beetle. He let go of the tree and swooped down like a bird of prey with his fingers outstretched. In one quick movement he snatched up the bug and snapped his head up to focus on a tree above himself. He tucked the bug under one arm and clamped onto one of the branches with his free hand. His stop was jerky, but successful, and he grinned at Hywel. "Wow, that's fast."
"Yes, you may yet outrun the guards, but don't get cocky," Hywel advised him. The Star turned toward the city center. "We've waited long enough. Set the bug down and follow me." Hywel flew high into the air, and Fred quickly followed without the bug. They went to sixty feet in the air before Hywel headed over the city. It only took a few seconds before they were spotted by the Stars below them, and a cry rang up from the guards. "Hurry along now!" Hywel encouraged Fred. They rushed forward and the Tower rose before them. The guards around the base sprang up as a swarm and flew toward the pair. "Evasive maneuvers!" Hywel yelled.
"What's that?" Fred yelped.
"It means dodge them! If they touch you they can take away your pixie magic and you'll fall!"
Fred's eyes widened, and his voice came out in a shrill, terrified squeak. "Now you tell me that?"
Hywel veered off to one side and caught the attention of half the swarm, but the other half still zoomed toward Fred. He focused on the smaller towers beneath him, and dove down with the guards close at his heels. The earth sharply rose up and the citizen Stars scrambled for cover as this large human fell down from the sky. At the last moment before he hit the top of one of the houses, Fred jerked his head up to the sky and performed a sharp arch back into the air. The Stars didn't expect the large human to be so maneuverable, nor turn up at the last second, and half of his pursuers didn't make the turn. They toppled into the countless holes of several of the towers and didn't pop out.
Meanwhile Hywel was having his own problems. His pursuers recognized him and ordered him to stop.
"What are you doing, Hywel?"
"Stop, Hywel!"
"What's going on, Hywel?"
Hywel glanced over himself, and back at his friends and relatives. "I'm trying to save your glowing hides!" he yelled back.
He made an abrupt stop and dropped beneath them. They flew over and Hywel redirected himself and his followers straight upward toward Fred, who couldn't shake the expert fliers that remained on his tail. Hywel aimed himself straight at Fred's followers, and those Stars so concentrated on their target they didn't see Hywel barrel into them from below. His own pursuers knocked into their fellow guards, and the whole group crashed as one to the ground below.
Hywel caught up to Fred. "Get to the Tower and let's get out of here!" Fred nodded and aimed his flight path to the square top. He could see a band of metal on the tip about an inch wide with rounded sides, and he focused his attention on that one spot. The top was thirty feet away when Fred heard Hywel yell at him. "Trouble!"
Fred glanced to their right and saw a new group of guards rise up out of the Tower. They were led by Cadwaladr, who was not happy to see Hywel nor to see his guards so thoroughly defeated by a single Star and human. It was a race to the top with both groups closing the distance in a heated tie. Fred willed himself to go faster so he could get the hell out of this pit of nasally despair. His hand wrapped around the square band just a second before their competitors reached the top, and he and Hywel used their momentum to fly out of the clutches of the guards and Leader.
With their head start Hywel directed them down into the swamps where he could easily outmaneuver their pursuers. Fred wasn't so lucky because he was larger, and he graced more than one tree branch with his forehead. His frequent head trauma slowed him down and the guards closed the gap. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the lead Star a foot from his feet. In a matter of seconds he would be touched
"Yes, you may yet outrun the guards, but don't get cocky," Hywel advised him. The Star turned toward the city center. "We've waited long enough. Set the bug down and follow me." Hywel flew high into the air, and Fred quickly followed without the bug. They went to sixty feet in the air before Hywel headed over the city. It only took a few seconds before they were spotted by the Stars below them, and a cry rang up from the guards. "Hurry along now!" Hywel encouraged Fred. They rushed forward and the Tower rose before them. The guards around the base sprang up as a swarm and flew toward the pair. "Evasive maneuvers!" Hywel yelled.
"What's that?" Fred yelped.
"It means dodge them! If they touch you they can take away your pixie magic and you'll fall!"
Fred's eyes widened, and his voice came out in a shrill, terrified squeak. "Now you tell me that?"
Hywel veered off to one side and caught the attention of half the swarm, but the other half still zoomed toward Fred. He focused on the smaller towers beneath him, and dove down with the guards close at his heels. The earth sharply rose up and the citizen Stars scrambled for cover as this large human fell down from the sky. At the last moment before he hit the top of one of the houses, Fred jerked his head up to the sky and performed a sharp arch back into the air. The Stars didn't expect the large human to be so maneuverable, nor turn up at the last second, and half of his pursuers didn't make the turn. They toppled into the countless holes of several of the towers and didn't pop out.
Meanwhile Hywel was having his own problems. His pursuers recognized him and ordered him to stop.
"What are you doing, Hywel?"
"Stop, Hywel!"
"What's going on, Hywel?"
Hywel glanced over himself, and back at his friends and relatives. "I'm trying to save your glowing hides!" he yelled back.
He made an abrupt stop and dropped beneath them. They flew over and Hywel redirected himself and his followers straight upward toward Fred, who couldn't shake the expert fliers that remained on his tail. Hywel aimed himself straight at Fred's followers, and those Stars so concentrated on their target they didn't see Hywel barrel into them from below. His own pursuers knocked into their fellow guards, and the whole group crashed as one to the ground below.
Hywel caught up to Fred. "Get to the Tower and let's get out of here!" Fred nodded and aimed his flight path to the square top. He could see a band of metal on the tip about an inch wide with rounded sides, and he focused his attention on that one spot. The top was thirty feet away when Fred heard Hywel yell at him. "Trouble!"
Fred glanced to their right and saw a new group of guards rise up out of the Tower. They were led by Cadwaladr, who was not happy to see Hywel nor to see his guards so thoroughly defeated by a single Star and human. It was a race to the top with both groups closing the distance in a heated tie. Fred willed himself to go faster so he could get the hell out of this pit of nasally despair. His hand wrapped around the square band just a second before their competitors reached the top, and he and Hywel used their momentum to fly out of the clutches of the guards and Leader.
With their head start Hywel directed them down into the swamps where he could easily outmaneuver their pursuers. Fred wasn't so lucky because he was larger, and he graced more than one tree branch with his forehead. His frequent head trauma slowed him down and the guards closed the gap. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the lead Star a foot from his feet. In a matter of seconds he would be touched
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