They stayed on the Fairy side of the border, flying back to the other side and coming to land close to the wooded area that formed the border. The four Dwarfs jumped down and smiled at Shaun before disappearing into the thicket of trees. The Dragon turned and lifted off once more; staying on the Fairies’ side they flew back and landed on the mountainside overlooking the border. Shaun could see the Centaurs engaged in their daily mock battle with the four guards standing, watching. Without delay the Dragon took off, flying over the border, and swooped down, belching out fiery flames in the direction of the guards who quickly disappeared inside the cave. The Centaurs ceased fighting and galloped over to the cave. Shaun guided the Dragon further up the mountainside to where Cabura was being held prisoner, and again the Dragon sent a fiery blast towards the two guards outside, sending them running, screaming down towards the other guards. Shaun quickly dismounted and entered the cave. ‘Cabura, are you there!?’ he shouted, groping about in the dim light. ‘Yes, I’m still here,’ he replied. Shaun pointed the ring at the cell door and it sprang open.
He rushed inside and helped the leader to his feet, but Shaun could see he was in no fit state to join the warriors. ‘Your warriors are free but we haven’t much time. I need to go and help your families. They will travel to the Great Wizard’s cave through this portal. I think it best you go through now.’ Cabura nodded and placed his hand on Shaun’s shoulder. ‘Bless you, may the Gods be with you,’ he whispered, a tear in his eye as he turned and limped through.
Shaun left the cave and hurried along to the waiting Centaurs: they cheered out loud, raising their weapons in salute and respect as Shaun drew near. ‘The guards are safely locked up,’ said one of the Centaurs. ‘What about our leader Cabura?’ ‘He is safe now with the Great Wizard. You must join him: please just walk through the portal as quickly as possible. I might just be able to fly over to free your families before the Dark Wizard arrives.’ The Centaur shook his head. ‘I am sorry to disobey you after all you have done, but we need to go over and join our families to protect them, even if it means dying in the attempt. We would never be able to live with ourselves if we left now and they perished.’
Shaun shook his head; a sad expression crossed his face. ‘We haven’t time to argue: if you have made your mind up I will fly over and, hopefully, have time to send your families through and wait for you to join me before they arrive.’ Without further conversation the Centaurs raised their weapons, turned and raced off towards the valley.
When Shaun arrived on the other side, his face lit up as he was greeted by the four Dwarfs outside the cave with the families standing in an orderly queue. He wasted no time in ushering the jubilant females and their young through the portal; he gave out a huge sigh of relief as the last one slipped through. He turned to the Dragon. ‘I think it’s best if you go through now: you have done everything you can and more for this success, and when the warriors arrive they can follow you. I will go last and the Great Wizard will destroy the portal.’
The Dragon raised its huge head, sending out streams of smoke and fire. ‘No, I will not leave you now: if the Dark Wizard arrives before the warriors you will need me.’ But before Shaun could argue, his heart sank as he heard a loud explosion coming from the direction of the gorge. He looked on in horror as a large section of the dense curtain of mist burst open and an arched structure slowly appeared from the far side and began rising above the river and onward through the opening in the mist, coming to rest when it reached the other side. There was a brief lull before the Dark Wizard appeared on a coal-black horse galloping over, his long, white hair and black cloak fluttering in the breeze with his army close behind.
Shaun looked to the Dragon. ‘Please go through: they are still a good way off. If the warriors arrive soon everything will be fine.’ But again the Dragon refused. ‘Very well, if you won’t leave maybe you can help me delay, then fly me over to the mountainside. I have a plan.’ He clambered onto the Dragon’s back and it quickly took off, soaring skyward. Shaun steered it up onto a rocky ledge a safe distance from the approaching army. He waited until the Dark Wizard was halfway over the archway before pointing his ring and the hammer down towards it. Closing his eyes, he shook the hammer several times and suddenly thunderbolts shot out of the hammer and zoomed over, striking the archway and sending shock waves through the army, who quickly turned and retreated back to the other side. Without delay, Shaun turned the hammer towards the mountainside close to the gorge and again sent out a stream of thunderbolts smashing against the rock face, causing a landslide with huge boulders and debris crashing down and forming a huge blockage in front of the archway.
The Dragon took off and they flew back to wait for the warriors. Each minute that passed by seemed like an hour to Shaun as they stood in silence, their eyes focused on the rock blockage. After a long, painful wait and with no sign of the warriors, Shaun’s worst fears unfolded as the blockage began to crumble and clear. His blood ran cold as once again the archway appeared and the Dark Wizard and his army flooded out. The army took up their position in lines standing in front of the Dark Wizard and slowly moved forward with their swords drawn; they looked a formidable force. Shaun slipped his hammer out of its pouch and the Dragon stayed alongside him ready for battle.
But as they drew closer they came to a sudden halt. Shaun looked on, a puzzled expression on his face wondering why, when a flurry of arrows whistled overhead and the thunderous sound of hooves filled the air. He turned to see the Centaurs galloping out of the woodland glades, their bows firing another round of arrows and the Dark Wizard’s army screaming out as dozens of them fell off their horses, killed or wounded. The Dragon took flight and headed towards them, sending out streams of smoke and flames, causing panic in their ranks and sending them fleeing in all directions.
Shaun reacted quickly: he knew the Dark Wizard would rally his army and press forward, so as soon as the Centaurs arrived he was waiting with the portal. ‘Please, no more arguments. Your families are safe in the Great Wizard’s cave: you must join them now. I will follow you as soon as the Dragon returns.’
Reluctantly they obeyed and galloped through, each one bowing their head in respect at his bravery. Shaun sighed with relief as the last one slipped through and he watched as the Dragon continued to cause mayhem, belching outburst after outburst of fiery smoke. Suddenly, as the army dispersed, the Dark Wizard appeared riding through his fear-stricken guards carrying his caduceus, and as the Dragon flew back overhead ready to strike again he raised his caduceus while reciting strange, ancient words in a booming voice which reverberated all around them. Suddenly an illuminous jet shot out of the two serpents’ mouths and struck the Dragon; there was an ear-splitting cry before it slumped to the ground. Shaun watched in horror as the Dark Wizard raised his caduceus once more and pointed it down to the injured Dragon, but before he could utter the magic words, Shaun pointed his hammer and his ring towards the Dark Wizard and closed his eyes. There was a brief moment of silence before an almighty explosion. Shaun’s eyes shot open and he punched the air in triumph when he saw the caduceus in flames. The noise had spooked his horse and it reared up, sending the Dark Wizard sprawling to the ground.
Shaun sprang into action. He knew he needed to get over there as fast as possible before he regained his composure. He unfolded his shroud, stepped inside and floated over as fast as it would go. The Dark Wizard was still lying there half-dozed. When Shaun appeared he looked up at this small, frail being, wondering how could he wield such power. Shaun pointed the hammer towards him. ‘This is the mighty hammer of the God Thor. I advise you to stay where you are while I take care of my trusted friend. It is not up to me to destroy you, but if I have to, I will. He turned and ran over to the Dragon who was lying on the ground, one of its wings twisted and limp. ‘See if we can get you up and through the portal. The Great Wizard will be able to fix your wing, I’m sure.’ But try as they may, it was hopeless: the Dragon had no strength and she was too heavy for Shaun to l
ift. They struggled for several minutes to no avail, and just as Shaun was running out of ideas the sound of thunder exploded across the area with flashes of lightning arcing across the sky above them.
Slowly the storm calmed and faded away. There was a brief lull before Thor’s voice boomed out. ‘Shaun, my amulet, place it on the Dragon’s wing and all will be well. You have earned my help; you have achieved the impossible. We are so proud of you and I feel honoured that you use my hammer for the sake of good, and you, Dark Wizard, be warned: your evil ways will be eliminated from the whole of Colgilor.’ There were several lightning flashes and a thunderous rumble before the area slipped back into its peaceful state. Shaun laid his amulet on the Dragon’s wing, and immediately the wing turned itself around and stiffened up. You could see the power of the amulet sending pulsating sensations through her body as she raised her head and rose to her feet. The Dark Wizard looked on in disbelief. He remained on the ground helpless as he watched Shaun produce the portal, and the Dragon disappeared through. As Shaun approached the portal he turned to the Dark Wizard. ‘We will meet again, I’m sure, unless you realise that your evil plans have no chance of success. Good will always defeat evil, and we have the Gods on our side.’ With that, he turned back and stepped through and the portal immediately exploded into fine dust.
When Shaun entered the cave he was surprised to find the whole place filled with all the warriors and their families that he had freed, and of course his friends Louis, Ava and Herne. The noise was deafening as the crowd cheered and chanted his name, and Ava ran to greet him, tears streaming down her face as she wrapped her arms around him. The Great Wizard appeared on the bridge and as he raised his hand, the jubilation quickly subsided into deathly silence. He smiled as he beckoned Shaun to join him; reluctantly he made his way up onto the bridge, dropping his head in a combination of modesty and embarrassment.
‘We have been waiting for Shaun’s return before you all go to your new homes. I have arranged for you and your families to stay with your distant relations in this area of Colgilor so that the warriors can train and bond together to create an army skilled enough to crush the evil army of the Dark Wizard. As Shaun is well acquainted with each of our kingdoms and their leaders, he will travel with you to introduce you and make sure you settle in and have everything you need. But first of all I have to congratulate him. I knew he was special, but if I’m honest I did have my doubts about this most dangerous of tasks. What he achieved is beyond words, and he has even won the trust and the respect of the Gods Thor and Odin: truly a rare and ultimate honour. He will surely go down in Colgilor folklore as a true legend. What makes him even more special is that he is not from our world, yet he has risked his life over and over for complete strangers. Before I embarrass him any further, I will send him back over to you so you can show your appreciation. I have laid on a banquet for you to enjoy and give you time to share your stories, but tomorrow we must start to move to your new homes, as we are running out of time. Oh yes, just one more thing. Although the banquet has an abundance of food, I would advise you to take your fill as quickly as possible. Shaun hasn’t eaten very much for days and I can guarantee you have never seen anyone who can clear a table like him.’ He smiled as he patted Shaun on the back and whispered, ‘Couldn’t resist that, but please after your meal come to my quarters: we need to discuss our immediate plans.’ He turned and disappeared over the bridge. Shaun glanced over to Ava, Louis and Herne who were laughing uncontrollably and waving him over to join them.
Although he knew the Great Wizard was joking, he had never seen that side of him before, as he was always solemn and serious; it nevertheless had made Shaun a little self-conscious; so when Louis led them to the dining area he stood outside, allowing the stream of warriors and their families to enter and take their seats at the tables before joining them. He had to muster all his self-control as he scanned the dozens and dozens of tables laden with plates of food, and the smell seemed to hang in the air around him, tempting his taste buds; after all, as the Great Wizard had said, he had eaten very little over the past days.
The place was buzzing with noisy chatter and laughter, as for the first time in months the warriors and their families could enjoy a meal together and the feeling of freedom brought them immeasurable delight and pleasure, something they had doubted would ever happen again during their miserable time in captivity. Shaun, on the other hand, was struggling to enjoy his food as so many of the grateful families continued to approach him, heaping thanks and praise on him. He filled his plate before standing up and turning to his friends. ‘You enjoy your meal: we will catch up later. The Great Wizard asked me to join him in his quarters to explain where we go from here.’ He turned and quietly slipped out of the room.
He moved quickly across the bridge and along the dimly lit interconnecting tunnels, struggling to remember his way. He sighed with relief when he saw the light at the end of the tunnel and paused a moment to get his breath back before entering the huge, cathedral-like chamber. He looked up and shook his head in awe: it was even more astounding than he remembered with its magical, illuminated, crystal curtain emitting the ever-changing pulsating, vibrant light and colour cascading down onto the mystical floor below. The Great Wizard was seated at the far side and he beckoned Shaun over; he moved nervously forward hesitating as he approached the floating floor below, the crystal curtain, although he had crossed it on his previous visit, he still had the feeling he could disappear through the constantly shimmering, swirling surface, and again he was relieved when he reached the other side and took a seat opposite the Great Wizard.
‘You just enjoy your food while I talk,’ said the Great Wizard, his voice soft yet solemn. ‘We need to move fast: with you freeing the warriors from the secret land, the Dark Wizard will be anxious to attack as soon as he can, as he now knows that we are growing in strength. I have set up a portal to all the kingdoms, so at least you won’t use time-travelling. I suggest you first visit the Dwarfs’ kingdom. King Dumall is awaiting our instructions: he has been joined by his brother Delross to save time.
‘So take all the Dwarfs and their families there. Dumall will have half stay with him, and the others will go with Delross. Now the only decision we have to make is how best to use the Dwarfs that travelled with you and the legendary weapons. There are six swords, one for each of them, and the greatest threat to our success will be the Zombies. As you have witnessed, they cannot be killed by an ordinary sword, no matter how fine a weapon, so we must use the God Loki’s magic sword the Laevateinn, and one other, possibly the Clarent, the sword of fire. And as the Darkside is a major stronghold of the Dark Wizard, I suggest we use our best swordsmen, the Dwarfs, to accompany the two Dwarfs and their swords. But with all the weird wild life roaming the area, the Goblins, who are accustomed to dark conditions, and the Gnomes, who are strong, fast and have eyes like hawks, they and a third Dwarf and the Joyeuse the sword of earth should tackle the outside while the Dwarfs attack the underground with its Zombies and the wicked witches, Baba Yelka and her sister Baba Madea. Herne will travel with them as he knows the whole area and the weird creatures that live there. That’s enough for you to take in for now. Once you return from talking to the Dwarfs we will hatch a plan to attack the Dark Wizard’s fortress so you can leave as soon as the Dwarfs and their families have eaten and rested.’ Shaun stood up smiled and bowed his head in respect before heading back.
As he crossed the bridge, Louis, Ava and Herne were leading the Dwarfs and their families out of the dining room. Shaun waited until they had all assembled before addressing them. ‘Could you all go and collect your belongings? We must leave as soon as possible. King Dumall and his brother King Delross are awaiting your arrival.’ There was a buzz of excitement at the thought of meeting their relations, and they quickly dispersed and disappeared down the tunnels to their living quarters. Shaun turned to his three friends. ‘You remain here. I’ll be back as soon as I have made sure they have settled in and informed Dumall
and Delross of the Great Wizard’s plan.’
They didn’t have to wait long before the Dwarfs flooded back, carrying their few possessions and chattering away, filled with expectations. Shaun organised them into orderly groups, awaiting the Wizard. Suddenly the cave fell into hushed silence as he appeared walking across the bridge with a portal in his arms, and following behind him walked three of the Dwarfs, each carrying one of the golden caskets containing the legendary swords, and they came to a halt a short distance from where Shaun was standing. Without further ado, the Wizard placed the portal on the ground and waved them forward. Shaun ushered them towards the portal and they slowly shuffled forward before stepping through. The three Dwarfs carrying the caskets followed the last one, and Shaun glanced up at his three friends and smiled as he slipped through.
His face lit up when he entered the cavern to be greeted by Dumall, Delross and their sons Duval and Dakro. ‘Come,’ said Dumall, ‘we will go to my private quarters while the Dwarfs and their families get to know their relations. They are all so excited.’ They turned and disappeared down one of the tunnels and along to the private quarters. Duval carried a chair over beside him as the others took to their seats. ‘It’s so good to see you safe and well after two such epic journeys. We have heard so many stories – some, I imagine, exaggerated.’
‘Yes, it has been stressful but thoroughly rewarding, but those stories can wait. First I must tell you my wonderful news. It concerns you and all your warriors and their families.’ Duval turned to his father. ‘Do you know what this might be? Has the Great Wizard or the Grey Elf spoken of this?’
Dumall shook his head. ‘I have no idea but please do tell: the suspense is unbearable.’
War in Colgilor Page 8
