Ben leaned over and opened the book at the first page. As he did so, a lady’s face appeared within the book. She was very beautiful, with long red hair, big green eyes and a friendly smile.
“How can the Ancient Scrolls help you today?” The lady’s voice rose from within the pages.
The children stared at the book in utter confusion. The Queen noticed their puzzled looks and nodded in encouragement for them to answer.
“We need help to locate the Enchanter’s Orb. King Ados is an evil king and we want to restore the crown to the Moonbeamers,” Ben replied in befuddled astonishment.
“That will be on page fifty-three!” the lady announced, quite matter-of-factly.
Her face sank back inside the book and the pages flipped rapidly. The children stood back and stared at the book in bewilderment. The pages settled on page fifty-three and a second lady appeared from the waist up. This lady was blonde, blue-eyed and as beautiful and friendly as the first.
“Hello. What can I help you with today?” she asked politely from within the book.
Ben repeated his question slowly and waited for her reply.
“The Enchanter’s Orb is located in the keep at Cottisham Castle. To get to the keep you need to find the trapdoor which is located at the back of the throne room. This door will take you down some steps and along a passageway. At the end of the passageway you will come to some large double doors. Go through these doors, and this will lead you down to the keep. Dangerous things await anyone who tries to take the Orb; beware what lies ahead. If you should manage to succeed in this perilous task, the one who wishes to rule should place their hands on the Orb and chant the magic spell.”
“Do you know what the spell is?” asked Amy hopefully.
The lady in the book cleared her throat and raised her hands as if acting in a play. She then started to chant the spell in a very expressive and powerful tone:
Oh, Orb, dear Orb, please listen to me,
Pass me your powers for all to see,
For I am the one who will rule this land well,
The power of the Sword should be mine to tell.
I will be a leader who is good and true,
Using powers wisely, which pass from you,
For I am the rightful heir of these lands,
I promise you this, as I hold out my hands.
Be loyal to me and I’ll be faithful to you,
For this is my destiny, which I dearly hold true,
For I am the monarch, the monarch to be,
Your powers should pass to no one but me.
When she had finished, she lowered her hands and smiled, as if she were reverting to her true self.
The four children looked at each other in wonder.
“How do we remember all those words?” asked Ben.
“Here!” The lady smiled. A hand reached out of the book and came to within a few inches of Ben’s face. In the lady’s hand was an old scroll, and he took it carefully. As he unrolled it he realised it was a copy of the strange poem.
“Be careful to keep it safe,” she advised. “It would not be wise to let it get into the wrong hands! Do you need me for anything else?”
“Just one more thing!” Amy asked quickly. “We are told we need a number code. Do you know of such a number?”
“That is for you to solve for yourselves, my lovelies. One of the numbers is right before your eyes! But it would not be wise for me to tell you everything!” Her eyes turned to look at Ben. “If you think hard enough, you will know how to decipher the number code. After all, this one small task will solve many of the world’s problems! Now, if that is all you need me for, I must bid you farewell. Goodbye!”
The face disappeared back inside the book and the pages again started to flip over rapidly. They settled back on the first page and the red-haired lady reappeared.
“I’m glad we have been of assistance to you today! Thank you and good luck!” she said merrily, before the book slammed shut.
The children looked at each other in utter wonderment.
“This place gets weirder by the minute!” said Jacob.
Queen Taliana stepped forward from where she had been standing at the back of the room. “I think the Scrolls have decided that they have told you enough to help you on your quest. Once they close the book they do not wish to tell you any more of their secrets. Now come, I think it is about time we helped you return to Numblebrook, before the Moonbeamers begin to worry.”
Queen Taliana led them back to the throne room, where they found the King and Toreas waiting.
“Were the Scrolls behaving for you today? Sometimes they can be rather rude and unhelpful!” the King laughed.
“Yes, they were rather obliging today!” giggled the Queen.
“Splendid!” roared the King.
“Thank you for your hospitality.” Amy smiled. “You have been most helpful.”
“I’m glad we could aid you, and I wish you all well in your quest. You should leave before nightfall; the seas can be a frightening place once the fish sleep!”
The King and Queen bade them farewell and Toreas led them back out of the city and up through the gap in the rocks into the vast ocean. They swam back over the coral reef, past many thousands of sea creatures, and then started to ascend towards the top of the water. The higher they swam, the darker it became. Eventually no fish could be seen and the sea no longer had that serene and beautiful feeling about it; it felt empty and dark.
Owen was trailing at the rear when he sensed something behind him. He turned and stared through the dark waters as a strange fear engulfed him. There was definitely something behind him, something looming in the deep currents. Then he saw it… a shark! Just as he realised what it was, it darted forwards in the water, heading straight for him. He screamed frantically, and the others turned to look behind.
“Owen!” Ben gasped.
The shark hit Owen with an almighty force. He went spinning through the water as the shark turned to make a second attempt to attack its prey before the kill. Again it darted at him and sent him hurtling through the water like a rag doll. It circled him, opening its huge jaws and flashing its many layers of razor-sharp teeth. As it was about to rush at Owen for the final time, Toreas seemed to appear from nowhere, pointing his trident at the fearful creature. He hit the shark with a tremendous blow and it angrily turned to face him. As Toreas raised his trident for a second time, the shark promptly turned and fled through the water at great speed. Owen was in a state of shock and the others swam frantically around him, checking that he had not been injured.
“Are you hurt?” Amy cried.
“I think I’m all right. Just a bit bruised and shaken,” replied Owen, trembling.
“Do you think you are able to carry on swimming to the surface?” Ben asked sympathetically.
“I’ll try,” Owen muttered. “I just want to get out of here as quickly as possible!”
The other children swam either side of him as they continued their journey to the top of the ocean. They were all afraid after the attack and eager to get back on land as quickly as possible.
After swimming for a few more minutes, Toreas came to a stop. “This is where I will leave you!” he announced. “The top of the ocean is only fifty feet above us and you will easily be able to find your way from here.”
“Please don’t leave us!” cried Amy fretfully.
“You can’t leave us here!” exclaimed Jacob. “We need to find the shoreline.”
“My duty is now done. I have taken you to Xallanpolis and you have talked to the Ancient Scrolls. The Queen asked me to take you to the top of the ocean and I have done this. For the rest of your journey, you must continue alone.”
“But what about our tails?” asked Ben. “We cannot leave the water whilst we are still part fish.”
“Do not wor
ry yourselves with that. Once you reach the air, your legs will return to normal. Now I must bid you farewell, my friends!” Toreas shouted as he sped off into the distance.
“But I can’t swim with legs!” cried Jacob. “I will drown! Come back!”
Only silence followed, and the children looked at each other worriedly.
“Come on,” said Ben shakily. “He’s gone. We need to try and finish this journey alone. Let’s go before any more sharks sense we are here!”
The children swam up to the ocean surface. Just as Toreas had advised, their tails turned back into legs as soon as they took their first breath of air. Jacob immediately started spluttering and his head dropped below the water. The others quickly swam over to help him and pulled him back to the surface.
“Get me out of here!” he screamed.
Ben looked around, desperately searching for the island, but all he could see was the vast ocean in every direction.
“I can’t see any land!” cried Owen.
“He’s just left us in the middle of the ocean! We’re all going to drown!” sobbed Jacob as he clung to Amy.
“The moonstone… use the moonstone!” Amy shouted to Ben.
Ben felt in his pocket and quickly pulled out the stone. He held his hands above the water and started to rub the stone ferociously. As he rubbed he closed his eyes and chanted Hal’s name, whilst desperately trying to tread water. The moonstone felt warm, and Ben quickly opened his eyes. It had become hazy, and he slowly saw Hal’s face begin to appear.
“Ben! We have been so worried since you did not return this morning. Tia has been overwrought with anguish. We have been trying to contact you with the stone, but received no response.”
“We need your help urgently! We are in the middle of the ocean! Jacob can’t swim and I fear that we are all going to drown if you do not find us quickly!” cried Ben as fear clawed through him.
“Whereabouts in the ocean are you? Can you see any landmarks?” asked Hal frantically.
“No, nothing! I can’t see anything but sea! I cannot tell you where we are!”
Ben could no longer keep both his hands above the ocean. As water hit the stone, Hal’s face disappeared. Ben desperately tried rubbing the stone again, but to no avail.
“Where is he?” sobbed Amy. “Where has he gone?”
“I don’t know!” cried Ben. “I lost contact with him and I can’t get him back!”
They trod water for what seemed like a long time and took turns helping Jacob to stay afloat. Exhaustion was setting in and nobody had the energy to speak. The sea now felt cold, and they all realised that time was not on their side. Then, just as all hope was fading away, Ben noticed two dots in the sky in the distance. He gasped for breath as he tried to speak, but no words would come out. He pointed in the air and the others wearily looked towards the sky. The dots grew bigger, and as they got nearer, they slowly began to take shape.
“Shami!” Amy gasped.
A massive sense of relief swept through the children as they realised all was not lost. They frantically waved their arms in the air and shouted with all the energy they could muster. Shami and the other dragon instantly changed direction and started heading straight towards them… they had been seen! Two Moonbeamers were riding astride the dragons, and Hal leaned out into the air and shouted something down to them. Shami glided down to the ocean surface and flapped her wings wildly, spraying water in all directions. Hal and Tia helped pull the children out of the cold, vast ocean onto the safety of the dragon’s backs. Ben felt weary and drained, but also ecstatic and relieved at being out of the water and astride the dragon, safe in the care of the Moonbeamers once more. The children were given thick cloaks to wrap around their drenched and exhausted bodies. Then the dragons slowly rose into the air and headed off into the distance, leaving the vast ocean waves and Xallanpolis far behind them.
Chapter 13
The Number Code
Ben woke up to find himself lying on a large bed in a brightly lit room. The sun streamed in through the open window and Tia sat by his bed reading a book. She smiled as he opened his eyes.
“Where am I?” he asked.
“We’re at Ruby’s inn; we didn’t want to risk going back to the Citadel. The King knows you are with the Moonbeamers because of the magic Hal used to destroy the red dragon. You were very weary when we pulled you from the sea. You have slept for two days and we’ve been very worried!”
“The magic spell!” Ben exclaimed fraughtly. “The lady inside the book gave me the magic spell… where is it? I didn’t lose it in the sea, did I?”
“Do not worry yourself, Ben, the spell is safe. We found it rolled up in your pocket; it was very wet but we could still just about read the words. Amy awoke yesterday and told us all about your journey to Xallanpolis. She told us about the Ancient Scrolls and the ladies in the book. It was very fulfilling to hear that Xallanpolis really does exist and that your journey was worthwhile.”
“How are Jacob and Owen?” asked Ben. “Jacob didn’t tell us that he couldn’t swim!”
“They are both fine, although I think Jacob is a little embarrassed at not being honest with you all!” she laughed.
There was a knock at the door and Hal and Amy entered the room. Amy looked relieved that Ben was awake and smiled at him fondly.
“Ah, Ben, young man, you have woken up at last! That was a very long sleep you had. How are you feeling?” Hal asked.
“I feel fine, although I’m a little hungry.”
“I’ll have Ruby arrange for some soup to be brought up, and then if you feel up to it we can all meet to discuss the next part of our journey. I have to commend you for your successful journey to Xallanpolis and for retrieving the hidden spell. You are a very brave boy. This is the closest we have been to finding the Orb for many years, and without your help we would not be here. Hopefully, soon, we will be able to repay you by finding the passage so that you can return home. This you truly deserve. All we need to do now is solve the number code, but we are very confused! We were hoping that maybe you could help with this too. The inn is closed until later today, so we will meet downstairs and discuss what our next plan will be!”
After Ben had eaten, the group gathered in the bar downstairs. Ruby fetched drinks as Hal spread sheets of paper across the table.
“We have followed each verse of the riddle, which means two things. Firstly, we should have all the numbers to solve the number code, and secondly, we need to find a way into the keep to retrieve the Orb. I can think of a reasonable solution to the second problem, but I am struggling with this code!” Hal confessed.
“What, you mean you know a way into the keep without being seen?” asked Amy in surprise.
“Not into the keep itself, but I do know a secret way into the castle!” Hal replied. “When my great-great-great-grandfather, King Semba, ruled these lands, he decided to have a secret tunnel dug. He was afraid that if the castle ever came under attack, his family would be trapped. Very few people ever knew about the tunnel and only a handful of Moonbeamers know of it today. A long time ago, when my father was king and I was but a wee child, he showed me the tunnel and told me that it must be kept a secret. The tunnel runs from the castle to a small church in the woods. The Moonbeamers occasionally used the church and the priest made sure that the secret of the tunnel stayed well hidden. Since the crown was stolen from the Moonbeamers, the church has not been in use and is locked to passers-by. As far as we are aware, the passage has never been discovered by King Ados and his family. The entrance in the castle is hidden well and would not be found easily. I have a friend who resides in the wood near to the church; the Unicerons think that he is just a recluse, but he acts as our lookout. As far as we know, the King and his men have never taken any particular interest in the church or been seen there. If the King had discovered the tunnel, I’m sure that he would have his men patrollin
g the area.”
“Fantastic!” replied Amy. “What do we do once we are inside the castle? The lady in the book said that there is a trapdoor at the back of the throne room. Is the tunnel near this room?”
“Not exactly!” Hal answered. “Once we are inside the castle, we need to be careful that we are not seen. It would be best to enter the castle at night as most people will be sleeping. Most of the night guards on duty will be guarding the castle wall and gates. Hopefully, only a handful will be patrolling the inside of the building.”
“That’s one problem solved, then!” added Ballin. “Now we just have to decipher the number code!”
“Let’s look back at the riddle and write down the numbers we have, then we can try and piece together what links them,” suggested Hal, not looking altogether confident. Ben thought that he had probably been racking his brains trying to decipher the numbers since they had arrived back at the inn two days ago.
“The first verse that relates to a number is the verse about the well,” advised Ballin, before reading it aloud:
Deep in the eucalyptus wood
Lies the Gothic Well.
How many steps
To ring the golden bell?
“We counted 162!” exclaimed Ben. “All three of us counted the same number, so we can’t all be wrong!”
The others nodded and Hal wrote the number down before reading out the next verse:
Hidden in the caves
Is the red dragon’s lair.
Count the spikes on his back;
Beware of the bear.
“The dragon had nineteen spikes!” said Owen. “I counted them several times so I know I definitely didn’t make any mistakes.”
“Me too,” Ben agreed. “I also counted nineteen.”
“How many did you count, Jacob?” said Owen in a sarcastic tone, still annoyed that Jacob had left Ben and himself alone to enter the dragon’s lair. Jacob turned away without replying and Hal quickly read on:
Labyrinth Junction Page 10
