by Joe O'Brien
A blaze of fire shot up into the sky straight up over Baulge’s head, followed by another. As the thick smoke cleared, an enormous white dragon appeared. It flapped its wings as it ascended from the cliff’s edge, then it landed beside the trees and folded its wings.
A man climbed down from the dragon’s back. He had Mad Argil in a neck hold, but Josh could see from his smile and Baulge’s delight that he was only playing with the dunger. Mad Argil had been standing with his back to the cliff when he was swiped over the edge.
The man was tall with long dark hair, and he was dressed in full armour. A sword sparkled by his side and bore the sign of a golden arc. He let go of Mad Argil. The dunger marched off into the trees, with disgruntled embarrassment.
‘Who’s this?’ Josh whispered to Bortwig.
Bortwig stepped out of the trees.
‘Danthenum!’ smiled Bortwig. ‘Always makes such a dramatic entrance.’
Mad Argil returned. ‘You’re very lucky, you caught me by surprise or else I …’
‘Another word from your mouth, dunger, and you will be begging for the tip of my sword to finish you off,’ laughed Danthenum.
Then he knelt down and shook the hand of the elf.
Bortwig turned to Josh.
‘This, Master Bloom, is Danthenum, knight of the Kingdom of Habilon.’
As Danthenum shook Josh’s hand, the white dragon bellowed a loud roar.
‘And this,’ laughed Bortwig, ‘is Smolderin, the white dragon.’
Josh’s heart almost skipped a beat when he saw the look on Danthenum’s face as Bortwig explained to the knight that he was taking the boy to the wizard Wilzorf. Danthenum turned sharply and looked toward Josh.
‘Didn’t you tell him?’ the knight asked the elf.
‘Believe, don’t believe,’ huffed Bortwig. ‘We will travel with or without your help.’
Josh walked closer to them. ‘Tell me what, Bortwig?’
Bortwig folded his arms and looked sternly at Danthenum.
Josh turned his eyes away from the elf and repeated the question to the knight.
Danthenum didn’t pause or delay.
‘The wizard is long dead,’ announced the knight.
Josh’s face was filled with horror. He looked at Bortwig.
‘Bortwig!’
‘Don’t listen to a word Danthenum speaks, Master Bloom. The wizard is alive and soon he will be sending for you. Much to discuss, plans to make.’
Danthenum laughed. ‘Save his ears from your madness, elf. You know as well as I do that Wilzorf fell at Krudon’s evil hand.’
Bortwig looked at Josh and shook his head.
‘Very well, then,’ said Danthenum. ‘I will take you. If you really think the wizard is alive, I will take you.’
Chapter 14
Flight with the White Dragon
Josh watched Danthenum tie three loops in a rope and harness it to Smolderin. Bortwig and Mad Argil quarrelled as to whether Mad Argil should journey back to Feldorn Forest with Baulge or tag along to the wizard Wilzorf’s.
Smolderin rested his head in the grass, his big azure eyes fixed upon the skies above, watching to the north. Josh slowly crept over toward Smolderin’s head, but carefully kept his distance in case he startled the dragon. Smolderin’s eyes rolled and flickered, and his nostrils puffed out hot jets of steam into the air. Josh leapt with fright, falling back into the grass.
Danthenum laughed and then reached out a hand to help the boy to his feet. Josh was shaken, but tried not to show it in front of Danthenum. He, too, would like to be strong and brave like the knight.
‘Don’t mind Smolderin,’ smiled Danthenum, patting Josh on the shoulder. ‘He must like you to even bother to play tricks on you.’
Josh managed a slight grin just to show that it didn’t really scare him. Bortwig came over to them, his hands on his head.
‘That critter will be the end of me,’ complained Bortwig.
‘Leave him to fate,’ laughed Danthenum. ‘You are not responsible for his well-being.’
‘Yes, yes, yes,’ huffed Bortwig. ‘But Norlif and Hink are allies and if Norlif knew that I’d left Argil, mad as he is, to his own demise, there would be bother upon me.’
It was decided. Only Baulge would travel back to Feldorn. He was badly injured, and would only burden the journey to Wilzorf.
Josh was worried about Baulge and whether he would make it back safely, but Bortwig explained to Josh that sea-ogres are very strong creatures.
‘Baulge will be just fine, Master Bloom,’ he smiled.
On Danthenum’s instruction, Josh slipped into the loop on Smolderin’s back behind the knight. He was followed by Bortwig, and finally, Mad Argil climbed on the end.
‘Are you sure you don’t want me to take you to the palace to see the council?’ asked Danthenum.
Bortwig shook his head. ‘There is business with the wizard. We must go there first. The council can wait a little longer.’
On those words, Smolderin’s wings unfolded.
‘Fly to the west,’ ordered Danthenum to the dragon. ‘To the swamps.’
Josh held on tight to Danthenum’s rope as gusts of wind bashed about him. The white dragon released his claws from the ground and with one big push, he ripped high through the sky. The last view Josh had of Heckrin’s Pass was that of an ogre belting across the wooden bridge.
There was little to no conversation on the journey to the swamps.
Flying with a dragon was noisy business. Flapping wings and gusting wind muffled out most noises, yet Mad Argil still managed to annoy Bortwig with his outrageous outbursts of screaming and howling. The dunger was having the time of his life. The flight was an opportunity for Smolderin to impress his passengers with his aerial skills through the clear blue skies of Habilon.
At times it was like a roller coaster. All four passengers held on tight as Smolderin nose-dived toward the tips of the pine trees then shifted his giant body to one side and glided through the narrowest of gaps between branches. Every now and then he incinerated large objects that threatened collision.
Josh thought of what his school friends would think if they knew what he was doing at this moment in time.
Imagine! he thought. I’m actually flying on the back of a dragon. How bizarre is this?
Josh rubbed his hands along Smolderin’s scaly back. It felt like the dragon was wearing an armoured suit. Josh could feel the dragon’s heart beating like a roll of thunder, taking long breaks in between each pounding beat.
Still, as exhilarating and mind-blowing as flying with a dragon was, Josh’s mind was troubled by Danthenum’s words. Was the wizard alive, or had Bortwig led him this far for nothing?
He tried to clear his head of these doubts and enjoy the ride with the dragon. It truly was an amazing experience. More thoughts of home began to run through his head. How was this real? Up to a short time ago, life was normal and uneventful; now he was flying through the air on the back of a dragon.
As Josh admired the wonderful views of Habilon – the snow-capped mountain to the far north, crystal clear streams below surrounded by the greenest of forests – he felt for the first time in his life like he was alive, really alive.
Chapter 15
The Swamps
Josh shivered with cold as Smolderin slowly descended into a thick depression of grey clouds, leaving the blue skies of Habilon a near memory.
Danthenum pointed toward a barren patch of ground at the swamp’s edge that was surrounded by a crowd of dead trees.
Smolderin dug his claws into the soft bog. His body sank until the ground oozed up around him, belching and popping poisonous bubbles until he could sink no more.
Danthenum turned to Bortwig. ‘Will our wait be a long one?’
Bortwig shook his head. ‘Wilzorf will not leave us to the mercy of the swamp,’ smiled the elf. His smile was a nervous one. ‘Much mischief in this place.’
It was freezing cold in the swamp. Josh could barely feel
his toes, but it was Bortwig’s words that sent the coldest shiver through his body. The still of the swamp had an eerie presence and Mad Argil was unusually quiet. This, in a funny kind of way, was disturbing as they had just become used to the dunger’s outbursts.
‘Are you sure the wizard is alive? I just don’t want to wait in this swamp forever,’ laughed Danthenum.
Danthenum’s humour didn’t sit well with the elf.
‘He is alive,’ argued Bortwig, ‘you will see. He will send his envoy.’
Just as Bortwig spoke, Mad Argil broke his silence.
‘There!’ shouted the crazed dunger, pointing into the blinding mist that haunted the still, murky waters.
Smolderin raised his head, and his eyes widened.
‘There’s nothing there, you fool,’ said Danthenum.
Smolderin opened his nostrils wide and began to inhale.
Josh could feel the dragon’s chest expand beneath him.
‘Everyone, get off,’ instructed Danthenum.
‘They’re coming to get us!’ raved Mad Argil.
Bortwig pushed Mad Argil into the bog. This was to Mad Argil’s great satisfaction. He had something to get stuck in; his dunger’s instinct switched on. He rolled about and dug his head and arms in deep.
‘What is it, Danthenum?’ worried Josh.
‘I’ve no idea,’ admitted the knight, ‘but Smolderin seems to agree with Mad Argil.’
Danthenum led the boy and the elf around the back of Smolderin, wielding his sword in his hand.
‘What about Mad Argil?’ asked Josh.
‘Leave him,’ suggested Bortwig. ‘I hope whatever he has seen eats him. He’s beginning to really annoy me.’ Then Bortwig smiled at Josh.
Suddenly, Mad Argil’s head popped up out of the dirt.
‘They’re here!’
Smolderin exhaled flames of burning terror across the water, clearing the blinding mist.
There were horrifying screams followed by many splashes that rippled tiny waves toward the edge of the swamp.
Then they attacked.
There were hundreds, maybe more. Tiny blue demons no bigger than Josh’s hand roared into shore on the backs of slithering swamp eels. They spat a spray of darts into Smolderin’s thick, armoured skin.
The dragon bellowed in pain as some of the darts penetrated vulnerable parts of his body, particularly the insides of his ears and under his eyelids. Smolderin’s wings flapped violently in rage, and he breathed more fire across the swamp.
The blues were ashore!
Danthenum kicked and swiped at the blues, slashing many tiny heads clean from their bodies, but they were too quick, and too plentiful. Smolderin thrashed the air, swinging around in rage as the blues covered his entire body.
‘Run!’ ordered Danthenum.
Bortwig turned and twisted, discharging bolts of magical gusts from the palms of his hands and sending the blues tumbling across the boggy floor.
Josh could feel the blues biting into his ankles and climbing up his legs, sticking the tiny darts into his flesh. It was agonising, but he was not going to stop running.
The blues were small and could not match the boy, the elf, or the knight in pace.
Mad Argil was slower than the others. By the time he had reached the thick of the swamp trees, blues were dangling from his long bearded chin, mischievously pulling on his skin, and biting his ears and lips.
The dunger fell.
Josh stopped running and grappled with the clinging terrors, pulling them from his skin. He flung them to the ground, then danced on them, leaving splodges of blue at his feet. Then he turned and walked back towards Mad Argil.
‘What are you doing, Master Bloom?’ called Bortwig. ‘Danthenum!’
The knight and the elf watched anxiously as the boy commanded the blues away from the dunger.
‘Leave him!’ ordered Josh.
More and more blues gathered but, for some mysterious reason, they did not attack the boy. The blues cleared from Mad Argil, and the angry dunger struggled to his feet. He swiped and grunted at the little swamp terrors.
‘Caught me by surprise,’ moaned Mad Argil as he limped toward Josh.
‘What’s happening?’ Danthenum asked the elf.
‘It’s beginning!’ answered Bortwig. ‘The envoy must be near.’
‘What’s beginning?’ asked Danthenum.
‘Shush!’ beckoned Bortwig. ‘Watch carefully. The boy is becoming brave. Yes! Wilzorf has made contact. Watch carefully!’
Suddenly, the blues scampered in all directions. They screeched and disappeared into the thickness of the swamp. Every single one of them. Even the ones that clung to Smolderin dove from the dragon’s back and vanished into the murky waters below. Something had spooked the blues. Something they saw in Josh’s eyes when he commanded them away from Mad Argil.
‘The wizard Wilzorf has made contact with Josh through his envoy. Magical powers have passed from the Wizard to the boy. The blues sense this, but they sense something else too. The envoy!’ said Bortwig to Danthenum.
Bortwig coaxed Mad Argil away from Josh and over to where Danthenum was standing.
‘Now, be quiet,’ instructed the elf.
Suddenly something appeared from a tree in front of Josh. He didn’t startle or show any surprise; he was clearly already in some kind of hypnotic state.
The creature wrapped her wings around Josh and the boy disappeared inside them. Danthenum drew his sword.
‘Wait!’ warned Bortwig. ‘He is in no danger. It is Eusyphia, the wizard’s envoy. I knew she was close when I saw how the blues reacted to Josh.’
Danthenum returned his sword to his side. Eusyphia glanced toward them, and smiled. As she opened her wings wide, holding the sleeping boy against her underside, Bortwig told Danthenum how the witches of Zir had cursed Eusyphia with the hideous body of a giant swamp moth and left her beautiful face unchanged just to remind her of the beauty she once had.
Danthenum recognised this face as Eusyphia smiled to him, then rose up in the air and vanished through the thick camouflage of the trees.
‘I remember her!’ said Danthenum. ‘She was a girl when I was a young boy. She disappeared when bathing in the springs of the waterfalls.’
Bortwig looked to Danthenum.
‘The witches’ evil has touched many. Come, Danthenum. We will travel ahead to the palace and address the council. The boy is with the wizard. They must prepare for his coming.’
Chapter 16
The Wizard Wilzorf
Eusyphia gently approached the water, sensitively allowing tiny splashes to spray against Josh’s face.
Droplets rolled down the boy’s face and kissed his dry, thirsty lips.
He opened his eyes.
He did not know how he had come to be here, or who or what had hold of him, but he was calm. There was no sudden urge to fret or struggle. The beauty of the cascading waters danced in the light of the full moon.
Eusyphia spoke.
Josh knew some sort of insect creature was holding him, but her voice was delicate and filled him with comfort.
‘Fear not, boy. Let the magic of the waters wash over you and you will be with the wizard.’
Then she flew into the waterfall. The water did not thrash against her wings, but gently washed over her with familiarity and fondness. Not one drop of water touched Josh’s body as Eusyphia hovered in the thick of the waterfall, then folded her wings and released Josh from her grasp.
‘He is on the other side. Go to him.’
Josh walked a few steps, his legs slowly finding their strength.
He turned to Eusyphia only to see her face slowly disappear back into the water. She was beautiful. She smiled to him and nodded. Then she was gone.
As Josh passed through to the other side, the parting waters closed behind him and formed a crystal clear wall of cascading beauty.
Standing small and frail, with his bearded chin bowed before Josh, was the wizard Wilzorf. Josh’s hea
rt beat faster. He was happy and relieved that the wizard was alive, just as Bortwig had said.
Pressing his staff against the gritted floor, Wilzorf slowly and awkwardly approached Josh. He humbly took the boy’s hand and kissed it. Josh could not believe what was happening.
Why? he thought.
It was as if Wilzorf knew him and had not just met him for the first time. Wilzorf raised his head. The warmest glow covered him and banished the pale, sickly look from his face.
‘You have returned, my lord,’ spoke the Wizard, weakly but with hope in his voice.
Josh was confused.
These were not the first words he expected to hear from the wizard.
Yes, he had questions, but Bortwig had told him that the wizard would give him answers before he even asked those questions. But Wilzorf’s first words to him were mind-boggling, to say the least.
‘What do you mean, “returned”?’ asked Josh.
‘Come, my lord. Come sit with me.’
Wilzorf led Josh over to a large flat stone that sat beside the water’s edge. There was a silent moment. It was as if the wizard had waited so long for this moment, and now that it was finally here, he needed just one more moment to prepare himself.
Then, he began to give all the answers that Bortwig had said he would, before the questions were even asked.
‘Your destiny,’ began Wilzorf, ‘has returned you to Habilon.’
‘I was here before?’ asked Josh. ‘But, I thought my destiny was to find the general!’
Wilzorf shook his head with sadness.
‘My good friend, General Pennington, has played a part in your being here, but he is not the reason for your journey.’
Wilzorf could see worry filling Josh’s eyes. This is not what the boy had expected to hear. It was as if he was now lost in his journey.
