The Adventures of Alice and Max
Chapter 29: Alice and Max Stalk the Crystalline Caves
Alice and Max joined the ranks of Edward along with Grub, Winston as the lead and Douglass and Ferdinand, the stout-hearted knights.
Gathering his forces together, King Edward on foot took his men Ferdinand and Douglass taking five men each, and sailed to the Island of Garla. They took their wooden ships and sailed along to where the forgotten isle stood with its rocky caves, grimacing straight at the kids, menacingly.
As they reached the sandy beach where they believed the monster lay hidden inside the darkened caves, King Edward stood on the beach shore and gazed out for a moment. The other men would stay and watch the ships.
He stood contemplating for a moment and then said, “The Transfigurans are here also. Keep your eyes peeled. Be on guard. May the Great Light guide us all.”
They were off. The clan of fighters and knights of the fellow king took up arms as they journeyed through the stalactites and stalagmites-filled cave.
A small man named Bombi, being three feet tall, led the way with a flaming torch. Ferdinand and Douglass followed as they lurched forward slowly with raised glimmering swords at the ready. Douglass had on his back a quiver of arrows and a bow strapped to his side. Then following, King Edward came behind with his broad sword gleaming against the cave’s crusty inside. Alice and Max followed behind the youthful king.
Alice was given a small but strong sword with a golden handle etched with the King’s insignia, a star. Winston gave Max two small blades with jagged edges for cutting into enemies neck’s and ripping out their flesh. Winston, the faithful servant of the Old Kingdom, and Grub, the Commander of the army went forward behind the children with eyes ready for anything that would jump out, wielding swords and clubs.
Coming to a small pool, drips of water dropped from the ridged ceiling. The dungeon of rock went on further for miles. The torch emitted its powerful presence, glistening against the crystal caves.
Quiet they went, waiting for the Transfigurans, the dark ghouls who serve the Queen.
“So, what are the Transfigurans exactly,” Alice asked Edward.
Without looking back, his steps slight on the rocky earth, he said, “They are evil creatures who have vowed to serve the Queen for all time. Once, mere men, but now cunning ghouls. Cursing them, she turned them into evil-looking goblins with black wings, who can transform at will into anything they desire.”
“If we haven’t found them yet,” Grub snarled. “Then I doubt they’re here. Keep quiet.”
“How much further,” Edward asked Douglass.
“A little more, sire,” Douglass whispered.
“No, it’s a good mile,” Ferdinand insisted.
“Yes, that’s what a little more means.”
“A little more is a few yards left-”
“Brothers,” Edward hushed. “Enough. Let us keep going.”
They went through a small darkened corridor as they went single file. Ferdinand pushed through and slipped out of the crevice and demanded to slice away at the rock. He did and hit the rubble repeatedly making a wider way for the crew to move freely through. They went further along an edge as it ascended slightly and it led to a high entrance where they entered a large sanctuary. A large deep pool was shown as the roof swooped up to a single point as the stars shined in the afternoon darkness. There was a dim light shining in the crystal pool as the water was serene like a graveyard.
“Just a little more,” Douglass whispered. “Just through the-”
But he didn’t finish because a giant figure rose out of the quiet dark water. A blackened beast, it looked, as the kids yelled in terror. The knights raised their weapons and took the shields off their backs in defense against the creature. Suddenly, its mighty right talons crushed the little torch man.
“Bombi!” Ferdinand cried, saddened at his friend’s flight out of this world.
“There it is, sire!” Douglass raised his bow taking out three arrows and pointing them at the shadowed eyeballs. It was only a silhouette of a large water serpent, it seemed.
“The monster! What should we do,” Ferdinand screamed.
It was still rising, as the jaws of a giant mouth chomped in the air and a mighty screeching shout echoed through the caverns.
“Be on the defensive,” Edward warned. The beast cackled and then just before it struck, Douglass let the arrows go as they zoomed and smacked the water dragon in the eyes and snout. It roared and then its snake and scaly mouth snapped. Its large talons whipped at the king and Grub as they sailed through the air. They hit the hard wall as Winston, Max, and Alice stood their ground.
Then the dragon roared and came into the blinding light as it screeched even harder, afraid of the brightness. The golden serpent screamed with its yellow-tainted sharp teeth. Its red eyes blazed like fire, and its double horns gleamed in the moonlight as its bronzed tail swung and hurtled for the children.
Max and Alice, both wielding their swords and holding their shields in a defensive manner, braced for impact. They were thrown clean off their feet and hit the cave walls as they dropped their weapons, defenseless.
“Someone take it out,” Grub screamed as he retreated slightly. “It’s coming out of the water!”
Indeed, the monster had grasped the edge of the roaring pool and pushed its fat but agile body out of the water as it could freely snap and claw at will.
Douglass sent four more arrows as it enraged the dragon, shrieking like an elephant and jaguar simultaneously. The jaws snapped and the yellow talons swung but everyone dodged excellently. Then Winston charged and met the talons with his steel blade as his eyes widened with fury, screaming.
They struggled for power until they started to break away from everyone and fight a duel to death: man and beast together at odds.
But the dragon with a strength great and fierce, tore Winston out of his sight. Grub saw it and spun his double-bladed sword to deflect the monster’s blows. He evaded him again and again until, the evil beast threw him off his feet as Grub was thrown into Winston just as he was rising from his fall earlier. They tumbled into each other and rammed into the rocky wall again. Grub petrified, tried to use Winston as a human shield, terrified of what might become of him but had no concern for his fellow brethren.
Disturbed, Winston ripped away from Grub. But the commander tried to grab a hold and try to push him towards the beast.
“What’re you doing, Grub,” Winston shouted, bewildered.
“Just improvising, my friend. I cannot let this monster kill us all!”
“Just a chosen few,” Winston said through gritted teeth, knowing Grub’s deception. “Those whom you dread.”
The serpent was drawing closer and coming for the two.
“No,” Grub said heatedly. “Just those who get in my way.”
As the two were bickering and clawing at each other’s shirts, Douglass pointed his four arrows as he released them into the air and they struck the monster’s eyes. It roared menacingly.
Then Winston pushed Grub off his feet and into the vat of mucky water where Grub splashed in the water, drenched.
Ferdinand screamed, “Commander Grub!” and he leaped for him but just as he did, the golden dragon with eyes of flame, crushed Grub with its deadly foot and stomped on him repeatedly and mercilessly.
Winston watched in horror as he became paralyzed by shock.
Ferdinand and Edward noticed and lunged after Winston from the creature’s claws, and threw him off to the side where Alice and Max hung out, watching and waiting.
Ferdinand yelled in fury and came at the monster as King Edward gasped in fright. He came to his knight’s aid as they swung and fought the dragon.
Douglass distracted it and hit it with many arrows as it was stunned for a second. Then the king and Ferdinand sliced its thick reptilian skin and then finally when an opportunity presented itself, the dragon’s fleshy stomach shined brightly, waiting for any bold man to strike it.
Then King Edward cut a huge gash as blood spewed out. The golden beast roared in agony.
Everyone was stunned and froze for a second. Alice and Max stood from afar watching the mayhem ensue, but weren’t ready for what came next.
When the king made the giant cut into the dragon’s bloody body, a dark mist oozed out. All of sudden the dragon’s form dissipated into black dots, and then those dots turned into dark goblins with bat wings. Thousands of Transfigurans flew all around the crystalline caves, searching and haunting.
Finally, the dark gremlins were revealed in their cunning trap.
To Be Continued…
