Chapter 33- getting an apple at the Garden of Youth and trouble
Next morning
Back with the quest groups, the quest goers, who had also been resting for the night, resumed their journeys to their destinations and the Nine-Realms Potion ingredients as soon as morning came. For the group going to the Garden of Youth which had become famous for having a critical role during the world of Narnia's initial days of existence, they were on the backs of the Sleipnir and Pegasi once again and were rushing off to said destination. Then as soon as they came to the area called the Western March, the Sleipnir decided to stay behind and have the group of quest goers whittled down to a smaller number. The few selected were Basophil, Eosinophil, Monocyte and Neutrophil, the brother and cousins of Lymphocyte; Tumnus and his cousin Guinan and Queen Lucy and as soon as they had been selected, they mounted the Pegasi and they carried the seven to the Garden of Youth which was atop a green hill. As this little group went to get an apple for the Nine-Realms Potion, the rest remained behind with the Sleipnir to keep an eye out for trouble. After all, fewer members were perhaps better during the visit to such a restricted-access orchard. The group continued approaching the hill until the vicinity of the Garden of Youth's location and its outer hedges melted into view.
"Here we are," called the lead Pegasus, a white and grey one who carried Queen Lucy, her royal cape flapping like a horizontal flag in the wind, "There's the Garden of Youth."
"Right, prepare for landing," called another Pegasus to the seven riders. The riders did so as the Winged Horses made their descent towards land. As they lowered towards earth, Eosinophil said, "Didn't Digory Kirke and his friend ride on a Pegasus to here?"
"Yes, the father of our species, Fledge," said her Pegasus, "All us Pegasi are descended from that Stallion and his Mare."
"Looks like we're repeating his quest," called Basophil on another Pegasus, "Except it's for a potion to cure High King Peter's poisoning."
The group continued descending towards the ground until finally, the Pegasi's hooves made contact. The Pegasi then entered a gallop and closed their flapping wings. They then slowed their gallop to a canter, then to a trot and finally, a walk until they eventually stopped. The Pegasi had stopped just outside the hedge wall surrounding and enclosing the Garden of Youth orchard and as soon as they had stopped, Queen Lucy, the two Fauns and the four Terror Birds dismounted their transporters. They then began to carefully approach the hedge wall enclosing the Garden of Youth Orchard.
"Make sure you obey the strict rules of the Orchard, you seven," said the lead Pegasus seriously, "Remember, this isn't a regular orchard."
"Yes, those apples that grow in that orchard are not, repeat: NOT for consumption as they are NOT regular apple snacks," said a Pegasus Mare also seriously, "The rules are written on the gates."
"I think only one or two of us should enter that garden, then," said Queen Lucy. Then Tumnus had an idea and pulled out some twigs from his belt satchel.
"I have several twigs," said the Faun, "Some are long and some are short. If the first two of us pull out the short twigs, they will be the ones to enter the Garden to get the apple."
"Deal," said Guinan and with that, Tumnus held out his hands containing the twigs and the other six began to draw twigs. Queen Lucy got a long twig while Guinan also got a long one. Basophil pulled out a short twig while Neutrophil pulled out a long twig. Monocyte also pulled out a long twig but Eosinophil pulled out a short twig. The moment the pink-red spotted Terror Bird pulled out the short twig, the two to enter the Garden was selected.
"Right, you two," said Queen Lucy, "Off you go into the Orchard. Remember to NOT have ANY of those apples for yourself or you'd face DIRE consequences. Just get an apple and come straight back out. Understood?"
"Perfectly your majesty," replied Eosinophil and Basophil together. The pair was clearly nervous and their stomachs writhed from the butterflies. This place was indeed a very serious place to be. Then the lead white and grey Pegasus came forward with a capsule.
"As soon as you pick an apple," he said, "put it straight into this capsule and come straight back out to us."
Eosinophil took the capsule and held it in her small clawed wings. Then the brother and sister of Neutrophil turned and advanced towards the Garden and its surrounding hedges and golden gates while the others stayed back to wait for them.
Basophil and Eosinophil cautiously approached the Garden of Youth. They could not see the trees that grew the exclusive apples for the hedge walls were very tall and screened off the orchard. As the two Terror Birds approached the outskirts of the Garden, they were greeted by an atmosphere of pleasantness and peacefulness that enveloped the place but there were also the ingredients of solemn and seriousness in the concoction.
"Where's the entrance?" Basophil asked his sister, "How are we gonna get in? We obviously cannot climb these hedge walls or dig under them."
Eosinophil scanned the green hedge walls until her eyes landed on a break in the green turf barrier.
"I think it's over there," she replied with a nod in that direction and with that, the two Terror Birds walked over to that gap which was filled in by two large solid gold gates. As soon as the pair approached the gates, they were amazed at how tall and beautiful these entrance barriers were. Silver writing was engraved on the top of the gates but Basophil and Eosinophil were too busily focussed on wondering how they were going to enter the Garden to get the essential apple for the Nine-Realms Potion for High King Peter to notice, stop and read. However, those words contained UTTERLY important instructions when entering the Garden and the two Terror Birds should have read them, though Eosinophil did notice them for a moment. The Terror Birds then gazed through the gaps in the golden bars into the Garden. There were apple trees present in the Garden but those trees were unlike any sort of apple tree Basophil and Eosinophil had come across in regular orchards. But as the lead white and grey Pegasus Stallion said, this was NOT a regular Orchard and the two Terror Birds must remember this. Basophil then leaned towards the golden bars of the gates and placed his clawed wings on them while he attempted to peer between one of the gaps to get a clearer view of the Garden apple trees when suddenly, the gates moved. Basophil flinched and stepped back at this unexpected movement but to his surprise, the gates swung open, providing access into the Garden.
"What did you just do?" asked Eosinophil in surprise.
"I just leaned on the gates to peer through the bars," replied Basophil. Then the pair turned and saw that they now had access to the Garden. They prepared to enter the exclusive Orchard.
"Right, let's enter the Garden, get that apple and return to our group," said Eosinophil, her wing claws clutching the capsule. This capsule was a special capsule and was designed to act like a portable object humans called a safe and will be VERY important in storing the apple Eosinophil and Basophil pick from the Garden during the return journey back to Cair Paravel. Then the sis and bro Terror Birds took their first steps into the Garden.
Basophil and Eosinophil were essentially following the footsteps of Digory Kirke when he came here to get an apple to plant the Tree of Protection as instructed by Aslan shortly after the latter's creation of this world. The Garden of Youth had been visited by a few other individuals in the past, mostly to get an apple for the Nine-Realms Potion for other poisoned victims like High King Peter, but like Digory Kirke before them, they had to be EXTREMELY careful when handling these magical apples, and Basophil and Eosinophil were no exception. As the two Terror Birds entered the Garden, a pleasant smell smothered them and the sight of the glistening trees and their fruits seized their attention. These trees certainly were extraordinary. Their leaves glistened in the colours of green, blue and silver in the sunlight which changed colour with viewing angle. They were somewhat like the 'money trees' sprouted from planting 'money-seeds' into the ground and were a source of food for metal eaters like Alicanto Birds. However, these trees' leaves were NOT metallic. Their apple fruits were spherical and sparkly, somewhat like the spherical Christmas ornaments Basophil and Eosinophil had once seen on a Christmas tree in the house of some Dwarfs called baubles, only much bigger and organic. These baubles sparkled in the sunlight in the Garden trees. Then Eosdinophil noticed something else in the garden. She turned and looked through the cluster of trees and noticed a geyser of water. It was a fountain and Eosinophil did not know why one was here in this exclusive, restricted-access area. The atmosphere was indeed pleasant but also very serious and unusually, it was very quiet. Even the fountain's trickling water did not make much of a sound. Eosinophil's eyes then returned to the bauble-like apples growing on the unusual trees. The Terror Bird then lifted her head to one of them but a shout snapped her out of her trance.
"Do NOT even THINK of opening your beak and clamping it onto one, sis," hissed Basophil harshly, "Let's get one of those apples and leave. We really shouldn't be in here."
Eosinophil, in agreement, continued her and her brother's walk into the Garden. As they ventured further into the Orchard, Basophil noticed something else present in the Garden. He turned to look at one of the trees and on its top was a colourful bird. It had a saffron crest and a colourful plumage and Basophil thought it was some sort of Fuenhang or Rainbow Phoenix at first but then he remembered that Fuenhang were a different shape, larger and had a different pattern and palette to their plumage.
"Eosinophil, look," called Basophil in amazement, "Is that a Phoenix?"
Eosinophil came over and examined the bird. This bird sat nobly atop the tree, its eyes piercing the surroundings as though watching it like a hawk.
"I believe that Bird must be the main and internal Guardian of the Garden," said Eosinophil, "While the Garden of Youth has an external, secondary Guardian outside its hedge walls, an ordained Talking Beast from one of the Four Cardinal Kingdoms."
"Either a Black Tortoise, White Tiger, Azure Dragon or Vermillion Phoenix," said Basophil, "From the Western, Northern, Eastern and Southern Kingdoms respectively. Do those Cardinal Talking Beasts and their co-inhabitants like the Toraton of the Black Tortoises' Kingdom for example have a clear view of Aslan's Country, the Heavenly domain existing beyond the boundaries of the Narnian world?"
"Aslan's Country surrounds the world of Narnia, including the Celestial Domain and the Underworld and Abyssal Domains. It also encloses the Cardinal Kingdoms though it is screened off by massive mountains and walls of water in the VERY distance of those regions," said Eosinophil, "But we digress. Let's pick one of those apples, put it in this sealed capsule and return to Queen Lucy and the others. They are waiting outside."
"Yes, High King Peter will need one for his antidote, the Nine-Realms Potion," said Basophil and with that, he approached one of the trees but before the blue-violet spotted Terror Bird could reach up to one of the bauble-like apples to pick it, a hissing noise suddenly began. Basophil flinched and turn his gaze to the Guardian Phoenix in its tree and saw it behave defensively. Its saffron crest was flared and its wings were spread out.
"Eosinophil, the Phoenix," the brother Terror Bird cried out. Eosinophil turned to the Phoenix and saw it glare and hiss hostilely in a particular direction. However, it was not to the two Terror Birds. The pair followed the Guardian Phoenix's gaze but when their eyes landed on what was agitating the Phoenix, horror tore through them.
There was a thick green root snaking up the hedge wall from the grassy floor but unlike regular roots, this root was moving. Then when Basophil and Eosinophil took a closer look at the moving root, they realised that it was scaly. The two Terror Birds shuddered as they watched the scaly root's tapering end slide down the hedge wall and onto the grass before creeping away.
"What was THAT!?" blurted out Basophil in horror. Eosinophil went to investigate but then something else caught Basophil's eye. The blue-violet spotted Terror Bird turned his gaze to that something but the moment his eyes landed on the form, fear seized him and he froze stiff as though hit with a petrification spell from the Witch's wand or from staring into the eyes of a Gorgon, but that minus the turning to a stone statue. Standing before the young male Terror Bird with blue-violet spots on his white plumage was a black figure and its back was turned to him. Emanating from its torso were long black arms and legs. Atop the torso was a rounded head and on the head were floppy ears, similar to a Dog with large mutton ears. Munching and slurping noises jumped into the air from behind the figure and Basophil saw an apple fly from the creature's right and onto a pile of some other apples. These silvery bauble apples were not bauble like anymore. Their roundness had been reduced to an hourglass shape, the flesh exposed just like a regular apple when it had been eaten by a Human or Humanoid like a Dwarf or Sasquatch, also called Bigfoot. Atop its tree, the Phoenix continued hissing fiercely at the black figure. Then Basophil found the courage to thaw him out of his frozen state induced by fear and stun and began to slowly take his first steps towards the figure. A scowl formed on his face.
"Excuse me, what are you doing in here!?" the Terror Bird boldly demanded, "Do you know that THIS GARDEN belongs to the CREATOR OF NARNIA and that its FRUITS are NOT for PERSONAL CONSUMPTION!?"
Then the figure moved. It turned its black head and the moment its true face became visible, fear and terror seized Basophil with greater intensity and froze the Terror Bird to the spot once again.
The creature's face had white upside-down U's for eyes and its muzzle was extended, rather like a Dog's. Its ears flopped down also like a Dog's and in the muzzle was a set of razor-sharp teeth. The creature's hands, which were white, clutched a few of the silvery apples and the creature's muzzle and front was smeared with the juice of more. This creature appeared to be a different creature but its features were reminiscent of the Horror and one of the White Witch's most loyal servants that resembled a black and white cartoon cat from a human cartoon from Earth as described to Basophil by Queen Lucy, and it was one of Basophil's GREATEST fears. The upside-down white U eyes filled with black dilated pupils glared menacingly at Basophil as their owner then began to approach the petrified Terror Bird as he began to tremble and whimper timidly. Then the Guardian Phoenix took action. Launching itself from its perch, it flapped up and swooped at the black creature which Basophil had named the Cartoon Shadow Dog due to its strong resemblance to the Cartoon Shadow Cat, one of the most-wanted minions of Jadis still roaming the Narnian lands, and began to engage the creature in battle. Basophil winced as the pair clashed, the Cartoon Dog creature backing away and releasing hissing noises as the Guardian Phoenix attacked it. But wait, could this creature ACTUALLY BE the Cartoon Shadow Cat shapeshifted into a Dog? After all, Basophil recalled how shapeshifting was one of the evil Cartoon Shadow Cat's powers besides generating multiple limbs from itself, possession-like puppeteering via mind control which was most effective on Feline creatures like Nekomata (for example, Kushanku who was unfortunate enough to be seized by one of the Cartoon Shadow Cat's hands and turned into a puppet to act as the Cat creature's mouthpiece) and levitating like a Shadow or ghost-like creature. However, Basophil was too rooted to the spot to launch himself into battle against the Cartoon Shadow Dog as it continued to fight viciously with the Guardian Phoenix.
While Basophil witnessed the fight between the Cartoon Dog-like creature and the Guardian Phoenix, Eosinophil had gone to confront the moving green scaly root but the moment she found the root's other end, she flinched violently.
"A green Basilisk!?" Basophil's sister blurted out when she saw that the other end had a pair of eyes, coloured golden, and a mouth from which a forked tongue flicked out. The scaly root, which was indeed a large Snake, had poison-green scales and a long body. It was indeed as big as a Basilisk, one of the largest species of Serpents to exist in Narnia and sometimes called the King of the Serpents. Few Basilisks were loyal to the Great Lion but many were White Witch loyal. Basilisks were infamous for having potent poison breath that could kill victims that inhaled it, venom and glares that can literally freeze anyone that makes eye contact with them. However, the glares of the select few were powerful enough to actually KILL anyone who made eye contact with them though luckily, these Basilisks had been few and far between but all these Basilisks with this deadly and fatal ability had been loyal to the White Witch. All Basilisks had voluntary control over inducing eye contact-inducing paralysis or death to anyone that connected eyes with them so they were able to unleash the paralysis or death stare upon their foes at will but it ONLY worked through eye contact. However, Eosinophil did not feel her body become paralysed when she stared into the golden eyes of the poison green Basilisk. Neither did she just simply and literally drop dead on the spot, which was unusual. Furthermore, poison green was almost non-existent in the palette of the Basilisk species and this large Snake's eyes were golden. Most Basilisks' eyes were red and gold was also a VERY rare eye colour for these giant Snakes, so there was something amiss about this large poison green Serpent. Then the Basilisk advanced towards the pink-red spotted white Terror Bird. Eosinophil immediately put the capsule down and brandished her mini trident in response but then the Basilisk stopped to her surprise, especially as the Basilisk's behaviour began to change, its hostility dissolving. Then the Basilisk formed a friendly look on its face and began to speak to Eosinophil in a smooth voice. This voice was as smooth as golden honey of the best quality dripping from a beehive; in fact it was like that kind of honey to the ears. And it had a mesmerising effect.
"Hungry, little birdie?" the Serpent spoke in a gentle, hissing voice that sounded like a gentle breeze. Eosinophil was immediately seized by a wave of wooziness and her head felt a little dense. Then she began to feel slightly unsteady on her feet and her eyelids drooped, half-closing her eyes. The Basilisk then nodded to one of the apple trees.
"Then try one of those lovely applesssss," said the serpent in its hissing, golden honey voice, "Also, you'll get a whole lot mo-o-o-ore if you eat of tho-o-o-ose lovely fruit. Those apples are magic wishing apples. Jussssst eat one of them and your greatesssssst wishes will come truu-u-u-ue," the last word exited the Snake's mouth like a stream of hypnotic smoke. Eosinophil, gripped by wooziness and sleepiness, then began to walk towards one of the trees, heading for one of the branches that drooped low and its apples within reach of the Terror Bird's beak. Eosinophil then stopped before this branch and gazed longingly at the fruit on that branch. They truly and indeed resembled silvery baubles, their metallic skin glistening like the 'coin fruits' of the money trees the metal-eating creatures like Alicanto Birds fed on. However, those apples also appealed to the nose in the most pleasant way, their scent riding the gentle breeze with a sample of it entering Eosinophil's nostrils like the fragrance of the most pleasant-smelling flowers in a beautiful garden. The moment Eosinophil's nose picked up the scent, a great desire to sample the fruit came over her. The temptation seizing the Terror Bird, her beak then opened but then sense seized her for a moment and she shook her head at realisation at what she was doing. She shot the Basilisk a look but the Basilisk gently ushered her on with its honeyed voice to eat one of the apples. It then sang a sort of hypnotic lullaby by saying, "Go on, it tasssssstesss sssssso go-o-o-o-o-od," over and over again in a low, soft, silky voice to stoke the temptation within Eosinophil to sample one of the apples. This had an immediate effect on Eosinophil and any sense and reasoning the Terror Bird had, and SHOULD have was clouded and eclipsed and she resumed gazing at the apple, its silvery skin and fragrance appealing to her eyes, nose and tongue, and the longing to feel the taste of that fruit on her tongue flared within her. The Basilisk continued repeating "it tasssssstesss sssssso go-o-o-o-o-od" as Eosinophil's beak approached the apple, its jaws slowly opening as it neared the fruit. But before the entranced Terror Bird's beak could close onto one of the fruit baubles and land her into the BIGGEST trouble of her life, a LOUD snarl exploded and shattered the peaceful air and also the spell gripping Eosinophil. The poison green Basilisk snapped its gaze from Eosinophil while the Terror Bird herself was snapped out of her trance. Eosinophil, upon regaining her senses, saw how close her beak was to the silver apples and immediately withdrew her beak from them. She then took a moment to regain herself as she shuddered from the shock of almost committing a VERY serious crime of eating one of the fruits of this restricted-access area. After this, Eosinophil turned and, to her surprise, she saw a new creature rush in and confront the giant poison green Snake, the latter rearing up at the newcomer.
This creature was Reptilian, like the Basilisk, but it had four legs with clawed feet, a large bony, horned frill flaring outward and backward from its head and from its muzzle emanated long tendrils. The creature also had hairy accents snaking from its muzzle and up its face, coloured blue. Its scales were azure and glistened like the Eastern Sea's colour but its underside was a golden yellow. Its eyes were green and reptilian and it had a lithe, serpentine body, its tail ending in some sort of tassel, coloured darker blue like the accents on its face. Down its spine ran a furry ridge also coloured dark blue, running down the entire length of the creature's body from the back of its head to its tail. Eosinophil looked on in UTTER stun as the azure coloured Reptile with four legs snarled at the green serpent and lashed a large trident-like weapon at it. However, this trident wasn't actually a trident but another tool called a sai. It was three-pronged like a trident such as the one Eosinophil had, but its central prong was longer. Then Eosinophil identified the species of this Reptile. It was an Azure Dragon, one of the four Noble Creatures of the Four Cardinals. She backed away as she watched the Azure Dragon continue to drive off the serpent and send it fleeing over the hedge wall, its front paws clutching its sai and waving and jabbing it at the green snake to drive it away. Then after one final snarl from the Azure Dragon, the poison giant snake was gone, its tail tip disappearing over the hedge. Then the Azure Dragon turned and launched itself at the Cartoon Shadow Dog as the Guardian Phoenix managed to wound its arm and drove it away as well with its sai weapon. The Cartoon Dog creature, its arms, its left one injured by the Phoenix Guardian clutching several more apples, beat a hasty retreat without fighting back and it too jumped over the hedge wall and escaped, cat-like screeches exploding from its mouth on the go. The Phoenix Guardian returned to its perch while the Azure Dragon glared after the Cartoon Dog creature, its front paws clutching its sai weapon. Beside it, Basophil looked on in stun, his fear paralysis completely gone, vanquished by the sudden appearance of the Azure Dragon while Eosinophil rushed in. The Azure Dragon then gazed angrily at the half-eaten apples before turning to the two Terror Birds, its glare saturated with dour and utmost seriousness.
"You two must vacate these premises right NOW," said the beautiful azure-scaled Magical Reptile with a golden underside and blue furry spine, face accents above its green eyes, and tail tassel seriously and severely, "This garden, the Garden of Youth, is STRICTLY the property of the Creator of Narnia and unless you have a VERY important reason to come here, you are trespassing. Have you not read the notice on the golden entrance gates on the east of this Garden's hedge walls?"
"You mean 'Come in by the gold gates or not at all, take of my fruit for others or forbear, for those who steal or those who climb my wall shall find their heart's desire and find despair'?" replied Eosinophil nervously, wary of the Azure Dragon's severity.
"Precisely that," snapped the Azure Dragon, its Reptilian glare fixed on the Terror Birds. This Azure Dragon was a male and was named Ladon and he was the appointed Secondary Guardian of the Garden of Youth, his job being to keep a lookout for potential intruders on the outside of the Garden; a VERY serious job and role to be in requiring a MASSIVE amount of responsibility. He did not snap out of irritation, but out of seriousness.
"We-we have come here to-to get an apple for th-the Nine R-R-Realms Potion," explained Basophil timidly, his timidity making him stammer, "Our High King Peter has been poisoned and only that potion can cure him and an apple from the Garden of Youth is one of its nine exclusive ingredients," he then looked around and gazed at the pile of half-eaten apples, the result of the Cartoon Dog-like creature's illegal and thieving snack before the Azure Dragon, Ladon came and drove it away, and then looked back at Ladon, "By the way, who was that giant green snake that confronted my sister? The Cartoon Dog creature was actually the Cartoon Shadow Cat shapeshifted into a Dog to disguise its true identity."
A severe frown formed on Ladon's face and a VERY serious one indeed.
"Thieving intruders with self-centred motives who should NOT be in here," the Reptile with a scaly hide with a similar colour to the Eastern Ocean's waters explained, "This Garden is NOT welcome to thieves and those with selfish motives, certainly NOT those who would DARE climb over the hedge walls," Ladon then gazed at the bauble-like apples on the trees with exotically coloured leaves, "You see, it is a terrible, TERRIBLE sin against Narnia's Creator to steal and eat ANY of those apples for your own personal gain as these fruits belong to him and him only. Though you may get what you want most as the last verse on the Garden's entrance gates states when you eat of those apples, such as immortality and eternal youth which are the two main effects of those apples," the Azure Dragon's voice then faded to a VERY serious and stern whisper, "the moment your teeth or beak touches the fruit's flesh to take the first piece, you pay a TERRIBLE price. You get a half-life, a CURSED life... from just ONE PIECE of those fruit."
"Who in NARNIA would choose THAT kind of life?" asked Eosinophil in disbelief. Ladon's azure head moved towards her.
"Anyone blinded by their selfishness and greed," the Azure Dragon spoke, "You remember the first intruder into this Garden in your history lessons, Phorusrhachid (the Terror Birds' technical name)? That Extra-Narnian had those kind of motives when she came here, climbed over the hedge wall and stole an apple for herself during that young Son of Adam's visit to get an apple for the Great Lion to plant a special tree back in his country."
Immediately Basophil identified the Extra-Narnian person from Ladon's brief description.
"Jadis, the White Witch," the blue-violet spotted Terror Bird replied.
"Exactly," said Ladon sternly, "and though Jadis got what she wanted: enhanced strength, immortality and everlasting youth, she also reaped the TERRIBLE consequences that came with her selfish decision: EXTREME revulsion of the fruit and a bottomless pit of hunger and lust for gain that could NEVER, EVER be satisfied for ALL the days of her life, leading to the eternal infection and festering of the disease of untold greed that she could NEVER cure," Ladon's gaze then turned in the direction of where the Cartoon Dog creature had fled, that Dog actually the Cartoon Shadow Cat in disguise, having shapeshifted into a Cartoon Dog to change its identity, "As for that black Dog figure, it too will get what it wants from the consumption of those apples but along with terrible consequences and as it had eaten so many of the apples, its price will be UTTERLY unfathomable and it will come down with a HUGE concoction of NASTY weaknesses."
"Looks like the Cartoon Shadow Cat has bitten its own paws then despite eating of the fruit to enhance its powers," said Basophil. A confused look came upon Ladon's face.
"Cartoon Shadow Cat?" the Azure Dragon asked.
"It's a shapeshifting demonic creature resembling a black Bakeneko but without the tail," explained Eosinophil, "It had been one of Jadis' most loyal servants, and one of the more violent ones."
"We have put it high up on the most wanted list of Jadis' minions to catch," put in Basophil, "But we have been unsuccessful in achieving it."
Just then a white and grey Pegasus Stallion turned up. The lead Pegasus had come here to check on the Terror Birds as he and the others waiting outside had been wondering what was taking the pair so long and the Stallion had hoped that they hadn't been sampling the apples for themselves. Further, he had heard commotion from outside the Garden's hedge walls and had become concerned. As the white and grey Winged Horse walked in, he was relieved to see that Basophil and Eosinophil were fine and that Ladon had intervened.
"Ah, thanks, Ladon," said the Pegasus, "We have been wondering what in Narnia was happening in here so I thought I'd come in here to check on these two."
"I had just rescued these two from two intruders," explained Ladon, "and also explaining to them why they should not be here unless they have a VERY special reason to," he then turned to Basophil and Eosinophil, "But since they have that, they are permitted. Based on their account, it doesn't sound good that one of the four prophesied Monarchs has been poisoned such that only the Nine-Realms Potion can cure him. However, they have been here long enough. They need to take ONE apple and then leave."
"Where's the capsule we gave you?" asked the Pegasus. Eosinophil looked around until her eyes landed on the transparent circular-ended cylinder in the grass at the foot of the tree whose fruit she had almost touched while under the green Snake's spell. Immediately, the female Terror Bird and Basophil's sister ran over to it and picked it up. As she did that, Basophil approached another tree with low-hanging branches such that the apples were within his reach for he did not want to risk using his beak to pick one of the bauble-like apples. The male Terror Bird then reached his wing claws to the fruit he could reach. Ladon went over, reared up and pushed his front paws on the branch to lower it to help the Terror Bird to get the fruit. Then Basophil's wing-claws clasped onto one of the apples and he pulled. Once a 'snap' was sounded as the apple's connecting stalk to the branch was severed, Ladon released the branch. Eosinophil came in with the opened capsule and within moments and to prevent the overwhelming temptation to taste the fruit, the silver apple was in the capsule, the open end's cap replaced and sealed. The tree from which Basophil had picked the apple was the very same tree Digory Kirke had picked for the Tree of Protection centuries ago. Once the apple was in the capsule, the two Terror Birds and the Pegasus prepared to leave.
Basophil, Eosinophil, the grey and white Pegasus and Ladon exited the Garden and the gates closed by themselves behind them. The moment the four left the garden, Neutrophil, Monocyte, Tumnus, Guinan and Queen Lucy rushed over to the first two and hugged them.
"Oh, thank goodness you're okay," cried Neutrophil as he hugged his younger brother and sister, "You had us worried in there."
"We thought you may have succumbed to the temptation of eating of the fruit," added Guinan.
"Where's the capsule in which you put the apple?" asked Tumnus. Eosinophil raised said capsule to show the other five and the Pegasi that her and Basophil's mission was a success. Joy swept through the group.
"Well done, you two," cried Neutrophil.
"You've obtained one of the nine exclusive ingredients," cried Queen Lucy. Then Eosinophil handed the capsule containing the glistening apple to Monocyte and he packed it away in his bag to keep it safe during the return journey to Cair Paravel.
"To add that to the Nine-Realms Potion, the ENTIRE fruit MUST be used," said Ladon, "Core and all. Make sure you keep that apple VERY safe and do NOT let it fall into the wrong paws at ALL costs."
"You're the Secondary Guardian of the Garden of Youth, aren't you?" asked Basophil to which Neutrophil shot him a glare at such an apparently impolite question. However, Ladon answered it without hesitation.
"I am, yes, as appointed by the Great Lion and owner of the Garden," said he, "My job is to keep watch for any intruders that would DARE climb the hedge walls of the Garden of Youth to steal from the Orchard. Of course, I live outside the Garden to avoid the temptation of consuming the fruit with DEVASTATING consequences. The Guardian Phoenix serves as the internal Guardian of the Garden. The first appointed Secondary Guardian had been a White Tiger and he was appointed by Aslan to take up the role shortly after Digory Kirke's visit. Then once the White Tiger retires, the next Cardinal Animal to be appointed as Guardian is an Azure Dragon, like me. Then a Vermillion Bird is selected and then a Black Tortoise and the next Guardian after that is a White Tiger once again and it cycles around," the Azure Dragon then shook his head, "Normally, us Cardinal Animal Guardians are UTTERLY careful but sometimes intruders can slip through our fences. That green snake and the Cartoon Dog creature certainly did. I think the latter must have distracted me so that it could enter the Garden by jumping over the hedge wall."
Confusion but then horror tore through Queen Lucy and the others.
"Cartoon Dog!?" Monocyte blurted out.
"Oh, no," said Queen Lucy with dread.
"What's wrong?" asked Ladon. Queen Lucy shot the Azure Dragon a horrified glare. "The Cartoon Shadow Cat's been in that Garden!? THAT is VERY serious."
"The Cartoon Shadow Cat is a shapeshifter," explained Neutrophil, "And sometimes it can assume the form of a Dog to mask its true identity. It frequently used this method to trick and frighten Canine creatures including Wolves into panicking and fleeing."
"And since it has been eating of those apples," said Tumnus, "I'm dreading to think what effect those fruit will have on it and its dangerous powers..."
"So this... Cartoon Cat Spectre thing has been ravaging your area?" asked Ladon.
"Sorry, Ladon," said the white and grey lead Pegasus as his underlings commanded Queen Lucy, Tumnus, Guinan, Neutrophil, Monocyte, Eosinophil and Basophil to mount them, "But we don't have time to stand around and discuss this. High King Peter needs this apple for his potion and we MUST warn Martian and the others back at Cair Paravel about the Cartoon Shadow Cat ASAP."
"Thanks for helping us out, anyway," said Eosinophil.
"You're welcome," said Ladon, "but be assured of this. The Cartoon Cat Spectre may get a boost in its powers but it will also have gained a set of NASTY weaknesses which will be its UTMOST despair as the last verse of the warning notice on the Garden of Youth's entrance gates tell you."
"Yes but we MUST be aware of its strengths most of all," said Queen Lucy and with that, the group prepared to return to the Sleipnir and the others that had chosen to stay behind while this group went to get the apple. Then after bidding each other farewell, Ladon and the group went their separate ways, the former back to his duty as Secondary Guardian of the Garden of Youth.