III
Nik and Min left at once along secret trails. They traveled through thick forest, along river banks, and over open plains. They saw no living being, until an hour into their journey while passing through a misty swamp they felt their path blocked by an unseen impenetrable force. Nik threw himself against it but bounced back. He looked around and spoke as if to the force that impeded them. “I’m on a mission to the king of fairies. Johan, Mocaraid, sent us.”
No answer.
Min tagged at the boy’s arm. “The broach. Hold up the broach.”
Nik pulled the precious jewel from his pocket. As he held it high in his left hand, it emitted a faint glow. As if a door had suddenly opened the force relented and the two children proceeded on their mission.
When they reached the border of fairyland once again they found their way blocked. Two fairies stood guard. One brandished a wand as one would a sword. “Entrance to the fair land from the world of men is barred,” she said.
Nik held out the broach. “But we have urgent business with the king of fairies,” he replied. “Mocaraid sent us.”
The fairy stared at the boy and the broach. She lowered her wand. “I recognize the pin. How dear it was to us to see it go into the world of men, but that was the king’s wish. Now it has returned along with two urchins. So be it. Follow me, and I’ll take you to our king.’
Nothing prepared the children for the sight they saw as they crossed the threshold into fairyland. Brilliant colors beamed at them from everywhere. The grass and trees had the purest green. The sky had the purest blue. Flowers bloomed everywhere. Everything was vibrant and alive. No death reaches that country.
The fairy led them along a path with a gold-like surface to a city formed out of the same stuff. Fairies, nymphs, and other beautiful creatures the children could not identify walked about paying the children no attention. Nik’s and Min’s guide led them to the middle of the city where a castle with several tall towers reached for the sky.
Entering the castle, they found a great room with a single throne in its center. On the throne sat a man in white, fairer in countenance than any man they had before seen. His kind, all-knowing eyes caught Min’s attention. Nik noticed his ageless appearance. Min whispered, “This is no ordinary man.”
Nik answered. “Neither was Raghorn, but this one is different. He radiates goodness where the great goblin radiated pure evil.”
Their guide stopped before the man on the throne and announced, “Behold, our king.”
The King of the Fairies looked down from his throne. “Does it surprise you that I appear in the fashion of a man?” he asked. “I assure you I can appear in the form of any of my creations. But enough of that, I see you have come on urgent business, sent here from my friend, Johan, whom my fairies call Mocaraid. I know, because you have the broach I gave him which he would not have parted with lightly.”
Nik fell to his knees. “O king we have come because evil creatures are about to overrun our land. We have tried to warn our neighbors, but few will believe us. We come to beg for help.”
The king leaned forward. “I know of your land and your plight. But why should I help those who destroy the bounties I have given them and refuse to acknowledge that I exist? No, their fate is on their own heads, but I will intervene on the behalf of the few that believe.”
Meanwhile back in Uclalia, the appointed day arrived. Mayor Bliney and the twelve councilmen of the village came to the stronghold where Johan and his stalwart defenders stood guard. The mayor held the lapel of his fine waistcoat which he wore to his official functions. “Well,” he said. “This is the day you doomsayers said would come and I see no goblins and such. You might as well come out of your holes and rejoin society.”
Johan stood his ground. “The day is not over, yet, Mayor Bliney. If I were you, I’d be careful as I went back to the village. There may be things lurking in the bushes that you do not see.”
Bliney scoffed, dismissing the friend of fairies with a wave of his hand. “You’re afraid of legends, is all. I’m not going to fear a myth.” And with this, he turned, motioned to his entourage, and headed back the way they had come.
Once out of sight of the stone fortress, legends came to life. A green-skinned troll and several goblins blocked the path of the village officials. A dragon swooped overhead. Panic filled Bliney’s eyes as full recognition of his predicament entered his mind. He and his cohorts spun around and began racing back to Johan’s fortress. They had not gone more than ten feet when an exceptionally large goblin and several cloven-footed fauns cut off their retreat.
The large goblin, Raghorn himself, addressed the mayor. “Legends indeed. We heard you speak to that friend of fairies. Now you will get a taste of what legends can do. You have no hope that you can do anything against my army of mythological creatures. You had best surrender to us and instruct your people to serve me, the new king of Uclalia.”
Mayor Bliney hung his head in fear. But then raised it up. There was something in Raghorn’s ultimatum that resonated with the man of authority. Yes, he would instruct his people to serve Raghorn as long as he retained some semblance of power as the go-between.
And so, without any blows or bloodshed, Uclalia became a conquered land with its people impressed into the service of the great goblin, Raghorn the Magnificent. Much of Uclalia’s citizenry were drawn away to labor in goblin mines. Others served to supply Raghorn’s army’s needs. Still, others, who considered themselves most fortunate, were impressed into that army itself.
Three days later, with the land fully subdued, the army of legends marched on Johan’s rock stronghold. They surrounded the fortress. Mayor Bliney stood to the front where he and the twelve councilmen had confronted Johan days earlier. The mayor had lost his swagger as well as his fine waistcoat but still tried to make a good front of things. “Friend of fairies,” he began, “I appeal to you. Don’t make it hard on yourselves. You were right about the legends, but you were wrong about this. They mean us no harm and bring us help in our time of need. Come and serve them as do we and they will share with us their goods until this famine is over.”
Johan answered him. His voice carried to all those accompanying the mayor. “You mean for us to be their slaves as are you. The only goods they have to share is what they take from you. No, we will not subject ourselves and our little ones to that.”
A hush settled over the armies inside and outside the fortress. The chief goblin’s troops could not imagine these ragtag defenders standing up against such an overwhelming force.
A dark cloud covered the sun casting everyone in darkness. A path opened up among the attackers as Raghorn strode toward their front. His eyes burned with fire. The defenders’ hearts sank. The great goblin spoke, “You cannot hope to win. There is none as powerful as me.”
Everyone present stood still for a long moment when the uneasy silence became broken by the blast of a trumpet that reverberated among the rocks. From where this came no one could ascertain. The sound surrounded them as did a bright light. As the eyes of defenders and attackers alike adjusted they saw a vast army of fairies and nymphs all heavily armed standing between defenders and attackers. At their head in white gleaming armor stood the king of the fairies. As He spoke, his voice reached everyone on that field of conflict. “Long you have opposed me, Raghorn. Long you have claimed your might. Now you will see mine. Be gone!”
With that, a flash of light enveloped Raghorn and his army. When that ended the attackers had vanished. No one could say where they had gone. Nor would the king of fairies divulge his secret. Some speculated that the attackers had been transported to a world far away where they continuously fight against each other. Others hazarded no guess but just reveled in the fact the siege had ended.
In the days that followed Nik, Min, Johan, and his remnant left their stronghold for they had no need for it. They returned to their homes and rejoined the citizens that had not followed Raghorn along with the children of those who had. They formed a new society that provided for one another and honored the king of the fairies who remained in their land. The drought lifted and the famine ceased. There could be nothing but days of goodness with that king present.
And the fairies held a feast like none other before and none other since. Some say that if you could find your way to Uclalia, you would find the feast continues still.