by Tim O'Rourke
‘And it well might be,’ Warden said, ‘but you leave tonight. The dawn is drawing close. Today you shall rest as I fear you will need every ounce of cunning and energy to survive the journey you are about to make.’
‘What’s this “you” business?’ Zach asked. ‘Aren’t you coming with us?’
‘I’m sorry, but my blindness will hamper your mission. I will take a separate path from you, head to the Snowstorm Mountains and protect my family the best that I can.’
Looking across the dying fire at William, Zach said, ‘but what about William? He’s your son. Isn’t he family?’
Bowing his head and speaking in a voice so low Zach struggled to hear him, Warden said, ‘this is my son’s punishment. He has to go with you to make peace with the rest of his family and Endra.’
Zach looked across at William, who also had his head bowed as if in shame.
‘What could your son have done that was so bad, to earn your forgiveness he has to go on such a dangerous journey?’ Zach asked, starring at Warden in disbelief.
‘He will tell you if he chooses to. Now it is time for you to rest.’ And without another word the giant rose to his feet, yanked on Wasp’s tether and disappeared into the forest.
Zach, William and Neanna sat in silence and it became unbearable.
‘So why are you putting yourself forward to come on this journey,’ Zach asked Neanna, the silence becoming deafening.
Fluttering like shadows in candlelight, Neanna blinked and reappeared curled on her side by the burning embers of the fire. She lay and looked at Zach with her pale-blue eyes.
‘To avenge Throat for what he did to my people,’ she said. Then closing her eyes, Neanna pulled her cloak over herself, disappearing beneath it.
Rolling on to his back, Zach laced his fingers behind his head and crossed his feet at the ankles. He looked across at William who continued to sit by the fire, his head hung so low that his chin touched his chest.
What could he have done that were so bad, he would be sent to his almost certain death by his own father? Zach wondered.
And with this thought see-sawing through his mind, he slipped into unconsciousness and fell asleep.
Chapter 11
Stepping through the doorway from Endra, Fandel teetered on the edge of the cliff. He pin-wheeled his arms like a tightrope-walker to stop himself falling into the crashing waves below.
‘Dammit!’ he hissed under his breath.
The doorway slammed shut behind him, folded in on itself and disappeared. Turning, Fandel saw his cottage in the distance beneath a sky that looked the colour of bruised and battered skin. Morning was minutes away and by the look of the clouds racing in from the west, he could sense that they were bringing snow with them. Fandel could smell it and it made his nose itch.
Regaining his composure, he set off across the fields to his home and his niece who lay in the upstairs bedroom. She would soon need her morning dose of medicine, and he grinned to himself, that feeling of excitement making his heart quicken. But what he didn’t find so funny or exciting was how the door had opened just inches from the cliff-edge. A fraction further in the wrong direction and he would have fallen to his death.
Fandel could remember a time when the doorways stayed still. You were certain of returning to Earth at the very same point that you had left it. But not now. Something seemed to be changing – shifting. The doorways no longer stayed still and this worried him. What if he stepped through the doorway onto a busy motorway, a railway track with a high-speed passenger train bearing down on him? He knew he would be dead. Fandel didn’t intend to find out, and the thought caused gooseflesh to crawl up his back.
Fandel suspected it had something to do with the heart in that box. Ever since his reflection had moved it from the Splinter, everything had started to change. The two worlds no longer seemed to be running parallel to each other. Now they seemed to be overlapping. He had always known that the two worlds of Earth and Endra had time differences. For instance, he knew that whilst he was fifty-two years old, Throat seemed to be much older – as if he had been around for many years. Perhaps hundreds of years. The people of Endra seemed to live far longer than their reflections on Earth, but to think about it made his head ache and he considered himself to be intelligent, far superior to anybody else that he knew. The fact that he couldn’t quite work out the math frustrated and angered him, so he tried not to think about it.
Reaching the cottage, Fandel went inside. The first milky-grey rays of morning light seeped through the kitchen windows and onto the table where he prepared Anna’s medicine. Filling a glass with water, Fandel took one of the yellow spiked tablets from a piece of muslin cloth they were wrapped in. He counted their number and nodded to himself in approval.
‘Good, good,’ he sighed. ‘I should have enough. I was wise to buy so many from the Delf.’
He recalled his journey across the wastelands of Endra to seek out the ancient Delf. She specialised in concocting the most vile and repugnant of potions and medicines. He was meant to have stayed with her for a day or two, but ended up staying for six months as she shared her demonic-magic with him. She had been putrid-looking and stank so rotten that, for the first month or two, he had a handkerchief tied about the lower part of his face whenever she was near him. But despite her decaying face and the rancid smell of excrement that emanated from her, she had somehow bewitched him. The sight of those white bloated maggots crawling from her ears and nostrils like globules of snot had made him want to vomit at first, but as the days rolled into weeks and then into months he had somehow grown fond of her. He had grown to want her.
It had been subtle at first; just the odd flutter of his heart as he got near to her. Then those minor fluttering’s grew stronger and his heart began to race in his chest every time he had looked at her. Even her revolting smell didn’t seem so bad, and he removed the handkerchief from his face.
Then, one black evening, sitting next to the Delf in her shack, Fandel had the sudden urge to entwine his fingers amongst the wispy strands of her greasy hair and kiss her cracked and blistered lips. As he drew closer to her, his mouth hovering over hers, he knew that it was time for him to leave. If Fandel didn’t go now the spell that she had worked on him may never be broken, and he would have stayed with her forever.
And now, as he stood in his kitchen and counted out the remaining yellow spiked tablets, he felt relief that he had taken enough of them from the Delf. Fandel knew that he would never be able to return to her little broken down shack because he would never leave. As he thought of her now, his heart began to flutter again and there was a small part of him that felt excited at the memories of her.
Picking up the tray, he made his way up the stairs to Anna’s bedroom. He eased the door open with one of his twisted hands and crept inside. He stalked across the room on his stilt-like legs, and again his shadow spilt across the sleeping girl like a giant claw.
Placing the tray on the bedside cabinet, Fandel whispered into Anna’s ear.
‘Oh Anna my sweet child, it’s time for your medicine.’
Anna stirred and without opening her eyes she mumbled, ‘I…I…don’t want anymore.’
‘Of course you do,’ he soothed. ‘Your uncle Fandel knows what’s best for you.’
He then plucked up the tablet from the tray. With a crooked forefinger, he pulled down on Anna’s lower lip and pushed the tablet into her mouth. At once, she began to twist and turn, like a snake beneath the bedclothes. He wrapped a hand around her jaw to keep her mouth shut.
‘There’s a good girl,’ he whispered.
Anna tossed to and fro but she was just too weak, too tired to resist him.
The tablet spiked its way to the back of her throat and seeing her eyes bulge beneath their lids, Fandel reached for the glass of water. Parting her lips just a fraction, he poured some of it in.
Anna made an involuntary gurgling sound at the back of her throat and spluttered, causing some of the water to
seep from the corners of her mouth. Snapping her jaws closed, Fandel screeched, ‘swallow you little bitch. Swallow!’
He watched as Anna’s windpipe almost popped from her neck as she forced the tablet down. Then she became still again, and Fandel smiled.
‘Good girl,’ he grinned, playing his fingers across her hot, feverish brow.
Fandel took the tray back to the kitchen, and then turned his thoughts to his nephew Zach.
Chapter 12
While the others slept, Warden spent the day in the Howling Forests gathering together supplies for the journey that lay ahead of them. Using his acute sense of smell, he butchered the lunar bear, wrapping large chunks of its flesh up in leaves to keep it moist and fresh. Before he had finished with the bear’s carcass, he removed two pieces of stringy looking cartilage and placed them in the pockets of his dungarees. He then sent Wasp up into the trees to gather Pinyans, a succulent blue oval shaped fruit that was full of vitamins and minerals. They would strengthen Zach, William and Neanna when they became tied and weak, which he knew they would on their journey.
Using Wasp as he guide, Warden made his way down to the river where he filled three drinking vessels made from the hide of Bloats; an animal similar to that of wildebeests, except they were larger, fatter and unable to move very fast. This made them perfect for hunting as they had plenty of meat and were easy to catch.
Warden placed the items into three woven sacks which William, Neanna and Zach could carry on their backs. Once he had finished scavenging, he felt his way through the undergrowth until his fingers happened upon what it was he was looking for. Breaking off two ‘Y’ shaped branches from a tree with his huge hands, Warden sat down. From the deep pockets of his dungarees, he pulled out the two lengths of cartilage.
Blind, Warden looped these around both the ‘Y’ shaped pieces of branch and secured them in place. Holding out one of the branches in front of him, he pulled back on the cartilage. It felt springy yet strong and he was content that he had done a good job. His son and Neanna would need something to protect them as they made their journey across Endra to the Prison of Eternal Despair. Zach Black had his crossbows with their everlasting stakes, but the other two? They had nothing. Letting go of the cartilage with his thumb, it made a ‘thawping’ sound.
‘That should do them,’ he said to himself, placing the two catapults into his pockets.
‘Now,’ he said, stroking the hair beneath his wide chin, ‘they will need shot and lots of it.’
Pulling on Wasp’s tether, the creature rolled from its snoozing position it had adopted on the ground next to Warden and sprang into life.
‘Lead on,’ Warden barked. Wasp buzzed with excitement as it led Warden through the forest. ‘Take me to the biggest and ripest inferno-bush you can find,’ he commanded.
Sniffing at the air with his long, whiskered snout, Wasp charged forward pulling the giant behind him. Warden remembered how, as a boy, he and his friends had taken the berries from the inferno bush and had played the game ‘Blast’ with them. Smiling to himself, Warden pictured him and his friends catapulting the inferno berries at each other as they charged through the Howling Forests. If hit by one of the charcoal-looking berries, it would blast open on impact and sting you like a wasp. The pain it unleashed wasn’t agony, just uncomfortable as it sent a burning sensation through your body. It didn’t last long, just enough to stun you and make you wail. Then you would be off again, seeking out your friends to return the pain.
However, it had been by chance one evening at the end of a hike through the Howling Forests that Warden had learnt the true ferocity of the inferno berries. Wally Willabee, his best friend had by accident dropped some into their campfire. He wasn’t called Wally for nothing. They watched as the berries had grown hot in the fire, then hissed and spat until they exploded in a hideous ball of green flames.
Warden and Wally had both been thrown backwards through the air under the force of the blast, and landed some distance away. They looked at one another as they lay slumped at the foot of a tree, both sporting singed beards.
‘Whoa!’ Wally had said, smiling from ear-to-ear.
‘What was that?’ Warden asked dazed and confused.
‘It was those berries. No wonder they’re called inferno berries!’ Wally grinned.
‘I won’t be messing with them again,’ Warden said, pulling the burnt hair from his beard.
‘What do you mean?’ Wally said, ‘think of the fun we could have with them. Maybe we could heat them up just enough so they don’t explode. Who knows what would happen then?’
‘That’s what frightens me!’ Warden howled after his friend, who had disappeared into the undergrowth in search of the nearest inferno bush.
They sat for the rest of the afternoon until it grew dark, experimenting with the berries. They heated them and then reheated them, but were careful not to let them touch the flames of their campfire.
Warden and Wally let them cool on the forest floor. As soon as they were cold enough to be picked up, Wally took one and placed it against the cartilage of his catapult. Holding it out in front of him, he pulled the inferno berry back against the sling. Glancing over his shoulder at Warden, he said, ‘you might want to get a little further back my friend.’
Grinning, Wally faced front and released the berry. Zipping from the catapult, it raced through the forest until it collided with a tree-trunk. On impact, the berry ripped open, releasing a blast of seething, green energy which sliced the tree-trunk in two. The tree went crashing to the forest floor. All the trees surrounding it were scorched black, and some of them stood smouldering like candles that had just been blown out.
‘Did you see that?’ Wally howled with excitement. ‘Did you see that?’
Stepping towards his friend and, placing a hair-covered hand over his arm, Warden looked into his eyes and said, ‘Wally, we must never do this again. We must never tell any of our friends what we have discovered.’
‘Why not?’ Wally asked.
‘Because it’s dangerous. Someone may get hurt or worse,’ Warden cautioned him.
‘But…’
‘No ‘buts’ Wally,’ Warden said. ‘Promise me you’ll never tell anyone or…’
‘Or what?’ Wally challenged him.
‘Or I will never speak with you again.’
Seeing the seriousness in his friend’s eyes and never wanting to lose his friendship, Wally lowered his catapult and said, ‘you have my word.’
Warden watched as Wally threw the rest of the berries into the river. Then they turned and in silence, they made their way back to their camp.
A few weeks later Wally had gone off through the Howling Forests alone and was never seen or heard of again. Some said they had heard a terrifying bang similar to that of an explosion come from some way away. The Noxas had searched for Wally for weeks and no one could explain his strange disappearance, but Warden knew in his heart what had happened to him. He promised himself he would never touch another inferno berry as long as he lived.
So it was with some trepidation and a heavy heart that Warden reached out and began to pluck the berries from the inferno bush that Wasp had guided him to. He filled the pockets of his dungarees with them, and when they were all full, he crammed his giant hands with as many as he could carry.
He took them to a nearby clearing and made himself a small fire. He felt about in the earth until he found himself a large slab of rock. Covering this with the inferno berries, Warden placed it into the fire. Cocking his head to one side, he waited and listened for the first sounds of hissing.
As he waited, he thought of his friend Wally again and if he still had his eyes he knew they would be weeping. Hearing the faintest of hisses, Warden reached into the fire and withdrew the rock. While he waited for them to cool, he ripped the sleeves from his red checkered shirt and knotted two of the ends. Scooping up large handfuls of the berries, he filled the sleeves with them. Once they were full, he tied the ends with pieces of twine
which he looped down and fastened to the knotted ends of the sleeves – making two slings. Warden then produced a small piece of paper and pencil from his pocket. He pictured the letters and words he wanted to write, and let his hand move over the paper. Without being able to see the words that he scrawled, Warden wrote two short notes and fastened them to the slings.
Once he had finished, he scooped everything together and made his way back towards the clearing where William, Neanna and Zach still slept.
Wasp led Warden into the small circular area. Sniffing each of them out in turn, Warden placed the items he had gathered on the ground. Resting the catapults and the inferno berries beside Neanna and William, he hoped that they would both read the note attached before using them.
Knowing that he could do no more to aid them on their journey, Warden stooped over his sleeping son and ruffled his hair. Whispering into Williams’s ear, he said, ‘I forgive you son.’
Without looking back, Warden commanded Wasp to lead him to the foot of the Snowstorm Mountains.
Chapter 13
Knowing that his nephew had stepped through a doorway into Endra caused Fandel a headache. The pain was a dull thud, but he knew if he didn’t remedy the situation the headache would soon begin to pound and then beat against his ageing skull.
Throat had released the Demonic Guardians to dispense with Zach, but it wasn’t the thought of his nephew dying a hideous and painful death that troubled him; it was the knowledge that Zach would never be returning home.
Anna’s illness, he could deal with. He could write the sick certificates himself and that would end any further inquiry. But a missing sixteen-year-old-boy who had been left in his care, that could be more difficult to explain. His college would start asking questions, and he could only say that Zach had gone to stay with relatives for so long before the authorities started poking their noses into his affairs.
