The mighty owl and friends shot upwards through the massive hole into the dark sky—followed by the mysterious golden figure. “What in bloody blazes was that?” Said Ben.
“It appears to be Alexios and the others. And they’re being chased by that radiant thing,” said Midnight.
“No sign of Charlie?”
“Not that I can see, Michael,” Abigale replied.
“Hey, what’s going on! The whole hill is shaking,” said Jolly.
“This can’t be good,” Oteza added.
A rumbling noise rose up from within the mammoth hill as the ground shook harder and harder—when suddenly, the shadow horseman shot through the hole into the sky, his emblazoned horse neighing with anger and fiery blue eyes. The hilltop terrain began to swell until the ground could bare no more and exploded. A translucent figure sitting upon a golden saddle—strapped to the back of a small, white, horse-like creature with a dragon’s head, wings and claws launched into the dark sky as debris flew everywhere. A gold harness decorated in jewels, hung down from the sides of the white beast’s snout, its radiant purple eyes staring straight ahead. Chartreuse flames shot out from the creatures jagged, tooth-lined jaws as it quickly drew even with the shadow horseman.
The White Shadow Queen looked back and signaled for the giant pumpkin monster to follow them.
“It’s the queen!” Said Abigale, as she waved her wand—transforming those around her to normal size. “There’s no time to lose, everyone prepare for flight.”
Midnight grew to the size of a horse and sprouted wings. “Climb on, Michael.” The boy jumped on, Oteza in hand.
The three sprites combined into a flying horse with a leaf-covered coat, and offered Jolly a ride—just as the pumpkin fairy transformed into a large orange hawk, upon which Ben climbed aboard.
“Stay away from that giant beast if you can,” Abigale shouted to the others, as they took to the air to help Frank and the others.
******
“The elevator is just ahead,” said Alexios
“I see it,” Frank replied. “We’ll set up a defensive perimeter around it and wait for the others.”
“I sure hope they saw us,” said Clara.
“Me too. Me too,” Frank replied.
******
“They’re headed for the elevator, it’s their only way out,” said the queen. “We take that out first then worry about the crystal. You attack from below and I’ll surprise them from above. We’ll leave our giant friend to do as he pleases.”
“Yes, my queen,” the shadow horseman replied, as both disappeared.
******
“Where did they go?” Asked Jolly.
“I don’t know, but I’m sure it’s won’t be good for us.”
“Unfortunately I agree with you, Michael,” Midnight said.
“Fly faster everyone, we have to warn the others.” The pumpkin fairy took off full speed ahead, leaving only a trail of fairy dust across the dark sky and the echoing voice of Ben, howling all the way.
Midnight and the sprite horse looked at each other as the flying cat said to his passenger, “Hold on tight Michael.”
“Why? You're not going to…WHOOOOOOAH!!!”
Midnight and the horse shot across the sky, following the pumpkin fairies lead, leaving a trail of sparkling magic dust.
******
“Here comes the big guy and he doesn’t look happy to see us,” said Alfred. “You’re gonna need all the help you can get. Zap my leg with that magic charm of yours.”
Frank looked to his friend, then back at the angry giant headed straight for them, its eye’s blazing with fury.
“We ain’t got all day, old man. Zap me!”
Frank shook his head, then turned to Alfred. “Hold still,” he said. Carefully he cradled the light charm—which illuminated his hands with a pulsing glow. He let go of the charm and placed his radiant hands on the remains of Alfred’s wounded leg. Instantly, a hundred tiny dancing lights began to swirl and spiral round one another, leaving firework trails of magic blue that rendered the shape of a new lower leg, as they worked their way towards the ground, before finishing with a perfectly formed foot. The magical prosthetic was transparent, with blue streams of illuminated light and tiny firework dancing around inside.
Alfred wiggled his transparent toes, “seems to work alright.” Then he stood up. “Yep, good as new, and pretty sturdy too. Thanks old buddy.”
The pumpkin giant was just three enormous steps away from crushing the Patrons.
“Thank him later!” Alexios shouted, as he took to the air.
“Right,” shouted Frank. “Alfred, you get the elevator ready. Clara. Henry. You need to help me distract this thing until the others arrive!”
KABOOM! A giant fireball hit the ground, splitting Frank from the others.
Alfred sprinted for the elevator, pushing his newly formed leg to its limits, as Clara and Henry lifted their hands to the air and called out, “Honor and magic!” The illuminated bands of appeared on their wrists once again. Clara clapped her bands together, creating a glowing yellow force field around her body as Henry did the same with green bands.
“Now I have you!” The shadow horseman proclaimed, materializing from a wisp of smokey shadow that rose up through the icy-terrain into full form. His evil steed’s eyes burned blue as they began to circle the two Patrons in a rapid gallop.
“Get out of there!” Shouted Frank.
“I’d worry about other things if I were you.”
Alfred ducked inside the elevator, trying not to be seen as he peeked towards the stormy clouds above. A bolt of lighting shot down from the sky, singeing the hairs of his beard and knocking out the control panel of the elevator.
Rapid flashes of chartreuse lightning continued to dance across the sky. One bolt struck mere inches from Frank’s feet—then another. He jumped into the air, then in a flash of white light, disappeared. “I can play this game too,” his voice echoed across the stormy sky.
Flashes of chartreuse and white lighting exploded through the clouds—one color, then the other, as the evil queen blasted Frank, then Frank returned the favor—creating a light show of the dangerous sort for everyone below to see.
Alexios rose high into the sky, then dove hard—shooting through the giant’s abnormally long legs.
The beast bent down, reaching between his legs to grab the owl with his enormous, lava-filled hands made of crystal-clear ice, but was too slow.
Charlie burst out of the electrically charged clouds, flying dangerously close past the squatting giant’s fiery eyes.
The mighty beast roared as it quickly stood up and turned—wrapping into a twisted mess and falling to the icy ground with a thunderous THUD, as the the radiant boy shot off into darkness to find the others they had left behind.
******
“Hey, what is that? Do you see it?” Said Michael
“Yeah, it’s a tiny little spark,” said Ben “And it’s getting larger by the second.”
“It’s headed right at us,” said the mayor.
“Quick, everyone split up,” Abigale shouted.
The group shot out in different directions just as the radiant being reached them, turning his head to follow each subject. His eyes glowing white, as he hovered in mid-air.
Oteza shouted out a battle call, “Attack now!”
Michael raised the ostrich stick high above his head, cuing Midnight to dive hard towards the enemy.
Abigale and Ben did the same from another direction, as did the sprite horse carrying Jolly.
Charlie smirked then thrust his ring fist straight above his head, 3 beams of golden light shot out of the lion crest—each, quickly encircling one of the attackers and instantly, yet harmlessly, paralyzing them in mid-air so he could power down the ring just enough to return his eyes to normal and reveal his identity.
“Charlie?” Said Midnight.
“Yes, it’s me.”
Abigale began to giggle. “Well…I guess we found the boy.”
“More like he found us,” Jolly added.
Charlie released his friends from their golden restraints and all gathered near. “It’s good to see you. All of you.” Then he looked to his brother. “It’s especially good to see you, little brother.”
“Don’t ever do that again,” said Michael, smirking.
A roar in the distance and more lightning flashes in the dark, cloudy sky caught everyone’s attention—refocusing the group of what they had set out to do.
“So I came to make sure you guys found your way,” Charlie said, “and to fill you in on what’s going on back there.”
“From the looks and sounds of things, it can’t be very good,” said Oteza.
“No. It’s not,” the boy replied. “But, I have a plan…”
******
The dark rider drew his sword and shouted a wicked cry—cuing his horse to gallop even faster, as they continued to circle the helpless Clara and Henry. Shadow grew out of the horseman’s sword, forming a swirling, tornado of horror. It swallowed the Patron duo just before the horse and his rider leapt into its center—vanishing from site, as they pulled the swirling shadow along with them to a different location.
Just as Alexios readied for another pass at the giant beast from high above the clouds, a flash of light and sudden sting paralyzed the owl, sending him plummeting towards the frozen terrain.
“That takes care of your feathered friend,” the queen’s voice echoed through the sky. “Now I’ll finish with you, old man.”
Alexios fell through the clouds and was rapidly approaching his end when a golden ray of hope came streaking by, cradling the owl just in time. The warmth of Charlie’s radiant body revived his feathery friend as they landed on a high perch overlooking the icy field of battle.
“Thank…thank you my boy. I’m forever indebted.”
“No thank you required, Alexios. It’s not like you haven’t saved me, or my brother—a few times before.”
The owl sat up, gathered himself, then flapped his wings—rising slightly into the air he turned to the boy and said, “I guess you’re right young squire, but thank you none the less.”
“You’re welcome. LOOK OUT!”
Alexios and the boy split apart, narrowly avoiding a fatal blast from a large fireball spat in their direction from the angry giant’s mouth.
“Whew. That was close,” said Charlie.
“I see you found our friends?” Said the owl, spotting Abigale and the others high in the sky above.
“Oh! Yes, and it looks like they showed up just in time!”
“Good to see you my feathery friend!” Jolly shouted down from the sky, as he hovered safely above the massive pumpkin beast on the sprite horse.
Abigale and the others in her group did the same, lifting the spirits of the owl.
“C’mon young lad, let’s finish this,” Alexios winked to Charlie and took off.
The chosen outsider looked to the elevator, seeing Alfred was hard at work fixing the control panel, he turned and launched into the sky, shouting, “Right behind you, my feathery friend!” One blink later, a fireball from the pumpkin beast struck the spot where he had been standing.
Frustrated, giant creature turned and looked skyward, thrusting its lava-filled hands upwards. Fatal streams of fiery magma shot towards the cluster of Patrons hovering high above.
Most saw it, but the sprite horse did not.
Jolly was struck by one of the deadly streams, instantly knocking him from the sprite horse and melting him to an unrecognizable mass of scorched straw and lava stone as his scarecrow remains plummeted, then crashed into the frozen terrain below.
Abigale cried out in anger. Her orange glow turned fiery red, as she dove hard towards the elevator, dropped off Ben, then said, “You help Alfred with the elevator, I have unfinished business with that beast.” The fiery hawk shot into the sky—growing slightly larger, as she streaked past the giant and up to the hovering sprite horse. “It’s not your fault, my friends. Evil is upon us and we must stop it before it does anymore harm to the ones we love.”
The sprite horse acknowledged Abigale’s words, then separated back to their normal state.
Midnight, Charlie and Alexios flew over to join them.
“Charlie, you said you had a plan? I think it’s time we put it to good use.” Abigale said, keeping a close eye on the giant below and lightning show above.
© 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.
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