The Three Thorns

by Michael Gibney

“We’ll make it. Boys, you ready?” Cassius asked, hopeful for a positive reply. But instead, all three of them looked at one another and shook their heads.

  “What are you talking about? I can’t swim. I’ve never even been to the seaside before,” Sebastian gasped.

  “Don’t know much about it either to be honest, gaff,” Tommy added.

  “I’ve never tried either, apart from the flood at the Stained Castle, but that was thanks to Ban Pan,” Benjamin reminded.

  Hearing three unsure and poor explanations, Cassius started to laugh out loud, much to everyone’s surprise. Cecil was clearly unimpressed by the bounty hunter’s sudden humor, which he mistook for mockery at the children’s expense.

  “And just what do you find so funny about that?” the pixie retorted while his wings fluttered irritably.

  “They can’t swim?” Cassius asked, calming his laughter to a light titter.

  “All the more reason to think of another plan,” Ariel insisted, lifting a heavy pack of Cecil’s kitchen equipment Benjamin had been carrying off his shoulders.

  Without warning, Cassius snatched the bag of Cecil’s crockery and tableware from the nymph and threw it overhead, hurtling it into the air a few feet away from the edge. The protectors gasped in disbelief at the sudden and unexpected action the bounty hunter had just taken to prove a point. The wind current pushed the bag several yards away from the rock filled land before it hit the water.

  “Our entire world rests on three human boys that don’t even know how to swim. That calls for some urgent training, wouldn’t you all agree?”

  “The water’s dark…that means it’s deep. It has been left to us to get the Brotherhood to safety. That means we must trust each other. And ourselves. You understand?” Cassius pleaded to each protector. Peeking over the ledge, Ban Pan suddenly made a loud grunt as he took a second or two to think.

  “Who’s going first?” Cassius asked.

  “I will,” Ban Pan replied, to everyone’s surprise. Gawking back at Cassius’s stunned expression, the troll screwed up his face in offense. “What, you think I am afraid to do it?”

  Unwilling to cause further upset or engage with the feisty troll, Cassius simply shook his head and made muffled noises from his throat that comically described a yes answer, much to everyone’s amusement.

  Tossing over anything that would cause him injury or jeopardize his fall, Ban Pan followed the bounty hunter’s example, until he was the first to take the leap of faith. Ariel called out in fright to prevent the troll from nose-diving off the edge, but after only a few running steps, Ban Pan flung himself into the air.

  Like clockwork, the troll was pushed further away from the rocky bottom by the current of the wind. Splashing several feet into the lake’s deep pit only confirmed that Cassius’s belief in his plan was right. It took a few intense seconds for the troll to resurface to a cheering round of applause.

  “Right then, who’s up next?” Cassius asked, reaching out his hand for one of the unnerved humans to take the plunge with him. “Don’t worry, I won’t let you drown,” he promised, showing sincerity and faith that made Tommy take hold of his hand.

  “I’ll see you losers at the bottom,” the frightened boy nervously joked to his peers.

  Seconds later, Cassius charged fast toward the cave’s edge. It would have been funny if Tommy’s girl-like screams were the result of an experience Benjamin and Sebastian didn’t have to share next. Instead, Tommy’s shriek of fright made both boys quiver on the spot.

  In a few seconds it was over. When Benjamin peered down at the lake, he noticed Ban Pan swimming to collect the bags. Since he was the biggest, and some would argue the strongest of the four protectors, Ban Pan took it upon himself to carry the burden of each protector’s personal items and weaponry while they swam across the water.

  Cecil Baskin held Sebastian in mid-flight whilst keeping himself out of sight, making it appear that Sebastian ran in mid-air from a fast sprint. It was a little prank to lighten the mood, but nobody seemed to find the childish sense of humor funny, especially Tommy who was now finding the water colder than he’d expected it to be.

  “How come he gets the easy way down?” Tommy called up to Cecil, but the pixie pretended not to hear the boy’s complaint and carefully lowered Sebastian onto the rocky dry land yards away from the lake. “Because I’m not a silly sausage,” Sebastian teased.

  “Are you ready?” Ariel’s question instantly broke his wondering mind out of its daydream. The turn to jump seemed to come too soon for Benjamin to prepare himself.

  Ariel took a tight hold of his hand and pulled him toward the opening. Daylight had made everything white the second they leapt out of the cave’s entrance. As he fell toward the dark blue water he shut his eyes tight.

  Air bubbles surrounded him while he frantically attempted to reach the lake’s surface. But it was of no use. The blanket of cold water had already engulfed him. Benjamin proved to be the worst swimmer. He could see the light above his head silhouetting the figures of his friends at the surface. The sudden drop in temperature gripped him. It was the cold that strained his movements the most.

  Ariel and Cassius dove after Benjamin. Tommy and Sebastian grew anxious when Ariel was the only one to re-emerge seconds later. Cassius had yet to come up for air since taking his first and only search dive and hope for Benjamin’s safe recovery was almost lost.

  “I knew this was a bad idea. Nobody ever listens to the troll,” bellowed Ban Pan.

  Meanwhile, below, Benjamin sank near the lake’s bed. Twelve foot dangling sea plants surrounded the area where he awoke from his frozen trance. Benjamin kicked his feet and waved his arms in several directions, but it didn’t get him anywhere. He couldn’t hold his breath any longer, inhaling deeply while his lungs gasped for air.

  Water filled his throat, turning almost lighter than air by magic when he breathed it in. Pure oxygen filled his lungs. He hadn’t realized he had been breathing all along as the transition in his inner body converted the intake of water into unfiltered oxygen.

  Laughing out loud, Benjamin sent a huge trail of air bubbles floating up out of the tiny sand dune that acted as the perfect beacon for Cassius to spot him. Before Benjamin could bask in the sun-kissed underwater garden and appreciate his new miraculous and magical talent, Cassius’s strong grasp disrupted the moment and pulled him away from the amazing experience – for the protector needed air himself and was running out of time. Holding on tight with one arm, Cassius used the first rock he’d landed on as a springboard to help both of them reach the surface quicker.

  Cecil and Sebastian cheered and clapped when they saw Cassius punch his way out from the depth, pulling Benjamin beside him.

  “Don’t you ever try something like that again, you ‘ear me?” Tommy shouted, splashing water over his brother’s face.

  Ariel sighed in relief, giving a nod of gratitude to Cassius, who quickly returned the gesture, then proceeded to swim toward the sanctuary with Benjamin on his back.

  Ariel helped Tommy across the lake, teaching him the breaststroke manoeuvre, one of the most important and basic lessons essential for swimming long distances. Tommy took to the swimming faster than Ariel had imagined was possible. He also impressed Ban Pan by overtaking him several times during their swim to the shady coast at the lake’s far side.

  Cecil and Sebastian hovered across most of the water, but at some intervals, especially when Tommy was tired, Cecil would let Ariel train Sebastian to swim so that Tommy could take a rest. Before they reached the hidden sanctuary of the lake, the two boys had learned all the basics of how to swim and keep afloat in the water.

  Benjamin, however, managed to stay quiet enough to avoid any of the lessons. Having nearly drowned earlier, there had been no pressure put on him throughout the journey. Therefore, Benjamin kept his newfound underwater power a total secret. So far, Cassius’s rescue of Benjamin had fooled the rest of the group into thinking Benjamin ha
d nearly drowned. All save one.

  Cassius thought it to be of much irony that this special gift was bestowed upon one so helpless in the water, but decided to keep his opinion to himself, giving Benjamin the option to share his experience when he was ready.

  ***

  It was late evening when they arrived outside the overhanging branches of the hidden sanctuary and the sun had almost set. Cecil lifted Benjamin into the air when it was his turn to take a flight, relieving the bounty hunter to enter through the leafy curtains alone to make sure all was safe.

  “I’ve found it. It’s only a few yards away,” Cassius explained after he popped his head out to them.

  Smells of petrol, gas, and other fumes mingled with the glorious fragrance of blueberries and cinnamon in the evening air. The bizarre fusion penetrated their senses. It was the strangest combination of scents the human children had ever smelled, which made Sebastian’s sensitive stomach a little queasy. The group gazed silently in amazement at the large island surrounded by the exquisite, shallow, light blue waters. Furious noises of roaring engines and clanking metal were enough to put anyone off an actual visit to the island. As for appearances, the area looked rather inviting, but the sounds warned, “Do not enter.”

  “Follow my lead,” Cecil ordered the group. The pixie gently glided across the shallow lake toward the roaring sounds of active machinery while the rest of the group was forced to navigate through soggy mud hills that made up the figure eight border around the lake.

  Drawing closer to the island, the boys noticed a towering house shaped like a cottage beyond the thin circle of factory smoke that cloaked it. It was quaint and had an antique look about it. The thatched roofs seemed tough, especially the bell tower above it that peaked into a sharp point.

  Smoke soared from the chimney tops and other various parts of the giant cottage. It was obvious that some form of machinery development was taking place inside. Mechanical sounds kept drowning out any noise that the group made.

  “What kind of hidden sanctuary causes this much racket?” Ban Pan asked, stepping his foot upon the island.

  Keeping close to Cecil, the group approached the island’s front entrance, which lay below a massive ringed bridge that stretched on for miles around it. The sound of a loud throat clearing startled everyone as they stepped onto the island.

  Leaning on the low oak bridge, a weird figure with patches of wiry gray hair sprouting from his head greeted them with a loud and bubbling laugh. Sebastian noticed the man was wearing one pair of oval shaped glasses on his face and several more pairs on the top of his head. His second pair of glasses looked more like a miniature replica of his first pair, which made the old man look crazier.

  As Cassius stepped in front of the group to talk to the eccentric figure, he was stunned by an electrical shock to his chest that bolted from the old man’s glasses.

  “Stop that!” Cassius snapped, drawing his sword in a warning stance.

  “You are trespassing. Who are you?” The old man glared with suspicion.

  “Friends,” Ariel declared.

  “A nymph, a troll, one pixie, and a pirate…what type of a troupe are you, the all sorts?” The old man began to laugh at his own joke while Cassius gave him an unimpressed look.

  “I’m not a pirate,” Cassius insisted, nursing his chest.

  “Well, you are…sort of,” Ban Pan teased.

  “Button that big mouth for once,” Cassius sighed, shaking his head at the troll.

  The old man didn’t seem to take any offense of Cassius’s sudden outburst after he’d set his sights upon the charming nymph.

  “Well, suit yourself. Pirate or not, I don’t care. What’s next, humans I bet?” the old man shouted sardonically, patting his legs while he laughed louder.

  “You bet right,” Cecil Baskin interrupted, bringing the old man’s laughter to an abrupt halt. The old man immediately took his electrifying glasses off his head.

  “Show me!” He fumbled to reattach a larger, more idiotic looking pair of glasses onto his face. With a clumsy drop of his scientific instruments, the weird old man promptly climbed down from the wooden bridge and puttered around each boy, fearless of the other protectors that watched his every move.

  The old man rapidly lifted pieces of random technical equipment from inside his heavy coat. One wacky piece of apparatus looked like a tiny metal claw that opened and closed by the simple push of the button.

  Gently approaching Sebastian’s side, the mad scientist used the claw tool to look through the child’s ear. Sebastian instantly pushed the device away. One springy gadget was next on display for the group to see as the old man hopped toward Tommy. When the snake type mechanism was switched on, it shone a bright light on its tip, which the old man used to shine into the boy’s eyes, directing it with a remote control.

  “Yes, he has the eyes, he has the eyes. You’re the first born,” the old man insisted.

  “Hey, get that thing out of my face,” Tommy snapped, belting the irritating contraption away from his eyes and into the lake.

  Taking off his silly looking spectacles to look at the human children with his own eyes, the crazed scientist then crept to Benjamin and spotted his maroon blanket protruding from his jacket. After politely asking to see the cloth, the old man unwrapped it and shone a light onto the two-headed snake emblem entwined with a golden crown.

  “Exceptional! Oh, this is a discovery indeed. The Brotherhood has returned to seek out my help, as it was foretold. Oh, how marvellous. I had hoped this day would come, and not a minute too soon. Permit me, my little Masters; I am Senior Pomperton of the Scholar Ishtar Pompertons,” Senior Pomperton rambled, clapping his hands while the unresponsive group stared back at him.

  “You haven’t heard of me?” He sighed in shock, disappointed as much as dumbfounded. It was evident that Senior Pomperton had been oblivious of the outside world for a very long time. It also came as no surprise that the zany old man hadn’t left his post on that island for most of his quirky life, and judging by his eagerness to have new company around, he rarely had visitors.

  “I do apologize for the slight taser, pirate,” Senior Pomperton said to Cassius while he puttered around the rest of the group, studying them with several appliances that he kept well attached to his belt of tools. “You can’t be too careful in the new world. I’m afraid you’ve caught me in the middle of moving home.”

  Cecil gasped. “You’re leaving already?”

  “Huh? No, I’m going nowhere. I’m simply moving my home,” the crazy old man giggled, pointing to another area a few yards away where he was planning on relocating his entire cottage. “What do you reckon?” he asked the bemused group. “My front door will face the sun.”

  “Very noisy for a simple move, is it not?” Ban Pan asked, drawing their attentions to the vibrating sounds coming from inside the massive house.

  “Oh goodness, I forgot; those are my experiments. I must get back to work. Please, this way. Welcome, welcome,” Senior Pomperton yelled excitedly. “Iris, Iris, get out here quick, we have guests,” he hollered as he ran ahead of them and into the entrance of the house.

  Taking their time, the group cautiously approached the booming noises. An old, petite lady revealed herself in a small, slanted doorway, holding a fresh batch of tea and cups on a large tray.

  “Welcome, my darlings, come forth, come on,” she smiled, beckoning each of them forward to follow her into her lavishly designed garden.

  Stepping into the back garden, the nice lady led them along a path filled with little stone slabs until the group made their way into a half open and half sheltered garden. The garden was rich and filled with the most bizarre and beautiful plants that no one in their party had ever laid eyes on before.

  Benjamin was first to notice the plants were moving by themselves.

  Taking the tray from Iris’s arms, the plants separated the teapots and cutlery for her while several of their free stems int
ertwined and formed a large table and a few chairs.

  “I was wondering where we would sit,” Sebastian whispered to Cecil, who gave a slight chuckle in reply.

  “Sit, please, sit, sit, sit,” the old lady rambled, every bit as overjoyed to have guests as her husband was. Ban Pan’s eagerness to quench his thirst overtook his manners. Grabbing a hold of the teapot, the parched troll rudely started to chug the pot of tea without waiting on the others or using a cup. A slapping of the wrist from the disgruntled Iris Pomperton caused a few quiet laughs between the boys.

  “If you please, I’ll do the serving once we’re all seated,” Iris scolded.

  Basking in the half-sunlit, half-shaded conservatory, the new visitors took their first rest since their long journey earlier that morning. Benjamin sat beside Ban Pan, avoiding the grumpy troll’s eye contact at all times, while the old lady poured a fresh pot of tea into individual cups next to them.

  “You were sent by the politicians, I presume,” Iris said to Ariel, still unable to take her reverent eyes off of the human children before her.

  “It was the Council’s wish for the boys to be brought here,” Ariel explained, sipping gently at her fresh brew.

  Cecil Baskin cleared his throat and with a nervous flutter of his wings, he began to talk.

  “There was an ambush, at the Stained Castle,” Cecil explained, gently hovering a few feet above the ground now.

  With a kind offering of more tea, the old lady tried to settle him.

  “Please Mr. Baskin, have a seat, you are in a safe place now,” she said gracefully. Her words were soft like a velvet cloth and clothed the tension within the overwrought group. In a moment Cecil’s battered wings ceased to flutter, as he sat down to continue his account.

  “You know my name?”

  “Of course. I remember you from long ago. Forgive my husband…he’s never been one for remembering brief encounters, but I never forget a face. Besides, we’re not totally kept in the dark about things around here, especially things that concern us. I have my own methods of retrieving information.”