Bastian had come to not like nor appreciate when books tend to dwell on the dull, plain and truly humdrum events of the truly bland and uninteresting, 'After all,' he thought. 'Reality has come to give me far too much of this kind of thing.' as the bell had finished its tenth chine. And couldn't for the life of him think why any writer would wish to write about such things and matters, nor would any other reader ever want to come and read about humdrum events.
You see, Bastian liked books that were exciting and full of action and adventure, that made him want to end on, to never give up on the brave and daring characters, ones that would allow him to dream or imagine all sorts of things and situations.
After all there was one thing Bastian was good at, it was possible the best thing he was good at, and that was imagining and conjuring up things in his head, it was so clear in this mind that Bastian could almost come to see and hear their voices, as he either come to read other stories or tell himself his own tales. And as he did so, he would come to forget everything around him, as though everything else had faded away into nothingness, only when he had finished the full story would he have to come back to reality.
And on this occasion, Bastian was so glad that this was this kind of book, glad that he was in his hiding place, where he could read on without being stopped.
In reading the Neverending Story, he had for sure come to hear in his head not only the creaking of the big trees and the howling of the wind in the treetops, but he almost seemed to catch the smell of moss and forest earth that the smallest of characters, the Will-o'-the-Wisp had just raced through.
.
Calm again Bastain turned his attention back to the pages of the Neverending Story, and yet again imagines started to form in his head of the words on the pages, creating a full world of Fantasia.
.
"After a straight journey of many hours, the smallest of creatures the Will-o'-the-Wisp had now come to arrive at his destination, just as the setting sun turned the clouds to liquid gold. Blubb had no indication that what was happening in its part of Fantasia nor could it have ever foreseen that there were three other messengers who had been sent by their own kind to the Ivory Tower. "Ah… I made it… I've actually made it… the tower… the Ivory Tower… the heart of Fantasia… I never knew it was so magnificent!"
.
The tower itself was surrounding by a vast moat, that actually cut off the tower from the main-land of Fantasia, this broad and deep gorge in Fantasia though a strong and dominant sign of true power over the land and people, was not of course designed to keep the enemy at bay than a design of feet and shear whim, as in Fantasia there had never been any such need, as the Childlike Empress in the past had never come to require such levels of protection; as in truth all the unbounded reaches of Fantasia there was no one who would have thought of attacking her.
There at the very centre of the moat was the impressive Ivory Tower, itself, the mass tower shining and shimmering in all its fairy white magnitude and splendour. 'Our true heart of Fantasia, and the home to our empress.' thought Blubb in true awe of the sight before them.
.
The word "tower" might give someone who has never seen it the wrong idea. It had nothing of the church or castle about it. The Ivory Tower was as big as a whole city.
From a distance it looked like a pointed mountain peak twisted like a snail shell. Its highest point was deep in the clouds. Only on coming closer could you would actually come to notice that this great sugar-loaf consisted of innumerable towers, turrets, domes, roofs, oriels, terraces, arches, stairways, and balustrades, all marvellously fitted together. All had been constructed out of the whitest Fantasian ivory, so delicately carved in every detail that it might have been taken for the latticework of the finest lace.
.
The tower was built to house the Childlike Empress and her royal court; her chamberlains and maidservants, wise women and astrologers, magicians and jesters, messengers, cooks and acrobats, her tightrope walkers and storytellers, heralds, gardeners, watchmen, tailors, shoemakers and alchemists. And at the very summit of the great tower lived the Childlike Empress in a pavilion shaped like a magnolia blossom. On certain nights, when the full moon shone most gloriously in the starry sky, the ivory petals opened wide, and the Childlike Empress would be sitting in the middle of the glorious flower.
.
Before the Will-o'-the-Wisp had arrived, Gluckuk had been the very first of those four messengers to arrive at the tower. Who had been taken to the tower's stables, and been aided by the empress' finest of stable-hands. The hands knew how far this inhabitant of Fantasia had come, and knew of the amazing feet it must have been for the Corrum that had carried the little Winzling here.
A hand stepped forward, "Welcome, dear Winzling, it appears you've come a long way… what of your journey?" Gluckuk was asked.
"I have come in peace…' here Gluckuk held up his white flag. 'My name is Gluckuk, yes I have travelled fat… and I am in urgent need of an audience with the Childlike Empress, as I have an important message for her."
Another member of the welcome part stepped forward with a bow and then held forth the ceremonial welcome cup.
Gluckuk looked at the cup for a second, and then bowed his head in equal respect and once he had taken the cup took one sip, and then handed it back to the stable-hand.
"This way then if you will… And I will tell the empress of your arrival!"
Gluckuk smiled and followed the stable-hand out of the stables, seeing his Corrum Deep-Weep taken care of with a net of straw and green leaves to eat.
.
Then just after Blubb, flow in Whoosh on the wing of Tiloo. Whoosh, the little Nighthob, had come to guide Tiloo to land on one of the lower terraces, where the stables were located. He and his Stariy were far too exhausted after this long trip.
Someone must have announced his arrival, which actually made the Nighthob grim with pride, as five imperial grooms were there waiting for him. They helped him out of his glider, bowed to him, and held out the ceremonial welcome cup. As etiquette demanded, Whoosh took only one sip and then returned the cup. Each of the grooms took a sip, then they bowed again and led the bat to the stables. All this was done in silence. On reaching its appointed place, the bat touched neither food nor drink, but immediately rolled up, hung itself head-down on a hook, and fell into a deep sleep. The little Nighthob knew that he had gone and demanded too much of his mount. The grooms left it alone and crept away from the stable on tiptoes. Whoosh turning to say. "You rest up now good, Tiloo… Your efforts have hopefully come to save my people, my now our luck be in the hands of our empress."
.
The last of these four messengers to arrive at the Ivory Tower was Pyornkrachzark, rumbling over a grand bridge on his stone vehicle. Due to his size and mass the Rockbiter had to duck or even squat down to get through the main halls and doorways of the tower. Pyornkrachzark showing his white flag and informing those who greeted him of his purpose here at the tower.
.
Blubb, the Will-o'-the-Wisp was shown through the halls of the tower, there before them, it recognised the figure to be that of a Winzling, 'He couldn't be anything else, just look at his top-hat and gold chain of his pocket watch.' Blubb thought as it looked the little man up and down.
As it came to observe the character before them, it came to notice that he had something white with him, which no doubt meant he too was a messenger, 'Could he have travelled here on the same business and me?' thought the Will-o'-the-Wisp.
Blubb held out its hand."So if my eyes don't deceive me, it appears that I am not the only messenger that has been sent to speak with the empress?"
Gluckuk scratched his left brow, then removed his red top-hat and took a slight bow. "It appears that way, yes.' he answered, now stepping forward and coming to shake the hand of the waiting Will-o'-the-Wisp, the Winzling feeling the touch of heat from Blubb as he did so. 'My people in the far west of Fantasia saw the approaching threat and sent me to ask for the Childlike Empress' aid."
"I had hoped that it was only my part of Fantasia that had been affected by this force, this power." stated Blubb lowering its head, and as it did do the bright colour of the ball around it faded a little.
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Blubb." stated the Will-o'-the-Wisp, placing a hand onto their own chest.
"Delighted," said the Winzling with a smile. "Mine is Gluckuk."
.
It may seem strange that creatures of different kinds were able to communicate with one another so freely, so easily, however, nearly all the inhabitants of Fantasia, knew at least two languages - that being their own native tongue, which they spoke with members of their own species and which no outsider understood, and the universal language known as High Fantasian, which all Fantasian's commonly use, though some in a rather peculiar way.
.
The second messenger, Whoosh the Nighthob had been led to where the others now stood in wait. The Nighthob had just come to hear parts of their conversation. "Hoo, it's a will-o'-the-wisp and a Winzling.' whispered the Nighthob, and his moon eyes a glow. 'Pleased to meet you both!"
"Many thanks," said the will-o'-the-wisp.
The Nighthob bowed. "My name is Whoosh Woozool… Hoo… Tell me the truth now, could you all be going to see the Childlike Empress?"
"Exactly," said the will-o'-the-wisp.
.
It took the will-o'-the-wisp no time to see the third person on the left side of the fire, for he was so large and tall that the Rockbiter could have been seen from a distance. "And mine," stated the towering Rockbiter with a gruff crackle. "is Pyornkrachzark… It appears there's a lot of traffic around here tonight! And, no doubt, we are here on the same mission, I fear!"
"That we are Pyornkrachzark!"
.
The will-o'-the-wisp couldn't get over it that three such different creatures should be standing there so peacefully, for harmony between different species was by no means the rule here in Fantasia. Battles and wars were frequent, and certain types of the species have been known to feud for hundreds of years.
Moreover, not all the inhabitants of fair Fantasia were good and honourable, there were also thieving, wicked and cruel ones. The race of will-o'-the-wisp itself belonged to a family that was hardly reputed for truthfulness or reliability, often known to send a traveller down the wrong turning or into a dead end.
But each one of them seemed to come and respect one another as messengers.