Shaun managed to grab a couple of hours’ sleep, but the Dragon as usual stood close to the cave entrance keeping watch, and as the first rays of the morning sun started to brush the mountain tops, the Dragon called for Shaun. He stirred and glanced over before struggling to his feet and ambling over to join her. He smiled as he took a deep breath of the fresh, cool, air and the sound of birdsong and other creatures calling to one another filled the whole area, sending a warm, joyful feeling through his body. They didn’t have to wait long before the sound of voices could be heard and several Dark Wizard guards emerged from the castle gates, laughing and play-fighting as they made their way over to the mountainside a short distance further up from Shaun and the Dragon. Shaun glanced over the ledge to see the guards disappear inside one of the caves.
A short time later a stream of armed Fairy warriors spilled out in single file, dozens of them walking with their heads bowed and following behind the Dark Wizard’s guards, continuing to laugh and chatter away as though on a leisurely day out. How strange, Shaun thought. How could five or six guards control dozens of elite Fairy warriors? It was a mystery. They marched down to the meadows and the warriors split up into pairs, drew their swords and proceeded to engage in mock battles while the guards watched on close by. Shaun still couldn’t understand. Could it be possible that the Fairies had voluntarily joined forces with the Dark Wizard? He turned to the Dragon as he took out the shroud from his rucksack. ‘I’m going down to take a look through the castle and see what is going on inside.’ He slipped inside and disappeared.
He floated down and over to the castle, continuing through the gates. He hovered a moment, looking around in amazement at the sheer size, with its towering walls soaring up to the battlements from the courtyard, and in the four corners huge, menacing towers overlooking the area with a guard stationed on each. Continuing on through the main castle entrance into the hall, he paused a moment, allowing his eyes to adjust to the half-light of the dozen or so oil lamps hanging from the stone wall. It was all so big and overpowering. A wide, stone staircase swept up to the floor above and several large, ornate wooden doors were spaced out along the hallway. One by one he passed through each door to find them empty: they must have been used as sleeping quarters for the elite warriors, but their beds were all dismantled. The end room was being used by the guards: a row of beds at one side and at the other end piles of weapons and Dark Wizard uniforms. In between was a large opening with a velvet curtain drawn across, and inside there was a large dining room. He was surprised to see several female Fairies, some setting the large, round table in the centre of the room, and others preparing food at the far end in an adjoining kitchen.
He hovered a while wondering whether to approach them, but decided to investigate the upstairs floor first; he could always return later. He headed back along the hallway and up the stairs: it was so impressive with beautiful, ornate balustrades rising halfway up to a landing before sweeping back round on both sides and up to the floor above. Again there were several of the ornate doors along each corridor, and at the far end of one of them a lone guard sat on a chair outside one of the doors.
Shaun was intrigued. He passed by the guard and into the room. He had no idea what to expect but he was aghast to find two beautiful young females, one Fairy and one Elf, sitting chatting on one of the two beds in the room. He waited a while, deciding what to do, but he was transfixed at the sight of the Elf. She was so much like Ava: the long, golden hair and deep blue eyes, and as she ran her fingers through her hair revealing her beautiful, pointed ears: it reminded him of the first time he had laid eyes on his faithful friend. But he could see the sorrow and pain they were feeling: their eyes were sad and their body language and facial expressions told the story.
He slipped back through the door to check on the guard who was dozing, so he decided to speak to them. He floated right up close and waited until they stopped talking before whispering, ‘Don’t be afraid, my name is Shaun. The Great Wizard has sent me. I am going to appear now, do not call out as the guard is half-asleep outside.’ With that, he stepped out of the shroud to find the two of them clutching each other, terrified expressions on their faces. ‘Who are you and what do you want?’
‘The Great Wizard has sent me to free you and all the prisoners but you must trust me.’ ‘But that is impossible,’ said the Fairy. ‘The Dark Wizard’s guards are everywhere. If there is the slightest hint of some sort or rebellion they will kill us all.’
‘Yes, I know, that is why I need to speak with both of your warriors so that you are all prepared when the time comes. I have already spoken with the Centaurs and they are ready and waiting, but tell me, why have you two been separated from the others?’
The Fairy paused a moment, turning to her friend before addressing Shaun. ‘We are two Princesses. The other Elves and Fairies have been told that if they do not obey the guards we will be punished or killed, so they all do the evil guard’s bidding. The Fairy warriors are imprisoned in the caves inside the mountainside and the remainder of our families are imprisoned on the other side of the river in our underground village, but that’s all we know. We have not seen our families since the guards arrived.’
‘I must leave you now, but I will return as soon as I have travelled to meet the Elves and Dwarfs, which may take a few days. I will go and speak with your Fairy warriors and families. Now please tell me your names so that they will believe that I have spoken to you.’
‘My name is Princess Falu, and this is the Elven Princess Evena: please tell our families we are safe and well.’ Shaun smiled and gave them both a comforting hug before stepping into the shroud and disappearing.
He floated down through the castle into the courtyard and out through the gates over to the mountainside. He could see the warriors continuing their mock battle with the guards standing watching. He hesitated a moment to recall which cave the warriors had emerged from before slipping inside. The air was stale and rancid which took his breath away as he peered into the gloom; the cave was dimly lit with a few hanging lamps. He only travelled a few metres to find an iron grill with a locked gate blocking the entrance to the main area. It contained one open cell with dozens of rough, straw mattresses laid on the floor around the perimeter. Just as Shaun was about to turn back he heard a muffled, groaning sound. He floated through the grill and around the cell, glancing at each mattress as he passed by. As he approached the far side of the cave he could just make out a body lying curled up on a mattress and the deep sound of pain filling the air around it. On closer inspection he could see it was one of the warriors, and he was bleeding from several wounds about his arms and body.
Shaun stepped out of the shroud and moved up close. ‘Can I help you?’ he said in a soft voice as he lent over the crumpled figure. The warrior slowly turned onto his back, staring wide-eyed at the strange being. ‘Who are you?’ he said his face etched with pain.
‘My name is Shaun. The Great Wizard has sent me to free you all. I have spoken to Princess Falu who is imprisoned in the castle but she is well.’
‘I don’t know what she has told you, but you don’t understand,’ he replied with a grimace. ‘No one can help, not even the Great Wizard. As soon as the guards realise you have entered our land they will slaughter us all, even our families, so please go back and tell the Great Wizard there is no escape for us.’
‘Please trust me, the Great Wizard has given me magical power to help free you and this is the magic hammer of the God Thor. Even the Dark Wizard himself would be unable to stand up against its power. I have travelled here with a Dragon. Once I have alerted all the warriors in each area to be prepared, the Dragon will fly over each area and attack the guards. When that happens you must be ready to overpower your guards. At the same time I will be busy in that area freeing your families and taking care of the guards there.’
‘But there’s nothing I can do. I am racked with pain from these wounds. They were inflicted by the evil guards simply because I questioned o
ne of their actions.’
‘Let me see if I can heal those wounds.’
‘No,’ he said, shaking his head, ‘the guards would know something was going on and would carry out the Dark Wizard’s order to kill us all.’
Shaun grimaced. ‘Yes, I see what you’re saying. Let me have a think, maybe I can do something.’ After several minutes of deep thought suddenly an answer popped into his head, probably the work of the Great Wizard, Shaun thought. ‘I am going to try and stop the bleeding and take away the pain. The wounds will have healed inside but on the surface still appear to be as they were. All you will have to do is to carry on groaning and showing signs of agony when the guards are around.’
The warrior shook his head. ‘I can’t see that is possible, but please give it a try: anything that eases the pain will be more than welcome.’
Shaun took out the hammer and laid it on the warrior’s chest before placing both of his hands on his arms and closing his eyes. The warrior watched in amazement as Shaun’s gold ring lit up and began oscillating. At the same time a spray of golden rays burst out of the hammer and engulfed his body, circling around and around, caressing him gently. The warrior closed his eyes and sighed out loud as he could feel the warm relief; the pain slowly slipped away and the last pangs of suffering disappeared. All of a sudden his eyes shot open, his relief turning to blind panic at the thought of the guards returning. Glancing down at his wounds, he shook his head in sheer bewilderment. Just as Shaun had said, all the wounds were just as before, open and covered with congealed blood but the pain had completely gone. He poked several of the wounds and, sure enough, absolutely pain-free. He looked up to see the warm, smiling face of Shaun. ‘Does that feel better?’
‘Unbelievable. Now for the first time since the guards arrived I believe we can once again be free. I only hope I can put on an act that will fool them until you return.’
Shaun slipped his hammer back in its pouch. ‘I’m sure you will. Just make sure you and your warriors are ready when you see the Dragon.’ He wrapped himself in the shroud and disappeared, leaving the warrior continuing to poke his wounds and shake his head in wonderment.
Shaun emerged from the cave and glanced skyward. The sun was still high in the sky, giving him time to travel to the other side of the river and back before dark. He passed by the duelling warriors who were dripping with sweat from the ferocious heat of the sun, with the guards standing watch in the cool shade of the mountainside. Shaun was overcome with sadness at the thought of the suffering the Dark Wizard had inflicted on this idyllic world that the Great Wizard had created, which gave him an extra boost of motivation to succeed in his mission.
It was a short journey to the stream which was now sparkling and shimmering as the sunbeams danced and swayed on its surface: a truly mesmerising sight. He came to rest on one of the high mounds on the other side. He heart sank as he scanned the area: it looked considerably bigger than his view from the mountainside when they arrived. It looked a daunting task to find the Fairy camp; his only option was to float around the area and hope he would discover some kind of clue, or maybe catch sight of the Dark Wizard’s guards. Just as he prepared to set off, his waystone began to oscillate. He felt a huge surge of relief wash over him. ‘The Great Wizard,’ he sighed as he floated forward, following the flashing light
It led him through the maze of hillocks and mounds sweeping down through the valleys and pathways until he came to a stop in the shadow of a steep valley between a cluster of hills. The waystone paused for a moment or two before starting up again, leading him up a shale dirt track and through a cleft in the valley side into a dark tunnel twisting and turning through the rocky sides. Further on, ribbons of sunlight filtered down from the rooftop and the sound of water tinkled down the stone walls. Finally he emerged into a huge, open cavern which housed the Fairy camp. Shaun came to a halt: a little smile played around his eyes as he scanned the surroundings. It brought back the memory of the Fairy camp on the other side of Colgilor, and his friends Ferreira, Fedra and Favoria, the old warrior whom he had ridden and fought alongside against a band of evil Fairies. This camp was very similar, with dozens of caves around the perimeter which contained the families’ living quarters, and in the centre a large, freshwater spring which sparkled and danced under the golden rays of the sun which cascaded down from an opening in the rooftop.
Dozens of Fairies were buzzing around several open fires, cooking and washing, but the one difference was that there was no laughter or chatter, just cold, deathly silence. As he floated over he could see the tension, worry and sadness in their eyes and faces, and could almost feel the hopelessness and despair that filled the cavern: a totally different atmosphere to the one back there.
There were only two guards that he could see: they were sitting at a table enjoying a meal with two Fairies standing close by, seemingly fetching and carrying for them. He continued on entering the caves one by one to see families busily making or repairing clothes, some working on the guards’ uniforms with their young offspring sitting huddled together, all of them in total silence. He entered the cave at the far end well away from the guards to find two Fairies, one young and one old. They looked like mother and daughter. He stayed a while, hoping to hear them converse. They looked even more sorrowful than the other families. Finally the older one turned to the other. ‘How long are you intending to remain in here isolated from our friends?’ The young one didn’t answer, just shook her head and started sobbing floods of tears flowing down her pinched cheeks. ‘But you can’t grieve forever. I don’t think your brave child would have wanted that. He would want you to carry on.’
The young one’s head shot round, her eyes filled with anger. ‘Carry on?!’ she barked with a harsh tone. ‘Carry on with what? We are doomed. The Dark Wizard has no intention of allowing any of us to survive. We are just kept alive to use as hostages, forcing our warriors to fight by his side, but once he is victorious he will have no further use for us.’
The older one ambled over to her, taking her hand in hers. ‘Don’t give up hope: as long as the Great Wizard lives we have to remain optimistic. I’m sure he will come to our aid. After all, he created this place for us to live in peace until he required the services of our warriors.’
That was the perfect cue for Shaun to intervene. ‘You’re right. The Great Wizard won’t abandon you, I can pledge for that. He has sent me to help. Don’t be startled when I appear.’ He stepped out of the shroud and smiled warmly at the two Fairies who were huddled together, anxiety on their faces and unsure what to expect.
‘Who are you?’ the young one stuttered. ‘And how can you help? Have you an army?’ ‘No army, I’m afraid, just me and a large, friendly Dragon, but the Great Wizard has given me magical powers to free you all. I have spoken to one of your warriors and he is preparing the others to be ready. Once I have everything in place I still need to organise the Elves and Dwarfs, but I will be back in a few days to release you. I give you my word but don’t mention this to the others, as the guards may overhear one of your conversations. You will have plenty time when I return. Please tell me what happened to your son.’
The young one wiped away her tears. ‘He fell ill and the guards refused to help. We had to just watch him slip away. They even laughed, saying, “Another mouth less to feed.” They are so evil.’
Shaun shook his head. ‘The Dark Wizard’s evil is rubbing off on his guards. How could anyone ignore an ill child? Now you see why the Great Wizard needs your help to eradicate the evil from the whole of Colgilor forever.’
‘Yes, we understand. You have given us hope, so please return as soon as you can,’ said the older one. ‘We will say nothing of this and we will be ready and waiting.’
Shaun placed a gentle hand on each of them before disappearing, leaving them stronger in mind and spirit for his visit. On his journey back, the sun gradually changed to a deep orange as it slipped down towards the horizon, and as he passed over the stream the sparkle had faded.
It was so still, like a mirror with the reflection of the sun glancing off its surface; further on, just as the sun slipped down behind the mountain peaks, the evening shadows brushed the mountainsides. Shaun landed on the ledge of their cave with the Dragon waiting anxiously for his return. He went straight to his rucksack, and while devouring a well-earned snack he told the Dragon of his discoveries at both sides of the stream. They waited till the last glimmer of light disappeared and the area was engulfed in the onset of twilight before heading off up towards the area of the Elves.
They followed the mountain range which continued up on both sides, and further on they reached a dense, wooded area which ran from one side of the range to the other, forming the border to the Elves’ domain. Once again the Dragon flew up to the mountain peak on the other side so that they could survey the landscape. The area, like the others, had two separate parts. Below them, dozens and dozens of small, highly decorated cottages were dotted around lush green, rolling hills, and perched up on the highest hilltop a beautiful, golden palace. Sparkling streams wandered gently down through the hillside, glittering and dancing under the moonlight.
The other part of the area consisted of lush meadows filled with flowers laid out between wooded areas and several gleaming lakes scattered throughout, cradled in the hollows the reflection of the starry canopy above, flickering across their surface.
Although there was no sign of activity below there was a strange, dull humming sound that disturbed the stillness of the night. Shaun thought it best check it out before daybreak, so they flew up through the area, keeping to the shadows of the mountainside. The further they travelled, the humming increased. But as the moon disappeared behind dark clouds which rolled across the sky, out of the gloomy twilight loomed a huge, rugged cliff rising sheer from behind the hilly terrain. As they drew closer Shaun could see it was covered in thick vegetation; ribbons of water tumbled down from the top, cutting deep troughs into the rock face, and the humming had turned into a thunderous roar as the cascading water gathered momentum, creating a deep chasm with a spectacular waterfall crashing down and feeding the gleaming lakes.
War in Colgilor Page 4
