THE WRETCHED

THE FOSSEGRIMENS

"Come with me," the Fossegrimen said, his voice coming out like an enchanted siren song. His smooth movements towards the waterfall convinced Arold that he wasn't dreaming. The creature began to play his fiddle, a melodious tune filled the ears of the teenagers and they found themselves following the steps of the Fossegrimen as if their legs were being pulled by invisible strings and their motions manipulated unseen hands. The water on the waterfall parted at the sound of the fiddle and revealed an open tunnel behind it. It was like a curtain had been lifted to give a peek of the enchanted cave. The walls of the tunnel were infested with little mushrooms that lit up in different colours as they passed it. It reminded Arold of a rainbow on a sunny day. He marvelled when the lights formed a rainbow at the end of the tunnel just as the Fossegrimen stepped out of the tunnel and into an open heavily lit area with beautiful multicoloured flowers carpeting the ground; dwarf trees grew scattered scarcely on the area. Arold realized they were inside an enormous cave lit by rather humongous fireflies that scattered high on the roof of the cave. There were golden statues of Fossegrimen like forms lining the walls of the cave and they shone a bright golden light each at a time while emanating a lyrical tune that seemed to have captured their attention so much so that they didn't notice the plump short Fossegrimen seated on a golden throne with small golden fiddles playing around him while suspended on air. 

"Your highness," the Fossegrimen that had brought them in bowed before the king with the sudden bright smile on his face. He was delighted to see a group of human children once more in a hundred years. It had been so long since he'd seen a group so young to bring entertainment in his ageing years.

"Who do you bring Festus?" the king asked, pulling his back of the throne to lean forward.

"They are on a journey to secure the four rings of the apocalypse. They were passing through here,"

The king studied the strangers, nodding his head each time as if someone was whispering something to him at the back of his gigantic ears.

"You seem to have a sick one amongst you," the king observed, bringing the attention of the teenagers to the frowning king.

"He was a victim of the Green Lions," Hero offered, "we seek treatment from your well,"

The king let out throaty laughter, "what do you say Festus?"

"They have to pass the test," he answered swiftly, his head held high, his fiddle safely in the grip of his left hand.

"So it is," the king declared, "you'll be given a place to stay, we treat all our guests with dignity but should you lose, you won't see much of the dignity,"

Two servants descended down from a brown wood-like door and led them through it, they had to climb a few stairs down. The door led into a long hall that stretched on each side. The girls were led on the left side while the boys went to the right. They were each given a small circular room with brown wood plastered on its walls. They were served wine and bread with dried meat. 

Arold couldn't get the food to go through to his stomach. His mind overflowed with how he was going to learn to play the fiddle in two days. He had never even seen a fiddle until then let alone touch it! He pushed the food tray away and climbed on the wooden bed that was attached to the wall. He folded his hands on the back of his head as he lay facing up. He wished he was home, despite his father's dictator-like behaviour he would have wished to listen to him yell rather than be involved in a quest he knew nothing about. The dark sky with bright stars that had always comforted him was nowhere to be seen inside the cave, he let out a bitter chuckle that vibrated through his chest. 

A sudden light appeared above him. At first, it was a small blue light that he hadn't noticed at first but it slowly grew into a bright big light that overpowered his eyes. He covered his eyes with the palm of his hands. A minute passed and a soft warm female voice called his name. Arold felt his whole muscles tense. He slowly pulled his palms away from his face, slowly opening his eyes, one eye first. The lady gently floating down to the ground wasn't familiar to him but her fiery yellow eyes hypnotized him so much that he found himself seated on his bum, looking up at her as if she was the most amazing thing to ever grace him. 

"Arold," she said, her voice smooth and clear, soothing and inviting.

She smiled at him when he shook his head to snap out of the trance-like state he had been.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice a bit shaky, he wasn't scared, he wasn't sure how to talk to such a beautiful otherworldly being.

"Relax Arold, I am here to help you," she coaxed him, her soothing voice calm and assured. There was no hurry in the way she spoke, each word that she said came out clear and paused. Her fiery yellow eyes were a beautiful sharp contrast to her glossy dark skin and her white tunic embellished with golden stars along the hem and a bright golden headress that was decorated with silky rainbow feathers, "can I sit?" she asked him.

He nodded, still not able to find his tongue.

"I have something for you," she said and immediately, a silver fiddle appeared next to him on the bed, it's glow mirroring the golden yellow glow of the lamp stand, "it's a magic fiddle, when you play it, it will guide your hands,"

Arold glanced at the fiddel skeptically, "why are you helping me? Who are you?' he asked.

"I am Anath, the goddess of love and war," she replied sweetly.

Arold raised his eyebrow quetsioningly. It was one thing to see green lions and have an echantress try to kill him, he could get behind that, but a goddess?A semitic goddess? What did she want? Why would she appear to him? Anath...he'd heard that name several times because he was a lover of ancient mythology...but to see the goddess in real life? He shook his head, next thing the storm god would be appearing to him. 

"I only do this to avoid an injustice," she replied.

"What injustice?"

"The Fossegrimen's are known to lure their victims with the sound of their fiddles but they are also known to kill their victims if they fail to learn to play the fiddle as good as they do," she said, throwing a sympathetic glance at him, "if you fail to win the contest, you will be served to the Fossegrimen children,"

Arold was shook. Seeing his shock she smiled, "they are tiny dangerous monsters that haven't learnt to morphe into their adult form and they are savages. You won't make it in their chambers,"

"Why hold a contest?" he asked.

"The Fossegrimen know that no one can play the fiddle as good as they can, it's a death sentence for you,"

Arold took the fiddle he was given, running his hands softly on it, "thank you," he said.

"We might meet again warrior," she replied and disappeared in a blue blinding light making Arold cover his eyes.

"There's no way!" Alec exclaimed, they were sitted under a tree outside their rooms, some Fossegrimen servants stood a distance away to keep watch on them for the contest the next night. Arold had just finished telling them how Anath had appeared to him in his room and given him a golden magical fiddle but Alec couldn't imagine a goddess could appear to Arold. He was such a ludic!

"You might have been dreaming Arold," Jenna cut in as she sipped a glass of wine, the Fossegrimens did seem to have a lot of free wine to give out.

"Should I feel awful that you don't trust me?" Arold cried out, his mouth hanging open.

"Absolutely not!" Maia said, "there's a possibility that you could have been dreaming," she explained, "it's not like we don't believe you,"

"I don't get it, why would she come to you?" Alec asked, his face scrunching.

"Maybe because she believes in me more than you little t***s do!" 

"It's a good thing she gave you the fiddle, it will help us in the long run," Hero said, his tone laced with a thoughtfulness.

"You believe him?" Nike asked, annoyance painted all over his face.

"Why wouldn't I?" Hero asked innocently.

"Thank you!" Arold exclaimed, relaxing himself on the tree, "at leat one person believes me,"

"You better make sure you play the fiddle well," Kalli warned, her grey eyes hard on him.

The night of the contest had Arold nervous and wishing he could somehow turn invisible and steal the water from the well. He didn't understand why they made them go through such hardship when they could just be nice and give Kastor the cure.Thye were gathered in the garden of the king, fresh flower scents wwafted form every direction. It would have been a relaxing atmosphere for the teenagers had it not been for the pressure laid on them. Jenna found herself biting her acrylic nails, she only hoped Arold would play the fiddle well enough and even though she didn't want to believe him about the Anath goddess, she had no other options s it was the only comforting thought that relaxed her mind as she watched the Fossegrimen Festus play the fiddle like the master he was, not once did his eyes stray from his fiddle, he would at times close his eyes as he played. She knew Arold wouldn't have that much of a concentration.

"Wonderful," the Fossegrimen king said as he excitedly clapped his hands as soon as Festus was done.

"Try to save your friend human," the king said, staring intensely at Arold.

"Confidence!" Arold told himself, "I can do this," he murmured once more and bowed before the king, a smile playing on his lips. His hands shook for a moment when he gripped his golden fiddle, he cast a nervous look across to his friends who smiled at him in hopes to give him soem psyche. He took a deep breath. The fiddle had taught him in its own way how to play the lost girl tunes and he'd memorized them.  The tune wafted melodiously through the whole garden, Fossegrimen's stopping their chit chats to listen to it. They had never heard anyone play as good as the human boy played. A small tear dropped from Arold's left eye and the king stood up abruptly, his short stature barely reaching Festus' s shoulder.

"Stop human boy!" he ordered.

Arold stopped, shocked that his tunes had been too awful to listen to.

"Never have I ever been moved by a tune played by a human," the king said, wiping a tear off his cheek, "three gifts," he said, "I give you three gifts and a cure for your friend," he declared.

Arold glanced at his shocked friends whose mouths hang open before they started hugging each other.

He bowed, "thank you,"

The king left the contest, his eyes threatening to tear up.

"You really did it," Alec teased him, they were sitted at the kings table. The table before them was laid with every kind of food they could think of.

"I actually thought I had messed up," he replied as he dug his fork into a piece of meat.

The king entered the chambers abruptly, his purple robe wiping the floors from the back as he walked to the head of the table, "your friend will join you after he has had his meal. He is recovering in his chambers,"

"Thank you, your highness," Arold replied.

"Words can't express how thankful we are," Hero said.

"Now you can go on with your journey," the king said, "I present you with three gifts," three servants carried the gifts to them, "the pouch, the purple crystal and the purple mist,"

Arold's hopes died down. He didn't know what he had expected but he'd hoped it would be otherworldly things. The servants gave the pouch to Alec, the purple crystal to Kalli and the purple mist to Nike.

"The pouch contains any food supplies you'll need for the journey and certain tools," the King explained, "the purple crystal contains healing powers for my wound," he added,"and the purple mist will make you invisible to your enemies,"

An excitement bottled up within them but his next words brought it down, "the mist is limited, use it wisely,"

When they left the River Phoenix, a strong will embedded in them that they could now conquer whatever lay in front of them. The once sickly Kastor jumped every now and then to convince himself that he was recovered and able to walk without anyone's help.