Monday, 23 October 2017

Into the Fairylands: Chapter 10

Into the Fairylands
By J. R. Bennett
<Chapter IX~*~Chapter XI>
Chapter X
The March on Spyrus
~*~
High in the skies, Little Dill looked out for the rock Spyrus on the back of Captain Jolly Roger.  From a pair of oversize binoculars, the little toy searched with no sign of the rock in sight.  Behind the pair were an army of one hundred eagles, each armed in the event of an attack.
            “Any sign of the rock?” asked Jolly Roger.
            “Nots yet!” Little Dill called back.
            The flock steered to the left.  Nothing.  To the right.  Still nothing.  All they could still see was purple mist flowing everywhere.
            Jolly Roger dived down, the eagles following suit.  Soon their bellies were an inch from the ice as they glided over the surface.  Just as fast as they were below, they rose back up again and veered west.  The sudden turn took caused Little Dill’s hat to be flung from his head and fall in to the violet abyss.
            “We’re losing light, sir,” called one from the eagles from behind.
            Little Dill wasn’t listening though; he was too absorbed in looking for the Spyrus.
            “He’s quite right!” Jolly Roger called back.  “We’ll have no way of getting back if we don’t leave now while the sun is still out.”
            Little Dill heard the seagull this time and reluctantly agreed to travel back to the Pedigree.  The flock was about to turn around when from their right came a crowd of flying, deformed, snake-like creatures.  Jolly Roger dived down to avoid them while the eagles charged head on into the oncoming mass.
            Jolly Roger surged left and right as eagles and monsters fell from the sky, landing on the hard ice below.  Both toy and bird knew that there was little chance of going back as long as the conflict above them was in the process, but sitting and waiting would not be a wise choice either.  The best option Jolly Roger could come up with was for Little Dill and him to keep moving as much as possible and avoid being noticed by the Manookoo.
            Left and right.  Up and down.  Over and under.
            Little Dill gripped tightly to the seagull with all his might, hoping not to be knocked off.  There was little hope that that they would make it out alive now.
            Jolly Roger was losing strength; he needed a chance to rest before they could even try to make it back to the ship.  In the distance looked like a blackish mass that was large and round.  The pair didn’t notice that it was from the mass that the Manookoo were streaming from, nor would they have cared if they had.
            Jolly Roger just made it to the shore (if that is even the right word for it).  From there Little Dill and Jolly Roger both could see the fighting.  The eagles had a slight advantage but the Manookoo creatures were over starting to gain the upper hand.
            Little Dill and Jolly Roger made their way up the rocky shore toward the start of what appeared to be a smooth slope made of solid stone.  Little Dill looked at Jolly Roger.  Jolly Roger looked back at Little Dill.
            “By Jove!” the gull cried.  “I think this has to be that Spyrus rock the old wizard was croaking about.”
            “It is! It is!” the little toy cried back, jumping with glee.
            “We have to get back to the ship.” Jolly Roger realized.  “We need to tell Ed an’ them our find.”
            “But hows?  Those snakey t’ings ares all overs the places.”
            “Right,” said the bird.  “I guess we’ll just have to charge through and hope for the best.  Get back on my back.  Hang on tight.  I wasn’t named captain for nothing.”
            With a run, a jump, and the flap of a wing, Jolly Roger was soon gliding close to the ice field.  Whenever there seemed to be an enemy or an ally falling from the battle in the sky, the seagull would veer to avoid collision.  Little Dill tried to signal as many of the eagles as he could of the sudden retreat, trying his hardest not to lose his grip on his flying friend.  Behind them, some of the eagles stayed behind to hold of the snake-creatures while those who were growing tired could retreat with Little Dill and Jolly Roger.

Ed and Travis were on the poop deck with Captain Mulligan looking over a map of the Periculosus Sea, marking where the cloud was moving currently and estimating the time before it would reach the island.
            “They’ve got a day, at most.” Mulligan said solemnly.  “It’ll reach the coast by morning and then make its way across.  Any ground forces there are going to need to be ready.”  The captain then scribbled on a sheet of paper and handed it to one of the crewmembers.
            “What I’m interested in knowing,” added Ed, “is where on earth Spyrus is.”
            “Unless your little friend and tha’ bird get back ‘ere in one piece,” Mulligan answered, “we’re up t’e creek wit’ou’ a pa’le.”
             There came a moment of silence.  Suddenly, from the distance came a faint call.  The three looked to see Little Dill and Jolly Roger flying back to the ship.  With a crash into the table, toy and bird made it back in one piece with the remaining eagles following suit.  Many were tired and somewhat battered from the conflict.  Mulligan ordered for the infirmary to be opened up for the eagles while an emergency meeting was held on the poop deck.
            Little Dill told everyone what he and Jolly Roger saw on their expedition.
            “Our bow is pointed west so that means our rock is headin’ from the stern eastward to the Forestlands.” Mulligan observed from the map.  “We’re gonna need to act fast.”
            “That’s gonna be easier said than done.”  Zach observed pointing at the direction Mulligan had been referring too.  “If we’re going that way, there’s a good chance those snake creatures are going to attack.  We know they’re defending Spyrus since they went after Little Dill and Roger.  I’m not saying we can’t do it, I’m saying we’re going to need cover when we go.”
            “We still have the brownies.” Ed answered.
            “But how long will they hold?”
            “I don’t know?”
            “Then forget them.  We’re going to need something to keep those things at bay.”
            “Then what do you suggest?” Ed asked hotly.  “Seems like you want to criticize but not give a solution.”
            “Easy.” Alice interrupted.  “We can still use the Brownies, but we’ll just need something to back ‘em up.”
            “I will provide some more of my guard to support your venture.” Stormwing called.
            “Well, that’s settled.” said Bug-a-boo as he pulled from his pipe.  “Now, I suppose I ought to list out what we know.  First, the Zeltic demi-god Manoo is locked up with his cult in a floating rock; second, said rock is shrouded in a thick purple fog that is bent on destroying the Deltic Empire; third, the only known weakness of Manoo is to break the seal that is keeping this said rock in existence.”
            “Well,” answered Travis, “we at least know what we need to do.”
            “I hope you all know,” Bug-a-boo went on solemnly, “this is going to be very dangerous.  Manoo will be relentless.  As a titan, he has the power to and will do whatever he can to squash his enemies.”
            “Yes,” Ed answered.
            “Good.  It helps to know what you’re getting into before doing something stupid.”

The next morning, everyone was ready for battle.  One of the Pedigree’s life boats were modified to act as a sled to get Bug-a-boo, Ed, Travis, Zach and Alice across the frozen ocean to Spyrus with harnesses made of rope that would be worn by some of Stormwing’s eagles.
            It was midday once everyone was ready.  Through the purple haze, was a vague abyss that showed nothing of their destination.  The sled was pointed roughly in the direction Little Dill and the search party had traveled from the day before.  After a few goodbyes and well wishes, the eagle-driven sled containing a few brownies, four adolescents and a wizard set out.  A head of the group was a small group of eagles – who would act as protection should they run into trouble – and Little Dill and Jolly Roger acting as guides (though it was advised for the pair to flee to the sled should they run into any of those flying snake-creatures again).  Captain Mulligan insisted they wait until morning to set out but Ed disagreed.  To Ed, they needed to head out as soon as possible before they lost track of the floating rock.
            As the sled bolded into the purple haze, Alice looked back on the Pedigree, and watched as the old, ironclad ship became smaller, and encased in the mist.  Soon the ship was lost from sight and the sled was surrounded in the purple fog.  It was hard to see Little Dill through the haze; everyone could only make out part of Jolly Roger for a few moments but just as fast, he was lost in the mist.
            The journey was an uncomfortable one.  The frozen salt water had been captured in mid-wave at some points, causing the boat to jump every so often as it sped along.  Despite the sky being hard to see, a heavy rain fell hard on the small band.  The only protection they could find was an old canvas tarp that was left in the boat.
            Eventually Jolly Roger and Little Dill flew back down to the sled; the two were soaked from the rain but didn’t seem much bothered by the ordeal.
            “We’re almosts there!” Little Dill cried.
            “Some of the eagles saw some of those Manoo creatures a head.” Jolly Roger explained.  “They’re going to stage a distraction for us so we can get on through.  We should be at Spyrus shortly.”
            At that moment, there came the squeal of a beast in great pain and the sound of metal clanging.
            “There they go,” said Ed.
            “No time for that,” interrupted Bug-a-boo.  “Look!”
            There before them was the rock Spyrus, moving at a slow pace.  Even in the purple fog, everyone could see it.

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