by Carl Cupper
Slowly, the gargoyle left his hiding place, keeping a wary eye and climbing onto a sturdy limb of a nearby tree.
With a mixture of distrust and curiosity, the gargoyle Asked;
“Tell me: What is your name?”
“My name is Califax, subject of Rasux, King of Helenex.” he answered amicably.
“I do not know that kingdom. Is it very far from here?” the gargoyle questioned.
“It is in the Region of Fire, located on an island north of Briton. Tell me: What is your name?”
“My name is Hayex, and I am not anybody’s subject. I steal what food I can from the humans to survive,” he explained proudly. “Speaking of which, you interrupted my lunch, my friend.” he protested.
“I am sorry. It was not my intention, but you scared me too.” insisted Califax.
“Are you really a dragon?” Hayex asked, as his eyes looked Califax over from top to bottom.
“Yes, observe.” he said, sending an enormous flame into the air that made the gargoyle back off.
“Are you really a gargoyle?” the dragon asked, peering at the strange figure of Hayex.
“Of course. Do I look like something else? What are you doing so far from home?” he inquired.
“I have come to look for the Key of the Sacred Chalice.” announced Califax.
“A key…? What kind of key?” intrigued, asked the gargoyle.
“It’s confidential information, my friend.” he stated.
“Where do you think it is?” Hayex insisted in his investigative query.
“It’s probably in one of these three places indicated on this map.” explained the dragon, unfolding the map.
“Here there are structures made by the ancestors of the Celts, where they hold ancient rituals hidden from the Anglo-Saxons.” he said, pointed to a spot on the map.
“Why do they hide from those Anglo–Saxons?” questioned Califax, with a quaking voice.
“If they were to be seen, they would be severely punished. The Anglo–Saxons are trying to force the Celts to believe in Anglo–Saxon gods.” he informed.
“How strange men are!” Califax exclaimed.
“I would like very much to accompany you in your search for the key, Califax.” Hayex pleaded.
“I do not know. It is a very secret mission, my friend.” he said, taking his chin doubtfully into his claw.
“I know the area very well and I could help you hide from the humans.” offered the excited gargoyle. “If they catch you, you just will be a mythological being, as in my mother’s stories.” he warned sarcastically.
“What is in it for you?” Califax asked.
“I have been in this place far too long and I am very bored.” he explained.
“Very well, but promise me that you will not do anything unless I ask you to do it.” he demanded, pointing with his index finger.
“I promise!” assured the gargoyle, raising his right claw.
Califax felt that his new companion would make a good guide in these strange lands. Judging by his looks and his scent, it could be said that Hayex had never taken a good bath with soap and clean water. However, he was willing to take him as he was and hoped that this company would help him return to Dragonia very soon.
Filled with enthusiasm, the pair did not notice that they were being watched by two sinister, hulking shadows. These mysterious beings were hidden in the thick of the forest as they spied and conspired.
Meanwhile, in Dragonia, Darta received, from the claws of Novax, one of the letters that Califax had written to her before he left the town. In spite of reading it with maternal pride, it left her with bittersweet feelings.
“Something the matter?” Novax sweetly asked his wife.
“It’s nothing, my love. I just worry about my little one because he is not by my side.” she said, tucking the letter carefully away.
“There is nothing to worry about, dear. I left him in very good claws.” he said, embracing her tenderly to calm her and to hide his own restlessness.
“I hope so, my love.”
“There is nothing to worry about.” he insisted.
Meantime, the daring adventurers flew towards the south, the landscape dominated by vast and beautiful plains covered with green and gilded grass. They traveled over the Gulf of Salway, until they reached the Isle of Mann,[16] where they flew near Snaefell Mountain, which has an altitude of 1,875 feet and makes up the central portion of the island. They veered west and stopped close to a small town called Peel.[17]
“They say that on the island of Avalon, southwest of here, there lived a king who was wounded in battle. According to the legend, when this king was just a boy he pulled out a sword which he found embedded in a rock in a place called Dindagel.”[18] Hayex related.
“Who can thrust a sword into a rock?” Califax questioned disbelievingly.
“A man who came from distant lands did so, many centuries ago.”
“And why would he do something like that?”
“They say that a Roman soldier had thrust it into the ribs of a dying king.” he related. “The man who brought it to this land plunged it into the rock so that nobody could do anymore harm with it. They say that it is a sacred relic.” he explained.
“And how could the King of Avalon remove it from the rock, my friend?” inquired Califax.
“Because, this king possessed certain virtues within his heart.” explained Hayex.
“And where is this sword?” he asked, with curiosity.
“No one knows for certain, but there is a story that says the King of Avalon secretly gave it to an angel before dying.”
“My father gave me this sword, which a man from Avalon gave to him. My teacher believes that it has magic powers.” Califax confided, showing the sword.
“It looks like the other blades that men carry,” he said with indifference, glancing at the sword.
At midday, hunger made itself known through the loud rumbling that growled though the companion’s stomach. Hayex offered to go look for something especially appetizing to eat, but the dragon explained that he did not have any idea how to cook. The gargoyle assured him that he would bring something already cooked by men, as only men know how to do. Califax, excited, agreed since he was tired of eating fish.
“Perhaps I can bring a delicious lamb or a roasted cat,” said Hayex, licking his lips.
“What kind of a thing is a… cat?” the dragon asked, perplexed.
“It is a feline that lives on this island. It is called a Manx.[19] It has no tail but despite this fact it is quite delicious.” he said, licking his lips once more.
“Sound interesting. It will be an excellent opportunity to try an exotic dish.” Califax agreed.
Silently, Hayex approached one of the farms in the village, followed closely by the young dragon. The always-careful gargoyle asked Califax to wait behind the bushes, since the humans could see him very easily because his great size. Hayex eyed the chicken coop in the farmer’s yard, before committing his misdeed. After making sure that nobody was around, he flew onto the fence, which scared the birds and causing a great ruckus in the coop.
Hearing the loud noise, one of the farmers came running to see what was happening. Hayex took advantage of the confusion to sneak silently into the house. Once inside, he found a delicious broiled duck that the farmers had just roasted, which he snatched quickly without a second thought.
With the loot in his claws, the gargoyle stuck his head out of one of the windows from which he planned to make his escape. As he did so, however, the young farmer caught him by the neck causing his tongue to stick out and his eyes to bulge from the tight grip.
“Papa! Look! I found the gargoyle that fell from the roof!” yelled the man, while Hayex let the duck fall from his claws.
“Very good, son! Put it back where it belongs, at once!” called the farmer from inside the house.
After twisting and squeezing him, the farmer noticed that the gargoyle was a little bit flaccid, so he de
cided to fix it. He put him in a container full of wet clay so that he would harden, while Hayex fought uselessly with that clumsy and muscular man. He kicked, gagged, and almost drowned, all the while screaming for help as the insipient farmer obscured his plea behind the dim-witted words of a song.
Despite the panicked yells of Hayex, Califax neither could hear to him, since the dragon had fallen into a deep sleep under the shade of a gigantic tree.
Once the farmer finished coating the gargoyle with clay, he pushed him into a wood-burning oven which he used to bake bricks. After a few minutes, Hayex found himself covered with hardened clay which prevented him from moving.
“Aw, look at that! It came out horrible!” the farmer exclaimed, while looking at the grotesque figure of the gargoyle. He went up on the roof, set the gargoyle’s feet in cement, and placed him above the water drainage pipe.
The only thing that Hayex could do, under those conditions, was to try to free his lips from the hard shell and call for his companion to help him. However, he would have to wait for the farmers to fall asleep in order to avoid being heard by the men.
Night fell and Hayex was still stuck on the roof, and unable to get Califax’s attention, in spite of his desperate cries for help. Finally, the dragon awoke from his deep sleep and he noticed that the gargoyle had not yet returned. “Perhaps he regretted accompanying me,” he thought.
Beyond the sounds of the forest, with his highly perceptive hearing, Califax could hear moans and groans that seemed to come from the farm. He cautiously approached to get a better look. To his surprise, there was Hayex on top of the farmhouse, motionless as a statue, framed against the background of a beautiful full moon, such as the ones that can be seen in some comedy theatre plays.
After ensuring that there were no humans in the area, he hastily joined his partner upon the roof with a few swift flaps of his wings.
“What happened to you?” he asked, shocked.
“Shut up and get me out of here!” he demanded, sticking his lips out painfully from their rigid prison.
“But, how shall I do it?”
“Break the clay, you fool!” growl the gargoyle angrily.
After hearing that insult, Califax raised one eyebrow, removed his sword without a doubt, and struck the gargoyle firmly on the backside, making him tumble from the roof with a loud thud.
The loud noise awakened the farmers. They grabbed their weapons and ran out of the house. Califax seized Hayex by the neck and quickly flew away from the place. When the farmers saw the dragon fly away, they woke the entire village through shouting “Lucifer! Lucifer!”
The gargoyle and the dragon escaped into the forest to hide from their angry persecutors. They rested, trying to catch their breath and, after the forest fell silent once more, Califax asked an ill-timed question.
“So… did you bring something to eat?”
“What?” Hayex roared, surprised. “I almost die a horrible, terrible death though asphyxiation and the only thing you can think of is food!” he muttered, as he shook free of the remaining mud.
“You are right. Forgive me, my friend.” he said apologetically.
“Oh, forget it! It would be better if we found a place to stay the night.”
They did not have to go very far to find a safe hiding spot, and after a few minutes, the adventurers fell into a deep and revitalizing sleep.
Meanwhile, in the Region of Fire, things were getting worse. The recurrent attacks in Dragonia became more and more bloody and common, prompting the Helenex to implement the operation “Defensive Wall” which consisted of patrolling, day and night, several sectors where the Selenex were known to be based. The artillery opened fire at the slightest indication of an attack, and the armored dragons burst into the homes of those suspected of being an enemy.
In one such operation, there was a great slaughter of Selenex civilians, who, without knowing it, were used by their own militia as a shield in order to attack the enemy. The result was that the Helenex had sufficient cause to open fire on the innocent civilians, causing tremendous death and destruction. Entire families were destroyed or mutilated, causing death to some of their most important members, leaving the surviving females and pups to grieve.
The governors of the rest of the nations hypocritically condemned the brutal attacks, and they formed a commission to investigate the regrettable acts. Nonetheless these governors benefited from these attacks, as they sold weapons or equipment to the warring nations, or by feeding hatred among their own subjects toward allied nations of the tribes in conflict in order to acquire a more influential political position. In spite of the Helenex defense operations, the Selenex relentless attacks caused the competence of the king to be called into question.
Rasux could not understand how the Selenex broke through the defensive circle, and at the end of several Council meetings, Rhudex insisted that they should take harsher measures since the capabilities of the king were in doubt.
“Perhaps we should think about replacing Rasux. He is too old.” he said on several occasions without trying to hide his disgust.
Tradux complained to Rhudex about such comments, due to the loyalty that they owed to the king. The truth is, there was a traitor in the Royal Council who wanted to overthrow Rasux by aiding the attacks of the Selenex.
After the unsuccessful attempt to rob food from the humans, Califax and Hayex took flight in a southerly direction after eating a breakfast of carp. They left the Isle of Man and crossed the stunning Sea of Ireland, and in a short time, they arrived to Bangor, in Wales. As they flew over the settlement, Califax noticed a great deal of activity in the center of the village.
“What are they constructing, Hayex?” he asked intrigued.
“It is a temple.[20] The Celts in this region converted to the Roman god.” he explained
“How strange men are!” the bewildered dragon exclaimed.
They continued their flight until reaching the depths of Snowdon’s mounts, where the Y Wyddfa dominated the area with its 3,260 feet high peak. Below, a large number of lakes formed in the valleys between the mountains, treated the travelers to a beautiful and enigmatic view, with their crystalline blue reflections.
They turned toward the east and followed the tributary of the River Dee,[21] whose waterfalls and rapids formed abundant fluffy mounds of foam.
“They tell of a wise man, wiser than any other, who lives somewhere along this river.” informed Hayex as he pointed to the deep forest. “His name is Dee[22] and they say that he is a powerful magician.”
“Do you know him?” asked Califax.
“No. Very few have seen as he lives alone in the forest like a hermit.”
“It would be very interesting to meet someone like him, my friend.” said Califax.
They flew over Stour-In-Usmere[23] until reaching Old Sarum,[24] where they found a safe area to stop and check their location on the map. The map indicated three points that formed a straight line from southwest to northeast which passed close to Old Sarum, but those points were not precise. Then Hayex remembered the ancient structures that were spread all over that area.
“Maybe the Key is at one of these ancient sites, my friend.” speculated the gargoyle.
“But, which one?” Califax wondered.
“We can start with Peel Dagda[25]. Perhaps we could find it there.” suggested Hayex.
“What is that place?” asked Califax.
“It is an ancient site, built by the Celtic ancestors. The Anglo-Saxons call it Stonehenge, but I prefer to call it by its ancient name.” he explained.
Hours later, in Peel Dagda, the dragon and the gargoyle observed the Celts from a solitary tree, cloaked in the darkness. They were astonished as they watched those enigmatic men begin a mysterious ritual; marching in a religious procession and making offerings to their mysterious gods around an enormous bonfire.
“What is it that these men are doing?” asked Califax, mumbling.
“They are preparing for the Samhain.
” said Hayex.
“What in Helion’s name is that? asked Califax.
“It is a ritual dedicated to the transmutation of the universe. The Celts believe that all things, as people, have a spirit of their own and they never die, but only change form. The ritual initiates on the last day of October, when summer already ends, and it is extended until dawn.”
“How strange men are!” he exclaimed.
“Not any stranger than a dragon.” Hayex chided.
“Or a Gargoyle.” insisted Califax.
“The Celts believe that when the sun goes down that spirits of the dead wander around the earth. The Anglos-Saxons called it Hallowed Eve,[26] and on that day some of them wander into the villages demanding a treat or they would trick them.” reported Hayex.
“What kind of treat?”
“To voluntarily give everything they own.”
“And what of the trick?” he asked curiously.
“The trick consists of destroying the village if they refuse. After pillaging the village, they place a marker in the entrance of the homes to signal to the others that the villager had already paid tribute.”
“What kind of marker?” the young dragon asked intrigued.
“A candle lit inside a hollow pumpkin.” he explained.[27]
“Why don’t the villagers resist or place a pumpkin in the entrance to deceive them?” asked the dragon.
“I knew once of a deceit such as this. When the Anglo-Saxons discovered it, unfortunately, they burned the village with its inhabitants inside.” he said in a mysterious voice.
“And I thought the Region of Fire was a dangerous place to live!” exclaimed the horrified dragon.
Suddenly, a regiment of Anglo-Saxon soldiers violently burst into the sanctuary. Califax and Hayex flew to the top of the tree to avoid being seen, and with their eyes full of surprise and disbelief, they watched the Anglo-Saxons attack the Celts. The Celts, to their credit, though they were taken by surprise under the light of the full moon, put up a fierce fight.
