“Hurry up, that thing is gaining on us!” Shouted Ben.
“We’re almost there,” Abigale replied.
“You’re sure this is going to work?”
“Yes, Michael,” said the fairy.
“Good, cause I don’t see any other way,” the boy shouted back as they awkwardly flew over the icy terrain, while at the same time, trying to avoid the giant beast’s swinging arms and hands.
The fiery monster continued to close in, but suddenly, it stopped.
“Oteza peeked back and said, “Look, it’s giving up. I guess we win this round.”
“Jolly pulled up even with Midnight and replied, “By golly I think you’re right Oteza.”
The sound of a giant exhale unexpectedly interrupted the celebratory conversation.
Michael looked back and his heart went numb.
Abigale, seeing the boys reaction, turned back shouting, “Split up now!”
On the fairy’s last word, the giant beast exhaled, unleashing a stream of blazing fire directly at Michael and the others.
Jolly and Midnight banked hard left, Abigale and Ben right. The scorching stream, just missing its targets, shot past the evasive group then struck the hillside ahead. There was a mighty BOOM as ice and rock tumbled downward into the frozen terrain.
“Keep heading for the entryway, if we can get inside the hill, that thing won’t be able to follow us!” Shouted Abigale.
Everyone put their head down and flew as fast as they could towards the hillside.
The giant beast’s jack-o-lantern head exhaled again.
“Be ready, here it comes!” Shouted the mayor.
A roar of frustration filled the air.
Everyone looked back. To their surprise the sprites had joined forces. Circling the giant’s legs over and over at such a speed the giant could not see nor catch them. They left a trail of fresh, leafy vines around the beast’s legs, then in a split second, pulled tight—there was a thunderous noise as the giant hit the frozen tundra. Ice, snow and rocky terrain flew everywhere. The evil creature roared again as it put its’ hands to the ground and pushed up, then lifted its jack-o-lantern head to stare down its targets.
But the sprites were too fast and vanished from site again.
It did not matter.
Tearing the wrapped vines from its legs, the giant was quick to its feet and exhaled once more—letting out a lethal stream of fiery magma that instantly struck high above the core entryway. An avalanche of giant boulders tumbled down—blocking the only entrance in. Another lethal burst from the giant struck the boulders and cooled instantly, forming an impenetrable barrier to where Frank and the others had gone.
“What do we do now?” Ben shouted. “That blasted creature has blocked our way in!”
“We keep looking!” Midnight shouted back. “You and Abigale go to the right of the hill and Jolly and I will go left. We’ll meet you on the other side!”
******
Charlie’s energy began to fade. As the tree limbs wrapped around his body tightened, the crystal slowly drained his strength—gaining more power in return until the radiant child no loner glowed. His true identity was now revealed. In a weakened state, Charlie let his head fall forward as a familiar voice called out, “Free the boy this is not his fight.”
“That’s a lie, and you know it,” the tree shouted back.
The shadow horseman turned to face his intruder. “Frank Wellington, I’ve been looking forward to this.”
“I said free him. Now.”
“And if we don’t?”
The boy’s body had become weak and frail…almost lifeless.
“We will chop you up and use you for firewood!” A voice called out from the dark stairway behind Frank.
The wise Patron turned then sighed in relief.
“You didn’t think we were gonna let you fight this fight alone, now did ya Frank?” Said Alfred. “I see you found the boy, any sign of the crystal?”
“The tree is holding it. It used the crystal’s power to drain the boy’s,” said Frank.
Alexios flew down and landed next to Frank as Alfred, Clara and Henry arrived by his side.
“You want the boy, come and get him,” the dark rider proclaimed—motioning for the tree to drop the chosen outsider.
The vibrant tree released its grip on the boy. Charlie fell hard to the ground, his body still motionless.
“That’s it! I can’t stand it anymore,” Alfred said—rolling up his sleeves as he prepared to fight.
“Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!” Evil laughter rose up, echoing through the mountain, as it worked its way to the core.
The shadow horseman and tree looked round, scanning the core walls, as did Frank and his friends.
“She’s here,” the horseman whispered to the tree.
“What was that?” Asked Clara.
The echoey voice replied, “Your worst nightmare come true.”
Startled, Frank and his friends took defensive positions as they continued to scan the area for signs of danger.
The cavernous walls of the core suddenly caught fire. The purple flames began to swirl, forming a giant fireball high above the ground for all to see.
“Throw it to her,” the horseman shouted.
On command, the illuminated tree reared back and slung the orange crystal towards the swirling mass of fire.
Frank and his friends watched as the crystal sailed high above their heads.
Alexios shot off towards the radiant crystal, hoping to intercept.
He was too late.
The flaming mass exploded, throwing the owl far off coarse as the crystal landed in the grip of another.
All dressed in white and gleaming from above, stark-white light—transparent and evil, and suspended in mid-air, was a mysterious figure. Long, white hair swirled about her face—concealing her stunning identity. A pair of knee-high boots fit seamlessly with her bodysuit—decorated in a thread-pattern of embroidered thorns and roses. A flowing cape of long, transparent layers and high collar, framed her tall, slender figure. A set of electric-green eyes cut through her translucent facade of white, as the golden crown of thorns atop her flowing hair sizzled and popped—its red-fire jewel, beaming.
Frank and the other Patrons continued to watch in awe-struck confusion as to who this mysterious woman might be.
“You wanted the boy, you shall have him.” Holding the crystal in her left hand, the mysterious being transferred its power to the dragon-head staff in her right, then thrust it towards the boy. An orange bolt of lightning shot out of the dragon’s eyes—striking Charlie’s body.
The chosen outsider was energized once again, only now he glowed orange instead of golden yellow.
“I don’t like the looks of this,” said Clara.
******
The giant jack-o-lantern monster formed by the Dark Shadows had reached the top of the hill, perched in a crouching position, as it scanned the icy, snow-covered terrain in all directions. Beneath its right foot was a small rock, no larger than any normal size rock you would skip across the water. Beneath that rock, shrunk down to the size of pepper grains, Abigale, Jolly and the others sat patiently quiet—waiting for a sign from Frank and the others.
******
The green-eyed woman landed next to the boy and whispered in his ear.
The boy turned his head half way round, focusing his attention on the Patrons standing on the ledge forty feet behind him, while continuing to listen.
“What? What did you tell him? And who are you? What is your purpose here?” Frank demanded.
The translucent figure turned slowly round to face the Patrons from the ledge above. “You want to know who I am? Fair enough.” She tapped her staff on the rocky surface twice. The long, white, swirling hair concealing her identity parted ways to reveal someone Frank and the others already knew all too well.
Frank’s eye’s teared up, his emotions took over. His mind, spinning and confused. The others, also in disbelief, sat in utter silence. Unsure how to react.
“Valerie? But…how? Why?”
“My great uncle.”
“Who?” Frank replied.
“MY. GREAT. UNCLE. He was a man who had once worked side by side with a young artist named Walt Disney. He had worked just as hard and just as long as Walt. My great uncle was a confident man who had grown as a budding artist alongside Walt. Had had meaningful and creative conversations with Walt. He'd brainstormed with Walt about the future of art, animation, its impact on society and the power of imagination. He had worked with Walt at the Disney Animation Studios as a lead character animator. And at one point, had even been considered for the position of creative director over all Disney films. But…the position was eliminated and the nine old men took its place. It was a devastating blow that ruined my beloved great uncles career as an artist, which he NEVER forgot nor was able to overcome, and eventually…drove him to his demise!”
“But Walt was such a kind man, he would never intentionally do such a thing,” said Frank.
“A likely excuse,” Valerie barked back.
“Oh Valerie, we are so sorry for what happened…”
“It’s far too late for apologies, Frank.”
“But why?”
“I am here to carry out the wishes of the Dark Order. A group founded by my great uncle. A group now called, the Forest of Thorns Order!”
“You. You’re the leader of FOTO?” Barked Alfred. “I knew there was something I didn’t like about you.”
“Oh, there’s plenty more,” Valerie replied.
“Yep, she’s the one alright. She’s the evil woman from the dream I told you about a few days back. I wouldn’t give her one ounce of trust if I were you, Frank.”
Frank turned a blind eye to his good friend’s words and continued to plea. “Please Valerie, you must reconsider.” There has to be some way we can…”
“No. There is no other way, and my name is Lila, not Valerie. But it’s too late for that as well.” Slamming her dragon head staff to the ground, her translucent body was engulfed by white flames as she proclaimed, “I am, the White Shadow Queen, and you, all of you, shall die!”
“I told ya,” said Alfred.
Charlie’s illuminated body spun round, staring down the Patron group with fiery eyes.
“Charlie?” Said Alexios.
“He’s not Charlie anymore,” said Clara. “He’s the enemy.”
The shadow horseman raised his sword. His mighty black stallion stood on hind legs as blue flames shot from its nostrils. The evil duo shot off in a wispy blur of shadow—disappearing from sight.
Alexios took to the air, dodging the giant tree’s swirling branches as he eyed the orange crystal in the queen’s left hand.
The spellbound boy thrust his hands forward. Fiery orange flames shot from his palms towards the Patron band, forcing them to scatter.
Henry quickly sketched an elastic fireproof suit, pulled it off the sheet of paper and put it on.
Clara transformed into a squirrel and dashed for Barklinder’s trunk as Alexios continued to weave in and out of the tree’s swirling branches.
The dark rider reappeared, rapidly approaching Alfred from behind. With a mighty slash of his shadow sword, he struck a fatal blow to the Patron’s left leg. The old man screamed out in pain as he fell to the ground. No longer able to walk.
As the horseman spun around for another charge, Frank jumped in front of his friend and thrust his right hand towards the evil rider, blasting his sword with a stream of radiant light.
The shadow horseman dropped his sword, but quickly recovered and began to charge again—his sword raised high for another strike.
Still engulfed in white flames, the translucent queen, stood her ground quietly observing the battles before her.
In a split second, the evil rider and his blue-eyed steed leapt high into the air, Frank blasted the rider again but missed, as the dark force descended downward—his sword poised to strike a fatal blow. Alfred and Frank disappeared just as the horseman’s sword came down, striking nothing but rocky ground. “Pesky Patrons!” Shouted the rider. “Where did you go? Show yourselves so I can have the pleasure of ending you both.”
“Over here, you rotten scum,” said Frank, as he continued to play a game of cat and mouse with the shadow rider. Protecting his friend Alfred, while also buying the others time to fetch the crystal and rescue Charlie.
Clara had made her way well into Barkliner’s swirling branches, as Alexios landed nearby. “The crystal,” said the owl. “We have to find a way to free it from the queen’s evil grasp.”
“I have a plan,” Clara replied. “If you and Henry can keep her distracted, I will take care of the rest. Just be ready to catch the crystal when it gets knocked out of her hand.”
“I’ll be ready,” Alexios said as he took off towards Henry.
“So you’re the keeper of the crystal? Doesn’t look like it to me,” Clara said to the tree as she crawled around its trunk near Barlkander’s face.
“I am the keeper,” the tree replied.
“Looks like the queen is now.”
“No, I am,” Barklander replied. His voice getting angrier.
“I’m not seeing it,” the crafty squirrel replied.
“Come here you pesky squirrel!” Shouted the tree.
Clara took off sprinting up, down and round Barklander’s trunk and swirling branches, nimbly jumping from one to another as the angered tree attempted to knock her off.
The queen turned, confused by the actions of the tree. “What’s wrong with you fool? Calm your branches before you mess up my plan.”
Alexios landed on Henry’s shoulder. “What do you say we give her highness and the boy a little target practice, eh friend?”
“I’m with ya,” Henry replied as he transformed into a hawk and took to the air.
Alexios swooped in, quickly passing no more than an inch from the queen’s nose.
“Silly owl!” The queen shouted, then turned to track her prey just as Henry flew by from the opposite direction. “How dare you, silly bird!” The frustrated queen attempted to lock in on the owl and hawk simultaneously but it was too difficult. One flew by and then the other, as she repeatedly tried to strike them down with lightning bolts from the staff in her right hand, while at the same time, unknowingly loosening her grip on the crystal in her left.
Charlie’s fiery eyes locked in on Clara and began to shoot calculated fireballs where the squirrel would land next. But Clara was too clever for the boy, keeping her leaps from branch to branch unpredictable. The fiery blasts from the boy missed the elusive squirrel and instead, struck the tree’s branches, setting Barklander ablaze.
The cavernous core began to heat up quickly as the flames of the enormous tree grew larger and more intense. Barklander began to scream out in agony and frustration, while wildly swinging the few branches he had left.
Seizing the moment, Clara sprinted down the burning tree’s trunk to the lowest branch she could find, then ran out to its end. “Hey tree boy, give it your best shot!”
Angry and in pain, Barklander let out a scream of frustration, swinging at the tiny squirrel with one of his remaining branches.
The flying squirrel leapt into the air—gliding down directly towards Charlie.
Barklander’s wild swinging branch missed the tiny squirrel, but knocked the crystal out of the queen’s left hand, sending it high into the air.
Alexios grabbed hold of the crystal in mid air with his talons, as the fiery eyes of the boy locked in on the elusive squirrel—letting off three rounds of fireballs.
Clara dodged left, right, then left again as she glided ever closer to the boy.
“You idiotic tree!” The queen shouted, as she spotted the owl and thrust her staff towards her target—but her staff was clipped by Henry as he flew by, causing the queen’s fatal bolt to miss. “Silly bird!” The queen gave the hawk an evil glare, then locked back in on the owl carrying the crystal, but it was too late.
Alexios released the crystal high above Charlie, just as Frank reappeared across the core.
A blast of light shot out of Frank’s magic light charm necklace, which struck the crystal, temporarily charging the crystal with good energy, just as Clara landed on the chosen outsider’s shoulder.
“Look up,” said the squirrel.
The spellbound boy gazed upwards just in time to grab the falling crystal. Instantly, the positive energy instilled within the crystal traveled through his body, breaking the queen’s evil spell and setting Charlie free.
“No!” shouted the queen. “You may have the boy, but I still control the crystal.” The White Shadow Queen raised her large, green eyes towards the core walls. Opening up her arms, she slammed her twisted staff into the rocky surface, a blast of chartreuse light rushed across the ground in every direction, and up the core walls, as she recited;
To wicked and evil
Come forth now
So all can be here
To watch Patrons bow
The crystal is calling
Feed it with freight
The powers of darkness
On this gruesome night
The illuminated chartreuse walls changed to orange then began to swirl about as ghost-like spirits materialized on its surface, then broke free—diving into the crystal. Fueling it with evil energy once again. The more evil the crystal took in, the more radiant it became, until it was so bright, the Patrons had to shield their eyes, including Charlie, who let go of the crystal.
Completely engulfed in flames, the giant tree provided a horrific backdrop for the Shadow Queen as the brilliant orange crystal rose high into the air, beaming so brightly with evil, that none of the Patrons dare look directly upon it.
“You say you’ve come for the crystal, boy. You say it belongs to you, when clearly it speaks to me, calls to me, as it’s one true master,” said the queen.
Charlie looked upon the lion crest ring as it slowly came alive, glowing ever so slightly. He looked up to the queen on her pedestal of rock, with Clara still sitting on his shoulder, and said, “It may speak to you, but it belongs to Frank and his fellow Patrons. So release it now, or I will take it.”
“Silly child, you overestimate the power of that pathetic ring. Come and get it.”
The chosen outsider slammed his ring fist to the ground, igniting the object of magic. His body once again, covered in golden glow. Still in a crouched position, he raised his head to the queen, staring her down with blazing eyes of white.
The White Shadow Queen stared back at the boy with her electric-green eyes and smirked.
Clara leapt from Charlie’s shoulders, just before he shot up into the air towards the crystal.
Thrusting her dragon-head staff, the evil queen unleashed a bolt of lighting, blocking Charlie’s path.
With uncanny reflexes, the chosen outsider quickly changed directions and headed for the core wall.
The queen unleashed another bolt.
The agile boy abruptly changed directions again—springing from a random bolder, he launched himself directly towards the crystal, which continued to be fed by the swirling wall of evil spirits encircling the core. Briefly pausing high in the air, Charlie waited for the queen’s next bolt as he looked towards the bright crystal, his brilliant white eyes shielded by the magic of the ring.
The queen reached back and thrust her staff towards the boy again but was blocked by Alexios as he shot past the wicked queen at supersonic speed. “What! Why you!” The owl had knocked her staff thirty feet across the room thanks to a pair of magic glasses that allowed him to see clearly through the crystal’s blinding light.
“It’s all clear young squire, the queen has lost her staff!”
The chosen outsider shot off towards the crystal, reciting; “Ever more, ever lasting, a gift, not to be told.” He extended his ring fist forward and released a golden blast which struck the bright object squarely—releasing a deafening explosion that sent a shock wave from the crystal to the walls of the cavernous hillside core, breaking the queen’s spell and extinguishing the swirling wall of evil spirits.
Charlie grabbed the crystal in free fall, putting it in his pocket as its glow went out.
“NO!, said the queen. “Horseman get him!”
The shadow horseman materialized from the dark core wall, taking off in full sprint atop his evil steed into the air, only to be caught off guard by a blast from Frank’s light charm. Sending the evil rider tumbling to the ground. But the White Shadow Queen interjected—clapping her hands together they set ablaze with purple fire. She reared back and cast fireball after fireball towards Frank, who sent counter blasts from his light charm to nullify her attack.
“This way!” Shouted Charlie. The illuminated boy turned around and released a golden blast into the jagged, rocky ceiling, creating a giant hole for escape.
Frank changed into a black owl, Clara an eagle and Henry a flying horse, as Alexios transformed to giant size and skillfully grabbed their wounded friend Alfred, with his talons.
Charlie let off several golden blasts from his ring, forcing the queen and shadow horseman to take cover as he and his friends escaped through the giant hole, disappearing from site.
© 2024 Charles E. Zitta. Charles E. Zitta and Disney and the Wonder Within blog novels are in no way part of, endorsed or authorized by, or affiliated with the Walt Disney Company or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Commenti