Chapter Two
Elijah awoke to strange chanting; he couldn’t tell if it was morning or night, as there were no windows because they were deep underground. Muppy had her tail between her legs, her ears were flat, and she had cuddled close to him.
He stroked her head, looked at the source of the noise and saw Worlyn chanting to, what the hell was that? It was the giant bat he’d encountered in the junk room, still wearing the white flannelette pyjamas with the big red lips, sitting cross-legged in an armchair smoking a pipe and drinking a fuming black liquid from a glass. It seemed to be nodding at Worlyn, as if understanding Worlyn’s chanting, and, its eyes were sparkling as if they were emerald, rubies and diamonds. Then it looked at him and raised three talons to stop Worlyn, and pointed. Worlyn stopped and turned, then the bat turned blue and vanished.
‘Elijah, did you sleep well?’
‘What was that?’ Elijah said, swinging his legs off the bed.
‘That? Oh, Esme’s younger brother, Bearbert.’
‘Bearbert?’
‘Yes, he’s the god of nightime creatures, also known as Hephaestus, but he likes Bearbert better, easier for humans to remember he said. Always comes to me as a giant bat, smashing god,’ Worlyn laughed, ‘the stories he tells, you wouldn’t believe, one time he was visiting rats, having a frolic with them, dancing through the sewers, when a hagge grabbed hold of him, hagges love rats, it’s their favourite delicacy, and she tried to bite Bearbert’s head off, and her head exploded.’ Worlyn laughed and slapped his hands upon his knees.
‘What are hagges?’
‘Foul creatures, the most despicable of the despicable, they’re humans that have tortured children, that have made children’s lives a misery, that have subjected them to the most depraved acts. The problem being is that some of the gods want them to suffer. I’ve met many hagges, and I’ve blasted them into infinity, but the gods have saved them, saved them for me to blast them again, so that the hagges suffer over and over again. Enough of hagges, the gods have given me orders, you Elijah, are to challenge Zanatos to a magical duel. You could’ve challenged him in the Centuria Wizards Tournament, but he’s cancelled that.’
Elijah stared into Worlyn’s bright blue eyes, ‘What’s the Centuria Wizard’s Tournament?’
‘The Centuria Wizards Tournament used to take place every hundred years at the start of the new century. It used to decide who’ll be the ruling wizard of the three continents for the next hundred years.’
‘Three continents?’ Elijah repeated, rather confused.
‘Ah, you don’t know do you, you’ve never really had an education? On our planet are three inhabited continents.’
‘What’s a planet?’
Worlyn took in a deep breath, puffed his cheeks out and exhaled. ‘A planet is like a giant ball floating in space...
‘What space?’
‘Oh ye gods, this is going to take forever.’ Worlyn clicked his fingers and Twinkle flew from her shelf and landed on his right shoulder, he tickled her under her chin and she breathed out little rings of smoke. ‘A giant ball floating in space, part of a solar system. A solar system is one where planets circle one sun. A galaxy is a collection of solar systems of stars, planets and moons. We know that there are a hundred billion galaxies in our part of the universe, our galaxy is a small irregular one containing only four solar systems and our solar system contains only one habitable planet, at, and this is the good bit, the perfect distance from the sun, so that it can sustain life.’
Worlyn looked at Elijah’s confused look, and realised. ‘Perhaps it would be better if I showed you.’ He waved both hands in opposite circles and an irregular galaxy appeared, complete with miniature stars, and even smaller planets. Worlyn gave a one-handed wave and a beautiful, magnificently coloured planet, with shades of green, blue, white and even red, with a ring of many colours, constantly changing and glimmering, made of millions of rocks and dust particles, surrounding it.
‘This is the planet we’re on. Now each of the three continents is ruled by a wizard, every ten years each continent holds their own Wizard Tournament to decide the ruling wizard of that continent, then every hundred years each continent sends as many wizards as wish to compete in the tournament.
‘It can be a headache, last time about three thousand wizards turned up all wanting to show off their powers, all wanting to rule the three continents. It was an organisational nightmare, I should know, I had to organise it.’ He sighed, a big long sigh of utter disappointment. ‘But I don’t have to do it this time.’
‘Why is that?’
‘One, I’m no longer the ruling wizard, two, I lost to Zanatos, and three, he’s cancelled all future tournaments and declared himself Wizard Imperator, that means Emperor. I’m still very confused as to why the gods want you to challenge him, you don’t seem to have any magical power,’ and under his breath he said, ‘nor any intelligence.’
‘I heard that. I picked up the shield.’
‘Yes, you did.’
‘I can find the most rare plants.’
‘Yes, you can, and that will certainly get you far in your challenge, I don’t think.’
‘You said yourself that the waters in the blue lake has altered me, more than it did to you.’
‘That’s also true, but can you lift that apple into the air?’
Elijah picked up the apple. ‘Yes.’
‘I mean,’ Worlyn rolled his eyes, ‘using magic, this is a magic tournament, not a throwing custard pies at one another tournament.’
Elijah put the apple back on the table and stared at it, and stared at it, and stared at it. Shifted his position and concentrated, moved so that his nose was nearly touching it and stared. The apple didn’t even wobble. He looked at Worlyn and Twinkle, both where nearly asleep, then picked up the apple and took a bite.
The crunch woke up Worlyn, ‘Did it move?’
‘No.’ Elijah continued eating.
‘Oh well, the gods must have a reason. Before I forget, Bearbert told me you should swim in the blue lake everyday.’
‘I can’t swim.’
‘Well, paddle then, as long as you lie down and let the water completely cover you. And,’ Worlyn pulled a yellowing parchment from inside his robes and handed it to Elijah, ‘here’s a list of plants you’ve to find, it seems I’m to make a potion for you to drink everyday.’
Elijah rolled out the parchment and looked at the words, it just looked like a load of black scribbles. ‘I can’t read.’
‘By Arlberg’s anvil I forgot.’
‘Who’s Arlberg?’
‘A demi-god, his father was Pluto, the god of the underground.’
‘Hell?’
‘No, not hell, under ground, mines and caves, he’s the patron god of miners and all creatures that live underground. He fell in love with a mortal girl called Singer.’
‘What, did she sing?’
‘What? No, she wasn’t a singer, she was a seamstress, and a very good one by all accounts because the gods bestowed immortality upon her and she’s been making their clothes ever since. Gods like clothes obviously. Don’t know why, they can just conjure up a whole wardrobe whenever they like? What were we talking about?’
‘This list of plants you gave me, but I can’t read, I need to see the plants, or a picture, to find the plants.’
‘Oh yes, right,’ Worlyn said, raising his hands and rolling back his sleeves, revealing both arms covered in complicated blue tattoos. ‘This is a basic summonere charm, the palms of the hands should be upward, the fingers have to be held just so, the forefinger and thumb should be touching, say or think what you want, “books on plants”, and click your finger and thumb.’ Click.
Suddenly, about fifty large heavy books came flying towards them at such a speed they would cause seriously injuries. Elijah jumped back, nearly squashing Muppy. Worlyn held up his hands, and the books stopped in mid air, except for one particularly large and heavy brass bound one that flew through his
hands and walloped him hard on his head. Twinkle flew off his shoulder back to her shelf, her colour changing to yellow. Worlyn was knocked three steps backwards and landed with a heavy thump on his back. The books fell to the floor.
Elijah dashed to Worlyn’s aid, who was rubbing his head, and helped him to stand. ‘It’s a good job we wizards are made of stern stuff, that book would have killed a mortal. I, I think I need to lie down, there’s the books.’
‘But I can’t read.’
‘Look at the words, look in the books if the letters are the same shape, triangular, square or whatever, if they all look the same, that’s the plant we want.’
Suddenly, Worlyn fell into Elijah, knocking him backward, he managed to catch him and straighten himself before he also fell back. Worlyn was unconscious, and Elijah was amazed that he had the strength to keep Worlyn upright. He supported Worlyn in his arms, dragged him to the bed and gently levered him on, lifted his legs, then pulled a fur skin over him and made him comfortable, turned back and surveyed the books upon the floor. It seemed impossible that he would be able to recognise the letters, but knew he must try. He sat cross-legged on the floor, picked up the nearest book and began to turn the pages. Muppy jumped back on the bed and curled up next to Worlyn. Twinkle glided from its shelf, landed on Worlyn’s chest and stayed there, giving Muppy her angry red stare, who jumped down and went next to Elijah. Twinkle breathed little puffs of fire every time he went near.
Strange things happened as he was trying to find the plants Worlyn wanted. A handsome stallion Kentauros with golden blond, waist-length, hair trotted into the room, looked at him, then Worlyn, turned and left. The giant smoking, white flannelette, (with big red lips emblazoned all over), pyjama clad, drinking something black and obnoxious, bat appeared out of nowhere, gave them both a disappointed evil look, cracked and disappeared.
Then a beautiful eunicon was standing staring at him. He nearly fell back with shock, he hadn’t heard anything. The eunicon transfigured and Esme appeared, and Elijah couldn’t move, her beauty transfixed him, made him immobile, she glimmered, sparkled and moved with a grace and majesty that Elijah loved.
Esme effortlessly sat on the floor next to Elijah, reached over and gently stroked his cheek; her touch was both calming, yet electric. ‘Hello Elijah, has Worlyn told you about your challenge?’
Elijah could only nod, it seemed sacrilege to speak in her presence.
‘Do not be frightened, you may speak.’ she said, as if hearing his thoughts.
‘I don’t understand, and neither does Worlyn, why the gods want me to challenge Lord Zanatos? I, I mean, I don’t seem to have any magical powers.’
‘You were able to lift the shield.’
‘Yes, but that didn’t appear to impress Worlyn, it scared him more than anything.’
‘Yes it would Elijah, no human should be able to lift it.’
‘Then, I’m not human?’
‘Oh yes you are Elijah, very human, but at this precise time I cannot tell you anymore. You are to do exactly as Worlyn instructs you, and you will find that you progress very quickly.’ She floated to a standing position, as if their meeting was almost concluded.
He didn’t want her to go and scrambled to his feet. ‘He wants me to find plants, he’s give me a list, but I can’t read,’ he said breathlessly.
Again she smiled, ‘You will read, Worlyn will teach you.’
‘Worlyn seems to have forgotten many things.’
‘You will read.’ She held out her right hand and the list of plants floated up, she caught it and passed it to him. ‘These are the plants you will need to collect.’ Then, totally unexpected, she stepped nearer to him, gently caressed both his cheeks and lightly kissed his lips. ‘You will forget I have been here.’ He closed his eyes and it was as if he was floating on a draught of luxurious warm air, and then it was gone. He opened his eyes and Esme was no longer there, but he could still feel her presence, still smell her scent; honeysuckle, that’s what it was, but, he thought, she said I will forget she had been here, but how could he forget someone, something that was so perfect, so beautiful. It was impossible, and the list in has hands was no longer a list of words but perfectly drawn pictures of the plants he was to collect. He decided to do it now, there was only one problem, he didn’t know how to get out of here, and every time he walked through a door there was something horrible and monstrous waiting to eat him. Worlyn was still unconscious, a big dark bruise obscuring the dark tattoos on his forehead. He realised he was dog-tired and went to find the other bed, Muppy jumped and followed him.