Her mouth went dry and her heart forgot to beat. The drone of the Terrordactyls drummed in her ears. ‘Erm....I suppose this isn’t a good time to mention that I don’t like heights?’
‘No it is not Serenity! There isn’t a moment to lose!’ hissed Pluto. ‘Come! We must get across before they see us! Now!’
‘No! I can’t do it!’ shrieked Venus. She had broken out in a cold sweat, just thinking about the sheer drop that lay below the bridge. The droning got louder and closer.
‘Any moment and they will see us!’ cried Skye, tugging at her arm. ’Come on!’
‘I will carry you across on my back Serenity,’ said Pluto urgently. ‘Jump on!’ She realised he had reverted onto all fours.
‘No! I might fall off! I want to be in control!’ she quavered.
‘Then I will walk in front and Skye will follow behind you!’
Venus suddenly remembered the Staff of Sunev. Get a grip girl, she told herself. Stop being a wimp! She grasped the Staff firmly and tried to speak without her voice wobbling with fear.
‘I can do this, on my own. Just stay close by in case I lose my balance. I shall keep my eyes straight ahead and use the Staff.’
Flanked fore and aft by her companions, Venus edged her way towards the start of the rock bridge. A hard and uneven surface stretched ahead of her, only a yard or so wide, with the dizzying drop on either side. One stumble, one misplaced foot and she could plummet to her death.
The droning grew closer and louder........she took a first fumbling step. Pluto was upright again now, his broad back just inches away from her face. She began to pick her way across, fumbling ahead with her Staff. She was just beginning to feel a little more confident when a burst of fire echoed in the distance. She made the mistake of glancing down, for one infinitesimal moment. Her head swam and her feet squirmed as the void seemed to rush up to meet her, ready to suck her down.
No... don’t give in to the terror! You can do this! Just pretend it’s a log in a kids playground or something...
......taking a deep breath, she dragged her gaze upwards and shuffled along the ridge, holding onto the Staff for grim life. It seemed to be pulling her along gently as though it was guiding her. Suddenly a new confidence flowed into her. With a gasp of relief she found herself on the other side of the rocky bridge, watching Skye as he made his way towards her on his prehensile feet, his eyes fixed on hers. He had nearly reached the other side when suddenly they flared with alarm.
‘Quickly Venoos! Get under cover!’
Seconds later a fireball hurtled into the bridge behind him. There was an almighty explosion and rocks shattered everywhere. Skye was thrown several feet into the air and the bridge collapsed underneath him, sending rocks crashing into the gorge below. For a few dreadful seconds Venus thought he was going to plummet to his doom, but the boy seemed to have animal like powers; with elastic agility, he hurled himself forwards against the lip of the gorge and clung there, legs dangling in the void, his long ferny fingers gripping the sides of the rock like a lizard.
‘Go! Hide!’ he cried. ‘You must get under cover.’ The droning noise was upon them now, filling the air, and more fireballs hurtled against the sides of the gorge.
‘Come Serenity, it is imperative you survive...’ said Pluto behind her.
‘No! I’m not leaving Skye here!’ she gasped. Leaning forward, she grabbed his hand. His fingers curled around her arm like a creeper and she pulled him up with a strength she didn’t know she had. The two of them fell backwards onto the ground and Skye landed right on top of her. For a moment their faces were inches apart and his dark almond eyes stared deep into hers. She suddenly realised how much she would have hated anything to happen to him..... and how much she was beginning to like him. What’ going on here? Thought Venus This boy wasn’t even strictly human.
