Egbert's World

by Robert Ian Wilson

  The shadowed Fiend stood and gazed at the silver sword and then turned to me. It thrust its sword towards my chest, but I evaded its attack by jumping backwards onto the floor. It frantically stabbed down into the ground, narrowly missing my head. I jumped up and saw Thea with the blade. She slashed down on our opponent who blocked with ease and repelled; making her fall hard onto the floor. I managed to punch the back of the shadows head, but my hand had passed through like a ghost.

  The shadow retaliated by throwing me against the courtyard wall and my vision went faint. I slowly drifted off, unconscious.

  I awoke again with my head booming; the house was as black as the sky and he was coming to feed on my new friends.

  I couldn’t see Thea anywhere or the twin squirrels. The tree groaned and I rushed up to him.

  “Rostruk!” I shouted. “Where are Thea and the twins?”

  “They have been taken, but the sword remains! Take it Lucius!” replied the tree.

  I looked down towards the only light within the courtyard, as it was slowly being consumed by the darkness. I picked it up, but I was worried for Rostruk.

  “Don’t worry about me… I have lived and heard many stories. I am ready.”

  Sadly, I said farewell to the old tree and disappeared through the gate, expecting to appear in another side to this world, but this one was much larger.

  Another forest surrounded what looked like a ruined castle. I gazed at the magnitude of such a great home, but the stones were as black as coal and with sorrow; I kept going forward.

  I rushed into the woodland and made haste towards the dense shrub. The large vines had slowed me down and I did not know where to go, except away from the Entity. Not far off, I heard the clear sound of fast running water. As I walked up to a cliff side, there was a beautiful waterfall, flowing into a creek. I couldn't see a way down or across the river.

  My hairs on my neck started to stand up at the feeling of being followed. It was closer than I thought, and my name was repeated once more.

  I drew my sword and stood at the ready until a dog barked below the cliff. To my astonishment, a small shaggy dog stood on a rock next to a cave. I recognised him in an instant, it was Sam! My white and ginger Mongrel!

  Without hesitation, I leapt with faith and landed into the cold water. I opened my eyes to watch the sword drift away from my hands and I stretched to retrieve the blade, but it faded to the bottom and vanished.

  I quickly swam up for air and frantically looked around for Sammy, but he had gone too. I swam towards the cave where my little dog was perched and got up onto the large rock. I looked to the water with anger, thinking I could’ve done more to retrieve the sword; but with that thought, a glint of silver came into view and a small dog, who wagged his tail with happiness. Sammy was all wet and held the sword in his mouth.

  “How?” I said.

  I collected the blade, putting it back into its sheath and gave Sam a big hug. He looked pleased to see me and I wondered how he must’ve gotten down the cliff, until I realised there must be another door somewhere...

  The little dog sprinted off into a cave. I followed not far behind and listened out for his faint barks, which directed me towards the door. A light was not far from where I stood, and Sammy waited next to a hole in the rock.

  “Good boy!” I said and I quickly made it over. He went first and vanished; I followed once more.

  Chapter Five - The Ships Secret Door

  I felt the wind brush against my face, as I passed through a warped wooden door. There was shouting of a crew amongst the waves, who sounded hard at work. The smell of fish was ripe and potent, and the combination had made me feel a tad sick. The boat rocked in the storm and I toppled forward, into the middle of the deck.

  “You there! Boy!” shouted the Captain. I noticed a large figure on the main deck sporting a huge black beard, but to my astonishment, the beard was just long fur. A large bear commanded his crew of loyal dogs. I wondered, Could Sammy be part of this crew?

  The ship looked old, battered, and creaked with every movement. The black sails were torn from the many adventures that I am sure it had been through.

  The Captain yelled at me once more while he turned the ships wooden wheel dramatically: “Don’t just dawdle! Sammy! Show the boy the ropes!”

  My dog barked at the commands and I could see a new intelligence within his eyes; he understood completely! I’d suddenly realised that although all the animals in this world could speak and walk like humans; the animals who were trapped from the real world seemed more normal, but somehow, they were unusually smarter.

  Sammy tugged on my trousers and I followed him towards the mast. He barked at me, which sounded like instructions, but I had no idea what he was saying. A white, flat faced pug, dressed in what I believe was pirate gear, came scampering up with his cutlass in hand. He pointed towards some rope that had come undone and said, “He says to tighten the rope you landlubber!”

  I grabbed hold of the thick rope and pulled it towards a metal bar, which was welded to the ship. I remembered a knot; my grandfather had taught me when we were sailing down south in the autumn called the anchor knot. I quickly produced one of the finest knots I’ve ever done, and I felt proud, especially performing under such pressure.

  “Not bad,” said the pug.

  The sea battered the sides of the ship and the waves crashed onto the deck, soaking my clothing from head to toe. The dog crew did a synchronised shake and I was splashed with water once more and the smell of wet dog was strong.

  “Look! The eye of the storm!” boomed the Captain.

  I watched him direct the ship towards the calmness that resided within the centre of the torrential downpour and the hidden sun warmed my skin. I felt the red star rays, bask onto my wet face and the dogs let out a sigh of relief.

  A loud bang occurred just behind me and I turned to be greeted by the large bear Captain. The decks creaked from his weight, as he approached with a puzzled expression.

  “Who... are you?” he asked.

  The frame of him was intimidating and I tried to move my mouth, but nothing came out, except for a low squeak. Sammy barked and the Bear glared at my dog, but he nodded and seemed to agree with whatever Sammy said.

  “You have a way with words young pup,” said the Captain and now looked to me. “He says you are to be trusted like his Master, who has presented him with many bones to chew.”

  Master I thought. He could be talking about

  Grandpa Egbert, he was here!

  I asked the Bear Captain on the whereabouts of Grandfather. “He was here. The skies opened and he fell with his companion into the sea. We apprehended them and helped the two onto my ship, but your grandfather was traumatised from the fall and wouldn't speak for days. He kept whispering, 'I'm still asleep – I’m still asleep.' He would sometimes sit in a corner questioning his sanity.”

  “Where is he now?” I eagerly asked.

  “Unfortunate events have befallen us these past few days. We’ve had nothing but rotten luck. The seas have been harsh, my boat seems to be falling to pieces and my crew are disappearing, including your grandfather.”

  “Where is he now?” I said, hoping for a straight answer if I was lucky.

  “The same way you came I think,” replied the Bear Captain.

  “I can't go back the way I came. That realm will have been swallowed by shadow by now,” I explained.

  The Bear Captain's eyes widened, and I stepped backwards from the glare that he gave me. The small pirate pug looked to be shaking.

  “He is free...”

  “Yes,” I replied, and I didn’t embellish on why, this time.

  “We will be next then, no wonder this realm has started to fall on bad times, but Captain Bjorn the great bear will never back down from a fight!” roared the Captain and his crew howled at his enthusiastic cry. “Will you help us? Erm... sorry, what is your name?”

  “Lucius Domhill, and yes, I suppose I can help!” I reluctant
ly said. I felt nervous at the prospect of being in a battle; good thing I was slightly prepared with my new blade.

  The crew drew their swords and sat down in front of the wooden door, and I was left standing to wonder why all the dogs, including the big bear, were seated?

  “Until the first sign of the beast's arrival, only then we will stand, but for now we need rest from the storm and to gather our energy,” explained Captain Bjorn. “Lucius and Sammy, sit with us.”

  I did as I was told and sat by the large Bear, who let out a big yawn.

  The anchor had been dropped into the sea and the wind was calmer. I looked up at the sails that slightly moved and listened to the heavy breathing of the Captain who laid still. His curious eyes suddenly darted towards me and he sat up to ask a question, one, which brought me great sorrow.

  “What happened to Thea?” he asked.

  I gave him the news of her and the twin's kidnapping and the demise of the old tree, Rostruk.

  The large bear let out a big sigh. “I used to visit them, when the ocean got too much for me and I started to miss the land. Being a bear at sea can be hard because we are forest animals. I had to learn quickly to gain my sea legs. Thea is a kind soul and is now a prisoner of the Evil spirit. I hope we can get her and the little squirrels back; Rostruk too, he enjoyed my stories of war.”

  “Have you always been a sea Captain?” I asked.

  “Not always young Lucius. You see, there is more than just one door in this world, as you may have figured out already and there are even neighbouring conflicts between us animals. There was a great war between the ocean and land creatures, who’d bickered for years over, who is the rightful King of Eve,” explained Bjorn. “There is the great white shark, Nordaious, and the Nordic Elk Eirik. In a way, they both had a good claim to the throne because they were Kings of their own habitat. I followed Eirik, who anointed me Captain of one of his finest ships because of my reputation on land as a warrior. I was at sea for years until the last battle, which destroyed both camps. Out of the black clouds, darkness came into our spirit world and began to claim Eve for itself.”

  “The Entity? So, this has happened before?” I asked.

  “Yes,” replied the great bear. “Its form seemed more solid back then. The Evil wiped out both armies effortlessly. There were only a handful of us left, but we joined forces with Nordaious and trapped the Evil filth within the cathedral. On that day we were allies and two Kings of Eve were created. The King Eirik of the land and King Nordaious of the Seas. I kept my position as Captain of the Nautical and have sailed the ocean ever since.”

  “Are the two Kings still alive?” I asked.

  “They are still the rulers of Eve,” replied the big bear.

  I wondered if they could help again and trap the Demon once more… I still felt a bit ashamed that I couldn't protect the others, but hopefully, I could make this right and return to my world with Sammy and my grandfather Egbert; maybe then, Eve could finally be free.

  I asked Bjorn where I could find the two

  Kings and he answered: “They are both in the Divided High Grounds, where one-half is sea and the other half is earth. Their door is golden and has the marks of tooth and antler engraved on it. There is a secret door in my cabin, underneath the floorboards. It should lead you towards their realm and their door.”

  The big bear stood up to guide me to the secret door, but again my progress was stopped by the very same shadow, who attacked me before. The pirate dogs sprang into action and the wooden door was split open, with the blackness seeping in through the cracks like a disease.

  An army of darkness brandished their blades and a fight broke out between good and evil.

  “Lucius, go! I will handle this!” commanded Bjorn.

  I obliged with his command and made my way into the cabin with Sammy, but there were two shadows waiting for me. My dog brandished his teeth and attacked the closest enemy. It’s hard to admit that I was scared, but I had enough of fear; I drew my blade...

  My opponent wasted no time in thrusting its sword towards my chest and I repelled and attacked; stabbing it into its heart and I watched it disperse into the air with a screech. I fell to the floor relieved, but the feeling soon faded as I looked at my dog, he was motionless on his side.

  My heart pounded from the anxiety and I crawled forward towards Sammy. I picked him up and I welled up from the pain. My brave dog had saved my life once more and I couldn’t register him being gone.

  The door busted open behind me and Bjorn crashed in.

  “No…” said the Captain and he gently propped his large paw on my shoulder. “I am sorry, Lucius, he was a good pup.”

  “He's not dead!” I replied, as I felt Sam's pulse from his little heart.

  “What?”

  His lungs still filled with air and a black mark had been pierced into his arm. Sammy opened his eyes for a second and closed them again.

  “What can I do to help him?”

  “The shadow will spread; there is only one person who can help him now. So, follow me young Lucius and we will see the healer,” and Bjorn ripped the flooring up to reveal his secret door.

  He opened it and jumped through.

  I held Sammy close to my chest and followed the great bear into the next realm.

  Chapter Six - The Black Mark

  We had come out of a chest, at the bottom of an old bed and it was coated in thick spider webs. I could see my breath in the cold air and the icicles that hung down from the derelict room. Snow had settled on the stone windowsill and the damp had reached the walls of the house.

  “Where are we?” I asked.

  “My old home; I haven't been here for a while, as you may have noticed.”

  “Why?” I pried.

  The great bear hung his head and stayed silent, before gesturing to move on through the old house.

  The rest of the rooms were the same and I’d glanced into one particular chamber that felt like a child had been living in. The small single bed was no longer occupied, and a carved wooden toy lay on the floor, broken. Signs from the old war had already started to show.

  I noticed a blanket hung up on a peg and I asked Bjorn if I could take it for Sammy and he obliged. I wrapped my injured dog tightly with the tartan blanket and fashioned a sling; then I tied it around myself. In theory, it should’ve kept him warm until we reached the healer. The shadow had spread along his skin and it was a lot more prominent.

  “Come, Lucius! There is no time to lose,” said the Captain, and I climbed up onto his back. We raced out of the door and into the snowy domain.

  Bjorn had run for miles through the thickness of snow and dense pine trees. The branches slapped my face whilst passing-by. The silence was a bit unsettling and the sun was nowhere to be seen through the layer of fog.

  Sammy stayed still in his sling and would occasionally open his eyes to catch a glimpse of the frosted canopies. I was worried for him and after a while, his eyes stayed closed, but he was luckily still breathing.

  “At last!” shouted the great bear. “We have arrived.”

  A small wooden cabin came into view and smoke poured from the chimney. Someone must be in, I thought.

  We stopped at the doorway and waited for the door to open. I glanced down from the Bear’s back, to be greeted by an unusually large hare. Her oval glasses dropped from her brown nose and she propped them back up.

  “Bjorn - is that you?” she asked with a quiver, struggling to see beyond the large silhouette.

  “It is, Thistle, don’t be afraid. We bring a wounded pup, named Sammy. This is his friend Lucius, a human.”

  “A human!? I haven’t seen one of those in years. They are usually ugly, but you are not… good for you, young one.”

  “Erm... thanks,” I said, politely, not knowing if I should be slightly offended.

  We brought Sammy into her humble and cosy cabin, which could accommodate a whole hoard of hares, not just one. My dog was placed onto a small table and he l
ay sideways.

  “There’s not much time left, I must act quickly,” said the Hare.

  Thistle hopped towards her kitchen and prepared what looked like medicine, but to me, it smelled like Mrs Turnside’s gloopy pea soup. I pulled the blanket from off my dog and I was shocked to see his once white gingery fur had turned black. His lungs still filled with the cold air and his small stomach slowly went up and down.

  The Hare placed the bowl on the table and used a spoon to feed Sam, who gradually licked the medicine until it was all gone.

  “What now?” I asked, hoping it would work in an instant.

  “We wait and hope,” replied Thistle with a smile. “You should rest, Lucius, you look tired.”

  I looked towards Bjorn, who’d already dropped and fallen asleep, next to the fire. I agreed, but I was still wary of the danger, who had followed me since my arrival. I propped myself up next to the Bear. He felt like a giant fluffy carpet and I settled down. I stared at my dog for a good few minutes before drifting off into a long-awaited slumber.

  I awoke to my face being licked by a wet tongue. Sammy sat next to me looking healthy and well.

  “Hello old chap,” I said, feeling relieved that he was okay.

  I’ve had Sammy since he was at least a month old. My grandfather had taken me to the Circus one sunny afternoon, where a famous acrobat family of London named the Starlings performed every night. They were a very talented group of gymnasts, who had made the adults jealous with their status in society and inspiring shows for the kids. I wasn’t too bothered myself, but I was lucky enough to have met them in person, only because I’d noticed a man before the opening act sabotaging the support ropes, which would have held them up at great heights. I'd told my grandpa, who alerted the Circus security of the evil act of attempted murder. It turned out I’d saved the lives of the Starlings.

  To say thank you, they guided me into a small tent, where a family of dogs lived happily. The mother just had puppies and I was granted one. I was a bit reluctant at first because I thought he’d miss his mother, but Sammy came forward and I picked him up; I couldn't put him down and I had the sense of him, choosing me.