Forest Kingdom Trilogy 1 - Blue Moon Rising

his fear and hate and desperation came together in him as he screamed defiance to the dark, but the Rainbow didn't come. The sword was cold and lifeless, and Rupert knew that this time he was on his own. There wasn't going to be any Rainbow. Rupert slowly lowered the sword, and stared at it numbly. No one had ever told him the blade could be used more than once, he'd just assumed it. And he'd assumed wrong. Rupert's hands suddenly began to shake, and he panted for breath as panic welled up within him. Until now, he hadn't realised how much he'd come to depend on the rainbow sword; knowing he had that extra ace up his sleeve had given him a confidence and security he'd never known before. Rupert shook his head violently, forcing back the growing panic. All right, so the sword was useless; he'd just have to face the dark the hard way, that was all. He'd done it before, he could do it again. And then a thick slobbering grunt came from directly beneath him, and something slammed into the underside of the platform, throwing him off balance.
    'Pull faster!' Rupert screamed to the guards. 'Pull me up! Pull me up!' The platform lurched beneath him, tipped to one side, and then straightened again as the elevator finally began to pick up speed, leaving the creature behind. Rupert stared anxiously up the shaft as the widening circle of light drew steadily nearer.
    It was going to be close. He snatched up the lantern and readied himself to jump clear the moment the elevator reached the winch cavern. Deep in the shaft, the creature grunted, hungrily, eagerly.
    It's still following me up the shaft, thought Rupert dazedly. What is it? What the hell is it?
    The platform burst out of the shaft and into the cavern. Rupert threw himself to one side and hit the ground rolling, somehow still hanging on to his sword and lantern. He lurched to his feet and yelled a warning to the startled guards at the wheel, and then something crashed into the stationary platform from below. The solid wood shattered into splinters as the creature of the dark roared up out of the mine shaft.
    Silver grey and shining with its own eerie light, it erupted into the cavern and fell upon the guards. They didn't even have time to scream. At first Rupert thought it was some monstrous worm, but then he saw how the shimmering flesh spread out as it surged beyond the confines of the elevator shaft, and he realised the creature had no shape, and simply became what it needed to be to fulfil its purpose. The Champion was at his side, grabbing him by the shoulder and almost throwing him into the tunnel that led to the surface. Rupert snapped out of his daze and sprinted along the tunnel, the Champion close behind.
    Rupert glanced back once: the glowing pearly flesh had filled the cavern and was spilling into the tunnel after them. Rupert swore harshly, and ran faster. The Champion lifted his lantern to judge the distance ahead.
    'We're not going to make it, Sire. We have to stand and fight.'
    'It'll kill us!'
    'If you've a better idea, I'm open to suggestions.'
    Wet sucking sounds echoed behind them, and the creature grunted like some vast hog at its trough.
    Rupert glared about him as he ran.
    'The tunnel supports!' he said suddenly. 'The wood's half rotten anyway; cut through enough of them and
    the roof will collapse. That should slow the creature down!'
    He skidded to a halt and hacked at the nearest support with his sword. The blade sank deep into the rotting wood and stuck fast. Rupert cursed, and worked it free. The Champion sliced clean through the opposite support with one blow of his war axe. Rupert cut again and again at the stubborn timber, and finally sheared it through. The roof creaked once, and a little dust fell into the tunnel. The Champion cut through another support. Rupert glanced back down the tunnel and froze. The creature was fast approaching, surging forward like a flash flood. Frothing and writhing, it filled the tunnel with its eerie grey light. Deep within the semi-transparent flesh floated the limp bodies of the guards, turning slowly over and over, and Rupert finally knew what had happened to the people of Coppertown.
    Behind him, the Champion sheared through a thick timber support, and the roof creaked ominously. The sudden sound snapped Rupert out of his reverie, and he ran on down the tunnel to attack another support with his sword. The decaying wood fell apart on the first blow, and the roof sagged. Dust fell in thick streams as the rock