Hobble turned to face the monsters, and without flinching he defiantly swung his axe in place, preparing for battle. Stunned, Jacob and Emalynn simultaneously dropped Mr. Pitts onto the ground with a thump.
“Sorry Mr. Pitts,” shouted Jacob, as he hastily removed his pack.
“Never mind your pack Jacob, take this,” cried Emalynn, already holding up several netters. “Do your thing, they don’t work for me!”
The lead warrior came to a halt and dropped to a knee. In a flash he raised his black pipe to his shoulder and pressed it up tight against the side of his head. Then with his red eyes brightly aglow, he sighted along the shaft taking careful aim. A silent discharge exploded from the tip of the hollow rod and a black ray shot towards Hobble. With agility similar to a dodgy cat, Hobble dove to the side and rolled to his feet again. The powerful beam sped past his head, missing him by only inches. “KERBLOOM,” the ground at the foot of the Lynex exploded in a wisp of dirt, leaving a deep depression blasted into hillside.
“EEEEEEYAAA!” screamed the Lynex like a frightened toddler. He began running in circles and waving his hands in the air. Then like a lizard to his hole, the Lynex dove behind Emalynn and curled up in a trembling ball, periodically peeking through her ankles.
Without hesitation the other warriors all came to a halt and fell to their knees. They raised their deadly cannons to their shoulders and together lined up the helpless rescue team in their sights. Terrified, Emalynn and Jacob dropped their netters and raised their hands in surrender. Jacob knew without a doubt that their end had finally come; the warriors would have no mercy, there was no way out of this, no means of possible escape.
He closed his eyes and tightened up every muscle in his body, anticipating an agonizing death.
“AYEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA …” echoed a scream, but oddly he was still alive. Panicking he opened his eyes and looked to the side to see who had fallen. To his relief he saw Emalynn, Hobble, Mr. Pitts, and the cowering Lynex still untouched. He then turned his gaze down the hill toward the dark warriors and dropped open his jaw in utter astonishment. The warriors were totally engulfed inside a mass of bright yellow flames, and their weapons were harmlessly rolling down the incline back towards the building. Instinctively he looked to the sky and saw Trarekeal hovering high overhead, beating his long wide wings to keep afloat. With a gaping jaw Trarekeal spewed out another powerful volley of billowing fire over the warriors, and they screamed again, as they dashed for cover toward the building. Trarekeal next tucked his wings in and dropped like a rock. Landing on his hind legs he pounded his massive weight into the earth. “KER-THUD” sounded the impact, as the hill shook with the ferocity of a large earthquake. From under his enormous claws huge clumps of dirt shot out over the dead grass.
“YES! WE’RE SAVED!” shouted Emalynn, jumping up and down. “GOOD WORK JACOB! CALLING OUT YOUR DRAGON LIKE THAT WAS BRILLIANT!”
Jacob returned a grin, too ashamed to admit that he hadn’t done any thing.
Trarekeal snapped his rapacious jaws at the screaming warriors, and then trotted after them. Desperately they dashed down the hill and entered back into the building. Immediately the Lynex stood up and stepped around Emalynn acting like a brave knight. He held out his chest and boldly marched back and forth, triumphantly shouting and shaking his tiny fist in the air, “RUN YOU RELENTLESS WARRIORS, RUN!”
Hobble brushing the dust from off his clothes gave a short grunt and turned to Jacob, “Now that we hab Mr. Pitts, let us hurry enn’ leave this place.”
“Gadfree,” said Mr. Pitts from the flat of his back, as he lifted his head, “was that a dragon?”
“I know isn’t it great!” exclaimed Emalynn.
“I caught him all by myself,” bragged the Lynex. “And being that I am the famous Dragon Riding Lynex, I tamed him to give us a ride here and fight the dark warriors.”
Gracefully the phoenix landed on the Lynex’s head, as a stunned Mr. Pitts watched the members of the rescue team growing, “A phoenix!” he exclaimed. “And a lynex?”
The Lynex held out his chest boasting again, “Yes this is a phoenix I have here. I tamed him too and had him lead us here so I could save your life!”
“You look familiar? Do I know you?” feebly questioned Mr. Pitts, staring up at the Lynex with glazed eyes.
“That’s right everybody should recognize me! I am the famous royal Lynex! The only lynex great enough to serve the royal house and the only lynex brave enough to save you!”
“The magistrate abandoned all rescue attempts, so this is your rescue team,” said Emalynn trying to clarify things. “We couldn’t have done it without everybody’s’ help. Especially Hobble’s.”
“You can pay me tribute latter,” grumbled Hobble, “boot, let us leave now before they coome again.”
Trarekeal having finished his play lumbered back toward to the group, and as he did Jacob expressed in his mind, “Thank you Trarekeal, you saved us all.”
“There was no help intended,” replied Trarekeal. “I did it only to burn dark warriors and watch them run. If they didn’t taste so moldy, I would have eaten some.”
“Hobble,” asked Jacob suddenly, “are there caves near Dallanbach Lake?”
“If ye’re thinking what I think ye are thinkin’, it could be dangerous fur thee community,” replied Hobble, raising an eyebrow. “Boot there tar underwater caves en’ thee lake that extend deep ento thee mountains, hidden from all boot we dwarfs. We hab thought of making eh community there, boot there tis far too few of us. Are ye certain yer dragon twould stay only twithin thee confines of thee lake enn’ caves?”
Jacob nodded and then eagerly turned toward the dragon, “Would you come live with us Trarekeal? We have a deep lake with hidden caverns and lots of fish to eat. All you have to do is stay in the lake area and not eat any people. This dead world is no place for a dragon.”
The dragon lowered his head and Jacob stepped back, closing his eyes from Trarekeal’s still hot breath. “I will come for a short while, if you require it of me,” answered Trarekeal sounding indifferent.
“He said he’ll come with us!” exclaimed Jacob.
“Oh how Cool! I’d like to go dragon riding again!” cried Emalynn.
“I’ll take you,” cried the excited Lynex. “And then we can burn some more dark warriors!” while we are at it.
“Now can we go?” said Hobble, folding his arms.
“Jacob, transporting a dragon into or near the village would panic the entire community,” said Mr. Pitts in a low voice. “Let me help you with the coordinates so we can put some distance between us and the village.”
“Thanks, I’d hate to make a mistake like that,” replied Jacob, as he knelt down and opened the latch on his pack.
Hobble and Emalynn helped Mr. Pitts to his feet and then patiently they waited for Jacob to secure his pack on his back again. After Jacob had his orb ready in hand, the group huddled together and placed their hands on his shoulder. Jacob then rested a foot on one of Trarekeal’s claws.
The Lynex brandishing the phoenix on top of his head, stood up straight tightly holding onto one of Jacob’s pants’ pocket. “You see Hobble,” he said, “the phoenix chooses to rest on me because I’m greater than you!”
“He only chooses ta eh perch on ye because yer head tis made out of wood!” snapped Hobble with a scowl.
“No!” rebuffed the Lynex heatedly. “He chooses me because your head is empty and would implode with the weight of his bottom.”
Abruptly Jacob was shoved forward, as the lumbering Mr. Pitts leaned over the top of his shoulder reaching out for the orb with an extended finger. With the tip of his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth, Mr. Pitts swiftly punched in the orb coordinates.
In a sudden bright flash they vanished from the Enchanted Realm and instantly reappeared beside a beautiful waterfall, surrounded in lush green vegetation. Everyone released their hold on Jacob and began to move about freely, while Jacob turned in circles, gazing at their wonderful live world. He took a deep breath to smell the fresh air and then sighed as he felt the warmth of the sunlight, he had never realized before how much he had taken everything for granted. Visiting a ravaged realm was worse than sniffing through a horse barn, and with the burden of the contaminated light gone, he felt like a renewed person.
“Galgithia Falls, secluded but not far from Sentinel Village,” said Mr. Pitts, staggering back and forth and finally falling onto a soft patch of green grass.
“Not far, but yer en’ no condition ta eh walk there. I twill go enn’ get us eh wagon,” said Hobble. He then turned and happily marched off toward the village.
Trarekeal bowed his head, spread his wings, and anxiously leapt into the air, making for the lake. “Goodbye young Frost, call if you need someone burned,” conveyed Trarekeal.
“Goodbye Trarekeal. We’re grateful to you for all your help.”
Together the group watched the dragon fly off into the clear blue sky as Mr. Pitts with renewed vigor said, “Yes indeedee, what a wonderful feeling it is to be out of the darkness. That’s some dragon you found there Jacob. I’m surprised that it was able to survive in the Dark Realm.”
“Only the strongest like me can live there and not mind it,” bragged the Lynex.
“I suppose this has been a grand adventure for both of you,” continued Mr. Pitts, ignoring the Lynex. “But, imagine how everyone would have felt if something had happened and you both had never returned. You two shouldn’t have come after me! However, all being said and done, thank you. You’re both very brave, a little too brave for your own good. My capture was a trap from the very beginning, well planned and executed. Being Buckburne’s closest friend, they purposely lured me into their trap and then tirelessly interrogated me. Constantly asking me for the where abouts of Buckburne Scurvey and the Book of Galeeky.”
“At least we know then that they don’t have the book or Buckburne,” interjected Jacob.
“We also know something else that is rather frightening,” said Mr. Pitts, hesitating for a brief moment. “They have someone on the inside. How else did they get Buckburne’s orb or know that I was his friend.” Slowly Mr. Pitts sat up and plucked a long blade of grass, placing it in his mouth. “Your coming to rescue me may have saved my life, but it has put you in grave danger Jacob.”
“Danger? But how can he be in danger anymore? We’re home safe now,” questioned Emalynn.
“No one but a great one could enchant a netter in the dark realm that way, and control a dragon,” answered Mr. Pitts with the blade of grass flicking up and down between his lips. “They know now that the prince of the realm is alive and they won’t rest until you’re dead. And with their spy amongst us, we’ll have to continuously be on the lookout. So I need help from both of you now. Jacob I want you to promise not to go off by yourself, to be on your guard at all times, and Emalynn I need you to watch over Jacob. If anything unusual occurs, you’re both to let me know right away, or else if I’m not around call out for another sentinel. The village is always packed full of us sentinels, so don’t hesitate to raise your voice in alarm. Understood?”
They nodded and stared as Mr. Pitts sucked the blade of grass into his mouth and chewed it down like a cow.
“Jacob,” continued Mr. Pitts, now smacking his lips, “I’ll have to tell Clair about this, and there is a possibility that he may want to bring you back home for your protection. But, he may also agree with me that Sentinel Village is still the safest place for you now, and let you stay.”
“Tell him not to worry then, and that I want to stay,” said Jacob, hoping for the best.
In less time than expected an open wagon rolled down the road driven by Hobble. Mrs. Oubladew sat beside him waving her hand back and forth with a broad smile. As they pulled up, Hobble drew back on the reins and the wagon rolled to a stop. Mrs. Oubladew, clasping onto a full basket of dried plants, climbed down from off the tall seat.
“Here ye tar Mr. Pitts,” she said, holding out the basket. “I’be brought ehloong soom dwarf remedies, just twhat ye need fur dark matter burn. I twill hab ye up enn’ aboot en’ no time. They may be eh wee bit bitter at first, boot thee loonger ye chew on them thee moore ye twill becoome accustomed ta thee taste.”
Mr. Pitts struggled to his feet and staggered towards Mrs. Oubladew. Then taking a handful of the herbs from the basket and placing them into his mouth, he squeezed his eyes shut and cringed from the pungent savor. From the back of the wagon a pleasant aroma scented the air and Jacob instantly recognized the smell of dwarf victuals. Eagerly he followed Emalynn and the lynex up into the tall seat, while Mr. Pitts puckering his lips rolled into the back of the wagon and laid flat on his back. Mrs. Oubladew followed next by scurrying up the wooden wheel spokes to nimbly step over the sideboard and seat herself next to Mr. Pitts.
Holding out yet another handful of bitter herbs she said, “Open yer chops,” forcefully cramming the wad of plants into his already full mouth.
With everybody on board, Hobble shook the reins. “Moobe yer hinderlings!” he shouted, and the wagon jerked forward bouncing up and down. Happily they passed the food back and forth, while the Lynex with the phoenix still perched on his head thrilled Mrs. Oubladew by telling his incredible saga of daring and courage. “Yes thanks to me, the great Dragon Rider, I faced down the ferocious dragon and commanded it in a mysterious dragon tongue that only I can do. ‘You listen to me now!’ I said, ‘You had better let me and my friends ride on you or else!’ And of course it was too scared….”
The trip was a short one, but the Lynex’s swank renditions made it seem unbearably extended. At long last they rolled to a stop in front of Mr. Pitts’ small cottage.
“Thank goodness we hab arrived,” grumbled Hobble. “In only eh few short minutes thee Lynex tas successfully fabricated enough baloney ta eh feed en’ army.”
“Now Hobble, be nice!” scolded Mrs. Oubladew.
“Do not worry about me,” sighed the Lynex. “It is just an aggravation I have had to bear during our journey. It always happens when you work with those who are afraid of their own shadow.”
“I’ll shew ye thee truth twith me axe,” threatened Hobble, angrily turning toward the Lynex in a huff. “We shall see who thee real coward tis!”
“Now Hobble,” sighed Mrs. Oubladew. “Calm down enn’ show thee Lynex soom of yer good manners.”
“Miffes. Oublawew,” mumbled Mr. Pitts as he climbed out of the wagon. He then bent over and spit out his mouthful of the bitter plants onto the ground. After pausing for a moment to wipe a string of slobber from off his chin with his hand he continued, “Your cures have worked wonders on me already. I’m starting to feel a tittle bit better.”
“Ye twill need bed rest,” she advised, “enn’ I doon’t want ta eh hear any excuses.”
“I most certainly will rest, I’ll need all my energy for tomorrow. Apprentice training begins bright and early in the morning for you two. Meet me at eight a.m. sharp in front of the castle,” said Mr. Pitts. And then waving goodbye with a smile, he staggered into his cottage.
After every one had voiced their goodbyes, Hobble shook the reins and they were off again, heading towards the boarding house.
“And after I defeated that black bug I said to Hobble you can come out from behind Emalynn now, the danger has past,” continued the Lynex, extolling his thrilling tale.
Hobble made a loud grunt as Mrs. Oubladew curiously asked, “Then what happened? Twere ye safe ta eh return home then?”
When they finally arrived back at the boarding house, Hobble had a stern frown set on his face along with Emalynn and Jacob. Happy to be home and escape the Lynex’s swank story telling, the apprentices eagerly jumped down from the wagon.
“Wait for me,” cried the Lynex, scurrying down from off the tall wagon seat with the phoenix still perched on his head.
They waved their farewells and Hobble and Mrs. Oubladew rolled away in the wagon. Jacob next held open the door for Emalynn and the Lynex rudely pushed by, entering in first.
“It is good to finally be back in civilization where people know how to appreciate a real hero,” bragged the Lynex.
Jacob felt relieved to be back safe again in the confines of a real home. With Mr. Pitts’ return there was no way the Magistrate could send them back now. Mum, from the kitchen, heard the youngsters return and quickly ran towards them to greet them with her hugs. After the brief unpleasantries Jacob tried to explain their absence but somehow ended up listening to the Lynex’s twisted version of their story all over again. Happy to accommodate the hero who saved her borders, Mum found a small room near the attic that just suited the Lynex’s size.
The evening came quickly, and following a late diner that Mum had specially prepared in celebration of their safe return, they said their goodnights and parted with satisfied stomachs. Exhausted, and badly needing rest, Jacob entered his room with the phoenix resting on his shoulder. As he grabbed for his shoulder strap to remove his pack, the phoenix flew off his shoulder and landed on the headboard of his bed. Wearily he flung his pack to the ground and fell back on the bed bouncing. “In the Enchanted Realm, you and Trarekeal were frequently sought after to find missing persons weren’t you?” he asked.
“Yes—ss,” replied the phoenix, holding up his wings up as the headboard rocked back and forth.
“Well can you do that in this world, and can you find missing items also?”
“Yes, but only after I learn the nature of the dimension of charm.”
“The dimension of what?”
“The dimension of charm, dimension one, this dimension.”
“Oh, I didn’t recognize the name of this place,” replied Jacob, embarrassed over his ignorance. “Can you help us then to locate the Book of Galeeky?”
“I will try. If you open the window I can begin a search now.”
“Already? But don’t you want to rest first?”
“Phoenixes rest only once every thousand years, and I’ve been confined so long that I’m eager for a quest.”
“Thank you for all your help. I’m really glad that you’re here with us.”
“I am grateful to be here,” replied the phoenix, giving a slight dignified nod of his head.
Jacob arose from the bed and swung open the window. With a powerful shove the phoenix sprung from off the headboard and smoothly beat his wings, zooming past Jacob’s face he gracefully soared out into the dark night sky and disappeared in the blackness. It didn’t take long for Jacob to climb back into bed and snuggle up under his warm covers. He yawned, and before he knew it he had drifted off into a peaceful slumber.