The Wonderful Wood

The Lake Lurker

Ethan struggles to swim against the thing that wrapped around his leg. He kicked, and he kicked, but the thing had wrapped itself around him. He saw that Dizzlemister and Diana were swimming further and further away from him. Then suddenly he remembered the ring and stretched his hands, and the ring came off his finger, and he closed his eyes, and the ring turned away into a sword, and he managed to grab it and slice through the thing that had fastened to himself. Then he swam as fast as he could towards Dirzzlemister. He saw that Drizzlemister and Diana were also struggling with things wrapped around their bodies, to his horror. Ethan went to Diana, slashed through the thing wrapped around her legs, and freed her. Then they sawm towards Drizzlemister who managed to free himself without their help. He, too, had used his ring and turned it into a sword just as Ethan had done.

Just then, Diagon came flying and hovered above the water. "Quick, climb on to me!" he said, and Ethan managed to climb onto Diagon first by getting hold of his tail and then helped Drizzleminster and Diana up as well. Then they flew away, leaving behind the monster in the lake. Ethan looked back and saw the beast break the surface of the water. He looked out and saw that Diagon was flying towards a hill.

The hill grew bigger and bigger as they flew towards it. Diagon kept on flying, and then they heard the voices of loud laughter resound in the air.

Ethan looked around and saw a strange sight. It was a silver-haired woman riding on a broomstick. She passed by cackling and threw something that looked like a rock at them. It exploded and enveloped them with smoke. Then Ethan, Diana and Drizzlemister and others heard more laughter around them.

Drizzlemister said something, and something gold shot out of his hand, and it started spinning around them, and the smoke cleared. Then Ethan stretched his hand, and the ring shot out of his hand and turned into a sword. He waved it at a silver-haired woman on a broom that came gliding towards him. 

The silver-haired woman dodged and laughed frantically. The Diagon roared and blew out torrents of fire at the silver-haired women. Their brooms caught fire, and they fell, spiralling towards the lake. Diagon flew towards the top of the hill.

When they arrived closer to the hilltop, they saw a tall tower sticking out like a branchless tree in the pinnacle. It shone in the sun. It was a white marble tower. Diagon landed close to it. It was in the middle of a lake. "Let's go and see what's inside," said Drizzlemister, and they climbed up the broad stairs that led to a wide hall light with lamps. Inside it was a group of silver-haired women gathered facing them. They had silver staffs. One of them came forward and asked, "what do you want?''

"We want to meet whoever is in charge of this place!" said Drizzemister walking in front of Ethan and Diana. Diagon had taken the shape of a giant grey wolf. He bared his teeth and growled.

"If you want to meet our mistress, you will have to lay down your weapons!" said the silver-haired woman who had come forward to greet Drizzlemister, Diana, Ethan and Diagon.

Then a voice came from behind them, "that wouldn't be necessary, Maya, I've read their minds, and they mean us no harm!"

"If you say so, your majesty," said the silver-haired woman and all the silver-haired ladies in black robes and pointed black hats stepped aside!

Sitting on a golden throne was the most peculiar-looking person. She was wearing a mask. "Welcome to my humble aboard! I'm the gorgon! I wear a mask and see with my mind's eye so that I might not petrify whoever looks upon me!

"Every story has a kernel of truth in it!"

"That's so cool. Were you always like this? Were you born like this?"

"No. I was a regular mortal before I turned into this... this monster!"

"That's tragic. Isn't there anything that can be done to reverse your condition?''

"There is one and one thing alone that can alter my fortunes, come and take a seat," said the gorgon pointing to some cushions laid out by the Thorne. They all sat down.

"It's simple! You need to kill the lake lurker!"

"You mean that monster that lives in the lake!" asked Drizzlmister tugging at his beard. "That won't be easy!"

"Yes, we barely escaped with our lives," said Drizzlemister, rubbing his ring on his finger.

"Well, you can only slay it with the Demon dagger."

"Are you in possession of the said dagger?" asked Drizzlemister folding his arms.

"Well, yes, but there is one problem! No one has been able to remove it from the Oracle oak!"

"Remove it as in?"

"Follow me, and I will show you," said the woman in the long green dress getting up from the golden throne. They walked down the hall with colourful curtains and entered a narrow passage.

They followed her to a room filled with volumes and volumes of books. Then she went to a shelf and pulled one book out, and the rack moved aside, revealing a path. 'Come with me," she said, laking ahead. Drizzlemisrwr, Diana and Ethan followed the masked woman down the dimly light passage that led from behind the bookrack.

They went down the passage and came into a small garden. Standing in the middle of it was an oak. Sticking out of the oak was a dagger. "There it is!"

They looked at the old gnarled oak standing in the middle of the garden. It was bare of leaves and looked like a skeleton more than a tree." Whoever can pull it out of the tree is thought to be the one destined to slay the lake lurker," said the gorgon pointing at the dagger.