The Dark Times.... Take Over....

 

 

The Magic Is Gone....

The Wizard lay Unmoving in the Cave, Dear Readers, the Darkness was Absolute. He knew not how long he had lain there, growing colder and weaker by the hour. He could not move and had no will to try. He knew the Old Year was dying, and he thought maybe he had as well. Except he had always thought he would know the minute he left this mortal coil, and this emptiness in his bones did not feel like Heaven to his soul. And every now and then he thought he heard Whispers echo around him. Perhaps it was the bats come to roost. Then again, Time had left him behind, for here it seemed, nothing changed at all. And then he heard it again... the sound became stronger... a whisper that wasn't the wind or the tides... but sounded like children bent on mischief. How had he forgotten about the children...?

Or maybe he was just Dreaming again... 

and those were the voices of his fevered mind...

And yet, they sounded stronger and more insistent now...

They were arguing about dragons....

"I think the path to the Dragon cave is back here..." said Perry

 as he inched forward through the dark cave.

"I thought we would be able to see in here..." added Tommy.

"The fire is gone out..." said Perry.

 But there was still a faint shaft of light from the cave entrance.

"I wonder where the Wizard is..." he added.

Just then he heard a low moan from the back of the cave.

They stopped in their tracks.

"I think that must be the Wizard..." whispered Tommy,

 suddenly not sounding so brave.

"It is..." said Perry. "I think something must be wrong with him!"

He moved a little closer to the sound and could just make out

 the shape of the Wizard lying at the back of the cave.

There was another moan... 

but other than that, the Wizard did not move at all.

"We need to get help!" he declared.

Just then the Little Dreamer Beth arrived in the cave.

"I knew I would find you here..." she said.

Perry didn't give her a chance to say anything more.

"We need to get help" he said. 

"There is something wrong with the Wizard!"

"He's not moving..." added Tommy.

"I'll go find Old Meg..." declared Beth.

"She'll know what to do."

"There's nobody in the Castle..." said Tommy. 

"We already went through the Kitchen" added Perry.

 

 

"I'll go look anyway..." said Beth... 

"She's always there!"

 

Sure enough, when Beth reached the Kitchen

 it appeared at first glance to be empty. 

But there was a pile of old rags in the corner by the hearth.

As Beth approached, she could see

 the figure of Old Meg amongst all the "rags".

"We need your help!" she declared.

"Please." she added.

 "There's something wrong with the Wizard... he's not moving!"

"Perhaps it's his Time to die..." said Old Meg.

"I don't stand in the way of Death..." she added.

"No!" declared Beth.

"He's not dying!"

"He just needs help!" she insisted.

"Ah... well then!" replied Old Meg.

"You better go find the Gypsy Healer."

The Little Dreamer turned to go.

She didn't know how long it would take to get to her,

 but she remembered seeing the Gypsy Wagon

 as she was heading to the Castle.

Meanwhile, Dear Readers, Not too far away and not too long ago, 

on the rocks below the Castle, 

our Fairy Beary friend Hamish Harry Hotcakes McCloud

 could be spotted enjoying an afternoon of fishing.

It was one of his favorite places to come.

Sometimes he just pretended he was fishing... 

while he really was just Daydreaming the afternoon away.

This was that sort of afternoon.

He had not a care in the World!

The sun was shining and the seas were calm.

He almost didn't notice the sudden arrival of a visitor nearby...

"Heavens above!" thought Harry... 

"I do believe that is a She-dragon!"

"Why, I'll be blown over...!" he thought...

"I've never seen one before!"

"Wait 'til I tell the Beary Gang....!"

 "What a fine specimen!" he thought.

 

 

And then she spoke....

"Hi There....!" she said.

"My name is 'Lucy"... 'Lucy Silverwing' "

 she added as she flapped her huge wings. 

"Who are you....?" she added.

"Ach... I'm Hamish Harry..." he replied...

"I'm Cook at the Cloud Palace..." he added.

"'Tis a pleasure to meet you for sure..." he stammered.

"But I'll just be going now... have things to do...." he said. 

And off he flew.

"Well!" thought Lucy.

"How rude!"

But it was too nice a day to be annoyed.

And she had just found herself a Lovely Old Treasure Cave!

And in case you were worried, Dear Readers, 

the Little Dreamer Beth had hurried back the way she had come.

The farther she went from the Castle, the brighter the day became.

 Before she had gone very far,

 she spotted the Gypsy wagon in the meadow.

She had seen the Gypsy Fortune-teller

 at the Castle Halloween party.

She didn't know her name,

 but she wasn't afraid to talk to her.

Beth called out to her as she approached.

She was a bit winded from running...

"Please, Ma'am...." she gasped...

"We need your help!"

"The wizard might be dying...!" she cried.

"Please... we need you to Heal him!"

Well, Dear Readers, 

We will have to wait to see what happens next.

Sometimes the Dark Times Overtake us...

And we need to find help!

The Key Of Time - Part Two

Lost And Found....

The Moment that Peregrine touched the Key, Dear Readers, he found himself standing at the Castle Door. It was dark but the moon was shining brightly and it was easy to see the large and ancient lock on the door. Mindful of the Wizard's instructions, he needed to be sure the key would open this door before he entered!

Perry took a deep breath and inserted the key into the lock. 

It turned smoothly and the door swung silently open.

He looked cautiously into the Guard Room,

but it was empty. 

So he entered and crossed to the large doors

 on the opposite side of the room.

 Once again, he tried the key in the ancient lock.

And again, it turned easily,

And the door swung open.

It led him into the Great Hall.

It, too, was deserted, although the torches were still lit.

There were many doors in this Hall, but one on the other end stood open.

He crossed to it, but thought he should try the key in the lock first....

Just to be sure....

It turned easily. So he passed through.

It took him down a narrow stairway to the cellars.

There was yet another door across the hall....

With yet another lock....

 

It, too, turned smoothly and the door opened.

It led into the old kitchens.

They too, were empty!

Perry began to wonder whether his sisters were here at all!

Perhaps the Wizard had been mistaken....

but he would keep looking.

There was another door at the bottom of the stairs.

It was closed, but it had no lock on the door.

Perry reached for the handle and the door swung open....

He leaned in and looked around the door.....

And came face to face with a young Dragon!

He was only startled for a moment, 

and then he thought that if there was a Wizard in this Castle, 

then he should not be surprised to see Dragons too!

"Are you 'Smaug'?" he asked.

"Do I look like Smaug...?" replied the Dragon.

"Then, are you 'Puff'?" asked Perry. 

(He had also heard of Puff the Magic Dragon.)

"You tell me your name, and I'll tell you mine...." hissed the Dragon.

"I'm Peregrine and I'm looking for my sisters the Princesses," he declared.

"Have you seen them anywhere?"

"Ah, Princesses....." hissed the Dragon....

"I Love Princesses.... but sadly, 

I have not seen any for many a year...." he added.

"But I might be able to help you find them...." he hissed.

"I know a few places to look..... I can fly you there...." he added.

"If you are not afraid......."

"I'm not afraid!" said Perry adamantly.

So he climbed onto the back of the Dragon.

And before he knew it they were soaring over the Moors.

The wind whistled in his ears, and it was cold.

But Perry thought it was very exciting!

 Until suddenly the Dragon plunged toward the Earth.....

 And landed with such a jolt....

He was thrown to the ground where he hit his head rather hard,

and all the breath was knocked out of him!

Then the Dragon hissed "I think I will find the Princesses for myself......"

and he flew away into the night and left Perry behind!

He did not lie there for long before he heard 

the sound of thundering hooves on the ground,

and suddenly a horse and rider raced over the hill.

Before Perry could even catch his breath, 

a Great Black Warrior Bear was standing beside him.

"Hello, my friend..." he said.

"I am Sir Orion Blackthorne."

"You look like you could use some help..." he added.

Perry sat up and rubbed his head.
"I think I fell off the Dragon...." he said.

"Ah, a Dragon rider...!" said Sir Orion, quite impressed.

"We were looking for my sisters, the Princesses..." added Perry.

"The Wizard said I would find them in the Castle, 

but they weren't there," he explained.

"Then the Dragon said he would help me find them..... 

if I let him out of the dungeon, " added Perry.

But suddenly he wasn't so sure the Dragon had meant to help him after all.

"Well, perhaps I can help you find them..." said Sir Orion.

"At least I know someone who is sure to help you..." he explained.

"But you will have to climb onto my back... 

it will take a bit more flying to get there," he added.

So Perry climbed onto Sir Orion's back. 

And before he knew it, they were flying up into the sky!

They went much higher and farther than the Dragon had flown!

And at last they landed high up in the clouds at The Cloud Palace.

Sir Orion was very happy to be able to set his passenger down!

But he was not going to admit how tiring it had been to carry Perry.

He took him straight into the Palace to meet Blue, the Blue Fairy Bear.

"I have found another lost Traveler," said Sir Orion to Blue.

"His name is Peregrine. 

And he is searching for his sisters..." added Orion.

Meanwhile, the Dragon had returned to the Wizards Cave.

He had hoped that the Wizard would give him some clue 

to the location of the Princesses.

But the Wizard knew that something had gone wrong.

"Slitherwing..." he said "Who let you out of the dungeons?"

"I just want to help find the princesses...." whined Slitherwing.

"What have you done with the boy?" demanded the Wizard.

"He fell......" said Slitherwing, with mock sadness.

"Begone with you!" ordered the Wizard.

"You have made great mischief this night!"

 

The Wizard had hoped he would not need to, 

but now he knew that he must summon Old Meg!

He would need her Wisdom to help untangle Time!

To be continued.....