The Laila Mythology

On to Puo Landum

                                                                       Chapter  Ten

 

                                       On to Puo Landum

 

 

Back in the citadel gallery Yan and Lon fought wearily on against the odds in a bedlam of butchery, desperately holding back the advancing tide of might that bore down upon them.

Like the irascible swarming mites of a desolated nest the soldiers soon overran the citadel until any hope of an escape seemed inconceivable.  

But then as quickly as it had begun it mysteriously ended. The once inexorable army suddenly and inexplicably ceased their advance leaving Yan and Lon standing there, gasping for breath amongst the bloody massacre.

“This does not bode well my friend” said Yan panting from exhaustion.

“Get out of here now Lon while you can, and make sure Laila is safe” he said gripping the hilt of his sword tight.

“But Yan!” cried Lon, only to be cut short.

“An evil presence too powerful for us to defeat comes this way Lon, now leave!” he insisted. And within a flash the Changeling disappeared from sight leaving Yan standing alone and defiant like a rock in a torrent.

A brief standoff then followed as he stood his ground within the silent ring of steel. Nobody moved or said anything as if they had been frozen in time. And then from the back of the gallery there came a ripple of movement that created a domino affect all the way to the front. Every soldier present in the building fell subserviently to his knees as the figure of a tall slender woman entered the gallery. Dressed in ivory silk robes she parted the obsequious hordes while making her way directly towards Yan.

“It will take more than a sudden mist to conceal a wizard from me” she said furiously in her stride. Yan could feel her power radiating through every fibre of his soul and throughout the entire citadel. Knowing he was no match for her he instinctively looked around for a way out. Glancing up he noticed an arcade of arched windows near the ceiling of the gallery, so as quick as a flash transformed himself into a jay and flew rapidly up towards the light and freedom. In an instant she swiftly drew a dagger from the scabbard of a nearby soldier and vehemently threw it at the bird, hitting it square in the flank and bringing it tumbling back down to earth in a hail of feathers.  Bending down she picked up the lifeless creature from the cold stone floor and pulled the dagger from its side.

“See how easy it is to kill these fearful priests” she scoffed. “Now where is the girl?” she asked turning to one of her officers.

“She escaped, your majesty” he replied gingerly.

“And how does a child evade the elite guard?” she asked.

“She changed herself into a hare and we just couldn’t catch her” said the officer with a look of shame on his face.

“But I will dispatch a unit immediately for Lhansburg wood your majesty” he said in a staunch attempt to redeem himself.

“No! It takes a hound not an army to catch a hare” exclaimed the Queen abruptly.

“Set loose the black dog!

“Yes your majesty! Right away” said the officer making his way hastily down to the citadel dungeons.

In the dark waterlogged tunnels that ran beneath the citadel were the dungeons, where Lhanna kept a bizarre collection of zoological curiosities from Lubber fiends to Grindylow’s. It was a cold dank place lit only by the intermittent torches that flickered in the gloom.