This is the part of the adventure where where things take a funny turn...
Image by Peter Pang from Pixabay
“Master Foeg?”
“Yes student Vell.”
“Can I stop playing this violin now please? My arm’s aching.”
“Oh very well, put it down then.”
“Thank you master.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“What now master?”
“Master Foeg. Remember?”
“Sorry master Foeg. I was just wondering what was to happen next in the story.”
“Before I tell you that I need more wine.”
“What for master Foeg?”
“Because I’ve run out of imagination. That’s what for.”
“But you’ve only just had a bottle not more than an hour ago.”
“I can only do one thousand words to a bottle and I’ve done those, so before the story can go on I need more wine. Run along and get me some will you, there’s a good fellow. Don’t forget to take a light with you otherwise the monster will get you.”
“Alright master Foeg I’ll go straight away. Don’t do any more until I get back, will you?”
“Hurry then and I’ll wait with bated breath for your return.”
Image by Robert Balog from Pixabay
The student took a lantern and holding it high he unlocked the heavy door and stumbled over Kelek and George who were still fast asleep.
“Master, master!”
“Yes, student Vell?”
“How did Kelek and George get here from your story?”
“Because I put them there, that’s how.”
“But master, I thought you were making the story up as you went along.”
“I was, but now I’ve decided I’d like to get in on the action so I’ve written myself into the story.”
“What about me master?”
“You can come too if you like.”
“But who now will write the story if we both are characters in it?”
Image by Reinhold Silbermann from Pixabay
“Belilia can carry on with the story. She doesn’t have anything better to do. She’ll make a great story teller. Let her try her hand at it,” said the master beginning to hand the story over to Belilia who is up in the tower with pen and ink before her, pensively thinking what should happen next. George is snoring and after a particularly loud snore, Kelek wakes up. Immediately on seeing the open door he bounds up and gives George a kick then walks into the chamber where master Foeg and Vell are waiting for him.
“My, she’s a fast worker,” said master Foeg.
“Who’s a fast worker?” asked Kelek.
“The one who is writing this story,” replied master Foeg.
“What story?” said Kelek looking puzzled.
“Never mind. It would take too long to explain,” said master Foeg.
Image by pendleburyannette from Pixabay
“Take your fat finger out of my belly,” said George who had woken up and come into the chamber to stand behind Kelek.
Vell, who had poked George to see if he was real, jumped back.
“I was only trying to see if you were really here,” whined Vell.
“I’ll show you how real I am if you poke me again,” said George raising his small fist and giving it a little shake.
“What are you doing in this chamber,” said Kelek to master Foeg.
“We’ve always been here. There’s never been a time when we weren’t in here that I can remember,” said master Foeg.
“I thought this was the way in to the castle,” said Kelek.
“Oh no. This chamber is a dead end. The way to the castle is further along the tunnel.”
George had been listening to this as soon as he heard that he would have to go back into the tunnel again he burst out with:
“There’s a bloody great big monster back there that’s waiting to eat us all up. So there’s no way I’m going back in that tunnel again.”
Image by Iván Tamás from Pixabay
“It’s the only way, but there’s no need to be concerned for so long as we carry light it won’t come near us. Light hurts its eyes,” said master Foeg.
“Afraid are you?” said Vell to George. George took an extreme dislike to the little fart and was just about to do something to him, like hit him, when Kelek said:
“Right, no sense hanging around here then, come on, we’ve got a damsel or two in distress to rescue,” and so saying he picked up the lantern and made his way into the tunnel. George followed quickly as it was the only light.
“He’s taken our lantern,” said Vell.
“We’d better follow them then. The adventure is afoot,” said Master Foeg hurrying after George’s back.
Into the dripping, dank, dark, slimy, slippery, narrow, cold, claustrophobic oppressive, well-worn, monster ridden world of the tunnel, kelek and his followers rushed headlong as much as they were able to in the confined space. They turned right at the main tunnel which wasn’t any bigger and on they went.
By degrees the floor started to slope upwards until soon they were almost climbing. And then they were. The floor was so steep now they had to search out hand-holds. Once, Kelek’s foot slipped as he was reaching for a hand-hold and back he slithered until he fetched up against George.
“It’s a long way for a little slip of a girl to have to go to get a bottle of wine,” said George.
“That’s what I was thinking too,” said Kelek.
“Maybe we’ve come the wrong way,” said George.
“I don’t think so George. There was only one turn off along the way, so she must have come this way,” said Kelek his voice echoing in the confined space.
“Do you think you could take your foot out of my face now please Kelek?” said George.
Kelek climbed up the slippery passage feeling out each nook and cranny. George was close behind and behind him master Foeg and Vell brought up the rear, neither speaking, just climbing and huffing up the steep dark tunnel, and they were awed by the adventure, their first. Kelek heaved himself up a few more feet then felt into a small hole. His fingers felt around inside and touched something smooth. So he looked into the hole by the light of the lantern and saw what his hand was touching: a skull.
“Funny place to leave your head,” he said. He pulled it out and took a closer look then passed it back absent-mindedly to George.
“Here George, what do you make of this?”
George reached up and took it from him and brought it down on a level with his face. On seeing what it was he gave a little gurgle and dropped it. It tumbled down past master Foeg and hit Vell on the head. Vell shouted.
“What the hell! Who dropped that rock on me?”
Kelek and George climbed on and said nothing. George giggled a bit.
“I’ll get that dwarf for that,” muttered Vell to himself.
On and on they climbed. Up and up until they were all soaked with their exertions, and steaming. The climb never seemed to end. Master Foeg was at the end of his strength so that Vell had to help him on by pushing from behind.
“You’re a good lad Vell. I’m glad now I brought you along.”
“Pleased to be of service,” said Vell wondering why he was there; a redundant student, cold, wet, hungry, tired, miserable. I’ll stick around just long enough to get that dwarf,” he muttered to himself as he heaved his erstwhile master up a few more inches.
End of part 6
Images from Pixabay
