The Team and the Cavern

by S G Read

  'Quick he will be here soon and we have to find the book and the wizard.’ Ben one whispered in case there were microphones listening to their conversation, they had met that before.

  ‘Okay two to each room and yell when you find the book. Me and Stevey will go into the cellar to search.’ Stuart called back, he hesitated long enough to allow Toby one to correct him but Toby was on his way to search.

  By now they all had a copy of the inside of the palace and knew where each room was. Stuart two had marked the room each pair were to search with an 'X' to make sure there were no mistakes. They had to get in find it and the wizard and then get out before the apprentice could catch them. Toby one stopped at the bottom of the stairs.

  ‘I think here it is called a dungeon.’ He called back.

  Stuart stopped to look at him. ‘I haven’t heard that for a while!’ He exclaimed.

  ‘Everyone else is a ‘clever clogs’ as well now.’ Toby one retorted, 'I was thinking of resigning.' He added and walked off with JC to search for the book.

  Stuart followed Stevey down the stairs to where they assumed the dungeons were. At the bottom of the stairs they found a passage and followed it until they came to the first room. The room was empty. They walked on and looked into the second room but that was empty as well. They did the same until they had searched all the rooms and came to a stone wall.

  ‘Where is he then?’ Stevey asked irately.

  ‘I don’t know, the apprentice is an up and coming wizard so he might have made the door invisible or something.’ Stuart answered.

  ‘Where are you wizard?’ Stevey called loudly to speed things along a bit but there was no answer.

  ‘So we do it the hard way.’ Stuart concluded.

  They started feeling along walls for invisible openings or levers but found none. They knew what to look for as they had found secret levers before but this time nothing they tried worked. It was just like the opening in the graveyard.

  Celia one and Ben one searched the room they were in for the first Grimoire without success, Antony and Colin did the same to the room they were in. The same was happening all over the house until Molly one shouted.

  ‘We got it.’

  The rest converged on them and saw Molly proudly carrying the book.

  ‘That is our bit done, have they found the wizard yet?’ Molly asked.

  ‘No not yet.’ Celia answered.

  ‘I bet I can.’ Simon one cried. ‘Get that book out of here, it has already done a lot of harm.’

  Molly one did not argue and took the book out of the palace with Sherman one as a bodyguard. She hurried into the trees with Sherman one and hid. Simon one hurried downstairs to where Stuart and Stevey were still fumbling round the walls.

  The apprentice hid in the bushes where he thought Fergus would walk in order to go and get the animals loyal to the wizard on his side. He knew nothing about the three bears or the wolf. He looked at his pocket watch and snarled, Fergus was late but he did not have to wait long. Fergus led the animals to the area he thought the apprentice would try to take him from and let the animals find the apprentice. The apprentice suddenly had a lot of company, all animals and they all attacked. When the attack was in full swing Fergus joined the fight in an effort to delay the apprentice for as long as he could.

  This was not his normal attack, he zapped the apprentice from hiding forcing him to fight of Fergus' attack as well as the animals. One by one the apprentice turned the animals attacking him to stone and then it was Fergus' turn. Previously he would have gone down fighting but now Fergus tried to run from one tree to another, knowing that the apprentice would get him. It was better than having one last try at turning the apprentice to stone, because if he should succeed for once then all their plans would be undone. They did not know where the reincarnated apprentice would reappear. The apprentice zapped him and that was his lot. The apprentice left him standing there and walked away, grateful for not getting bitten this time. He studied the two big bears and the wolf, did this mean there were strangers in the nether world. He walked back to the palace and round into the rear garden. He saw the leprechauns where he had left them but they looked different somehow. He walked over to get a closer look and one smiled at him. He realized that the leprechaun was not stone and battle began. With the leprechauns grabbing hold him and the apprentice trying to fight back, while he turned leprechauns to stone where he could. Suddenly the garden was full of leprechauns and the apprentice was overwhelmed.

  ‘We got him lads,’ the leprechaun leader yelled, ‘don’t let him get away.’

  While the leprechauns held the apprentice to stop him from causing anymore harm, Molly one and Sherman two chose to slip out of their hiding place in the forest and ran for the edge of the forest. Colin two went along as another bodyguard and Molly one covered the book so that the apprentice did not see it.

  A copy of Fergus had been there to watch the apprentice turn the other Fergus to stone from hiding and watched the apprentice walk away, brushing his cape as he went. The copy of Fergus then turned the stone Fergus back to flesh and blood. There was no problem doing it now as they all knew what was going on.

  ‘Thank you Fergus, but I have been thinking again and I need to warn the lads.’ He declared and ran off as fast as his little legs would carry him.

  Simon ran down the stairs, carrying the other Grimoire and found the others. ‘Stand back.’ He warned. He had found a spell in his book which would show any hidden places in a room which were concealed by magic and he recited it.

  Suddenly one of the walls disappeared to show the wizard suspended in the air, unable to move and with bars in front of him and there was no door in the bars.

  ‘That’s torn it.’ Simon exclaimed. ‘He is out there fighting the leprechauns, therefore we should be on our way but I will need to find a spell to free him from that thing, if the spell is in here. I sent Molly off with the other book to keep it safe so we can’t look in that.’

  Simon one found a spell and canted it. Nothing happened. He tried a second spell and again nothing happened. All the time the three of them were getting more and more agitated as the battle raged outside. They could hear the apprentice cursing.

  ‘He keeps looking in that direction.’ Stevey declared.

  The other two looked where he was looking and Stuart moved over to where he thought his eye were pointing at and the wizard was able to direct him with his eyes to a place in the wall covered by tiles.

  ‘It can’t be a hidden door or it would be open because of my spell.’ Simon one said seriously.

  ‘And the wizard knew the apprentice could do that then so he hid it and you have to find the opening.’ Stuart observed and they started searching for the button or lever which would open the secret door.

  While they were searching for whatever the wizard was trying to show, them the battle outside still raged, as the leprechauns fought to keep the apprentice prisoner. Every now and then, he would free a hand and was able to turn another leprechaun to stone, or even more than one. As soon as that happened others were waiting to take their place, while another one turned the stone leprechauns back again.

  Down in the dungeons Stuart pressed a whole tile and with a click a door in the tiles opened to reveal the wizards wand. Stuart grabbed it and took it to him but with no knowledge on how to work it all he could do was to turn the wand round and thrust the handle into the wizard’s hand. The hand barely moved but the wizard held the wand then smiled and signaled them to go, again with his eyes.

  ‘Time to go.’ Stuart one ordered.

  ‘But he isn’t free yet.’ Simon one argued.

  ‘He told us to go and he knows what he is up to.’ Stuart one exclaimed.

  ‘But if he is free, he can stop the apprentice.’ Simon one remonstrated.

  Fergus kept running, he saw the apprentice held down by leprechauns but still kept running until he found the stairs. He ran down the stairs into the dungeons, looking for the boys. He ran u
p the passage looking every room until he found them.

  ‘I thought of a problem.’ He cried when he saw them.

  ‘Like what?’ Stevey one asked.

  ‘Well my brothers are trying to hold him and not turn him to stone but the apprentice is clever, he has learnt that he cannot kill us all, there is always one of us. If he assumes that it applies to him as well and if he cannot defeat us, he will turn himself to stone. When he reappears he will be free and he will also know just what is going on, then the fight begins again but we will have lost the advantage.'

  ‘Is there a point to this?’ Simon one asked.

  ‘Don’t you get it Si?’ Stuart one answered. ‘When the apprentice is turned to stone he will reappear somewhere and will know just what is going on, so stay if you like Simon but we are taking us and the book to safety. Thank you for the warning Fergus I never thought about that happening.’

  'But surely all those leprechauns against one apprentice will win.' Simon one argued.

  'It will be a long battle and go on for years, now that the leprechauns know how to unzap each other,' Stuart one agreed, 'but I for one don't want to be in here for years.'

  'And don't forget the trolls, they are growing in number and if they like to tear leprechauns apart, think what they will do to one of us.' Stevey added.

  ‘Fergus, send some men to the place we are leaving from, just in case he beats you and comes after us.’ Stuart ordered.

  ‘I will find some free ones and send them.’ Fergus agreed.

  The two boys walked away. Simon hesitated for a few seconds then followed. Once they were out of the palace they could see the leprechauns piled on the apprentice but the apprentice could also see them and he saw the book. The boys turned left and followed the same route they had used to get there. This time they were using it to get out of the forest and go back to the Plateau. The lookouts joined them, they were mainly from the group of twos and they all started toward the plateau, so that they could rendezvous with the others.

  Once they were out of the forest, they found Molly one and the others from the first team and started to run, Molly with the book they found had found in the palace, the second book of Grimoire and Simon one with the first book of Grimoire. As they ran they started to spread out with the fastest taking the lead and the slowest being left behind. Both Bens kept up, which was surprising as he was usually slow and it was Simon one who lagged behind as he was carrying the book. Suddenly there was a flapping of wings and as Simon was last, the gryphon plucked him from the ground. The others were busy running and heard nothing. Simon tried to point and utter the spell but he could not remember it. His heart froze, he did not relish being torn apart and he had the book.

  The leprechauns managed to hold the apprentice down despite his struggles and curses, but in the end it came to him that he could only win the fight by losing. When he managed to free one hand he turned himself to stone. He turned to stone and the leprechauns gathered to look a round to see from where he would reappear. As it was the first time the apprentice had been defeated, no one knew where he would suddenly appear from and it worried the leprechauns. The palace wall opened and a new apprentice with all the old one’s memories appeared. He walked round the corner and with a wave of his arm he turned all the leprechauns he could see, to stone. Then without delay he mounted his broom and took off.

  The other leprechauns who were waiting to fight him had no warning as the apprentice swooped from above them on his broom and turned all he could see to stone. He did the same time and time again, catching the leprechauns unprepared, until all barring a copy of Fergus were turned to stone. He was hiding, for such an eventuality and as soon as the apprentice had gone, he started turning leprechauns back from stone as fast as he could.

  ‘It appears the wizard's charm works on me as well my little friends.’ He said as all movement below stopped and what he thought were the last leprechauns were turned to stone. ‘But now I know where there is a book which will get me out of this prison and I also know who has it.’ He declared and started after the team on his broom.

  The team struggled up the slope and onto the trail that led to the plateau, by now they were all tired. They kept going trying to reach the place where Simon one would open the door to let the others out. Once the rest of the group of ones were safe Stuart and Stevey had to turn the group of twos into stone in whatever pose they wanted to spend eternity in. Then they would take the books into the cavern, close the door and then choose a flume and go in together. They stopped on the plateau, not as near to the cliffs as they could get but under cover. There they found Sherman two and Molly two with the intruders, the people who had caused the wizard's problems the first time. They formed a group. Ben one waited for Simon one to come forward and open the portal, he really wanted out of this place.

  ‘Where is Si one?’ Ben one asked impatiently, when Simon one did not come forward straight away.

  They all looked round, there was no sign of him.

  ‘Did anyone see anything?’ Sherman one asked. ‘Simon one is missing.’

  ‘I might have heard something,’ Celia one admitted, ‘it was like a flapping of wings behind me, it made me run even faster, just in case I was lunch.’

  ‘That means the gryphon got him, so we need to hurry and turn that thing to stone before it eats Simon,’ Stuart one shouted, ‘and we need the book he has.’

  They started running toward the area they had seen the gryphon eating the Acephali. They reached the area and scanned the skyline for the gryphon. Its nest was there but it was nowhere to be seen. He always ate his meals up there.

  Simon slid down from a rock and dropped in front of them. ‘What kept you lot?’ He asked jovially.

  ‘We thought the gryphon had got you.’ Ben shrieked.

  ‘He did and I thought I was dead. I tried to turn it to stone but I was all flustered and couldn’t do it. He was nearly to his nest when he suddenly just dropped me and flew away. I landed a bit heavily but when I got my wind back, I started to walk across and here I am.’

  They all hurried back to the place they were going to use to leave the world. Simon made his way to the front ready to open the portal but stopped when he heard a voice above him.

  ‘Well here you are, all of you.’ The apprentice said from his broom floating just above them. ‘You have two books and I want them and no, is not an answer I like.’

  ‘Do I get to say no?’ The Grimalkin asked from above him.

  ‘Go back to your cave cat.’ The apprentice ordered.

  The Grimalkin snarled and jumped on him, knocking him of his broom. The two fought on the rocks until the apprentice turned into a tiger once again. To his surprise the Grimalkin attacked again despite him being a tiger. He knocked her away with a massive paw and the fell on the rocks.

  ‘Is it my turn now.’ A Fergus asked from above him.

  The apprentice had to turn back to fight Fergus but when he looked up, Fergus had gone. He called his broom and rose up in the air, as he did so another leprechaun jumped on him. The apprentice turned him to stone but the leprechaun did not fall and the weight of the stone leprechaun made him fly erratically. He saw another leprechaun and turned him to stone but while he was doing that, another Fergus leapt out and onto the broom, making the apprentice fall off. Suddenly the area below was swarming with leprechauns and the apprentice was fighting for his life again. They group continued with their plan while the leprechauns fought the apprentice again. They stood in the spot the Grimalkin had pointed to and Simon one stood ready to open a door. The Grimalkin was licking her wounds on the rocks.

  ‘Remember you have to close it straight away or the apprentice might escape and take over our world.’ He warned Stuart one.

  ‘As soon as you lot are through I will close it.’ Stuart replied.

  ‘Open it by all means.’ The apprentice declared sitting on his broom but looking a little shaken. ‘All this exercise is very tiring. I will have those books now or I will
find something nasty to do to you.’

  ‘You will have to get past me to do it.’ Sherman declared, holding the axe he always carried, in plain sight.

  ‘Oh I don’t do fisticuffs, well not usually but I do have a good line in explosions. I go flick with my wand and cast a little spell and whoever I choose explodes.’ The apprentice replied.

  ‘If there is any exploding to be done you will have to do it through me!’ Molly one declared, standing in front of Sherman, as if to protect him.

  ‘If you want to go first little girl it is all right by me,’ the apprentice replied, ‘you are however holding one of the very books I want though, so maybe someone I will chose someone who is not carrying a book. That skinny one over there perhaps.’

  ‘Why is it always me?’ Ben one exclaimed. ‘A dart always finds me, the knife does, oh and that monkey nearly got me.

  The apprentice pointed his wand and incanted.

  ‘Still I do get to reappear.’ Ben one said hopefully but he could see Ben two and knew he would not.

  Nothing happened when the apprentice cast the spell. He looked at Ben in dismay and repeated the incantation. Again nothing happened Ben was standing there, as if to say what are you doing?.

  ‘He’s behind you!’ Molly cried, just as she would if she was at a pantomime.

  ‘A good try little girl.’ The apprentice mollified as he tried to explode Ben once more.

  ‘No,’ Simon exclaimed, ‘he really is behind you and he looks a tad annoyed.’

  The apprentice looked round to see the old wizard sitting on the gryphon.