A Little Fortress

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Little Fortress

 

“Get the rocks from that rock-slide,” Jack said looking at the half-finished fort.

“Excuse me, but there aren’t any rocks left.”

“Then our little fort will have to be an even littler fort.”

“Tonight we attack,” Jack looked at the enemy fort. “The element of surprise.”

“I see, I’ll inform the others,” the boy said.

“Two minutes?” the boy asked.

“Two minutes,” Jack smiled.

 

They all came ready, eagles, dragons, falcons and all other flying creatures. Even Gobo was there.

“I need five of you,” Jack looked at them. “Who will volunteer?”

“I shall,” Joel said. 

“And I,” said another and soon Jack had a total of seven, which included James and Gobo.

“The rest of you, remember to wait for our news.  In the meantime, seek orders from the tree being, Good luck.”

 

“And as for us, we shall be travelling around the outside of the crater, through the bush.”

“And coming around from behind?” Gobo asked.

“Exactly,” he looked at them.  “Get your bags and empty them, then find as many rocks as you can that will fit in your hand.”

 

They came back their bags loaded with all sorts of rocks ranging from limestone to pumice.

 

The wind began to howl. “Hurry up now, you don’t want to be mired in this unnatural fog,” said James.

“I heard there was a monster!  They call him the…” Gobo fell to the ground screaming.

“It’s okay!” Joel said trying to calm him.

“A what?” asked another.

“The Woodmonsta!!!” Gobo started to scream again.

“Will you be quiet if I give you a piggy-back?” Jack whispered.

“Mmm-hmm,” Gobo nodded as he sucked his thumb.

 

So off the party went, through the bush-lands of Kakepuku, over the grasses and shrubberies to the burrow of the enemy.

 

As they came closer to the encampment, they began to hear sounds:  the beating of great drums, screeches of unbearable tones and groans of great agony. As they came through the bushes and to the top of a small hill, where they could overlook the wooden fortress, they saw the torture of creatures; some fighting back, others walking on, feeling nothing nor reacting, as if under some spell.

 

Then from out of the bushes they saw an army of many, too many, millions!

Cyclopes with two eyes instead of one, great wolves that stood upright, horrible goblins covered in blood as well as black beasts that were half snake, half dragon.

 

As Joel spied through the armies he recognized a familiar face,

“Matthew!” he said jumping out.

“No!”  Jack held him back. “You’d be mad to go out there, for all we know he could be ‘lost’!”   “Now hurry up, or else all could be lost!” he whispered.

 

As they began to fly back to camp Possum-boy pointed out something. 

“Look there!”

Jack began to frown.

“Oh, the fools! I told them to wait for our return! Now they’re going to walk right into a trap! Come on!”

 

They were now less than one hundred meters from the small army, marching upon the great enemy.

“Hastily now!” Jack said readying to land.

He ran down to the girl and the boy leading the small army.

“Stop! There is an army of millions waiting for us!”

They kept on marching.

“We shall all be slaughtered like sheep!”

“No!” she said simply.

“For goodness sake! We are not just out here to fight, we are here to win!” Jack looked at them.

“Then what experience do you have in this business Mr. Gallaway?“ she asked.

“Risk!”

“Excuse me?” she responded.

“Board game,” Jack said. “Okay, okay, I know my only experience in battle is with a board game, but you don’t need to be Lord Nelson to know when you’ve met your match! Though I must say it’d be pretty close!”

“Okay,” She agreed.  “Back to the keep!”

 

“Now as we all know, we are here,” Jack said as he drew in the mud. “They, of course are here.  If I have studied my historic-geography of New Zealand well enough, we are three thousand years behind the time when we left on this trip, then there will be a small eruption in the center of the crater. All we have to do is lure them!”

“Like fishing!”

“Precisely,” Jack nodded.  “Now who is going to be the bait?” he asked.  Nobody responded.

“How ‘bout you?” Jack asked the boy fond of fishing.

“No way!” he shook his head.

“But you like fishing!”

“Yeah, but I don’t like being the worm!” he said.

“I’ll buy you a fishing rod,” Jack bartered.

“I’ve already got one!” he wouldn’t budge.

“I’ll buy you a better one!” Jack gave a sarcastic smile.

“Which one?” the boy began to grin.

“Any one!” Jack said.

“How ‘bout the WaveBuster 3000?”

“Deal!” Jack shook his hand, having no idea what the boy was talking about.

“So what do I have to do?” the boy asked.

Jack whispered something in his ear.

“NOOOOOO!!! No way, I’m not doin’ no hula dance!” 

“Either that or no ‘WaveBuster’ thingy,” Jack began to grin.

“Fine!” Fisher-Boy said crossing his arms.

“Oh, and you gotta wear the skirt.”

A few began to giggle.

 

It was time for a boy to dance, for the mountain to erupt, for them to fight and for them to win.

 

“Do your stuff!” Jack patted the boy on the back.

“Grrrrr!” the boy frowned.

“You could be ‘New Zealand’s greatest dancer’, shine!” Jack waved.

“Shut up!” the boy shouted.

 

He stood ready in the middle of the crater.

“Three, two, one, hula, hula, la, la, la!!!!!”

As he danced the great wooden gate at the other side began to open, as out literally ‘tumbled’ thousands of ugly creatures.

 

“Run! Come back!” Jack shouted.

“Aaaaaaaahhhhh!!!” the boy began to scream.

 

“Three! Two! One!”

And as the boy ran through the gate, the crater exploded, and great red lava and glowing molten rocks poured everywhere!

 

“Magnificent!” said one in awe.

 

But as the smoke wore away, and the lava dried up, an army of one thousand still roared.

 

“The enemy has been crippled but not defeated…” Jack looked into the faint mist.

“Now what?” asked one.

“Attack!!!” Jack roared.

 

Gobo hopped on his back,

“I’m coming!!”

 

 They flew above the enemy.

“Gobo,” Jack said.

“Yes?”

“Do you still have those rocks?” Jack asked.

“I sure do!” Gobo smiled.

“Start chucking them at them, would you?”

“Oooohhhh…” he rubbed his hands together.

“Fire away!”

“I got him!” Gobo clapped.

“No, that was hula-boy.”

“Ooops! He! He! Bad Gobo!! Bad Gobo!!” he shouted as he hit himself in the head.

“Stop it Gobo! Stop Gobo!” Jack shouted.  “Now keep on chucking rocks!”

 

Again he threw one.  “I got him!”

“Watch out for retaliation!”  Jack warned.

“All gone!” Gobo looked at him.

“What do you mean?”

“Rocks!”

“You only had two rocks?!”

“I don’t have a bag!”

“Then what are we going to do?” Jack frowned.

“Chuck me!” Gobo smiled.

“What?!”

“Do I have to repeat myself always?!”

“No sir!” Jack said.

“I like that, you can call me that always,” Gobo said cheerfully.

“Don’t bet on it!”

Gobo then jumped from Jack’s back to his hands. 

“Three, two, one…” Jack counted.

“Here I go!”

 

Gobo looked as light as a feather, gliding wonderfully through the air, but from carrying him, Jack knew he was completely the opposite.

 

Then with a crash landing Gobo quickly got up, brushing himself off just before getting squashed by quite a dirty troll. In rage Gobo again got up and bit the stupid troll in the leg. But then something else caught Jack’s attention; as he looked across the crater he saw another thousand enemy troops advancing on them, but these ones where much stronger and much more organized. At that moment he realized they weren’t going to win, but as he flew past a tree he heard two little voices:

“Honey, would you get the daily leaf?”  asked one.                                     “Yes darling!” answered the other.                                   

 And as Jack looked back he saw two wetas. And it was then Jack realized it: he could understand animals. Which would also mean he could speak to them!    Just then he saw a fantail flying by.     

 

“Hi!” Jack said.

The fantail just grunted.

“I can speak to you!” Jack said in amazement.          

“What are you so happy about?” the fantail looked at him rudely.

And so Jack gave a great call, which echoed across the land.

 

And to their aid came an army of eagles accompanied by the great eagle and ridden by the warriors of the tribe that fed Jack and Joel when they were at their weakest. Armed with spears and bows they flew upon the enemy casting light upon the darkness and the enemy far from this wonderful place. But just as those dark and evil-natured, those so helped by the eagles would have to leave too. They found Matthew snoring away, his resting on a seat on the bus, Mr Woody next to him. And so back they journeyed to Winston North.