After Sarah's adventure in the labyrinth she returned home and the clock of life continued on. Tick tock tick tock until one day, as a grown woman, Sarah found herself once again in the realm of the goblin king.
This story follows Toby on a quest to...
Toby sailed the board through the maze turning around each time he came upon a dead end. All the while hoping and praying that he was getting closer to the center of the labyrinth.
The wind surfer was a lot of fun! He began to really enjoy himself. "Maybe this is faster than walking with Sir. Didymus?" he said aloud.
Then Toby came across the most amazing door. It appeared to be a dragon's head; mouth open wide. The door located right inside of it. The size of the dragon was extraordinary and the sight of it was fierce. It did not look like a kind beast. Toby looked but dared not approach it.
The sky was darkened by gray clouds and rain began to pour heavily.
Toby hesitated approaching the door but then he remembered: in the labyrinth what appears to be danger is usually the way to the center!
Toby let go of the wind surfer and walked up to the door. The eyes of the creature gleamed extremely dark and glossy. "It isn't real. It isn't alive!" Toby whispered as he approached it.
He closed his eyes as he placed his hand on the doorknob...still debating turning around and choosing another route. Toby was soaked with rain now.
He breathed in and out strong then pushed the door. It was heavy. He had to push with all of his strength to get it open but when he did...a flood of beautiful blue sky and daylight encompassed him.
The room...or realm...was gorgeous. Toby beheld a beautiful lake, green grass on both sides, green hills with an enormous sculpture of a human head, shoulders and arms coming out of the ground. There was also a large rounded bridge that reflected in the water beneath it. Giant lilypads were spread out across the lake.
There upon the water Toby spotted a boat. A mechanical dragon floating upon the lake. Steam puffing out of multiple pipes. Chugging along it moved toward Toby.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Toby closed the dragon door and walked toward the lake filled with joy and excitement. The sun and air were warm and refreshing. "I should dry off quick enough here" he said to himself.
The boat came to the bank and stopped. Five goblins came to the side of the boat to greet Toby. Holding a gun aimed at the boy, the captain with his big captain hat said "What are you?! What do you want with our lake?!"
Maybe it wasn't a friendly greeting but...what do you expect from goblin pirates?
Toby's eyes widened. "I...I..." Toby breathed heavily and quickly attempting to find the words.
"Spit it out, ugly!" a female goblin bellowed. Her arm was hidden beneath her coat and a false wooden arm hung over her shoulder as if to replace her real arm. Perhaps for looks or perhaps for usefulness.
"I am a human?" Toby finally said...unsure what answer the goblins were looking for. "I'm not here for the lake." He was frightened and the goblins were happy to see that so apparent in his face.
The captain lowered the gun. "Hey! You are like the goblin king! Aren't you?"
"If you don't want our lake, what do you want?" another piped in.
"I am just trying to find the center of the labyrinth" Toby admitted.
The captain found himself with a huge smile on his face. If this creature before him was a human then maybe it was smart enough to find the treasure the pirates had been searching for.
"Would you like a ride on our boat?" the captain enticed Toby.
Toby did want to ride around the lake on that cool boat. Wisdom told him that he couldn't trust a pirate...let alone a boat of them. However, he really wanted to ride on the boat! He ignored his common sense..."Just for a little while" Toby said and he climbed aboard. A goblin with a beak-like nose and an eye patch helped him climb on.
Aboard the boat a pirate dressed like a Viking steered the craft. As they moved away from the bank the captain said "We have been searching a long time on these waters. Can you guess what we are searching for?" "Well, you are pirates? So...a treasure?" Toby guessed.
"Indeed, boy. We know it is here but so far we are not close to finding it. Maybe you can figure out the riddle? 'My treasure hides as if a reflection in my favorite lake.' We know this is the lake! But what is the reflection?!"
"The reflection of the bridge?" Toby guessed.
"We've searched near the bridge!" said the captain.
"Have you searched on and around the bridge...outside of the water?" Toby asked.
"We have!" the captain said, angrily. "I will let you think about it. I have some work to do." And the captain stomped off to the other side of the boat.
"The reflections are all over the entire lake" Toby said to himself. "They'd need to search the whole lake."
Just then a giant frog climbed over the side of the boat to Toby. Naturally this started Toby and to his surprise his thought went to the remembrance of the knife strapped to his waist. He slowly placed his hand over the sheath, wondering if he should pull the weapon.
The creature looked like a frog yet it had scales all over, like a fish.
"Welcome to my lake" he said.
Toby had not expected him to speak yet it only took a moment for him to get use to the concept.
"You're lake?" Toby laughed. "The pirates say this is their lake?"
"This was my home for many years before those goblins showed up!" The frog said. "This has been my home my whole life. And the only others who lived here before the goblins were my family!"
"There are more of you here?" Toby asked, looking out onto the lake to try and see more frogs.
"Not anymore. My family are all gone. I am the last. Now it's just me, my lake and those goblins who intrude!"
"That's sad" Toby whispered.
"Can you help me solve the riddle?" Toby asked.
The frog just stared at him..."The pirates will not find the treasure."
Toby was about to ask "why?" when the frog hopped off the boat. The captain was coming back.
"A splash!" the captain said disdainfully after he heard the sound. "That dreadful frog is around! So, boy, have you figure it out?"
"I don't see an answer" Toby said. "But the frog thinks it's impossible for you to ever find it."
"That frog is just trying to get rid of us! But we will not leave until we do find that treasure!" the captain stated.
"And until YOU find us the answer to the riddle, we will not go ashore! You will not get off this boat!"the captain threatened.
What had started out as such a fun boat ride on such a gorgeous lake was now a prison.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
