Labyrinth Junction
Page 3
“Follow me,” replied Tia with a kind, sympathetic smile as she began to glide in the direction of the large building.
Ben and Amy followed her up the path towards the main entrance. Ben was astounded at just how tall the Moonbeamers were. They looked similar to elves, although he had always read in storybooks that elves were very tiny. But the Moonbeamers were tall, much taller than he was, and they didn’t walk, they glided a few inches above the floor in a strange, shimmering light. Tia had long raven hair, and her sparkling, tawny eyes twinkled with kindness. Her flawless ivory skin shone with beauty, and Ben thought she was probably the most beautiful being he had ever seen. She led them through the doorway and along a wide hallway. The walls were lined with wooden panels, each displaying a wonderful carving.
They reached what Ben imagined was the biggest and most majestic staircase he had ever seen, and he looked up in awe as they started to climb. Eventually they reached the top and huge, double arched doors towered ahead of them. Tia stopped outside and knocked gently. The doors immediately began to open inwards, and a Moonbeamer in red clothing beckoned them in. Tia led Ben and Amy through the doors into an enormous hall. Ben looked around in amazement. The high ceiling was covered in archaic paintings, and it reminded him of pictures of the Sistine Chapel he had studied in books. The windows were large and arch-shaped, and majestic pillars stood around the room. In the centre a group of Moonbeamers were seated around an enormous stone table. One of them stood as they entered.
“Welcome to the Citadel. My name’s Hal,” he exclaimed as he held out his hand, his eyes shimmering with warmth.
Like the other Moonbeamers, he was tall and slender with long dark hair and bright chestnut-brown eyes. Ben thought he was a handsome man with a warm smile, and immediately felt at ease.
“I understand that you entered our land through Labyrinth Junction earlier today and would like our help to locate it again?” Hal asked Ben directly.
“Yes, that’s right,” stammered Ben, hope swelling in his stomach.
“Tell me what happened?” asked Hal inquisitively.
Ben told the Moonbeamers how he had come to find Labyrinth Junction, about the old lady who resembled a witch and the red sweets she had given him. He told them about the passageways and his arrival into their land. He also told them about his encounter with King Ados, and how he had become invisible when he ate one of the sweets. Amy helped fill in some of the details, and the Moonbeamers listened intently without interruption. When Ben had finished, the Moonbeamers were quiet. They asked for drinks and food to be brought for their guests, and Ben and Amy accepted them gladly. So much had happened that day that Ben had completely forgotten that he hadn’t eaten since breakfast – apart from the invisibility sweet of course! As he and Amy ate, the Moonbeamers watched and whispered amongst themselves before approaching their guests.
“I understand your worry and your need to get back to your family. Your friend Amy was right to bring you here. If I could help you, I truly would, but the truth is, we are no longer able to locate the Junction ourselves. The trouble is, King Ados’ father took away most of our magical powers when he stole the kingdom from us. The magic that remains, we are forbidden to use. If we wield the old magic to try to locate the passageway, the King will know immediately. If he discovers that the Moonbeamers are using magic again, most of us will be slain and the rest will be taken to Numblebrook Island Prison. Unfortunately, that is not a risk we can take and our priority must remain with our fellow Moonbeamers. I am truly sorry… I wish we could help you return home, Benjamin, but unfortunately we cannot.”
Ben’s hopes disintegrated, and Amy regarded him sympathetically.
“What am I to do, then?” he pleaded.
“You are welcome to stay here with us,” replied Hal. “You are a Giddle, and you are therefore not safe in this land. If King Ados finds you, he will imprison you at the very least. If you stay here in the Citadel, we will keep you safe. We hope one day to overpower the King and return the realm to the Moonbeamers. If this ever happens, we will again have the use of our magic and I will gladly locate the Junction for you myself. But until that day comes, my hands are tied. My priority has to be the safety of the other Moonbeamers… I am sorry.”
“How do you hope to overpower the King?” Ben asked, trying to cling on to any last bit of hope.
“Firstly we have to discover how to reach the Enchanter’s Orb,” replied Hal. “The King obtains his power from the Orb, which he has hidden away in a secret location. The Orb serves only its master, but that master can change if someone finds the Orb and chants the magic spell. The Orb also has a hold over the Unicerons and supplies the power to the Sword of Gwyntog. Both will only serve their master, and unfortunately, at this time their master is King Ados. But we hope to find the Orb and change this!”
“Do you know how to find the Enchanter’s Orb?” asked Ben.
“Unfortunately not; we have been trying to locate it for many years. King Ados’ father hid it well, and the only people who know its location are King Ados and his heirs.”
Silence followed. Ben liked the Moonbeamers and was sure that they would protect him, but he wanted to go home. He wanted to see his parents, his brothers and sisters, and his dog. He had fought with his brothers and his sisters had irritated him, but now he just wanted to see their faces again, and his heart wrenched in sadness.
As he looked towards Hal, he noticed a large book on the stone table in front of him. On the cover of the book were the words Haligan Lexin. Something about the name seemed familiar, and Ben started to rack his brains as to why this was. “What’s your name?” he spluttered, intrigued.
“Why, Hal, of course!”
“No, your full name?” asked Ben hastily.
“My full name is Haligan Lexin. Why?” he answered curiously.
All of a sudden Ben remembered why the name sounded so familiar. He quickly searched his pockets and pulled out the green envelope the old witch had given to him. In big letters across the front it said, PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL, and underneath, For the attention of HALIGAN LEXIN.
“I had completely forgotten! The old lady asked me to deliver this to you. She wanted me to pay her ten noggings for passage through Labyrinth Junction, but I didn’t have any noggings… I didn’t even know what noggings were! So she told me that I could only pass through if I delivered this letter to someone called Haligan Lexin. She wouldn’t tell me who that was. She said I had to find out for myself!”
Ben eagerly handed the envelope to Hal, who looked at it suspiciously. He slowly opened the envelope and pulled out a green sheet of paper. His eyes looked down at the words it contained, and he remained silent for what seemed like a long time. When he eventually looked up, a smile appeared on his face and he slowly began to read:
Down in the keep
Lies the Enchanter’s Orb.
The magic that it oozes
Is used to fuel the Sword.
It is a perilous journey
Down to this magic globe,
But those who seek to rule us
Must crack the number code.
This Enchanter’s Orb
Will serve but one man well:
The last to hold the Orb
And chant the magic spell.
Deep in the eucalyptus wood
Lies the Gothic Well.
How many steps
To ring the golden bell?
Hidden in the caves
Is the red dragon’s lair.
Count the spikes on his back;
Beware of the bear.
Down in the glen
Dwells the wise old man.
How can he hear you?
LISTEN to his wisdom if you can.
Deep in the sea
Rest the Ancient Scrolls.
Be sure to read them carefully;
Bew
are the deadly souls.
The riddle reveals the spell,
But the numbers are all mixed up high.
Only one chance to get them right;
They are all ‘pie in the sky’.
After Hal had finished reading the contents of the letter, the room remained silent. But slowly, smiles started to appear on the Moonbeamers’ faces. Then came joyous laughter, and Hal turned to Ben.
“Well, Ben, for two decades we have hunted for clues to help us find the missing Orb. It appears that you have just provided us with these. This is a riddle – a riddle that can help us find the Enchanter’s Orb and maybe restore the crown to the Moonbeamers. Benjamin Giddle, I think you have been sent here for a reason: to help us find the Orb and restore peace and happiness here in Numblebrook.” The Moonbeamer stood and raised his glass. “Here’s to finding the Enchanter’s Orb!” he declared.
“To finding the Enchanter’s Orb!” The other senior Moonbeamers joyfully joined the toast.
Hal then turned to Ben and raised his glass again. “And here’s to Benjamin Giddle!”
“To Benjamin Giddle!” everyone cheered in delight.
Chapter 4
The Riddle
Ben and Amy were given a room at the Citadel that night, and they talked well into the early hours. Amy explained that she was an only child and had become an orphan at the age of six. Her parents had owned a small farm in a village near to the palace. They had possessed a handful of sheep, cows and chickens, and had grown all their own vegetables. Her father would travel to nearby towns selling wool, eggs, milk and other produce. He worked extremely hard to bring in the money, and they were comfortable. Life was happy and peaceful for them, until King Ados passed a new law prohibiting farmers from selling their own goods. This law stated that all farm produce was to be sold via a large Sunday market that was run by the state. The supplies sold at this market were to be heavily taxed, the tax monies going directly to the King.
This new law was leaving farmers virtually penniless and struggling to survive. Most sold to passers-by, family and friends, but the King forbade this. He discovered that farmers from Amy’s village had been selling their stock illegally; something they needed to do to earn a sufficient income. One dark night the King ordered his guards to burn the village and its farms to the ground, as a warning to any other farmer who dared to sell crops and produce without paying the hefty taxes. Sadly, Amy’s parents died in the fire. Amy escaped by jumping from her bedroom window and running into the nearby woods.
The survivors rebuilt their houses and tried to resurrect their businesses. They cared for Amy and gave her a home, but it wasn’t the same as having her family, and nobody noticed if she was gone for days on end.
She stumbled upon Shami one warm summer’s day whilst exploring in the woods. Shami had been hurt in a trap, and Amy bandaged her wounds and nursed her back to health. Whenever Amy whistled, the dragon would be there within minutes, and Amy felt that Shami was her only true family now.
Ben thought this was a very sad story, and could not imagine what it must be like to be an orphan. Amy hated King Ados for killing her parents and she, more than anyone, wanted the crown restored to the Moonbeamers.
The next morning Ben woke before Amy. The room had an enormous, square window that overlooked the city, and he sat for a long time, watching the Moonbeamers’ daily activities. He heard a gentle tap at the door and Tia stood outside, holding a large tray of food and drink.
“Good morning, Benjamin, I’ve brought you both some breakfast; I thought you might be hungry. Did you sleep well?”
“Yes, I did, thank you. Thanks for the breakfast; I’m starving! I had better wake Amy.”
“Hal has arranged a meeting at ten o’clock in the Great Hall. I will collect you and Amy just before. Enjoy your breakfast.”
Just after ten o’clock, they entered the Great Hall. Amy’s freshly washed hair shone in the morning sunlight, and Ben thought she appeared to have regained a liveliness in her step after the painful memories of the previous night.
“Good morning. Did you sleep well?” asked Hal with a smile.
Ben and Amy both nodded.
“We have a lot to discuss this morning… we have a riddle to solve! Would you both like to join our council and help us to solve this rhyme?”
“Oh, yes please!” Amy chirped in delight.
She seemed really eager, and Ben noticed how happy she appeared. He thought that she probably relished the idea of staying with the Moonbeamers, as she had no family of her own and the Moonbeamers were really kind and welcoming people. They smiled at her response and turned to look at Ben.
“Me too!” he replied enthusiastically, knowing that solving the riddle and finding the Enchanter’s Orb was his only hope of locating Labyrinth Junction.
“Excellent!” said Hal, smiling.
A short and stocky Moonbeamer introduced himself as Josiah. He wasn’t willowy and lithe like the others; he had chiselled features and broad, strong shoulders. He unfolded a large piece of paper on which he had copied the riddle, and laid it on the table for everyone to see.
“Does anyone have any ideas?” asked Hal.
“Let’s have a look at the first few verses,” Josiah suggested.
Everyone agreed that this was a good starting point, and Hal began to read:
Down in the keep
Lies the Enchanter’s Orb.
The magic that it oozes
Is used to fuel the Sword.
It is a perilous journey
Down to this magic globe,
But those who seek to rule us
Must crack the number code.
This Enchanter’s Orb
Will serve but one man well:
The last to hold the Orb
And chant the magic spell.
“We are already aware of how the Orb functions; it serves only one living soul and it supplies the power to the Sword of Gwyntog,” said Hal. “The poem implies that the Orb is in the keep. When my father was king, I spent much of my childhood at Cottisham Castle. It was common knowledge that there existed a keep beneath the castle, but I was not allowed to explore it. I was told that it was a dark and dangerous place, so it makes sense that the Orb is hidden there within King Ados’ reach.”
“It also mentions a number code!” exclaimed Josiah. “Maybe this suggests that the Orb is locked away and a code is needed to free it?”
“And it mentions a magic spell!” declared Ben excitedly. “Do you know what the spell is?”
“Unfortunately not, Ben!” replied Hal with a sigh. “But I’m hoping that the riddle will lead us to it!”
“Let’s read on,” suggested Ballin, a softly spoken Moonbeamer, whose white teeth flashed brightly against his tanned jolly face. “I’m hoping that the rest of the rhyme will give us a clue as to where to start looking!”
Smiles crept over the group’s faces as Hal read on:
Deep in the eucalyptus wood
Lies the Gothic Well.
How many steps
To ring the golden bell?
“This must be the first clue to help solve the number code!” said Josiah eagerly. “There are many eucalyptus woods in our land, but I have never heard of one which contains a gothic well!”
“I think I may know of this well!” Amy uttered in excitement.
The Moonbeamers looked at her intently, eager to hear what she had to say.
“One day Shami and I had travelled quite far and we stopped for a rest in a eucalyptus wood. I was exploring, and out of the corner of my eye, I noticed an old well. It looked as if it hadn’t been tended to or used in many years. The stones were crumbling and the overgrowth almost hid it from view. I cannot recall any steps, though I could have missed them. To be honest, it looked rather spooky and I was happy to keep a safe distance away.
”
“Would you be able to find your way back to this well?” asked Hal hopefully.
“I was a long way from home, but I’m sure Shami would help. She has a very good memory and knows these lands well.”
“It would be of great benefit to us if Shami could remember the way,” replied Hal. “It’s a good starting point, and we can always widen our search if it turns out that this is not the well we seek.”
Amy smiled with renewed importance after giving the Moonbeamers such vital information.
Hal slowly read out the next verse:
Hidden in the caves
Is the red dragon’s lair.
Count the spikes on his back;
Beware of the bear.
“Red dragons are ferocious. It would take a brave being to enter one’s lair and count the spikes on its back!” declared Ballin.
“Maybe I could eat one of my red sweets and become invisible?” suggested Ben.
“That’s very courageous of you, Ben!” added Hal. “But first, we need to locate this lair: red dragons live in many corners of this land.”
“The answer might be found in the ancient manuscripts,” added Ballin. “Red dragons live for thousands of years, so if one particular lair is important it may have been documented at some point.”
“I will arrange for the librarians to search through the manuscripts for any information. If none can be found, we will speak with the village folk,” said Hal. “The last line of the verse states Beware of the bear. This I do not understand, as bears have been extinct in this land for thousands of years. Maybe this is a clue as to where the cave is. Again, I will ask the librarians to look for any information about bears. Any other suggestions?”
The room remained quiet, so Hal moved on:
Down in the glen
Dwells the wise old man.
How can he hear you?