Chapter 10- fight against the kidnappers

Meanwhile

Paddy, Teal'c the aging Kamaitachi and a group of mysterious and colourful rod-like creatures with eel-like membranes running down their sides and flapping walked or flew through the trees back in the direction of the school where the children and teens were waiting, or should be. Trailing behind the orange and pink Nekomata and the white Kamaitachi was a trolley or cart of bags of food for the children and the Flying Rods, a group of ten with two being red, two green, two blue, one magenta or pink, one yellow, one cyan or aqua blue and one white, carried smaller bags containing fruit, vegetables and meat such as from dumb chicken, pigeons and fish, and the White Flying Rod carried a Flish pie, a dish that was part of the cuisine of the Merfolk, Sea People and Sea-Fish Folk, Humanoid creatures who transformed into Human form when on dry land but resembled Aquatic Fish-Humanoids with brightly coloured scales, fins and fin-like 'hair' and had long tails and caudal fins when exposed to any form of water including rain and water from taps and wells. Unlike the Merfolk's transformation into their land form which involved their fishtails changing into legs which was EXTREMELY painful and even exhausting for them, the Sea-Fish People's transformation between their aquatic and land form was painless and did not expend their energy. They were sometimes dubbed as Sea Monsters but this term was utterly vague and unfitting for 'sea monster' often referred to beasts like Sea Serpents and the legendary Monster of the Abyssal Zone of the Eastern Sea, Cthulhu, and Sea-Fish Folk were not really monsters at all; just a little creepy in their aquatic forms. They were quite shy creatures and preferred to keep their aquatic forms hidden when on dry land in their 'Human' form, and there were several of these creatures present in Cair Paravel, along with some Merfolk in their legged land form, either visiting or living as part of Narnia and helping to establish harmony between Narnia and their Sea Kingdoms. In fact there was a group of Sea-Fish People in charge of the stall of sea-food and Sea People cuisine and sold those items and the Flying Rods had purchased the Flish pie from them. Sea-Fish People often hunted Ocean Flish to catch for food and they also went after other strange creatures in the Eastern Ocean such as the crustacean-like Silverswimmers.

As Paddy's group continued to hover or walk in Paddy's case in the direction of the school, Teal'c was plagued by immense unease.

"Quite a few of the sellers and customers at the Market seemed unsettled, folks," the floating Weasel-like creature with scythed front claws said, "Especially the two female Fauns and Dwarf in charge of that bakery stall, the Adlet jeweller selling an array of jewellery including some Adlet culture-based necklaces and bracelets, and that family of Sea-Fish Folk who were selling the Sea-People-based cuisine products like Flish and Silverswimmer pies. Many of them were talking about worries for their children. The Adlet jeweller, who is a widowed mother, her husband having died in the Battle of Beruna, told me that she was so worried for her two sons that she actually left them in the care of her sister and mother while she is at work."

"While that family of Sea-Fish People looked totally worried and uneasy," said one of the Blue Flying Rods, a male who helped push the trolley of food from the back.

"In fact," said the other Blue Flying Rod, a female and the sister of the male, "The patriarch explained to us of rumours of mysterious groups targeting and tempting children and luring them away to places unknown by using tricks such as candy and whatnot flying around..."

"Sort of like a certain flute-playing multicoloured clothed Elf luring Human children away from a Human village in revenge for not receiving the full promised sum of money for luring out a rat infestation away from that settlement," said one of the Green Flying Rods, a male as he hovered near the other Green Rod, another male and his brother.

"Something tells us that these tricksters could well be some of that White Witch's surviving minions..." said the Magenta Flying Rod, a female.

"I wouldn't draw that as a conclusion without hesitation, Rosa," said the Cyan Flying Rod, also a female.

"Well, where there is the sound of thunder, there is a stormcloud," said the Yellow Flying Rod, a male, "Maybe the rumours are true..."

"Let's just get this food to Leon and the others back at the school," said Paddy firmly, bringing the Flying Rods' attention back to the task.

"Yes, and I'm itching to check on them to make sure that they are alright," said Teal'c, "After all, the shock of seeing those dead Forest Flish may have slightly traumatised some of the children, particularly the youngest members like the descendants of Faline the Rabbit. Plus that incident has got me worried and wary."

The Flying Rods nodded and resumed pushing or pulling the food trolley along with the Kamaitachi and the pink and orange Nekomata and Satoshi's widowed wife.

As the twelve continued along, the Magenta Flying Rod, Rosa looked up. When she saw something, a frown formed on her beady eyed face. "Wait, what are those two Wolves from the Wolf and Sabre-Toothed Cat clan living with Neutrophil's Terror Bird clan doing here?"

"Are they two of the granddaughters of Nanu, that brave and courageous Wolf who turned against the White Witch?" asked the Yellow Flying Rod. Paddy and Teal'c looked up and saw two Wolves, both of unusual colours with one being dark red with fiery orange-red eyes and the other, dark blue with icy blue eyes, run in.

"Betelgeuse and Rigel, what are they doing here?" Teal'c asked Paddy. However, the latter's face morphed into a look of worry when she saw the alarmed looks of the two Wolves, which were indeed two of Nanu's granddaughters, melted into view as the pair rushed towards them. The looks of both Betelgeuse and Rigel's faces were saturated with utmost dread.

"Padparadscha, Teal'c!" cried the former, the dark red, red-orange eyed one.

"Where are your group's children including Eosinophil, Basophil and Lymphocyte, the younger siblings of Neutrophil and Monocyte?" demanded the latter, the dark blue, icy blue-eyed one. Paddy's group exchanged worried looks as the two Wolves screeched to a halt.

"Why are you so alarmed?" asked Teal'c. However, nothing could prepare the Kamaitachi and his companions for what Betelgeuse said next.

"We've had reports from one of our neighbouring clans, the Talking Leopards, Jaguars, Ocelots, Ordinary Talking Lynxes and Wildcats and also Dionaea the Manticore's village, of young being lured away by mysterious figures and we managed to rescue some of our Wolf Pups, Terror Bird Chicks and teens including Chert, and three Sabre-Toothed Cat cubs," she said, "However, many of the young from the Mixed Wildcat Clan and a few from Dionaea's village including a young Curupira have been successfully kidnapped so we have been sent here to alert you to protect your children including Malachite, Seishan and Elsa and the others and to bring Eosinophil and her brother and cousin back to the safety of the Terror Bird clan ASAP."

"Where are they?" demanded Rigel urgently. This made more glances be exchanged among Paddy's group and Rosa the Magenta Flying Rod formed a worried look on her face.

"I think there IS a stormcloud behind this thunder after all..." she began but Teal'c barked at the Winged Rods to pick up pace and with that, the ten Winged Rods, the Kamaitachi and the Nekomata picked up pace and began to accelerate back to the school where the children were waiting, or should be, Betelgeuse and Rigel in tow. Worry for them boiled like sea foam in a violent storm or the rapids of a turbulent river as they hurried along.

Eosinophil, the Skvader and two of Leon's sisters hurried along through the trees, Basophil with his feet bound together by the magical binds being carried by the two teen Jackalope Does while the former two rushed on ahead, the Skvader beating her Grouse's wings at the air furiously. As the gap widened between Eosinophil and the Skavder and the two Jackalope Does and Basophil for the former two were moving quicker, Eosinophil turned her gaze to the Jackalopes lagging behind.

"You two go, we'll catch up," shouted the sister of Leon at their front, her paws grasping Basophil's upper body for the two Jackalopes were carrying him horizontally like a log. Basophil also gave an agreeing look to his sister and the Skvader. The pair hesitated for a second before turning tail and running or flying onward, the two Jackalope Does following with Basophil hoisted above them at the fastest pace they could go. As Eosinophil ran along, her trident clutched in her short clawed wings, the Skvader flew ahead. Within moments, the Bird-Rabbit returned.

"Did you catch a glimpse of Mr Teal'c and Mrs Paddy, Aster?" called Eosinophil. The Skvader named Aster, nodded and began to guide Eosinophil to Teal'c and Paddy's group. After this, she returned to guide Leon's two sisters who carried Basophil, who were behind, to the group. When Eosinophil saw a familiar pink and orange two-tailed Cat and a floating scythe-clawed white Weasel in a clearing accompanied by ten colourful eel-like rod creatures and two Wolves, one dark red and the other dark blue, the young Terror Bird accelerated her approach.

"MR TEEEEAAAAALL'C, MRS PAAAAAAADDY!" she screamed in terror, the eagerness to tell them the harrowing news propelling her extra fast towards them. Then the dark blue Wolf, Rigel, ran to meet her.

"Whoa, Eosinophil, slow DOWN!" she cried. Eosinophil obeyed at the last second and managed to brake to a stop just before she could collide with Paddy and Teal'c's group. However, she kicked up some dust and grass blades as she screeched to a halt but the Flying Rods used their Eel-like wings to generate a draught to blow these away.

"Eosinophil!" cried Paddy as Eosinophil paused for a breath. After managing to recover herself, the pink-red spotted Terror Bird spoke.

"It's LEON AND THE OTHER KIDS," she blurted out, "THEY'VE BEEN LURED OUT OF THE SCHOOL and are NOW CAPTURED AND BEING LOADED INTO SOME KIND OF PUMKIN CARRIAGE!"

"What kind of creatures can you remember?" asked Teal'c. Behind Eosinophil, Rigel and Betelgeuse had met Aster the Skvader and had been lead to the other group.

"There was an Elf and I think he was the one who lured us out with some kind of candy trick," explained Eosinophil though her violently shuddering nerves made her speak too fast. However, she tried to keep her composure to deliver the news to Paddy's group as clearly as possible, "There were also several Blue Mice, a Stinger-Rat and two Hags. I managed to dispatch one of them with an Axe-Beak to the chest..."

"Wait, you managed to TAKE ON and SLAY a HAG, young TERROR BIRD!?" blurted out one of the Red Flying Rods, the female in UTMOST flabbergast.

"Young Terror Birds can't possibly take on such dark sorcery-skilled zombies like THEM," shouted Rosa the Magenta Flying Rod in astonishment.

"Flying Rods, SILENCE please," shouted Teal'c in command, silencing the floating Sky Domain creatures. Then the Kamaitachi turned to the young Terror Bird with a SERIOUS look on his face.

"Now tell us again Eosinophil, what happened?" he asked in a calm but stern voice. Eosinophil was about to repeat what she had seen when Betelgeuse's voice rang out. "PADDY, TEAL'C, FLYING RODS!"

The group of thirteen turned and saw the dark red Wolf return with her dark blue sister with four more creatures, three being part-Rabbits but the two Jackrabbit-like ones had something in their paws. When Paddy saw this, horror tore through her.

"Oh, no, BASOPHIL!" she cried and launched into a sprint towards the other four youngsters that had managed to escape the Elf's group (or rather, been sent to get help). Eosinophil, Teal'c and the ten Flying Rods who had the cart filled with food followed. As Paddy approached them, one of the female Jackalopes who was one of Leon's sisters, gazed at the Nekomata and Alexandrite's sister as she and the other sister Jackalope lowered Basophil to his feet.

"Our brother Leon sent us to find you," she said as Paddy and Teal'c then began to examine Basophil's bound feet, "He and the other teens are currently battling a group of attempted kidnappers. That Elf has bound the younger members with those unbreakable rope-like things."

"He managed to lure us out of the school," explained the other sister Jackalope, "Seishan managed to pinch the key you entrusted to our brother Leon, unlocked the door and ALL the children rushed out to meet him, thinking that Elf had some candy or opportunities for us..."

As she explained this, a look of UTMOST thunder flared on Teal'c's face and he aimed this at them. Then all attempts to control his temper was vaporised and the ten Flying Rods backed away as the Kamaitachi lost his composure.

"WHAT HAS KUSHANKU TOLD YOU LOT ABOUT NOT GOING OUT OF THE SCHOOL!?" he roared in fury, sending IMMENSE shivers coursing through the two Jackalopes, Aster, Basophil and Eosinophil and greatly frightening them. However, Paddy silenced the floating Weasel.

"Teal'c, SHUT UP AT ONCE!" she yelled, making the Kamaitachi shoot her an astonished look.

"'Shut up, Teal'c?'" asked Rosa the Magenta Flying Rod with surprise. The other nine Flying Rods exchanged confused looks.

"But DON'T YA SEE..." began Teal'c, his temper threatening to flare but Rosa silenced him.

"SHUT UP, TEAL'C," yelled the Magenta Flying Rod. Teal'c opened his mouth to retort but then changed his mind and shut it. Betelgeuse then finished examining the binds holding Basophil's feet together.

"A Mokele Mbembe has seen these kinds of binds before, according to our grandfather Nanu," she said darkly, "It was one of the White Witch's minions' trickster tools they had used to capture wandering kids. These binds take the form of colourful ropes or thick string to capture the victims' attention but once the victim is captivated, they are then used to bind them. They are magically imbued to be unbreakable to make escaping them near-impossible and they could only be undone by the user. The Man with the Upside-Down Face was a user of these magically unbreakable binds..."

"Leave that for later," said Paddy, "We MUST get to the other kids RIGHT AWAY," she then turned to the two Jackalope Does, Eosinophil and Aster and barked, "TAKE US THERE AS FAST AS YOU CAN!"

The four nodded rapidly and darted off. Teal'c, Paddy, Betelgeuse, Rigel and Rosa rocketed off after them.

"You nine Flying Rods, get Basophil to Cair Paravel Castle while we take care of this!" barked Teal'c to the remaining Sky Creatures. These nine obeyed, took Basophil whose feet were still bound together, and carried him off in the direction of the Castle. Three of the Rods also took the food from the cart.

Back with Leon and the others, Leon and his group continued to fight against Pettigrew and his group. However, nearly all of the bound kids had been loaded onto the Pumpkin carriage by now and among them were the younger siblings of Leon and his two sisters. Leon continued fighting against the Stinger-Rat with a sword he had managed to seize from a Blue Mouse. However, he was NOT experienced in swordfighting and so he was soon fighting a losing battle against the Humanoid-Mouse creature resembling the product of a HORRIFIC splicing experiment armed with a whip-like stinger tail. However, the young Jackalope relied on his agility and deftness to make up for this severe setback and he deftly dodged the Stinger-Rat's sword swipes and tail-stinger lashes. Around him, the other teens continued to fight the rest of Pettigrew the Elf's minions. One of the teen Skvaders tried flying at the Pumpkin Carriage to try and seize one of the captured kids from within it but he was driven back by a sinister red blast of energy from the surviving Hag, that Hag flinging forward a stick and sending that blast via an incantation command. The Skvader, stunned by the hit, spun backwards and landed into a bush. At the same time, Pettigrew, his face and upper body crisscrossed with claw marks and bite wounds, fended off another teen Jackalope, one of Leon's cousins, when a Blue Mouse ran in.

"Let's leave before any reinforcements of these BRATS turn up!" it cried. Pettigrew then struck down the young Jackalope with his stick, seized some type of whistle, put it to his mouth and blew into it, generating a piercing screech to signal his minions to board the carriage and retreat. Leon and the other teens, however, were not going to let them get away that easy. As Pettigrew's group then stopped their fight and darted after the sinister pumpkin-like carriage containing the captured kids, the charioteer Elf having taken his seat and the two Carcusi having reigned themselves back to the wheeled 'box' and prepared to leave, Leon and company began to chase them down, Leon going after the Stinger-Rat, swiping his sword at its back feet. Then Leon leaped like a pouncing Tiger into the air and landed square on the back of the tail-sting-armed monstrosity. The Stinger-Rat, stunned by the sudden increase in weight from its nemesis, suddenly lost its centre of gravity, collapsed and tumbled over. As it and Leon rose to their feet and glared daggers, Pettigrew shouted, "C'mon, let's LEAVE!" as more Blue Mice jumped aboard the pumpkin wagon.

However, before the kidnappers could launch into a quick getaway with the Carcusi pulling the pumpkin carriage, a magenta-coloured comet propelled by undulating wing-like waves exploded from the trees and rocketed like a meteor towards the carriage. Leon saw the winged magenta streak and smirked while the Stinger-Rat turned round and formed a look of UTMOST horror. Rosa the Magenta Flying Rod charged through the air, her shimmering dark pink eel-like wings beating at the air furiously and propelling her forward, her beady-eyed face blazing with a tempestuous fury like a GIANT stormcloud as it aimed at the two 'horses' pulling the carriage. Then as soon as the Magenta Flying Rod reached the Carcusi, she swooped close to their faces and struck both of them HARD on the noses with her tail, inflicting them with a STABBING pain. MASSIVE whinnies exploded from the two undead-looking Pegasi as they reared up and flailed their front hooves and flapped their Bat-like wings. The charioteer Elf looked on in stun when suddenly, the same magenta-coloured shooting star with wavy membranes shot in from his left and ploughed HARD into his left shoulder, sending him leaning dangerously close to the critical angle of falling off his seat. However, the Elf regained his balance and managed to seize the Flying Rod by her right wing just as she was about to fly off. However, Rosa released a FIERCE hiss and began to violently fight back, curving her body like a snake and beginning to headbutt the kidnapper fiercely while thrashing her tail. Although Flying Rods were docile Sky Domain Talking Creatures who avoided fights with battlefields being the last place they'd be, preferring to help instead and did not appear very well armed, they can be EXTREMELY aggressive if need be and their best weapons were their heads, tails and aerial agility and speed and believe me, if you get hit by the tail of a Flying Rod as it flew past you, it was like being struck with a whip. Further, Flying Rods packed a powerful punch via their headbutts and tail attacks. Screams of rage and agony then exploded from the charioteer as he began to struggle and thrash against Rosa as she began to butt him with her head and whack him with her tail. Then as the Elf leaned over to the right, Rosa seized one of the Blue Mice's rapier to its alarm with her tail and proceeded to ram its tip into the Elf's right arm, causing more screams of EXTREME agony to explode from him. Again, the use of weapons and this level of violence were extremely rare amongst Flying Rods but they have been known to resort to this when again, need be. Then Rosa turned her wrath to the two Carcusi and began to mercilessly attack them, sending them into a MASSIVE panic while at the same time de-reigning them so that they could not pull the carriage and so accidentally injure the kids packed inside.

Leon and the Stinger-Rat looked on in astonishment as the strange long, thin glistening pink creature with undulating, wavy membranes furiously went for the two Carcusi and the charioteer when suddenly, the Blue Mice and the Slender-Man found themselves under attack from three more newcomers; two Wolves and a Kamaitachi with the latter cutting down the Slender-Man with one swipe of his scythed claws. The Stinger-Rat then eyed Leon with a face blazing with a FURIOUS, VOLCANIC wrath. Leon, now feeling all courage vaporise by the heat of this glare in an instant, drew in a sharp gasp via an open, HORRIFIED mouth and inflated his eyes as the Stinger-Rat released a wrathful screech. Then Leon turned tail to retreat but as he did, he felt a literal STABBING agony rip through the back of his left shoulder as the Stinger-Rat lashed at him with its tail stinger, jabbing the sharp tip deep into that area of the teen Jackalope Buck like a dagger. However, Leon, despite the sheer agony of this injury and the new stab wound in his shoulder's back, hurried to escape the demonic creature moments before it deftly dodged the sword swipe of a pink and orange Nekomata. Then the Stinger-Rat jumped onboard the carriage while Pettigrew threw more magical binds at Rosa as the Magenta Flying Rod backed away from the charioteer Elf as he swiped a sword at her, the weapon's tip narrowly missing her neck while the two Carcusi, after recovering from their shock from Rosa's surprise attack and re-reigning themselves to the carriage, began to hastily pull it along. The binds, coloured blue and yellow, entangled the Flying Rod and began to restrict her ability to fly as they bound her undulating wings to her body. Rosa released a cry of surprise as the binds entangled her.

"Oh, no, NOT MEEE..." she cried before she could no longer flap her undulating wings and fell out of the air like a stone with a scream. She crashed on top of Teal'c as he chased a Blue Mouse and both the Flying Rod and the Kamaitachi slammed into the ground, narrowly missing Leon's two sisters and Paddy. Then Pettigrew, who had managed to jump aboard the carriage with the terrified and bound kids looking on, the Blue Mice keeping them under control, took action as he menacingly eyed the newcomers which were Rosa, Teal'c, Paddy and Betelgeuse and Rigel as the two Wolves mauled three Blue Mice. Accompanying them were Eosinophil, Aster the Skvader and Leon's two sisters.

"I spy with my little eye... two descendants of that traitorous Wolf Nanu... and a traitorous Kamaitachi," he scorned before reaching into his pocket and pulling out something while the Hag also pulled out a sack.

"AFTER THAT CARRIAGE!" shouted Paddy and with that she, Betelgeuse and Rigel launched into a sprint after Pettigrew's group. Eosinophil went to follow but Teal'c stopped her. Near him, Rosa writhed in the magically unbreakable binds in a vain attempt to free her bound membranous wings.

"No, Eosinophil, you STAY HERE with Rosa and the others!" the Kamaitachi commanded before he flew off after Paddy and the two Wolves. Eosinophil obeyed and watched as the four pursued the carriage as it drove away. However, as the quartet gained on the carriage, their eyes clearly seeing the bound and captured kids, among them Malachite, Seishan, Elsa, Rainbow Quartz, Sisu and Yardang, they heard a "NOOOWW!" explode from a certain Elf on it. Paddy, Betelgeuse, Rigel and Teal'c exchanged confused looks when suddenly; they were set upon by a MASSIVE burst of jet black smoke. Eosinophil and the others released screams of horror as they watched the two Wolves, the Kamaitachi and the Nekomata get enveloped by a black cloud and start struggling. Rosa as she stopped struggling in her binds looked on with dread, especially at the black 'smoke'.

"What's that stuff?" asked one of the teen Skvader.

"What's that black dust?" asked Eosinophil.

"That cloud," said Rosa, "is not black dust, but a cloud of Umbra-Fleas."

"Umbra-Fleas?" repeated one of Leon's sisters in confusion.

"They're sinister dark Fairy-like creatures related to the corpse-like Fiend-Fairyflies and are about the size of tiny fleas," explained Rosa, "They used to be VERY common during the White Witch's reign and the way they attack their prey is frightening. Us Flying Rods sometimes called them 'Living Shadows' in our language and their name is ABSOLUTELY true. They mimic the shadows of their prey and before their victim realises it, they attack. You DON'T WANT to be smothered by a swarm of them."

Eosinophil and the others shuddered but then a gust of wind was whipped up in the black cloud which was actually a swarm of Umbra-Fleas as described by Rosa. Then the black cloud began to disperse as a white blur, which was actually Teal'c, continued to generate the wind to disperse the cloud and save himself, Padparadscha (Paddy), Betelgeuse and Rigel from the menacing magical fairy 'bugs'. At the same time, Betelgeuse employed a special spray to help deal with the deadly insects. This was flea-killer made from a plant and it was effective against Umbra-Fleas as it was harmful only to them and not other life forms except those that are allergic to it. After dispersing the Umbra-Flea cloud, Teal'c turned to Paddy.

"Paddy, you get Eosinophil, Rosa and the others back to Caiur Paravel Castle while Betelgeuse, Rigel and I chase down that Elf," he commanded. Paddy nodded and rushed over to Eosinophil and company. As she did, Leon came in but then he released a MASSIVE cry of pain. His paw flew to his left shoulder's back and he gritted his teeth in excruciating pain.

"Leon, bro, what is it?" asked one of his sisters as she, Eosinophil and Aster the Skvader went over to him and caught him as he fell forward. Paddy did the same. Rosa then struggled to rear up in her binds but when she caught a glimpse of the cause of Leon's pain, his paw coming away from a NASTY wound on his left shoulder's back weeping a good deal of blood, horror tore through her. Paddy also saw it.

"Leon's been WOUNDED!" she cried, "HELP ME GET HIM TO CAIR PARAVEL CASTLE QUICKLY!" she then turned to Leon's two sisters, "You two go get Rosa over there and carry her."

The two teen Jackalope Does nodded in obedience, ran over to the bound Magenta Flying Rod and picked her up. Then with Leon and Rosa in their clutches, Paddy and the others began their speedy journey to the Castle.