Several jumped into the boat, and lunged at him. One scratched his arms with its long twisted fingernails.
“Get back.” Angus smacked their arms away as they pulled on his shirt.
“What’s all this commotion?” Fane bellowed from behind them, breaking through the crowd of furry beasts. The creatures scuttled back to work, muttering things about yummy bunnies and chocolate goodies. One hairy creature spun on a stumpy heel, peered from under a massive set of eyebrows, and stuck out its tongue at Angus.
Angus sneered at the creatures and stepped from the boat onto the granite walkway. “What are those things?”
“Haven’t you ever seen a Gruagach before?” Fane asked.
“A grouch?” Vanora said, ducking under Fane’s arm to stand near Angus.
“Not a grouch, a Gruagach.” Fane scratched his head and gazed at the strange creatures. “For centuries they tended cattle. But they found working for the Merrows much easier, better benefits and less time on the job. They used to ask for milk in return until one day they stumbled upon an Easter basket and have become hopelessly addicted to chocolate ever since.” Come along, we don’t have much time and we have a lot to do.”
“Like what?” Angus asked.
“First you must bathe, change into appropriate clothing for our journey, and eat a hearty breakfast.”
Angus liked the sound of breakfast. His stomach clawed at his insides. Fane led them down a bright corridor to a hallway where tiny waterfalls sprouted from the polished granite. A multitude of undersea paraphernalia decorated the interior. An old diver’s suit and hood that looked more like it belonged to an astronaut, scraps of different fishing nets and Japanese glass floats decorated the walls.
The hall ended at a massive waterfall that spilt over two doors.
“The door on the right is for girls,” Fane said. He nodded in the opposite direction. “And the one on the left is for boys.”
At each entrance a glass stand stood, filled with rolls of the finest spun cotton for towels.
“Vanora grabbed a roll of fuchsia-colored cotton and trotted inside. Angus snatched a white roll as Fane took a raspy breath and rubbed the deep lines in his forehead.
For the first time, Angus noticed how haggard Fane looked.
“Is it really that bad?” Angus asked. “What lies ahead of us?”
Fane looked away. “Yes and no, mostly it’s that you are in my charge and I must keep you safe. It is a very overwhelming job indeed. Especially for an old man with no help.”
“No help? King Ardal will help us won’t he? He must have enough Mermen for a huge army.”
“No,” Fane snapped. “He cannot help us.”
Angus’ cheeks reddened. “Why not? He expects us to do all the work? If we don’t destroy Dragomir’s power everyone will die, including him.”
“He has helped us all he can by feeding and sheltering us and providing a way to travel to Ceoban. Dragomir has been pursuing the Merrows for centuries. You see, Angus, if he killed a Merrow and ate its flesh he’d be unstoppable. His power would extend to all reaches of the world. All would be lost. It is crucial that they don’t go anywhere near him.” Fane heaved another great sigh. “Take your shower and let the worries be mine and mine alone. Only old men should bear such burdens, now go.” Fane dismissed him with a wave and walked down the corridor, leaving him alone.
Angus hung his head. He didn’t like seeing the worried look in Fane’s eyes. What horrors lay ahead? He handed Fane his shield and backpack and went into the shower room. Rocky stalls protruded from glimmering walls. A great fall of water ran constantly inside each stall, branching off from the main waterfall outside. Angus looked around, then stripped off his dirty clothes and heaped them into a pile on the floor. When he stepped into the water he smelled a familiar fruity scent. A strange sensation came to him. A heavy sticky feeling, like cotton candy dissolving in wet hands. He wiped his arm. What was this sticky stuff? Then it came to him, strawberry bubble bath.
When Angus finished scrubbing, the water ran clear. He rinsed off, grabbed the roll of cotton, and wrapped it around himself. A scuttling noise turned him cautious. He reached for his clothes and his heart froze. They were gone.
In a panic he frantically looked around the room and noticed a sign pointing around the corner. He couldn’t read it as it was written in Merrish, but by the pictures he assumed it was the dressing area. Maybe someone left him a fresh pair of clothes. He followed the sign to a little room with a pair of feet painted in the middle of the floor.
Angus placed his own feet into the footprints.
The floor suddenly gave way beneath him. He slid on his backside down a steep slide, fighting to keep the cotton around him. Torrential winds hurled at him from all sides, drying him off. He seemed to be picking up speed. Something fell over his head then around his neck, then shoved his arms inside, it was a shirt, a silver tunic to be exact with gold beading on the sleeves. The slide abruptly ended and Angus fell feet first into a pair of underwear, pants, and socks. He bent over trying to catch his breath when a chair flew up behind him knocking him in the back of the knees, forcing him into the seat. He sailed toward a granite wall. Angus gritted his teeth and braced for the crash into the barrier. At the last moment he cracked an eye open and watched as the wall split apart. The chair glided through the opening and came to a stop at the dining room table from the night before. At his feet were his shield and backpack. He looked around. No one seemed to notice him at the crowded table.
Angus glanced back at the wall. It split apart in a different spot and Vanora flew out in a similar chair, screaming until she came to a halt across from him. Angus couldn’t stop staring at her. She looked beautiful. Her hair styled high was captured in golden combs like a mermaid. An emerald dress and matching cape graced her body.
“Wow,” Angus said. “You look great!”
“Thanks.” Vanora blushed. “So do you.”
“Kind of a freaky ride, huh?”
She nodded. “Yeah, wish someone would’ve warned me first.” She patted the golden combs in her hair. “Did you see these? I am going to keep them forever. I’ve never had anything this nice. I just love them!”
Angus nodded. “They look really cool.”
“I can’t wait to show them to my dad, he’ll flip!”
Angus’ belly rumbled and for the first time, he spotted the queen sitting beside him.
She gazed at him. “Are you hungry, child?”
Angus nodded. “Yes, Ma’am.”
She drew an elegant hand from her lap and motioned in front of him. “Eat well.”
Angus looked down. A plate sat before him, covered by a gold napkin. He removed the cloth and uncovered fresh fruit, a giant helping of scrambled eggs, and oatcakes. He ate the eggs first even though they were a deep shade of violet, along with two oatcakes. Vanora’s plate heaped with fruit. A Gruagach balanced a tray of goblets filled with a pink liquid. It rushed to Angus’ side. “Something to drink? Something to go with the chocolate bunnies in your pocket?”
“No thanks. Now get this straight. I have no chocolate bunnies, hot chocolate, chocolate bars or chocolate anything.”
The thing ignored him, sniffed at his hair and left. Vanora cringed. “Creepy little devils aren’t they?”
The Gruagach stopped in mid-step and whirled around to glare at the back of Vanora’s head. Angus put a finger to his lips. “Hush, it heard you.”
Vanora’s cheeks turned crimson. “Oops.”
The hairy creature returned, pushing a silver dessert cart loaded with steaming hot pudding, tea cakes and powdered donuts. It placed a covered dish in front of Angus and another in front of Vanora. The creature gave Angus one last sniff and left in a hurry. Angus eyed the dish suspiciously, gripped the handle and pulled the lid off. To his surprise, he found a nice chocolate donut. Vanora opened her tray and found a boiled boot covered in seaweed.
“See I told you, you shouldn’t have offended them.”
> Vanora shuddered and pushed the plate away. Angus cut his donut in half and gave a piece to Vanora.
When they finished eating, King Ardal showed them to an enclosed crystal carriage sitting on the rocky ledge near a platform that sloped into the ocean. Instead of being pulled by horses, the carriage lines disappeared under the waves, attached to something under the water. Angus hiked down the ledge a ways to see what it could possibly be. Magical Seahorses?
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Fane said. “Unless you want Dako to mistake you for a food source.”
“Dako?”
The peaceful waters ruptured and a massive creature exploded from the shallows. Angus hurried back to the ledge but the beast had already burst forth like a rising submarine. Angus whirled around. Its interlocking jaws held ten-inch teeth. Its body only half out of the water measured over twenty feet long.
The brute opened its jaws and spoke. “Did someone call my name?”
“Sorry,” Angus stuttered. “I didn’t mean to...”
“No worries,” the creature said. He swung his head to look at Fane. “Ready, old chap?”
“Yes,” Fane said. “And thanks for your assistance.”
The creature simply nodded its giant head and slipped back under the waves. Fane motioned them to get into the carriage.
Angus and Vanora sat across from each other on two bench seats upholstered in fine burgundy velvet.
Fane stepped halfway inside before calling out to the beast in the water. “All set, ready to go.” He closed the glass door and sat beside Vanora. The carriage jerked forward and rolled down the ramp and into the water. Angus panicked, jumped up and yanked on the door handle. “We’ll drown in this thing.”
“Certainly not,” Fane said. “It’s air tight.”
“Cool,” Vanora said. “It’ll be like a glass bottom boat. We’ll get to see what lives down there.” She looked puzzled, and then frowned. “Nothing can break through the glass? Right?”
Fane considered her question. “I don’t believe so, but as in life nothing is ever for sure.” Fane lowered his voice. “There are creatures that dwell here that are very hearty indeed. Terrible beasts tough enough to survive the great cataclysms that annihilated the dinosaurs.”
Angus looked at Vanora. “Great, that’s reassuring.”
Vanora sighed. “Wish I had a camera. My dad would love this place.”
They traveled into the dark water deeper and deeper. Fane closed his eyes and fell sound asleep. They hit the bottom of the sea floor with a jolt and then leveled out as Dako crawled along, pulling the carriage forward with his massive legs. Angus waited for the underwater sand storm to clear so he could see what strange looking plants and creatures lurked in the depths.
Vanora pressed her forehead against the glass. “Wow, look at that.” She squinted and pointed. “What is that? A whale?”
At first Angus thought it was a log cloaked in darkness but then a hideous face and gargantuan body came into view. An ugly spotted fish with its lower jaw pressed up over its upper teeth in an exaggerated overbite swam near. It opened its mouth, exposing rows of razor wire teeth while it swam closer and closer until it came along side of the carriage. Its soulless eyes focused on Angus. Angus’ heart lurched against his ribcage. A massive dorsal fin glistened on its dark blue back and he guessed it at over ten meters long from head to tail. It bumped its snout against the glass.
Dako snapped at the monster and it swished its colossal tail, cutting the dark waters like a blade, leaving only a pile of bubbles behind.
“Did you see the size of that thing?” Angus asked.
Vanora nodded, her eyes showing a flash of panic.
Angus spotted something coming up ahead. A giant golden head sat wedged in between two broken stone columns with scroll-shaped ornamentations that resembled the horns of a ram. Rows of stone houses stood in ruin. Clay implements, a rusty plow and other artifacts lay strewn across the seabed. “Look,” Vanora exclaimed. “An ancient city. It’s like Atlantis.”
“What happened to it?” Angus asked.
Fane opened his eyes, yawned and shook his head. “It fell into the sea at Dragomir’s hands. All greed leads to destruction.”
Something darted past Angus’ window. At first he mistook it for a mermaid, and then a closer inspection showed an ugly and wrinkled face. The eyes of the creature were big, round black masses. A tall green stalk grew out of its head, ending in white flowers with a yellow center.
Fane lowered his voice and pointed to one. “Those things are called evil water lilies.” He scowled and cleared a patch of fog from his window. “Disgusting creatures. They protect the portal between here and Ceoban. They stand at the bottom of swampy places and lick the sludge off rocks. I’m sure you’ve seen them in swamps disguised in a patch of lily flowers. You can always tell it’s them as the flower on the surface moves while they are grazing on the sludge.”
The water lilies darted past the carriage and stood shoulder to shoulder guarding the portal entrance. “Show them your shield, Angus,” Fane commanded. “Put it up against the window where they can see it.
The shield pulled hard in his hands and Angus fought to keep control of it. He wrestled it to the window. One fat water lily scowled and swam to the side window, studying the shield. The corners of her mouth encrusted with black sludge. She put her hand to the window, smearing a black patch of goop across it, twisted away, and swam hard to a group of other lilies. They huddled in a tight circle, then swarmed around the carriage pointing at the shield and whispering into each other’s ears.
“Are they going to let us in?” Angus asked, feeling a great leap of panic. What if they came this far only to be turned away? He’d never get to see his mother.
Fane peered out the window. “They aren’t intelligent creatures so it’ll take them awhile to realize what they are looking at.”
More of the creatures gathered around the carriage. A skinny one swooped over Dako’s head and slapped his nose. He snapped his massive jaws at the creature’s legs, missing them by inches. Two more swam by his head, sticking out their long black tongues and taunting him. Dako reacted violently, thrashing about, striking one with his enormous tail and sending it flying backward in a summersault.
The carriage bumped up and down as Dako went on the attack.
Vanora shot a concerned look at Fane. “Can’t you stop them from teasing him?”
Fane stood up, bending to keep from hitting his gray head against the carriage roof. He drew out his blackthorn stick and pointed it at the lilies. They threw up their hands in surrender and swam past to the portal gate. They held open the iron gates as Dako pulled the carriage inside, snapping at their toes.
“Is that a magic staff?”
Fane looked at Angus at if he were crazy. “No, my dear boy, it’s a walking stick. Haven’t you ever seen one before?”
“Of course I have,” Angus huffed. “But by the way they reacted I thought it must have some kind of magical power.”
“It works because I believe it’s magical. Just like you need to believe in yourself, Angus.” Fane raised his bushy eyebrows and tapped the side of his temple with his index finger. “Power is all in the mind. They thought it was a threat and they fled. That’s all that’s important. One doesn’t always need magic to make some things happen.”
About a hundred feet in front of them, a cluster of megalithic stones stood in an enormous circle.
“It’s a replica of Stonehenge!” Vanora exclaimed.
“Yes. Exactly,” Fane said. “Stonehenge, this one and the one that stands in the center of Ceoban were all built by giants. They carried the stones from Africa. Before they served Dragomir, giants lived in all three worlds. Under the sea, Europe, and Ceoban. In your world, humans tired of their oppression banded together to run the giants out and since that time they live only in Ceoban where the evil ones help Dragomir.”
Angus felt another heavy pull on his shield. It grew so strong he had t
o use both hands in order to hold it.
“What’s wrong?” Vanora asked.
“Something’s pulling the shield like a giant magnet.”
“No worries,” Fane said. “It’s the stones. The shield sends a signal to them to open the portal. A signal is being sent to Stonehenge in England and to its twin in Ceoban, called the Friar’s Foot.”
A blue flame rose in the midst of the stones. Dako pulled the carriage into the center of it and up a steep stone ramp. The creature burst to the surface, snorting and blowing water from its nostrils. Fane opened the carriage door. Tear drops of water dripped from its sides. He kicked the steps down and in two strides stood on the ramp. Shielding his eyes, he cast a glance at the misty island and smiled.
Not looking back, he hiked up the stone ramp. Angus and Vanora hurried to catch up. Deeply etched circles were carved into the stone walkway and grew more intertwined as they reached the foot of the island. Near the shoreline groves of maidenhair ferns and stalks of horsetail grew in thick patches. Scots pine, birch and oak trees sprouted to the sky.
“What kind of place is this?” Angus asked.
Fane smiled. “A very old place. Home to me, but a foreign and strange world to you my young friend.” He wiped away a tear and hurried to shore. “I just hope it is as I remembered it.”
Vanora stepped on mossy green soil. “It’s so beautiful, like Caledonia.”
“Yes,” Fane answered hiking into the thick woods. “Many creatures that lived in Caledonia in the ancient times now make their home here. All different kinds and races. Ancient men came to settle here also, unhappy with the changes in your world.” Fane leaned on his blackthorn stick, surveying the area. “Many good and gentle creatures live in this part of Ceoban. As we travel south we will surely encounter darker ones. This area is still untouched by Dragomir’s evil. Now let’s be on our way. I want to see my people.”
Vanora came to Fane’s side. “Do you think any of them would still be alive? Your people?”
Fane nodded. “Yes, of course. They reside with the Tuatha de Danann. A race of the fairest of fairy folk. The De Danann excel over all others in their proficiency in every art. Great teachers to humans and others who choose to learn. Everything I know, I owe to them.”
Angus MacBain and the Island of Sleeping Kings Page 12
