by Carl Cupper
The hiss of the arrows and the cold sound of metal slicing through the air filled the night followed by a strident choir of heart rending howls and dying moans. People ran terrified before the whinnying of the invading horses, which on many occasions crushed the men and women who lay wounded or dying.
After several minutes of violence and anguish, a deathly call fell over the temple. The inert bodies of the people lay scattered over the sacred ground of the Druids.[28]
Califax and Hayex could not get over their horror and shock at what lay before them. They remained hidden and silent in the top of the tree unable to tear their eyes away from that wretched scene.
After shaking off their confusion, Hayex suggested bravely to his companion that they should enter the enclosure.
“Are you mad?” the dragon gasped, as he clung whit all his might to the tree with his claws.
“We should look for the Key, my friend.” he reminded him.
“What if the soldiers return?” asked Califax.
“If they return, we will fly out. Do not be troubled; we will watch each other’s backs.”
They entered the enclosure, walking back to tail, carefully avoiding stepping on the bodies of the fallen. They inspected each stone in the enclosure looking for some clue that would lead them to the location of the Key. They found only twenty-eight cold stones arranged in a circle, many of them stained with the blood of the Celts. Within this circle, they found other hollow rocks arranged in an elliptical form that seemed as if it were made to hold something inside them. The entire temple was surrounded by fifty-six strange holes in the ground, whose purpose was completely unknown for the daring adventurers. Armed with courage and patience, they looked for the Key with their claws in each one of those strange holes, but they found nothing as they could not even reach the bottom of any of the holes.
After long hours of searching, the dragon and the gargoyle stopped inspecting the sanctuary, and they found a place to rest for the night.
Califax felt the cold atmosphere of the cave chilling him to the bone. Suddenly, a gigantic Anglo-Saxon soldier approached him, saying: “Would you drink of my blood, Califax?”
He awoke roaring and shooting fireballs all over the place. He accidentally burned his faithful companion, Hayex, making him jump several feet in the air and run all over the place because the dragon had inflicted a painful burn on his tail.
“What happened…?” exclaimed the gargoyle, after putting out the fire on his tail out in a nearby bog.
“Oh, I am sorry, my friend. I had a nightmare and I thought it was real.” he explained whit shame.
“I beg you to dream something else.” he begged, nervously.
The following morning they began to pour over study the map. They did not know which of the points on the map represented Peel Dagda. They did not even know if any point on the map referred to the place where they were currently standing. Hayex proposed that they travel southwest to a place the Celts called Peel Lugh,[29] and known by the Anglo-Saxons as Avebury, that was located eleven miles f rom Peel Dagda. They started on their way, and in a short time, they arrived at their destination. The view was breathtaking.
Surrounded by a pit measuring 63 feet wide, 18 feet deep, and 366 yards in diameter, Peel Lugh hosted a city within its five acres of land. In the center of this place, there was a stone construction similar to the one in Peel Dagda, only larger. It was surrounded by another circle of larger stones. From the air, you could see the moat and the two central rock constructions, which constituted the ceremonial center for the village: forming three enormous concentric circles.
“How are we ever going to find the Key in such a big place?” inquired the dragon.
“I do not know. It was a long time ago that I visited this place and I did not remember how big it was.” Hayex answered, still amazed by the large size of the site.
Despite the difficulties of entering Peel Lugh, they decided to go through with it. They would wait for nightfall and the streets were empty.
While they waited for the night, Hayex took it upon himself to find something tasty to eat. He stealthily approached the moat surrounding the village, which, at that time, was almost dry. He began to study the nearby farms. Then, he found one that interested him, as the yard filled with delicious ducks and hens, and the farmers were occupied with their tasks elsewhere on the farm. He flew over the moat and the fence, and with quick and precise movements, he snatched a pair of ducks by their necks and left the farm immediately.
Hayex flew happily back to the refuge; however, while looking back over his shoulder to make sure that nobody was following him, he flew into a tree on the edge of the moat. The impact caused him to lose grip on the ducks and he fell into a black pit of mud. After a short time, Hayex crawled out of the moat and made his way back to Califax. His body was completely covered in mud, which was beginning to harden.
“I thought you did not like mud baths, my friend, but I see that I was mistaken.” he said with a mocking smile.
Hayex glared at the young dragon, who, in order to calm his friend’s anger, offered him various types of berries which he had gathered near the refuge.
Night fell and the inhabitants of the village prepared themselves to bed and dreaming, and the time drew near for the friends to enter into the sacred area. Given their recent experiences, they were overwhelmed by nervousness.
“I hope the soldiers do not come to this village while we are inside,” Hayex said in a concerned voice.
“Helion forbid!” agreed the dragon, also frightened by the possibility.
Hiding behind houses and trees, they arrived at the ceremonial center of the village and cautiously entered it. There were no doors to open or ceilings to prevent them from seeing the dark sky, sparkling with stars. On the floor in the center of the monument, in bas relief, there was a huge circular stone covered with strange and mysterious inscriptions which were shaped to form the iris of a huge eye. The adventurers decided that this eye might be a secret entrance to the interior of the sanctuary. They looked around the great stones surrounding the eye for some kind mechanism which might open it.
After several minutes of unfruitful searching, Califax noticed in the center of the stone there was strange the he had noticed before due to the deep and perpetual darkness which surrounded them in that mysterious and enigmatic place.
Califax lit a flame with his snout and felt carefully around the stone to confirm his suspicions.
“Hey Look, Hayex! There is has a hole in the center. What do you think it is for?” he asked, looking into the disbelieving eyes of the gargoyle.
“I do not know. Perhaps it has the same function as the hollows that we found in the stones at Peel Dagda.” said Hayex, scratching his head.
“Or perhaps it is a keyhole of some kind.” speculated the dragon.
“Oh great, that is all we needed! To have to find the key for the Key.” complained Hayex.
“Did you see this?” said Califax, touching the stone.
“What is it?” questioned Hayex, as he approached the stone.
“It has strange engraved letters. What does the inscription on the rock mean?” asked the dragon.
“It is very dark. I cannot see very well. Give me some light.” said Hayex, taking Califax by the claw. “It is written in the Celtic language and it says: Lugh will reveal his secret when a tear from the tree of the Charmer falls.”[30] he read slowly.
“What in Helion’s name does that mean?” Califax asked, bewildered
“I do not know. Let us see.” reflected Hayex, taking his chin in his hand. “Lugh is this stone, and to the Celts it is the god of the Sun, but I do not know what a tear from the tree of the Charmer means.”
“Then, we will have to find it out quickly, my friend.” asserted the dragon.
Then, Califax’s keen ears heard the sound of someone approaching. They quickly flew in the opposite direction from the sound. The dim veil of the night helped them to escape unseen.
/> ***
3
The Kingdom of Lugh
In their hiding place, close to Peel Lugh, Califax and Hayex discussed the meaning of the inscription on the rock meant. During their discussion, doubt began to settle amongst the adventurers.
“Perhaps the key we are looking for is not here.” said Hayex.
“I do not know where else we can look for it, my friend.” answered the dragon.
“Remember that the map indicates a place that we have not yet visited.” pointed out the gargoyle, gesturing to the map.
“I know, but I have a feeling that it must be in Peel Lugh. This is such an important place.” muttered Califax, rubbing his chin.
“The map showed a place to the southeast, where there is a huge earthen knoll.” said Hayex, pointing once again at the map.
“Are you referring to a mound in the shape of a cone, my friend?” asked Califax, scratching his head.
“Indeed,” he replied, “it is a very ancient place and of great importance to the Celts. They call it Tohlmenhir[31] and it is said that it is the tomb of an ancient king.” informed the gargoyle.
“I do not believe that it is more important than Peel Lugh.” insisted the dragon.
“But, then, why is it indicated here on the map?” inquired Hayex.
“Perhaps to confuse us.” he offered. ”Remember, the map also indicates Peel Dagda and we did not find anything there.” he stated.
“True, but we should make sure, don’t you think?” suggested Hayex.
“I believe that we should concentrate on deciphering the eye of Lugh and then later, if it is necessary, we will go to the knoll.” said the dragon.
“In that case, it will be necessary to ask for a little help.” murmured Hayex, scratching his chin.
“Help…? From whom, Hayex?” asked the dragon, intrigued.
“Do you remember that I told you about a very wise man who lives close to the River Dee?” asked the gargoyle.
“Are we going to ask for help from a man? Are you mad?” he cried, incredulously.
“They say it is because of his wisdom that this man is different from the rest.” explained Hayex.
“After what I have seen of men, I prefer not to approach any of them.” complained Califax.
“This man lives in the forest and he is not armed. Besides, we have no other alternatives to consider unless you, yourself, can decipher the inscription.” taunted Hayex.
“I hope I do not regret this.” Califax sighed.
The very idea of having to approach a man filled Califax’s heart with anguish and fear. However, eventually he would have to face one of those frightful beings, since part of his mission required that he give the chalice to one of them.
At dusk, they flew towards the northwest, crossed the Bristol Channel, until almost reaching the Snowdon Mountains, where the River Dee is born. They go down on a place in the depth of the forest.
Walking through the dense forest, the travelers hoped in some way or another to find the mysterious wise man. The cloying darkness that surrounded the forest was enough to intimidate anyone, and the looming and twisted shape of the trees gave them the sense of being in an endless labyrinth, whose walls always looked the same in any direction. The strange and eerie silence that prevailed in that mysterious place made their footsteps a clatter impossible to avoid.
“I do not like this place.” murmured Califax.
“Nor do I. It is too quiet and tenebrous.” observed Hayex, scanning the area about them.
Without warning, a swirling, dense white fog surrounded them and made it impossible for them to even see each other’s eyes. Califax and Hayex shouted to each other in a vain attempt to locate one another, but their voices were caught in that thickness, as sticky as a cobweb, resulting in a muffled echo.
That strange fog disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. The dragon and the gargoyle found themselves sanding mere inches from another.
They did not take even one step back when their backs touched. Both creatures were startled and they leapt wildly about voicing screams of terror.
As they stood there yelling at each another, a thin figure, draped from head to toe in a white tunic, emerged from the shadows of the forest. In a gentle voice the figure spoke to them.
“Why have you come to this place?” he asked.
Upon hearing that soft yet deep voice, Califax and Hayex stood frozen. Staring at the hypnotic look that came from the eyes of the ghostly figure under the hood, Califax murmured.
“Are you the magician called Dee, sir?” he asked coming out of his surprise.
“Some say that I am a magician; while others say that I am a demon.” he answered, without a hint of surprise at their presence.
“They have said the same of me, sir.” said the dragon, pointing to himself with his claw.
“What do you want?” he asked amicably.
“I’ve come from a distant kingdom in search of the Sacred Chalice, sir.” explained Califax, with a polite bow.
“And why do you think what you seek can be found in these forests?” questioned the magician, gesturing widely.
“We have been following this map, looking for the Key that leads to the Chalice.” he said displaying the map to the magician. “We believe that it is in Peel Lugh, but we have not been able to decipher the meaning of the inscription on the stone we found there.” he explained.
“What you are looking for is only visible when it is exposed to the light.” said the magician in a somber tone.
“How can I expose to the light what I am looking for?” inquired the dragon.
“The earth soon forgets the tears of men. Only the tears of the Myrddin’s tree will endure in its bowels. When Caliburn returns to the rock, Lugh will divulge its secret.” he said, with a strange resonance that reverberated throughout the forest.
Suddenly, the sinister fog swirled about them again, and when it dissolved, Califax and Hayex found themselves alone in the tenebrous forest once more.
The meeting with the magician left them with more questions than answers. However, they were single-minded about entering into the prohibited kingdom of Lugh. They returned to Peel Lugh, where Califax reflected on the words of the magician.
“The earth soon forgets the tears of men. Only the tears of the Myrddin’s tree will endure in its bowels.” Califax remembered.
“The words of Dee, the magician, are as strange to me as the inscription on the stone.” said Hayex with a hint of frustration.
“Who is Myrddin?” asked Califax, curiously.
“He is a magician who lives in the northern lands in a forest called Brociliande[32]. They say that he has a magic tree which people go to pray or make requests. Some call him Merlin[33].” he explained.
“Why did not you mention this before, my friend?” demanded Califax.
“I did not think it would be useful. When have you ever seen a tree cry?” answered Hayex.
“What type of tree does Merlin have?” inquired Califax.
“An oak.” he answered bluntly.
Suddenly, Califax realized that he had the answer, and he urged Hayex to follow him to a place he had just seen.
They flew towards a forest where oaks dominated the countryside, and then Califax began to dig at the foot of one of them.
“What are you doing just standing there? Help me dig!” commanded the dragon.
“But, what are we looking for?” asked Hayex.
“An oak tear.” he answered.
“Are you crazy?” asked Hayex. “Oaks do not cry.” he alleged.
“Of course they do! Help me find one.” Califax ordered.
After several hours of digging holes here and there, like hard working archaeologists, Califax finally found a golden hued object wedged in the earth. On seeing the strange object, Hayex said:
“That is an elektron.”[34]
“No, I think it is an oak tear.” the young dragon replied.
“No! It is an elektron. Look
.” Hayex said, grabbing and rubbing vigorously against his body. When he brought it close to the map, the papyrus began to move towards the object, as if drawn by some unseen force.
“What a strange phenomenon. I have never seen anything like that!” exclaimed Califax with great surprise.
“The Romans used the elektron to make perfumes and the Celts use it to make necklaces. I know of a place where you can find many laying on the ground.” Hayex informed Califax.
“This one should be enough. Let us go to the temple.”
With the elektron in their claws, the adventurers waited for evening to fall. Their previous experience enabled them to enter into the Peel Lugh temple with ease and confidence.
They went straight to the eye-shaped rock, inserted the elektron into the cavity, and waited, but nothing happened. A few minutes later, a cloud, which had cloaked the moon slowly moved aside, allowing the light of the moon to draw back the grey mantle that covered the Eye of Lugh. Bathed in the moonlight, the elektron began to glow with a powerful energy.
Astonished by the unexpected brilliance, the dragon and the gargoyle watched awe as the great eye of stone began to rotate, turning its stare in another direction.
When the strange process finished, the rock revealed a stony, spiral staircase that lead to a secret underground tunnel.
“Do you see? It is an oak tear.” declared Califax, with a satisfied smile.
Cautiously, they descended the staircase into that long and dark passage which measured almost nine feet in height and barely six feet in wide. Califax used his snout to light their way and to avoid hitting his head on the ceiling. After walking only a few feet, they found several torches placed on the walls of the solid rock corridor. Califax grabbed a torch, lit it, and they continued on.
After several minutes they came to a junction in the corridor where the passage split into Y. After deliberating briefly on which path to take, they chose to follow the passage on the right.
The brave travelers walked for hours through the intricately connected passages of the labyrinth without finding an exit. While turning around in one of the nooks of that intricate place, Califax stopped suddenly, causing the gargoyle to bump into the dragon’s tail with his head.
