Keys to the Demon Prison (Fablehaven #5)(13)

"He should have a name," Mara said.


"Goliath," Elise suggested.


"I like it," Vincent said.


"What should we call the other statue?" Tanu asked. "Nancy," Seth said quickly. Vincent and Trask chuckled.


Goliath tottered to his feet. He had a squarish head with no neck. One bulky leg was a bit shorter than the other. The toes on the right foot were too long and shaped like carrots. Now that Goliath was standing, his arms looked a little stubby, but they were thick, with a rectangular shield attached to one forearm and a heavy stone hammer in the opposite hand. The clay had not been properly smoothed, so irregular bulges and slabs covered his surface, contributing to his rough-hewn look. Goliath was not quite as tall as Nancy, who had a long jaw and a high forehead, but his shoulders were just as high and somewhat broader.


While the statues approached each other, Trask herded everyone back toward the entryway. Tanu scooped up the egg-shaped key. Walking backwards, Seth stared as the opponents seemed to measure one another, moving cautiously, weapons held ready. As an art project, Goliath was a failure. He looked slapped together by some careless kid. But as a combatant designed for smashing enemy statues, he had potential.


"Can we help Goliath?" Seth asked.


"I don't think arrows and swords will do much," Trask replied. "If I had brought a sledgehammer, it might be a different story."


"Couldn't we provide distractions?" Elise asked.


Trask shrugged. "We might end up as the wrong kind of distractions. The guardian statue could use our welfare to bait Goliath and force mistakes. Let's see how our champion fares. His bulk might give him a shot."


As the statues circled each other, it became clear that Nancy was more balanced and therefore moved more fluidly. The enemy statue tested Goliath by switching direction several times and making little feints. Given his somewhat lopsided construction, Goliath did not change direction very smoothly. The first strike by Nancy came as Goliath teetered momentarily on his short leg. The enemy statue darted forward, swinging the curved, flat club in a vicious arc. Connecting fiercely with Goliath's head, the top two-thirds of the club snapped off. In retaliation, Goliath swung his shield, which landed with a tremendous crack of stone against stone. Nancy stumbled backward with Goliath in pursuit.


Seth cupped his hands around his mouth and cheered.


Without looking over, the enemy statue flung the remaining length of his club toward Seth. Mara dove, tackling Seth to the floor as the broken club hissed over them before clattering down the passage.


From the cool, hard floor, Seth watched as Goliath swung his hammer several times, but Nancy managed to evade the blows with nimble footwork. As Goliath kept up the pursuit, hammer swinging aggressively, the enemy statue started looking for openings, sneaking in punches or kicks between strokes. The counterattacks proved ineffective, connecting weakly before Nancy had to dodge the next major blow.


Goliath relentlessly pressed his advantage, pursuing the enemy statue around the room, always maneuvering himself to keep his opponent away from the entrance to the passage. Seth watched with his hands balled into fists, his anxiety rising as Nancy proved to be impossible for Goliath to hit. What would they do if Goliath lost? There was no chance they could stand against the huge and agile statue. It would smash them into hamburger.


As Goliath swung high, rather than dodge, Nancy accepted the blow. The hammer connected, shattering the top half of Nancy's head in a gravelly spray. But even as the blow landed, the enemy statue delivered a strong, sweeping kick to the ankle of Goliath's short leg, sending Goliath sprawling.


Nancy knelt hard on the wrist of the hand that held the hammer, wrested the weapon free, and then took off Goliath's head with a fearsome blow. The crude, squarish head bounced and rolled across the floor, reminding Seth of dice. Half rising, moving with alarming speed and grace, the enemy statue brought another crushing blow down on Goliath's hip. Goliath grasped for the hammer, but Nancy skipped away.


Headless, with a web of cracks running through his right hip, Goliath arose. The enemy statue circled, the heavy hammer poised menacingly. When Nancy charged, Goliath lunged forward to meet him, shield upraised. The hammer whistled down savagely, bashing through the shield and demolishing Goliath's arm below the elbow. Goliath used his good arm to punch the enemy statue in the chest. Nancy fell backward, but rose to his knees as Goliath rushed forward. The stone hammer connected with Goliath's right hip once more, snapping the head off the weapon and breaking off Goliath's right leg. The enemy statue heaved Goliath away.


"We're dead," Vincent moaned.


"Keyhole," Kendra said, pointing.


All eyes turned to the alcove on the far side of the room where Nancy had originally stood. Against the back of the alcove was a circular indentation a little smaller than the recess in the floor.


"Bless you," Trask said to Kendra, setting down his crossbow and snatching the egg-shaped key from Tanu.


"I'm quicker," Mara said.


"Not holding a forty-pound weight," Trask replied hastily. Cradling the iron key in one arm like a football, he raced out into the room.


The enemy statue instantly took notice, turning away from Goliath and rushing to intercept Trask. Seth held his breath. As Nancy closed in, Trask cut to the right, forcing the huge statue to change course. Then Trask cut back to the left at the last second, narrowly avoiding the statue's outstretched hands as it dove at him.