War in Colgilor

by Colin Gibbons

  As they stepped out of the lodge, Sateala was waiting for Shaun. ‘Ava tells me you would enjoy a meal, so Nerisha and Nabula have prepared the food, and they have suggested you stay the right with them.’ He glanced over to Cabura. ‘Who is your companion? Would be like to join us?’

  Shaun smiled. ‘Yes, this is our friend Cabura. The Great Wizard has sent him to assist us in our search for the Centaurs.’ Sateala ran his fingers through his beard. ‘Yes, I can see how that could help and maybe I could tag along. I’m sure I could help: I know my way around the forest and some of my friends were among the Fauns that left us to follow Pan. I would like to see them again and tell them how right they were about our water spirit.’ Shaun put his hand on Sateala’s shoulder. ‘That’s wonderful. What with Cabura and you alongside I’m sure we will be successful. It certainly fills me with confidence and Ava will be delighted.’ Sateala turned and led them up the valley to join the others.

  The following morning they set off just as the sun’s rays were beginning to flood the valley floor and its reflection was shimmering on the surface of the lake. Ava stopped for a moment to take in the beautiful setting, running to catch up with the others. With a light, warm breeze in their faces they pushed on up the valley, coming to halt as they reached the entrance to the thick, dense forest.

  Sateala led the way as they cautiously entered. Ava and Shaun followed close behind with Cabura covering their backs. They followed a narrow dirt track which wound its way forward into the murky gloom before disappearing a short distance up ahead, and they slowly felt their way through the clusters of thick trees.

  As they moved on, the forest was dark and silent apart from the occasional strange cry or screech reverberating through the canopy before fading away. The further they travelled into the heart of the forest, the more dense it became, with huge, dark trees and a thick canopy of large leaves which blocked out most of the light. And the dirt track became almost impossible to follow with the thick, tangled undergrowth underfoot, and the dense canopy above casting an eerie, dim light.

  Ava was experiencing pangs of fear shooting through her body as she spun her head from side to side, trying to catch a glimpse of who or what was making the spine-chilling sounds; even the breeze flowing through the canopy and rustling their leaves made her jittery. So when they came upon a small clearing with their first sight of sunlight she insisted they stop for a rest and refreshments, and of course she had the backing of Shaun. The word ‘refreshments’ convinced him and he quickly sat down, opened his rucksack and was soon eating merrily away.

  Ava was still somewhat uptight so she reached for her flute that always seemed to calm her down, and as she began to play Cabura and Sateala looked at each other in amazement, shaking their heads, totally mesmerised by the melodious sound which surrounded them and seemed to flow right through the forest. Even the creatures of the forest joined in with a multitude of sounds and calls: the whole area which had been silent and eerie burst into life. But suddenly there was the faint sound of galloping hooves in the distance, increasing in volume.

  Shaun jumped to his feet and indicated to Ava to cease playing. Cabura and Sateala drew back their bows as they faced the thicket of trees the sound was coming from, ready to fire their arrows, and as the sound increased the ground beneath them began to shake when suddenly dozens of fauns emerged, galloping towards them before coming to a halt a few metres away. Shaun stepped in front of Ava and slipped his hammer out of its sheath.

  The Fauns stood for several minutes just staring at the strange mix of intruders. Ava wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do, but it couldn’t make matters any worse, she thought, as she put the flute to her lips and stepped forward and as the music floated over towards them the Fauns put down their weapons and just stood, soaking up the beautiful sound. One of the fauns suddenly moved forward, and Ava put down her flute but the faun continued slowly towards them, stopping a distance away. ‘Sateala,’ he cried, ‘is that you?’

  Sateala moved up close, scrutinising the faun and suddenly wrapping his arms around him. ‘Sedene, it is you, my long-lost friend. How wonderful! I never thought I would see you again. We have so much to catch up on.’ All the other fauns trotted over, surrounding them whilst firing questions at Sateala about the other fauns in the valley. Sateala raised his hand. ‘Yes, I will answer all your questions, but first of all I must introduce you to my friends. This is Cabura, the leader of a tribe of Centaurs, and this is Ava. Her music is so special. It even charms all the creatures of the forest, making them join in – magical, you could say.’ He paused a moment as he turned and put his arm around Shaun. And this is Shaun. Although he is a young human, a stranger to our world, he is a hero to me and many others in our land. He risked his life to save me and two of our water nymphs who, as we were about to die by the evil water demon in our lake, not only saved our lives, but also killed the demon on his own and freed all our village from its control. You were right when you left us: the water spirit we worshipped was indeed an evil water demon which took the lives of many of our water nymphs. Shaun has also earned the trust of the Great Wizard who has placed the future safety of all the Kingdoms in Colgilor in his hands. He also carries the magic hammer of the God Thor: truly remarkable and an incredible inspiration to us all.’

  Shaun blushed, dropping his head. Inside he was cringing, praying Sateala would stop. He hated praise but Sateala was taking it to another level. But just as he was thinking it had ended, Cabura stepped forward and put his arm around Shaun. ‘Yes, he did the same for me and my tribe. We were prisoners of the evil Dark Wizard’s guards and Shaun came and rescued us, placing his own life in great danger, making sure we and all our families were safe before joining us in the safety of the Great Wizard’s cave.’ He paused a moment before continuing. ‘That is why I am here. The Great Wizard asked Shaun to search for the Centaurs that reside in this area of Colgilor, and try to persuade them to join our army in the battle with the Dark Wizard. But with them being so aggressive he feared they would not give Shaun a chance to speak with them. Hopefully I will be able to convince them to at least listen to what he has to say.’ He turned to Shaun. ‘Anything I have missed you wish to add?’

  Shaun took a deep breath. ‘Yes, we have come here to try and persuade you all to join us. This is the last of the Kingdoms that support the Great Wizard. All the other Kingdoms are preparing for the battle because the alternative is unthinkable. If the Dark Wizard is not defeated he and his followers will surely take over all of Colgilor, which includes this Kingdom, and they will either slay or enslave every last one.’ Shaun glanced over to Sateala who raised his bow. ‘We have all pledged our support. Our elders are in contact with the Great Wizard and our fans will be preparing to join the warriors of the other Kingdoms as soon as I return.’ He turned to Sedene. ‘What do you think now the water demon is gone? Will you and your tribe return to the valley and once again become one tribe?’

  Sedene raised his bow as he faced his tribe. ‘How do you all feel about returning to our valley and joining forces with our old friends?’ There was a moment of hushed silence before one by one they raised their bows and broke out into loud chanting. ‘Death to the Dark Wizard and all who follow him.’ The sound was carried on the light wind that was blowing through the forest and it continued for several minutes.

  Once the chanting had died down, Shaun again spoke. ‘We are thrilled to have you all with us. Now there are only the Centaurs to convince and the Great Wizard army will be complete.’ He turned to Sedene. ‘Do you know if they still live in the forest and, if so, can you take us to them?’

  Sedene shook his head. ‘No, I’m afraid not. When we left the valley, they, too, were unhappy about the water spirit and they followed us into the forest but…’ He hesitated for a moment as he glanced towards Cabura. ‘I hope you don’t take offence but those Centaurs were not natured like you, they were unsociable and very dangerous. Although they, too, followed Pan, they preferred to be on their
own, and to be honest we were somewhat relieved as we were worried they could hurt our families if there was a falling out.’ ‘So have you seen them since or have you any idea where we might look?’ Shaun said in a disappointed tone. ‘Just a general area will do and we will search from there.’

  Again Sedene shook his head, an anguished expression on his face. ‘Sorry I can’t. We have not seen or heard of them since they left us. All I can do is to take you to the area where we parted company.’

  ‘Well, that will have to do,’ Shaun replied with a glimmer of hope in his voice. He always tried to stay positive but he could see this could take some time to find them, time they didn’t really have.

  Sedene turned to his tribe. ‘It’s no use all of us going. If we do find them, the sight of our whole tribe could trigger a reaction from them, so if you make your way back to our camp, gather our belongings and escort our families back to the valley, I’m sure the families will be overjoyed to see each other again. I will travel with Sateala and his friends. Maybe I can be of some help and we will see you back in the valley?’

  The tribe one by one hugged Sedene before gathering in a group and disappearing into the thicket of trees they had emerged from.

  After they had gone, Sedene slung his bow over his shoulder. ‘Are we ready? Then follow me. Try and remain as quiet as you can. Once we reach that part of the forest, the sound of voices carries on the wind and the Centaurs have an exceptional sense of hearing, haven’t they, Cabura?’ He just smiled as he waited until the others had set off behind Sedene before following.

  They travelled on in silence through the morning into the afternoon. It was so difficult to judge time as the thick canopy continued to black out most of the light but they did notice a slow deterioration as the dim, eerie light began to fade and the air turned damp and stifling as the trees seemed to be closing in on them.

  All of a sudden Sedene brought them to a halt. ‘This is where we left them,’ he whispered. ‘We decided to turn back, the forest was suffocating, and as we had been used to our beautiful, open, secret valley, the thought of living here filled us with dread. So we all agreed to explore the other areas of the forest and find a more fitting place to live.’

  ‘What now?’ whispered Sateala. ‘Do we go on or turn back?’

  Shaun moved up alongside him. ‘No, we have got this far, so I think we should continue.’ He turned to Ava. She smiled and nodded, even though inside she was praying they would have no option but to turn back, but she knew Shaun would just continue on his own.

  Sateala looked up at the canopy. ‘It’s so difficult to tell whether it is day or night, so I suggest we carry on until the light goes completely, then camp down for the night and see what the morning brings.’

  ‘Yes, that sounds like a good plan,’ replied Cabura. ‘Maybe I can scout further on and maybe find tracks or traces of the Centaurs: if they have been in this area they will have left their mark.’

  They set off once more, this time Cabura leading the way, his eyes flashing from side to side hoping to spot signs of the Centaurs. They continued for a further two or three hours, and just as the last glimmer of light was about to be extinguished, in the distance loomed a strange haze of misty, shimmering light which brought them to an abrupt halt. ‘What do you think?’ Sateala said in a hushed voice.

  Cabura paused for a moment. ‘Could be their camp: open fires would create such haze in such a dense area. You all stay here while I go and take a look.’

  Shaun shook his head. ‘No, we will all go together. On your own they might not give you the chance to explain, and I have my magic hammer which will protect us.’ He took out his hammer as he crept forward, waving the others to follow.

  As they neared the area they could see the open fire and the sound of raised voices filled the air. Cabura scanned their surroundings and led them over to a thicket, hiding them from view, to decide on their next move. ‘Let me go and see if I can persuade them to talk. Although we are from different tribes, we are both Centaurs,’ whispered Cabura.

  Again Shaun shook his head. ‘No, I can’t see that working. They will see you as a threat and just attack.’ He pondered a moment before continuing. ‘But as we are here I think we should just go in. Sedene, you know these Centaurs so at least they will recognise you and give you a chance to explain, and if that doesn’t work I will be there to use the hammer as the last resort.’ He turned to Ava. ‘But it is no use putting you in danger. You stay here, and if we don’t return, use your waystone to find your way back to the secret valley and inform the elders.’

  Reluctantly she agreed and gave him a hug before watching him lead the others over towards the camp which was a hundred or so metres away. But as they approached the entrance the rustling sound of the undergrowth came from all around them, and a flurry of movement as six armed Centaur guards emerged, surrounding them.

  One of them moved closer, inspecting each one of this strange band of intruders before pushing Sedene to one side. ‘I recognise you from the secret valley.’ He paused for a moment. ‘Your name is Sedene. Tell me, why have you entered our territory and brought these strangers with you?’

  Sedene put his arm around Shaun. ‘This is Shaun. The Great Wizard has sent him to speak with your leader to persuade your tribe to join forces with him in a looming war with the evil Dark Wizard.’

  The Centaur turned to Cabura. ‘And who are you and why have you dared to enter our land? You must know the consequences of such an action.’

  ‘My name is Cabura and yes, I know that each Centaur tribe guard their land with their lives, but these are special circumstances. The evil Dark Wizard intends to take over the whole of Colgilor and kill or enslave those who stand in his way. So please, all we ask is to put the Great Wizard’s message to your leader and let him decide.’

  There were a few moments of silence before he turned to the other guards and indicated for them to escort the intruders into their camp, and he led the way. As they entered the camp there was an almighty uproar and the Centaurs surged forward towards them, jostling the intruders as they raised their weapons above their heads, shouting, ‘Kill! Kill!’

  Ava was alerted as the sound was carried on the night air, and she raced over to the entrance. She gasped out loud when she spotted Shaun and his companions being swamped in a sea of angry, armed Centaurs pushing and pulling them. She panicked at first and was just about to run over to join them, but she managed to stop herself and pause a moment to gather her thoughts. She slipped out her flute and took a deep breath to calm herself down before beginning to play. Loud and clear, the beautiful sound floated through the entrance, and within a few seconds the Centaurs calmed down as they turned to the entrance, looking for the player.

  Ava stepped forward and walked into the camp, continuing to play. Slowly the Centaurs opened up to allow her to walk through to join her friends. As she continued to play, some of the Centaurs at the back began to become agitated again as the magic of her playing started to wear off. She could see this happening, but she continued to play. Inside she was slowly losing heart, when suddenly the air was filled with the melodic sound of pipes blending in with Ava’s flute, and from out of nearby bushes Pan appeared. The camp died into complete silence apart from the mesmerising duet who continued to play. And as he made his way over to join Ava, the Centaurs bowed their heads to their God Pan. He smiled and nodded at Ava, and they played on for several minutes. You could feel the atmosphere of the whole camp had changed.

  When the music finally died away, Pan put his arm around Ava and Shaun and his three companions moved up close beside them. Pan beckoned the leader of the Centaurs to step forward. ‘I know you do not permit strangers to enter your land, but these are special visitors. I can vouch for them: they have risked their lives to come here to talk with you. They have been sent by the Great Wizard himself.’ He turned to Shaun. ‘And this young warrior has the blessings of the Gods. He even carries the magic hammer Mjolner, which belongs to Thor himself
. He could, if he wished, have destroyed your camp, but he only needs to speak with you.’

  Creedor nodded his head. ‘Of course we will listen if you say we should.’ He glanced over to Shaun. ‘Please go ahead and speak: we are all listening.’

  Shaun’s face cracked into a relieved smile. ‘As Pan has told you, the Great Wizard has sent us to ask for your help. The whole of Colgilor is in great danger. That includes your area of the enchanted forest. The evil Dark Wizard is making plans and assembling a powerful army to take over each Kingdom. No one will be spared: all the inhabitants will be either killed or enslaved; I have seen for myself the depth of his evil ways, using horrendous torture methods to punish or extract information We have convinced warriors from most of the Kingdoms to join us the Dwarfs fairies, Elves, my friend Cabura’s tribe of Centaurs, and the tribes of Fauns led by my two other friends here, Sateala and Sedene.’

  Creedor pondered for a moment before turning to his tribe. ‘You have heard the messenger of the Great Wizard who we know is a good, trustworthy soul, so if he says we are under threat then we must heed his warning. And of course our God Pan has explained why we should accept the words of our visitors.’ He paused again before continuing. ‘So what do you say? Do we hide away in the forest and hope the Dark Wizard’s army are unable to find us? Or do we join Cabula and his tribe to help defeat the Evil Wizard?’

  There was a brief lull before one of the Centaurs raised his bow above his head. ‘I say we join our fellow tribesmen in helping the Great Wizard to eradicate the Dark Wizard and all his evil followers.’

  The camp was filled with low whispers as the Centaurs conversed with each other, slowly building in volume, before the whole area exploded into ear-splitting chanting of ‘Death to the Dark Wizard!’

  Creedor raised his hand and the camp once again fell into silence. ‘I am proud to be your leader. We must always fight on the side of good. If evil ever wins, then this beautiful land of ours would surely perish into darkness.’ He turned to Shaun. ‘What do we do now?’