Chapter Thirty Two: Sam Loses His Charm

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There were at least five of the massive airships now casting a shadow over the land. It was beginning to look like they would not be able to outrun them.

"I am ordering the driver to pick up the speed!" TyrAnna yelled.

"No Mother we can't leave them behind!" Candillice argued pointing to the group of Tigris towns people that were walking behind them. The driver stopped.

"Why did you stop!?" TyrAnna hissed.

"Something's in the way your majesty," the driver replied. They all looked out to see a pile of large rocks covering the road.

"What?! Those were not there before!" Queen TyrAnna screamed.

It was looking like they would have to leave the Carriage and try and make it to the gate on foot as a large shadow was creeping towards the carriage.

"Those airships cast a shadow that enables the Grotesques to attack at full force and under the cover of complete darkness!" TyrAnna stated with great fear in her voice. The fact that it was night time was bad enough but without the bright star light it would be even worse Sam thought.

"That White Knight chap definitely was not lying about the Grotesques. The scouts on the wall must have spotted a very large force nearby and lit the warning fires!" Carlyle stated. Sam looked towards the wall and he spotted that all along the wall fires were lit.

"It is over then. . . There is but one thing we can do," TyrAnna said. She stood up from her seat and pulled a lever on the ceiling. From the floor below a small pedestal appeared containing a small grey spherical shaped gem. TyrAnna stared at Sam with a fear in her eyes that she tried to hide.

"Samuel Gusterson I order you to charm this relic immediately!"

"No we can't do this Mother!" Candillice protested.

"Why not Candy? What's it do Carl?" June asked.

"This entire carriage is a relic. . . it's exterior can become hardened like a shell, we should be quite safe inside," Carlyle explained. TyrAnna turned to Carlyle and hissed at him with great ferocity.

"NO MORE QUESTIONS NOW DO IT!" Tyranna ordered.

"No Mother what about the others outside!" Candillice yelled.

"Can't do it Ma'am," Sam said. He looked at the Tigris outside as the shadow approached them. The darkness of the night was pitch black.

"We should try and fit them in here!" Sam said.

TyrAnna looked like she was about to blow her fuse however surprisingly instead of bursting with rage she jumped out of the carriage.

"Look everyone it's the Queen!" One of the Tigris following the carriage yelled. The same group that was part of the mob earlier gathered. They became angry and started to look for branches and stones to throw at her.

TyrAnna simply glared her teeth at them, she grinned as she towered over them. She was clearly more powerful, they would be no match for her in a fight. The shadow was creeping fast towards them, TyrAnna lunged at the Tigris grabbing as many as she could in her arms and threw them into the carriage. She had to do this several times before the carriage was packed full. When she returned she pushed some of the Tigris out of her way.

She then grabbed Sam to place him in front of the sphere.

"Now do it!" TyrAnna ordered. Sam was becoming afraid, he could see the shadow approach them and how dark it had become outside.

"We should be quite safe in here until daylight!" Carlyle said to him.

Carlyle's assurance helped. Sam placed his hands over the sphere and it lit up.

Although he was still not sure how his gift worked he was beginning to get the hang of it. Suddenly there was a trembling all about the carriage as the exterior hardened and turned into an armoured shell. Sam could not see what was happening outside anymore as a hard surface formed over the carriage beginning with the driver section where the driver and generals were seated. It then moved towards the passenger section and cargo space in the back. Finally the war cats pulling the carriage were covered in hardened armour as well.

It was dark inside the carriage with the spherical gem being the only light. They could not see outside, it was very quiet which helped to calm down some of the Tigris inside.

It was only an hour later when some of the Tigris had fallen asleep that they heard what at first they thought was thunder in the distance. But as it grew louder it began to sound like marching.

"I would count an army of one hundred Grotesques!" Carlyle turned to Candillice and whispered. Tyranna had not rested one moment, she clinged to the corner and she looked to be the most fearful of all the Tigris inside the carriage. The marching grew louder and then suddenly there was a stomp just outside the carriage. The war cats began to growl at something outside. June was the last to wake up from all these sounds outside due to her hearing not being as advanced as the Tigris or even as good as Sam's. When she figured out what was happening she screamed. This annoyed TyrAnna greatly.

"Shut up! The next one of you that makes a sound. . . ." TyrAnna was interrupted as a loud knocking occurred on the side of the carriage. She clung once more to the corner and looked up in fear. BANG! Another hit and then the carriage felt like it was tilted and it rocked back and forth in what felt like an attempt to flip it over. The carriage began to shake once more, much like it had when the shell was formed around it.

"Were sinking!" June screamed as that is how it felt.

"It is only the carriage digging into the ground, relax everyone they will never get inside here we are quite safe!" Carlyle said calmly.

It was getting cramped in the carriage for Tyranna as some of the Tigris towns people would be pushed into her by the lack of space and jostling of the carriage. But she pushed them away to try and make as much personal space for herself as possible. The Towns people did not mind so much as they were tired but also grateful for being inside the carriage and not outside with the Grotesques.

"I hope the sun comes out soon!" June said and Sam agreed with a nod. But

suddenly his eyes widened with realization.

"But what if those ships can block out the sun too?" Sam said. Many Tigris began to cry at this suggestion as the knocking began to intensify it was clear that more Grotesques joined in the attack.

The war cats continued to growl, they were on a short leash so they could not run away but their armour protected them. The Grotesques kept their distance but the sounds were horrifying to those inside, soon many Tigris were breaking down and felt hopeless.

The carriage shook a few more times as what sounded like hundreds of Grotesques began to bang on the carriage. This lasted for many minutes before they gave up. They listened as stomps could be heard walking away from the carriage. The war cats continued to growl as the Grotesques gave loud horrible shrieking sounds that revealed how surrounded they were.

"We will never reach the wall," "Maybe they will spare some of us," The Tigris towns people said to eachother.

"If only I could have seen the White Knight," TyrAnna said.

"Is that really the only reason you came Mother?" Candillice asked.

"What if it's Aughustus?" TyrAnna shouted at her.

"He's gone Mother! Father is gone don't you see it's the same as the King , It's the same as. . . .as. . . . All we have is just us now!" Candillice shouted back but her mother crossed her arms and looked away. Moments passed by before the stomping was heard again.

"They will make us slaves now or try to put us back to the mindless feral state again!" "I'd much rather die!" Some of the Tigris townspeople screamed.

"Don't lose hope!" Candillice shouted with frustration.

"But even if we get out of here and make it to the wall we will never be able to go home it is gone now!" One of the older Tigris cried to Candillice.

"No matter what happens this night I will protect all of you! You will see your homes again! I promise!" Candillice said this with her hand placed on her heart. They all felt inspired by her words and Carlyle was greatly impressed with her determination.

Things began to calm down and some gave sighs of relief. Even Queen TyrAnna was calmer though she still was not planning to allow Candillice to leave and fight by herself if she had any say in the matter. It became quiet in the carriage and also very quiet outside when the sphere began to flicker.

"What is this?!" TyrAnna screamed as she saw the flickering. The sphere's light appeared to gradually fade and it could be felt by the atmosphere in the carriage the relic was failing. "Fix it!" TyrAnna ordered.

"Sure," Sam said with confidence. He placed his hands on the spherical gem and it began to light up again. But as soon as it regained it's strength the light flickered and faded again.

TyrAnna grabbed Sam and almost knocked his toque off his head which Sam quickly prevented by holding on to his head tight. Peeling sounds could be heard on the exterior. The armoured shell was fading as the light faded from the sphere shaped gem.

"Fix this now or I will tear you to shreds!" TyrAnna screamed as she shook Sam.

She then grabbed his hands from his toque and placed them on the sphere.

"Something is wrong! I cant do it!" Sam yelled as fear over took him.

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