SWNOVELS Chapter 23
Suddenly, all was still inside the purple orb. Through their rocky ride, Krikkit and the princes had kept themselves busy going over all the things that had happened since Krikkit came to D’Arragon.
When the orb first began to shake, they could not imagine what was happening. Since Jara cast the spell on the orb, they were unable to see out and no one could see them inside. Krikkit thought she heard a creaking noise as it moved. She feared the orb was breaking. The twins heard it too. “Don’t worry Krikkit. We will look after you. Don’t be frightened.”
Having felt the orb speeding up in its movements, their bodies were jarred in its abrupt stop. The purple glow returned at that moment, allowing the children to see out once again. Floating high in the transforming sky, they watched a marvelous event unfold before them.
“It’s Jara!” cried Krikkit.
“And Syntaba!” laughed Quinn. “And The Red Velvet Regiment!”
“Millions of them!” added Ivan, almost breathless with excitement.
A brilliant white light illuminated the sky, encompassing the heavenly riders. It glinted off the shiny swords, spears and armor of the sorcerers. Down in the courtyard the children saw Hennesy’s men all run away from the fight. “Jara told us we would see their magic,” said Krikkit.
“Stupendous!” shouted the twins before Krikkit could use her most recent favorite word.
Just then the purple light disappeared and the orb began to glide again through the sky.
“Feels like we’re flying,” said Ivan, wishing he could see where they were headed.
Without warning, the purple glow returned to the orb permitting the children to see out once more. As they descended, they could make out the image of an open trunk sitting crookedly on the ground.
“Look! We are back in the cave. There’s Syntaba’s trunk!” Krikkit shouted. Frightened of crashing into the trunk and smashing the orb, Krikkit cried out, “We are going to break the trunk!” Yet,
the orb landed gently in the old chest, safe and sound, in one piece.
“Are we ever going to get out of this orb?” asked Ivan.
“Yeah. I thought Jara was getting us out of here when they were done,” said Quinn.
Before the children could utter another word, the trunk began to shift, teetering back and forth. The lid slammed shut and they gawked at each other, astounded.
“What next?” asked Krikkit, nervously. “Are we on another journey?”
All at once, the rocking motion stopped and a voice rang out. “Hang on children. You will soon be out of there!”
“That sounds like Syntaba!” cried Ivan.
To Krikkit and Quinn’s immense surprise, Ivan began to slowly disappear in front of their eyes. Krikkit continued to watch with astonishment as Quinn vanished in the same way. She was alone. However, she had complete faith she would be rescued by Syntaba. Sure enough, she began to fade away, surprised that it did not hurt at all as she feared it might.
Gathered all together at last, Krikkit ran to Jara, knowing that all was well and they were safe.
“Stupendous!” said Jara as she hugged Krikkit closely, smoothing her tousled hair into place. “What an experience you have had Krikkit! So unlike anything you have ever known. You are so brave and I am proud of you!”
“Ivan and Quinn are brave, too,” Krikkit said, smiling.
“I know they are, Krikkit. They have always been brave,” Jara replied, hugging the twins as well.
Syntaba beamed, happy his hunch had been correct. “Thank goodness we arrived before my trunk got any further,” he said, relieved. “It was out to protect its possessions from any other interference, once they were all together.”
“Now we can all go home,” Quinn said, his eyes shining.
As eager as his brother, Ivan could hardly wait to see their parents again. The boys missed them terribly.
“First we must take care of this trunk and all its magic!” Syntaba nodded, determined, this time, to safeguard the trunk and its contents.
Everyone watched in amazement when a little wooden box appeared out of nowhere with the same carvings on it that were on the trunk.
“My box!” exclaimed Krikkit.
“My box,” said Syntaba, smiling kindly at her and not in the least offended. “Now the shoes, my dear Krikkit. They must go back where they belong.”
One by one, Krikkit slowly removed the shoes as Jara and the twins looked on. Sadly she handed the magical footwear to Syntaba, sorry that this was the last time she would see them. She would miss the shiny, black leather shoes and the magic they had brought into her life. The young girl felt her heart would break at the loss of the most beautifully different shoes she had ever worn.
Syntaba held out his hand to Quinn saying, “And now that piece of cloth, Quinn.”
Digging deep into his pocket, Quinn pulled out the shimmering cloth and handed it promptly to the sorcerer.
Wrapping the cloth carefully around the shoes, Syntaba placed the bundle into the small wooden box. He set the box carefully into the trunk and closed the lid. The trunk rocked to and fro for a moment, then stopped completely. A shiny, golden hinge and lock suddenly replaced the old rusted ones.
“Now no one can open that magic lock except for Syntaba,” said Jara. As she spoke, a white mist began to cover the old chest. With everyone’s eyes upon it, it vanished.
“Where did it go?” asked Krikkit, breathless with excitement at Syntaba’s magic.
“To a safe place where it will be guarded until all my journeys are ended. In a little old house, Krikkit, within a fable, hidden deep inside the Land of Dreams and Fables. In a region where no flood can touch it,” sighed Syntaba with much satisfaction.
“And now can we go home?” asked Quinn. He was eager to be back at the palace.
“It feels like we have been away forever,” agreed Ivan.
“Now we can go home,” said Syntaba.
Without another word, and a flick of his little finger, they found themselves all whirling through the bright blue sky. In minutes the two sorcerers and the three children stood together in the large kitchen of D’Arragon Palace.
King Roger and Queen MaryAnne hugged them all, thankful that the threat posed by the D’Arragon prophecy had come and gone.