After a short break to regroup and gather their composure, they were off again, heading towards the mountain fortress of the Dark Wizard, all of them wondering what he had in store for them next: surely nothing could be as terrifying as those skeletons – or could it be? They travelled on for several miles without sight or sound of the enemy, but just as the feeling that the worst was over spread through the army, as they marched close to one of the craggy mountainsides the air around them was filled with a vibrating, humming sound which brought them to a sudden halt. Herne turned to Shaun. ‘Quick, organise the archers. I heard that sound before: we are about to be bombarded from the air.’
The Elves and Centaurs moved forward, loading their bows, their heads swinging from one side to the other scanning the sky above, and sure enough, from out of the dark, swirling mist swooped a flock of flying reptilian creatures with bulging eyes and projecting, horny jaws with pointed, razor-sharp teeth wheeling above their heads before diving down in unison, one large swarm. The archers fired a hail of arrows towards them; many of them crashed to the ground, but there were so many sending wave after wave hurtling towards the struggling archers. Shaun waved the Fairy warriors forward. They drew their swords, slashing and splicing the creatures as they continued to attack. The two Dragons took flight to join the melee, and they soon took control, incinerating each new attack. But just as their army was starting to gain the upper hand, from out of a nearby forest-covered mountain slope appeared an army of strange creatures. They were striding forward on their hind legs; they had tall, hairy bodies and legs, but some had the head of a huge wolf, their green, evil eyes flashing, their large jaws wide open, revealing long fangs dripping with venom, their muzzles raised to the sky, sending out a chorus of ear-splitting howling.
The others had the same tall, hairy bodies, but these had the head of a bull with huge horns. They stood snorting and throwing their heads in the air, but the frightening thing was that they were all armed with swords. They stood motionless, staring over at Shaun and his army. They waited until they had all gathered together before shuffling forward, growling and howling.
The two Dragons continued to finish off the flying creatures before turning in the air and bearing down on the hairy monsters; while they were reeling from the attack, Shaun’s army rushed forward, the archers now sending their arrows into the pack of monsters while the Dwarfs engaged their swords. But the monsters were so strong and such skilled fighters, and the battle turned out to be a long, fierce encounter. Although Shaun’s army sustained casualties, his army managed to slay most of them while their survivors disappeared back into the forest. Shaun was visibly upset at the sight of their first fatalities, but it had been expected and he was sure there would be so many more before the war was over. They buried their dead and patched up best they could those who had been injured. After saying a few words of respect over the graves, they stayed a while for a little rest and refreshment to build up their strength before moving on.
Finally, after another long and tiring journey through one of the many dense forests, the Dark Wizard’s fortress came into view: just to see they were only few miles away really lifted their spirits and they cried out with a combination of relief and joy. They found shelter out of sight of the fortress in one of the nearby valleys, and settled down for a rest and refreshment while they discussed their final plans. It was decided that Herne, Garoob and Garoushe, they would lead half the Dwarf warriors and three of the Dwarfs with the magic swords to enter the back entrance of the fortress, while Shaun and the rest of the army attacked the front. Garoob and Garoushe knew there would only be a handful of guards in that area and they would be able to eliminate the guards in each of the other areas as they swept through.
The only problem that Shaun could see was that once they attacked the rear, it would alert the Dark Wizard of the arrival of their army. After several minutes of silence while they pondered over a solution, Herne’s face cracked into a huge smile and he slipped his hunting horn from its pouch. ‘Of course!’ he boomed as he turned to Shaun. ‘You will be in place and ready to attack before us. Once we arrive at the back entrance and are prepared to enter, I will sound the horn three times before going in, and if you attack at the same time it will give us the advantage.’
Shaun smiled and nodded his head. ‘Brilliant, that sounds perfect: you had better get started. As you say, you have quite a journey ahead, so stay safe, all of you: we will see you once the Dark Wizard has been vanquished.’ Herne gave Shaun one of his bear hugs and the Dwarfs chattered amongst themselves to wish each other good luck and to stay safe before Garoushe and Garoob led them away down the valley. Shaun wiped away a tear as he watched them disappear into the gloom.
Garoob and Garoushe took several shortcuts used by the Dark Wizard’s guards, making their journey shorter and safer; had it not been for them, Herne and the Dwarfs would probably lose their way as the swirling, dark storm clouds descended, virtually blocking out the way ahead. But worse was to come: the closer they got to the fortress, the air became thick and stifling, and flashing bolts of forked lightning crashed down all around them. The one good thing was that the dark clouds were the perfect camouflage: without them, they would surely have been spotted by the Dark Wizard’s guards. Further on, things got even better: as they approached the towering rock face of the fortress the whole area was engulfed in its shadows. Garoob led them forward, the whole army moving cautiously and silently.
Herne had been with Garoob before when they freed the Dwarf King Delross, and he watched as Garoob felt his way along the rock face before drawing his sword and waving them forward. Once they were all ready for action, their swords drawn, Herne took out his hunting horn and blew it three times. Garoob quickly slid the blade of his sword between a joint in the stone, and the Dwarfs watched as a section of the rock face slowly opened and they crept through.
They had only travelled a few metres when the air was filled with the deafening sound of the klaxon. Garoob glanced at Herne. ‘Shaun must have attacked the front: hopefully most of the guards will have left their posts to answer the Dark Wizard’s call to arms. They will all gather in the huge hall at the front entrance, preparing to face the intruders. The Dark Wizard will be on the battlement with his archers, and he will send out the guards once his archers have done their damage.’
Garoob led them forward along a dimly lit corridor with the sound of pounding feet and raised voices echoing through the fortress as the whole place suddenly burst into life: it had turned from deathly silence to ear-splitting pandemonium. As they entered one of the chambers they came face to face with a group of guards. Herne and the Dwarfs drew their swords and moved forward, but Garoob put his hand up to stop them before turning and calling out, ‘Gedan! It is me, Garoob: please let me speak with you.’ Gedan paused a moment and drew his sword as Garoob slowly walked towards him; the other guards stayed still, brandishing their swords ready for action.
Garoob stopped a metre or so in front of them and threw his sword on the ground. ‘You remember me, Gedan, I was your close friend, a loyal, trustworthy friend. The Dark Wizard killed my family and left me to die in one of his torture contraptions. I was saved by a stranger, a young boy who follows the Great Wizard. Our leader, the Dark Wizard, is an evil monster who has killed and abused many of our friends. All of his guards only obey him out of fear; we never had any respect for him. Well, this army of Dwarfs and all the warriors now attacking the front of the fortress follow the Great Wizard, a powerful yet just leader whom we all respect, and his magic is greater than the evil magic of the Dark Wizard. The Great Wizard and his huge army intend to defeat the Dark Wizard and rid Colgilor of all that is evil in Colgilor, so I ask you to join us, rather than face them in battle and perish, because these are the greatest of warriors and they have right and might on their side.’
Gedan put his sword away. ‘Please go and join your warriors while I speak with mine.’
Garoob returned to Herne and Dwarfs. Herne shook
his head. ‘What are you doing? This was not in our plan.’ Garoob nodded. ‘Yes, I know but surely if we can convince all of his guards to join us, he will have no army to fight us, and we will not lose any of our friends. Don’t you think Shaun would agree?’
Herne rubbed his chin as he turned to the Dwarfs. ‘What do you think?’ There was a brief pause before one of the Dwarfs with a magic sword stepped forward. ‘It is worth thinking about. As Garoob has said, none of his guards want to follow him. Look at Garoob: he was a personal guard to the Dark Wizard, yet he had him tortured and left to die. Surely we should give his guards the chance to be free of him. It seems a perfect solution for both our armies, and would certainly weaken the Dark Wizard’s strength. I would say yes.’ He turned to the others. ‘Are there any of you against the idea?’ None of them answered and Herne had his answer.
‘Very well,’ said Herne. If they all agree we will go along with them, but warn them that any sign of treachery will be their last.’
Garoob smiled. ‘Please come with me. Once they see you close up, I’m sure they will see the sense in joining us, rather than face you.’
Gedan waved them over and the guards stepped back when Herne approached.
Gedan smiled. ‘I see what you mean, Garoob, about them being powerful warriors. And yes, we are all in agreement: it is better we join you than stay slaves to the Evil Wizard. Many times we have said death would be better than this living nightmare we are in. Come, follow us. We will speak to the other guards on our way through the fortress.’
At the front of the fortress a full-scale battle was taking place: the Dark Wizard’s archers were firing wave after wave of arrows from the battlement with the Elves and Centaurs returning fire. Shaun had moved them back out of range, and with his archers using the Great Wizard’s magic, arrows were able to reach their target: many of the Dark Wizard’s archers were wounded or killed. The main battle was between the Dark Wizard and Shaun, firing bolts of lightning towards each other with the Witches and Warlocks also involved, adding to the attack, but every bolt sent by them Shaun was able to use his magic hammer as a reflector shield, sending the bolts hurtling back up to the battlement, which was now beginning to disintegrate.
The Dark Wizard, realising his battlement was becoming unsafe, responded by opening the doors to the front entrance, and to his dismay and Shaun’s delight, Herne and the Dwarfs flooded out, closely followed by the army of Dark Wizard’s guards. Shaun continued to bombard the battlement, keeping the Dark Wizard at bay, and once all the guards had joined them he rushed over and began to strike the two huge stone buttresses supporting the front wall. Suddenly there was a loud explosion of sound as the battlement and the whole front wall came crashing down to the loud cheers from Shaun’s army, with the guards cheering the loudest. But the cheering died as they realised only the bodies of the archers were amongst the rubble, with no sign of the Dark Wizard, the Witches or the Warlocks.
While raking through the rubble, Shaun found the fragmented remains of a portal, and realised that the evil ones had escaped, probably to the witches’ den at the far end of the Darkside. Garoob explained about the guards and vouched for their loyalty. Shaun welcomed them to join the Great Wizard’s army and, although the Dark Wizard had still to be conquered, he knew he was much weaker without his guards, and their army was that much stronger. So, after taking shelter for the night in the ruins of the fortress, resting and feasting, they set off at first light with a newfound confidence and belief.
They had only travelled a short distance before Shaun’s waystone began to flash and the Great Wizard entered his thoughts. ‘The evil ones have fled to the isolated mountains at the far end of the Darkside. It is a long and perilous journey. It would take more time than we have for our army to march there, so you must use the second portal to transfer them.’ Without delay Shaun explained to the army to stay in the ruins with the portal until he and Herne rode to their next destination. Once there, they would open the portal so they all could pass through. They reluctantly obeyed his orders and waved the two brave leaders off as they flew up and disappeared into the sea of thick mist.
Their journey was as the Great Wizard had said, and they realised the army would have struggled to negotiate the harsh, rugged landscape with its deep valleys and high mountain peaks of that barren, hostile area made worse by the rancid smell which was suffocating and the weird sounds of the strange creatures that lived there: roaring growls, ear-splitting screeches and high-pitched shrieking. And to add to those horrendous conditions, they would have faced a continuous battle with savage-looking predators which roamed the area. Luckily, Shaun and Herne were in the air away from that danger, but they did come into contact with several airborne creatures which they were able to outwit or destroy.
Finally, the high, continuous mountain range which marked the very edge of the Darkside came into view and they landed on one of the rocky outcrops some several miles away to decide on their next move. As always, Shaun took the opportunity to have a rummage in his rucksack for a tasty meal: he would argue that he came up with his best ideas and plans on a full stomach.
Shaun recognised the towering buttress projecting from the highest of the mountains as that of the awesome Harpy that had taken Ava prisoner, so they kept watch to see if there were any signs of the Dark Wizard and his evil companions. After a long wait they spotted the Harpy flying through the mountain range carrying a carcass of some poor creature and entering her cave, but there was still no sign of the Dark Wizard. But their patience was rewarded as the Harpy appeared on the ledge of her cave a short while after and swooped down, coming to land at the foot of the mountain. Shaun punched the air with delight as from out of one of the cave entrances appeared Baba Yelka and her sister.
They waited until the evening shadows flooded the mountainside and the valley below before setting off again, swooping down to the valley floor and silently making their way towards the buttress. They found a small canyon leading off from the valley a short distance from the buttress and cautiously made their way inside. Once they checked they were out of sight from the buttress, Shaun took out the portal and opened it up. He spoke to Garoob who was keeping watch at the other portal, and he ushered the army through.
Shaun organised them into groups while explaining the location of the enemy and going through the final plans while waiting for dawn to arrive. As soon as the shadows faded with the arrival of first light, Shaun led them out of the canyon, heading for the buttress; although they were moving stealthily forward just the sound from their marching feet vibrated through the valley. Suddenly the Harpy emerged from her cave: she remained on the front ledge looking down on the approaching army. She sent out a nerve-jangling burst of screeching, and from the cave entrance further along the buttress appeared the Dark Wizard. Below, the witches and warlocks emerged.
The Harpy’s screeching reverberated around the valley. Shaun turned to see a host of flying creatures; several Harpies were joined by dozens of flying reptiles and lizards with seven or eight Griffins, and below a stampede of the wild predators Shaun had seen earlier: armour-clad, prehistoric-looking creatures bounding towards them. The archers loaded their bows, sending a shower of the Great Wizard’s arrows towards the aerial attack, and the two Dragons took to the air, sending out burst after burst of fierce flames. On the ground Herne led the Dwarfs, Fairies, Centaurs and fauns to attack the oncoming creatures, while Shaun turned his focus towards the Dark Wizard and his evil companions. Using his hammer and ring together, he sent out bolt after bolt, a continuous flow of thunderbolts crashing up to the top of the mountainside, at the same time closing his eyes and pointing the ring in the same direction.
Suddenly there was an almighty explosion and the top of the mountain began to break up, sending boulders and huge sections of rocks crashing down like a cascading waterfall quickly gathering momentum, causing the whole mountain and its projecting buttress to disintegrate to the loud cheers of the army. The sight of the devastation sc
ared off the surviving flying creatures and land predators: they turned tail and fled back up the valley.
Once the dust had settled, Shaun, Herne and the army searched the ruins but to Shaun’s dismay there was no sign of the Dark Wizard or his companions. He turned to Herne, shaking his head. ‘They must have escaped, but where would they go?’
Herne rubbed his chin, deep in thought, before shrugging his huge shoulders. ‘The only place he could go in my opinion is the land of the Giants. You have been there and know that if he could control some of the huge monsters and creatures that live there, he would virtually be invincible.’ ‘The Trolls,’ Shaun gasped. ‘Well, we have come this far and if we can defeat him there, he would have nowhere else to go, so what are we waiting for?’
‘Let us rest and enjoy some refreshments,’ replied Herne, ‘while we think this through. If you decide to go, then we will take off at first light, leaving the army to recuperate before joining us through the portal.’
As dawn broke, Shaun and Herne bade farewell to the army before setting off on the long journey to the land of the giants and the Trolls’ castle. It was of course to their advantage that Shaun and Star had travelled there before on their Quest, so they were able to avoid the danger areas and knew the safe caves where they could take shelter for the night. Star was able to move that much faster this time as he had carried Louis, Ava and Shaun on that occasion. Also Shaun had realised on the journey home that they could have saved time by taking shortcuts.
War in Colgilor Page 15
