Ariel's Charm

by Marnie Lester

  Marco gasped when he saw Madrigor place a hand on top of the Palladox Charm’s chest and a sudden, brilliant flash of light filled the clearing. Marco felt his knees weaken and knew he could not cope with many more shocks this day.

  He saw Reynaldo stand up and turn back towards him, but as he took a step, the one named Madrigor called him back.

  Marco could not hear what was being said, but he thought he heard Reynaldo give a soft groan. Finally the older man turned back and began walking to him. Marco was shocked when he saw Reynaldo’s face. His skin was grey and his eyes looked hollow, as if he had been given the worst news imaginable. Marco was about to ask what he had just been told then paused. Somehow he already knew that Reynaldo would not tell him.

  It was only a short time later that the two of them had made the leap and begun their quest to find Ariel.

  Marco’s mind returned to the present. He found himself walking with Ariel. He glanced at the young girl walking by his side, at the determination on her face. Marco wondered if the dark times in Walhalla were about to come to an end. Marco admired Ariel’s strength that enabled her to survive and overcome the grief and suffering that she had endured. He knew without a doubt that he would lay down his life for her; for the girl that she was and the queen that she could become.

  Chapter 36

  At that moment they came to an opening in the dirt road. Marco’s face broke into a wide smile.

  ‘There they are!’

  Ariel looked at Marco’s face. The look of happiness and relief was evident in his expression. His eyes sparkled and his smile was dazzling. Ariel frowned in concentration wondering what could have produced such a reaction. Ariel turned to follow his eyes and felt an extraordinary sense of wonder at the sight laid-out in front of her.

  There in front of them was a large field. The lush green grass provided a stark contrast to the golden sky. The strong colours created a brilliant backdrop for the vision that she beheld. What Ariel saw was an open field where something, huge birds maybe, with wing spans of at least twenty feet. They had blinding white plumage, large blue eyes and a bright red bill; their head and beak shaped rather like a pelican. The sight of the birds was amazing enough, however she soon noticed that many of the flying birds had men riding on their backs. The sound of laughter could be heard from the men soaring across the golden Walhalla sky. Ariel remembered that day by the lake, the day that seemed so long ago when she thought she had imagined the amazing phenomenon that was now before her. It was true.

  She turned back to Marco, an expression of wonder clear on her face at this amazing sight. Marco looked at her wide eyes and slightly flushed cheeks and laughed.

  ‘They are called elandrils. Do you remember that I told you I lived with the elandril riders for a short time after my parents died?’ For a moment Marco’s face showed his grief and anger over the death of his parents. ‘The elandril riders are an extraordinary group of brave men who were devoted to your parents.’

  Suddenly Ariel screamed as one of these massive birds landed directly in front of her. The man riding it laughed.

  ‘Do not be afraid, child. This elandril will not harm you.’

  The man riding the amazing bird smiled as he recognised Marco. Stepping forward the two embraced. The man was tall and thin with a mop of white blond hair.

  ‘Marco, how wonderful to see you,’ he cried, a broad smile on his face.

  His gaze rested on Ariel and he raised an eyebrow quizzically. Marco simply nodded. Ariel stared at the remarkably beautiful bird. Its large blue eyes returned her gaze and she could not sense any danger. The bird dipped its large head near her feet and a soft purring sound issued from its pointed beak. Ariel stretched out a tentative hand and stroked the soft, glossy feathers of the bird’s head. The purring sound became louder and the bird turned its head to allow her to stroke its neck. She could not help laughing at this huge creature being as affectionate as a kitten.

  ‘You see,’ the man continued. ‘The elandril live only to serve.’

  ‘Serve?’ Ariel asked, confused at how a bird could serve people.

  ‘These birds are highly intelligent creatures. The elandril that you see flying have been trained to carry riders. Once a rider trains his own elandril an unshakeable bond is forged between the two. The elandril will protect and die for its rider.’

  As if to confirm this statement, the amazing bird laid its huge beak over the man’s shoulder. The man laughed and reached up to stroke the bird’s neck, causing the soft purring that Ariel had heard. She noticed that the man was wearing a red waistcoat with golden buttons. Glancing around she saw the other elandril riders were wearing similar garments.

  ‘I am Dalmar,’ he continued. ‘This handsome fellow is called Elizon. He has been my greatest friend since I trained him as a fledgling.’

  The bird’s head perked up at the sound of his name.

  ‘You have your mother’s beauty,’ he continued, his voice breaking slightly. ‘The elandril riders are here to serve you, your highness, as we served your parents,’ he added with a deep bow. Dalmar continued. ‘As you can see we continue to wear the livery of the Royal Elandril Corps. As Largo is unable to control the elandril riders he is also unable to change our choice of attire. The riders have sworn allegiance to your parents and therefore to you.’

  She smiled, feeling her heart begin to race. She knew that she had an ally in Dalmar. Ariel was touched at the obvious emotion in Dalmar’s voice. Some unknown instinct made her extend her hand. Dalmar bent his head and brushed the back of her hand with his lips.

  As he drew his head back, Ariel heard him quietly murmur, ‘My queen.’

  ‘A lot of people in Walhalla are unhappy with Largo’s tyranny’ he continued. ‘Many of us remember the grace and goodness of King Dariew and Queen Volanda.’

  Ariel nodded at Dalmar, grateful for his loyalty to her parents.

  Dalmar stood with his head bowed, gazing at his feet. When he raised his head Ariel saw the unmistakable glint of tears in his eyes. He shook his head before speaking again.

  ‘How could we have let this happen? Your parents are dead because we stood back and did nothing.’

  Impulsively Ariel reached forward and squeezed his hand. They locked eyes for a moment and finally Dalmar smiled slightly.

  He glanced at Marco.

  ‘Do you still have your elandril horn, Marco?’

  Marco shook his head.

  ‘Unfortunately it was lost in my travels.’

  A long look passed between them. Dalmar finally nodded, seeming to understand the trials that Marco had experienced being away from Walhalla. He reached into the pocket of his waistcoat and produced a curved white object. Glancing over his shoulder, he handed the object to Ariel. She turned it over in her hand. It was beautiful, a small shiny white horn, with a pearly finish. It wound around itself in a perfect coil and was small enough to conceal in her palm. It had a series of holes curving around its surface.

  ‘This is an elandril horn. Each one is unique and this particular horn has been carved to produce a sound unique to Elizon’s ears. This sound can be heard by Elizon from a great distance. If you feel the elandril can aid you in any way use the flute and we will come to you.’

  With this extraordinary statement Dalmar turned and remounted Elizon. He reached down and squeezed Marco’s hand then made a small bow to Ariel. Seconds later the two were soaring across the field back to the other flyers.

  Chapter 37

  After leaving the elandril field Ariel and Marco continued towards Golden City. In front of them was a tall hill. Ariel could hear a great deal of noise coming from the other side of the rise. Marco held up his hand to signal them to stop.

  ‘I have to figure out how to get you into Golden City undetected.’

  Turning his head, he smiled. Ariel gazed in the same direction and saw a group of animals in a fenced enclosure. Each was about the size of goat with a striped zebra-like coat. Marco pointed.

  ‘I
t’s a herd of voal, our main meat source.’ He walked toward the field and noticed a mound of what looked like hay. ‘This is dried harrow.’

  He continued to look around and noticed a small wooden wagon resting against the fence. It looked a little like a wheelbarrow with one long wooden pole protruding from the front.

  Marco looked excited.

  ‘This is perfect. Ariel, do you think you can curl up inside the barrow?’

  Ariel looked puzzled for a moment and then realised what Marco had in mind. She climbed into the little barrow and laid down, bringing her knees up to her chin. Marco began to pile the harrow straw on top of her, concealing her completely.

  ‘Are you okay?’ he asked. ‘Can you breathe okay?’

  ‘Yes, I’m okay,’ she replied. ‘Hopefully I won’t sneeze.’

  She felt the wagon being pulled into a level position then begin to roll forward. The warmth and light scent of the harrow combined with the slight rocking motion of the wagon made Ariel aware of how tired she was. She could feel herself starting to fall asleep.

  Ariel awoke with a start. She found herself standing in a field. She was surrounded by Largo’s soldiers. Largo himself stood before her laughing. In his hand was a long sword. He continued to laugh as he plunged the full length of the sword into her body. The pain was overwhelming, her world bled white, then her breathing slowed and all became black.

  Ariel started awake with a gasp.

  Marco heard her cry out and leaning close he whispered.

  ‘My queen, what is wrong? Are you hurt?’

  Ariel knew she must not give away her presence, so she simply murmured, ‘All is well Marco. It was only a dream.’

  The noise became louder as they approached Golden City. The chorus of a thousand voices, wheels rolling and the sound of animals blended into a cacophony of sound. She felt the wagon pause for a moment then roll forward as if passing through a gate. Suddenly she froze as a familiar voice called out.

  ‘You there, boy. Where are you going with that straw?’

  Ariel recognised the voice of Patrail, Largo’s right hand man. At that moment the harrow straw began to tickle her nose and moving her hand carefully she clamped it over her nose and mouth to prevent sneezing. She waited for Marco to reply.

  ‘Master Patrail, it is I, Marco. I have served in the palace stables these four seasons.’

  A long silence followed this statement. Ariel began to worry that Patrail did not believe Marco. Finally he replied.

  ‘Yes, I think I know you. Well, get about your business boy. There are drallions to be fed.’

  As Patrail walked away, Marco’s eyes followed him. Largo’s second-in-command was completely oblivious to the hate-filled stare that was boring into his back. Marco worked at the palace stables out of necessity but he was unable to forget that it was Patrail who had distributed the contaminated grain which had eventually killed his parents. The only reason Marco had avoided the same fate as his parents was that he had been camping in the forests bordering North Alderidge with a childhood friend. When he had returned he found his parents crippled with abdom-inal pain and a raging fever. His father had gasped Patrail’s name when Marco found the half empty bag of grain by the cottage’s cooking fire. He had sniffed a handful of the grain and noticed the strange metallic smell that clung to the seeds. As his fist crushed the seeds, he took an oath that one day Patrail would pay for his cowardly act.

  Marco had held his parents’ hands as their strength failed and they passed to the world beyond. His grief had almost crushed him. It had only been the friendship and support he had received from the elandril corps that had renewed his will to live. It was possible that he had unconsciously taken the position in the palace stables with some ill-advised and badly thought-out revenge scheme. However, his plan changed when Reynaldo had approached him and recruited his assistance in the plan to restore the throne of Walhalla to the rightful heir. Marco had then seen the long term benefits of Reynaldo’s scheme and, at that moment, he committed himself to do everything in his power to see it through.

  Ariel could hear Patrail’s footsteps retreating and knew that they were safe for the moment. The wagon began to creak again as Marco continued on his way. A short time later she felt the barrow being lowered to the ground; still she did not move although they seemed to be in a much quieter area. She waited for Marco to speak.

  ‘Ariel, you can come out now. We are in the rear of the palace. There is no one around.’

  Carefully Ariel sat up and looked around. They seemed to be in a large courtyard. The palace walls towered over them; huge granite stones made up the walls and triangular windows were spaced evenly around the upper levels. From nearby she heard what sounded like animals braying. She remembered the peculiar animals ridden by Patrail’s men.

  They must be the drallions of which he had spoken. Ariel stepped down from the barrow and brushed away the straw from her hair and clothes. She froze as another voice could be heard. Turning, Ariel saw a guard emerge from a doorway at the end of the building. Her initial reaction was to dive back into the barrow but Marco held her wrist and shook his head. She then noticed that the man was swaying on his feet and clutching a large mug of what could only have been ale.

  ‘Oh, Maribel, my Maribel, come be with me this night,

  Your face is a (hic) jewel, your eyes like the stars,

  Be my love, (hic) pledge your troth,

  And we will be together forever mooor…’

  Given his state and to the best of his ability, the drunken guard sang a bawdy ballad that was traditionally sung by the drallion riders when they were on patrol away from their families. Ariel blushed at some of the inferences that were made by the song. Marco gave a little chuckle at Ariel’s embarrassment.

  The last line of the song was slurred. The guard staggered and lurched his way across the courtyard, his bloodshot eyes passing over Ariel and Marco. He reached what must have been the stables. He approached an entry door to the stable. The door was a half door; the top half open and the bottom closed. The open half door allowed the smells and noises to come out of the stables. He fumbled with the latch for a few moments then pitched forward and tumbled over the bottom door. Within moments they heard the man snoring loudly.

  ‘As you can see, Ariel, many of Largo’s men have developed a fondness for harrow ale,’ Marco commented. ‘Because of that I don’t think we will have a lot of trouble getting past them. Come on. The dungeons are this way.’

  He started towards a solid, metal studded door that was concealed in the corner of the courtyard. He paused for a moment and turned back to Ariel. On impulse he squeezed her hand. Somehow he understood her confusion and anxiety and the trial that still lay ahead of her. Marco smiled at her.

  ‘You’re not alone anymore, Ariel. You have a lot of people who will stand by you no matter what.’ His brilliant green eyes penetrated her own and Ariel could see that he was willing her to understand the emotions that he was feeling.

  Ariel watched as a variety of emotions chased each other across Marco’s face, from anxiety to anger and to hope. She squeezed his hand in return. Ariel realised how fortunate she was that Marco had managed to see her in the park the day that now seemed so long ago. She knew that like many people in this amazing world Marco now believed that their future depended on her.

  Chapter 38

  Ariel and Marco entered the palace dungeons. Ariel gasped when the heavy door closed with a bang and the daylight disappeared. She saw that they were in a dim stone hallway with smoke stained lanterns mounted on the walls on either side; the dismal light that they provided did little to alleviate the darkness. In front of them a steep, spiral stairway descended into the bowels of the castle. Marco clasped Ariel’s hand.

  Before proceeding down the stairs, he whispered. ‘Keep to the wall side of the stairway and move quietly.’

  Cold emanated from the walls as Ariel began moving down the stairs. She glanced at the stones and saw that they were shiny
with moisture, a layer of slime on many of them. She tried not to get too close to them as she quietly walked down the stairs. Something ran over Ariel’s foot and she clamped her hand over her mouth to prevent herself from squealing. Ariel heard many squeaks and rustling sounds; she knew that the area was infested with vermin.

  A pang of horror passed through her as she realised that this was where Reynaldo was being held. As they reached the bottom of the staircase a foul smell of human waste and decay engulfed them. Peering ahead into the dimly lit cavern Ariel noticed a row of what looked like cells; each sealed with a heavy wooden door, a small steel covered opening showed in the top half of the door. Another steel flap was in the bottom centre of the door. Ariel wondered if this was where the prisoner’s food was passed through to them. Marco turned and held a finger to his lips to prevent Ariel from speaking. He pointed to the corner of the room.

  A guard sat at a small wooden table in the corner. He was tilted back in his chair, his feet resting on the table. He seemed to be sleeping. A familiar, yeasty smell emanated from him. An empty mug sat on the table and Ariel realised that this man too had been drinking harrow ale. He was dressed in a soiled khaki coloured open necked blouse with matching britches.

  Marco motioned for Ariel to follow him and the two moved quietly into a passageway that had many cells leading off on the right hand side. Without knowing why, Ariel ran her fingertips over each of the doors in turn as she passed them. When they reached the third door the charm began to glow. As in Largo’s office, the charm seemed to react to Ariel’s emotions; Ariel so desperately wanted to find Reynaldo. She touched Marco’s sleeve to halt him and pointed to the door in front of them. Marco nodded and stepped back to allow Ariel access to the door.

  Moving quickly, Ariel focused on the heavy lock, remembering how she had opened the door to Largo’s office. This was a much heavier lock. Her teeth sank into her lower lip as she concentrated on opening this lock. She could feel sweat running down the sides of her face and pressure above her eyes from the strain. Just when she was beginning to think that she was not strong enough to open the door she heard a loud metallic click. Ariel quickly glanced over her shoulder to make sure that the guard was still sleeping. He had not stirred. The heavy lock slid aside and Marco gave the heavy door a shove. The door swung open. Ariel saw Reynaldo lying on his side on the hard stone floor.