Elizabeth of the Lily

Crash and Burn

Out on the mountain side Peter and Jack waited in tense silence. They both hated sending in so inexperienced a person as Lizzy into one of the most dangerous places on the Island. They had taken a gamble letting her go in there without warning her about the guardian monster. Though you'd have to either be blind or stupid not to realize something carnivorous lived in the cave. Lizzy was neither. Peter figured that since she was High Fae, it would leave her alone. Jack, however, was not so stoic and followed behind Lizzy to the very mouth of the cave ready to snatch her back out of harm should the Horrendous rear is ugly head. 

It had not, but Jack silently cursed Peter's nonchalant attitude as he heard the Horrendous stir in the bowels. Jack dared not come any closer and eventually made his way back down to their prearranged hiding spot.

An hour passed in the tense waiting. Peter looked at Jack, " How long does it take to find a Faerie? I hate this waiting."

This callous speech did not ruffle Jack, he knew that Peter became more petulant the more nervous he was. Had Tink not been so vital to what needed to happen next in the game they were playing, there was no way in Neverland that Peter would have sent Lizzy in there after her.  Jack had never seen Peter this focused on anything. From the second that Peter had laid eyes on Lizzy as a baby, he had been head over heels. It was a damn tragedy. 

The night stillness was broken by a rustle of leaves and a twig snapping. Jack and Peter's heads snapped towards the Silver Forest and remained as still and alert as possible. Seconds later, a vast green dome enveloped the side of the mountain muffling and concealing the events about to take place from the world outside the green dome. 

Peter let out a few choice curse words and he and Jack sunk deeper into their hideout. They were protected from the oncoming attackers only by gile and some rocks. This would not do for long. If they didn't move, they would be discovered. Not to mention that Lizzy would be trapped and ambushed. 

The situation had turned dire. Jack, being the one not quite visible, poked his head out of their hiding spot. 

He looked at Peter with panic in his eyes, "Its Hook and his crew. " Peter gritted his teeth. 

As if in response, that hated drawl broke the night air, "It is not often that I see you cowering from me, Pan. A nice change I must say. What brings you to the Dulldrums at this time of night without My Lord Simwe's by or leave?"

Jack motioned to Peter to follow him through a crack that led to another rock shelter. They moved as silently as possible and as they cleared the crevasse, a shattering blast shook the mountainside. 

"I suspect" Hook's voice continued, "You are here to rescue your pathetic little sidekick. Perhaps you have seen a person I am looking for. Beautiful, half Faerie, hidden from me most her life. Sound familiar?"

Another blast and red fire tore at the side of the mountain. 

It was at that moment Lizzy appeared at the mouth of the Dulldrums, with a semi corporeal Tink slunk in her arms. She surveyed the drama below unsure what to do next.  There at the base of the mountain were Pirates with cannons and a figure that she had only ever read about in story books. The infamous Captain Hook.

The books did not do him justice. 

His athletic frame was unconcealed by his loose clothing. Even from that distance, she could see him smiling. If it had not been so cocky, it would have been devastating. All the pirates were focused on the maze of rock, rife with potential hiding places. She  quickly darted behind concealing rocks of her own and waited. Peeking around the side of her hiding place, she scoured the warren of rocks for any sign of Peter or Jack. 

Soon enough, she saw the faint glint of red and white of boys heads moving as quickly as possible to a new hiding place. Another boom rent the night and an explosion of rocks rocketed to all sides dangerously close to where she had seen Jack and Peter moving away from. 

A faint out of place sound made its way into her awareness, distracting her from the scene below. It was the sound of something stirring inside the mouth of the cave that she had just exited. It sounded like scales scraping against rock. Then, horror of  horrors, a forked tongue shot through the opening of the cave mouth. Lizzy felt her heart in her throat. With sudden dread, she realized that this creature must be the reason for all of the bones scattered on the mountain side. If that thing wanted to eat anything, she was the closest target. She desperately looked around for something to defend herself with, but lost her balance as another earth shaking cannon hit the maze of rocks where Jack and Peter were playing hide and seek. 

She landed hard on her dignity and backside and in another moment the creature was out of the cave and upon her. Its heads loomed over her, tongues sniffing its latest catch as snakes do. Terrified and knowing she was about to die, Lizzy just stared at the creature. It was a two headed, bearded snake with violet scales and yellow eyes. It did not strike though. It just stared at her almost as if waiting for her to speak. 

Lizzy could barely find her voice. Shock and terror had robbed her of all but a squeak. 

"Please don't hurt me"

The creature seemed amused at this request. There was a glint in its eye and it turned its attention towards the pirates and their cannons. It looked back at her, this time Lizzy got the distinct impression that it was asking her what she did want it to do. 

"Pirates are tastier and also meaner." she squeaked. Again, if snakes could laugh, this one would have. For it opened it's mouths and shook with silent laughter. When it had gotten it amusement under control, it shook its heads and slithered silently toward the pirates below. 

There was silence for a moment. Then Lizzy heard, "Pan,  You are an old fool. She can't win. I have sucked the soul out of every Faerie lost in the Dulldrums, every boy stupid enough to get caught by pirates, every Wind Person outside their boundaries as well. I will take this lucrative trade in souls and expand to the other Star lands with your half cast princess at my side. You will die knowing how horribly you have failed her."

Lizzy was stunned. That little political angle had not even occurred to her. As if! she though in disgust.  The silence stretched out until a piercing scream broke the stillness. As soon as the first scream was cut off another scream sounded. Cursing and shouts from the pirates reached Lizzy and she sneeked a peek around her hiding place. The bearded creature with two heads was attacking the pirates. Hook, she saw, was retreating in panic. 

She ducked back behind her rock in amazement. Had she done that? Well ,what she needed to do now was get from her hiding place to the maze of rocks were she caught a glimpse of her friends. No easy task. Her safest bet was to sneak from concealing rock to concealing rock all while carrying an unconscious tinker faerie. She took one last peek at the chaos below and made a dash to the next rock. 

There were no exclamations of discovery by her enemies below. She had made it without being seen. She repeated this process two more times and was just about to make her way to the rocks at the mouth of where she last saw Peter and Jack when she felt a heavy hand on her shoulder and terror shocked through her body like lightening.