The Keeper of the Sword
Page 6
“Go, Jennifer!” Seamus ordered.
Jennifer turned and pushed off the ledge following the path of light that led straight to the Caves of Epod. As arrows and fire balls flew up at them as they passed over the hordes of Wombats. Flying machines on their tail were shooting fire, but the pink light shielded them from any harm.
They landed just outside the entrance of the cave where Seamus first came to the Land of Ack.
“Go. Save the sword. It is our only hope.” Jennifer let him dismount.
“But what of the others?”
“Do not worry. I will go back for them and bring them to my home until the time comes when you will return with The Zierns. Go now. The light is fading in the distance. You will be safe all the way out of the cave. Just follow the light path.”
Seamus entered the cave but stopped to say, “I will not return without the Zierns. I promise that to my death, I will protect the Sword of Zierns.”
Jennifer turned and flew toward the cliffs into a swarm of flying machines. As the light faded, it came toward the cave.
Seamus yelled, “I will not fail you, brave Acks”
He turned and charged into the cave. As he ran, he passed Wombats pushed up against the walls by the power of the light. The light slowly faded as he ran, and the Wombats, now freed, pounded behind him. He reached the door and dove through the opening just as the light disappeared. As soon as he landed, he flipped onto his back and kicked the door closed, shutting out the sound of the pursuing Wombats
He stood on the pile of clothing he and Tom had worn when they entered. The crystals slowly glowed again as he shed his other clothes and armor and then stuffed them into his backpack. He felt himself growing, changing back to his original size, and he quickly donned his own clothes.
As he bent down to pick up the now tiny sword and backpack filled with the armor and clothes, he turned and looked down at the floor. In the corner he saw on the ground some Asian toy soldiers and a comic book with Japanese and Chinese warriors with some of the pages ripped out. He remembered the story told to him of an Ack venturing out into his world. He put the sword and the pack into his pocket.
He stared across the floor at his son's clothes. A tear formed and slowly ran down his face. He then said to himself, "I promise I will find the Zierns and return with him. Then he heard—voices yelling in the distance. "Thomas! Tom! Seamus!" When he heard dogs howling, he ran out of the cave shouting, “I am here!”
As he hit the sunlight, he could hear people yelling his name and Tom's. The dogs ran up to him, howling to let the search party know they had found him. They came over the top of the snowy hill on horse back yelling “We found them!” Over and over they yelled.
His wife plowed through the deep snow with his younger son, James, calling out, "Where is he? Where is Tom?"
He pulled her in his arms, embraced her tightly, and cried, "He's gone, Bridget. He's gone."
Bridget, his wife, cried, “Where is Thomas, my son?”
He could not speak. He just shook his head, his tears running down his face .
As the police walked them away, Seamus turned and pointed where the cave had been and said “The cave. It was there, right there. I swear. Where did it go?”
A policeman said “He is in shock ma'am.”
The police searched for days, but they found no sign of Thomas or this magic cave.
* * *
“So, Grandpa, what happened to Thomas?"
"What do you think, James?"
"I don't know. Maybe he escaped and is still in the caves?"
Grandpa smiled. "James, I have something to give you."
As he removed something from around his neck, he said, "I have had this little pouch since I left The Land of Ack. Here. It is yours now. Open it, James."
As James opened the small pouch, a pink light filled the room. A small woman appeared. She was transparent and very beautiful.
James gasped. "Who is that, Grandpa?
"That is Willow the Pink."
Willow turned to Seamus and said, "It is done, Seamus. You found the Zierns and fulfilled your promise to all in the Land of Ack. And you have now made it possible for others of your family to come. You can now rejoin Bridget and your ancestors whenever you wish."
James, excited about his present, looked down and pulled out the little sword that poked out of the pouch. As he held it up, a bright green light filled the room again and Willow disappeared.
He opened his eyes wide. "Gee, Grandpa, the stories must be real." He carefully returned the sword to the pouch and begged Grandpa to tell him more stories about The Lack of Ack.
But Grandpa just smiled. "I cannot tell any more stories tonight. I will continue another day."
About the Author
James B. Tierney
James Brendan Tierney was born in March of 1961 in Manhattan, New York.He started life in the Bronx, living across the street from Poe park where he played under the small cottage of Edgar Allen Poe, always fearing the raven that sat on the desk inside.
In 1968 James Tierney moved to North Salem in Westchester, New York. There, while exploring the woods he imagined the wondrous Land of Ack.
In 1977 his family moved to Florida. James met his wife Michele and in 1984 they wed. In 1996 they adopted their son Brendan, and in 2000 they adopted their daughter, Willow.
Tierney graduated college in 1984 with a Degree in Fine Art and in Commercial Art. After graduation, he did free-lance art, began working for a newspaper as an artist, and was soon promoted to Director of Graphic Arts.
Later, he won The Honoring our American Heritage award and a Florida Publishers Award for one of his designs. He also won two silver medals and one bronze medal in national ice carving competitions and worked as a culinary artist.
Today, he works as an artist of animated figures. He often donates work for churches and other great causes in central Florida.
Activities: Questions and Discussions
Chapter 1: The Caves of Epod
What was James's grandfather's name?
Where did his grandfather come from?
What did grandfather enjoy doing with the grandchildren?What was James's uncle's name?
Which city did they all live in?
What year did Grandfather mention in his story?
What did Grandfather say happened to James's uncle?
Why did Seamus want to enter the cave?
What happened to them when they entered the cave?
What did the cave look like?
Whom did they meet inside the cave?
What is a leprechaun? Have you ever heard of them before?
What do the Wombats in this story do at first?
Do the Wombats act like friends or enemies?
_______________
From what you have read of the story, what do you expect will happen next?
15. Do you know there are real Wombats in Australia?
Do some research. What are they like? Are they really
mean?
Chapter 2: Found by Brendan
Who is Brendan?
What will Brendan show them?
What did Brendan tell them about the blue crystals?
How did Brendan show respect to the Council of the Elders?
How did he introduce Seamus and Thomas?
Why did he tell Seamus he never had to bow to anyone?
What did Brendon say about the house he took them to?
When Seamus said they wanted to leave, what did Brendon tell him?
Dow does Seamus feel when he is in the house?
What book is Seamus reading at the end of the chapter
Why is it odd that he is reading this book? ___________________
12. What do you think will happen next?
Chapter 3: Heroes We Must Be
What strange things did Seamus find out when he read the book?
Why was Seamus distracted while reading the book?
What happened to Seamus as he wa
lked toward the door?
What did the new city look like to Seamus after he entered with the old man?
What are the Crystal Beamers?
Why were there mirrors next to the ceiling of the caves?
What were the five little ancient men wearing?
What did Seamus request them to do for him?
What did they say about Thomas?
What did Brendan pledge to Seamus?
How many people will travel with Seamus? Who are they?
__________________
Why do you think the elders ask them if Thomas was a good boy or not?
What might they be inferring? Do you think that Seamus is worried Thomas might be under the influence of the Black Crystal?
Chapter 4: The Quest Begins
What did the people in yellow cloaks give to Seamus and Mij?
What happened when the great horn sounded?
Who decided to lead Seamus's group?
Why was the wall they saw called The Screaming Wall?
What did the armor the men wore look like?
What is a Chise?
Why do they tell Seamus the Chise do to the men they capture?
Why are they camping out in the open?
Who are the creatures that scream Za Za
Why do they call them the Zaboom monkeys?
What does Jennifer, the Queen of the Chise look like?
What did she give Seamus? Why?
Are the Chise really evil?
________________
Would you trust the Chise after this encounter?
Zaboom Forest: the Training of Seamus
What worried Mij when they entered the Zaboom forest?
How did Mij and Brenda train Seamus?
How did they prepare for the attack of the Zabooms?
What did the three men scream as they went into battle?
What did Mij say to Seamus to make him stop worrying about the outcome of the battle?
What did the fairies do to help them in the battle?
Which one of the men was hurt?
The Healing of Mij
How did the men help Mij heal?
What did Mij predict would happen that day?
Who helped watch over them as Mij healed in the cave?
What is the technique that Brendan taught Seamus to fight with?
How did Seamus fight the snake and kill it? What kind of snake was it?
What happened to the snake after they killed it?
How did Mij comfort Seamus when he expressed his fear for Thomas?
___________________
Do you think this was comforting? Why?
Brudie the Bold
Why did Seamus think the land seemed odd as they climbed the mountains?
How did Mij introduce himself to the man on the mountain?
What did the man look like?
What was his name?
Why doesn't he believe Seamus is The Keeper of the Sword?
Whom did they have to find next?
What does Mij tell Seamus about the fairy powers and problems?
Why is Willow the Pink trapped in a tower?
What happened to her husband?
Why should she want to help Seamus?
El Ehcim
What is Brudie's pet and what is it called?
What is strange about the pet?
What is the Mot that they see?
Who is the new king of the Wombats?
What has he created?
Why does Mij seem weak all of a sudden?
What is the pact that the four heroes make?
Why did the heroes have to make the cart into a sled?
Where is Brudie's summer house?
What have the black crystals done?
What are the snow bees and what do they look like?
How did Mij prepare to get rid of them?
What did Brudie do to give them time to escape?
What finally helped the heroes to escape?
Who helped them?
The Forest of the Fairies
Whom did the fairies always protect?
Why is Willow the Pink stronger than all the other fairies?
Why was Brendan excited when he saw the emerald green boat?
Where was the boat docked?
How old was the boat, and how had the fairies made it?
What did the boat look like?
Who navigates the boat?
________________
8. Do you have a dream of doing something special as our hero did? What is it?
Gleep Prepares for War
1.What can be found in the Castle of Gleep?
2. Who lives there?
3. What is so different about him?
4. What is the black swarm?
5. How had the Isnacjians prepared for this black swarm?
6. Whom did they think would finally save them?
7. When Mij marched up to the kind, what did he ask him to do?
8. How did the king answer?
9. What did Mij do to the king?
10. What did he tell the crown?
11. What happened to Willow the :Pink?
12. What did Seamus do to help?
13. How did Jennifer help?
24/ What did she give Willow?
The Air Battle
How did the Chise help them escape?
Which cave did they go to?
Why had no Ack been able to go to the cave before this?
What did the wombat flying machines look like to Seamus? Does this give you any idea about something strange?
What had Jennifer promised to do?
What did Tiffany falls look like?
The Cave of Ba
El Ehcim had fallen to the wombats, and what was happening to the fairies?
When Willow stood on the edge of the ledge, she said a few magic words. What happened next?
Wht did Willow promise to do?
What did the men see at the far end of the cave where all the lines ended?
What did it look like?
What did Mij ask Seamus to do?
What happened after Seamus obeyed him?
Who screamed as a ruler at the hoards of the Wombats?
What did he want?
Who was hurt and how as they tried to escape?
What does Willow tell them to do?
What did Jennifer scream at them to do?
What did Seamus find after he escaped and arrived home
What do you think happened to Thomas?
What does the grandfather give to James and why?
How does James respond?
Who came to tell his grandfather he ould return?
What did she say could now happen that was not possible before?
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The Legend of Zierns
by James Tierney