Labyrinth Junction

by Hayley Davenport-Smith

  “How rude of me, I forgot the cake!” declared Wimble, jumping up from the table and rushing back into the kitchen.

  “I’m fine! I’m really not very hungry!” shouted Amy, but Wimble seemed oblivious to her protests.

  “Here we go, go, go,” he chirped, placing a cake tin on the table. He took the cake out of the tin and sliced it up into several pieces. “Scrumptious!” he declared, popping a piece into his mouth.

  As he did so, Amy noticed something wiggling in his slice of cake. She peered down at her own piece and stared in revulsion at the hundreds of maggots slithering around inside the cake. She quickly put her hand over her mouth and ran out the front door. Ben peered down at the cake and then pushed it away with his hand as Amy appeared back in the doorway, wiping her mouth.

  “Now, what was it you wanted, wanted, wanted?” asked Wimble.

  “We are searching for the Ancient Scrolls and were told that you may be able to help us,” said Hal.

  “Why me, me, me?” asked Wimble.

  “We were informed that you are a very wise old man and that your knowledge of such things is tremendous,” replied Hal encouragingly.

  “Most people think I’m mad, mad, mad. And perhaps I am?” answered Wimble, as he pushed his matted grey hair away from his face and tucked it behind his ear.

  Ben stared in amazement… surely his eyes were playing tricks on him? Wimble had two ears on the right-hand side of his head. They were large, and twitched as he talked. Ben looked at Amy in order to get her attention and then shifted his eyes to Wimble’s ears. Amy gazed towards Wimble and looked at his two right ears with repulsion. She shifted her chair to see the other side of Wimble’s head and tried to peer under his hair. To her horror, he also had two large, twitching ears on the left-hand side of his head!

  “Well, maybe if people think you are mad, they are a little naive,” added Hal, trying not to look at Wimble’s ears as he spoke.

  “I can tell you many things, things, things. Like, that pigs are really chickens in disguise. I tried telling some fools this once, but none of them believed me. They just said I was mad!”

  Tia raised her eyebrows and looked at Hal cautiously.

  “What can you tell us about the Ancient Scrolls?” asked Hal.

  “The Ancient Scrolls, Scrolls, Scrolls are in Xallanpolis. People say Xallanpolis doesn’t exist, but it does, does, does.”

  “It is said that the city of Xallanpolis was washed away by the great floods a few centuries ago. How can it still exist?” asked Hal.

  “It’s under the sea, of course!” declared Wimble, very matter-of-factly.

  “Divers tried for many years to find Xallanpolis, but it was never found. It is said that it is just an old wives’ tale and there was never such a place,” said Tia.

  “That’s because people can’t see past the end of their own noses, noses, noses!” replied Wimble. “If they tried looking a little harder they might find the obvious!”

  Ben noticed Wimble’s ears twitching rapidly, as he became more and more agitated.

  “So how do we find this underwater city that you say still exists?” asked Hal.

  “You can only find it every full moon, moon, moon. Locate the small island with a chapel. Just past the chapel you will find a rock in the sea, sea, sea. Sit there at midnight on the next full moon. Close your eyes and whisper to the night, night, night. Whisper, ‘Spirits of Xallanpolis, please come to me.’ Whisper it several times and your calls will be answered. The spirits will only answer children… they do not trust the adults of this world. People may have searched for Xallanpolis for many years, but nobody can find Xallanpolis… Xallanpolis must find you!”

  They stared at Wimble in utter disbelief. Surely what he was saying could not be true; he must be completely insane?

  Wimble looked at them, and his ears twitched uncontrollably. “Now, I have told you enough, enough, enough. Be on your way, way, way. Out you go, go, go. Be off with you now.”

  He stood and began ushering them out with his hands. The smell that oozed from his body was overwhelming, and again Amy had to put her hand over her mouth to prevent herself from being sick.

  “Please, Wimble, you have been very helpful, but we just have a few more questions,” proclaimed Hal, as he was backed up towards the entrance.

  Wimble pushed them through the door in a hurry. “Not today, thank you, you, you,” he chirped, as he slammed it in their faces.

  The four of them stood outside in utter bewilderment.

  “How did it go?” asked Ballin enthusiastically.

  “Ruby was definitely right. He’s as mad as a hatter!” concluded Ben.

  “Maybe there could be some truth in his words?” suggested Hal unconvincingly.

  “Don’t be ridiculous!” added Amy. “He served us mushy peas with what he said was tea! His cake was crawling with maggots and he told us pigs are actually chickens in disguise! He’s completely nuts.”

  “Perhaps he speaks in riddles because he wants people to think he is mad?” suggested Hal. “If we are to trust the map, he has to be the wise old man. No others live in this region. And if we don’t follow his advice, where do we go from here? We are at a dead end unless we do as he advised.”

  “So you want us to wait for the next full moon, sit on a rock in the sea and ask the spirits of Xallanpolis to come to us? Are you mad?!” exclaimed Ben.

  “Do you have any better ideas?” asked Hal.

  Ben and Amy stared at Hal, wondering whether he was as insane as Wimble himself.

  Chapter 12

  The Ancient Scrolls

  It was a clear, moonlit evening as the boat pulled into the small harbour on the island. Tonight would be the first full moon since their strange and disturbing visit to Wimble’s cottage, and midnight was approaching.

  “I think this is a really silly idea!” groaned Jacob, as he climbed from the boat. “Underwater cities and spirits of Xallanpolis? It just isn’t going to happen. That Wimble is sending us on a wild goose chase and probably having a real good laugh whilst he’s at it. We’re going to feel like a right bunch of idiots sitting on a rock in the sea at midnight and whispering to spirits that don’t exist!”

  “It is our only hope, and stranger things have happened,” declared Hal.

  Ben could tell that even Hal himself was not that hopeful, but they had agreed to this at his request and Ben thought it was better just to get it over with as quickly as possible. Like the others, he thought that Wimble was completely insane and had talked absolute nonsense. However, nobody had come up with any better ideas, so it had been agreed they would at least give the absurd idea a try.

  The island was in darkness; the only light was that beaming down from the bright, shining moon. The chapel stood in the shadows on the rocky headland, its silhouette looking strangely eerie against the moonlit sky. Beyond the headland they reached a tiny shingle beach and looked out across the waves and the vast ocean before them.

  “Look!” Amy gasped. “There’s a rock poking out of the water just over there. I wonder if that is the rock which Wimble said to call the spirits from. It’s just about big enough for us all and we could probably wade out that far without getting too wet.”

  “I’ve had a good look around and it’s the only rock I can see,” replied Ben, trying to show a bit of enthusiasm.

  “Wimble warned us that only children could find their way to the secret underwater city. I think it would be wise for us Moonbeamers to wait by the little chapel out of view,” Hal said cheerfully.

  “How convenient for you!” retorted Jacob sarcastically, as a look of scorn flashed across his face.

  Hal ignored the comment and continued. “Remember, we will not be far and shout us if you need any help. Do you have the moonstones?”

  The children checked their pockets and nodded in confirmation. The Moonb
eamers wished them luck and walked off into the shadows until they were out of sight.

  “I don’t see why we should have to do anything those Moonbeamers tell us to do. They get to sit back and rest whilst we make complete idiots out of ourselves!”

  “Oh, stop moaning, Jacob! Let’s just get this over with!” said Owen.

  Jacob huffed and turned away, clearly not very happy with the situation he had found himself in.

  “How long have we got?” asked Amy.

  “It’s nearly time,” Ben answered as he checked his watch. “Let’s wade out to the rock and get ourselves ready.”

  They rolled up their trousers to above knee height and started walking out into the water. Ben gasped as the chill of the ocean struck him.

  “It’s freezing!” Amy shivered.

  “It’s so cold!” panted Owen.

  “This is really a bad idea!” grunted Jacob.

  The water was quite shallow and they climbed onto the rock quickly, eager to escape the coldness of the sea. The full moon shone down onto the waves and created strange shapes, bobbing up and down. An eerie silence fell over the group as they waited. Ben checked his watch and saw the hand approach midnight. He signalled to the others and they slowly started to chant.

  “Spirits of Xallanpolis, please come to us… Spirits of Xallanpolis, please come to us… Spirits of Xallanpolis, please come to us…”

  At first nothing happened, and Jacob looked quite pleased with himself. But then, out of nowhere, a bright moonbeam appeared and seemed to rest itself on the rock, and the water before them started to swirl. They stared at the waves in disbelief, unable to move or talk. The sea began to swirl faster, more ferociously, and three spikes started to emerge out of the water. A large, muscular man with long blond hair and a beard rose from beneath the waves. He clutched what looked like a trident, and he wore a crown of flowers around his head. The sea came up to his waist and water dripped from his bare chest.

  “Why do you summon me?” he asked the children.

  “Who-who-who are you?” blubbered Ben as his chest tightened with fear.

  “I am Toreas, God of the Sea. Why do you summon me?”

  “W-w-w-we need your help,” stammered Ben.

  The children stared in fear and disbelief.

  “What kind of help?” asked the strange water-man.

  “W-w-w-we are searching for the Ancient Scrolls!” Ben spluttered.

  “I cannot bring you the Ancient Scrolls. They are in Xallanpolis and there they must remain,” the man bellowed.

  “We need their help!” begged Amy. “My friends here are in grave danger and only the secrets written within the Scrolls can save them.”

  “I can take you to the Ancient Scrolls, but I cannot bring them to you. Jump into the water and I will help you.”

  “B-b-but I cannot swim!” blubbered Jacob.

  The others stared at him in surprise. It now made sense why Jacob had been objecting so much, but he had been too proud to admit anything.

  “Do not worry yourself with that, my child, just step into the water,” Toreas insisted.

  Ben felt himself being drawn closer and closer to the water, as if he was in some kind of trance and unable to stop himself. He looked over to Amy and Owen and they too were slowly sliding down the rock towards the water’s edge. Even Jacob had stopped protesting and was peering down. Ben slid into the water and gasped for breath. It was much deeper on this side of the rock, and the water closed over his head. For a second he panicked, but then he realised that he was floating. He looked around and saw the others in the water too. The sea around them lit up and Ben looked down into the waves. The strange water-man did not have legs, but instead a large fish-like tail. From above the waist his torso looked human, but his bottom half was that of a sea creature. Ben looked down at his own body and, to his amazement, he too no longer had any legs, but instead a large tail.

  “I look like a mermaid from a story!” Amy cried.

  The water no longer had the same chill and now felt satisfyingly warm.

  “Come!” the merman shouted before skimming off into the deep waters.

  Ben swished his tail and moved with great velocity. A smile spread across Jacob’s face as he realised he could swim strongly. They followed Toreas at speed, gliding through the water like giant fish. Suddenly, the merman started to descend, and the children began to panic, afraid to put their heads beneath the water’s surface. Toreas beckoned for them to follow and continued to swim down towards the seabed. The children looked at each other in fright, not knowing how long they could hold their breath under the ocean.

  Ben started to swim down and the others followed reluctantly. As Ben swam deeper into the ocean he realised he could not hold his breath any longer and he made a quick gasp for air. However, to his delight, he found that he could easily breathe under the water, and he quickly spun round to face the other children.

  “I can breathe!” he shouted, equally surprised by the fact that he could talk beneath the surface!

  They too all gasped for air before staring at each other in disbelief. Ben, elated at his new abilities, swam enthusiastically to catch up with the merman.

  The deeper they swam, the brighter the ocean became. They swam along the seabed and passed shoals of colourful fish and beautiful coral reefs. A seahorse bobbed past them and an orange clownfish glided through the water. Ben looked at his beautiful surroundings, in awe of what he was seeing. Amy pointed to the left as a school of bottle-nosed dolphins swam by, playing with their young. Ben felt that this was probably one of the most amazing and stunning sights he had ever seen.

  Toreas stopped and waited for them by a large rock on the seabed. As the others caught up, he beckoned for them to follow. To their astonishment, he seemed to dive down into the rock itself and simply disappear. As the children approached the rock, they noticed that there was a small gap and realised it was an underwater cave entrance. They slowly swam into the cave, wondering where on earth it could lead, but they were not entering a dark cave, but a huge underwater city! They gasped in wonderment at the sight before them. Houses lined the streets and a palace stood majestically in the distance.

  “Welcome to Xallanpolis!” Toreas announced.

  The children were speechless and stared in disbelief.

  “I will take you to King Bartholomew and Queen Taliana, for only they can give you permission to see the Ancient Scrolls.”

  They approached the palace and Toreas spoke to the guards at the grand doors. They were escorted into a large hallway where trumpet players announced their arrival. They floated down the middle of the magnificent hall towards two figures who were seated before them on large thrones.

  “Your Majesties,” announced Toreas, as he bowed before the King and Queen.

  “Welcome, Toreas, God of the Sea,” replied the King. “What brings you to us?”

  “These children are from Numblebrook. I found them by the full moon, calling for us at the rock by the island. They say they are in grave danger and only the Ancient Scrolls can help them.”

  “Tell me, sweet children… why are you in grave danger?” asked Queen Taliana softly. “We haven’t had any visitors from Numblebrook for many years. Luckily for us, people no longer think Xallanpolis exists.”

  “My friends are Giddles!” exclaimed Amy. “King Ados doesn’t allow Giddles into Numblebrook. They entered through the Junction and now the passageway can’t be found. They need to find their way home before the evil king tracks them down.”

  “Giddles! I haven’t heard of Giddles entering the land for centuries. I wish I could help you, but the Scrolls cannot tell you how to locate the passageway; it never stays in the same place for long.”

  “Our only hope of finding the passage is to restore the realm to the Moonbeamers,” replied Amy. “Evil King Ados has caused nothing but sadness an
d destruction in our land for many years. If we could find a way of locating the Orb, then the crown could be passed back to its rightful owners, the Moonbeamers, and they will be able to use their magic once again.”

  “Ah, I see,” replied Queen Taliana. “We have kept our distance from Numblebrook for many years now as we prefer to live in peace. If I take you to see the Scrolls, it is imperative that our existence is kept secret. I understand the danger your friends are in, so I will help you if you can make me this promise.”

  “We will promise never to discuss this with anyone but the senior Moonbeamers,” said Amy eagerly. “The Moonbeamers are loyal and kind and would never tell a soul!”

  “Very well, as long as you can keep that promise, my sweet children.” The Queen smiled. “Follow me!”

  The Queen seemed gracious and kind. She had a pretty heart-shaped face with glittering sapphire eyes and a gentle smile. She wore her fair hair in a bun beneath her golden, jewelled crown which sparkled in the light. She led them through the palace to a small, round room at the top of one of the tall stone turrets. In the centre of the room was an enormous glass casket, and inside was a large golden-bound book. The book looked extremely old, and as Ben approached he squinted to read the title… The Ancient Scrolls: The Secrets of Our Time.

  Queen Taliana opened a lock on the side of the casket and took out the book. She carried it over to a table at the side of the room and placed it on the wooden surface. “There you are!” she announced.

  “How do we know whereabouts in the book to look?” asked Owen.

  “Open it to the first page and ask the book what you want to know,” replied the Queen.

  The children looked at her with puzzled expressions on their faces.

  “Inside are the Ancient Scrolls… it is no ordinary book. The Scrolls are full of wisdom, but this wisdom is not written in words. Open the book and you will see!” she advised.