by Victor Kloss
“Yes, please.”
Ben did so, and Abigail gave a little yelp.
“Sorry,” Ben said.
“That’s okay,” Abigail said, more surprised than hurt. She took a deep breath. “So I’m not dreaming? Everything that happened is real?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
Ben half expected her to faint or at least freak out a little. But her face went very red.
“I said some silly things,” she said in a soft voice. “I’m sorry, I don’t normally talk like that.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Ben said.
Abigail blinked, and swayed. Ben leapt forwards, thinking she was about to faint, but Abigail managed to steady herself and walked to the window. Ben kept a sharp eye on her, ready to catch her, should she faint again. But when she turned around, Ben was impressed to see that the colour had returned to her cheeks.
“I know I should be terrified, and I am. But at the same time…"
Her voice trailed off.
“You feel like you’re living the dream, being a character in one of the fantasy books you’ve read.”
Abigail turned to Charlie. “Yes, that’s right! Do you also read?”
“A bit,” Charlie said. “Though nowhere near as much as you. And I don’t always read fantasy. I prefer science fiction actually.”
“Oh.” Abigail seemed disappointed. “How do you know I read so much?”
Charlie gave Ben an uncertain look.
“Let’s not worry about that now,” Ben said. “We need to get out of here. There will be plenty of time to explain more on the way.”
“What’s the plan on getting home?” Charlie asked, relieved that Ben had successfully managed to change the subject.
“We walk.”
Ignoring Charlie’s groan, Ben hobbled to the front door, and stepped out into the cool night.
Staring right at him were two white pegasi, standing just outside the door. An Institute member with two green diamonds floating above his shoulder held the reins of both animals.
“Compliments of my director,” the Spellsword said. “Give them a good pat when you are done and they will return to the Institute by themselves.”
Natalie eagerly grabbed the reins of both animals. The Spellsword turned to Ben and handed him a spellshooter. “Yours, I believe? I was instructed to return it to you.”
Ben thanked him profusely, suddenly feeling whole again.
The Spellsword gave them a polite nod, and then disappeared down the street, leaving Ben and a delighted Natalie still holding the reins of the pegasi.
“Oh my,” Abigail said, staring up at the winged horses. “They are even more beautiful than I imagined.”
Ben turned to Natalie. “You take Charlie; I’ll take Abigail. We need to have a little chat.”
Ben saw Charlie perk up, but Natalie frowned.
“Are you going to be okay riding the pegasus?” she asked.
Ben shrugged. “I’ve ridden a horse a couple of times. It’s pretty much the same thing, isn’t it? Except for the wings and the fact that we’re flying.”
Natalie rolled her eyes. “Just be gentle. They require delicate handling.”
Ben helped Abigail on, and then mounted himself. He gave the reins a gentle tug, and tapped his legs against the animal’s body.
The pegasus started into a trot. When the Pegasus had gained a bit of speed, he pulled up on the reins. The great wings unfolded and it leapt into the air. Abigail screamed, but it was a sound of delight, not terror. Ben smiled, enjoying the rush of flying. He set a gentle pace, so the wind wouldn’t interfere with their conversation.
“Where are we going?” Abigail asked.
“You’ll see.” He turned and saw she was looking down into the blackness below. “Are you ready to learn what this is all about?” Ben asked.
Abigail looked up and Ben was pleased to see her nod, her expression earnest.
Ben decided to tell his own story, rather than give a long, detailed – and probably boring – report of the Institute. He started from the very beginning, when he and Charlie found the mysterious letter from Wren to his parents, and then hit all the key points up to the present day. The flight wasn’t a long one and he had to hurry the ending in order to give her a rough overview. He expected questions and interruptions, but Abigail sat there quietly and listened, until Ben was finished.
“It’s incredible,” Abigail whispered. “As good as any story I’ve ever read. Is it all really true?”
“I’m afraid so,” Ben said.
Abigail seemed pleased, not disappointed or scared, as he might have expected.
As there was nobody about, they landed in the middle of the road. Natalie landed hers a little ways off, but Ben was pleased to see they kept their distance, allowing Ben to finish talking with Abigail.
“I’m home,” Abigail said. Her hand went to her mouth. “My parents will be worried sick.”
She almost dashed away, but then seemed to realise Ben might not be finished.
“Do you have something you can tell your parents?” Ben asked, looking at her intently. “They can’t know the truth.”
“I’d never tell them,” Abigail said, shocked. “They would think I was crazy. They do think I’m crazy. But don’t worry, I have a story I can tell them. I’m quite good with stories.”
Ben smiled. “Good. Now, can you be at the park at ten o’clock tomorrow morning?”
Abigail nodded, brightening. “What are we going to do?”
“You’ll find out. Make sure you get some sleep. You’ll need it.”
Ben watched Abigail leave, fiddling with the lockets that hung beneath his jumper.
“She’s interesting,” Charlie said, as he and Natalie joined him, both watching Abigail go.
“I like her,” Ben said.
To Ben’s surprise, he saw Natalie frowning. “She seems nice, but is she really up to wearing the helm and helping you take on Suktar?”
“Not at the moment,” Ben admitted. “But then, nor am I. Come on, let’s go home. We have to be back here in a few hours and I’m exhausted.”
— Chapter Thirty-Three —
The Invisible Tree
Despite the aches and pains coursing through Ben’s body, he slept like a log that night. He was still bruised the following morning, but felt very much refreshed.
As he walked to the bus stop, he looked up at the crisp blue sky, and enjoyed the feel of the frigid air stinging his ears. It felt good to be alive today. He said good morning to several surprised strangers, and even received a few polite responses. He hadn’t fully realised how much of a burden the task of finding the helm and its Guardian had been. The time crunch; the dark elf attack; finding the lockets – it had steadily built up over the last few weeks, and now it was gone.
Well, almost gone.
When he reached the park in Tiddlehurst, he found Charlie, Natalie and Abigail already there. He couldn’t help admiring Natalie from a distance. She was wearing fashionable skinny jeans, taking advantage of her slender legs. Abigail, though a full head shorter than Natalie, was not entirely put in her shade in the looks department. Her blonde hair seemed to shine, and Ben could make out those great big blue eyes, with her long eyelashes. Abigail was standing very still, looking like a cat caught in the headlights. Clearly the events of yesterday hadn’t fully worn off. Natalie was trying to engage her with polite conversation, but ironically she seemed a little overwhelmed by Natalie and more willing to talk to Charlie, if only he would make conversation. Ben hadn’t noticed it before, but Abigail and Charlie were almost identical in height.
“Good morning,” Natalie said brightly. “We got here early and grabbed some coffee. I wanted to get you something, but Charlie insisted you don’t drink caffeine first thing in the morning.”
“He’s right, as usual,” Ben said.
He pulled the three lockets from under his jumper, and let them dangle down. Charlie, Natalie and Abigail looked at them with someth
ing approaching awe. So much drama and turmoil just to get hold of these three little trinkets.
“So what now?” Charlie asked. “Do you hold them, sit on them, eat them or what?”
Ben glanced down at the lockets. “I’m not sure, though I’m fairly certain we can rule out eating them.”
He had never had the time or inclination to really examine the lockets, but he did so now. They were delicate pieces, comprised of three small gold circles that formed a rough triangle. Each locket had a different circle filled in with silver. Ben fiddled with them for a while, but got no flash of inspiration.
“Could I make a suggestion?” Abigail asked, in her soft voice. “It probably won’t do anything, but I thought it might be worth a try.”
“Of course,” Ben said, giving her a smile. “It’s not like I’m getting anywhere here.”
“Well, it’s kind of silly, but have you tried pressing them all together? They each have a solid circle placed in a different corner of the triangle. It seems like they might be designed that way.” Abigail blushed. “Of course, I’m probably completely wrong.”
“Worth a try,” Ben said. He lined up each locket perfectly and then touched them together.
Nothing happened.
“It was just a silly thought,” Abigail said.
Charlie, however, was looking at the lockets with interest. “Try using a bit of force.”
Ben was reluctant to press too hard, for fear of breaking them, but he slowly increased the pressure, until the lockets were squeezing firmly against each other.
Click.
The three lockets fused together, so that all three triangles were now filled with silver.
“Bingo,” Ben said, with a grin, giving a high five to a reluctant Charlie, a smiling Natalie and a blushing Abigail.
“There must be more to it, unless you suddenly know where to go,” Charlie said, more interested in looking at the locket rather than the hand-slapping.
Ben covered his hand over the locket, as he had seen Hunter do time and again.
A mental image immediately flashed before his eyes. Ben gasped, but recovered quickly, and took in the vision flashing within his mind. He moved left and right and found that the picture moved accordingly. Ben spent a moment absorbing as much as possible, before releasing the locket. The image faded, but the location remained in Ben’s mind as if he had lived there all his life. When he re-focused, he saw Abigail, Charlie and Natalie looking at him with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation.
“Well?” Charlie said. “You just zoned out – I’m guessing you saw something?”
Ben slipped the locket back under his jumper. “We need to take the train.”
“Where are we going?”
“The Peak District,” Ben said.
“Ooh, I’ve always wanted to go there,” Natalie said, clapping her hands together. “It’s supposed to be beautiful.”
“It is,” Charlie said. “But it’s also about three hours away.”
So we’d better get going,” Ben said, slapping Charlie’s shoulder.
Four tickets to Derbyshire via train weren’t cheap, but Charlie paid out, much to Ben’s annoyance, despite knowing he was currently broke. Most of the money he earned as an apprentice went to house expenses, in an effort to convince his grandma that he was working a part-time job and “pulling his weight” in the house.
They managed to find a carriage to themselves, and the train began its journey north. They watched the towns zoom by until they were cruising through glorious countryside. Trees and fields of grazing sheep zoomed by.
It felt slightly peculiar having Abigail as part of the group. Ben was so used to watching what he said, and had to remind himself that they had nothing to hide from Abigail. Ben watched her, sitting quite still, staring out the window. She rarely spoke, and Ben could only imagine what she was going through, but he was impressed with how she was taking it. He and Charlie had spent a good deal longer trying to adapt. She turned away from the window, and Ben quickly, but casually, stopped watching her. To his surprise, she turned to Natalie and spoke.
“I know this is going to sound really weird, but would you mind if I draw you?” she asked, in a voice so soft Ben had trouble hearing her.
Natalie smiled, appearing surprised but pleased. “Of course not. May I ask why?”
Abigail took out a notepad and a pencil from her bag, and placed them on her lap. Ben got a glimpse of a few of her other sketches – they were fantastic creatures, and portraits of all sorts of magical beings, from trolls to goblins, done with unique, wonderful realism.
“I like to draw,” Abigail said. “I’ve never drawn a real elf before. I have only ever had my imagination, from the stories I read.”
“I’m only part-elf,” Natalie confessed. “My grandmother on my mother’s side was an elf.”
Abigail cared not a jot, and for the next hour was lost in her sketching. She was remarkably good with the pencil. Occasionally she would pause to think, and would spin the pencil around her fingers with incredible skill. Ben kept glancing at her until she saw him and blushed. He noticed Natalie and Charlie doing the same, and he wondered if they were thinking what he was – how was Abigail going to cope as Guardian of the Helm? She looked so sweet and innocent; the very thought of her facing Suktar made him shiver.
He was still pondering the matter when they pulled in to Derby. Ben directed them to a bus stop and they paid for a return ticket to the village of Thorpe. Ben had always thought the countryside in the south was beautiful, but this was something else. Huge rolling fields, perfectly situated forests, and rocks – lots of rocks; some forming a jaggy cliff, some covered with trees, others bare to the elements. They started heading up a gentle hill and Ben saw so many boulders he wondered if some Unseen giants had been playing games.
“There!” Ben said suddenly, pointing to a field tinted yellow with flowers. His hand hit the bell, and the bus stopped moments later.
The wind was brisk here. They were less than two hundred miles north, yet it felt far colder. But the sky was blue and Ben sucked in the air, revelling in its sweet freshness.
Charlie watched the bus as it trundled away, disappearing around a hill.
He huddled in his jacket, looking a little resentful. “Please tell me we’re not about to embark on a ten-mile hike. If so, I’m just going to wait for the bus to return.”
Ben grinned. “Don’t worry, we’re really close. The helm is located right under that tree.”
He pointed to the largest tree he’d ever seen, dominating the crest of the yellow-tinted field. It was so thick with vibrant green leaves, Ben couldn’t see between the branches.
Charlie squinted. “What tree?”
“Are you serious? The giant one I’m pointing at. There aren’t any others around.”
“I don’t see it either,” Natalie said, following Ben’s pointing finger. “And as you know, I have good eyesight.”
“I can see it.”
They all turned to Abigail, who stood a little distance apart. She had put her sketch pad away, but the pencil remained, still dancing around her fingers.
“It’s the most amazing tree I’ve ever seen. I’d like to sketch it.”
“That’s interesting,” Ben said, rubbing his chin. “Only the Guardians can see the tree.”
“Shall we take a closer look?” Natalie suggested.
Charlie nodded, a little smile on his lips. “Yes, I want to see something.”
Ben could tell Charlie was planning something, but he didn’t ask what – he would find out soon enough. Ben felt the beginnings of nervousness as they walked up the gentle hill towards the giant tree. They were so close now, he could almost feel the helm’s power radiating.
The tree’s huge, overhanging branches shaded them a good ten metres before they reached its trunk.
“Do you see the shade?” Ben asked, pointing at the darkened grass now beneath them.
“No, it’s still bright, just like the rest
of the grass,” Natalie said.
Charlie extended his arm as he walked. “Tell me when I’m there.”
“Now!” Abigail said, a little loudly. “Sorry, I thought you were going to bump into the tree.”
Charlie stood, with his hands on hips, staring at the space in front him, where the supposed tree was. Slowly, he extended an arm and waved it in front of him.
Abigail gave a little squeak, and put a hand over her mouth.
“Woah,” Ben said. “Your hand is going right through it.”
Charlie took a large step forwards.
“You are now standing in the middle of the tree,” Ben said.
“Interesting,” Charlie replied.
Natalie moved next to Charlie, and moved her arms around, but, just like Charlie, touched nothing but air.
“It must be enchanted with some very powerful spells,” Natalie said. “Especially when you think that it’s selective enough to know who the Guardians are.”
Charlie stepped back, a familiar glint of curiosity in his eye. “The question is, does the tree exist on a different plane that we can’t access or does the tree really exist here and some spell is making us believe that it doesn’t?”
“A good question, but not really important right now,” Ben said. He was eyeing the tree closely, walking slowly around its massive trunk, trailing a hand on the smooth bark. It would have taken all four of them linking arms to encircle it.
Finally, he stepped back, and put his hands on his hips.
“Well, I know where it is,” Ben said. He pointed directly into the trunk.
“Inside the invisible tree?” Charlie said.
“The trunk, to be exact.” He waved to Abigail. “In the vision I received from the locket, I saw a small door opening within the tree. But it’s really well camouflaged. Can you help me look?”
“I’m not sure what to look for,” Abigail said, touching the great trunk with an expression of awe.
“A door, preferably,” Ben said. “Failing that, any sort of outline that could resemble an opening.”
“And failing that?” Charlie asked.
