Bumblestook: Book 1, The Accidental Wizard (35 page)

Lance and Olivia turned toward the source. Between the stiffly upright forms of Rowena and Barra-Hoon, Imperious sat on a low slab of rock, against a backdrop of stalactites, descending in a shimmering, frozen waterfall, from ceiling to floor. His slight form leaned forward alertly and his eyes shone blue-diamond bright, despite his great age.

The ancient Mage rose shakily, with the help of his staff. Standing between the impressive forms of his companions, he looked to be as a child, yet his bearing cast him as one of great stature.

“Magic flows in our blood and is bound to the very life force of The People. Magic serves
us
only as well as
we
serve
Magic
,” he spoke fervently.

Olivia moved swiftly to stand before him, with Bartholeumous and Lance close behind.

“Forgive me, sire. I meant no disrespect. I speak as a mother whose child may be in danger.”

“Yes,” the High Mage nodded gravely, compassion softening his gaze. “Danger has always been an element of the Quest. Of that we can be assured.”

Olivia’s small, perfectly matched nostrils, flared slightly. “Which is why we must act quickly! Fiona isn’t ready to face such peril!” She looked urgently to Rowena. “There must be some mistake—this
can’t
be her Quest. She’s too young. Someone else should go in her place!
I
could go—”

“No, no,
I
should go—” Lance interjected.

Rowena held up a hand to silence them. “There is no mistake. As you well know, the Path of the Hero is not one of choice, but of being chosen,” she replied coolly, her heart-shaped face stern and unyielding. “There can be no substitution. To deny her Quest, is to deny her breath.” The Hero’s eyes flashed like a cold, steel blade, drawn in moonlight.

Imperious struck his staff against the stone floor and drew himself up to his full height (despite which, he still managed to seem imposing).

“Lance and Olivia Faire,” he spoke in his Most Authoritative Voice. “Your courage in the face of danger has been legendary, yet I fear your greatest challenge lies before you.”

Olivia’s back stiffened and she lifted her chin defiantly, while Lance took a deep breath.

“You must allow your child to fulfill her Quest,” the High Mage told them solemnly. “For her own sake, as well as for the good of The People, you must not interfere.”

Olivia swallowed convulsively, eyes narrowing, cold fire smoldering in their ultramarine depths. With iron-jawed effort, she managed to hold her tongue and maintain eye contact with the High Wizard. Finally she nodded abruptly.

Imperious nodded as well, acknowledging her sacrifice. He addressed them all.

“We are dealing with a True Quest, that much has been established. As such, we can only do that which will serve its purpose. Anything else would be about as useful as putting butterfly wings on an elephant—” He paused to chuckle. “Interesting perhaps, but highly inefficient. So, in choosing our next course of action, we must first ask ourselves, what can we deduce about the purpose of this Quest? Rowena, perhaps you can shed some light?”

The Hero gave a brief nod. “Although young and untrained, the child, Fiona, has triggered the Hero’s Memory. She has successfully retrieved data on the proper care and use of weapons,” she reported.

“
Weapons
?” Olivia gasped.

“Wha–? Now wait just a sec, hold it right there! That’s preposterous! Our daughter’s never had anything to do with weapons! She knows absolutely nothing about them!” Lance spluttered.

“That would certainly explain her need,” Rowena replied, as the Faires exchanged a stricken look.

“Anything else?” Imperious questioned.

“That’s all I’ve been able to determine,” said Rowena. “The Memory responds to each Hero’s need. Although Fiona is able to access it, I can do no more than identify the information she receives. Also, something or some
one
is preventing me from contacting her directly.”

“Well then, what of you, Barra-Hoon? Have you had any success with the Bungaree or G-r-r-rog?” Imperious asked.

The King of Beasts shook his heavy mane. “I lost contact when they joined the Quest. I wish I could say as much for the G-r-r-rog’s mother,” he growled. “She has been giving me quite an earful, ever since I lost track of her son!”

“What about Fiona’s note? It did say that she and Farley went off to save the Bumblestooks,” Lance said. “Perhaps that’s all there is to it.”

Bartholeumous cleared his throat. “It is highly improbable that the welfare of two Humans could be of any benefit to the future of The People. I do not think that their rescue is the true purpose. It is more likely that it was merely the means of drawing the children into the Quest.”

“But how can we find the true purpose if we’re blocked at every turn?” Lance asked.

Bartholeumous looked to Imperious, who gestured for him to continue.

“We believe it has something to do with the Overlords,” he said.

“The
Overlords
!” Lance was visibly shaken.

“What proof do you have of this?” Olivia demanded through tight lips as she gripped her husband’s arm.

A large shadow stirred in the depths of the cavern.

“I am the proof,” declared Kondor Dal, stepping forth to join the group.

******************************

Sealed up tight within her rocky tomb, Osheanna had ceased to dash herself against its sides, having determined that it had not even the tiniest of cracks. She lay pooled within its granite walls, with only an occasional ripple to express her agitation.

Many relied upon the healing and protective powers of her waters, but one, in particular, seemed to have more need than others. She feared for the safety of this one.

Suddenly, the rock walls shook with a prolonged vibration, causing her liquid form to crest and splash! Then, a crack appeared in the wall before her! With a swirl she flowed into it and out of the prison!

She was funneled swiftly down the length of a tunnel which (judging by vibrations in the rock surrounding her) seemed to have been newly created. As she flowed along, her liquid form tested the tunnel walls for even the slightest chink, but found none. It quickly became apparent that, although she had been freed from one prison, she was not at liberty to choose her own path. Someone or some
thing
had determined her destination. For now, she would have to go with the flow.

As Farley neared the water’s edge, Fiona slipped into her backpack, dismounted from the boulder with an effortless single flip and moved swiftly to follow him.

“What is it?” she asked, as she approached.

Farley did not seem to hear her. He moved forward slowly, seemingly entranced by the sunlight dancing upon the dark water. Unfortunately, he did not see the tree root rising up out of the mud, like a tripwire set to catch unwary travelers! As the boy tripped and fell forward, Chip flew out of his hand and sailed through the air. It landed with a solid “plunk” in the water, not far from shore.

“No-o-o-o!” Farley shouted, scrambling up from the muddy bank and plunging recklessly into the water.

Fiona splashed in after him. Yap awoke and raced to the water’s edge. Ranger Gary and Tom approached the lake as well, the latter shaking his head over the Human’s antics.

Farley splashed over to the spot where the rock had sunk, with Fiona just behind him. The water was barely up to his knees, but it was dark and murky (befouled by the muck he’d stirred up thrashing about) and the bottom was impossible to see. Without hesitating, he plunged both hands into the water; groping about the bottom, in search of the precious rock. The handkerchief bandage became unraveled, floating away unheeded.

Suddenly, the water around his submerged arms began to bubble furiously, like a pot about to boil over! Farley yelped and jerked his hands out of the water, staggering back into Fiona. The two children watched, in stunned disbelief, as a wall of water shot up all around them; towering above their heads and spraying their upturned faces with a fine mist! It sucked the water from about their knees, so that they stood as if on land. They tried to push through, but the rushing water rose with such terrific force, that it easily deflected their hands. The watery walls closed in, trapping them at the center. Then, the walls began to move; herding them further out into the lake! Above the roar of the water, they could just barely make out the shouts of their fellow travelers. They shouted back for help, not knowing if their voices could be heard.

Suddenly, the lakebed beneath their feet dropped sharply down! With cries of alarm, the two children fell back, plunging toward the bottom of the lake!

On the other side of the wall of water, their friends had arrived. Tom swiped at it with his sharp, curved claws and Yap snapped at it with his pointy little teeth; but all they got for their efforts were wet paws and a mouthful of water. Ranger Gary hurled magic spells, one after the other, to no avail. Then, as suddenly as it had risen, with a terrific splash the wall of water came crashing down!

The three looked about frantically. Other than an expanding ring of ripples, nothing remained in the spot where Farley and Fiona had stood!

They shouted and searched, thrashing about in the water. Ranger Gary waded out waist high, at which point (with a sinking heart) he discovered the drop off. Tom paddled about miserably, ears flattened back against his wet skull, sneezing with exasperating frequency as the water invaded his nose. Yap dove franticly, again and again.

No sign of the children could be found.

*************************************

When first they fell backwards, both Farley and Fiona had filled their lungs with great gulps of air. But, as they continued to fall (slowly, drifting featherlike toward the bottom of the lake) they realized that the water had
not
closed above their heads. They looked at each other in puzzlement, faces reddening, cheeks puffed out and eyes popping with the effort not to exhale. Then, they looked around frantically; watching in amazement as a silvery green trout swam by, mere inches away from their wide, staring eyes. Seemingly, the water of the lake was being held at bay all around them! Reaching out, they touched an invisible barrier, slightly resilient beneath their fingertips, but incredibly tough. They were inside a giant bubble!

The two children looked back at each other; shrugging, as if to say,
here goes nothing!
Together, they released the air in their lungs with an explosive force! Then, each dared to take a shuddery, experimental breath; nearly swooning with relief when their lungs did not fill with water! Falling back against the side of the bubble, they gasped great gulps of precious air.

“We’re safe!” Farley exclaimed, when his lungs had their fill.

“Yes, but for how long? Maybe we should try not to breathe so hard,” Fiona cautioned. “Remember what we learned in Science, about breathing in oxygen and breathing out carbon dioxide? After we use up all the oxygen in here,
then
what happens?”

“I dunno, but this isn’t just any ordinary old bubble. It’s
gotta
be
magic
, don’t you think? Whoever made it must want to keep us safe, or they woulda just let us drown.”

Fiona considered this. “Hmmm, you could be right. Maybe the bubble makes more oxygen. Takes it out of the water or something. And I
am
getting that feeling—you know, like everything’s going to be okay.”

“Hey! Maybe we can use it to get across the lake,” Farley said, ever mindful of the fact that his parents might be on the other side.

Standing, they attempted to guide the bubble; pushing against its sides, while walking as if on a treadmill. Unfortunately, this only caused it to spin; tumbling them about as it continued to descend. After awhile, they gave up; sitting as comfortably as they could on the curved bottom of the bubble, helpless to do anything more than watch, as the creatures of the lake swam by.

**********************************

Back on shore, Tom and Yap stood, soaked to the core, eyes glued expectantly to the figure of Ranger Gary. The Wizard stood facing the lake, arms upraised, hands outstretched, fingers splayed. For the third time he attempted to part the waters, but the dark still surface moved not a ripple.

“I don’t understand it. I’ve performed this spell countless times before. Why won’t it work, now?” Ranger Gary asked.

“Could it be, there’s a power greater than yours on this little ol’ heap of rock?” A husky, feminine voice intruded.

Tom and Yap whirled about, seeking the owner of the voice. On the very boulder upon which the children had rested, a mountain lion now lay stretched across its length! It stared at them with overly-large, golden eyes; slowly batting its unnaturally long, curly lashes.

“What’s the matter, boys? Not expecting me?” She purred.

Ranger Gary turned unhurriedly. “Come, come, Heloise. Don’t tease them. They’ve had quite enough excitement for one day.”

The big cat yawned slowly, exposing an impressive mouthful of sharp teeth. “You’re just no fun anymore—you know that, don’t you? It used to be such sport, giving the tourists and campers a little scare. But now it’s always ‘Be careful Heloise’ and ‘Take care they don’t see you, Heloise’ and ‘Whatever you do, don’t leave any tracks.’ Why, you’re positively
dismal
, darling. I did so hope we were going to have a bit of fun, when you asked me to track those silly children. I must say, I
was
surprised when you popped out of that tree and snatched them away!”

“I needed them to trust me,” Ranger Gary replied. “I had no idea what kind of power they wielded, or what their intentions were. I knew they’d be grateful if I saved them from a ferocious beast—that would be you, dear—and it just might loosen their tongues. Now, don’t look at me like that,” he said to Tom and Yap. “I meant them no harm.”

“You were spying on them!” Yap accused.

“True, but are you not the Eyes and Ears for Bartholeumous, in the Bumblestook home?” The Wizard asked.