25. Holding on to Their Hero

Chapter 25

Holding on to Their Hero

G alahad zipped into the mouth of the cave. Hugo heard the crashing water below. The light from the land of lost souls faded behind them. The walls disappeared into the darkness, which enveloped the trio. Once again, they plunged into the dark, into the unknown.

"I can't see a thing," Hugo shouted. "I'm flying blind."

"There are some twists and turns up ahead. I don't know how many. It went on forever," Alice replied.

Hugo leaned forward, closer to the hickory handle of the flying broomstick. Alice held tight, laying on top of his back.

"Gally, you're going to have to fly us. And don't buck us off or smack us into the ceiling," Hugo instructed.

Galahad descended and reduced speed. The broomstick left a wake in the water as it flew past. The brackish water splashed on Hugo's pants. He secured his foot on the metal foot rest.

His heart raced and breath shortened. Every time Galahad moved and drifted, Hugo shifted ever so slightly to maintain his balance. Alice held tight, almost digging her face into his back. One slip, one overcorrection, and they could go tumbling into the water below.

Galahad banked sharply to the right, catching Hugo off guard. He struggled to maintain his balance, shifting to his left side. Alice let out a shriek as she slipped, pulling Hugo with her. His right hand let go of the broom handle and caught her right hip. With all his might, he helped push her back into position.

"Hold up, Gally," Hugo said. "You're still flying too fast. We can't see to adjust."

The broomstick slowed. Alice regained her balance, pulling tighter on Hugo's waist.

"Are you okay?" Hugo asked.

"Peachy. Take those curves a little easier," Alice replied.

"Do you still have your hat?"

"Always."

"A witch should always have her hat."

Light illuminated the cave behind them and then dissipated. Flashes of yellow and orange appeared like a fire spewing from some source. In brief moments, Hugo could see the twists and bends of the cave before them. The stalactites high above them. The churning water below them.

"Did we pass the ferryman in the dark?" Hugo asked.

"I don't think so," Alice said.

"What's causing the light?"

Alice turned her head, placing her shoulder on his back. "It's the rider."

"What?"

"The rider is after us."

Hugo glanced back. In the distance, around the bends and curves of the cave, the black horse spewed forth fire from its nose. Hugo's eye could only capture momentary glances of his pursuer. They had a bit of distance, but the rider's horse was closing in. Its hooves walked on air with ease. The rider held his fiery sword aloft with one hand and the reins of the steed with his other.

"At least we can kind of see," Hugo shouted.

He used their pursuer to their advantage. With every breath, the cave revealed its secrets in the momentary, fiery flashes. Hugo anticipated every twist and turn, calling out, "lean left" and "lean right" to Alice as they banked around corners.

He didn't know how long they had been flying or how much more remained. His heart thumped against his chest. He breathed deeply to calm his nerves. They had come so close, so far, and he refused to quit now. Hugo readjusted his grip, leaning closer to the hickory handle.

"He's getting closer," Alice shouted.

"Gally, a little more speed," Hugo said.

The broomstick flew faster. They moved and shifted back and forth, following along with the broomstick.

The rider grew closer.

"I can see all of the rider now," Alice said as she glanced back. Alice tightened her grip around Hugo's waist.

"We should have kept those sticks," Hugo said as he leaned forward. "We could have jousted with him."

The riders swayed with the broomstick as they navigated the treacherous cavern. They weaved in and out around the hanging crystalized stalactites.

"What I wouldn't give for my arcane energy right now," Alice said.

"How about a couple pieces of leprechaun gold?"

"Funny," Alice said in a sarcastic tone.

"I'm serious," he said as he motioned with his head. "Look."

The soft orange glow of a lantern appeared off in the distance of the cave. The ferryman's boat appeared at the end of a long stretch of the cavern. The ferryman drove his long oar into the water and propelled the craft forward. The lantern swayed back and forth as the boat rocked up and down with the current.

"I take it the light up ahead is the ferryman?" Hugo asked.

"He's the one," Alice replied. "Time to pay the toll."

"Do you have enough for Gally?" Hugo asked in a worried tone. The thought of Alice only prepared to retrieve one soul ripped through his mind.

"You can thank Oliver. He insisted I bring more than enough just in case."

"You brought them with you?" Hugo asked, glancing over his shoulder.

"They insisted. Ez is there too. Max as well."

"You brought Max?" Hugo yelled.

"Who else was going to watch her?" Alice asked.

"I guess that makes sense," Hugo replied. "It's a good thing you did, so we had extra gold."

The broomstick raced toward the ferryman with the rider in hot pursuit. Alice let go of Hugo with one hand and clutched his waistband with the other. She removed six coins from her pocket. She rubbed them on Hugo and Galahad.

"I don't know how this works, so I'm touching you with them to be safe," Alice said.

"And if it doesn't work?"

"Then you two will turn to ash when we leave, and I'll be powerless forever."

Hugo gulped. "Based on everything else, I'll take the risk."

Hugo pushed down on the broomstick, hovering above the water. A V-shaped wake formed in the water as they flew past. His toe dipped ever so slightly into the water, and a hand reached up to grab his foot. With quick thinking, Hugo yanked up to rise out of the water.

"That was close. Get ready," Hugo said.

The broomstick rapidly approached the ferryman's boat. Hugo could almost touch the cloaked figure on the back. They were so close to the end. So close to their salvation. Hugo could only focus on the soft glow of the light ahead.

"I offer you these gold coins in exchange for the souls of Hugo Dodds and Galahad, as well as my unique gift—my arcane powers," Alice shouted. She dropped the gold coins into the boat of the ferryman.

The ferryman let out a scream. The piercing sound echoed off the cavern walls. There was a rumble in the water below. He let out two more screams and then returned to silence.

A great pain ripped through Hugo, as if something was being extracted from him. The sensation of the wood stake being pulled from his back. His chest and back burned where he was stabbed. A great deluge filled him. He could breathe air again. Blood pumped through his veins. While he was in the land of lost souls, those were only sensations. His internal organs were inert. It was a memory in his soul, but this . . . this was real.

Hugo's body teemed with warmth and exhilaration as air filled his lungs and was then expelled. His sensations renewed. Senses heightened. His chest was whole and complete. He was alive once again.

"Hugo!" Alice shouted. "Hugo, the hole in your back is gone."

"I feel different. Everything is pumping through my body once again. Try your magick."

Alice snapped her fingers, and a great light appeared on the end of Galahad.

"Headlights," she said with a gleeful smile.

"Hold on, let's see if this guy can catch us now," Hugo said.

Alice readjusted her grip around Hugo. He leaned forward and let out a great yaw. Galahad sped ahead. They were able to see every twist and turn in the cavern. They worked together, moving as one, from side to side as the broomstick raced at thunderous speeds through the cavern toward home.

Still, the bursts of light on the cavern walls drew closer and closer. They could hear the snorts of the horse as it approached. A chill ran through Hugo's spine. No matter how fast Galahad flew, the rider was faster.

He glanced over his shoulder. The rider was about two lengths away and closing fast. They weren't going to escape them. The rider was too fast. They needed to do something or else their fate would be the same as Thaddeus.

"Did I tell you what my favorite Ren Fest activity was?" Hugo asked.

"Jousting," Alice replied.

"Wanna go jousting?" Hugo asked.

"With pleasure," Alice said.

"Hold on. We have to turn around. Gally, we're going left."

They banked to the right and then sharply to the left, curving toward the cave wall. They sped as fast as they possibly could without throwing Hugo and Alice off. The rider was caught off guard, slowing down to readjust. The cave was spacious enough that they could turn around without the risk of his sword touching them.

The trio zipped back down the cave the way they came. They needed more ground. The rider's horse slid to a stop, shifted around as the rider pulled on the reins, and charged after them once more.

After they gained enough distance, Hugo repeated the turn. He drifted to the right and banked sharply to the left. They turned around to face the rider ahead. The festering horse charged the hickory horse-dog. The two combatants raced toward each other, closing rank fast. Alice freed one hand, and with a snap of her fingers, conjured a ball of purple arcane energy.

"Wait for it!" Hugo shouted.

His eyes focused on the charging steed with fire spewing forth from its nostrils. The rider held the fiery sword high above his head, ready to strike. Hugo locked in on the rider. He pulled on Galahad to adjust their height. They only had one shot at this. They had to make it count.

"Wait for it!" Hugo shouted.

The cave walls were bathed in white light from Galahad, yellow and orange from the spurts of fire, as well as purple from Alice's arcane energy.

"Almost!" Hugo shouted.

Alice shifted on his back, moving into position. Her arm held on as tightly as possible. She shifted her weight to his left. Hugo dipped his right shoulder and rolled his hips to the right in order to compensate and steady the broomstick. He wanted her to have the maximum amount of room to throw the ball of energy.

The two flying steeds were within a yard of each other. The heat from the fire washed over Hugo's face. The rider lurched forward with his sword.

"Now!" Hugo shouted.

Alice threw the ball of purple arcane energy. It struck the target square in the chest. The rider kicked back, dropping the fiery sword into the crashing water below. The flame extinguished and disappeared into the inky depths.

The rider tumbled backward, pulling up on the reins. The festering black horse bucked and kicked upward. The two tumbled toward the water below. With a great splash, the river enveloped them. The water rumbled and shrieked as decaying hands reached out to drag the rider and horse into the depths below. They were no more.

Hugo and Alice let out joyous screams.

"Good boy, Gally. Good boy," Hugo said.

"The greatest horse dog there is," Alice added.

"Now let's get out of here and go home!"

Galahad flew off down the river, leading the charge. They were going home, and nothing was going to stop them.