The Golden Fountain

by Zuheb Alep

  The sweetshop, named Darlene’s Deliciously Daring Sweets, was huge. The proprietor lost everyone’s attention, unsurprisingly, when a group of three arctic creatures approached nearby. In the middle strolled a large polar bear with hands as fat as dustbin lids, pawing along slowly as if his weight was hard to move; on his left walked a snow-white wolf with dark eyes and strong legs, its fur thicker than usual; a white stag with pearly antlers and a straight chest stood on the bear’s right, its slim legs trotting along like an elegant aristocrat. They looked fierce and dangerous, yet they walked past the local people without incident.

  Benjamin was awed. He’d heard of these arctic creatures bred in the Far North; they were called Afghardans.

  “Wow! Kaileena, Adam – look!” he said.

  Kaileena and Prince Adam turned away from the counter of the sweetshop. Their mouths fell open at the sight of the white creatures.

  “They look terrifying!” said Kaileena.

  “No, they’re not dangerous to us,” Prince Adam corrected her. “Haven’t you noticed that they’re not hurting anyone who walks past them?”

  When they’d bought their sweets they walked back to the longboats, taking no further notice of the arctic creatures.

  “This will be an interesting form of negotiation,” said the Ghost Boy.

  “What negotiation?” asked Benjamin.

  “Benjamin, Kaileena, Prince Adam,” called Aloncheir.

  The three children turned to face the great lion.

  “Yes, what is it?” asked Prince Adam, taking a bite out of a chocolate bar.

  “We’d like you to ask those arctic creatures to join us on our expedition.”

  “The Afghardans?” said Benjamin, his voice trembling.

  “Yes. Do they intimidate you?” Lagunar smiled, amused by the fearful looks on their faces.

  “The Afghardans aren’t part of our empire, you know,” Prince Adam reminded them, although that was just an excuse.

  “Nor were we, neither of the Aradian empire nor the British,” said Aloncheir. “We don’t want you to ask them to join our empire, or the alliance for that matter; we want you to ask them to join us on our expedition.”

  “This is different, though. I’ll have to speak to the king or some other senior person. It must all be official.”

  “Exactly; we can’t just walk up to them and ask them to join,” agreed Kaileena.

  “Just go and ask them – they won’t bite!” Lagunar never knew when to stop teasing. “We’ll go with you, don’t worry.”

  “But –”

  “What – ?”

  “How – ?” the children began to stutter.

  “Go on!” said the Ghost Boy, urging them on with a grin.

  And so they reluctantly approached the Afghardan creatures. The arctic animals snarled and growled at the interruption.

  “Hello,” said Benjamin, unusually tongue-tied.

  The polar bear, the snow-white wolf and the white stag didn’t respond to his greeting. Maybe they didn’t speak the common tongue, or couldn’t speak at all.

  “Greetings to you, with our respect,” said Aloncheir also.

  “What do you want?” snarled the bear.

  Prince Adam did the talking this time. “We don’t wish to bother you, but we’d like to invite you to join us on our expedition to the Far North. It is clear that you are brave and strong and would be of great assistance to us.”

  “Do you speak of the Aradian Alliance as well as the British army?” asked the bear.

  “Yes. Our ships are down there.” Prince Adam pointed to the other side of the Thames. “We have the Orellion clan, the clan of the birds, the elves, the dwarves, the Tuaryans, the witches, the Spartans and the elephants in our alliance. The British army are helping us too.”

  “So many armies,” muttered the polar bear. “Why the need for more such as us?”

  Prince Adam answered. “Our request is only that you join us because you are a mighty race. The more the better.”

  There was a brief silence. The Ghost Boy grinned broadly; he felt that this was growing interesting.

  “We cannot assist you in this matter,” said the bear finally. “I advise you to think before you act next time.”

  Benjamin and Kaileena tried to think of a way to persuade them, but nothing came to mind.

  “What would you like?” said Prince Adam suddenly. “We can offer you money, gifts, or whatever you desire. What would it take to change your mind?”

  “I’m sorry, but the answer is no.” The bear was frowning. “Speak to our king if you wish, but not us. Now please let us pass. We have things to do.”

  “We won’t bother you any more,” said Benjamin, defeated.

  “Tell him your name,” whispered Aloncheir, as a last resort.

  “What?” Benjamin whispered back.

  “Tell him your name, your full name.”

  “My name is Benjamin Ishamara. Perhaps you’ve heard of me?”

  The three beasts stared at Benjamin, almost as if he’d said something he shouldn’t.

  “Benjamin,” muttered the bear with a frown. He glanced at the Three Kings, who nodded.

  “Now tell them the purpose of the expedition,” Aloncheir whispered again.

  “There are more missing children up in the Far North! We’re going to rescue them. That’s the purpose of the expedition.”

  “Yes, of course. So you’re Benjamin? We’ve heard rumours of your journey to the Far South; a fascinating tale. Rescue more children in the Far North, you say? Interesting. I am Toalla, and these are my companions, Kentil and Philo.”

  Kentil was the white stag and Philo the wolf.

  “Perhaps we can come to some agreement, then.”

  *

  Just a name, his name, had changed their minds? Benjamin thought about this as they walked back to the longboats, where they all huddled around a blazing fire.

  “We must go to our kingdom next,” said Toalla, gnawing on a piece of meat. “I’ll arrange an audience for you with our king, Ophildar. Hopefully, he will accept your offer just as we have done, but he may not; he is a stubborn Afghardan wolf with a very bad temper. If all goes well, however, we’ll be able to regroup.”

  “Excellent,” said Prince Adam. “When shall we set out?”

  “My companions and I had intended to leave in a week’s time as we came to Londaron merely to visit old friends, but since we are with you, our plans have changed. We will go whenever you wish.”

  “Even if we were to leave tomorrow?” asked Kaileena.

  Benjamin and Prince Adam exchanged glances and nodded.

  “I don’t see why not. When we go, you can ride on our backs.”

  “Is it far to your kingdom?” asked Benjamin.

  “Oh, two days’ ride; two hundred miles to the north. We move as fast as the wind.”

  Benjamin turned to face the Three Kings. “Will you want more clans and armies to join us?”

  “Not for a while, no,” said Aloncheir, gently shaking his majestic mane. “Now we have enough.”

  Chapter 25

  The Kingdom of Afghardan Iceland

  That evening, Prince Adam told Supreme Commander Warrick and Sebastian about their plan to go to the Afghardan kingdom. The adults gave their blessing to the trip, under the condition that Herman accompanied them.

  They spent some of the night packing their limited belongings. Benjamin was glad to be setting out on another adventure, especially since Kaileena and Prince Adam were coming along this time. He couldn’t have chosen better companions than those two. If all went well, the Aradian Alliance and the British army would join them in three days’ time.

  “Are you coming with us?” Benjamin asked the Three Kings next morning, as they stood on the northern outskirts of the city. Kaileena and Prince
Adam were listening.

  “Yes, but we will follow you from a distance,” Aloncheir replied. “It’s better if we’re not seen by Toalla’s kin; I feel there is something amiss at our destination, a hint of darkness. It is not suitable for we three who are of the light.”

  Benjamin didn’t question what he meant but trusted the lion. Soon afterwards he mounted on the large bear Toalla, digging his hands into its snow-white fur for warmth. Bana hid inside his collar in the form of a white mouse. Prince Adam and Juariya climbed onto the white stag, Kentil, while both Herman and Kaileena rode on the white wolf, Philo, with their Eidoncheirs.

  “I’m relying on you to look after the children,” Sebastian said to Herman.

  “And I trust you with the rest of our family. Don’t be late to meet us.”

  “I won’t.”

  It’s only three days, Benjamin told himself; not that long. Soon they would all be together again.

  “See you later, Benjamin! Good luck, Adam! Bye, Kaileena! Look after them, Herman!” called everyone.

  And then they were off, heading straight for the north.

  *

  Half a day had passed as they journeyed, and not a single town or village could be seen. Several layers of snow stretched towards the distant land, with the sun high in the pale blue sky and the air freezing their bones. Bana shivered like a rabid animal. Benjamin snuggled into Toalla’s fur to warm himself up. Although they wore thick clothing, Benjamin found it no match for the cold. His sense of smell seemed to have deserted him, too.

  “Are we there yet?” Kaileena asked Philo, her teeth chattering.

  “Tomorrow evening,” said the wolf tersely. He reminded Benjamin very much of Edgar; not the talkative type.

  Further behind, Benjamin saw a couple of silhouettes on a shining lion. The Three Kings were following them, never losing their tracks. Their ability to keep pace was something Benjamin admired, but he worried about their safety.

  Shortly afterwards they stopped to eat, Prince Adam raising his hand to signal a short break. A silver pot trapped the heat to keep their meal at the right temperature, and the boiled rice and chicken stew tasted better than anything Benjamin had ever eaten. It seemed like magic, reducing the clawing chill that penetrated to his bones.

  “There will be lots of food when we arrive, as always for travellers,” said Toalla. “Don’t eat too much now or you won’t have enough to keep you going if it’s all wasted. It is a long journey …”

  Before they resumed their journey, Prince Adam swapped his magical shawl for Kaileena’s scarf, as he felt it would be wrong to let her go cold in the middle of nowhere.

  *

  They soon reached the icy forest. Evergreen trees, as dark as the night, towered gloomily overhead as they passed. The forest of Greenhorn was so frightening to walk through that travellers bowed down in fright till first light, yet Benjamin and Bana felt safe. Wild creatures were known to roam the forest, and once they heard a loud howl, upon which Philo joined in. The other two beasts with their humans and Eidoncheirs rode as hard as they could yet never grew breathless.

  “Kentil’s ancestors and mine once lived in this forest,” Philo growled. It was the first time the wolf had spoken in hours. “Toalla’s kin lived further north. You should know that Afghardans were once free creatures of the Far North.”

  “What happened?” asked Benjamin.

  “The ice age,” Toalla snarled. “A terrible time, I have been told. It gathered us all into one place where there was enough food and drink to hunt and devour. The penguins, moose, seagulls and other creatures such as ourselves became a small herd, respecting one another as friends and family in a way that was new to us. We accepted our new life and gave a name to those who thought our gathering strange. No longer did we eat other species belonging to our new herd.”

  “The Afghardans?” said Kaileena, feeling a little sleepy.

  “Yes, but it is not now as it was then. Much has changed. We ceased to live outside in the cold. The strange people came almost thirteen years ago, creating a hole in the mountain by the sea, which became a stronghold and our new home.”

  There was something in Toalla’s voice that indicated his reluctance to speak about this. He spat on the ground in distaste and no more was said.

  Snow-capped mountains lay on the left when they emerged into a clearing. Further ahead on their right were more mountains, meeting the others to create a wide valley.

  “Don’t you ever get tired?” Benjamin asked curiously.

  “No. We can ride nonstop for up to two days at a fast speed,” Toalla told him.

  “I hope my brother, my friends and I are not too heavy for you and your kin.”

  “Not at all; you are as light as a feather. I could carry all of you if necessary.”

  Kaileena was almost dropping off, so Prince Adam signalled that they should camp beside a rock on the shortest mountain in the jagged column. Herman gathered woods and lit a fire with a lighter he’d borrowed from one of the dwarves before he left. They all ate as much as they could before sleeping on a large mat they had rolled out, and once again the magical shawl did its job and kept them warm in a sound sleep.

  Thankfully, there was no blizzard the next morning; the air was calm and peaceful. The only sounds that could be heard were the grunts of the Afghardan creatures as they continued their ride north, pressing their camouflaged paws and hooves into the thick snow. The air was so cold that neither Benjamin nor anyone else could smell anything.

  The most difficult part of the journey, truly terrifying, was when they had to cross the large river dividing Englandia from Scottlion. It was frozen, yet cracked at the first touch of Toalla’s paw. It wasn’t as strong as they’d thought it would be. They couldn’t swim over it, as the humans wouldn’t survive the bone-chilling temperature of the water. It took some hours of searching to find a place where the ice could bear their weight. Toalla had to keep testing it, until at last he found a place; it lay under the shade of the mountain looming over them on the left.

  Kaileena wept a little as she held on tightly to Herman’s back. Benjamin realised that she wasn’t accustomed to living with danger.

  “Don’t worry,” he said reassuringly as Toalla pawed slowly across the frozen river. “It’s the adventure we’ve always wanted, remember?”

  “Yes, but I didn’t want my life to be on the line.”

  The white wolf reared up, making Kaileena and Herman jump. The wolf seemed distressed at Kaileena’s fear, but he made it worse and she shrieked loudly.

  “Close your eyes and hold onto me,” said Herman, taking her hand and placing it on his chest. “I’ll tell you when it’s over.”

  And so she did. Benjamin would have liked to laugh but he didn’t; Kaileena was really afraid and he didn’t like seeing her so frightened. He wondered if he had done the right thing by choosing her to come along.

  When they had safely crossed, Kaileena opened her eyes and laughed with relief. On they went to the north, crossing another patch of forest towards another mountain valley. Then the blizzard came. Benjamin remembered Brytannia’s bad weather and cursed it. The chill biting into his bones made him very stiff, as if he were already frozen. Bana crept down to Philo’s fur to keep himself warm.

  They had passed Glassigow and Erinburgh when night fell, and there was still a long way to go. The land to which they were travelling lay between the tip of Scottlion and the lowest part of the land of ice.

  “Look up,” said Benjamin, eating a savoury pastry when they stopped for a break, the wonders of the night sky spread above them. There was no light pollution here, allowing the stars to shine brighter than ever and glint like diamonds. Many were visible here which were rarely seen in urban places.

  “It’s beautiful!” said Prince Adam with delight, craning his neck. His Eidoncheir, Juariya, scuttled up to his head for a better vie
w.

  Benjamin gasped as a shooting star streaked past. He made a wish for the children in the Far North.

  “This sky isn’t like the one back home,” Kaileena commented. “There’s the Milky Way galaxy. I recognise its shape.”

  “And look! The Andromeda galaxy!” said Prince Adam, pointing it out. “All those galaxies, far away from us, and here we are in the Galaxy of Lux Aeterna.”

  “Our galaxy is beautiful. Look at the colours all around us, the shades of blue, red and green,” said Benjamin. He gazed at the surrounding worlds that were almost as close as the moon, worlds of all sizes and shapes.

  “There’s purple, yellow and pink too,” said Kaileena.

  “I want to visit all the worlds up there,” Benjamin said, sighing deeply; he knew it was an impossible ambition.

  Herman said nothing but looked up with awe for a long time, feeling lucky to have seen such a sight.

  “We’re nearly there,” interrupted Toalla, bearing good news. He had returned with Philo, dangling a couple of fish from their muzzles; all that they could find. Kentil munched on a patch of fresh grass nearby. “Maybe another three to four hours,” continued Toalla. “We have to cross the ice wall to the bridge leading to our land. Would you like to sleep and travel next morning or go now?”

  The answer was “go now”. Almost two days had already been wasted travelling, with occasional stops to eat and rest. In the distance the Three Kings were still faithfully following, not even the blizzard setting them off course.

  In a few hours they stepped into Afghardan territory, beginning with a large wall of jagged ice, and met with a couple of speaking penguins. Their voices were soft but harsh and they seemed to be acting as sentries.

  “You and your friends have permission to enter, Toalla Kingsborne,” said one of them, “in the name of King Ophildar.”

  They passed through a dark tunnel and out the other side, finding a long bridge of solid steel with columns to support it.

  It was midnight when they reached their destination. The walk across the bridge was easy and gentle with no bumpy rocks to make them dizzy. Benjamin looked up, his eyelids drooping from lack of sleep. A lone mountain shone in the silvery moonlight; the only one here, in the middle of nowhere. It was huge, reminding Benjamin of the Orellion kingdom in the Far South, except that this was only one mountain and three times bigger.