Dashing pell-mell through the towering smokey plumes, and trying not to trip over, they jogged into a forest, with large trees that were as big as four houses on top of one another.
And as Megan zoomed headlong like a greyhound chasing a robotic bunny rabbit, her hands cupped her mouth: she was horribly shocked to see the rainbows had large transparent patches.
The sky was grey. The three suns looked like dirty dishcloths, and the white, fluffy clouds, now resembled squirming bloated beetles.
Oh fiddlesticks, she thought, The Enchanted Kingdom is not at all like Princess Blossom described it.
Chapter Seven
Tumble’s Horn
‘I-hope-Abraxus-doesn’t-come-back,’ panted Lucy.
‘Come… on… we’ll walk… for a bit,’ Megan shallowly puffed. ‘See… if we can… find out… where we… are.’
She then staggered with a dodder and gulped lungfuls of air.
‘Blossom-and-Nugget… should be OK… don’t-you-think?’ Lucy said, holding her side.
‘Let’s-hope-so,’ wheezed Megan, a little too certainly, and looking around, hid her nerves.
Her hands were gripping her knees and her back arched like a stretching cat.
Calming her searing chest, she got her bearings.
Eventually, and making sure Abraxus had not followed them, they did the sensible option only really open to them: using Megan’s proposed suggestion they plodded at a snail’s pace into the dense crush of the trees, where a familiar smell hung in the air and it was hard too see the sky for the treetops grew to such dizzying heights.
At first, Megan hobbled, then with an ‘Ouch!’ she accidentally stubbed her big toe against a rough rock (unfortunately, her slippers didn’t provide much protection!), which caused her to limp for a bit.
They rambled for five minutes, going further into the forest weaving cautiously in between the tree-trunks; trying to step round the sinuous rows of shadows, and the scent became stronger as they ploughed onward. ‘It smells like Mum’s candle,’ registered Lucy, blinking in surprise.
‘I know. It’s strange for trees to smell of vanilla!’ agreed Megan.
Lucy stood stock-still. ‘What was that noise?’
Megan, too, had stopped in her tracks. ‘I don’t know. Let’s creep a bit further,’ she replied daringly.
In her mind, Megan tried to gauge how far they’d already scooted along: hmm, several yards, she thought guessingly…
In stony silence they marched on, and came upon bunches of entwined brambles, knotted thickets and large bushes. Megan gestured for them to drop on to the ground, which felt soft and almost spongy, and worming apprehensively forward they peeped under the undergrowth, and encountered two white creatures staring at them from just a way off.
‘C-can’t believe just seen Unicorns!’ Lucy lisped in shock. ‘They be as big as s-shire horses!’
‘Shhh,’ Megan shushed her, and then whispered, ‘We must now be in Unicorn Land.’
Leaping up and ushering Lucy behind her, Megan started to clump the bushes together and as she skirted and shouldered through the few feet of scratchy shrubbery, she found they could all be prised apart like tent flaps: for a split second, she even thought they had parted on their own accord!
Wrestling a trailing vine off her leg that meshed in caged binds throughout the fronded branches, she then felt a pinch on her arm, and Lucy went to shove her out the way, but Megan smacked her hand aside and briskly blundered on blithely.
Just then, her hair snagged on a twig, and freeing her curls, she then wiped a sappy leaf off her chin, and wondered if spiders and centipedes were nested around, but decided to ignore that as she wasn’t particularly fond of creepy-crawlies, and plunging ahead for a few seconds like a dancing Dervish the smell smothered her, then stumbling out of the bushes they found twelve Unicorns in a large round clearing. The long horn on each of the Unicorns forehead was twisted, formed into a point and Fairy dust was sparkling off them.
As both stood and stared in downright wonder, a Unicorn with a pure silver horn who was larger than the others, clopped forward and looked down at them.
Megan and Lucy realised the smell of vanilla was coming from the Unicorns, and the entire woodland smelt of it!
The Unicorn spoke in a deep voice, and said reassuringly. ‘Please do not be afraid. We know of the terrible circumstances surrounding Princess Blossom and Nugget’s disappearance. You shall be safe now, please come with me,’ he led them in the centre of the flattened meadow, where the others grouped into a half-moon.
‘I’m Lucy,’ she piped up.
‘And I’m M-Megan.’
‘I am known as Tumble, Prince of this Unicorn Land,’ stated the Unicorn, going on to explain that he had called another meeting here, for further discussions, too determine if they could offer more help to Prince Elfin.
While Prince Tumble was speaking, the complement of Unicorns looked at these two strange creatures with clear inquisitiveness, making Megan and Lucy feel exceedingly uncomfortable. Noticing this, the Prince explained they were the first human children that they had ever seen: just like he and the other Unicorns were the first ones Megan and Lucy had ever came across. And as the Unicorns had not tried to harm them, and did not seem dangerous like Abraxus, Megan hoped in time they could perhaps become friends.
Prince Tumble asked if one of them could explain from the beginning just how they had come to be here, in The Enchanted Kingdom. As Lucy scratched her elbow, she eyeballed Megan a withering look, and moaned poisonously. ‘You do it. It’s your fault we’re here. You’re the one who bought Blossom from that stupid fete.’
Megan glowered a piercing scowl at Lucy then proceeded to tell her tale…
*
Megan walked about the crowded Unicorns, and after she had explained, they were upset and angry. ‘We had no idea as to where the Princess of Fairies, or her brother actually were. This is extremely grievous news. We must send someone to tell Prince Elfin that they have been captured by the evil Abraxus - and others must go and notify the other Prince and Princesses of each Land,’ the Prince instructed, gravely.
One of them broke out of the half-circle, and now stood looking down at the sisters. ‘It’s OK, sweethearts. Don’t be scared. At least you’re safe,’ this Unicorn had such a melodic voice, that it really did relax Megan and Lucy straight away.
Prince Tumble, in a militarily tone, was drilling his wishes to the other Unicorns and then he turned to Megan. ‘Guards will too go to each Land and impart the news. One will go too Fairy Land, to inform Blossom and Nugget’s family. But I think we need the aid of the ancient Magic to help us conquer the growing power of Abraxus,’ prophesied Prince Tumble, powerfully.
‘You don’t mean, the tree?’ asked the Unicorn with the jingling voice.
‘Yes, Mother.’
‘All the Magic in The Enchanted Kingdom comes from the magical tree, which is known as The Brim-Tree,’ Prince Tumble was portraying to Megan. ‘If we can get to the tree, and with your help, tap into the Magic then we may have a chance at defeating Abraxus. Mother, with my best guard, Loeric, and the other Unicorns, I want you to go back and stay with my Princess. I am taking Megan and Lucy to the tree, with Aspoke and Volkener.’
His Mum nodded. ‘Ride without delay, my Son. I shall not leave your Princess or your child’s side,’ and with the Unicorn Loeric, the others cantering behind them, she sped away into the bushes.
‘If you are ready, it is time too get to our destination,’ said Prince Tumble confidently.
‘Do you really know the way there?’
‘Are you questioning my sense of direction?’ he asked Lucy.
‘Whatever. But we won’t see any more Dragons, right?’ she badgered.
‘That is a possibility,’ the Prince replied, looking askance at her, ‘but not all Dragons are like Abraxus. His heart became tainted and wicked through anger and jealousy. We should be safe.’
Taking hold of the guards manes they shinned up on to the
ir lowered backs, and with Prince Tumble leading the way they cantered through the bushes: too start their journey to The Brim-Tree.
Megan breathed in the deep, homely smell, and thought of her mum and dad.
Chapter Eight
A Very Different Dragon
Prince Tumble thundered along over hills that had once been abundant with bluebells, but were now drooping or dying. And through fields, now nothing more than dry, darkened gravel that crunched under his hooves.
Abraxus and his power must have grown tremendously, he thought flipping frightfully. The Enchanted Kingdom looks like a dying desert instead of the lush and beautiful land I love.
A high-pitched noise in the distance caused everyone to swiftly swivel round. As the sound blasted louder they expected to see Abraxus, then all of a sudden, a large silhouette partly blotted out the waxing rays from the now forbidding moon-like orbs.
Horrified, they saw a huge shadow swooping down; halting, the Unicorns glanced around for shelter, and sliding to the ground, Megan and Lucy froze, as the shadow became an extremely large Dragon rearing towards them!
Megan’s insides turned to an icicle-cold.
It looked ferociously scary!
Quickly Megan and Lucy ran and hid behind Prince Tumble.
This one was much bigger than Abraxus, with wings like a bat and was completely jet-black, with spikes and horns protruding from its head.
Not far from the ground, its massive wings manoeuvred backwards and it came to an abrupt stop in front of the small group, and as the claws of black steel landed, Megan and Lucy felt the earth actually shake!
Megan chucked her arms over her head.
‘Please forgive my entry, but it was imperative that I find you. I am known as Bront,’ the Dragon greeted courteously.
When Bront spoke his voice was warm, surprising Megan, who expected to hear a loud ROAR. With a majestic toss of his mane, Prince Tumble trotted forward a little, and addressed. ‘I am Prince Tumble from the Land of the Unicorns, and these are my human friends, Megan and Lucy,’ nudging them too come forward, they slowly shuffled to stand beside him.
The Dragon smiled with taut nervousness, but not in a threatening way: like the Unicorns, he had never seen a human child before.
Bront told them that one of the Unicorns that Prince Tumble had dispatched to the other realms of The Kingdom, had met him, and informed him, of what Abraxus had done. ‘If you are on your way to The Brim-Tree then I shall come with you, if that is agreeable?’ asked the big black Dragon.
Bowing his head the Prince eyed Megan and Lucy, and thoughtfully acknowledged. ‘Is that OK, children? Would you be happy for him too accompany us, on our journey?’
Lucy sniffed.
‘I suppose so, if he has too,’ she conceded frostily, twirling her now matted plait round her fingers.
Megan felt as if something hinged on what she said next. ‘What to do? What to do? she thought quickly.
Megan tilted her head. Looking at the Dragon that still appeared unreservedly terrifying, she made her mind up, and delicately said with a shawl of composure, ‘That would be nice. Thank you.’
Prince Tumble’s ears whickered. Tossing his head up, the Prince confirmed. ‘Yes, we would value your company. Thank you, Bront.’
Back on their Unicorns, off they went. They glanced up, and like frayed parchment, through the membranes, saw many mutilated wounds of holes and gashed rips in Bront’s wings, and as he moved them back and forth, this caused air to whistle through them and taking flight, they felt the gushes of stormy wind that his scarred wings created.
And so with three Unicorns, two human children and a very, very, very monstrously-large Dragon, they were on their way courageously to The Brim-Tree.
The Unicorns rhythmic pace never faltered as they hurtled with Bront flying far above them, and suddenly, Megan and Lucy noticed although they could still smell vanilla, they also tasted a sharp tang.
Prince Tumble started to slow down, and the other Unicorns followed suit. Trotting over to join them, he said. ‘We have now entered Ocean Land, where the Mer-people and Flying Dolphins live. We have made good time and if you look over the headland, you will see Gump Land.’
‘What sort of name is that?’ Lucy spat. ‘Who would want too live there.’
Her Unicorn flung its mane. ‘The Gumps do,’ Aspoke answered equally curtly. ‘They are passive by nature and they look like trees in your world, but here, they move and talk Gumpish.’
Going over to the hills edge, but keeping at a safe distance, they saw directly below them.
Megan’s face fell.
Oily froth sprayed in gushing arcs, bubbling back down into churning black waves, which were crashing on to one another as though billowing pirate ships were in mid-fight. And the beach was now a dull bronze, where nothing stirred. A noise rebounded in the air that made her flinch involuntarily, and looking up she heard another great BOOM of thunder, then zigzagging through the scudding clouds, lightning streaked like jagged giants teeth, and a shattering, howling wind, caused everyone to shudder.
Megan was appalled that such a beastly situation had unfolded.
‘Come. We must hurry if we are to reach The Brim-Tree, before Abraxus and his powers grow too strong,’ said the Prince, who then led them safely away from the verge to continue with their journey, and thought frantically, if the Dragon is getting so strong that Ocean Land is no longer a beautiful haven where I can watch the Mer-people and Flying Dolphins, then time is indeed running out.
Megan and Lucy had clambered back up on the Unicorns, holding the wispy manes as they galloped towards the location of The Brim-Tree. Megan looked up and checked that Bront was still following them. He must be far above us, too look so small, she thought.
She reached down one-handed and felt if the leaf from The Brim-Tree was still in her right pyjama pocket: it was.
Rocking to and fro, seemingly for an eternity, she noticed that in front of them, instead of crests of sweeping hills, there was now imposing pickets of fortified trees; though they were still a bit too far off that no-one could see them clearly. As they veered closer, they could tell that they were weeping willow trees; they were big, and had many over-hanging branches, which scattered on to the ground.
Prince Tumble and the other Unicorns slowed down and all craned their necks, gawping at the willow trees that were dotted for as far as the eye could see.
Hoofing over slowly, everything appeared impassively normal. The trees didn’t move, they didn’t start having conversations with one another, and the only movement that splintered the blanketed stillness, was the stirring of the low-feathered twigs swaying from the blustery flurries.
Stopping, Prince Tumble looked back and spoke to Megan and Lucy and his Royal Subjects. ‘I have heard it is customary for us to step into this gap, which will lead to a clearing that was created for the creatures of The Kingdom. After a short time The Brim-Tree will present itself.’
‘So, you mean that the tree is here, but we can’t see it?’ asked Megan searchingly, as she scrambled down.
‘Yes. The Brim-Tree, in its representation, is the Magic of The Kingdom. The tree is everywhere and knows all, as it is pure Magic, but when needed it takes the form of this magical tree and leaves are created like the one you have, Megan,’ replied the Prince, he then told them all to be quiet - as the Magic would need silence.
Spokes of air shifted in tornado-like funnels, and a creaking, groaning moan, made everyone turn round.
Chapter Nine
Stormy Skies
Facing them was a devistatingly shriveled, failing tree, with spindly branches that arrowed far into the sky.
Megan stared confusingly at The Brim-Tree.
‘What’s happened?’ She asked grimly. ‘Where are all the leaves?’
Prince Tumble’s ears pricked. ‘Abraxus must have been here, and attempted to destroy The Brim-Tree,’ he said solemnly. ‘That is why, on our journey here everything looked dark and dyin
g.’
Megan saw her own shock was mirrored on Prince Tumble’s face.
All heads then turned to the feeble whisper emanating from the blackened trunk. ‘What’s happening?’ asked Lucy, loudly.
‘I do not know. I have never seen The Brim-Tree myself,’ replied Prince Tumble, in a very disconsolate tone. ‘I only knew of its whereabouts.’
The murmuring grew louder, and then suddenly a voice cracked. ‘I fear the time has come for me too die; my power is growing very, very weak. You are my last hope. You must go and find the leaves that hold my Magic.’
‘What do we do with the leaves once we find them?’ asked Prince Tumble.
The coarse voice, like ancient bark from an age long time past, spoke around them. ‘The child named Megan has the Key. The answer lies within her,’ the voice then trailed off…
Abruptly, the air swept upon them, lifting Megan’s hair up and whipping around the Unicorns tails and manes. ‘Whatever evil purpose Abraxus wanted The Brim-Tree leaves for he is using it now,’ Prince Tumble said. His voice met the rush of the hissing wind, ‘each leaf is connected too one another and to the tree; we may be able too use the Magic inside Megan’s leaf to locate the rest of them, but he would be enraged to learn that you have one.’
‘But what could he possibly want with them?’ she asked bleakly.
‘If Abraxus did want every leaf from The Brim-Tree,’ Prince Tumble reckoned with a hunch of a premonition, ‘I can only assume he desires to completely ravage The Enchanted Kingdom.’
With quaking fingers, Megan fished in her pyjama pocket for The Brim-Tree leaf. She slowly uncurled her hand, fingering the stalk tightly - to make sure that the leaf didn’t blow away.
Lucy was alarmed at the deathly seriousness on Megan’s face, and investigating the leaf she was dismayed that over half had now turned a midnight black - though the prickly top was still spewing out rainbow embers - and showing Prince Tumble, her hand began to tingle in the most oddest fashion.
From the darkness of the leaf, armlike specks of ink began to seep out. Lucy took a closer step to Megan, while the Unicorns spied the blue-black steams uneasily.
Megan Button and the Brim-Tree Page 3