s voice cracked, as he clamped onto Lachy’s arm. “I mean. You’re just a kid.”
Lachy thought of the one who protected him the night before, the Thunderbird, and a brave faced turned onto Jake. “I can take care of myself.” Lachy said, trying to sound more confident than he felt. He walked down the last few steps and took a peek around the corner.
Everything was where it should be. The hand towel was on the rack, the dishes were in the drip tray. The dinning room was dimly lit and he looked toward the patio doors, and heaved a heavy sigh. Then his skin burned with anger. The sight of the old oak sprawled across the backyard yanked at his heartstrings. He held in his breath, searching deep inside him for anything that would keep him from racing out into the yard, screaming to his father that the mean man was there, that he intended to harm him, and Jake. Lachy beat back his ripping emotions of fear and turned back toward the stairs. Now wasn’t the time to be irrational, now was the time to get Jake away, before it was too late.
“Be brave Draculoc. Remember my promise.”
Instantly Lachy was brought back to the last conversation he had with Ferus in the Amish barn, he promised to protect him all the days of his life. His hands relaxed against his sides, and he felt a flicker of life return to his cheeks. He looked up at Jake, and smiled. “It’s safe.” Jake’s gaze fell on Lachy, with a radical look of fear, and his hands were closed into fists.
“Come on, let’s go.” Lachy said, thinking inside his mind, that the Thunderbird had better keep his promise, or he’ll never forgive him. The boys raced toward the kitchen being careful not to knock anything over and they stopped by the door. Lachy pressed his ear against it, and closed his eyes. “Ferus?”
“Yes Draculoc.”
“Can you see him?”
“Yes.”
“We are going out the back way. Is it safe?”
“Yes.”
“Where
is the Warlock?”
“Conversing with your father, by his moving block of tin.”
Lachy’s eyes widened. “Is he going to hurt my dad?”
“No.”
“How do you know?”
Lachy was interrupted by a tugging on his arm. “Come on.” Jake said, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. Lachy opened the door, and looked outside. He raised his view to the sky, and a warm safe feeling swept over him, a dark shadow had circled over the house.
“Run and hide in the bushes. I’ll get your bike.”
“Where is he?” Jake asked, with one foot out the door.
Lachy tore his eyes off the sky, and glanced over at Jake. Jake was shaking all over, he didn’t seem too convinced when Lachy told him that it was safe. Lachy wished he had explained about the Thunderbird sooner, that they had more time. “He’s talking with my dad. He won’t bother you with my dad around.” Lachy said, going strictly on Ferus’s word. He was placing Jake’s life in the hands of the Thunderbird, this was a complete and utter leap of faith, Lachy couldn’t imagine in his life that he’d ever done something so impulsive, and hoped that he had made the right choice. As quickly as the rain stormed started, it had stopped, and the shaded sky began to clear. Rays of sunshine streaked in through the windows, and Lachy was grateful for that, he wasn’t looking forward to stepping outside during a thunderstorm.
“How do you know that..” Jake hesitated and a tiny smirk formed on the corner of his mouth. “Is it your scar? Did it tell you that?”
“No.” Lachy replied, covering his hand over the mark of the dragon. The idea of his scar giving him powers to read minds was intriguing, but as far as he knew, it didn’t.
Jake snuck a peek at Lachy's arm, it did have a subtle glow about it, not like the night he was hit, with the brilliant light, but it did glimmer. “I know you zone out Lachy, I’m not blind. I can see your lips moving, you’re whispering to yourself, shutting yourself out from the world. Why are you doing that? What aren’t you telling me?” Jake pointed toward the back of the house. “Is he the one who wrecked the treehouse?” Jake asked with bitterness in his tone, it had been their hangout since they both could remember.
“I don’t know.” Lachy’s expression turned anxious, he glanced back toward the dinning room. He didn’t know how long they had, his father and that man could walk into the house at any minute. He pushed Jake toward the door, until his feet were on the first step. “Don’t leave the bushes until I give you the ok.”
Jake’s shoulders stiffened and he nodded. With two feet now on the grass, he lowered his head, arching his back, he began racing toward the bush. Lachy watched him go until he was safely out of sight, feeling grateful that Jake was a fast runner, not only on the court. He thought of the night when the Warlock stopped him on the road, and knew in an instant that Jake’s fast legs will come in handy when he makes his way home.
Lachy closed the kitchen door and turned to face the dinning room. A streak of fear rose up inside him, and he wondered how he was going to get Jake’s bike to him, without raising suspicion. With cautious steps he walked through the kitchen, past the staircase and he stopped before the front door of the house. He stood under the threshold between the dinning room and front foyer, and peeked out along the lower pane of the window. Horror flashed in his expression, his father was standing by the truck, with an arm slouched on the hood. He was smiling. A remarkable moment, seeing his dad casually leaning, talking and smiling without a care in the world. It was a pity, the only one to make him smile was a Warlock, a wicked man who was out to kill his son. Lachy turned away in desperation, as his dad looked up, he was positive that he was spotted through the window. Lachy ducked, flattened down on his stomach, and immediately crawled away.
“Son. Come out here.”
Lachy could no longer move or think. He had lost his nerve to go out there and face his father, and the Warlock. In a weak shallow voice, he called. “Ferus?”
“Yes Draculoc.”
“What do I do?” He asked, his hands clenching into fists, and he tore his head away from staring at the window sill. It would be hard to explain to his father why he was lying on the floor, in the event that they came through the door. If he stood up now, they would see him through the glass, and know he had ducked for cover. The Warlock might think he was afraid, and he’d be right. Lachy couldn’t just lie there, and he lifted his elbows, and wiggled and edged along on his stomach, until he was around the corner, and in the cubby beneath the stairs. He hugged his arms around his legs, and perched his chin on his knees. “Jake’s waiting for me. Ferus, I don’t know if I can go out there. That Warlock is mean, he is going to hurt us. What do I do?”
“Look into your heart young Draculoc. You know what must be done.”
“I do?”
“Be brave.”
“That’s not easy Ferus.” Lachy said, thinking about all the times when the Daniels boys took his lunch money, he didn’t know how to be brave. Then he thought of Jake, shivering in the bushes, counting on him, waiting for him. He needed to get his bike to him, and he convinced himself that there would be time to fall apart later. He’d never be able to live with himself, if he let Jake down. He got to his feet, dusted off his knees, and gritted his teeth. “I will do this for Jake, Ferus.” Ferus didn’t reply, but Lachy did hear him breathing, it sounded like a stretched out, ‘hmmm’. Lachy took that as a sign of pride.
He stretched his neck toward the window, stepping up on the tips of his toes, and saw his father. He was still talking, big hand gestures were going, boy he was telling a whopper of a story by the looks of it. Then he briefly glanced over, and waved an arm, for Lachy to come out.
Lachy crumpled up his fear up and threw it away like old trash, and with trembling hands he opened the front door. The sun was still shinning, he supposed it was getting close to lunchtime. The stranger who called himself a Warlock had his back turned to Lachy, everything inside him was telling him to run to his dad, to tell on that bad man. To tell his dad everything that he did. Or tried to do. Lachy laboured to gain control of the pack of thoughts that panicked through his mind, until he could think clearly. There was an underlining worry in the back of his mind, he feared his father wouldn’t believe a word of it. He questioned himself, if he would believe someone who told him a wild tale like that? He supposed not. “Coming dad.” He said, turning his head toward the bike.
“Is Jake here?” his dad asked, noticing the bike parked next to Lachys.
“Who is he?” Lachy asked, planting his hands on his hips, looking at the Warlock with rebellion blazing in his eyes. He was changing the subject on purpose, the last thing he wanted to do was talk about Jake, in front of the Warlock.
“This is my old friend, Wison Guthrie.” His dad said, with a bright smile. “We go way back.”
‘Even his name sounded creepy.’ Lachy griped to himself, and a purr of laughter came inside his head.
“Well come over here. Don’t be shy,” His dad said with his arm out. “Wison and I have been friends for..”
“For three hundred years.”
Lachy’s eyes popped wide open, along with his jaw.
“He’s only joking.” His dad said with a chuckle. “Some days I feel that old.”
Lachy forced a little smile, and avoided eye contact with the Warlock, but he could tell that he had an idle stare, directed his way. “Well dad, I gotta go.” Lachy said, backing up toward the bikes.
“What’s your hurry lad?” Wison asked, his deep jade eyes settled on him, and his leather overcoat whooshed behind him when he took a hearty step toward Lachy.
Lachy backed up. The sight of his leer made Lachy's flesh crawl, especially the mark of the dragon. “I have kid things to do.” Lachy said covering his mark with one hand, he refused to look Wison in the eye.
“Have fun son.” His dad said, scuffing up Lachy’s hair.
“I will.” Lachy said, picking up Jake’s bike.
??
?Be home early, we’re having supper with Wison tonight. I’ll be picking up pizza.”
“Sounds good dad.” Lachy called over his shoulder and peddled the bike out of the yard, then he turned in the direction where Jake was waiting. It was on the south side of the house, in the opposite direction of the Amish Farm, and the basketball court. Jake actually lived a the far end of Orchard Ave, it was convenient that they were meeting on the South side, that meant Jake could ride away without his dad or the Warlock even noticing. There were worry lines forming on his brows with each thrust he made with the pedals, wishing he could have taken his bike, and was able to leave with Jake. He slowed down as he passed the house and looked back toward the yard, he couldn’t see his father, but he could hear the roar of laughter. He didn’t waste anytime and hopped off the bike, squatting down, looking toward the last place he saw Jake.
“Where are you?” He whispered harshly, watching the bushes. He waited and waited, and felt his panic threaten to take over. Jake wasn’t there. Lachy had to bite his bottom lip, to hold in his scream when he heard a whistle.
“What took you so long?” Jake asked, waving to him from North side of the house, on the other side of the road.
Lachy placed a finger over his lips, and gave a hush signal to Jake, to be quiet. He couldn’t believe Jake didn’t stay put, he had passed the house and drive where his dad was, and their recently acquired new enemy. Lachy hopped on Jake’s bike, and could hardly believe he had to drive past his house. He was sure to draw attention to himself, the Warlock might not let him go so easily this time. His heart was pulsed so fast Lachy was sure he’d give Ferus a headache. His hands were vibrating against the handlebars and he found it difficult to concentrate. He was relieved that Jake got the hint, and had returned to the bushes, he was good at hiding, Lachy couldn’t even see where he went.
It was now or never. Lachy's driveway came into view, and he tried to pretend that he was casually coasting along, on his bike, that he wasn’t paying any attention to them, then he heard a loud cough. He whipped his head to the side and nearly fell off the bike. Wison Guthrie noticed him all right, his beady jade eyes were following his every move. When Lachy glanced back at him, his body shuddered, Wison’s eyes glinted with a flick of a greenish glow. It was only for a split second, but Lachy saw it, and understood the sentiment, he’d be there, waiting for him, when it came time to go home.
He rode far enough to be out of immediate sight of his house, which meant that Jake would have some walking to do through the bush, to catch up to him, but it was the only way to be sure that Jake wasn’t seen. Lachy paused a moment to rethink that statement. It was most likely that Wison had already seen Jake walk past the house the first time. He shook his head in disbelief, wishing he hadn’t seen Jake at all.
“I went across the road, and waited over there.” Jake appeared from a patch of tall grass. “I didn’t feel safe in your yard.”
“Can’t say that I blame you.” Lachy shrugged his shoulders, with a sympathetic smirk. “It was very dangerous of you to pass my house.”
“I didn’t exactly pass your house. I mean, I didn’t walk on the road.”
“You little genius.” Lachy smiled, he felt relieved, and light headed with excited all at the same time. “You went bush, didn’t you?”
“Well, I wasn’t going to let that mean man see me. I crawled through the bushes, had a few thorns get me too.” Jake said. “But no. I don’t think they could see me.”
“That was good thinking.” Lachy commended him, as he hopped off Jake’s bike and offered it to him by twisting the handlebars in his direction. He felt silly now, realizing that he should have thought better of Jake, he was not only smart, but Jake was also careful.
“Come with me.” Jake begged, patting the top of his handle bars, for Lachy to hop on, they’d driven that way a few times, especially if one of them had a bike break down and they were too far from home, to walk.
“No.” Lachy said firmly, without thinking it over. He hadn’t really given it a lot of thought, but now that he was faced with staying or going, he felt there really wasn’t any choice. “I have to stay here.”
“Why?” Jake asked, twisting the handlebars to the side. “It’s suicide.”
“I just do.” Lachy said, clenching his teeth. “You should have stayed by the kitchen. I’m sorry Jake, but you can’t drive by my house.”
“Why not? That’s the way home.” Jake was borderline pouting, folding his arm before his chest.
“That man will see you.” Lachy said, determinedly. “Circle around the Amish farm, and take the back road. It’s safer.”
Jake’s eyes glossed over. “It will take me too far out. I will never make it home in time for supper.”
Lachy let out a breath of frustration. “Ferus?”
“Yes.”
“Did you hear?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“Let the young man go about his business.” Ferus said, as if it made no difference.
“Won’t the man go after him?”
“He is not the one he seeks.”
“Jake is safe?” Lachy had a spark of hope in his tone.
“I will protect young Jake. The Warlock will not see him.”
“My father will.”
The purr of laughter returned.
“Lachy, I hate it when you do that.” Jake said, shaking Lachy’s arm. “You keep zoning out. Are you all right?”
“I am now.” Lachy said, grinning slyly. “It’s ok, you can pass my house now. He won’t see you.”
“See me?”
Lachy started toward his yard. “Call you later.”
“You’re acting strange, Lachy Wulf.” Jake called behind him, he was staring at Lachy for a long time, he seemed in a shambles, struggling to come to grips, agonizing over the run he was about to take with his bike. Lachy felt the tension and troubled concern from Jake, but he kept walking. “Will you be ok?”
“Yes.” Lachy said, trying to sound convincing. “Better than ok.”
Jake started out slowly, the bike wobbled as though a newbie rider was in charge, and he gave Lachy a small wave and a feeble smile as he passed him along the road. Then as he came closer to the front of Lachy’s house, he picked up speed, stood on the tops of the peddles and rode faster than Lachy had ever seen him go. He was moving as though the bike tires were on fire. Lachy stood on the side of the road, not daring to take his eyes off Jake until his profile was a small dot on Orchard Avenue.
Orchard Avenue was long and flat, and the going joke was, that you could sit by the mailbox and watch your dog walk away from home, for three days before he was out of sight. And that’s how it felt, watching Jake leave. A piece of Lachy had gone with him, the further away he drove, the deeper Lachy's heart sank.
Everything suddenly felt empty, dark and lonely. He kept his ears perked for his father and his friend Wison. The laughter had stopped, in fact the talking had stopped, too. Then he heard a slam. He knew what that meant, they went inside the house. Lachy reached in his pocket, to pull out the stone, and moaned irritably, it was still on the desk in his room.
“Ferus?” He called, in a panic.
Silence.
He lifted his head to the sky, with a hand over his brow, and sighed. The Thunderbird was nowhere to be seen. Deep in Lachy’s heart, he hoped that Ferus was following Jake home, keeping his promise to watch over him.
Lachy kept thinking about the emerald stone. It was strange that it was in the drawing of the Warlock on the Thunderbird website, and he supposed Wison must have been looking for it. It looked really old, and smelled funny, and he couldn’t figure out, why anyone would want it all. He continued on, wandering around to the side of the house and entered into the backyard. He still couldn’t get over the sight of his treehouse, every time he looked at it, he felt a deep sadness. All of his golden days were spent there with Jake, reading comic books, listening to music and playing video games. It was their
place. Now it’s gone, forever.
He backed up when he saw movement coming from the inside of the patio doors. He jumped as close to the house as he could get, and pinned his back to the wall. The door slid open. Lachy didn’t dare as much as breathe, and he closed his eyes. And waited. Then he heard footsteps, growing fainter with every stomp. He stood there panting wildly, as a gentle breeze had picked up and was blowing the curtains in the doorway. Lachy crouched down on the ground, pressed his hands against his cheeks and stared straight ahead.
“The boy’s shy with strangers.”
Lachy sat to attention. His father’s voice was loud and clear. He leaned a little closer to the patio doors, but was careful not to be seen. It was a serious adult conversation, and normally Lachy wouldn’t pay attention to them at all. But this was good. He was in a good position, now he could find out, what Wison Guthrie, wanted with him, and his father. “It matters not. He will come to trust me in time.” Wison said, his voice was calm, and Lachy furrowed his brows in confusion and strained his ears, hard. “Prepare him. Come this night he shall come away with me.”
“Is that by order of Gamman Shears?” A sound of surprise was Horace’s voice. Lachy crouched down as he heard hard stomping of boots, it was dangerously close, and he waited for one of them to step out into the backyard. Then the stomping sounds sounded as though they were moving away, gradually. He must have been pacing the floor, from the dinning room to the living room. “It is by order of Wison Guthrie. Do not test my patients Horace Wulf.”
“Yes, yes, I have heard that Gamma Shears was losing followers in the West.” Horace said, in a subdued tone.
“It is with good reason. Gamman Shears is weak, he is old, past his prime.” A vicious undertone was in Wison’s voice followed by a fist slam on a table, it was such a crisp hard sound that it made Lachy blink.
“I have heard that you have gained supporters.” Horace said, a hint of fervour rising in his voice, and Lachy was curious about what he meant by that. Supporters? It sounded as though he was a politician. He didn’t look like any politicians Lachy had ever seen.
“Yes. My army has grown. I will see the fall of Gamman Shears.”
“I see.” Horace didn’t sound convinced. “You must need more than an army to defeat his guards.”
“My hunters have been out,” Wison replied, in a softer tone. “I am tracking a beast as we speak.”
“Are you now?”
“It won’t be long, and his blood will spill.”
That news was alarming. They sounded like they were reading an old sci-fi script. He couldn’t believe his dad was going along with this guy, his father had no sense of humor that Lachy had ever seen. None of this was right, or sounded the slightest bit normal, just what was wrong with his father?
“You wish to take my son, then?”
“Do not humor me Horace, you are well aware that is the purpose of my visit.”
Lachy's mind bulked up with panic and fear. They were planning Lachy's fate, as if he was a prized dog up for sale. Lachy agonized over running, chasing after Jake, or running to Mulish Schmidt for help, but he had to think, listen and keep his mind calm. If he was going to know their plans, he had to learn to separate himself from the situation. Pretend they really were talking about a prized dog, about to be taken to the show.
“What is to be done with him?” The most obvious difference between Wison and his father, was the strike of confidence. His father didn’t exactly sound like the confident one, he acted as though Wison was in charge, and his father was letting him, he was letting Wison make all the major decisions. That unsettled Lachy in every possible way.
“We will do what is necessary. We must obey the rules of the Ravinwulf Deity.”
There was a long stillness between them, and Lachy hoped his father was coming to terms with the fact that this Wison, was filled with bitterness and hatred. That anywhere he’d want to take Lachy would be too dangerous. But he wasn’t saying anything. He wasn’t saying that he couldn’t do it. He always trusted his father to know best, why wasn’t he kicking that Warlock in the behind, and telling him to get out. His father was a huge strong man, who no body dared mess with, he could take Wison.. and then Lachy thought of plasma balls. This silence was killing Lachy, he sat there hugging his legs to his chest, for a long time, cold, alone and flattened with worry.
“Ferus!” Lachy weakly called inside his mind, he was too exhausted to move, to think, as depression drowned his thoughts. His arms drooped and he frowned, glumly. “Ferus did you hear?”
Silence.
“Are there others?” Horace asked, with an ear piercing shrill in his tone. They were talking again, Lachy sat up perfectly straight, bugged eyed, and too terrified to make a move.
“If you resist me, you will see their fury in the skies, Horace.”
“What of the Thunderbird?” Lachy's mouth dropped when he heard his father say those words. How did his father know about Thunderbirds? This was worse than watching a horror movie, it was like witnessing his worst fears, as they came to life.
“Come night fall, he’ll be slain at your feet.”
“You believe you have the power to kill a Thunderbird?” The question that his father asked sounded as though it had a heavy weight behind it. There was even a hint of amusement behind his tone.
“Way to go, dad.” Lachy thought, and hoped that his father was right. That the Thunderbird wouldn’t be easy prey.
“The chain is missing. It is the key to killing the beast. But I feel it is near.”
It all suddenly made sense. A sudden rush of urgency compelled Lachy to pounce to his feet. He had to get to his bedroom, fast, before the Warlock realized where it is. He looked up at the two-story house, toward his bedroom window, and scowled. There was only one way to do this, it was going to be toughest thing he’d ever done in his life. He trembled with an ominous feeling, he only had one chance, and if he failed, the results would be fatal. His face hardened with determination, he spat on his palms, and rubbed them together, he was ready, knowing he had to get moving before he lost his nerve.