The Wonderful Wood

The Festival

They bid each other farewell and dispersed.

Diagon and Ethan went back into the cave. They looked around and found some roots and honey. Ethan put the roots to boil in a cauldron they had found in the cave. When they had finished eating, they heard a horn sound and one by one, the men gathered at the entrance of the cave.

They left for the city together with Ethan and Diagon. Ethan put on his mask and became invisible. There was a flash, and Diagon changed into a sparrow.

The men looked around, and when they saw that Ethan had disappeared, they looked around in alarm.

"Where did they go?" asked one man. Then Ethan replied, "I'm right here."

The man nearly fell in surprise. "What? I can't see you!"

"It's magic," explained Ethan as they resumed walking. They walked on and walked through the entrance. The guards didn't ask any questions.

"Probably thinks we are official," said one man in a low whisper.

They walked towards the palace. It towered above the rest of the city and its buildings. Its towers and turrets reaching out to the heavens

The streets were decorated with colourful flags, flowers and festoons and everything looked beautiful. Children ran about with kites and paper toys in their hands, and people were dancing in the streets. Musicians were playing in the streets.

"You go into the palace and check where the prisoners and will create a diversion said the men. While we are at it, let out Roddy and rescue your friends.

Ethan crept into the palace, wondering where he should go. It was a giant palace. The roof was tall and high. There were suits of armour lined along the wall, all polished; The walls were covered in tapestries and portraits. There were marble statues here and there.

'Well, what do we do now?" asked Ethan looking around. Just then, he saw two soldiers coming with a man in between them and leading him in chains.

"Follow them," said Diagon's voice, and Ehsan followed them, soldiers. They went down passages and down staircase after staircase until they came to a guarded door. Ethan followed close behind. Just then, a horn sounded, and a bell rang in the distance.

Back in the street, horses and donkeys were all dressed in colourful saddles, ribbons, and festoons. Colourful statues were being carried in a procession. People were throwing flowers at the figures. Some were chanting hymns, and some were singing songs.

The men went towards the stables, and some guards were standing there. They all went walking ahead, and one guard hailed them and asked, "where are you off to, brothers?"

"On a mission!" said one of the men and the soldier who approached them scratched his head. "But today, we have no missions! It's a day of celebration! May I know your names please?"

"Sorry, but that's asking for too much," said one man pulling out a sword. The soldier quickly grabbed him, and soon they were fighting. The other men meanwhile rushed into the stables, untethered some horses and rode out of the stables. The man fighting the soldier pushed him down and got on to the back of a horse one of his comrades was riding and rode off on the horse. They hung around the city with other soldiers giving chase on horseback.

While everyone was distracted, Ethan went on down to the dungeons. He climbed down the stairs. There was a flash, and Diagon, who was a dragonfly a moment ago, flew off like a bat into the distance. He was back again and said, "I found Drizzlemister and Diana in a cell. Let's go get them out!"

There was a flash, and Diagon turned into a dog, and they ran down to the prison corridor. They came to the cell where Drizzlemister and Diana were there, and Diagon said, "stand back. and there was a flash, and he turned into a dragon and bent the iron bars!"

Drizzlemister and Diana came out of the cell. They hugged Ethan, and as they turned to go, Diagon said, "We must help Roddy too!" and there was a flash, and he flew off, and Ethan explained who Roddy was as soon as possible, and they all followed. Ethan took off his mask and slung it over his shoulder, and then when Ethan arrived at where he was, Roddy has held Roddy was out and waiting for them. Then they all ran to the exit, and soldiers were standing by the door. Diagon turned into a dragon, and they stared. He roared, and they fled away. 

There was a flash, and Diagon turned into a giant wolf and said, "Hop on me, we can get out quickly this way!" he said, and everyone climbed on to him, and he ran through the halls, passages and corridors past stunned courtiers and soldiers.

 They ran out into the open, and there was a flash, and Diagon turned back into a dragon, and he yelled, "hold on tight, everyone, we are going to fly!"

They held on tightly as Diagon launched into the air. Diagon's ruby scales flashed like polished crystals in the sunlight. They shot out into the sky and soon was flying over the city of the masked men.

 "We better towards the woods," said Roddy as they left the city behind them. They flew towards the woods. Clouds floated by like puffs of smoke. Below them, the world spread out like an emerald green canvas.

They flew, and soon, the woods were within sight. Diagon decided towards an open space in the mids of the woods where there was the sound of clashing metal coming from below. They landed by the lake.

Ethan saw that they were the men from the wood and the soldiers from the city. They paused their fight to look at Diagon. The dragon roared loud as thunder, and the soldiers took one look at him and fled.

The men cheered and blew their horns. They hugged Roddy and clapped him on the back!