Jacob
Foreword
Chapter 1
Days
turned to weeks and weeks turned to months and the summer time was nearing its
end. Leaves began to spiral down from the tree tops and span in circles to the
hardening ground below leaving the grass covered in different shades of brown.
The lush green countryside was now beginning to look barren and bare and as the
evenings became darker the air filled with a chilled
wind.
Chapter 2
After he
had washed and cleaned his teeth Jacob put on his boots and left his house.
Outside his dad was repairing a fence that had blown over in the storm the
previous night; he said goodbye and his father gave a wave. Jacob headed
towards the fairies kingdom. Throughout the summer he had made this journey
many times to visit his friends and although there had been no adventures over
the months he had had much fun in the lazy summer sunshine. The boy had also
visited the trolls in Azar and had gone fishing with Dipper and Bibble, they
always looked forward to Jacobs’s next return and they had become the best of
friends.
Dipper and Bibble had been fishing in
the lake all morning. Dipper sat on a rock while Bibble sat leaned against a
tree, his short stumpy legs were crossed and he was holding his fishing rod in
his hands whilst the other end of the rod was wedged between the toes of his
very large feet and the string dangled below in the flowing water. Dipper had
been talking to his best friend for quite some time before he looked up to see
the troll fast asleep and snoring softly; he picked up a pinecone and threw it
in Bibble’s direction, it bounced off his head before it plopped into the lake
and floated downstream. Bibble jumped and looked around to see what had hit
him, he saw Dipper hiding a chuckle under his hand that was covering his
grinning mouth “hey! What did you do that for?” he said rubbing his head, “did
you hear anything that I have said to you Bibble?” “Err!” his friend replied “I
thought not” said Dipper “I was saying that it’s Jacobs birthday today and he
said that he was going to go to the fairy kingdom, we should be on our way to
the well to see him and give him his present”. Bibble took the fishing rod from
between his toes and pulled the string out of the water... nothing. “You do
have a worm on there don’t you Bibble?” Dipper asked “yes I do... and a hook
too” replied the big footed troll with a smirk “come on Bibble... let’s go and
see Jacob!” The two trolls placed their rods against the tree and headed towards
Jacobs well.
As the afternoon came to an end and
the evening began to cast shadows across the room Jacob and his father enjoyed
a birthday tea of fresh bread, cheese, ham and eggs and to finish it all the
boy’s father went to a cupboard and took out a small birthday cake that he had
bought in the village that morning while his son was out walking.
The journey home had been a very long
painful trek with many stops to rest but Jacob eventually reached his house and
as he arrived he called out for help “Dad! Dad, are you there? Help me!” There
was no reply so Jacob pulled on the handle of the door, pushed it open with his
shoulder and stumbled to the nearest chair. He leaned forward and gave his
ankle a soothing massage with his fingertips and then sat back in the chair. It
was then that Jacob noticed something very strange, the house that he had
helped clean on that very morning now looked dusty and grubby; he looked around
the room and saw thick old spider webs hanging from the corners and cupboards,
dust covered what were recently clean dishes, curtains hung in tatters from the
windows and on the bed the blankets looked old and worn. He remembered the
beard and staggered across to the dirty mirror, he picked up a cloth and wiped
it clean and looked at his reflection.... Shock made him take a step backwards
and he put all of his weight on his damaged foot..... As pain shot through
his body he fell to the dusty floor in agony.
As Jacob walked towards Azar he hardly
recognized the path that he had travelled many times as a boy, it was overgrown
with bushes that were never there before. As he approached the old abandoned
rabbit warren he noticed that it had been repaired. The tunnel that had once
been set as a trap and had caved in was now dug out and cleared. The small
entrance was now much bigger and was propped up with sticks that were woven
together with vines. Jacob walked towards the tunnel to take a closer look at
the new structure. He got on his hands and knees and called into the hole...
“Hello! Is there anybody in there?” Jacob heard a shuffling noise from inside
“hello!” he repeated. Just as Jacob was about to crawl into the warren he heard
another noise but this time it came from behind him, he turned around and saw
something move “who are you? Come on out!” Jacob stood on his knees and watched
as a squirrel scurried across the ground then leaped into a bush; the bush
shook for a moment and all of a sudden the leaves scattered on the ground
around the entrance began to move… a rope net burst through the leaves and
tangled around Jacob, he struggled for a moment to set himself free as the
troll stepped out from the bush and the net sprang up into the air like a
catapult.
Although the sun shone brightly in the sky
the wind blew a cold chill through the air and leaves fell from the tree tops
to the ground below. As Jacob neared Azar he heard voices from across the lake
so he hid behind a bush. He span in three circles to the right and shrunk to a
smaller size before lying on his tummy and crawling out to see who it was.
“Haven’t you caught us any fish yet stupid? You have been there all morning” a
fairy dressed in shining armour said to the big footed troll on the other side
of the lake. Bibble sat looking into the water as he dangled a string from a
branch into the gushing lake. The fairy kicked a pile of leaves at the troll,
then turned and walked into the caves entrance.
The lake pulled the bucket in its strong
current and it travelled at speed, Jacob and Lolly managed to squeeze out from
under Bibble and they all watched as they floated downstream. It was a rough
journey and Jacob asked where the lake would take them. Lolly had not been this
far before but Bibble had been fishing along the lake with Dipper many times
“we will be coming to the waterfall soon” replied the troll “Waterfall!” Lolly
and Jacob said at the same time “how far to the waterfall Bibble? Lolly panicked”
“Just around this next bend” Bibble smiled. Jacob snatched the troll's fishing
rod from his hands and franticly cast the line at the bank; he missed
the roots that stuck out along the banks edge. The bucket began to spin as it
approached the bend and Jacob tried again, this time the hook caught on some
brambles and the bucket came to an unsteady standstill. The friends let out a
sigh of relief then all of a sudden the brambles snapped and the hook came
loose sending the bucket spinning towards the waterfall again. It was Lolly
that jumped to the rescue, she grabbed the hook.... flew out of the bucket and
sped towards the bank.... Just as the bucket was nearing the edge of the
waterfall she managed to latch the hook around an overhanging tree branch and the
bucket came to an abrupt stop only inches away from crashing over the gushing,
roaring edge. Bibble and Jacob pulled themselves to the muddy bank and climbed
out of the bucket before falling to the ground, the three friends burst into
laughter.
Chapter 9
Jacob pulled out his sword and held it in
front of him, the compass span erratically and Dizzy, Lolly, Bibble and Jacob
all watched it spin “the needle is not stopping!” the man said to his friends.
The three sacred stones began to glow brightly and again they vibrated. Jacob
lifted the sacred stone necklace over his head and placed the three stones on
the ground, his friends gathered around them and everybody watched as the glow
dimmed within them and then as they did in Azar many years ago they began to
flip and spin and change places before coming to a standstill on the grass.
Suddenly a light appeared from one, this light beamed to another and then this
stone beamed to the last. The stones began to hover off of the ground and the
light became so powerful that the friends had to look away from its immense
brightness, they covered their eyes as the stones started to circle faster....
and faster.... their light became brighter.... and brighter until from out of
the light a figure began to appear, it rose high above their heads and as the
stones circling began to slow the figure became clearer... and then the stones
stopped and fell to the ground.
Chapter 10
Dizzy was right, there wasn’t much time, the
four friends all stood for a moment and watched as the prince’s army stopped on
top of the hill and looked down upon them. Thunder roared and lightning flashed
as the army slowly made their way down the hill. Jacob rushed to the well but
there was no way in as the wells roof was lying on the hole beneath. He
tried to lift the roof but it was far too heavy, Lolly joined him and gave her
all but it would not budge. Bibble had been scared and unable to move as he
watched the eerie sight of the fairies on rats creeping down the hill towards
them.... until Dizzy snapped him out of his frightened gaze “Help them
Bibble!...Quickly!” Bibble looked over and saw Jacob and Lolly struggling with
the heavy roof and quickly went over to help them, he pushed his fingers under
the wooden frame and lifted with all of his might. The wooden roof creaked and
groaned as Bibble managed to tip the roof over onto its top. Lolly wasted no
time; she grabbed Jacob by the waist and jumped into the black hole below. On
the descent the sacred stone necklace vibrated in his pocket, Jacob reached in
and took it out, he put the chain over his head and the stone shone a bright
light that filled the well with its glow. Lolly landed gracefully and she let
Jacob go.
As Jacob and Lolly left the wish chamber the
guardian was stood outside the doorway. Something was different about the
spider and the man and the fairy cautiously walked towards him, as they got
closer the spider folded its front legs and lowered its head to the ground “he
is bowing to you Jacob” Lolly smiled. Jacob approached the spider and lifted
his arm. The man placed a hand on the guardians head between its eyes “you have
done well my friend and your job is complete... you are now free to leave”
Jacob and Lolly then made their way down the tunnel without any fear.
And the Eye of the Storm
By Ian Duquemin
Jacob
And
the Eye of the Storm
The future of the fairy kingdom and the land of Azar has become
threatened. The army that travels under the blackest of clouds have arrived to
destroy anything that lies in their path.
As
the thunder and lightning rumble and crash ever closer... the future looks
doubtful.
If
the sacred stones of Azar have chosen the right person, then it will take him
and his friends to join together to stop what could happen!
The future is in their hands now... and the storm
has arrived.
Close to a small wooden house a black
cat looked up to the sky above, he could see the heavy clouds moving across the
darkening sky covering the crescent moon that was soon hidden behind their
black curtain. A drop of rain landed on the black cat’s nose and he
trotted quickly across the garden towards the door, he pushed his head against
a flap and then squeezed through his entrance into the house just in time
before the clouds burst and rained down heavily upon the wooden roof outside.
The cat tiptoed across the room towards the crackling fire and sat down in
front of it, he watched as the flames leaped up the chimney and danced over the
glowing red logs. There was a bang and the wooden door came crashing open, the
cat looked up to see the bearded man enter the house and drop the arm full of
logs he was carrying into a bucket, he was followed by his son who did the same.
The boy closed the door shut, took off his coat and then hung it on a hook on
the back of the door. He picked up a few logs from the bucket and placed them
under the stove before filling the kettle with water and putting it on top to
boil. The man stood next to the cat and threw some logs onto the fire, they
hissed and crackled as the raindrops that had landed on them dried and then
burst into flames as the cat curled up and made himself comfortable for the
night... purring the loudest of purrs. When the kettle bubbled on the stove the
boy made two cups of hot tea and handed one to his father who was sat in his
chair staring into the glow of the fire. “It’s your birthday tomorrow Jacob” he
said to his son, Jacob smiled “a teenager already” the man said with a wink, he
rubbed his sons head and looked at his boy proudly. Jacob stood up and gave a
stretch, “I’m tired Dad, I think I will go to bed” he said goodnight, kissed
his father on the forehead and climbed into bed. As the boy lay on his pillow
he watched as his father took out his pipe, lit it and then gazed into the fire
watching the flames as they danced their hypnotizing dance once again.
Jacob awoke with a jump as a crash of
thunder rumbled through the night’s sky; he opened his eyes and could barely
make out the now smouldering cinders in the fire place which were now
surrounded in darkness. It was very quiet and then suddenly the little room lit
up for a moment as a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky. Jacob saw his
father for a second still sat in his chair with his head propped up in his hand
as he snored. The cat was sat on the man’s lap and looked up startled, his
green eyes shone in the lightning’s glare and he tucked his head back under his
tail to hide whist another crack of thunder rippled through the night. Jacob
closed his eyes and listened to the rains rhythm as it splashed upon the roof
and then he fell into a deep sleep.
The following morning Jacob awoke and
rubbed his tired eyes. Sunshine burst through the little windows and had
brightened up the room. The boy looked over at his father’s chair but
nobody was there, there was no man or cat sitting in front of the now empty
fire place. Jacob sat up and looked around the room. His father was stood at
the stove pouring a cup of milk; he placed the cup on a tray and brought it to
the bed, sat the tray on his sons lap and gave him a wink “happy birthday
Jacob!” Jacob smiled at his father and tucked into the plate of bacon and eggs
and then drank his milk. “Well son, what are you going to do today then?” “I
think I will go to Jacobs well and see my friends” replied the boy eagerly. His
father looked at him and patted his sons head gently “you are a teenager now
Jacob! When are you going to grow out of these silly stories of fairies and
talking mice and trolls?” Jacob knew that his father had never believed his
tales and adventure stories but his dad had always amused him and pretended to
take an interest in the past. This was the first time that he had actually
proved he had never believed; Jacob felt hurt inside but he gave his father a
disheartened smile, “I will go for a walk” he replied. His father returned the
smile and walked to a tall cupboard; he opened its door and then rummaged
around inside before returning to the bed. He sat down and placed a wrapped
gift in his sons hand, Jacob smiled up at his dad and then ripped open the
paper. Inside the wrapping was a thin chain and attached to the chain was a
shiny red stone which Jacob recognised, it was the third sacred stone of Azar.
His father had polished it and instead of its dull finish it now glistened in
the sunlight “the chain was your mothers” the man said with a smile, “the stone
I took from your draw, I have cleaned it up pretty good don’t you think?” Jacob
hugged his father and then put the chain over his head and around his neck; he
held the stone in his hand and looked down at its shiny red surface in the
centre of his palm. He could see no images in the stone anymore but a faint
golden light inside it pulsed to the beat of his heart. Dino jumped up onto the
bed and smiled at the boy.
As Jacob walked down the hill towards
the well he was surprised not to see or hear the usual welcoming smiling faces
and cheers. When he got to Jacob’s well he stopped and looked around the area
but couldn’t see anyone. “Hello!” He called out... nothing. Jacob heard a quiet
snigger and a smile crossed his lips “oh dear, there is nobody here!” he said
aloud “I had better go home”. The boy began to head back up the hill when he
heard everybody laugh and all together shout out “SURPRISE!” Jacob turned
around to see all his fairy friends appear from behind bushes, rocks and trees.
The boy span around three times to the right and ran up to Dizzy and gave the
mouse a hug.... Daisy swooped down and wrapped her wings around him.... Then
Lolly gracefully floated towards him with a big smile on her face before she
landed and kissed him on the lips “happy birthday Jacob!” Jacob returned the
smile and then everybody cheered. A party began and music and laughter once
again filled the fairy kingdom.
Jacob showed the king and princess
Eleanor the necklace that his father had made for him. The king held the stone
in his palm and closed his fingers around it, he could feel it pulse in his
hand and smiled at the boy “your father has brought the sacred stone back to
life Jacob, this is how it had looked when my brother had stolen it but once it
was in his hands it lost its energy”. The king held the stone up to the sun and
smiled once more “the sun will re-energize its power and will guide you and
protect you Jacob.” He placed it back over the boys head and asked Jacob to
walk with him alone for a while; they turned and slowly strolled towards the
lake together whilst everyone enjoyed the party.... All except for Lolly that
is, she had flown to the top of the well and sat on its roof alone watching as
the boy and the king walked away... the fairy let out a deep sigh.
When they arrived at the lake the king
asked Jacob to sit and the boy sat with his legs crossed on the grass, the king
too sat down and stayed quiet for a moment listening to the water as it
travelled downstream. The king looked at Jacob and smiled a kind smile “you
have become like a son to me Jacob and you have become one of my people!” Jacob
acknowledged the compliment with a warm returned grin. The king looked down at
the necklace around Jacobs’s neck and nodded his head in approval “the stone
chose you and it has shown that you are the one” Jacob held the stone out in
front of him “the one to do what?” he replied. The king continued “I did not
see the visions that it showed when it stopped spinning in Azar and I have
never asked you to reveal their secret, that is your destiny but I must warn
you Jacob that something very powerful is about to happen” “powerful?” the boy
queried, the king placed his hands over Jacobs and they both held the stone
together “close your eyes Jacob” the boy did as he was asked and the king
closed his eyes too, “can you feel it Jacob? This stone was the eye of the
fairy kingdom, it once watched over us and protected us and you will soon see
what it see’s... it is now a part of you”. Jacob opened his eyes and met the
kings gentle gaze “I don’t know what I have to do” the boy said to the fairy “I
know you will do right Jacob and I believe that the stone has chosen you for
its purpose... whatever that may be.”
As Jacob and the king returned towards
the well Daisy flew up and joined Lolly on its rooftop, she put a wing around
her friend “you are in love with Jacob aren’t you Lolly?” the bluebird asked in
a quiet voice, Lolly turned to her friend as a tear rolled down her cheek
“yes... I am Daisy” she answered “but he is a boy and I am a fairy” Daisy
squeezed her friend as the fairy sobbed.
Chapter 3
When the trolls arrived at the ancient tree
on the hill they waved down to their friends below, Dipper and Bibble made
their way down the slope and greeted everybody with a big smile before wishing
Jacob a happy birthday.
When Jacob was presented with his gift from
the trolls of Azar he said “thank you very much Dipper and Bibble... what is
it?” “Open it up” said Bibble excitedly. The gift was wrapped beautifully in
large reddish brown leaves that were held together with a thin vine tied in a
bow, Jacob tugged on the vine and un-wound it, he then opened up the leaves
carefully and the boys eyes lit up “Wow... a sword!” Jacob said “it’s
beautiful!” he gave a big grin before taking it out to show everybody. As Jacob
held out the sword in front of him the king stood up and came closer to look at
it “where did you find this sword?” he asked the trolls. “Well believe it or
not” Dipper joked “Bibble caught it with his fishing rod in the lake, ha-ha! He
doesn’t catch fish with it mind you!” he looked at his friend and then patted
him on the back. Bibble put a hand to his mouth and mumbled a joke to Dipper
about him catching a sword fish and they both gave a snigger before seeing the
serious look on the king’s face. “May I take a look Jacob “the king asked
holding out his hands, Jacob placed the sword on the fairies open palms and the
king looked down at it closely “this was my father’s sword, the very sword that
was placed on my shoulders when I was made king many years ago” the king looked
over towards the trolls “you found this in the lake?” he queried, the trolls
nodded before the king continued “Along with the sacred stones my brother also
stole this sword”. The trolls looked uncomfortable so Jacob broke the silence
and spoke on his friends behalf “I am sure Dipper and Bibble knew nothing about
the sword and I am also sure that they wouldn’t mind if I give it back to you”
the boy said to the king as the two trolls now shook their heads. “No Jacob, it
has come into your hands for a reason” the fairy held the sword out at arm’s
length and said “please... take it!” Jacob took the sword from the king’s hands
and as they both held it together for a moment... Jacobs’s necklace glowed
under his shirt.
Once again the king called Jacob aside
to talk in private and they sat under a giant leaf together “hand me the sword
please Jacob” the boy passed the shining sword to the fairy. The king slowly
traced a finger over the scribing down its blade and then followed them back to
its handle which was designed like a tree trunk; in the centre of the handle
was a hole. The king laid the sword on the ground and then looked up at the
boy, he smiled and the boy smiled back “what do the words say?” Jacob asked, as
they made no sense to him at all. The kings smile broadened “it says follow
your heart Jacob” the boy looked puzzled and the king continued “it is written
in our ancestors tongue”. Jacob put his hand in his pocket and took out his
compass “follow your heart!” he whispered. He turned the compass over in his palm
and showed the inscription to the king who took it from his hand and then
placed it in the hole in the swords handle, it was a perfect fit and the king
handed the sword back to Jacob "this sword has never been used to cause
harm but it holds the power to destroy anything it is aimed at in anger, in the
wrong hands it could bring destruction, keep it safe Jacob!".
After Jacob had said farewell to
everybody and thanked them for a lovely day Lolly walked with the boy to the
top of the hill and they stood together next to the ancient tree “I haven’t
given you my present yet Jacob” she said with a smile “close your eyes” Jacob
placed his sword on the ground and shut his eyes tightly, he then felt the
gentle kiss on his lips. When he opened them again Lolly smiled at him looking
deep into his eyes “will I see you tomorrow?” she asked in a soft voice “I will
be back tomorrow to see you Lolly” the boy smiled back and then he watched as
the fairy swooped into the air and flew back to the well. Jacob turned in three
circles bent down and picked up the tiny sword from the ground, then put it in
his coat pocket before heading home.
Chapter 4
With the early darkness the evening brought
with it a chill and Jacob stoked the fire and then threw on another log while
his father sat in his chair and read a book. Jacob was going to tell his dad
about his gift from the trolls but decided that he would not; he had made it
clear that he did not really believe any of his son’s stories and adventures.
Jacob was stroking his cat Dino who purred loudly in front of the glowing fire
when all of a sudden a loud rumbling shook the house. Jacobs father lowered his
book and he looked down at his son “looks like another storm Jacob” “sounds
like a big one” the boy replied. Under his shirt Jacob could feel his necklace
pulsate and through the material he held it in his hand, he squeezed the stone
hanging from the chain and as he gripped it in his palm a bolt of lightning
ripped across the night’s sky.
During the night Jacob awoke a few times,
sweat trickled down his forehead as he opened his eyes and tried to make sense
of the dreams that were tormenting his sleep... but they made no sense at all.
The following morning Jacob spent helping
his father, they chopped some logs, tidied up the yard and then gave the house
a good clean. When they had finished Jacob put on his coat and made his way to
the well to see Lolly as promised.
As the boy walked over the fields towards
the fairy kingdom he decided to take a different route and jumped over a stone
wall heading towards the ancient tree that he could see up on the hill in the
distance, he came across some brambles and carefully stepped over them so not
to cut himself on their sharp thorns. Jacob was nearly through the brambles
when suddenly his foot slipped into a hole in the ground, at first he thought
it was a rabbit hole but after his leg went all the way in he tried to grab
hold of something to stop himself but all that he could find to grab was a
thorny bramble which he let go of quickly when it pricked into the skin of his
palm. The hole was deep and Jacob tumbled down for what seemed like ages until
he hit the bottom of the pit with a thud. Jacob lay on his back and looked up
at the blurry entrance of the hole above him for a moment before everything
went black and the boys eyes closed.
Jacobs’s necklace had fallen out from his
shirt in the fall, the sacred stone had landed on his forehead and in the
blackness of the hole... the stone glowed in the dark.
Lolly had been waiting for Jacob to arrive
on his visit, she was sat on top of the wells roof watching and waiting for the
boy to come over the hill and give his usual wave but she waited... and she
waited. Daisy saw her friend looking sad on the well and flew up and sat next
to her “I wonder where Jacob could be Daisy!” Lolly said to the bluebird with a
sigh “maybe he isn’t coming today Lolly” Daisy replied “but he told me that he
was!” answered the fairy. Dizzy was stood by the berry bush and could hear his
friends talking; he yanked at a stubborn berry that would not pull free, the
mouse grabbed it with both hands, gave it a hard tug and then as the berry
released he fell to the ground on his bottom, Daisy and Lolly looked down and
laughed. Dizzy looked up at his friends and smiled before popping the fruit
into his mouth and licking his lips “what are you two doing up there?” he asked
“we are watching out for Jacob” answered the bird. Dizzy stood up and looked at
the sky “I can feel another storm coming!” Above the fairy kingdom dark clouds
were approaching and very soon everybody had taken cover. The clouds opened up
and heavy raindrops soaked the ground once again.
Before Jacob awoke a face looked into his,
from its mouth a deep voice roared at the boy “you will never stop me Jacob!”
Jacob opened his eyes as rain splashed on his face and he quickly sat up. He
looked around the pit he was sat in, it was dark and gloomy. Looking up through
the hole that he had fallen into he could see the sky and the black clouds
above him, he felt odd and tried to stand up but as he put pressure on his foot
he fell back down and grabbed at his ankle, it wasn’t broken but it felt
sprained and was very painful. Jacob called out “help!” his voice sounded
different, it was unusually deep and he did not recognise himself. The boy felt
his throat and his fingertips brushed against his beard, he clasped his hands
over his face and explored the unfamiliar features, the thick beard and
shoulder length hair being the most obvious. Jacob stumbled to his feet not
understanding what was happening, he was a little scared and once again felt
his face and pulled at the beard on his chin. He seemed taller and the entrance
to the hole didn’t seem to be as high so he jumped trying to reach at some
tangled roots sticking out of the soil, he missed and as his feet landed he
winced in pain and collapsed back down to the ground.
Jacob sat for a moment and then stood
back up before he jumped once again, this time he grabbed at the roots with his
large hands and pulled himself up with his muscular arms. As he dragged himself
out of the hole into the day light he noticed the hair on his toned arms and
looked at them with a frown. He crawled to the grass and laid on his back
looking up at the brightening sky above, the dark clouds had passed and as he
gazed into the sky he said aloud in the unfamiliar voice “what is going on?”
Jacob rested awhile then got up onto his
feet and hobbled towards a branch that was lying on the grass; it had probably
been blown from a tree in the recent storms, he snapped off the twigs and
leaves making himself a walking stick to help take the strain off of his ankle.
The fairies kingdom was closer than his house but he turned and headed home
slowly so that his father could take a look at his painful foot.
Chapter 5
Jacob felt his face once again before
pushing himself back to his feet. He slowly approached the mirror once more and
studied the face looking back at him. He could see himself in his reflection...
only older. The black hair and dark beard covered his head and chin, he brushed
his hair back with his fingers and looked closer at the strangers blue eyes....
the eyes he recognised and also the nose that was shaped like his
father’s “what in the world is happening?” he said aloud to himself and to the
man looking back at him.
Jacob heard a noise and turned towards the
door “Dad! Is that you?” there was no reply “Dino! Where are you?” still there
was nothing. Jacob hobbled towards the door, opened it and then stood on the
doorstep for a moment “Dad... Dino!” there was still no answer. Jacob heard the
noise again and noticed that it was part of a broken fence that banged as the
wind blew against it, hadn’t his father just mended that? He thought to
himself. He made his way back inside and fell onto the bed, dust rose from the
blankets and pillow and Jacob looked at the empty room “this must be a dream”
he said to himself and his eyes closed as the night descended. Jacob did not
wake as the thunder rumbled through the night skies, he didn’t feel the stone
on the chain around his neck vibrate and move across his chest... and he didn’t
see the eye open deep within the red glowing stone.
The following morning sunshine burst
brightly through the windows and as it rose from the floor to the bed then onto
Jacobs face his eyes opened and he gave them a rub. He rolled onto his back,
looked at the ceiling and as he saw a damaged cobweb eerily swaying above him
he remembered the previous day. Jacob sat up and felt his bearded face then
turned and put his feet on the floor. Looking around the room it was exactly
the same as it had been the night before only in the suns beam dust particles
peppered the air. Jacob tested his foot by putting a little pressure on it, the
pain had dulled and he stood up on both feet. Slowly he made his way back to
the mirror that now had a wiped clean patch in its centre, he looked at himself
and the same person from yesterday looked back. Jacob poured a kettle of cold
water into a bowl and cupped his hands, filled them and then splashed the water
over his face, he repeated this a few times to wake himself up from this dream,
he dipped his head in the bowl and then he straightened up pushing his wet hair
away from his face and looked at his reflection once again as the water ran
down his face and neck.
Jacob took off the tight clothes that he had
slept in and rummaged through his father’s cupboard until he found a pair of
trousers and a shirt, he put on the trousers and as he pulled the shirt over his
head he could smell his dads scent on the material. The clothes fit well and
would normally have been enormous on him; he took his pen knife and tiny sword
from his pockets and put them into the pocket of his dad’s trousers, slipped
into a pair of his father’s boots and then opened the door and went outside.
After Jacob had looked around the back yard
of the house and not found any sign of his father or his cat he decided to walk
to the fairy kingdom, maybe they could explain what was going on. It was a long
slow journey towards the well and Jacob used the stick that he had made the
previous day for support. Once the ancient tree on the hill was in sight he
stopped for a moment to pause for a rest before taking his last hike up the
slope ahead.
As Jacob approached the tree on the hill and
reached its summit he looked down upon the fairy kingdom in horror, the once
beautiful lush land was now barren and bare, the colourful flowers no longer
stood and swayed in the breeze and the well was collapsed on the ground in a
pile of rubble.
Confused and worried Jacob carefully made
his way down the hill as quickly as he could until he reached the damaged well;
he looked around the area for his friends and then shouted out their names as
loud as he could “Lolly... Dizzy... Daisy!” his deep voice echoed over the
empty land with each call. Jacob sat down on a broken stone that had once been
part of the wells wall and he lowered his head to his knees and cried.
“Jacob!” a voice spoke softly, Jacob lifted
his head and looked down in the voices direction, the little mouse looked
skinny and frail, his fur was matted and grey and he sat feebly down and looked
up. “Dizzy... is that you?” The mouse gave a familiar cheeky smile and answered
“it has been a long time my friend”.
Jacob stood and span around as best as
he could on his damaged foot, with each spin he got smaller and smaller until
he was looking into the old mouse’s eyes. Jacob hugged his friend and the mouse
held him tightly “what has happened Dizzy? I don’t understand what’s happened!”
Dizzy was very old, he was still alive only
for the fact that he had stayed on the fairies land and was never able to leave
“where are Lolly, Daisy and the rest of the fairy folk?” Jacob asked the frail
mouse. Dizzy hung his head and when he looked up a tear rolled from his eye
“Daisy... my good friend Daisy! She left a long time ago Jacob, she looked for
you for many years then one day she flew out of the fairy kingdom to look
farther and never returned, I have missed her so very much” Jacob hugged his
friend once again to comfort him “what about Lolly Dizzy? Where is she?”
The mouse sat and told Jacob the story of
the conflict that came with the storm many years ago, of how they had been
surrounded by the prince’s army and how they had arrived in chariots pulled by
rats and destroyed the fairies land.
Once they had finished destroying the
kingdom they pulled the well to the ground and the prince forced his brother
the king and the fairy folk to move away... never to return. “Lolly had hidden
with me waiting for your return but the prince found her and locked her in a
cage, they stayed here for many months until the kingdom had turned to this!”
Dizzy pointed to the ruined land and then he continued “and then they left as quickly
as they had arrived”.
Jacob could not believe what he was hearing
“I was only here yesterday Dizzy! How could I possibly have become a man and
all this happen in just one day? It can’t be real... it can’t be!” “You have
been gone for many years Jacob” the mouse said with a frown, Jacob shook his
head in disbelief “No... I would never have left you and let this happen, this
cannot be real... I must find Lolly!” “Do you still have the sword Jacob?”
Jacob put his hand into his pocket and took out the small sword, he held it out
in front of him and it suddenly grew and shone in the sunlight, Dizzy smiled.
“I cannot help you this time my friend but go to Azar and see if Dipper and
Bibble are safe, maybe they can help you!” Jacob wrapped his arms around the
old mouse and hugged his friend “I will be back soon Dizzy” he said as he span
around and grew to his manly size. Then without feeling the pain in his ankle
he ran as fast as he could up the hill, below him the old mouse called out “be
careful my friend”.
Chapter 6
Jacob hung high up in a tree, the vine net
creaked and swayed as he dangled trapped and unable to move, he heard a cheer
from below him and turned his head to the ground. “Who are you and what are you
doing in Azar?” the troll shouted. “This is not Azar!” Jacob replied “let me
down”.
More trolls appeared from the bushes and
warren, they all stood looking up at the man in the hanging net “how would you
know anything about Azar?” a voice called out “you are a human.” Jacob
struggled and shifted his body; he reached into his pocket, took out the sword
and pushed it through the net and then let it drop. As the sword descended it
grew in size spinning as it fell, the trolls moved back and the sword pierced
the soil and the blade stuck in the ground, it swayed for a moment before
standing still. The trolls gathered around the sword looked up at it closely
and then their heads looked back up at the net high above “Jacob! Is that you?”
a familiar voice called out, “lower him quickly” the voice ordered the trolls.
As the net slowly began to lower towards the ground Jacob noticed that there
were many trolls below him, they circled the area as he gently landed on the
leaves. The net was undone and Jacob stood looking down on the creatures
surrounding him “is that really you Jacob?” the trolls parted and their leader
walked through to the front of the crowd “Dipper!” the man said with a smile.
The troll approached the man and held out his hand, Jacob took it in his and
they shook hands firmly. “It is good to see you my friend” the troll smiled
“what are you doing in Azar?” he continued “we have not seen you in many
years”.
Jacob looked around the area, Azar was
across another field and over the lake so he was confused and asked the troll
why he called this part of the land Azar. Everybody sat down and Jacob did the
same as the troll leader told his story; “Many years ago the fairy kings
brother had returned to the kingdom, dark clouds, thunder and lightning
followed him and covered the land in their gloom. He and his army drove the
fairy folk from their land, destroying it as they searched for the sword. The
prince had grown strong and nothing or nobody could stand in his way. The army
then invaded the old Azar and that too was taken from its people so we were
forced to move here and build our new home... this is now Azar!” Dipper pointed
to the warren and the surrounding land. “Where are Bibble and Froggle Dipper?”
Jacob asked the troll, Dipper looked up at the man before him and said in a sad
voice “The prince kept some of our people as slaves and my dear friend Bibble
and our leader were amongst the chosen ones, we are a peaceful clan Jacob and
we do not fight so we all accepted our new roles and moved on”.
Jacob stood up, pulled the sword from the
ground and the compass inserted in its handle began to spin, when it stopped
turning it pointed in the direction of the old Azar. Jacob felt a vibration
from under his shirt, he tugged on the chain that hung around his neck and the
stone fell to his covered chest… the man thought he saw an eye open in the
stone but when he looked closer he only saw a pulse glowing deep inside of it.
Jacob held his sword above his head and brought it down slicing it through the
air; the sword made a whoosh sound and glistened in the sunlight, the compass
then span again and this time the needle came to a sudden stop... and it
pointed towards Jacobs home. “I must go” the man said to his friends “but I
will return soon” Jacob and Dipper shook hands and as the bearded man headed
towards his home the troll whispered to himself “please hurry Jacob... before
it is too late”.
As Jacob crossed the fields he watched the
compass closely, the needle kept a steady bearing that led him directly to his
door. He entered his house and looked around his once welcoming home, his
father or his cat were still not here. He looked back at the needle which spun
in erratic circles again, when it stopped he followed its direction slowly
across the room and he came to his cupboard, the stone on his chest shone
brightly and he opened up the cupboard door. Inside two other stones also
shone, the two sacred stones from Azar had changed in colour, gone was their
once dull surface and now the first stone glistened the deepest shade of blue
whilst the second glowed the purest of white… the three stones vibrated
strongly. Jacob picked the two stones up placed them into his pocket, turned
and walked back out of the house leaving its door wide open; he looked at the
compass and followed it back to the true Azar.
Chapter 7
Jacob studied the area and could see two
guards standing to attention at the fallen tree bridge. He could not cross
without being seen so he slowly crawled back to the bush and thought for a
moment on how he could get to the other side to help his friend, he had an idea
but would his friend recognise him and not give away his position? Jacob picked
up a small pebble and threw it across the lake but he didn’t throw hard enough
and it fell into the water with a plop. He then checked to make sure that
nobody had seen or heard him and when he noticed that he was safe he picked up
a smaller pebble and threw it again, only harder this time. The pebble flew through
the air and hit the bank before bouncing off and landing on Bibble's lap. The
troll looked down, picked up the pebble and looked at it “where did that come
from?” he said quietly to himself. Bibble looked behind him then searched the
area around him; he stared across the lake and saw a hand waving at him. The
troll stood up on his oversized feet and waved back not knowing who it was that
was waving in his direction, he had never seen the little man with the beard
before. Jacob took out his sword, held it in the air and Bibble gave a big
grinning smile as he realised who it was. Jacob put a finger over his mouth and
motioned Bibble to be quiet; the troll sat back down and picked up his fishing
rod by its handle.
Jacob waved both hands at the smiling troll
and mimed to Bibble what he needed him to do, the man held his invisible
fishing rod and pretended to cast it hard. Bibble gave a frown not
understanding at first but when Jacob repeated the routine it suddenly clicked.
Bibble stood up and looked around to make sure that nobody was watching.
All was clear and he cast out his line as hard as he could..... Jacob made a
grab for it but missed and the string plopped into the water. Again Bibble
checked to make sure that there was nobody around before he lifted the branch
high above his head and whipped it through the air. The troll had remembered to
put a hook on the string but there was no worm attached, it zipped over Jacob’s
head and the hook latched onto a branch in the bush. Jacob motioned Bibble to pull
on the rod and the troll gently pulled it towards him causing the string to
tense. Jacob jumped up and held onto the string above him and one hand at a
time he began to cross over the lake.
The water below rushed under Jacobs hanging
feet as he left the muddy bank; the string had already begun to cut into his
fingers and palms, it would be a long hard crossing. The armoured fairy
appeared behind the troll and once again kicked a pile of leaves at Bibble,
Jacob stopped and hung motionless watching as the fairy taunted his friend
“still nothing!” the fairy shouted “you have got to be the worst fisherman
ever!” He went to grab the fishing rod and Bibble pulled it away, the fairy
smirked and said “if you don’t catch something soon I will put you on cleaning
duties instead” then he turned around and returned to the cave. Bibble let out
a sigh of relief then turned to let Jacob know that he could carry on... but
Jacob was gone.
When Bibble had pulled on the fishing rod
the hook had disconnected from the branch and sprang out into the water below.
The troll followed the string that was now further downstream and could see
Jacob holding on tightly as the water dragged him under its flow. Bibble stood
up quickly and began to pull the line in as fast as he could, winding it in
until Jacob was close enough that he could reach out grab his hand and pull him
to the safety of the lakeside. Jacob stayed close to the edge and told Bibble
to relax as the troll was quite excited. As Bibble sat down once again the armoured
fairy returned, Jacob quickly snapped off a hollow reed and ducked under the
water; he put the reed in his mouth and breathed through it while the fairy
stood next to his friend. The fairy said nothing to Bibble this time; he just
looked into the big empty bucket next to the troll’s big feet and kicked it
over onto its side before turning around and walking towards the fallen tree
bridge. Jacob lifted his head from the water and let out a deep breath before
jumping up and hiding behind the rock that Bibble sat on. “Is that really you
Jacob? What are you doing here?” the troll asked “yes Bibble, it’s really me
and I have come to get you out of here... where is Lolly?” Bibble nodded his
head towards the cave entrance “she is in there Jacob”.
It took a while to catch a fish but once
Bibble put a worm on his hook he caught three in quick succession. The troll
got up from the rock, picked up his bucket and headed towards the entrance of
the cave, just as Bibble was about to enter a voice called out “stop!” Bibble
turned around and the armoured fairy approached “where are you going?” the
fairy sneered. The troll held out his bucket and showed his catch “I was
beginning to think you didn’t even have a worm on your hook!” take them inside”
the fairy ordered. As Bibble entered the cave he crept down the tunnels and
after he checked to make sure he hadn’t been followed he opened the door to a
little room. “Bibble...! What are you doing in here? If you are caught you will
be in trouble” the pretty fairy said. A big smile crossed the trolls face as he
placed the bucket on the floor, Lolly looked inside “why have you brought a
bucket of fish in here?” she said with a frown “you know I hate the smell of
fish!” As the fairy watched the fish began to move, then from under them an arm
appeared and Jacob climbed out of the bucket “hello Lolly!” Lolly looked at the
man “Jacob! Is that you?! He smiled… she knew that smile so well, Lolly threw
her arms around him and although he smelled of fish she did not mind, she
hugged him and then kissed him “let's get out of here!” he said to his friends.
Bibble tipped out the fish onto the floor of
the little room and Lolly and Jacob jumped into the bucket, the troll threw it
over his shoulder and made his way out of the cave. He then sat on the rock for
a moment pretending to fish but keeping an eye on the guards, when they had
turned their backs Bibble said “ready?” “Ready” Jacob replied. Bibble placed
the bucket in the water and then jumped in too. He filled the bucket and Lolly
and Jacob were squashed underneath him but once the troll was in there, there
was nothing they could do about it..... The bucket drifted downstream and out
of Azar.
Chapter 8
The armoured fairy prince had found the fish
tipped on the floor in the cave in Azar and the beautiful Fairy that he had
planned to wed was not in the room anymore. He was enraged and rushed out of
the cave shouting at the top of his voice to the guards and the rest of his
army “They have escaped, get the rats ready, we are heading to the well... find
that troll and bring him to me!”
Above Azar a dark cloud suddenly covered the
land, thunder rumbled above and a flash of lightening ripped through the
darkening skies.
As the three friends rested for a moment on
the lake side Jacob sat up and turned towards Lolly, she was staring at him
wearing a big smile “You have grown into a very handsome man” the fairy said.
Jacob returned the smile and looked at the beautiful fairy, she looked older
but had not changed very much in appearance, he was just about to tell her how
beautiful she looked when Bibble called out “I can see the ancient tree up on
that hill over there” Lolly and Jacob stood up and followed the direction that
the troll was pointing in “we are not far” said Jacob “we should go”.
During the short journey towards the well
Jacob and Lolly could not take their eyes off each other, every time the man
looked at the fairy she would be looking at him and when Lolly looked towards
Jacob he would be smiling at her. Bibble led the way and soon they were walking
over the familiar fairy land.
When they arrived at the ruins that were
once the well, Jacob called out to his old friend “Dizzy! Are you here?” the
mouse peeked his head out from under the bush and he smiled the biggest smile
“Lolly!” he said in a feeble voice. The fairy rushed over to Dizzy and hugged
him “I have missed you so much Dizzy”.
The stone around his neck began to pulsate
strongly and Jacob held it in his hand “something is wrong!” he said to his
friends. “What is it Jacob?” Dizzy asked “I’m not sure but the sacred stone has
never vibrated this strongly before”. Jacob put his hand into his pocket and
took out the other two sacred stones, they too vibrated in his palm “what does
this mean Jacob?” the fairy asked softly “I really do not know Lolly!”
In the distance a black cloud rolled towards
the fairy kingdom. Beneath the darkness of the cloud an army riding on rats
moved hastily towards the well. The prince rode at the front of his army and
lifted his whip high above his head cracking it through the air.
When the friends opened their eyes the
figure smiled down upon them. Jacob gazed up at the smile that he knew so well
and he asked his question “Mother, what am I to do?” she knelt down before her
son and kissed him gently on the forehead “the three sacred stones must be
placed back into the wish boxes Jacob and the sword and compass will show you
what must be done, only then can the vision shown in the third sacred stone
when it stopped spinning in Azar come true.” Jacobs mother looked towards the
fairy and she smiled her beautiful smile “Lolly” she said in a soothing whisper
“Look after my son for me, destiny has already shown that you were made for
each other!” Lolly blushed and smiled at the women in white that glowed like
the sun. The spirit began to swirl in a haze and rise up into the sky. Before
she disappeared like a summer mist she called out familiar words “follow your
heart Jacob” and then she was gone.
Jacob looked at the sword again and the compass
needle still span but as it span Jacob felt a strong force pulling the sword
from his hands. He tried to hold it tighter as it pulled like a magnet lifting
his arms up with ease, he could not hold on any longer and the sword flew from
his hands.... flying into the air the sword grew bigger and bigger and it span
high above them before coming down landing blade first into the ground and
rocking from side to side for a moment before coming to a standstill, it stood
towering above then like a giant shining cross. The compass fell out of the
swords tree shaped handle and rolled to Jacob’s feet, it tipped onto one side
and the words “follow your heart” glistened in the sunlight.
Nearing the fairy kingdom the skies began to
darken and thunder rumbled in the oncoming storm.
Jacob picked the compass and stones up from
the ground put them into his pocket and joined Lolly, Dizzy and Bibble who were
now sat by the collapsed well, he sat down and put his head in his hands. They
sat quietly for a moment before Lolly broke the silence “what did your mother
mean about the vision in the sacred stone Jacob?” Jacob looked up and smiled
“tell her Jacob” said Bibble to his friend, he too had seen what the vision had
shown. Jacob took Lolly’s hand in his and looked into her eyes “the third
sacred stone showed you and I getting married Lolly” the bearded man said to
the fairy. Lolly stood up and looked down at Jacob “that’s impossible! How can
that be true? I am a fairy and you are a human” Jacob stood up and wrapped his
arms around Lolly’s waist. “You were not a fairy Lolly... you were a human
too!”
A tear rolled down Lolly’s cheek although it
was not a tear of sadness, she gave Jacob a smile and kissed him on the lips
“do you see that tree up there Jacob?” she pointed to the ancient tree on top
of the hill “that tree was here long before I was born and it will still be
standing long after I am gone. That tree is the heart of the fairy kingdom and
as long as it stands up there protecting us then this will always be our home
no matter what.” “What are you saying Lolly?” Jacob asked with a frown “what
I’m saying is that to us! That tree is life, it is what we believe in, it is
our protector and will never let anybody hurt us, but to you! To humans... it
is just a tree!” Jacob lowered his head as Lolly finished her speech “we are so
very different Jacob but yes, I love you and if I could become human and marry
you I would gladly do so but there is only one more wish to make and you must
use it to help my people... not make me human.” Jacob was quiet for a moment,
then he looked up at the fairy “You are right Lolly, this wish must be used to bring
your people back to the fairy kingdom and it must be used to bring peace to the
fairies and the trolls of Azar” As Jacob spoke his words the sword in the
ground flashed in the last glint of sunshine, it caught Jacobs eye and he
looked towards it. In the hole in the handle of the sword the ancient tree on
the hill could be seen through it; it was then that Jacob noticed that the tree
on the swords handle was the same magnificent tree on the hill and on the
shining blade the words follow your heart in the ancient script pointed
downwards... under the ground.
Dizzy looked up into the sky and turned
towards his friends saying “you must be quick Jacob... the eye of the storm is
upon us!” Above their heads lightening crashed and thunder growled amidst the
swirling black cloud as the princes army came over the hill.
Chapter 11
The journey to the wish chamber would be
easy as they had been there once before and knew which direction to take but in
the dark shadowed corners a guardian was still lurking in the darkness, he had
only ever been defeated once but that was many years ago.
Jacob and Lolly neared the wish chamber and
remembered how the guardian had trapped and tangled Daisy in its sticky web,
they also remembered how fast it had ran down the tunnel and dragged Skar
through the dark labyrinth back to its lair. The hair on Jacob’s neck stood on
end as he recognised the familiar surroundings and he kept a watchful eye on
every turning and corner.
They arrived at the wish chamber and Lolly
asked Jacob if he knew what he had to do. Jacob kissed the fairy and told her
that he did. “I need you to help me this time Lolly” the fairy nodded her head
and then hugged him tightly.
As Lolly held Jacob close he opened his eyes
to see the guardian charging down the tunnel towards them.... he pushed Lolly
into the wish chamber and quickly held up the sacred stone from around his
neck... its light was blinding and shone directly towards the guardian causing
him to crash into the walls of the tunnel. As he got closer.... and closer to
his prey, the light burned brighter and the spider came to a stop only inches
from Jacob. The guardian stood in front of Jacob for a moment, he was blinded
and unable to go any further. He raised his front legs high and menacingly as
if to attack... then to Jacobs surprise the spider slowly crawled backwards
into the dark tunnel and out of the blinding light.
Jacob rushed into the wish chamber took the
two stones from his pocket and then snapped off the third sacred stone from the
chain around his neck. The wish chamber was exactly as it was on their last
visit only dust had covered the giant compass on the floor again. The wish box
that had held the last wish was sat in its alcove and still open as the boy had
once left it with its tiny key still in its lock.
Jacob turned to the first wish box “what
colour is the needle on the floor pointing to this box?” Jacob asked Lolly.
Lolly got down on her knees and began to wipe the drawing on the floor until
she found the picture and the needle “its blue Jacob!” she called out. Jacob
picked out the blue glowing stone and slotted it into the circle on the front
of the box... nothing happened. Lolly had already moved to the next point on
the floor and as Jacob approached the second box she called out “white.” Once
again Jacob slotted the white stone into the circle on the second box... still
nothing. He ran past the open wish box and didn’t need to be told the colour
this time; he inserted the red stone into the last box and walked backwards
until he met Lolly in the centre of the wish chamber and waited for something
to happen... nothing happened!
Jacob and Lolly stood in the centre of the
compass drawing on the floor for a moment and then Jacob fell to his knees “I
have done something wrong Lolly” he cried “what have I done?” the fairy pulled
Jacob to his feet and kissed him “You haven’t done anything wrong, you have not
made your wish Jacob... make it now!”
Outside the prince approached Bibble and he
pushed him to the ground “you have taken something that belongs to me troll” he
said with a sneer “do you really think a troll could possibly be of any threat
to me and my army?” He took the sword from out of the ground smiled a sinister
grin and then raised it into the air “one troll maybe not!” a voice shouted out
“but the friends of that troll could be a problem!” Bibble and the prince
looked up and standing on the hill Dipper and the trolls of Azar stood looking
down on the army “and the fairies of this kingdom will also fight if that’s
what it takes brother!” the prince span around as the king and the fairy folk
approached him from behind. The prince and his army were surrounded and he
lowered his sword to his side “drop the sword brother” the king ordered “there
will be no bloodshed on this land”. The prince raised his hands and smirked at
the king “you haven’t got the nerve to fight me... brother!” In a quick swift
movement the prince grabbed Bibble and put the sword to the troll’s throat
“well brother here’s the deal” the prince rasped in a menacing tone “give me
Lolly and I will leave this land forever, if you don’t you can say goodbye to
your friend here!” Dipper stormed forward “you let my friend go or I’ll... “You
will do what?” the prince laughed.
The king approached his brother and looked
him in the eyes “Lolly is already spoken for... you fool!” The prince’s
grinning face dropped to a menacing scowl “Then I will destroy this kingdom and
bring the ancient tree to the ground!” He turned to his army and shouted
“attack!”
The princes army raised their swords but
they were too late, from beneath the ground deep in the well Jacob had made his
wish and the stones in the boxes beamed a light so powerful that the wish
chamber shook. The light burst through the tunnels and up the well before
shooting into the sky and piercing the centre of the cloud above the kingdom...
directly into the eye of the storm. The cloud turned from black into a deep
crimson red and began to rumble and swirl in a large circle in the sky, as it
swirled faster... and faster the army were sucked up into it. The prince
watched in horror with his mouth wide open, he threw Bibble to the ground,
raised the sword and rushed towards the tree on the hill but as he got closer
he rose off the ground and was then swallowed by the cloud. There was one more
streak of lightening and the cloud disappeared.
Dipper ran to his friend and hugged the big
footed troll and the king approached Dipper and took him by the hand, they
shook firmly and smiled “you have become a great leader my friend” the king
said to the troll. “How did you all know that you had to come back here?” Dizzy
sat up and asked his friends “we were told to return” the king smiled at the
old mouse “by whom?” The king raised his arm and pointed towards the ancient
tree on the hill. Sat on a branch a bluebird smiled down from above.
“Daisy...!” Dizzy called out, Daisy swooped gracefully from the branch and
excitedly flew to her best friend as she wrapped her wings around him everybody
gave a cheer.
Chapter 12
The fairy held Jacob close at the
bottom of the well and as they kissed her wings opened, flapped and they slowly
rose up towards the sunlight above.
Outside the fairies and trolls waited for
their friends to appear and as Lolly and Jacob rose from the hole in the ground
Dizzy began to clap, followed by Dipper and Bibble. The king and princess
Eleanor joined in the applause then the fairy kingdom roared with the sounds of
laughter and good cheer.
The king raised his hands into the air and
the gathering crowd silenced. As he lowered his hands everybody sat down on the
grass to listen to the great king, he looked around at his people and friends
before him and a smile beamed across his face. “We have come together as one
today and we have seen what could have been if it was not for special friends
amongst us” the king said “the wish that Jacob made was an unselfish wish and
he has given us back our hope and our future” he looked down at Jacob and Lolly
and with pride filling his eyes; The king took off his crown and pulled a
shining stone from its front and then raised the crown into the air. “It is
time for me to stand down as king” the crowd looked at each other before
returning their gaze back to the leader as he walked towards his daughter with
a gentle smile on his face and lowered the crown on top of her head “it is now the
time of queen Eleanor!” the crowd stood and began to applaud once again and the
roar of cheering echoed around the fairy kingdom. The king once again raised
his hands to silence the crowd and continued “but if the queen will allow me to
end this story!” he bowed to his daughter and she nodded her approval. He took
the stone that had been in the crown and held it out in his hands “this stone
was placed in the crown many years ago, It is the most precious stone that will
only grant the most precious wish” the old king turned and smiled at his
beautiful daughter, she smiled back at her father once again nodding her
approval. “I call on Jacob and Lolly to come forward!” Jacob and Lolly made
their way to the front of the crowd and stood in front of the king. The king
took the couples hands and placed the stone in Jacob’s palm; he then placed
Lolly’s hand on top of the glistening stone and squeezed their hands together.
The king smiled then raised his voice and shouted out to his people “we have a
wedding to prepare.... and a kingdom.... to rebuild!” Jacob turned and faced
Lolly, he pulled her close to his chest and as they kissed they both span
together in a circle... once... twice... and then a third time. The handsome
man and the beautiful woman looked down on their friends and the kingdom
erupted in joy.
The queen of the fairy kingdom called Jacob
and Lolly aside to talk in private. The couple sat on the grass and Queen
Eleanor stood in front of them smiling the most beautiful smile. She turned and
pointed towards her people and friends who were now throwing a party, music and
laughter once again filled the kingdom “this is all you’re doing!” she smiled
“this is what is yet to come and it’s all because of you!” “Yet to come...?”
Jacob asked with a puzzled look on his face “yes Jacob, the third sacred stone
of Azar is the future, it has shown you what will be.” The queen gazed at the
bearded man and looked deep into his eyes. “This is your destiny Jacob but it
is not your time yet!”
The queen approached Jacob and she placed a
kiss on his forehead. As Jacob turned and looked at his beautiful wife to be;
she too kissed him and before he fell asleep lolly whispered in his ear “soon
my love... we will be one!”
Chapter 13
Jacob
opened his eyes and he lay on his back looking up at the light. A blurred dark
figure moved up above and a voice called out his name “Jacob! Are you down
there?”
Jacob sat up and rubbed his head as a hand
reached down to him from above “Take my hand son!” Jacob held out his hand and
the large hand of the figure pulled him up towards the light.
Outside Jacob lay on his back for a moment
trying to gather his bearings “where am I?” he mumbled “who are you?” the
figure came into focus and his father looked down upon him. The boy’s father
smiled “you fell down this hole in the ground and I have been looking for you
for hours!” The boy sat up and looked at his father then hugged him tightly
“how did you find me?” he asked. “I am sorry I ever doubted you Jacob” he
replied with a grin “I was told and shown where you were!” Jacob looked around
and standing behind him a mouse, a bluebird, two trolls and a beautiful fairy
smiled up at him “your friends helped me find you Jacob” the father said to his
son. He picked the boy up in his strong arms and called out to the big black
smiling cat “we have found him Dino... come on boy, let’s go home”
As Jacob was carried across the field
towards his house he looked back at his friends “come back and visit soon
Jacob!” they shouted aloud. Dino turned towards the friends and winked before
giving a ridiculous smile.
The End
