The Journey to Northumberland and the Rise of the Undertoads

by Kenneth Mullinix

  krapsioultreborsyalereh

  ecaepnitserehyam

  dlosraey01

 

  "Not once more, it can't be."

  Lowering his head stricken with grief; he turned away from the door.

  "This unnatural world is against me at every turn. I am not "the hero", or "the savior" of this world or the liberator of my friends. Why would I be sent here? The writing is on the wall, right here in front of me again."

  Standing at the base of the door Louis was about to give up his quest to save his friends and try to return to Centerville when a glimmer of hope and courage entered his mind. Looking at the writings with his name on it again, it suddenly hit him like an unseen snowball in the face from a good friend. There was an error in the writings.

 

  Here lays Robert Louis Parks

  May he rest in peace

  10 years old

  "I am not ten years old, I am twelve. How could I have missed that before? So this means the foretelling is not correct. I am not fated to die in this world the M?jebro Runestone inside of the fairy circle is mistaken as well in determining my fate, just as the writings on this tower are also mistaken."

  With this newborn information brightening his spirits Louis wholly rang the doorbell then in frustration he awaited his fate. After a few moments the door unexpectedly began to open before him. Stepping quickly towards his left away from the slowly opening door Louis heard a very deep and very peculiar voice call out to him.

  "Enter at your own risk. She awaits your arrival little wizard."

  "What kind of creature are you?" asked Louis as he stood in front of the wide open door wondering what to become of the bloodcurdling, yet outlandishly funny looking little individual.

  "I am Hobthrust. I am a Hobgoblin. I also have been called a hob. I live inside of Hagby tower in my hobhole provided generously by the Ice Queen. She takes care of me, and I take care of her. I guess you could call me her House-Hob. I am the caretaker of this tower.

  "Nice to meet you Hobthrust, I have never seen a more hairy little boy in my whole life. Is that what you, are a boy.

  "I do look young for my age, but I am over three hundred years old. Please don't let these prickly claws and spiky fangs scare you off. Matter of fact most little children that come to Hagby tower, ring the bell and then see me, they become so afraid that they run off, then I have to chase them down, catch them, then bring them into the tower to see the Ice Queen, mostly when they are already dead, or well on their way to being so. So I am glad you did not run off if you know what I mean.

  "Yes I do know what you mean."

  "You seem to be a different kind of wizard though. We do get a few wizards from time to time but they are always found out to be tricksters, cheats or charlatans so they always end up becoming fertilizer for our garden out back, or a main ingredient in our daily stew depending on how tough their skin is after its been cooked."

  "There we go again everyone always wants to eat little children. I just get tired of it."

  "Well that fad has been going around in fairy tales for a long time you know, and has just recently caught on in real life down here in Northumberland. You should try one some time, they are very tasty if seasoned just right. They taste like chicken."

  Louis gulped twice.

  Trying to quell his fears and his wild internal emotions, and not get eaten, Louis continued to banter with the hob, trying to gain as much information as possible about Hobthrust and the Ice Queen.

  "So you have had many wizards, and little boys, and I would assume some little girls ringing this doorbell, why?"

  "Yes many little boys and girls ring this bell. They seek what you seek. And as for me, you see T?ngarar Spadefoot helped me get this job, he gave me a good recommendation. I use to work for him years ago. I cooked many children for him. He sent me here to tend to the queens needs and her appetite. Once she saw my true culinary skills she hired me on full time. I have cooked three hundred children by my account. Does that scare you?"

  "Should it?"

  "You are a little boy, and look like you are trying to be a wizard. You do the math."

  "No that statement does not scare me, and I am a wizard, and you were right, I am a different kind of wizard. I truly am a real wizard."

  "If you say so little wizard, and again yes we do get many little children at our door ringing this bell. They are sent here by T?ngarar Spadefoot. He gives them hope that they are the "chosen one" to bring down the queen. He tells them that the only way to get back to their homes is to kill the land draug, the White Queen and bring him back her jewel incrusted crown. Hope is such an evil thing, it has done so much damage throughout the ages" said Hobthrust as he moved to the side of the doorway and motioned for the little, hopeful wizard to enter Hagby tower.

  Feeling a large gust of not natural and chilly air exit the Ice Queen's nest, the air had a strange, repugnant aroma to it that Louis had smelled before but he could not place the smell for the life of him. Taking another deep breath Louis now stopped dead cold in his tracks while the chilling feeling of being soulless, and mostly lifeless passed him over.

  "She is a soul-stealer you know, that is if you live. I know you just sensed that at the doorway. And if you do live through this, you will live in purgatory and be surrounded by lifeless bodies the rest of your natural days in Northumberland. It is not too late to run for it, I will catch you, and then your death will be quick and painless. I do have very sharp claws and teeth as you can see."

  Trusting his better instincts and inner sixth sense, and knowing that he does not run very fast, Louis walked forward into the icy unknown. Heading up a long rising corridor paved with ice on the floor and walls, the hobgoblin and the wizard both fell silent, lost in thought. Louis wondered what the land draug; the Ice Queen would look like, and if his readings in Mr. Beamer's book and his talk with Atamo the Astral Fairy could save him. Was he really ready for this?

  Was he a "real hero"?

  Hobthrust simply wondered what most excellent spices to apply, to bring the best taste out of the boney Louis stew that would surely be served for tonight's dinner.

  "Halt here hopeful one. I will call for the White Queen."

  Hobthrust raised one of his deathly claws. He pulled down on a thick knotted rope hanging at the entrance to a secondary, interior frosty door that was tightly closed before them.

  "What is your title little wizard? I must announce your arrival to the Queen of Hagby Tower."

  "I go by the name of, Louis the Red from Centerville Indiana."

  "Very catchy name, but have you looked in the mirror lately?"

  "Just summon the queen you hairy little boy, and you can keep the spices in the spice rack tonight. You're going to be unemployed before the day is over, do you know that? Do you have your resume in order?" said the sarcastic and mocking Louis.

  "Thanks for the heads up on my future job prospects. Oh and did you know, we are now serving ticket number 301. Louis stew is on the menu tonight" offered up the ever hungry, wise-cracking, and thick-headed little hobgoblin.

  The tower caretaker spoke loudly into a nearby megaphone hanging off of the wall.

  "The Ice Queen of Northumberland, Queen Elphie of Hagby tower, you have a visitor. He is a "real hero" he claims, and goes by the name of Louis the Red from Centerville Indiana. He wishes to make your acquaintance and stand in your royal presence. He says he has business with you."

  A solitary spotlight now illuminated high over Louis's head. The solitary blue light profiled Louis against the dim flickering lights that shone along the long icy hallway that they just passed through. Standing now with slumped shoulders and a more arched back like that of toad, the dark magic from the tadpole bite had taken its toll on his boyish body. His bedraggled elf-locks stood on end, as his dirty wizard robe highlighted the plight that Louis had ta
ken to get to this point in his long very eventful journey. He stood before the entrance to the great ice hall beaten down, and all but beaten.

  The solid ice secondary door slowly opened before Louis, as Hobthrust now hurried passed him, scurrying the best he could towards the kitchen doors at the very far end of the great expanse, he disappeared, again lost in thought. Looking upwards as he stepped into the White Queen's nest, all Louis witnessed was solid ice as far as the eye could see.

  The great hall had a thick glass ceiling which allowed muted light to radiate and funnel down into the very central part of the large lower chamber of the tower. Two solid ice stairways lined both sides of the interior of the building, rising up to anti-chambers and sleeping quarters near the upper reaches.

  The great hall rose upwards to over twenty stories tall at the highest point, and had to have been over a hundred yards long and just as wide. Two superior and much larger interior circular ice stairways, which started at both ends of the room, wound upwards towards where the focal point of the light shined down. Louis could not yet set the destination point of the supernatural and ghostlike light.

  Beginning to climb the long stairway Louis's heart pounded wildly about in no particular normal rhythm inside of his skeletal chest, the quaking pulse of his small heart rang out like a Sunday church bell inside of his ears. His hands began to drip a cold sweat as his hot breath formed slivery ice crystals as they passed over his quivering lips. He began to slightly shiver it was so cold inside of the frosty palace.

  Upon reaching a flat platform at the top of the frozen steps Louis looked upwards towards where the two grand ice stairways merged into one. A round stage bonded in hoarfrost jetted outwards into the very center of the great hall, and sitting upon her arctic throne sat the regal White Queen of Northumberland.

  Majestically sitting, deep-rooted in her stately throne, her long flowing white linen robes were encrusted with precious stones and gems, which were found elegantly draped over her narrow frame. Her arms were slender and lanky. Her fingers were slight, long and lean with perfectly crafted nails found at the tips. Long supple flaxen white hair hung down into the region of her thin waist, which could not have been over twenty inches wide.

  She was tall and stately, and noble to gaze upon. She had high-set cheek bones, a long limited and delicate nose set upon fine white porcelain colored skin. Her eyes were a one of a kind strangest color of cobalt blue, they glowed a wraithlike color like an archangel's halo might inside of a full blue moon.

  The dignified queen unhurriedly rose up before Louis. She was now standing a majestic six foot three inches tall. Louis came to a clumsy halt at the top of the merging stairways. A few more hops and Louis at this moment stood directly in front of the entombed and depraved queen. Both stared the other down, like predator and prey might on a faraway African plain.

  Which was the predator and which was the prey?

  Their eyes locked as Louis offered up the first of many bombardments.

  "You are most beautiful oh regal queen. I am blessed to be in your presence and thank you for allowing me into your humble abode."

  "What were you expecting my unimportant, little phony wizard?" said the picturesque and most fine-looking ruler "I am a magnanimous queen, and you are only a falsified, and wannabe child-wizard. Many children with high hopes have stood before me where you are standing now. Many have wangled and tricked their way into my chambers past the simple-minded and dull-witted Hobthrust, only to die a callous and quick death. What brings you here, you liar and charlatan?"

  "Why do you display so much hatred and anger towards me? We have now only been formally introduced. You must be afraid of me? Who is the prey and who is the predator in this room today, is that the question on both of our minds? Am I the prey? I am just a small child from a faraway land who as you say, claims to be a falsified wizard, and you are the enslaved owner of this magical and most delightful tower with powers beyond anyone in this land, except that of the bug-eyed Toad King. You have been caged by your arch-rival and hated adversary T?ngarar Spadefoot. You see I know much about your past and can foretell the future, for I have many tricks and talents that you do not know of yet."

  "All who have stood in front of me, at the foot of my royal throne have been told the same story by that dullard T?ngarar Spadefoot. He gives them hope that if they kill me then he will release them back into their world, to be reunited with their families. Love is such a needless emotion. I personally never exercise the emotion unless it comes from the love I feel, as I take the life out of the next nonperson, witless child who enters my chambers."

  "Hope and love are strong emotions that only humans have. Of course you being an after-walker you would not have these two most sublime of emotions. I carry them both with me in my heart of hearts today as I stand before you.

  Now down to business. I hope that you will cooperate with me so I will not have to take your life today, as it has been written in your prophecies inside of this land. Once written and believed by all is that a "true hero" not a "real hero" will arrive one day to defeat you and to fully end your woeful life. I know that you are a land draug a partially "un-dead being" and that you would truly like to pass back into the world of the dead, therefore letting your troubled soul find a final resting place, within peace and quiet. You were once a great ruler on all lands of the Kingdom of Gwynedd so long ago, and I know you were once a wise and trusted ruler until an evil spell was cast upon you by your enemies. During your life now upon this land you are an awful person, and have caused pain and misery to so many. I know that black magic was used. A spell was cast upon you by the toad king upon your fiery death in this same tower three hundred years ago. But you did not fully die because of your troubled soul and awful deeds upon this earth in your current and not so long ago living days. I now offer you hope for redemption, to find a final resting place. And I hope you have some love still left in your craven and black-hearted soul to do as I ask. If you do as I ask you will have all that I have just offered you, eternal peace."

  "And what do I have to do to find this peace that you believe I crave?'

  "I have come for you jeweled crown that sits upon your head. It was one time owned by your husband who was once the king of the Kingdom of Gwynedd, he sat upon his royal throne in Deganwy Castle. He once held that title and his name was: ?thelfrith of Northumbria."

  "Yes that was my husband, and I remember sitting upon the throne by his side in an earlier time, in the high-ancient times, but those days have passed. That regal and noble queen has died, and I have been reborn into the form you now see. There was a great fire here once over three hundred years ago as you said.

  A perceived real hero like yourself once visited me as you have, he stood before me. He was most ill-tempered and bad-mannered. His name was Grettir ?smundarson. He was from Bjarg. His grandfather was ?nundur, he was a famous Viking king who had enormous strength and was also ill-tempered and bad-mannered. His grandson held his same traits. Both had bright red hair and freckles like you have, and both had broad round eyes, they were a dark brown like yours are. Are you the great, great grandson of Grettir?"

  "I could be" said the clever and quick thinking Louis, "continue please."

  "We will just have to see about that won't we? Now as for your future questions about Grettir and our battle, you see I am a corporeal ghost, strong and formidable, and I have the black magic powers of Necronomicon. I am a Necromancer. You cannot kill what is already dead, everyone knows that. Now, Grettir tried his best to do this, and was a great warrior in his own right. He only managed to burn down my tower, my home that day. He did not kill me and I almost escaped back into the wilds of Northumberland, and if I would have I would have wreaked revenge upon his family, my capturers and from upon the warden, The Toad King."

  "Revenge is a horrible emotion, only love and hope can cure that emotion."

 
; "You are a wise wizard but my heart is too broken and shriveled to be cured."

  "Continue on, why did you not survive that day and return to seek your revenge?"

  "Revenge was not to be mine that day. T?ngarar Spadefoot and his toad army had followed Grettir that day to my tower. They managed with the help of Noctuid the Black Witch to best my most powerful dark magic. They caged me in ice, my only weakness was now apparent to them. They then built this granite tower and placed me inside of this ice palace so that the fires that almost killed me completely that day could not happen again. They want me to suffer and live a long, lonely life here.

  Spadefoot really only wants the crown of ?thelfrith of Northumbria and the powers it has. He does not really care if I live or die. I truly believe he would most likely prefer that I live in this tower for eternity just to spite me. Now back to the fire, you see only fire can burn my...as you say...can burn my blackened and craven heart. But there is nothing to burn here, there is only frozen ice as far as the eye can see, so I can never be killed, and can never leave this world in a different form. His black magical powers is not strong enough to fully kill me anymore, nor is that of Noctuid's the Black Witch that is why he seeks another wizard to kill me, or rob me of my golden throne, only then will he be able to take his undertoad army and rise out of these lands up through the wormhole and into your world. And if he rises up there in your world, he will destroy humankind and become the ruler of all living things that reside there."

  Louis's mind began to race. The Ice Queen had revealed to him so much without realizing it. Could there be away to defeat the queen after all? Not being able to find the answers he was seeking just yet Louis tried his best to keep the conversation going before the queen would strike him where he stood, or cast a spell upon him, or what if Hobthrust would return to whisk him away into a pot of Louis stew, as Noctuid the Black Witch wanted to do?

  "That is a sorrowful story indeed. You must be lonely in this castle day and night?"

  "No not really, I have many brave children visit me almost weekly, trying to return home with Spadefoot's prodding's."

  "I am not like the other children. I am a Grand-Master Fairy Tender and a Great Wizard. I have done my homework on you, and I have the teachings of Mr. Beamer to help me defeat you."

  "Ah yes I have heard of that great wizard Mr. Beamer, he once visited this land many years ago. He stirred up the dreams and hopes of many children who are enslaved in this land, he almost took them all home, and back into your world but he could not, his magic was just too weak. Maybe he sent you here? Maybe he trained you for this task?"

  "Maybe he did, maybe not. Let's stay on topic. I understand more about you than you know and I will defeat you this day, and send you to your domino-effect demise if you do not heed my request to relinquish your crown to me. You know I am in the sixth grade beware, and I like doing homework."

  The White Queen smirked queerly at this odd quip from young Louis then spoke, "Young wizard it is not too late for you yet. Every child that enters my ice tower I offer them hope before their grand demise at my wicked hand. Take this offering, this nourishment and willingly swallow it down, and you can become one with me in spirit. If you ingest this with a loving heart for me then your soul, and my soul will comingle, and you can become all that you wish to be, now and forever." The White Queen introduced to Louis a small, odd-colored herb. She tossed it over to Louis.

  Upon catching the oddity Louis pondered the offer for only the slightest of moments.

  "This is just trickery and a scam. You are only trying to cloud my young mind so you can moderate my great powers.

  No deal.

  As I said moments before, I will defeat you this day, and send you to your un-artful demise if you do not heed my request to relinquish your crown" said Louis.

  "In the future you may change your mind about me for the better. So keep that offering until that day comes. As for now well you sound like you do have my best interests in mind, now let me think a moment to ponder your statements to me."

  "Take your time, because time is something you appear to have a lot of, but not for long."

  "Let me digress and wander a bit in thought if you will. You come into my castle, threaten me with death, state that you are going to rob me of my jeweled crown, my prized possession and then you try to frighten me, by telling me that you are a predator, and that I am the prey. And all of this is for my well-being. You must truly be a great fairy tender to be able to accomplish this, and you must be the bravest little boy-wizard that I have ever seen, or had the pleasure to know. What great powers reside within you that you believe you can bring about, all that you have just promised and stated?"

  "I will show you my skillful and magical powers if need be, you don't have to worry about that just yet. Speaking of great powers, why is everyone so afraid of you? I have not seen any of your notable magic yet. Everyone says you are a great sorcerer, a conjurer, and a juggler of dark magic. Care to show me some of your notable skills?"

  "You doubt my illustrious magic boy-wizard? Louis the Red my powers, behold..."

  Opening her two palms upwards towards the heavens above, she slowly raised her arms above her head in a most dramatic of manners. And as she did this, she began to speak in a low guttural voice while she went into a trance-like state:

  Goblins, children, elves and unicorns beware

  Undertoads and tadpoles live in blackened and infected waters everywhere

 

  A boy-wizard has entered my icy home

  he shall be eaten very soon

 

  He will be seasoned and cooked in boiling water by noon

  in the muted light of the Northumberland blue moon

  All children taste like chicken

  behold my great magic

  Her frosty majesty began a graceful glide across the ice covered stage; her long linen dress hid her fanciful footwork. Looking downwards towards the bottom of her dress Louis could not see her footfalls. The after-walker appeared to not really walk at all. It was more like she floated in a willowy dance towards Louis. Stumbling backwards Louis did not really know, comprehend or understand what he was actually seeing, his mind twisted up in loops as tried to capture the vision unfolding before him.

  The closer she advanced, the more beautiful she was to behold to the eye. Her loveliness was truthfully ever so simple, yet truly confounding at the same time. Slipping on the ice Louis fell to his knees as the queen of Elphame, Queen Elphen lifted off the ground. Rising in elevation, she now was hovering overhead, out into the greater expanse of the great Hagby tower.

  Louis who was still in a praying position raised his head up to where the semi-dead queen lingered in flight, about one hundred feet above him. The muffled blue light from the Northumberland sky silhouetted her thin frame against the backdrop of the ice covered walls. Her linen dress now reflected an off color of pale blue which Louis had never seen before. Her polished featherlike appearance brought tears to Louis's eyes. She appeared to be a guardian angel in flight.

  "Yes my child, my beauty has been known to bring tears to the eyes of those who are truly enlightened, and to individuals who are duly engaged in this world, and can appreciate its splendor and beauty. Pray to me my son" understood the wicked and cunning queen.

  The evil spells of her beauty began to work its magic upon the poor and modest Louis.

  Louis tried to speak but could not. Words now were a luxury that he could not summon.

  "Your mind will soon be mine and your soul, because I know the ways of the Necronomicon magic, and I am a Necromancer. Last night I tried to enter your mind but I could not, your mind was stronger than I thought it would be. As you slept I entered your chambers found outside at my door step. I was thwarted by two astral fairies sent to guard you by Atamo the Fairy. Orlaith and Eldon who are brother and sister, they wrapped your hair in fairy-locks last
night which prevented the transformation of your weak soul out of your body, it was going to be mine to take, but now I can see and feel that your mind is starting to weaken even more, and that their magic is fading as we speak."

  Being an almost lost soul and soulless in the land of the misplaced and mislaid Louis thought one last time of his doting mother back home. True love reentered his mind, it was his only hope, now "real hope from a real hero" became his once again, because in his minds-eye, his third eye he could now see the un-hidden truth.

  Noting a slight change in Louis's manner, The White Queen tried once again to tug at his mind. She strived to wrench his mind into "The Nothingness" that she the Necromancer offered him.

  Now standing with a new resolve and firmness in his kind heart Louis remembered the ways of Noctuid the Black Witch and her witch mask. Thinking of the knowledgeable and wise words spoken to him from Atamo the Astral Fairy, Mr. Beamer and Digger the Rabbit Louis, Louis's third eye could now see with crystal clarity.

  His mind was in correct focus for the first time since his decent into this awful place. Clearing his throat, calming his breathing and quelling his nerves Louis spoke out his first real words of truth, "Your Necronomicon magic is indeed very powerful, it is as superior as your natural beauty and its pull upon my mind, but beauty is only skin deep and I can prove it. Now it is my turn to show you my great magic...behold...Necromancer."

  Spinning about like a acrobat in a circus the young wizard Louis tried to command the evil queen's full attention inside of his physical skills, then coming to a finely-tuned halt with his hands still spinning like tops, he gave pause for a moment to highlight once again his physical skills. Afterwards he reached into his rumbled wizard robe. He produced the adder stone then spoke out, "Its beauty will outshine your outward magnificence. Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. Let the truth be told.

  Behold this..."

  The adder stone shot to life as it began to vibrate inside Louis's unfolded fingers and flat palm. The voiceless blue light from above shone down upon its rounded body. The eerie blue lights of Northumberland radiated down upon the adder stone sending refracted, reflected, slap-scattered and backscattered visual light arcing, arching and bending into and though out the great icy hall. The oscillating and osculating lights split into all the splendiferous colors of a natural rainbow.

  As the supernatural lights began to rapidly spin and swirl about the great expanse of the tower, the White Queen began to finally believe in the great wizard. Was she the prey? She landed softly back upon her throne as Louis the Red shouted out to the heavens that she had just been floating in.

  "Although your great beauty pulls upon the minds of the weaker amongst us, it will not pull anymore down upon mine. I claim my soul as my own. I will not be bullied anymore. I will not let others bully me. I will not kowtow down to the bigger, or the stronger, the richer, or the prettier, the faster, or the meaner, the nastier, or to a group of my peers. My life is my own, it is up to me how I react to these people, and the settings they put me in, and of those of my own undoing. I am a Great Wizard! I am a Great Fairy Circle Tender! My mind will not lower to the standards of others,

  THEY CANNOT HURT ME!!

  I claim myself in this world to be free of those horrible emotions for all time. You White Queen, your Necronomicon black magic will not work upon me either, for you are the ultimate bully. I am greater than any Necromancer and their black magic. I claim my right to not worry what others think of me, and to free myself from those thoughts!"

  Queen Elphen, the after-walker sat back on her throne as Louis continued his ranting and ravings for the entire world to hear.

  "T?ngarar Spadefoot bullied me into coming here. This is his fight not mine. You have tried to bully me into submission to do your biddings, to be your underling, or to be your dinner. I will not go down without a fight, for I am...LOUIS THE RED!"

  "Your magic is indeed very powerful wizard and impressive but rotating simple light cannot hurt me, nor can you're effortless words. Do you have any other tricks, trickery or mischief to use before I call back in Hobthrust, thus he can end your life, so we can start a dinner service?"

  Remembering the witch mask of Noctuid Louis now held the adder stone up in front of his questioning eyes. Peering through the center, the factual truth was revealed to his mind and eyes. As the White Queen stood up once again Louis now gazed upon the utter horror that this creature really was.

  He had been blinded by the powerful magic of her crown and her beauty.

  The Necromancer was indeed dead. Decaying skin hung from her thin frame. Her boney fingers were twisted and gnarled to the palms. Her arms and legs were decimated and reduced to almost nothingness. She had a wasting disease that had ravaged her body. Her long hair was grubby, disheveled and unkempt. It was clumped and was as knotted as her boney knees. Looking towards her emancipated chest, Louis could see her heart beating under what little skin still clung to her shrunken body. Louis believed he could reach through her belly and grab her spine if he wanted to. Her eyes were hollow as they glowered with a fiendish yellow color; they were jaundiced with clouded ooze running down both sides.

  She was walking skeleton. Walking with a noticeable limp she advanced upon Louis as he turned his head away in horror.

  "I have heard your wild ravings from a few moments ago, you have self-worth issues don't you little one? You allow others into your weak and feeble mind. If you do this you will be tormented and tortured for all your days on earth. It does not matter if you are bullied, it is how you react to that noise and chatter that is what truly defines you upon this earth in your youth, and as you age and get older.

  Once bitten, twice shy is that how you live your life?

  There will always be mean and nasty people, or creatures as you have found in this underworld and yours that will do you harm, don't you realize that by now? Deal with it. Now like I asked before is this all you have wizard, is this simple light show?"

  Turning back to face the vileness of the queen and her tormented soul, Louis dropped the adder stone from his hands, accidentally breaking it in two. The arching rainbow of light ceased and retreated back into the inner-workings of the circular stone. Its life light dismissed to emptiness. The magic it held for Louis was broken and not to be replaced. Louis almost began to panic again but thought better of it as he searched his inner-mind for other answers. Regaining his thoughts for the moment, Louis spoke aloud again in an imposing tone.

  "I have other magic great queen. Do not call that hairy little caretaker back just yet. You say you are not afraid of rotating light well you might just be afraid of boiling thunder and hot lightning then. Reaching back into his wizard robe Louis felt about inside of a deep pocket. He produced Mr. Beamer's quagga-tail switch in his left hand. Rising it high above his head he shouted out once again for the world to hear, the magic spell that accompanies the magical wand:

  He wha tills the fairies' green

  Nae luck again shall hae:

  And he who spills the fairies' ring

  Nae we all dance and sing

  Betide him want and wae.

  For weirdless days and weary nights

  Are his till his deein' day.

  Nae we all dance and sing

 

  But he who gaes by the fairy ring,

  Nae dule nor pine shall see,

  And he who cleans the fairy ring

  An easy death shall dee.

  Nae we all dance and sing

  Nae we all dance and sing

  The White Queen stopped her approach towards the fairy circle tender to see if there was actually some real magic to this little imposter after all. Two lightning bolts shot out from the tip of the wand as rumbling thunder exploded into both of their ears. Looking downwards and off of the ice platform Louis noted movement, Hobthrust scampered back into the room and was directly heading for one of the large interior stair
ways.

  Elphen the Ignoble Queen quickly took to flight again, she rose up to the height of the ceiling then shot back downwards in a circular motion, then upwards, then downwards again. Louis held his position as she flew about the room like a whippoorwill in a whirlwind. Two more thunderous bolts of white light shot out of the tip of the qugga-tail switch as Louis continued to shout out the spell he knew so well.

  One lightning bolt hit the stone-hearted queen in her boney shoulder; shouts of pain rang out from above as she fought off the attack.

  The real battle at length had begun, Louis had drawn first blood.

  She did not bleed red, blood as black as Indian ink exploded outwards from deep inside of her smoldering shoulder. The disgusting, black gooey liquid soiled Louis's wizard shoes and robe as it rained down upon him. She bellowed out in pain as her eyes shot hatred back towards the little wizard standing boldly below her. Now taking a moment to wrap the wound in her threadbare dress, she continued once again to encircle the room in flight but with twice the speed.

  As the cold winds began to pick up around and above the little wizard, Hobthrust had now reached the top platform of ice. He slyly crouched down, laying in delay, behind the icy throne, waiting to pounce ahead on the little boy, upon the queen's sure to be forthcoming orders.

  The last of the two lightning bolt dissipated into tiny molecules of oblivion as the queens new magic gathered in strength and mass. The brewing ice storm began to cascade down upon Louis where he stood. Looking upwards once again at the flying skeleton, a snowstorm began to rage above him in the confined spaces of the tower. It began to snow wildly, thick, large flakes began to float, drift and sashay in no particular direction over the frosted throne, icy platform, and the now crouching wizard. Promptly almost completely covered from head to toe with thick ice and snow Louis's magic and willpower started to falter, fail and fall, like the snowflakes raining down above him.

  Trying once again to wound the fiendish queen with his own magic, he raised the quagga-tail switch once more. Starting the chant and thrusting the wand forward; nothing happened. Again he tried, and again, nothing.

  Hobthrust smiled greedily at Louis with hate, as hunger drove his emotions.

  "Now serving 301, Louis stew is back on the menu!" shouted out the little hob.

  Louis was dumbfounded that his magic did not work again. The White Queen had outwitted him inside of the wintry storm. Panic once again shot through Louis's thoughts.

  He was trapped with nowhere to go.

  The flying demon circled above, as the Hobgoblin below waited to fill his stew pot. Louis could not climb upwards nor downwards, both stairways offered him no escape; he was trapped in the queen's nest like Merlin the Wizard's magical sword in granite stone. Just as his mind was about to give way to the black-hearted soul-stealer Louis thought of Atamo and his last words to him.

  "Nary be the fairy of lighthearted thoughts...winks...blinks...flickers and flashes and twinkles. A wizard we must trust, a fairy tender not..."

  Then once again he thought of Digger when he said, "Fire and ice don't mix" then finally Louis thought back to what Molly had once chided him about, "Remember when you caught the schoolhouse on fire in that chemistry experiment? Boy you got in trouble for that one Louis."

  Taking a deep breath of air then smelling deeply Louis finally made sense of what he had has smelling the entire time he had been inside of Hagby Tower.

  Methane gas...

  "Its methane gas; it's flammable.

  Atamo was trying to tell me the whole time: Nary be the fairy of lighthearted thoughts...winks...blinks...flickers and flashes and twinkles. A wizard we must trust, a fairy tender not..." Don't use my fairy tender skills here, be a wizard. Don't take it lighthearted. I will not. I am a "true wizard", a "real hero". Only a truly real hero can defeat the queen. Don't use winks, or blinks or flickers and twinkles...USE FLASHES!...THAT"S IT...!!"

  Hobthrust looked upwards towards the after-walker as she nodded for him to advance and end this feeble and woeful charade by the charlatan wizard. Seeing Hobthust expose himself from behind the throne then looking upwards Louis saw the hovering skeleton start to descend down upon him through the ice storm.

  Frantically reaching back into his wizard robe, into his lowest pocket Louis prodded and picked about. Now finding a small cloth pouch Louis thrust it up into his other shaking hand. Untying the top of the small cloth bag Louis clutched the last of his firecracker powder. Looking downward he spotted one sharp end of the broken adder stone.

  "For every kid who has ever been bullied before in their lives; feel my wrath queen! This is for all of those children, you are free!!"

  Forcefully throwing the firecracker powder into the adder stone, it detonated into a fiery blast. The methane gas ignited about his feet. The flames spread outwards like a cyclone on the loose. The maelstrom of fire began to melt the ice though out the great tower; it began to spread towards the staircases and up the icy walls.

  As Hobthrust charged like an elephant in the wild, the hoarfrost below him started to melt into water. He cursed violently as he tumbled, stumbled and staggered towards the edge of the softening arctic platform. Dodging the dodgy and crooked Hobthrust, Louis sprinted towards an interior stairway. Going airborne onto a handrail Louis hung on for dear life as gravity pulled him down towards the frosty secondary access door. Looking rearwards and upwards, the methane in the air above Louis began to catch fire. The bonfire of flames shot up in the air like a raging tornado above a flat Nebraska cornfield.

  Trying the best she could to sidestep the funneled firestorm, the White Queen just could not, she was just too weak and too frail.

  "You have not defeated me wizard!"

  The hellhole of molten flames engulfed, overwhelmed, and eventually swallowed up the soon to be defeated White Queen. As she was sent flying into the fiery blaze she became enraged upon her demise.

  "I will return! One day I will haunt your dreams, you will see the pain upon my face this day, and feel my suffering and anguish till the day you die!" screamed out the burning Necromancer.

  Looking backwards once again as he slid down the stairway, the White Queen was ultimately lost from view inside of the sweltering twister. Then looking towards the edge of the softening platform around the queen's throne, Louis spotted Hobthrust being sucked up into the fiery twister along with his evil master, he became nothingness.

  Rage consumed Louis while he looked upwards at the hell-storm of flames raging closely above him.

  "You will not haunt my dreams because I am Louis the Red! Grettir ?smundarson is of my relations, he has red hair. He is one of my people. I have finished what he could not! Oh and now serving ticket number one, barbequed Hairy Hobthrust!"

  Louis slammed into the secondary door as he reached the bottom of the melting stairway. He shattered it into a thousand ice crystals, ahead and down-sloped he now began to slide along the long, winding, glacial hallway. The liquefied ice, along with blocks of ice caught up to Louis as he slid towards the front door. The shared weight of the water, ice and Louis combined to smash the wooden door to pieces. Toppling into the plaza like a professional tumbler performing before a crowd, Louis eventually came to an abrupt and immediate halt. He was dripping wet, a little bruised, overjoyed, and in a state of high excitement.

  "YEAH, TAKE THAT!!" screamed out the little boy as his red epiglottis wiggled crazily about in the back of his throat.

  Scrambling to his feet he back peddled away from the soaring inferno that was now Hagby Tower.

  "I know who you really are white queen. You won't be eating anymore children ever again."

  Louis shook a clenched fist at the smoking cauldron that once harbored so much pain for so many children. Louis now stepped back for a moment to make sure all of his body parts were still working. Louis shook his arms and legs about a bit then looked downwards at his two feet. To
his surprise the queen's jewel encrusted crown came to a rolling stop at his heals, and was now lying on the ground next to him within an arm's reach.

  "How about that, fate has smiled upon me today? This is a part of my destiny now, and it is mine for the taking."

  Shoving the prized possession into his soggy wizard robe, Louis smiled because of his own good deeds this day. After a moment of reflection and deep thought by Louis, a familiar and welcoming voice now filled his ears.

  "Are you responsible for that Louis? I guess you are a Great Wizard after all. You have done a great thing; the rule of the evil Ice Queen of Hagby Tower is over."

  Spinning about to face the recognizable voice, Louis now beamed from ear to ear with a smile so warm, it could melt an iceberg, "Still kicking up dust everywhere you trot?"

  "They don't call me Broomstick for nothing Whiskbroom."

  Freefalling forward with a great sense of relief, Louis gave a grand-sized hug around the little unicorn's neck. Broomstick wrapped his long, fluffy tail around Louis to try and dry him off and warm him up.

  "It's nice to see you again Broomstick."

  "Well it's nice to see you as well little wizard, oh and nice hairdo."

  "Yeah I know, thank heaven I did not pay for this, it's called the elf-lock look."

  "Any amount you would have paid would have been way too much; you look like a troll doll."

  "That's funny because I have recently seen a real troll, a stone troll."

  "We have much to catch up on Louis, but for now we better get a little further away from this towering inferno before it crashes down upon us, climb on."

  Being still a little battered and beaten from his run in with the White Queen, Louis was pretty shaky as he tried to mount Broomstick, after a bit of effort Louis was comfortably seated upon the center of his back. The little unicorn trotted off for the far side of the plaza, then towards the only dirt road heading back out of the city, the Dark City of Elphame.

  "I can tell that your encounter with the wicked White Ice Queen was difficult, but you did live to tell the story. No one has ever stood in front of her and survived to tell the tale of their encounter with her. Just one question Louis then you can rest upon my back as I carry you back towards the Kingdom of Gwynedd and Deganwy Castle."

  "What is your question Broomstick?"

  "Was she as beautiful as the rumors and stories that are told about her, is it true, was she that lovely to behold?"

  "She was more beautiful to gaze upon than any woman who has ever graced the face of the earth, but..."

  "But what Louis..."

  "Beauty is only skin deep. In reality she was the ugliest humankind has ever seen before, her looks were not to be trusted and illusory. And on the inside she was just as revolting. She was corrupted with greed, and with the worst kind of ugliness, the desire for more power. She had become as cold-hearted, immoral and as sinful as they come.

  Her hatred for T?ngarar Spadefoot, her warden, was the only real driving force for this hatred, and really the only reason that she lived. She lived to see the day of his demise, but in the end it was her downfall, it was her hatred that killed her. I gave her a chance to repent and change her ways. She did not. You cannot harbor hate in your soul for others, or one day we will all become a White Ice Queen."

  "Well said Louis. Well said..."

  Louis sheepishly smiled at Broomstick, his eyes rolled back into his sockets, then he directly fainted, falling face first into the center of the little Unicorn's back.