(Author's note: Sorry about the slow pace of these updates guys, am having trouble with the motivation! Apologies also for the severe shortness of my chapters :p Thank you all for your reviews, keep 'em coming!)
Chapter XII
The door was widely set inside a stone archway, a slab of mahogany attached to a building of sandstone bricks. From the outside, the structure seemed to contain only one room, squatting miserably in the vast swamplands. Sarah observed there was no handle or even a knocker to gain entry, merely a flat, brass, oblong plaque that could only have been a peephole. However, the means to open it was not this side of the door.
Shrugging to her companions, Sarah stepped up and rapped on the wood. There was a brief scuffling and a repulsive squelching sound then, finally, the metal slat slid across to reveal a peculiar pair of eyes on stalks.
"What's the password?" asked a gurgling voice.
"Password?" Sarah replied. "We don't know any password."
She heard a grunt and the brass sheet sealed up again. Before she could protest, there came a series of loud knocks. A tiny handle appeared on her side of the sheet. Bewildered, Sarah tugged it aside and began a staring competition with the creature behind the door.
"Well?" it said impatiently after several minutes.
"Well what?"
"You're supposed to tell me the password," it sighed. "Otherwise I'll be stuck here all night."
Sarah was totally baffled by now.
"Let me get this straight. You want to come through the door too?"
"No, I want to sit here for a week until my glooboids dry," came the sarcastic response. "Tell me the password so I can get through!"
"We want to get through as well!" Lynden said, beginning to get annoyed. "We don't know the damn word!"
"Look," said the creature, ignoring her. "I'll tell you the word to get to my side, and you tell me the one to get to your side. Fair?"
Lynden had been about to give out a piece of her mind but Sarah interrupted hastily.
"Deal!" She did not even stop to see her friend's puzzled expression. "On the count of three. One, two, three..."
"Fairy-cakes."
"Doodlebug."
The door made a sudden click and then swung open with a grating noise. Sarah, Lynden and Ludo sidled past the giant, purple-spotted slug that belched out a 'thank you' and went on his way.
As they entered the new surroundings, Lynden turned to Sarah to ease her confusion.
"How did you know what to say?"
"I didn't," Sarah laughed. "I made it up. I figured that it didn't matter what you said as long as you both said a word. Not really that hard when you think about it."
They had arrived in an interminable expanse of a lush rainforest. Exotic trees and flowers dripped water and nectar onto the overgrown carpet of grasses. Pink and yellow and blue birds swooped high and low, sporting ribbon-length tail feathers. The soothing rush of a waterfall sounded somewhere ahead, renewing the embodied travellers' thirsts.
"Where are we?" Sarah asked in awe as she clasped Ludo's hand, the great beast feeling an equal sense of fascination.
Lynden, who was just a distortion in the forest scenery, began to tread further through the trees.
"I've heard of this place, though I've never seen it myself," she said. "Supposedly it leads to the back entrance of the Goblin City."
Sarah and Ludo followed closely behind, taking care not to trample some of the larger plants in case they decided to fight back. It was not long until the companions reached a section of the jungle that was untouched by sunlight, a narrow strip of gloom that heralded a bright glade several metres beyond.
A few steps in, Lynden called for them to stop.
"Wait here."
The atmosphere in this area was fearfully ominous, not a movement seen save that of the water girl creeping through the centre. She paused and glanced at the rows of asparagus-shaped plants either side of her. Eyeing them warily, she took another few paces.
Sarah watched anxiously from the border between shadow and light, squeezing her monster-friend's paw to comfort him. Her gaze drifted across the grass adjacent to her feet. It was almost too black for even shadow. Stooping to inspect it, she was astonished when a sooty residue came off onto her fingertips. The ground had been charred by an intense heat.
The thought struck her and she shouted urgently, "Lynden! Get out of there!"
The leaves of the plants were already uncurling. Huge buds atop snaking stems peeled out of the leaves, their petals spiralling out into spiculate flowers. Lynden froze as the dark rings in the centre of the blossoms started to glow.
"Shit."
Beams of light shot out from all directions, blinding the onlookers. The buds closed and the flowers retracted back into their leaves. Sarah and Ludo removed their hands form their faces. Lynden was gone.
Sarah screamed out in anguish but was drowned out as Ludo raised his head to the sky and howled with all his might. She grabbed the fur of his shoulder and pleaded, tears coursing down her cheeks. He did not stop.
"Ludo! Please don't. There's no point!" she cried. "We're in a rainforest. There're no rocks."
Ludo ignored her and changed the pitch of his lowing wail. The earth shook beneath their feet, rumbling from the distance to harmonise with the beast's voice. A rhythmic thundering ensued, something pounded in the undergrowth, becoming louder as it neared.
Sarah gaped as what looked like a massive stack of rocks tumbled onto the ash-covered path. Stone spines shivered from a chiselled head to a skeletal tail, fish-bone spikes fanned out as parts of folded wings at its flanks. The creature slammed a granite fist on the first plant that opened, crushing it with ease. Limbs and teeth slashed and tore, uprooting every squealing flower head in the rows.
When all was still, the towering creature turned its sloping head towards the two companions and regarded them with green lizard-like eyes.
"Methis plants," it said solemnly. It had a voice similar to the sound of a finger tracing the rim of a glass but amplified considerably. "Chemosynthetic flowers. They don't need the light to survive. They feed off the flesh of animals for energy."
Sarah swallowed.
"Thank you, I-," she stammered, breaking off as the living mass of rubble approached.
"It's been a long time, Ludo," it growled gently to the beast at her side. "I was wondering when I would see you again. But you are sad...what troubles the friend of Pterelas?" (1)
Ludo moaned a reply, "Water girl go."
Sarah was on the verge of offering an explanation but the creature inclined its snout mournfully and spoke again.
"You have lost a friend here. I regret not arriving sooner." He looked down at Sarah for the first time. "Forgive my rudeness. I am Pterelas and you must be Sarah. Ludo has told me what he could about you. He also tells me you defeated the King and rescued your brother, of which I am glad and hope now to know you better. As the only rock dragon in the Underground, it does me well to keep updated. He motioned to the glade ahead. "Come, we have much to discuss."
Ludo nudged Sarah affectionately to give her the incentive to move. Pterelas turned and walked on all fours through the debris, his segmented tail swishing back and forth.
A drop of rain splattered onto his grey muzzle from the canopy overhead. He stopped in his tracks and tilted his head to listen to the fluttering of wings in the treetops. More droplets sprinkled upon him then, without further warning, a torrent of water splashed over his face, startling the two companions behind.
Pterelas blinked at the small girl that perched on the end of his nose. At least, he assumed it was a girl and that his eyes were not deceiving him.
"Uh...hi?" she said, the watery lines of her lips becoming a nervous smile.
"Lynden!"
The water child grinned and peered down at the surprised and relieved Sarah.
"Hey! Sorry about that! Took me longer to condense than I thought." She giggled.
Sarah beamed and wiped away a mud-stained tear.
"If I didn't know I was going to get soaked, I'd hug you."
The party of friends, new and old, laughed merrily and journeyed on into the open, sunlit glade.
(Footnote: (1) Pterelas = In Mythology...Greek I think...this is the name of one of Actaeon's fifty dogs. It means 'winged one'.)
Chapter XII
The door was widely set inside a stone archway, a slab of mahogany attached to a building of sandstone bricks. From the outside, the structure seemed to contain only one room, squatting miserably in the vast swamplands. Sarah observed there was no handle or even a knocker to gain entry, merely a flat, brass, oblong plaque that could only have been a peephole. However, the means to open it was not this side of the door.
Shrugging to her companions, Sarah stepped up and rapped on the wood. There was a brief scuffling and a repulsive squelching sound then, finally, the metal slat slid across to reveal a peculiar pair of eyes on stalks.
"What's the password?" asked a gurgling voice.
"Password?" Sarah replied. "We don't know any password."
She heard a grunt and the brass sheet sealed up again. Before she could protest, there came a series of loud knocks. A tiny handle appeared on her side of the sheet. Bewildered, Sarah tugged it aside and began a staring competition with the creature behind the door.
"Well?" it said impatiently after several minutes.
"Well what?"
"You're supposed to tell me the password," it sighed. "Otherwise I'll be stuck here all night."
Sarah was totally baffled by now.
"Let me get this straight. You want to come through the door too?"
"No, I want to sit here for a week until my glooboids dry," came the sarcastic response. "Tell me the password so I can get through!"
"We want to get through as well!" Lynden said, beginning to get annoyed. "We don't know the damn word!"
"Look," said the creature, ignoring her. "I'll tell you the word to get to my side, and you tell me the one to get to your side. Fair?"
Lynden had been about to give out a piece of her mind but Sarah interrupted hastily.
"Deal!" She did not even stop to see her friend's puzzled expression. "On the count of three. One, two, three..."
"Fairy-cakes."
"Doodlebug."
The door made a sudden click and then swung open with a grating noise. Sarah, Lynden and Ludo sidled past the giant, purple-spotted slug that belched out a 'thank you' and went on his way.
As they entered the new surroundings, Lynden turned to Sarah to ease her confusion.
"How did you know what to say?"
"I didn't," Sarah laughed. "I made it up. I figured that it didn't matter what you said as long as you both said a word. Not really that hard when you think about it."
They had arrived in an interminable expanse of a lush rainforest. Exotic trees and flowers dripped water and nectar onto the overgrown carpet of grasses. Pink and yellow and blue birds swooped high and low, sporting ribbon-length tail feathers. The soothing rush of a waterfall sounded somewhere ahead, renewing the embodied travellers' thirsts.
"Where are we?" Sarah asked in awe as she clasped Ludo's hand, the great beast feeling an equal sense of fascination.
Lynden, who was just a distortion in the forest scenery, began to tread further through the trees.
"I've heard of this place, though I've never seen it myself," she said. "Supposedly it leads to the back entrance of the Goblin City."
Sarah and Ludo followed closely behind, taking care not to trample some of the larger plants in case they decided to fight back. It was not long until the companions reached a section of the jungle that was untouched by sunlight, a narrow strip of gloom that heralded a bright glade several metres beyond.
A few steps in, Lynden called for them to stop.
"Wait here."
The atmosphere in this area was fearfully ominous, not a movement seen save that of the water girl creeping through the centre. She paused and glanced at the rows of asparagus-shaped plants either side of her. Eyeing them warily, she took another few paces.
Sarah watched anxiously from the border between shadow and light, squeezing her monster-friend's paw to comfort him. Her gaze drifted across the grass adjacent to her feet. It was almost too black for even shadow. Stooping to inspect it, she was astonished when a sooty residue came off onto her fingertips. The ground had been charred by an intense heat.
The thought struck her and she shouted urgently, "Lynden! Get out of there!"
The leaves of the plants were already uncurling. Huge buds atop snaking stems peeled out of the leaves, their petals spiralling out into spiculate flowers. Lynden froze as the dark rings in the centre of the blossoms started to glow.
"Shit."
Beams of light shot out from all directions, blinding the onlookers. The buds closed and the flowers retracted back into their leaves. Sarah and Ludo removed their hands form their faces. Lynden was gone.
Sarah screamed out in anguish but was drowned out as Ludo raised his head to the sky and howled with all his might. She grabbed the fur of his shoulder and pleaded, tears coursing down her cheeks. He did not stop.
"Ludo! Please don't. There's no point!" she cried. "We're in a rainforest. There're no rocks."
Ludo ignored her and changed the pitch of his lowing wail. The earth shook beneath their feet, rumbling from the distance to harmonise with the beast's voice. A rhythmic thundering ensued, something pounded in the undergrowth, becoming louder as it neared.
Sarah gaped as what looked like a massive stack of rocks tumbled onto the ash-covered path. Stone spines shivered from a chiselled head to a skeletal tail, fish-bone spikes fanned out as parts of folded wings at its flanks. The creature slammed a granite fist on the first plant that opened, crushing it with ease. Limbs and teeth slashed and tore, uprooting every squealing flower head in the rows.
When all was still, the towering creature turned its sloping head towards the two companions and regarded them with green lizard-like eyes.
"Methis plants," it said solemnly. It had a voice similar to the sound of a finger tracing the rim of a glass but amplified considerably. "Chemosynthetic flowers. They don't need the light to survive. They feed off the flesh of animals for energy."
Sarah swallowed.
"Thank you, I-," she stammered, breaking off as the living mass of rubble approached.
"It's been a long time, Ludo," it growled gently to the beast at her side. "I was wondering when I would see you again. But you are sad...what troubles the friend of Pterelas?" (1)
Ludo moaned a reply, "Water girl go."
Sarah was on the verge of offering an explanation but the creature inclined its snout mournfully and spoke again.
"You have lost a friend here. I regret not arriving sooner." He looked down at Sarah for the first time. "Forgive my rudeness. I am Pterelas and you must be Sarah. Ludo has told me what he could about you. He also tells me you defeated the King and rescued your brother, of which I am glad and hope now to know you better. As the only rock dragon in the Underground, it does me well to keep updated. He motioned to the glade ahead. "Come, we have much to discuss."
Ludo nudged Sarah affectionately to give her the incentive to move. Pterelas turned and walked on all fours through the debris, his segmented tail swishing back and forth.
A drop of rain splattered onto his grey muzzle from the canopy overhead. He stopped in his tracks and tilted his head to listen to the fluttering of wings in the treetops. More droplets sprinkled upon him then, without further warning, a torrent of water splashed over his face, startling the two companions behind.
Pterelas blinked at the small girl that perched on the end of his nose. At least, he assumed it was a girl and that his eyes were not deceiving him.
"Uh...hi?" she said, the watery lines of her lips becoming a nervous smile.
"Lynden!"
The water child grinned and peered down at the surprised and relieved Sarah.
"Hey! Sorry about that! Took me longer to condense than I thought." She giggled.
Sarah beamed and wiped away a mud-stained tear.
"If I didn't know I was going to get soaked, I'd hug you."
The party of friends, new and old, laughed merrily and journeyed on into the open, sunlit glade.
(Footnote: (1) Pterelas = In Mythology...Greek I think...this is the name of one of Actaeon's fifty dogs. It means 'winged one'.)