The Wonderground

29 - Audax, Short-Toe and Whitebelly

Amelia, Rose and Jack scrambled down the last few stone steps with the Council members to the reassuring feeling of solid ground on the Monument island. Two gargantuan tusks towered over them, casting long shadows in the afternoon light. A pair of wooden doors melted into the overgrown hillside at the end of the walkway. Larix Strongbark rapped on the doors with the horse-head handle of his chestnut cane. He glanced upwards at the battle raging in the sky. The bat riders appeared to be occupied by the Silver Eagles.

A small hatch slid open by his face. "I command you to open these doors, right now!" he shouted at the blue eye staring back at him through the tiny square. There was a mechanical groan and the doors parted to reveal a young freckle-nosed girl, dressed head-to-toe in white robes.

"Quickly," she urged, ushering them through the gap. "To the Ivory Hall."

They hurried through in single file into a damp, musty space. The door mechanism whirred closed, blocking out the daylight. The girl reached for a single torch that was flickering on the wall. She lifted it from its bracket and led them along a wide corridor. The orange glow revealed thousands of names engraved on tablets of marble along the walls, the letters sparkling gold as they passed.

"A monument to the dead," said Montana Falconbone sombrely. "The villagers who perished with Cyclo on that fateful day. We remember them all."

Rose noticed the names 'Mee' and 'Moondragon' amongst the dead. They passed glass cabinets displaying items recovered from the destruction: tools, jewellery, clothing and tapestries. A baby's rattle.

The sombre corridor terminated at an elegant archway, sculpted from a single piece of white marble. They entered a vast silent square space that was unadorned, save for a single bone, mounted along the length of the far wall. It was more than fifty metres long. The walls and floor glimmered and reflected a single vertical shaft of white light that pierced the centre of the floor. A large open circle in the roof exposed the Ivory Hall to the elements. The sky was buzzing with activity as the battle continued above them.

The peace was shattered by a mournful screech. A Silver Eagle swept into the hall through the opening. A large figure was slumped across its back. The bird landed awkwardly, its talons scraping on the shiny floor as it skidded to a halt. Droplets of blood spattered onto the marble from the eagle's tail. The man appeared badly hurt and was not moving. It was Clavis Majstar.

"I need help," cried Samudra Neverstorm urgently, ushering the aides to assist in heaving Majstar's great weight from the bird. His feet were caught in the stirrups and Nyssa removed his sheepskin boots to free him. They laid him gently on the hard ground. Nyssa detached her outer robes and bundled them up behind his head to form a crude pillow. He was breathing. His neck was a livid purple colour. His face and hands were covered in deep abrasions and there was a jagged shard of wood sticking out of his ribs. A large wet red stain was blooming across his linen shirt.

"This is going to sting," whispered Nyssa in the commander's ear. She gripped the wood and removed it swiftly. Majstar bolted upright and gasped a short, sharp intake of breath, followed by a long, angry roar of pain. Nyssa placed her palm over the wound and pressed firmly against Majstar's flesh. He screamed again and grabbed her slender wrist.

"Do not swear please, sir," said Nyssa, trying to lighten the mood. "There are children present."

Majstar blinked and mopped his brow with a striped handkerchief from his top pocket, smearing blood, sweat and dirt across his forehead.

"Where am I...?" he managed.

"The Monument, sir," replied Nyssa. "Audax brought you here. You are injured," she warned. "You have a nasty wound and you need to sit still while I tend to it."