Title: Immagica by K. A. Last
Genre: YA Fantasy/AdventureDate of Publication: January 26, 2014Word Count: approximately 68,000
Cover Illustration: Lawrence Mann LawrenceMann.co.ukCover Designer: KILA Designs – www.facebook.com/KILAdesigns
Book blurb:
Immagica…Where anything is possible.Enter at your own risk.The night before her fifteenth birthday, Rosaline Clayton uncovers a deep family secret. She receives an amulet from her deranged father, and he tells her she must find the book in order to save him. Rosaline is used to her dad not making any sense, so she dismisses their conversation as another of his crazy rants.When Rosaline’s brother, Elliot, drags her to their nana’s attic to explore, they find the old leather-bound book tucked away in a chest. It sucks them into its pages, transporting them to a magical world. Along the way, Rosaline and Elliot are separated, and the only thing she wants is to find her brother and go home.The creatures of Immagica have other ideas. After years of war, their land lies in ruin. Using the amulet’s power, they want Rosaline to defeat the dragon and restore Immagica to its former glory. But Rosaline is bound to Immagica in ways she doesn’t understand, and when she discovers the truth about her family, she must follow her heart to save them all.
Map Illustration: Lawrence Mann LawrenceMann.co.uk
About the author:
K. A. Last was born in Subiaco, Western Australia, and moved to Sydney with her parents and older brother when she was eight. Artistic and creative by nature, she studied Graphic Design and graduated with an Advanced Diploma. After marrying her high school sweetheart, she concentrated on her career before settling into family life. Blessed with a vivid imagination, she began writing to let off creative steam, and fell in love with it. K. A. Last is currently studying her Bachelor of Arts at Charles Sturt University, with a major in English, and minors in Children’s Literature, Art History, and Visual Culture. She resides in a peaceful, leafy suburb north of Sydney with her husband, their two children, a rabbit named Twitch, and a guinea pig called Squeak.Author web links:Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/kalast
Interview:
Describe yourself in three words?Crazy, pedantic, and passionate.What are five things people may not know about you?I’m half Italian.I’d rather drive a 4WD than a sports car.I received an Award of Excellence for my outstanding commitment to the Miss Australia Awards in 2000.One of my legs is 1cm shorter than the other.The first time I got my nose pierced it made me vomit.What does writing mean to you?Writing for me is a release, a way of getting my dreams and daydreams onto paper. It means I can stay sane in a world that often wants to test my sanity. When I write I get lost in the story and for a while nothing else can touch me. The worlds I create in my stories become my safe havens, and the characters become my friends. Writing is very much a part of who I am. Without it, I wouldn’t be me.Who is the favourite character you’ve written so far?That’s like asking me to choose a favourite between my two children. I love all my characters, but there are others that are more fun to write. In Fall For Me I really enjoyed writing Archer, Grace’s brother. He’s a bit cocky and has a pretty cool sense of humour. In Sacrifice, I loved getting into Michael’s head. Even though the book isn’t from his POV, he was an awesome character to write. He’ll be making an appearance in future books as well, so watch out. With Immagica, I enjoyed fleshing out Lex’s character. He is so much deeper than he might appear on the surface. At this stage Immagica is a standalone book, but there could be room for Lex to grow sometime in the future.Are you a plotter or a pantser?When I first started writing I just let it all flow out as it would in any which way. I usually have a loose idea in my head of what I want to happen, but I don’t set anything in stone. I think I enjoy the process more when I don’t know what’s going to happen, and I love how my characters often surprise me. In saying that, I have plotted out the next instalment of The Tate Chronicles. I did this because I really needed to know where the story was going before I could continue with it. So, I guess you could say I’m a bit of both. I like to get my ideas down on paper, but I’m pretty flexible and don’t mind deviating from the path if I need to.Where do your ideas come from?Oh! They come from everywhere. I’ve always been a daydreamer, and I love to stare into space, thinking about all the ‘what ifs’. I also have a really cool story idea that came to me in a dream. I actually jumped out of bed at one am to write it all down. I haven’t got past the first chapter with it, but it’s a story I think about all the time. One day it will become a book. The other thing I love doing is people watching. It’s amazing how the smallest action or snippet of conversation can spark an idea.How did the idea for Immagica come about?One of my favorite books is The Neverending Story by Michael Ende. I also love Narnia, Oz and Alice. I love the concept of traveling to a different world in some way, especially through the pages of a book, but I wanted to put my own special twist on it. I asked myself what a world would be like where it could be made, governed and controlled by imagination. The idea for Immagica actually started with the amulet. One night I was sitting in my recliner and I started doodling. About half an hour later I had my first rough sketch of how the amulet looks now. I took the amulet and made it the center of Immagica, and the Eye was born. Everything else pretty much stemmed from there. In essence, Immagica is a portal fantasy adventure with fairies and a unicorn.What’s ahead for you in 2014?Well, I want to try and finish The Tate Chronicles. I have another novella and the sequel in the works. I probably won’t get it all published, but I want to at least finish writing it and publish the novella. I’d also like to pull my 2011 NaNo novel out of the drawer and dust it off. It’s not finished, but I think I’m in a good place now to give it a go and see where it takes me. Then I have a swarm of other ideas that are trying to bust out of my brain. I’d like to tackle some of those, too.Where can we find you online?Website: www.kalastbooks.com.auTwitter: www.twitter.com/KALastBooksFacebook: www.facebook.com/KALastBooksGoodreads: www.goodreads.com/KALastAmazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/kalast
Character Profiles:
Lex
Career: Keeper and Protector of the Eye.Biography: Lex’s history is unknown.Age: He looks around 17.Height: Six-feet, one-inch.Body Type: Tall and lanky.Complexion: Normal, but it’s hard to tell because Lex blushes a lot.Eyes: Lex’s eyes shift between hazel and green.Hair: White-blond and messy.Clothing: Lex wears thick-rimmed glasses, a faded red T-shirt, jeans, and rubber thongs (flip-flops).Voice/Demeanor: Nervous and jittery. Lex is a bit of a geek, but he is also head-strong when he needs to be. He’s definitely not a push-over.Prejudices: Since the dragon launched his war on Immagica, Lex has loathed everything about him.Best Qualities: His kindness.Weaknesses: Thinking he isn’t able to leave the Eye.Hobbies: Reading, and cataloguing the books in the Eye, and oiling the cogs in the pupil.Weapon of choice: His knowledge.Talents: The ability to retain every piece of information that’s written in every one of the thousands of books inside the Eye.Even though we don’t get to meet Lex until about half way into Immagica, he is quite a complex character. Let’s ask him some questions and see if we can get to know him a little better.
Character Interview – Lex
KA: Hi, Lex. Thanks for allowing me to come to Immagica to talk to you.Lex: No problem. *adjusts glasses*KA: Let’s start with something easy. Can you describe yourself in three words?Lex: Um … Quirky? *scratches head* Jittery, and um … loveable?KA: Loveable? I’ll bet there’s a certain girl who would agree with that.Lex: *blushes*KA: From what I’ve seen, Immagica isn’t exactly the sort of place you’d find a McDonald’s drive thru, or your favorite restaurant just around the corner. What do you eat?Lex: Well, actually, I have my own food generator. So I can eat pretty much anything I want.KA: Food generator? Like an automatic vending machine that makes whatever you ask for? That’s like something from a science fiction movie.Lex: Um … *laughs* this is Immagica we’re talking about. Anything is possible.KA: Yes, I guess it is. Do you have a favorite meal?Lex: I don’t usually get the time to think about food, things have been so crazy around here lately. Fruit, I like fruit.KA: Of all the things you could ask for, you choose fruit?Lex: *laughs* Like I said, I’m busy. Apples are easy to eat on the go.KA: At the moment you can’t leave Immagica, but if you could, where in the world would you want to go?Lex: Oh wow, *rubs face* that’s a hard question. It’s been so long I don’t know where I’d want to go. I’ll bet things in the real world have changed a lot since I’ve been gone. Now that Rosaline has helped us, I think I’m pretty happy staying in Immagica. Things have been great since the dragon’s been gone.KA: You don’t want to go and see Rosaline? *raises eyebrows*Lex: Um … yes *blushes* that would be nice, someday. Rosaline changed my life. I guess it would be cool to see where she’s from.KA: Do I detect some romantic feelings in the air?Lex: *pushes glasses up nose* Rosaline is pretty awesome, but I don’t know. *shrugs* We’re from completely different worlds. It’s like a long distance relationship on steroids. I hope one day she comes back. Then maybe we’ll see. *smiles*KA: Is there a book you’ve read that’s influenced your life?Lex: *laughs* I’m surrounded by books all day, every day. I think I can safely say that every individual book within the Eye has influenced my life in some way. After all, they’re what I’m here in Immagica to protect. Each story is unique, and has something different to offer in its own special way.KA: You’ve read all these books? *looks around at bookshelves*Lex: Of course. It’s my job to know everything that’s happened since Immagica was created.KA: Isn’t all that reading time consuming?Lex: On a normal day, there’s not much else to do. *laughs* But I have help. Everything is connected, so a lot of it I just know. There’s a full catalog in here. *taps temple*KA: Then you could say you read using magic? *smiles*Lex: Something like that, yes.KA: Is there someone from your past you’d like to apologize to for something?Lex: I try not to think too much about the past. What’s done is done, and you can’t change it.KA: You make it sound like something happened that you’d rather forget.Lex: Possibly. I like moving forward. Looking back only causes pain.KA: What if you had a time machine? Would you go back and change anything?Lex: *purses lips* No, I don’t think I would. Everything happens for a reason, no matter how much it may hurt us.KA: What has been the scariest moment of your life so far?Lex: You mean apart from watching my world crumble around me? *scratches head* It would have to be the moment Rosaline went limp in my arms, right after she defeated the dragon. She didn’t wake up for a while, and she was pretty beaten up, so that added to the scare factor. I don’t know what I would have done if she’d died. *looks at hands*KA: Do you think you’ll venture out of the Eye more now the dragon is gone?Lex: That would definitely be a yes. When the dragon first waged his war on Immagica, I shut myself in so I could protect everything. I’d forgotten what it was like to be outside.KA: Well, thanks to Rosaline, now you know.Lex: Yes. *nods*KA: What’s the first thing you want to do when you go outside today?Lex: The first thing I need to do is some maintenance. One of the clockwork birds went down somewhere near Shadow Crater in The Barren Lands, and has to be recovered. Then I think I might find Ira and Brynn, and see if they want to go for a fly.KA: You’re not afraid of flying then?Lex: *laughs* No. That would be Rosaline.KA: You miss her, don’t you?Lex: *shrugs*KA: Okay, now for the fast five. No thinking about these. Favorite color?Lex: Red.KA: Book or movie?Lex: *snorts* Book, of course.KA: Best qualities a person can have?Lex: Honesty and loyalty.KA: Cats or dogs?Lex: Horses.KA: *laughs* City or countryside?Lex: Have you seen my backyard? I’m not even going to answer that.KA: Well, Lex. Thank you for taking the time to chat with me today.Lex: It was fun, thanks.KA: I’ll let you get back to your books. *smiles*Lex: Say hi to Rosaline for me.KA: Is there a message you’d like me to pass on to her?Lex: *rubs chin* Just tell her, anything is possible. *grins*
Brynn (Br-in)
Career: Protector of The Barren Lands, and Rosaline’s guide.Biography: Brynn’s history is unknown.Age: She looks around 16.Height: Five-feet, six-inches.Body Type: Slender and athletic.Complexion: Olive skin, high cheekbones and pouty lips.Eyes: Pale denim blue.Hair: Long, straight and black, with silver streaks and several small braids through it.Clothing: Brynn wears a pair of ripped denim shorts. Her top is cream in color and looks handmade, with lacing up each side and an uneven neckline. Shin-high chunky hiking boots encase her long legs, and she has a small leather satchel. She also carries a spear.Voice/Demeanour: Strong and bossy, but kind hearted.Prejudices: Anyone who hurts her friends.Best Qualities: Patience when it’s needed, and the ability to guide people in the right direction without them realizing.Weaknesses: Brynn can be summoned at any time, from anywhere in Immagica. This can sometimes be inconvenient.Hobbies: Cataloging the many weapons stored in Brynn’s Bunker.Weapon of choice: Brynn carries a bronze spear. The top of the spear is fancy, like a scepter, with a decorative head that houses an eye-shaped emerald. At the top is a sharp, silver point.Talents: Zapping the bad guys (or anyone who annoys her) with her spear.
Rosaline Isobel Clayton
Career: Next in line to inherit the amulet.Biography: Rosaline is the daughter of Marcus and Isobel Clayton. She has a younger brother, Elliot, and they have grown up in a wealthy, but less than perfect, family. Rosaline’s mum keeps her at a distance, and her dad is a little deranged.
Age: 15.Height: Five-feet, four-inches.Body Type: Petite but strong.Complexion: Pale skin with a spray of freckles across her nose.Eyes: Emerald green.Hair: Dark red with wild curls that fall to below her shoulders.Clothing: Pale pink T-shirt, faded denim jeans, and Converse sneakers. Rosaline hates anything fancy. She’s a bit of a tomboy.Voice/Demeanour: Rosaline is always polite when she needs to be, but it depends who she’s talking to. If someone has pissed her off, she doesn’t hold back in letting them know. She is well versed and educated, but she is after all a teenager.Prejudices: Rosaline doesn’t tolerate pomp and circumstance much, which is difficult since she spends a lot of time at her rich nana’s house. She doesn’t like flashy shows of wealth and prefers things plain and simple.Best Qualities: Rosaline is compassionate, determined, and has a pure heart.Weaknesses: Fear of heights and flying, and her soft spot for Elliot.Hobbies: Reading, daydreaming, exploring, and getting lost in her imagination.Weapon of choice: Silver daggers with emerald-encrusted handles.Talents: The ability to use the amulet’s power, especially when she has no idea what she’s doing.
The Magic of Immagica Explained
When we think about magic, we often visualise witches and wizards with wands, casting spells and striking people down with lightening. But the magic within Immagica is very different, and works in a non-traditional, magical way.The concept of Immagica is based on the power of imagination. Within our imagination, anything is possible. We can create whatever we want, and see it however we like, all inside our own mind. No wand or spell necessary.The land of Immagica is very organic. It can be shaped and tailored for whoever is there at any given time. There are, of course, certain things that remain the same, but everything else is open to interpretation, and governed by the imagination of the person experiencing the adventure.Like anything, there are certain rules, but some rules are made to be bent or broken. The magic of Immagica can be unpredictable, because Immagica itself is alive. It actually has a say in everything that is created, and the events that happen. It’s like having someone looking over your shoulder, nudging you in a certain—but not always right—direction. Imagination plays a major part in shaping Immagica, but the subconscious of the person visiting is also at play.There are two main sections of Immagica. If you have a look at the map (PLEASE INSERT IMAGE OF MAP) you’ll see there’s the Barren Lands, which encompasses all the not so nice places, and there’s the Go-Between, which is a friendlier place, but not always. In the Barren Lands, the weather changes depending on your mood. Get angry and a thunderstorm can brew in a matter of seconds. In the Go-Between you have more control over things, but your emotions, subconscious and mind are all working either with or against each other.Although the concept of magic by imagination is a relatively simple one, it can sometimes get confusing in the way it works. This is mainly because nothing is set in stone, and something that happens one way for someone can work in a completely different way for someone else. Read these excerpts where Brynn attempts to explain to Rosaline the way Immagica works, and see if you can make sense of it. I think Rosaline had a hard time grasping the concept.EXCERPT: From Chapter 4 – The Girl with the Spear
Brynn got up and went to the other side of the room. From the shelf above the weapons she pulled down a piece of old yellowed paper, and a pencil. She sat back at the table and drew an image resembling the shape of the amulet. The eye was in the middle, and thick lines came out to form the compass points around it. She even included the intricate lines that lay between the eye and the edge of the circle. She then drew an uneven area around the completed compass, making it larger around the northern point. Beyond that, Brynn created another space that almost touched the edges of the paper.
“This is Immagica, and we are here,” she said, indicating a spot in the south, farthest away from the compass. “We are in what’s called the Barren Lands. On the outskirts of the Barren Lands lie the Sea of Tears, Dragonblood Swamp, and Desperation Sand Dunes. But you won’t have to go there, it’s in the wrong direction.”
“Good. It doesn’t sound very nice,” I said.
“In the Barren Lands the ground is always bare and rough, but the sky changes depending on your mood. You can be your own undoing out here as the spirit feeds off you. The more desolate you feel, the worse it gets, and the only way to control it is to control your emotions. I’m actually surprised the sky stayed blue so long for you.”
I ignored the snide comment.
“This place here is the Go-between.” Brynn indicated the uneven area outside the compass. “It holds the nicer parts of Immagica: Runetree Woods, Rainbow Drop, Emerald Hills—you get the idea. Things are a little more controllable there. For a start, the weather doesn’t react to your mood, but you still need to be careful. While the Barren Lands feed from your emotions, the Go-between feeds from your mind, and subconscious. In Immagica, all your dreams—and nightmares—can come true.”
What she was telling me did sound pretty interesting, and despite myself, I leant closer to look at the crude map she’d drawn.
“Do you mean if I think of something, it becomes real?”
“That’s exactly what I mean. But it’s not as simple as just thinking something, and it appears. You have to want it, but Immagica also has to want you to want it. Sometimes Immagica will want you to have a different version of what you wanted in the first place.”
“You are not making sense—again,” I said. “Did you just have tea with the Mad Hatter?”
EXCERPT: From Chapter 7 – Emberash Maze
The amulet map told me the maze was triangular—like a pie wedge—inserted between the south and east towers. I studied it closely until I thought I’d found the clear path through. It came out near the bridge just south of the Eye. Ira stopped at the entrance, stamped his hoof and tossed his head. The muscles in his shoulders tightened, and he snorted. I got the feeling he wasn’t too keen on the idea of heading into the maze.
“What’s the matter?” I asked. “Scared?”
Hardly, Rosaline, I can look after myself. You, on the other hand, should be. You don’t know what we might encounter.
“And you do?”
I know what we could find, Ira said, but not what we will find. That is up to you.
“Well, how about we don’t find anything, and we simply walk the path through unscathed.”
Brynn let out a high-pitched laugh in my ear, and I flinched. “Have you not figured out how Immagica works yet?” she said. “Don’t you remember what I told you?”
I twisted around to get a better look at her face. She raised her eyebrows and her pale blue eyes looked worried. “Immagica gives me what I wish for, but I have to be careful,” I said.
“Have you lot not told her anything while she’s been with you? Why is it always up to me?” Brynn sighed. “Okay, Rosaline, listen up. Immagica does give you things you consciously imagine. But it also gives you things beyond your wildest dreams.” I started to interrupt but Brynn shushed me. “Your subconscious plays a part here, too, remember? Immagica can see into your mind and your heart, and sometimes it creates things you never wanted it to. Everything in Immagica—the good, and the bad—exists without imagination. It just takes a hint of desire, and poof, it comes alive. All the things you could possibly imagine and more are right here under your nose. All you have to do is think of them. Rule number one is: there are no rules.”
“We can’t just think happy thoughts?” I asked.
“You can, but it won’t help. It’s your subconscious you need to look out for. Immagica has a way of making you see things you may not want to.” I gave Brynn a worried look. “But I’m sure we’ll be fine,” she said.
“No dreaming up the Minotaur then,” I said.
Brynn took a deep breath. “That does not help.”
Excerpt 1:
“Where am I?” I asked the breeze.“You know, talking to yourself is the first sign of craziness,” a voice said from behind me.I spun around to face the most unusual girl I’d ever seen. She held a bronze spear in her right hand. It was fancy, like a sceptre, with a decorative head that housed a big emerald. What was it with all the emeralds? Maybe I was in Oz.The stone was shaped like an eye, like the one in the amulet. It seemed to be staring at me, and I shuddered. Above all the fanciness was a silver point that could probably slice me in half in one-second flat.Frantically, I looked around for something to use to defend myself if I needed to. But my only option was to brain her with a rock—if I needed to.“I wasn’t talking to myself,” I said. I totally was talking to myself. “I just wanted company.”The girl laughed. “You should be careful what you wish for in a place like this.”She looked a little older than me, with pale blue eyes, and an olive complexion. Silver streaked her long, black hair, which had several small braids through it. Her cheekbones were high, and her mouth pouty.“And where is this, exactly?”The girl stared at me, as if I should know the answer. I still wasn’t sure if she would hurt me or take me to meet her no doubt equally weird-looking friends. She wore a pair of ripped denim shorts, and her top was a little strange. It was cream in colour, and looked like it was handmade, with lacing up each side and an uneven neckline. Her long legs were encased in shin-high chunky hiking boots, and she had a small leather satchel flung across her body. The spear totally completed the outfit.“Not quite like Dorothy, is it?” she said, grinning. “She was greeted by munchkins, but you got me instead.”“You’ve read The Wizard of Oz?”“Of course.” The girl laughed. “And Alice in Wonderland, The Neverending Story, and Narnia. All the greats.”Somehow, I found it hard to believe. Where the hell was the library?“Who are you? And where am I?” I asked, putting my hands on my hips. I could play smart, too, but I hoped I appeared more confident than I felt.“Which do I answer first? I hope you know who you are.”“Never mind,” I said, turning away. She’d done her best to annoy me, and I’d only known her for twenty seconds.“Don’t take it personally.” The girl fell into step beside me. “You’re not the only one who’s ended up here when they first arrived. Not everyone can expect to land in the thick of things.”“What are you talking about?” I stopped to face her.“I’m Brynn.” She stuck out her hand. I hesitated, but eventually took it. She pumped my arm up and down a few times before letting go. “So, where’s the book?”“How do you know about the book?” I frowned.“You usually can’t get here without the book.”“Where’s here?”“Isn’t it obvious?”“No, not really. Why do you want the book?” I asked.“I don’t want the book.”“Then why did you ask about the book?”“You’ll need the book,” Brynn said. “The book is very important.”I sighed. “Of course it is.” I pulled it from the waistband of my jeans, but I didn’t hand it over.“You don’t trust me, do you?” Brynn asked.“If you were me, would you trust you?”“I’m very trustworthy.” She smiled and raised her eyebrows.“But how do I know that!”She shrugged. “You don’t.”“Okay, this place is just odd,” I said.
Excerpt 2:
The machine was close enough for me to reach out and touch. It wasn’t actually hanging like I’d first thought; it was supported by a pole that went down the centre of the Eye. In the distance, at the very bottom, there was something red—a light, pulsing softly in the darkness.All the parts of the machine were shiny, and it was well looked after. I reached out a hesitant hand to touch one of the cogs.“Please, don’t do that,” a nervous voice said from the other side. “You shouldn’t touch the pupil, it’s very fragile.”Through the gaps in the mass of parts, I caught a glimpse of a boy. “Pupil?” I asked.“Yes.” He moved to where I could see him, and scratched his head. “Fragile. It’s fragile.”The boy looked around seventeen. His white-blond hair fell across his forehead. Behind his thick-rimmed glasses were the most unusual eyes. They looked hazel, but a second later they were green, or hazel with green flecks. As quickly as I decided what colour they were, they changed again. He was tall and lanky, and wore a faded red T-shirt, jeans and rubber thongs. I thought he was cute, in a geeky kind of way.“Who are you?” I asked, tentatively.“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” the boy said, eyeing me sceptically. “How did you get in?”I held up the amulet. “Key?” I said.His eyes widened. “Oh. Oh!”“Hi, Lex.” Brynn gave a small wave.“Brynn. Um … hi,” Lex said. He turned back to me. “You’re—”“Here to save you. Yes, I know.” I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “So, your name is Lex?”“Um … yes. I’m keeper and protector of the Eye. I get to oil the cogs and stuff.” He waved his hand towards the machine.“What does it do?”“What does it do ...?” He scratched his head again, clearly flustered. He reminded me of my dad when he got excited. Lex darted back behind the big contraption and stared at me through the gaps. “What does it do?” he repeated. “It’s the pupil, the life of the Eye, the heart of Immagica. It counts time, and records memories.” His arms flapped, and he stepped back to where I could see him. “If the rose dies, the pendulum stops and … what did you say your name was?”“I didn’t. I’m Rosaline.” I tried to smile, but this guy was seriously weird. Cute, I reminded myself, but weird.
Excerpt 3:
The dragon roared again, and the deafening sound bounced off the surrounding hills. He’d changed, now he was pure evil. He was enormous, and it was not until the dragon lowered his snout, smoke billowing from his nostrils, that I understood just how big he really was. His hind legs stood firmly on the ground below, and his huge, spiked tail swung behind him. It pulverised what was left of the decaying bridge to the south tower.Lex had to get back inside the Eye. Without him, it was in danger, even if the tower still stood in the north. If Lex died, the Eye would have no protection.“Lex, go.” I pushed him away from me.“No, I won’t leave you. Not to face that alone.”“You have to get back inside the Eye. You have to.” He shook his head, but he knew I was right. “Go!” I said again.Lex scrambled to his feet, and took off along the bridge. I’d never seen anyone run so fast. He turned to a streak of dull colour in the darkness, and caught up to Ira and the others in seconds.They were still a fair way from the gate. I wanted them inside the Eye, where they would be safe. The longer they stayed out in the open, the worse their chances of making it through this became. Dad needed Lex’s medical supplies, but I couldn’t let myself think about it. If I did I’d fall apart.The dragon swung his tail over his head, the three spikes splaying out, and brought it down fast. It swiped away a section of the gleaming bronze, and added it to the pile of rubble below. I scrambled backwards on my butt, but there was nowhere for me to go. I had no choice but to stop and face the beast.I braced myself, and prepared for the worst. But this time his attack was not aimed at me. The dragon’s eyes lit up the darkness. Two red beams, like lasers, shot from them towards my friends. The beam struck Walter’s conscience in the back, and the force of the blow sent him tumbling to the ground. Dad managed to stay on Ira’s back, but Ira slipped, and they crashed down as well.Another beam struck Brynn. She crashed to the ground, and lay motionless not far from the gate. Ira made several attempts to regain his footing before he succeeded, his hooves slipping on the bronze surface. Lex hauled Brynn inside the safely of the Eye.
The dragon sent another piercing beam from his eyes. Walter’s conscience staggered to his feet and threw himself over Dad. The beam hit Walter’s conscience in the side, leaving a gaping hole in his body. I clamped my hands over my ears to block out the screaming. The dragon fired at Walter’s conscience again, and this time the force of the blow sent him skidding across the bridge and over the edge. Silence fell into the night like a lead ball.
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