Of Dragons And Angels
The castle loomed before like a massive beast, its mouth opened wide to welcome them: its prey. Two elongated windows glowed with a sickly yellow light, like a pair of demonic eyes as its many towers rose like horns against the overcast sky.
Yet there was no question about entering.
The seven gummies walked towards the opening of the castle, fear written evidently on their faces. Zummi was in front, his hand clutched tightly around a few pages where he had hurriedly written down some spells. Behind him was Gruffi, who was trying to walk bravely despite the fact he was very afraid. Gusto, Grammi, and Tummi walked in a closely-knit group as Sunni and Cubbi brought up the rear. Cubbi had his wooden sword held out in front of him as if it was a real weapon. The other gummies had wanted him and Sunni to come at all, but the two younger gummies had followed from a distance. By the time they were discovered, it was too late to send them back to the glen.
Slowly, they made their way inside the castle. Along the walls, a series of torches made a vain attempt to dispel the gloom. Moss grew from cracks in the walls and mushrooms had made their home along the floor. It seemed no mortal being had entered this castle in a very long time.
The door slammed shut behind them and they were now trapped in the belly of the beast. Although a few of them had jumped at the noise, no one was really that surprised.
They continued down the ancient hallway, no one speaking or making a sound. Finally, they came to a large wooden door that was scarred by countless weapons. Taking a deep breath, Zummi stepped aside and motioned for Gruffi to open the door. Despite its size, the door swung open easily when Gruffi pushed upon it.
The large, circular room was dominated by a massive dragon whose red eyes glowed in the dim light. From the back of the dragon grew two giant wings, but these wings were not covered in scales like the rest of the creature. These wings were made of soft, white feathers: like that of a bird or a celestial being. The wings may have been beautiful at one time, but both were ragged and one appeared to be broken. In the dragon's forehead was a giant horn, but this too was peculiar. The horn shimmered despite the poor lighting and appeared to be almost flat. It was around this strange horn that a darkness was gathering.
The darkness looked like a black cloud that swirled around the dragon's horn and head. The dragon snapped at the darkness and tried to move away from it, dragging its useless wing across the floor. It was at this time that the darkness seemed to notice the gummies watching it.
With an almost human roar, the dark cloud moved away from the dragon and started for the gummies. Sunni screamed, but none of them could move. Within a second, the darkness would be upon them and…
"No!" Gusto cried, bolting upright in bed. Fearfully, he looked around him but found he was no longer in the castle but safe in his own dwelling. He could hear the constant, and usually comforting roar of the waterfall. To his left, lay several canvases, brushes, and cans of paint – prepared if Inspiration made a nocturnal visit. There was also one giant canvas that stretched from the floor to ceiling. That was just in case Inspiration not only visited but also brought along her sledgehammer. Sighing aloud, he wiped a few drops of sweat from his forehead. "It was only a dream," he mumbled to himself.
Arte Deco was sleeping soundly on a shelf. Either Gusto hadn't yelled as loud as he thought he had, or the bird was just a very deep sleeper. Maybe it was a bit of both. After all, staying with Gusto, you either had to learn to be a deep sleeper or you went without sleep many nights. That's why he preferred to live alone. Gusto laughed at himself as he lay back down, adjusted the sheets around him. It was just a dream. Only a dream.
But he knew there would be no more sleep for him that night.
******
Morning came to Gummi Glen with its usual bustle of activity. Grammi was preparing breakfast while Sunni watched: trying to learn the art of cooking. Zummi was also nearby, actively offering his services as a taste-tester. Gruffi was repairing a broken doorframe as Cubbi stood ready to hand him the necessary tool. The young gummi tried to stand patiently, but kept restlessly shifting his weight from foot to foot as he looked around for something new and exciting. Zummi smiled as he walked by and down to the library.
The Great Book sat upon its podium, always inspiring awe in the gummi sorcerer. Just to think that all the knowledge and wisdom of the ancient gummies was right there in front of him: right at his fingertips. Still smiling, he opened the Great Book.
Suddenly, a violent yellow light shot from the book, knocking Zummi back unto the floor. He struggled to a sitting position as he watch the pages flip by themselves – the light growing stronger and stronger. Finally, the pages stopped turning as Zummi got to his feet.
Cautiously, he made his way to the Great Book and read what was revealed to him on the page. "Oh My!" he gasped.
Do you like it so far? If you do, then I'll go on.
