The Wonderground

28 - Sky-shaking Thunder

Parsimonious Moondragon strode from Loxo's 'Quercus Antiquities' shop with a fistful of cash and a wide grin on his satisfied face. He stepped down onto the smart patterned stone walkway that circled the outer rim of the Eye and felt a shudder beneath his feet. He dismissed it as a loose cobble. He spotted a small café on the opposite side of the courtyard and trotted across to spend his well-swindled money.

He ordered the largest amberberry meatshake on the menu and was already sucking noisily on the striped straw as he weaved between seated customers to find a spot in the sunshine. As he reached the last vacant table, a steaming puddle of sticky white fluid blocked his path. He tried to tiptoe around when another large glob of the liquid plummeted from the sky and splattered across the stones, splashing his expensive boots and up his legs. A foul stench of rotting fruit and ammonia filled the air.

He gazed upwards curiously to spy what bird had made such a sizeable mess of his tailored trousers. The sky was filled with huge creatures locked in battle. Eagles and bats crashed into each other while the riders exchanged blows.

Some café customers had already clocked the aerial combat and were hurriedly finishing their drinks and taking for cover. Moondragon carefully folded himself under the nearest table and sat cross-legged, nurturing his shake in his cupped hands.

A hair-raising screech echoed around the Eye as a bat spiralled out of control and careened into the tables, sending bistro chairs and half-drunk cups flying. It narrowly missed the Emporium trader who almost choked on his straw. The bat's rider lost her grip of the creature and crashed through the window of the café. She stood, dazed, to be greeted by a frying pan that struck her in the face. Her nose erupted in an explosion of blood and she was slammed backwards into the cake display. The ageing pastry chef raised the skillet again for a second swing but relented. The woman was unconscious in the pavlova.

A second bat appeared in the square with two Sky Rats aboard, soaring around the edge of the courtyard, its wingtips grazing the rooftops of the overhanging buildings as it circled. The rider seated to the rear untied the neck of a large sack and deposited the contents. Cast iron balls rained down on the plaza. They bounced and skittered across the stones.

"Grenades!" shouted a street vendor, knocking over his stall as he dashed for sanctuary. He bumped into Columba who had darted out of The Pulverised Pigeon in response to the commotion. Columba tripped over one of the metal shells as they rolled towards his doorway. He fell onto the unforgiving cobble with a painful slap. "No!" he screamed from the floor. He struggled onto his elbows and belly-crawled to the security of the upturned market stall just as three grenades detonated, producing a huge ball of flame that engulfed the building and singed the maître d's waxed moustache. Columba peered over the collapsed kiosk at the remains of his beloved restaurant. Smoke was billowing through the shattered picture window and several tablecloths were smouldering. It was pulverised. Columba exploded with anger and shook his fists at the sky. "I am on your side!" he shrieked, before scurrying away in case someone might have heard.

***

"Incoming!" screamed a bat rider as a series of spinning, burning canisters whizzed past his ears. He gave a victorious sneer as none of the bombs hit him.

An ear-splitting screech filled the air as the Sky-shaking Thunders exploded. Rufus Quinn felt a wave of energy pulse through him with each explosion. He felt at his chest and groin. He was unharmed. He returned his focus to the battle and was surprised to see the bats scattering in all directions. They were out of control and could no longer function. They flapped violently and unseated many of their riders. Some bats hurtled into each other whilst a few were able to right themselves and head back, stunned and confused, towards the Ephemera.