by Tim Flanagan
At the sound of movement behind her, Lady Flora spun round. She could see the Grey Man running towards her accompanied by several aerial creatures that darted around him, like trails of black smoke. Behind him was an inky black wave of creatures that screamed and crashed its way forward, enveloping the trees as they came. Lady Flora picked up a fallen branch from the ground and thrust it forcefully into the soft earth of the forest. She then closed her eyes and allowed her mind to connect with the forest and every part of nature that lived among it. In a flash she raced through the minute cells that made up a fungus, a young sapling and an aphid, then moved on to the small erratic brain of a shrew, jumped into the mind of a fox, then a badger, until she was racing through the living cells of the phloem vessels inside a birch tree, charging through the centre of the trunk towards the top. Now that she had connected with the tree, she willed the trunk to move. The Grey Man ducked as a tree trunk swung in a wide arc that slammed into two creatures, knocking them out of the air. Changing her thought path, Lady Flora entered another tree, this time raising its roots high out of the ground creating hoops and knots that protruded from the forest floor. The ground moving creatures tumbled and fell as they became tangled amongst the roots.
But more creatures came in a never ending wave of darkness. Those that had fallen simply became platforms for others to leap from in their determined pursuit of the humans.
As the Grey Man came level with Lady Flora, he grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him. Edgar and the children had continued to run and were some way in front of them by now.
The path that Edgar had taken opened into a clearing that was edged on all sides by small saplings. It was some distance across to the other side where they would find additional cover from more densely packed trees. In front was an area that was uneven and boggy and exposed on all sides, making them vulnerable to attack. Edgar spun round checking for any possible exits or places that could provide some protection from the pursuing creatures, but there were none. The children stayed close, not daring to venture too far away from the knight. Within seconds the Grey Man and Lady Flora joined them. The three adults stood in front of the children forming a protective barrier between them and the approaching creatures. Several seconds later the black shadows began circling above them. Then the ground moving creatures appeared between the trunks of the trees, each menacing white eye glowed from out of the darkness like spotlights searching for their victims.
They stopped their pursuit and watched the group of humans in the clearing. The creatures knew there was no way of escaping from such an open area. They began slowly and cautiously crawling out of the forest, spreading themselves wide at the sides, ready to strike from all angles in one deadly attack. The creatures in the trees chirped excitedly and shook the branches. When the time was right, they would leap in and join the frenzy.
The humans continually moved backwards, one step at a time, feeling their way across the clearing by the soles of their feet, without daring to take their eyes off the advancing creatures that had now begun taunting them. As one creature dashed forward and pretended to attack, cleverly drawing the human’s attention towards them, another creature moved in closer at the sides. It wouldn’t be long until the prey was enclosed on all sides.
The Grey Man slashed his sword at a creature that leapt towards him, tired of being teased and made to feel like a trapped mouse being played with by a cat. The long reach of his sword slashed a creature along its side, wounding it and causing it to pull away in a muffled cry towards its own kind. But that just resulted in another frenzy of activity as the other creatures took advantage of their weak and vulnerable brother and with no mercy or compassion; they ripped into it, tearing flesh and wing without hesitation.
Edgar was attempting to protect them from attacks coming from above. The creatures took it in turns swooping down towards the group, each time daring to go lower and lower. They soon learnt that the children were the most vulnerable and could easily be separated from the others. One creature swept down towards Scarlet who instinctively raised her arms to protect her head. The creature pulled back up into the air. Without consciously thinking about it, she had also taken several steps away from the rest of the group. Another creature came for her from the same direction, trying to push her further and further away from the adults, but Edgar had noticed. He took several quick steps towards Scarlet, pulled her to the ground then thrust his white sword upwards into the soft belly of a creature as it flew over the top of them. The creature tumbled to the floor with a deep gash that ran the length of its body. A yellow liquid oozed onto the grass releasing an acidic smell into the air.
Lady Flora was once again trying to summon help from the elements of nature, but in the clearing there was only the grass and the shallow rooted ferns that could fight the battle for her. All of the forest animals had long since left the area.
‘Keep close to me,’ said Sir Edgar, as he stepped in front of the group. He raised Ethera, his white sword, high into the air and began chanting under his breath. A silvery light sparkled from the point at the end of his sword whilst the flat metal blade vibrated and hummed gently. Edgar continued to chant, ignoring the screams of the creatures despite more of them swooping down towards him. The Grey Man and Lady Flora rounded up the children and continued to protect them as the creatures continued to taunt and snap at them. At first, the night air was filled with a gentle vibration that sang from Edgar’s sword. It was difficult to hear over the screams of the creatures that had become more and more excited as they continued to advance towards their prey. The humans were now completely surrounded with no way of escape. It would only be moments until a deadly attack came, and when it did, it would come from all sides.
Edgar continued to chant loudly as he gathered momentum. The sword sang and the light became brighter. The light at the end of the sword pulsated like a heart beating, releasing rhythms of silver light that rippled from the point.
The creatures advance began.
A flock of black shadows in the sky started their descent towards the group. Ground moving creatures began to constrict the circle. Lady Flora pulled the children in tightly whilst the Grey Man slashed for one final time at the nearest creatures. As the black shadows got ready to pounce, Edgar’s sword burst into a bright white light. A single wave rippled from the tip of the sword, knocking the creatures back like grains of sand on a windy beach. A second ripple followed, then a third and a fourth. With each wave of pure white light, the creatures were pushed back further or knocked from the sky. This time the creature’s screams were from pain rather than excitement. Each one appeared to be burying their eye beneath the leathery folds of their wings, protecting it from the light that burned at their sight. Every pulse of light pushed them further and further away, washing the black poison out of the clearing.
The tall figure of Sir Edgar suddenly buckled from the effort, dropping to one knee but still tried desperately to hold his sword high. The chanting had been disrupted and the final pulse of light that came from the sword was weaker than the previous ones.
The sword fell to the ground, quickly followed by Edgar, exhausted and weak. Lady Flora and Scarlet leapt towards him.
‘Edgar?’ said Scarlet, placing a hand on his arm. She could see he was desperately trying to take in large breathes of air.
‘He’s exhausted,’ explained Lady Flora as she reached for his wrist to check for a pulse. As soon as she touched his skin Lady Flora withdrew with a sharp intake of fear.
‘What is it?’ asked Scarlet. She looked where Lady Flora had touched Edgar’s wrist and saw a large area of skin that was covered with a black dried crust. Threads of poisoned blood tracked along the veins in his arm, like a network of black cobwebs.
‘There is sickness in him. These creatures have already left their mark on Edgar,’ replied Lady Flora. She removed a green silk sash from around her waist and wound it gently around Edgar’s arm, above the blackened veins. ‘Quick,’ she continued. �
�We must get away from here as quickly as possible. The creatures will return.’ Lady Flora placed a hand on the ground. ‘There is confusion amongst them, but there are many who will eagerly resume the hunt. Edgar has provided us time to find a safe place to hide, but we will not have all night.’
The Grey Man reached beneath Edgar’s arms and lifted him up. Max collected Ethera from the ground and together they quickly moved towards the other side of the clearing and the limited protection of the trees. The creatures would not be easily deterred and would soon pick up their scent.
Edgar’s feet dragged through the soft ground of the forest floor leaving deep trails in the leaf mulch; two tram lines that betrayed their route. All was quiet in this part of the forest. Max pointed towards some dark shapes that circled in the night sky over an area close by. They moved deeper into the forest, following a path through the trees that slowly sunk lower than the level of the forest floor. They continued between a stone crevice where the roots of trees formed cobwebs that clung over to the rocks, like wizened dry fingers.
Suddenly, from above they heard the scream of a creature once more.
The hunt was back on.
The humans began moving as quickly as they could, but with Edgar so weak; their progress was difficult and slower. The path narrowed between a pair of tall rocks that had been cleaved in two long ago by the course of water that had found its way down to the ancient riverbed below. The river and water had long since gone, but the moisture in the ground of this part of the forest still helped to create a micro-climate where ferns and gunnera plants grew within the warm humid atmosphere. The path widened onto the redundant riverbed. Each side of the embankment had receded and been cut back by the once fast flowing water to leave cavernous gaps beneath the forest floor. Roots from the trees above dangled from the ceilings of these receded banks.
Jumping from one large rock to another above the narrow path they had just come along was a black shadow. It chirped slowly and menacingly watching the prey once again. It saw that they were slower and more vulnerable than before. This time the kill would come quicker.
‘In here,’ instructed Lady Flora to the others. They ducked beneath the roof of the receded embankment and moved into the darkness of the gap. Peter pushed some of the aerial roots out of his way, but one bounced back and slapped him on the cheek. In retaliation he then proceeded to pull at the root, trying to snap it off.
‘Leave it,’ said Lady Flora. ‘Nature is our friend, do not break the root.’ Once again, Lady Flora transferred her mind into the soul of the forest, moving at lightening speed between animal and plant until she found what she was looking for.
Above him, Peter noticed that the roots began to move slightly. They appeared to be moving backwards, into the soil above them, leaving small holes where they had once been. Outside their hiding place a thick pale root thrust down from above them and buried itself into the old riverbed, making the ground vibrate beneath their feet. A net of other roots, thick and thin, was now beginning to weave in front of the entrance, sealing them inside as well as providing a barrier against the creatures. Green shoots began to push out of the woody skins of the roots, thickening the barrier. Ivy and vines joined in, winding between the roots until none of the outside could be seen.
Inside the undercut river bank it was black, but outside they could hear a new frenzy of activity, the muffled chirping and screams of creatures desperate to break through. Suddenly, the inside of their temporary home was filled with a gentle glow as hundreds of fireflies and glow-worms illuminated the ceiling of the cave with a natural starry sky.
3. The Grey Man
‘Will we be safe in here?’ Max asked Lady Flora who was kneeling beside Edgar.
‘Have faith, the forest will protect us,’ she replied.
They sat in silence listening to the creatures as they attempted to break through the barrier. For a while that was all they could focus on. Eventually, beneath the eerie blue light from the glow-worms, Scarlet’s voice broke the silence:
‘How long do you think we have been in the Underworld?’ she asked.
‘A day in my world is exactly the same length as a day in your own,’ replied Lady Flora.
‘But there are so many Moon Stealers now.’
‘They are strange creatures, unlike any I have come across before. I slipped into the mind of one accidentally and all I felt was darkness. There was no emotion and no feelings.’
‘We cannot stay here forever,’ said the Grey Man, sounding impatient. ‘Eventually they will dig us out. We are cornered like a family of rats, hiding in the riverbanks waiting for the time to run once more.’
‘We can stay here long enough for Edgar to regain his strength.’ Lady Flora pulled a small clutch of berries from a leather pouch that was tied around her waist. The berries were small and had a blue-black skin. She squeezed them above Edgar’s mouth and let the dark red juices dribble between his lips.
‘Acai berries,’ said the Grey Man as he watched Lady Flora. ‘They have incredible reviving properties. He will soon be back to normal.’
Lady Flora nodded.
She took a long look at the Grey Man. He was sitting cross legged with his cloak wrapped around him and the stolen Donestre sword resting across his knees.
‘There are many tales of your ability to heal the sick,’ she said to him. ‘They say that you are skilled in ways that our own healers do not fully understand. I see your knowledge of plants is also just as impressive.’
‘You are too kind,’ he replied, watching Lady Flora from beneath his hood. ‘Many of the stories you have heard have been greatly exaggerated. I learnt about medicines in this world, my home. Here I was a doctor.’
‘But there is more to you than there first seems. I felt something when you took my hand as we ran from the creatures, but I can’t quite work out what it is.’
Edgar’s breathing had calmed and he too was looking at the Grey Man, studying him.
‘Who are you?’ asked Sir Edgar in a weak voice.
‘In the Underworld I am known as the Grey Man, but in this world I have a name, one that hasn’t been spoken since my wife was killed by the Faerie Queen. In this world I am known as Rhys Avall. I lived with my wife and son in Caerleon, South Wales.’
‘Caerleon!’ Edgar repeated loudly. He sat upright, suddenly charged with energy. The Grey Man nodded, understanding what Edgar was thinking.
The children exchanged glances with each other; they did not know why Edgar had reacted in such an animated way. Joe wondered if Edgar was going to pick up Ethera and begin attacking the Grey Man again.
‘King Arthur used to hold court in a town called Caerleon,’ explained Edgar to the others. ‘You may know it better as Camelot.’
‘You mean you are a knight of Camelot too?’ asked Joe.
The Grey Man shook his head. ‘I have never been to Camelot, nor have I ever met King Arthur. And, unlike your friend here, I will not live forever.’
‘Then what is your connection to Camelot?'
‘My family history starts with a merchant called Erec Goodfellow,’ the Grey Man began to explain. ‘He frequently travelled between this world and the Underworld trading goods and returning with riches that others in this world had never seen before. His reputation fell on the ears of nobility and he began selling the most exquisite precious stones, love potions and daggers to the knights and ladies of the royal courts. But, on one journey he met a beautiful faerie called Liliana who he brought back to this world and married. It wasn’t long before they produced a son, Warren, an unnatural mix of human and faerie. Faerie-human mixes were called Faerie Tithes, as the child was only thought to be good enough to be paid to the devil for the sins of its parents. In the human world, a Tithe child was avoided and often branded as a carrier of witchcraft, so they would often hide their magical abilities from society. During that time Arthur’s relationship with Morgan Le Fey got progressively worse, resulting in the portals between the two worlds being clo
sed. After Arthur fell at the battle of Camlann, Camelot crumbled. His queen, Guinevere, could not hold the throne against the barbarians and Vikings and many were slaughtered. Erec, Liliana and Warren fled to Avalon and were granted temporary asylum, taking the surname Avall, meaning apple in Welsh, in gratitude to Avalon, the Isles of Apples. Warren grew up and got older just like a normal human, but he possessed magic inside him that had been passed to him from his mother. This same magic also flows through my veins. I am an ancestor of Warren Avall the Faerie Tithe, and so is my son.’
‘I thought I could feel magic in you,’ said Lady Flora.
‘One of the gifts I have is the ability to heal. Sometimes I use my magic, but other times I use the knowledge that I have learnt in this world. There is magic to be had in all manner of things, from the way the human body works, to the plants that we eat. Combining my healing magical abilities with a conventional and learned approach gives me a much greater understanding of the human body.’
‘You said one of your gifts?’ said Joe. ‘What else can you do?’
‘Like a lot of faeries, I also have the ability to shape-change. That is how I have been so successful in avoiding the Faerie Queen’s bounty hunters and attacking them whenever possible. Most faeries can shape-change permanently if they wish to, but my power is limited and I can only change for a small period of time, just long enough to keep out of sight of my enemies.’