Chapter 12: The Wyver's Return
The Mystical Forest, Skipton, Yorkshire, England, 1545.
Meticulous instructions had been conveyed to the leaders at the sacred pond. Each was given instructions that needed to be followed with no room for error. Belver was the first to receive instructions.
Bao had lowered her snout, in a gesture designed to be less threatening. "Belver, please approach me." Belver was shocked that he'd been singled out and summoned by Bao. He quickly scurried around the edge of the pond, to a position where he faced Bao. "This is a simple wooden box, constructed from the wreckage of a fine vessel that sunk in a fierce storm. The box is unimportant, but it contains a plant; it's actually seaweed that we call Gorsporth. Gorsporth can only be found in the deepest of seas within my world. It's a special plant, with very unusual properties. It'll grow normally under water, where it's wet and cold. If you expose this plant to heat, it'll grow rapidly. If it dries out, it'll turn hard, rock hard. Once the plant has hardened, it dies and remains rock hard. It'll never return to its soft state, even when it gets wet. I have plans for this plant, but I'll need your help. We can not waste any time."
Belver felt privileged to be asked, to play his part, in assisting the Wyverns. "How can I help?" asked Belver, arching his back and lowering his scarred snout in a gesture of respect.
Odin turned his head towards Giselle. "Giselle, fly quickly, as quickly as you can. Tell the animals to build fires all around the entrance, the entrance to the underworld, where the great beasts enter. The Moon is rising; we don't have much time before they’ll appear. Dig a pit around the hole; fill it with branches, tar and wood. We need a ring of fire around the Gateway to the underworld. It needs to be sealed and this is the first step. Go now, and wait for Belver's arrival, he'll be joining you at the entrance." The Great White Owl spread her wings and without a sound, majestically glided away.
She quickly located the Human, Joseph. He would organize the activities required to construct a circle of fire. Belver redirected his attention from the large Owl to the Wyvern that stood before him. Bao pushed the simple wooden box towards Belver. "Can you carry this safely in your jaws?"
Belver looked at the box; it wasn't square, it was long and flat. "Yes, I think I can."
"The box is sturdy, but it's full of sea water. The plant needs to remain wet, inside the darkened box." Bao took great caution in relaying her instructions to Belver; he listened intently. He would have to retrace his steps, crossing the swamp alone. Once across, he would run for the entrance to the underworld, it would be a race against time. He would make up some time by using the tunnels; he knew exactly how to navigate his way through to the Gateway. Once he understood, he stooped towards the wooden box. He opened his jaws and wedged his teeth carefully around the box. The salty taste of the water was still evident in the old wood. The fresh water of the pond had weakened the salty taste, but it was still there. Belver glance upwards at Bao; unable to speak, his eyes met hers. She nodded leading with her snout she tilted her head, as if to acknowledge her task was complete. It was up to Belver now, and silently he vowed not to let her down.
Safaa inched forward as Bao retreated. The Wyverns looked awkward, lumbering, animals on land, a far cry from their native aquatic home. Acron shuddered as her deep green eyes fell upon his tiny frame. "You Sir, I request your attention. You can also join him," she growled, glancing at Ranger. Ranger scurried to the side of the pond; the fluttering wings of the Fairy arrived first. "I need you both to work together, this won't be easy, but it's vitally important. Inside this box is something precious, very precious. I loathe to give it away, and wouldn't, unless it weren't so important." She sneaked a glance at Odin, who remained stoic. Our Father was a King; he ruled all of the water kingdoms. He taught us to be wise and brave. No one could match the purity of his great heart. He defeated evil for thousands of years, until he succumbed to old age. In your world we are immortal, but even Wyvern's choose to leave their physical body when the time is right. Our Father knew it was time, he wanted to move on; he wanted to re-join our Mother in the spiritual world. He left Odin, Bao and I, as able wards to this world, and we swore to protect it. Contained within this box is a precious gift. It's a fragment of bone, my Father's bone. It's the purest substance in existence, and it's very powerful. The bone of a Wyvern is dense and strong. Wood Sprites and Fairies will have to work closely to successfully deploy this part of our plan." Saffa leaned forward, her enormous head dwarfing the diminutive Fairy. Ranger could feel the air pouring out of her nostrils rising from her scaled snout. She opened her eyes wide and glared at the two small creatures cowering in front of her.
"You can work together, yes?"
Ranger choked an answer out first. "Yes," he said, nodding his head. Acron could hardly speak, he responded by nodding his head furiously.
"Good, then we've little time to waste. I'll tell you what you need to do."
Ruby felt apprehensive. Was she an outsider? Did she have a part to play in this plan, or was her usefulness as a Stibmit, now over. She'd been a requirement to summons the great Wyverns, was that the extent of her usefulness? Odin rolled off the mud bank that surrounding the pond. He slipped effortlessly into the welcoming water. If these great animals looked cumbersome on land, they excelled in water. Their shape and size undulated with the resistance of the water. Odin submerged without causing a ripple; his large frame emerged from the water with ease. His head started to break the water's surface, followed by the eyes, snout and mouth. Ruby's eyes adjusted to the emerging sight but lingered on a familiar shape. Protruding from Odin's mouth, snared between his sharp teeth, was the arrow.
Odin glided through the water and approached the shore. He'd completed this move a million times, as he flapped his flippers pushing him forwards. He glided effortlessly onto the muddy pond's shore. Propping himself up with his strong flippers, he bowed his head towards Ruby. He pushed his snout forward and opened his jaw slightly. It caused his grip upon the arrow to loosen but the shaft remained lodged within his mouth. He shook his head, motioning for Ruby to take the arrow. She reached forward and gently retrieved the arrow from his mouth.
She held it carefully with both hands, her palms facing the sky, with her arms outstretched. "Is this for me?" She looked at Odin, her eyes screaming for an explanation.
Odin nodded quietly, not knowing where to begin. "There is a land far away from here, beyond the far depths of the pond. It's called Belhavier. It's much like this world with animals, plants, water, sky and the fight between good and evil. The ruler of this land is a brave King, King Ghard. He doesn't look like you, but I'm sure you would like each other. His kind is highly evolved in the art of magic, and they use their powers to fight the dark forces. King Ghard is a prolific marksman; no one is better with a bow. He's truly a master. I wish you could meet, but unfortunately, that's not possible in this lifetime. I traveled a long way to talk with King Ghard. I’ve described our fate here in this realm. He would want to meet the brave little girl armed with an ornate bow. He has two sons, neither of which aspires to be archers." Odin paused to see if Ruby was paying attention. His peripheral vision caught the flight of Acron, and the scurrying shape of Ranger, leaving the pond to fulfill their mission.
Gentle waves caressed the shoreline at each side of Odin's submerged tail. Bao and Safaa appeared in the water. Odin could sense their presence but didn’t break his gaze upon Ruby. "This is a special arrow, a precious gift from King Ghard and his people. For hundreds of years this arrow has been displayed at the Temple of Victorious Dreams, high upon the Mountain of Fallen Souls. This is a sacred object for the King and his people. A powerful Oougi, a magical woman with great powers, blessed this arrow. It carries a powerful force, so pure that it will kill evil, any evil. The Oougi made the supreme sacrifice to save her realm; she cast a spell that would make this arrow all-powerful but the spell took her life."
Ruby's attention was distracted. She heard a small noise in the water, to the side of Odin.
Bao had left the water and propped her large frame upon the shore, next to Odin. "You must tell her of your promise."
Ruby looked inquisitively at Odin. "Child, all you need to know is that this arrow is important. It's made from the finest wood. It will never bend or warp. It will always fly straight and true. Its feathers are from an exotic bird; the feathers are hardy and slice through the air. The tip is carved from a rock that is hard, sharp, and never dulls. This is the perfect arrow."
Bao couldn't stand it any longer. "Child, this is a powerful weapon, but it needs respect. The Arrow of Belhavier is well known across our realms. It's never been released from the realm of Belhavier. The Oougi made the ultimate sacrifice. She cast a spell of purity to ensure this arrow will kill any form of evil. In return, she gave her soul to the underworld. She died saving her realm. The King was able to kill the leader of evil, destroying his hold over their realm. You have to do the same; you have to use this arrow to kill the Witch. Child, you can't miss, if you ...."
"Enough," shouted Odin, slapping his flipper into the mud. He shot a stern look at Bao, before turning to Ruby. "Ruby is an archer, I've no doubt she'll kill the Witch. We just have to provide her with the shot. We'll deliver you the Witch; you have to hit her with this arrow. You've been practicing your whole life for this. Killing the Witch will save our land, your parents, and the forest. You can do this."
"Are my parents still alive?"
"The trees say yes, but only just."
Ruby added the arrow to her quiver, "It’ll be my pleasure," she said, with the unabashed confidence of a child.
A small noise could be heard to her left. A Fairy landed on a sprig, close to Ruby. He looked shocked at the sight that greeted him. Odin glared at the intruder, "Speak now Fairy."
The Fairy shook visibly. "My name is Deedot. Acron sent me to guide Princess Ruby."
"Good, Ruby I want you to follow this Fairy. Acron, Belver and Ranger know what to do. They'll present the Witch to you, breath deeply and hit the Witch with the Arrow of Belhavier. Listen to me carefully. When you kill the Witch, you must retrieve the Arrow. Do you understand?"
"Yes," responded Ruby. She didn't fully understand.
"Give the Arrow to Giselle, she'll return it to me. It's very important that you do that."
"Yes," nodded Ruby.
"Good luck, now go with the Fairy and meet up with your friends, quickly."
The Fairy took flight, leading Ruby away from the Pond and onto the start of her quest.
"You're an old fool Brother." Bao was not impressed. "Why didn't you tell her?"
Odin turned sharply, "Hold your tongue Sister, it's so sharp it'll cut your own mouth."
"I don't often agree with my Sister, but this time I do." Safaa joined the conversation reluctantly. "You should've told her the truth, she needed to know."
Odin snapped his jaws in disgust. "She's special that one, I have faith in her. She’ll kill the Witch. She doesn't need more pressure placed upon her."
Bao flapped the water in frustration. "She might well kill the Witch. In her jubilant celebrations, what if she forgets to follow your instructions and return the Arrow?"
"She won't" Odin snapped, unsure of his answer.
The two sisters glanced at each other. It was Safaa who tried to restore calm. "If we don't get the Arrow back to its resting place in Belhavior, before nightfall in their realm, you know what'll happen?"
"Yes, I'm fully aware of the curse. If the Arrow is not returned in time, the soul who took it will be condemned for all time.”
“We’re talking about your soul, Brother. It’ll be claimed by the underworld, and your death will be certain." The two sisters looked at each other again. Bao flipped her snout at Safaa, urging her to continue. "So you trust this small Human with your life?" Safaa tried to use a sensitive tone.
Odin let the gravity of her words sink in. "I have no choice, if we're to save this realm."
Safaa swam closer to Odin. We all know I'm the fastest swimmer. There's no doubt in that matter, you're not even close. I swim dark and treacherous waters, my flippers and tail are stronger; my body is streamlined and built for speed. If we were in a fight, I'd choose you Odin, my fierce muscle bound Brother. This is a fight for your life, but our weapon is speed. I should take the Arrow back to Belhavior, any delay may cost your life. I will not hear any arguments, my decision is final."
Bao swam closer to Odin, she whispered softly. "My Sister is wise; she can out swim both of us."
Odin reluctantly agreed; he nodded his head in acceptance. "Thank you, thank you both. Sisters, do you still have what you need to return to your worlds?
They both nodded. "I have a rare yellow pearl, from the Island of Pearls. This will provide me safe passage back to the realm of the East. I can leave whenever I wish." Bao dove into the pond and flipped the water with her scaled tail. She re-emerged, satisfied with her show of agility.
"I have a golden nugget, washed onto the seabed from a clear mountain stream. Its power will guide me to the cold familiar waters of the Northern realm. I too, can return at will." Safaa reassured Odin, "You'll remain here in the West my Brother."
Odin was proud of his siblings. "Then our fate lies with the girl, Princess Ruby."
Princess Ruby of Tamworthia Page 28
