Hope restored

Part IX

The knights rode through the forest back towards Gummadoon, Sir Plucki in front with his friends beside him and the other knights following closely behind him. They rode back in utter silence with Sir Blastus and Sir Gumlittle occasionally exchanging a few words to one another.

Sir Plucki held Cammi's bag in his hand holding it close to him, he knew the reason why Cammi had ran away but still he wished that he had spoken to him last night and maybe change his mind and stop Cammi from doing what he wanted to do. Sir Plucki was so busy wrapped up in his own thoughts that he didn't realize that they had come in sight of Gummadoon until he passed through the gateway. He dismounted his unicorn and took it into the stables before coming out again, the bag in his hands as he began to walk up a flight of stairs to the Councillor's room where he would break the news to them.

It was dark, so dark he couldn't see his hands in front of him, he wanted to scream but he knew it would be useless, he wanted to cry but then he would show he was weak and he knew that he needed to be strong. He felt like he had no other emotion except for fear and anger, he wanted to kill this creature to put things right and to banish his misery and to stop the pain he caused. He felt guilt arise in him for leaving the ones he loved and knew that he was causing pain to them. He had fallen unconscious due to a large rock hitting him on the back of the head when he was going underground, then when he woke up he was surrounded by nothing except darkness and Cammi knew that death awaited him soon.

Sir Plucki had just finished telling the Councillor and Cammi's mother the bad news, Cammi's mother began silently weeping, her hand on her face as to avoid showing them her tears, the Councillor's looked at him shocked and disbelieving. Sir Plucki bowed his head as to avoid their gaze and confronted Cammi's mother and held out his arm revealing Cammi's bag.

Cammi's mother removed her hands from her face and revealed her stained face and teary eyes as she stared hard at the bag that Sir Plucki held out to her. Without a second thought she took the leather brown bag from Sir Plucki into her hands and hugged it and began crying harder.

Everyone stood silent for a moment the only sound anyone could hear were the choked sobs of Cammi's mother and after a minute or two she calmed down and wiped her eyes and said, "Well, at least he's protected"

"By what?"

"Magic" she answered.

"But, magic of our strength won't last long against Tarquan" said one of the Councillors.

"No, not the present strength of magic, but ancient magic will" replied Cammi's mother

"But, only very powerful magicians who have studied for years in that magic can cast magic that might stand a chance against Tarquan" said Councillor Wooddale. "Besides how could you cast a spell upon Cammi your not a magician"

"Aren't I"

Everyone one went quiet again and Cammi mother pulled something out of a pocket in her dress and unwrapped it and there lay an old medallion probably one of the first in existence.

"This is one of the oldest medallions in existence and I have studied the ancient magic intensely for the last thirty years"

"But, what spell did you cast upon him then?" asked Councillor Berryboum.

"The most powerful protection spell in the ancient magic even Tarquan will find it hard to do serious damage to Cammi for a while"

Rather shakily Sir Plucki asked, "What spell did you cast upon Cammi?"

"Veracotum" she answered.

Sir Plucki looked down at Cammi's mother she had given him hope now and strode out the Tower and headed towards his room.

Everyone could clearly see that both him and Cammi's mother were grieving although Sir Plucki tried to hide it and would later grieve when no one was around.

Sir Plucki reached his room and closed the door behind him, he was alone now and Cammi was gone. His cheering, childlike and innocent laughter gone and vanished in the air along with the continuous echoes of his cries.

Sir Plucki lay down on his bed thinking about all the good and bad times him and Cammi had, had together since Cammi was three years old.

Flashback

Sir Plucki and his two friends Sir Blastus and Sir Gumlittle were out in the training grounds training. It was the first time in weeks they'd been able to train because the rest of the time they were taking care of Cammi.

Cammi was nearly four years old now and would only occasionally behave for other gummi's when away from his foster father and his friends.

The knights had been training all morning and had stopped to take a break when Sir Gumlittle said, "Looks like we have a visitor"

The other two turned in the direction he was looking at and saw Cammi crawling over to them.

Cammi was quite capable by now of walking but he just preferred to crawl. He nearly reached the three of them when a female gummi came running in, her name was Sandi and she'd been looking after Cammi for the morning.

Cammi reached the three knights and sat down in front of his father and smiled.

Sir Plucki then looked up to Sandi who had now walked over to them.

"Is something wrong?"

"I've had to chase him all over Gummadoon this morning just to take a bath and as soon as he'd finished he raced out and went looking for you" said Sandi.

Sir Plucki looked down at the cub on the floor that just continued to smile innocently then hold out his arms and giggled.

"We'll look after him now then Sandi and thanks for your help"

Sandi left quickly and Sir Plucki picked up the cub from the floor.

Cammi squirmed around in his arms for a moment or too before giving a mischievous little grin and climbing up his father's shoulder. He climbed up until he was sat on his father's shoulder then clumsily swung his leg round onto the other shoulder.

Sir Plucki grabbed hold on Cammi's feet so he didn't fall off while Cammi giggled from his place on his father's shoulders.

Cammi looked around occasionally being swiftly pulled up when he leant back too much then he looked at what Sir Blastus was doing.

Being a cub he was interested in everything so he put his hands on his father's helmet and leant forward. As he leant over the helmet slipped over his father's head so he couldn't see anything and Cammi slipped forward slowly. He slid off his father's shoulders then fell to the ground. Cammi's eyes were closed tightly but he never hit the ground he felt someone grab him round the stomach and lift him up. He opened his eyes slowly and looked up to see his father and smiled at him.

End of flashback

Sir Plucki smiled at the memory, Cammi had always been mischievous no matter how old he was, he always gave them a laugh but sometimes he would get them angry depending how mischievous he was. He soon fell to sleep with several memories flashing before him and hoped that Cammi was all right wherever he was.

Cammi was still trapped in darkness underground, his eyes were now coming adjusted to the darkness that surrounding him. He so desperately wanted to get out, he wanted to wake up and believe it was just a nightmare and that he never left Gummadoon but he knew inside that this was real.

Just before morning broke Cammi's mother walked down the corridor swiftly and ran out onto the wall over the main gate. She needed as few gummi's see this, as possible so this was the best time most would still be asleep. She took out the medallion and placed it around her neck then lifted her hands up above her head and began to chant her spell.

Sir Plucki walked out of one of the towers by the main gate with Councillor Berrybaum talking about the best way of finding Cammi and if they found him how to rescue him. When a bright yellow light caught their attention, it was too early to be sunrise so this had to be done by a magic.

Shielding their eyes they looked up and saw Cammi's mother surrounded by light stood on the wall chanting a spell. Without warning the light engulfing her body shot off towards the forest and then within a second it came back and hit her full force knocking her off the wall.

Sir Plucki raced forward and caught her just before she hit the ground and she looked up at him.

"Thank you" she whispered weakly.

"What did you just do?" asked Councillor Berrybaum.

"I cast a spell letting me know exactly where Cammi was," she said dazedly

"And?"

"He's..." she said but paused when pain shot up her side.

She said nothing for a minute or two just lying on the floor clutching her side her eyes closed tightly and occasional gasps of pain.

"He's in the forest where you found his bag just underground in Tarquan's secret lair" she said quickly beginning to pant heavily and gasp more frequently.

"How do we get in?" asked Sir Plucki

"There's a cave at the other end of the forest" she said then paused for a moment then continued "Tarquan no longer has an army because we defeated just over a week ago but Cammi is kept in a cell at the other end of the lair and is being guarded by three of his men"

All of them fell silent but was broken by a fit of coughing from Cammi's mother.

"What is happening to you?"

"The spell drains the caster's energy and for every minute you used the spell that is how many hours the after pain will last" she replied.

She breathed heavily a few times before closing her eyes and relaxing, she had gone unconscious.

TBC…

End of Part IX

Part X coming soon!

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