Landing in the jack-o-lantern’s left eye, Abigale carefully peeked inside, only to be shocked by what she saw. Nothing. No Frank, no Midnight, Alexios, Alfred, Clara, Henry, Charlie, Michael, Oteza or Ben. No shred of evidence nor sign of a struggle could be seen. Only the tall, dancing flames of the lava pit remained. Disappointed and worried they had arrived too late, the pumpkin fairy flew down to the side door to deliver bad news.
******
Good, they’re gone, the radiant boy thought to himself as he emerged from a cloaking bubble created by the ring to hide himself from the unexpected guest that had been peering down from the jack-o-lantern eye above. Charlie was unaware of who it was. He could only sense a presence beyond his own, and could ill afford, at this most important of times, to be discovered by unwanted company—if he were to have any chance of rescuing his friends and finding the crystal.
He aimed his ring fist at the lava pit, thrusting forward. A ray of golden light shot out of the crest, striking the pit, which expanded to ten feet in diameter. A descending stairway emerged from within its fiery depths.
The luminescent boy made a dash for the stairs, unafraid of what may lie ahead. All he knew was that wherever Alfred, Clara and Henry were headed, he would find his brother and the others. Leaping into the air, Charlie plunged into the fiery depths of the orange abyss as the opening closed behind him, returning the pit to its normal state.
******
“What was that?” said Jolly. I’ve never seen such a thing in all my years of WONDER.”
“Neither have we,” the sprites said in unison.
Abigale shut the door behind them and closed her eyes to search her feelings. Opening them with humbled expression she said, “Whatever it is, and wherever it’s going, I have a feeling it’s on our side.”
“Well then, we should help—”
Before the mayor could say another word, the pumpkin fairy cast her wand towards the lava pit, exposing the stairway for entry.
“It’s like you knew what I was going to say.”
“I did,” Abigale replied to Jolly.
The sprites swiftly moved down the fiery stairway, followed by Jolly, then Abigale—who flicked her wand as she passed through the entryway, returning it back to normal.
******
Deep in the fiery depths of jack-o-lantern hill, Michael, Ben, Midnight and Oteza had been transported by way of dark magic onto a large isolated rock surrounded by flowing hot magma. The Dark Thorns had set their trap.
But the helpless Patrons were not alone.
To their surprise, laying on that very same rock, wilted and frail, was Frank’s apprentice, Valerie.
Ben rushed up to the young lady, and knelt down to check her vital signs.
Valerie groaned, as she turned and opened her eyes to look upon her friend.
“You’re…you’re still alive,” said Ben.
Valerie groaned again, as the wee Irishman sat her up. Cuddling her frail body, he wiped the sweat from her forehead.
“She looks pretty weak,” said Midnight. He flicked his tail and a glass of water appeared.
Michael picked up the water and handed it to Ben, who slowly poured a sip into her dry mouth.
Valerie grabbed the glass with both hands and finished it quickly. Taking a stable sitting position on her own, she thanked Ben, who returned to his feet and stepped back with the others.
“The last time we saw you was in the elevator of the hotel. Are you OK, my dear? asked Oteza.
Valerie gave the ostrich stick and the others a look of confusion. “Yes. I…I think so? All I can remember is the elevator door of the hotel opening, and then, a sudden flash of light. After that…nothing, until I woke up here.”
“So the Dark Thorns haven’t harmed you in any way or asked you about the whereabouts of the crystal?” said Midnight.
“No. Nothing like that at all. They pretty much have left me alone to lay here on this isolated rock.
Michael stepped forward and frantically asked, “What about my brother? Have you seen him? Do the Dark Thorns have him?”
“They haven’t said a word about Charlie,” Valerie replied. “You mean you haven’t found him yet?”
“I”m afraid not,” Ben replied.
“The last time we saw the boy was when you were with us in the hotel library,” Midnight added.
Michael let out a big sigh as he looked off into the smoldering distance of the hell in which they stood. “If you’re still alive, then he must be as well.”
“Perhaps you’re right,” Oteza added. “I mean, why didn’t the Dark Thorns just drop us into the lava? Eliminate the fork in their side. Anyone? I’ll tell you why. They need us to lure in the boy, because without him—“
Ben jumped in, “They can’t find the crystal.”
“Precisely,” said Oteza.
“So what everyone is trying to say, Michael, is that your brother is still alive,” Midnight added.
******
Secretly monitoring the prisoners through a dark-magic orb, another conversation was taking place nearby.
“We’ve captured his little friends. He’ll show up. All we have to do is wait. Her majesty has foreseen it,” the shadow horseman said. “Besides, the crystal is still here, I can feel it’s energy.”
“You do make a good point,” said Tanion.
“What about the others?” asked Senkrad.
“If you’re referring to the elderly man and his owl friend, the queen has foreseen their fate as well,” the shadow horseman replied. “I can assure you, they will be of no threat to—”
A flash of silvery white suddenly streaked by, smashing against a large slab of rock overhanging the stranded Patrons.
The giant rock began to crack and crumble. Small fragments showered the underlying Patrons as it slowly tipped downward.
“Everyone over here,” shouted Midnight, ordering the others to the safest point on the small island on which they stood.
The rocky slab broke free and tumbled forward, hitting the island and outer bank of the lava river with a mighty BOOM!
Michael and the others uncovered their heads and looked around as the dust settled, only to be pleasantly surprised. A bridge had been created by the slab, and upon it stood three friendly faces: Alfred, Clara and Henry.
“Boy, are we glad to see you,” said Ben.
“I bet you are,” Alfred replied.
“But, how did you do that?” asked Michael. “Do what?” Henry said.
“Break off that big chunk of rock to make the bridge you’re standing on,” said Oteza.
“Oh, that. We didn’t do that, they did,” said Alfred, pointing upwards to the ledge behind Ben and the others.
“No thank you necessary,” said the owl. “At least not until we find Charlie and the crystal and get everyone back to safety.”
“Frank, you’re OK!” said Michael. “The last time we saw you, you—”
“Yes, I had my hands full with the shadow horseman,” Frank replied. “If it weren’t for my fine-feathered friend here, things may have turned out differently.”
“Alexios. Well, I’m starting to feel better already,” said Ben. All we need now is to find our way out of here and—”
“I think you’re forgetting someone,” said Frank. We’re not going anywhere until we find Charlie and the third—”
“No…you must not forget the third crystal,” a dark voice echoed through the cavernous underground of jack-o-lantern hill.
The radiant figure burst onto the scene. Diving over the three Patron Council members on the bridge, it exploded upwards—sticking a three point landing beside Frank and Alexios on the ledge above.
Alexios immediately took to the air and turned to attack the mysterious figure.
Frank sprinted towards the ledges edge and leapt into the air—flipping several times, he landed next to his friends on the rocky island below. The light charm necklace ignited, forming a protective shield around he and his friends.
The mighty owl swooped in for a strike—only to be deflected by the radiant being. He turned and tried again, talons fully engaged. But again, no success.
A beam of golden light shot out of the attacker’s hand, instantly engulfing the winged defender in midair. Alexios was helpless. Unable to fight, unable to fly—magically suspended high above the flowing lava river.
Alfred, Clara and Henry ran across the bridge to join Frank and the others—eager to act in the owl’s defense.
“We need to do something, Frank,” said Alfred.
“And we need to do it quickly,” added Midnight, “before our friend is no more.”
Frank nodded in agreement. The old man disengaged the shield and looked to the radiant figure above.
It was too late.
Appearing from nowhere, at the other end of the bridge,
the Dark Thorns assumed attack positions.
Frank, Clara, Henry and Ben spun round, staring down the evil standing before them.
Tanion struck first, casting a bolt just shy of the four Patrons as a warning. “Give us the chosen outsider or you all die!”
“He’s not here!” Clara shouted.
KAPOW! Senkrad cast another bolt, striking several inches closer than Tanion’s. “Last chance Patron scum. Hand over the boy with the ring and we’ll let you walk out of here alive!”
Frank looked to his friends. Undecided, he turned back to face the mysterious figure on the ledge above, not knowing which threat to act upon.
“Somebody call for help?”
Frank turned back towards the bridge.
Standing at the bottom of the lava pit stairway, were Jolly and his magical friends.
The Dark Thorns were caught off guard.
Seizing the moment, Midnight flicked his tail, transforming into a fierce black panther. Michael grabbed Oteza—twirling her around, as he and Ben readied for battle. Alfred, Clara and Henry engaged their illuminated bands and assumed attack positions.
Dark Thorn Kunn spun and thrust his hands towards Jolly, knocking him back against the cavernous wall.
The mayor fell hard to the ground. Momentarily dazed.
Abigale pulled her magic wand and cast a sparkling trail towards Kunn, who waved it off with an evil grin. “Your’s powers are no match for the five of us.”
Elontra turned her attention in the opposite direction towards Ben. Clenching her fist, she caught the wee man in a strangle hold spell and raised her arm—lifting him ten feet off the ground.
Dark Thorn Oltar cast a bolt towards the sprites, who shot off in different directions—moving at such high speeds they could not be seen.
Focusing on Ben, Henry raised his hands high. The green bands around his wrists grew bright as he quickly pulled them apart—freeing his friend from Elontra’s deathly grip.
Ben fell to the ground, unharmed, he quickly stood up. Brushing himself off, he thanked Henry, then turned once again to face the Dark Thorns with strong intentions of payback.
Alfred looked back for Frank’s confirmation, then turned towards the attackers, shouting, “Charge!”
The band of Patrons shouted out battle cries—taking off in full sprints towards the enemy between them.
The Dark Thorns reacted with bolts and spells cast in every necessary direction. One bolt struck Oteza, knocking her from Michael’s hand, while a second struck Midnight—petrifying the mighty cat. Another snapped Abigale’s wand in two. Tanion rerouted the flowing lava river over the bridge to form an impassible barrier—stopping Alfred, Clara and Henry in their tracks.
With Ben, Midnight, Michael and Oteza helplessly trapped between the lava river and Dark Thorns, and Abigale and Jolly restrained by a dark energy sphere, Frank had only one choice left. “Are you sure you’re OK?” He asked his apprentice.
“Positive,” Valerie replied.
Frank turned to his his fellow council members and shouted, “I need you to watch over the girl while I help Alexios!”
Clara, Alfred and Henry sprinted back to the island to watch over Valerie, as Frank morphed into a black owl and took to the air.
Oh Frank, I don’t have time to explain now, Charlie thought to himself as the black owl streaked towards him.
Frank soared high, pulled up and fired a warning shot from the light charm embedded in his feathery chest towards his target.
The radiant boy struck a defensive pose, then took off in a golden blur towards the ledge.
Frank fired again, but Charlie was too quick—leaping high into the air, he spread his arms wide, then gracefully went into a dive.
KAPLOOSH! Charlie plunged into the flowing lava river and quickly swam downstream, towards the intake that fueled the glow of the giant jack-o-lantern above.
Frank landed on the rocky ledge. Morphing back into himself, he watched in amazement, and confusion, as the radiant being shot upwards into the intricate system of internal lava trails flowing through the frozen hill of ice and snow.
Up, up he swam, the ring on his finger humming ever louder. Charlie felt his body grow stronger the further he traveled through the maze of lava trails. Like a volcanic eruption, the radiant boy shot upwards through the pit from which he had entered the frozen hill’s evil core. He flew high into the air then landed near the center of the massive jack-o-lantern's interior.
Lava exploded out of the pit in all directions like a fountain, high above the boy—lining the walls of the pumpkin’s inner walls—setting it ablaze, as the radiant child anxiously stood ready for what came next.
The outer walls of flaming, molten lava began to swirl round, the heat growing more intense with every rotation.
Charlie raised his ring hand high as the swirling mass of doom, closed in on his position. A wave of energy shot out of the lion crest ring, running through his body. His eyes lit up, his body translucent, exposing a beating heart that shined through like the sun. Its powerful rays shot out in every direction, filling the room, as Charlie rose off the ground. Suspended thirty feet above the icy floor. The chosen outsider’s beaming heart redirected the swirling lava wall, which began to taper upwards. It burst through the icy capped roof of the giant jack-o-lantern. Growing upwards into the dark sky like an inverted tornado, the fiery swirls broke off into dozens of smaller strands, which dove downwards and wrapped themselves in a vine-like pattern around the giant pumpkin—melting its frozen facade and setting its eyes, nose and mouth ablaze. The power of the ring had inexplicably transformed the giant pumpkin into a fiery beacon of Halloween evil.
The rocky core of jack-o-lantern hill began to shake and crumble as the flowing lava river broke free—spurting and flowing in all directions.
“Everyone needs to get out, NOW!” A fully recovered Alexios, shouted from the air.
The sprites combined into a flying horse then flew across to the island. Michael and Valerie hopped on and the leafy green horse took off, exiting through a large cavernous opening in the core that led outside.
In a split second, Frank transformed into a giant hawk and Ben climbed aboard. Alfred and Clara changed into sparrows. Alexios grew much larger—swooping down, he picked up the unconscious Mayor. Abigale waved her reimagined wand—releasing Midnight from the Dark Thorn’s spell, allowing him to join her in a translucent flying bubble. All took to the air with a sense of urgency, following the lead of the sprite horse.
KAPOW! A bolt of evil struck the flying bubble, which deflected Elontra’s attempt to harm Abigale and her cat friend as they exited the crumbling mountain core.
“To the surface!” Shouted Senkrad.
The Dark Thorns snapped their fingers and vanished.
******
Frank and the others regrouped on a distant icy hillside to watch with curious eyes as the mysterious glowing figure hovered above the giant, flaming jack-o-lantern.
A stream of fiery spew shot out of the blazing pumpkin’s eyes, striking a distant mountain across the icy valley—burning a giant hole all the way to its core.
The chosen outsider turned and shot across the sky like a streak of light. Landing in front of the enormous hole, he fearlessly walked in—disappearing from site.
“Where did it go?”
“I don’t know, Clara,” replied Frank. “Maybe it's searching for the boy? Alexios, we should fly over there and take a closer look.”
“Ready when you are, my friend,” the owl replied.
Frank transformed from hawk to owl, then addressed the others. “Everyone hold steady, we’ll be back shortly. Oh, and if I were you I would keep my eyes open. I have a feeling we’re not out of it yet.” The two owls took off across the icy valley, headed for uncertainty.
© 2024 Charles E. Zitta. Charles E. Zitta and Disney and the Wonder Within blog novels are in no way part of, endorsed or authorized by, or affiliated with the Walt Disney Company or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Comments