Legend of the Woods

Episode 14, Waking the Slumbering Giants.

Thank you, Christine Graves and Ravyne Hawke, for the Writing Prompts that inspired this story. Promptly Written is a wonderful publication.

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AND NOW Episode 14, Waking the Slumbering Giants.

“Garr, Garr, Garr, Chip, Chip, Chip,” echoed about the woods as Shrum, Sap, and Mossey made their way to the giant Viny dome that was Chip.

Garr was pressed against the dome, new tendrils of vine growth pushing their way through the knot of vines forming the dome’s wall. Inside at the end of two vines, Garr’s eyes opened. Deep darkness covered all. The only light coming from the many green florescent creatures of the Mystic Realm. Within the chamber, a low soothing hum that was Chip’s slow breath in and out resonated. Most of the animals slept. At the end of another vine that now pierced the shelter wall, Garr’s mouth smiled.

“Well, ain’t that a sight. Chip wake up,” he shouted. “Creatures of the Mist, wake. Woodland creatures wake. The storm has passed.”

The others sounded off in true Gremorian fashion from various locations around Chip.

“Wake up, wake up, wake up,” each repeated. “Creatures of the mist,” Sap said.

“The mist,” Shrum said.

“The mist,” Mossey said.

Garr and the trio of Gremorians started to worry. In normal circumstances, the whispers of their numerous brothers and sisters would float in the air in an eerie echo.

Within, the creatures woke and began the squeak, chitter, and chat, as they streatched and shook off the slumber.

“Sleedertah, Sleedertah, shine bright for us now,” Garr said.

“Sleedertah,” Mossey Said.

“Shine bright,” Shrum said.

“Shine,” Sap said.

Then shine repeated again and again by the trio of onlookers now touching Chip themselves.

Within the dome, dozens of florescent flying creatures increased their luminescence. They flew up near the top of the shelter, their light radiating down. The waking creatures reacted to the brightness as they would at dawn on a bright summer morning.

“Wake him up, boys,” Garr shouted to three Gremorians who waited outside.

At that, the three placed one hand on Chip. They grew vines that inched between the tightly twisted knots of the dome, then grew them in size, creating openings large enough for the woodland creatures and creatures of the mist to escape. Then, with their other hand, they knocked on Chip’s walls and said, “Chip, you slug, wake up,” or.

“Chip, time to join the land of the living. Wake up, you Moocher,” or.

“Chip, the sun’s a shining; time to wakey wakey.”

Garr simply yelled, “Chip Wake up.” Over and over again.

Meanwhile, Steven Frilarium, the frilarium held hostage, continued to drink in the drips and drops, which had increased in intensity to an almost continuous flow of water. As he drank, his strength returned. His essence reignited and cracked the shadow of the encasement. Before long, slivers of the shadow flaked off, and the green fluorescence of the Mystic Realm lit up the pit that was his cell.

Elsewhere in the Dark Realm, In the tunnel that leads to the Edge of it all. Drips and drops from the water, following the Straight Path, streamed through into the darkness. The moochers hooted and hollered, now their whispers echoing about the realm of Gort, licking the dark corners, cracks, and crevices. Evil stirred as the water tore through the barrier between worlds. The Moochers shrieked with pleasure. The jittering snicker of the Fiend in the Wheat rose in tenner to ominous laughter.

Brevlodar flew fast and straight, bringing the calculations from Heydrick to Mort, Lord of the Mystic Realm. As he passed high above Frilarium Farms, he noticed hundreds of massive domes made of vines; a chill ran up his spines as he searched his thousand years of memories for a point of reference he could use to explain the structures. Below on the path from The Camp, he saw Mr. Peal and Topper riding fast toward the high seat.

Garr, Shrum, Sap, and Mossey continued their gentle assault upon their brother Chip, who stirred. As the last Sleedertah exited the chamber beneath the dome, leaving darkness and silence. Chip stirred some more.

Garr patted Chip, “That’s right young one, come to, wake and be with your brothers and sisters.”

“Wake Chip,” Mossey said.

“Wake Chip,” Sap said.

“Wake Chip,” Shrum said.

As Chip woke, his vines furthest from Garr shrank inward to the vines closest his brothers. Finally, he stood blinking in the harsh sun., “What happened? I was stuck in a dream,” he said.

“You fell into the deep sleep,” Garr said.

“Deep sleep.”

“Deep sleep.”

“Deep sleep,” Echoed on.

“Where are your brothers and sisters? The last time we spoke, you all were headed to the river to save the cowboy and his horse. How did this happen?”

“Brothers and Sisters.” Chip said.

“Save the cowboy.” Sap said.

“How, how, how,” Mossey and Shrum repeated over and over again.

“As we moved to the river, my brothers and sisters and I noticed the little creatures being brutalized by the storm, so some of us stopped to provide shelter,” Chip said.

Garr grew tall. He stretched high about the Forrest canopy, where he could see hundreds of Gremorians who had created a shelter and fallen asleep. “No! Trouble, my brothers, trouble,” Garr said.

“Trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble,” echoed about the woods.

Garr took off through the woods toward the closest of his kin who slept, “Follow me.”

“Follow me, follow me, follow me, follow me.” The others repeated.

Meanwhile, the dark shadowy crust fell off of Steven Frilarium in ever-larger chunks as he allowed the water to flow over him and wash the dark away. His light burnt away the webs of the keeper above him, and he climbed. At the top of the pit, the keeper and a band of Moochers waited. They stood in hesitation as the dungeon swelled with the florescent green light from Steven Frilarium’s essence. He drew his sword, it swirled with orange and red fire, then he assaulted his jailers.

In the tunnel that led to the Edge of it All, the ceiling below the flow of the water that was now the Straight Path crumbled and fell in. The Fiend in the Wheat cackled, and the Moochers screeched and climbed up through the breach. A black mass of shadow enveloped the rocky outcropping.

Brevlodar landed at the feet of the high seat to present the note to Mort as the Cowboy and Topper arrived. The attendants of the Lord of the Mystic Realm took the note from Brevlodar one took Topper to the stables others brought a drink from the fountain of Lave for the two travelers.

“Vreylil, where is Poddarius? I have information about his daughters?” Brevlodar spoke.

“He insisted that Steven stand proxy for his daughters after he caused the storm by not paying for safe passage. Mort has detained him.”

At that moment, the ground shook, and the screeches of the invading Moochers reverberated in the air.

To Be Continued

You can find Episode 13, Clarisa, Abby, and the Unfolding of the Straight Path, here.

Begin the journey here

Episode 1, Frilarium Farms.

© 2022, T. Mark Mangum

I am T.Mark Mangum. From an early age, I was hooked, addicted to the imagined, unfathomable worlds of Star Wars, Star Trek, Conan, the Lord of the Rings, and many others. I love writing fiction tales. I love writing in multiple genres. However, my favorites are Sci-fi and Fantasy fiction. I am a father of six; we have two cats and two dogs. Tabletop gaming is a passion.