Everyday heroes #21 Chapter three: The Keep Contd We both simultaneously dived back into our breakfast. I felt a sense of urgency, like the whole darned thing would suddenly disappear. Diz was just loading up another plate, and I was just barely finished with mine when, poof , it was all gone. Diz was just about to shove another sausage in his mouth, when the fork, and the sausage disappeared! Almost! he said shaking his head. Say, did you get the feeling that we should hurry up before everything was gone? Yeah, I DID get that feeling. Like, you better hurry up before all of this is gone. I realized that Diz had gotten the drop on me, and I was wondering how I had missed that. The feeling had just told us to hurry up and eat, but it was kind-of more subtle, and personal. I was about to ask Diz what exactly he had felt, when the window between us and Fitch, once again rolled down. You lads are gonna want to be seeing this! he said with his dickenish, high-pitched voice. Were comin to the invisible bridge! There really IS an invisible bridge? I said incredulously. True as true! he said Operated by the feeling itself, it is! Hows that Fitch? I said, not really believing that could be true, I thought the feeling was a force inside of us. How can it make a bridge invisible? Here it is! he said without answering my question. Diz and I both crowded into the opening to the drivers compartment. We were driving along a cliff with about a thousand foot drop to the right. We were clearly up in the mountains, but which mountains, I didnt know. We seemed to be driving a little bit too fast when Fitch suddenly turned the wheel to the right! The limo drove right off the cliff! Diz and I both gasped and grabbed for the opening to Fitchs compartment! I closed my eyes waiting for the inevitable feeling of falling, ..but none came. I opened my eyes. We appeared to be driving in mid-air with a lush, green valley far below us. We could have been flying, except that I could tell that we were on a hard, smooth surface of some kind. It was very quiet, and surreal. I looked over at Diz. He looked just like a kid on a thrill ride! Huh? he said, looking my way with a huge smile on his face. I smiled and nodded at him. This WAS one of the coolest things that had happened to us. We both gazed ahead in wonder at this incredible sight! Then, Fitch took his hands off the wheel, folding his arms and turning around to us with a huge smile of his own. We both gasped again in fear of careening off the invisible bridge. Oh, its okay young masters! Fitch said matter-of-factly, The feeling has us now! Bring us right to the front gate it will! The FEELING is driving the CAR? I said in disbelief, ...again. That it is! Fitch said cheerfully. The feeling controls almost everything in this valley and the next two. Besides, the feeling would never allow me to be bringing such a precious cargo over the invisible bridge. Fitch suddenly looked around, fearfully, as if he had said something wrong. But nothing happened. He seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. I didnt press him on the issue, mostly because I didnt want to see him get the squeeze, but I knew that he had dropped a real bombshell. WE were the precious cargo. What did THAT mean. We were just a couple of ones going to our first REAL school. I let it go, ...for then. We were coming closer and closer to the mountains on the other side of the valley. Do either of you lads feel it yet? Fitch said, pointing out the feeling that had begun to grow inside of me. Yeah, Fitch! Diz said excitedly, Is that...? The Feeling? Fitch said cutting him off, That it is! Youll feel it even stronger as we approach the Keep. He said, sounding proud of the information he possessed. I could feel it stronger now, not like the urgent feeling, during an incident, but, ...more like the personal feeling from earlier. The feeling was happy! I could tell. The feeling was happy that we were arriving. It was like the warm, loving, grandfatherly feeling that I remembered from my childhood. I felt happy and peaceful inside. It was another of those perfect moments, flying along with Diz and Fitch, ...in a limo, ...on an invisible bridge! And then, that moment was gone. We were coming up to the mountains on the far side of the valley, and it looked like we were about to crash, when suddenly the car veered sharply to the right, and we were once again on a road winding through the trees and down the mountain. Is this a real road? I said to Fitch, who was staring ahead, almost as amazed as we were. Oh, yes indeed. said Fitch Built by superheroes ages ago. Still as smooth as smooth, though The road truly was very smooth as it dove right through the trees. There hadnt been any path cleared for THIS road. It passed right through the undisturbed forest and occasionally a large tree would come just inches from the glass of the windows as we passed through it. How long before we get to the Keep? I asked Fitch as I settled back into my seat again. Oh Id say we have about two hours or more, young master. Fitch said, now hanging through the window to our compartment. Lots more mountains and valleys to drive through! I wanted to ask Fitch a lot more questions, but I didnt really want to get him in trouble, so for now, I held my tongue. So what did you mean by precious cargo? Diz said, apparently not caring whether Fitch got the squeeze or not Dude! I said giving him a hard looked. What? he said looking injured, Im just sayin. No, no Its okay. Fitch said. He glanced left and then right, and then he said in an almost whispered voice, You two lads are famous! His eyebrows were raised high as he looked at us. Moren Sir Percivall himself, one day, I suspect. It was the bombshell that I knew he had dropped earlier. Me and Diz, ...famous? I thought. I looked over at Diz. He had a blank-looking expression on his face, with his mouth hanging open. He was completely floored by what Fitch had just said. Us, Fitch? he finally managed to say, Me and the physics professor here? He looked over at me, No, ...Fitch heres messin with us! Its as true as true! Fitch said nodding his head and glancing back and forth between the two of us. Known for moren a thousand years, your comin has been! .... Now I was truly dumbfounded. Diz spoke again, trying to get his bearings. No seriously, youre messin with us, ....right Fitch? No sir, no messin here, young master. Told to us by the feeling itself it was! You see, there was a great conflict, long before I was born, even. It happened between men, but the feeling itself got involved, so to speak, with a great many superheroes as well. There was one particular man that the feeling loved very dearly. Had close relations with the feeling, he did. Some believed that they talked together, like no superhero ever had. But then there was another man, a bad sort, aimed at destroying the whole o the Earth. Well, the feeling got involved in a hurry, raising up a powerful group of superheroes around this man to fight against the great evil man and his forces. I had heard enough. Let me stop you there, Fitch, for just a minute. I said. Was Sir Percivall one of the superheroes raised to fight with this man? True enough! he said, He was one of the main advisers to the King, as he became, havin so many powerful friends and all. And the other superheroes, were they all knights like Sir Percivall. I said, already guessing at the end of this story. Oh yes, knights they were, every one. It was a good disguise at that time to be a knight. No one ever questioned what a knight would be doin, or where he was goin. Kept everything on the quiet, so to speak. Fitch said seeming content to keep telling his tale. You know, Fitch. I said, I dont think you should tell us anymore about this right now. WHAT? Diz said complaining. We were just coming to the good part! Cmon Diz, we dont Fitch here to be gettin the squeeze, do we? I said in a really bad attempt at an English accent. Dude! Did you just try an English accent there? Diz said pointing out my, quite obvious fail. Yeah, I did that. I said, feeling a little embarrassed. Fitch was looking at me with a puzzled look on his face. You see, Fitch, Americans like to do things like that, you know, like, trying out other peoples accents. You Americans are a strange lot. he said, Beggin your pardon, young master. Oh, no pardon to beg. I said emphatically. Again, Fitch looked at me sort-of puzzled. Still, I dont think we should discuss this subject any further until Sir Percivall brings it up himself. I said resolutely. I looked over at Diz. He just rolled his eyes at me, but didnt offer up any argument. We rode along in silence for awhile. Just the sound of the wind passing over us as we sailed along through the forest. My mind was filled with knights, and battles, and damsels in distress. I thought about Dani. Wouldnt SHE be blown away by the things I had seen, and heard in the last few hours! I wondered what she might be doing, somewhere, out there in the world. I was sure she had graduated, the same as me and Diz, but I had no idea what her life might be like, or where it might be going. I loved her. Mr. P had been SO right, in my dream, the night before. But how could I ever be with her. A human girl, with more than the normal measure of curiosity than anyone I had ever known. I could never hide my world from her if we were together, together. Id cave in at the slightest bit of prodding. Now, she had become MY riddle to solve. .... I looked up, having entirely lost track of time. Diz and Fitch were both snoring loudly. I tried to find a button to roll the window down, and finally located it under a napkin that had been tossed there after breakfast. I rolled down a window closest to where I was sitting, on the right side of the compartment. The limo became immediately filled with the warm, sweet smell of the forest. It was intoxicating! We should have been riding like this the entire WAY! There was still hardly any sound at all, as the forest and the trees whisked by outside the window. Suddenly a feeling welled up inside of me, ...of gratitude for my appraisal of the forest, and the smells and the peacefulness. It was the feeling, thanking me, and welcoming me into its realm. I knew the feeling resided here. There was no other explanation. We had passed into the feelings very own Kingdom! The limo began to slow, and I noticed that we were now in a clearing. That was when I first saw it. The Keep! It was nestled in a huge green valley, surrounded by high mountain peaks on all sides, and with a stream running off to one side. It was glowing in the last rays of sunlight that was shining between two peaks and illuminating it like a spotlight. It was the largest, and most impressive looking castle I had ever seen! The walls must have been 50 feet tall, and the castle within must have been way over a hundred feet. It was truly a medieval fortress! ....Damn! .... I was never going to hear the end of this from Diz! Hey, you guys! I said, reluctantly, I think youre going to want to see this. Diz didnt move, or stop snoring. Fitch sat up and said, Oh my, were ere! He rubbed his eyes and straightened up taking the wheel, which seemed to magically come back to his control. HEY DIZ! I said more insistently. He sat up. What, what! ...Are we there yet? he said, now rubbing his eyes. Yeah I think so! I said, a bit sarcastically. Diz moved over to the window that I was looking out of, and then he saw it. I KNEW IT! he said suddenly full of life. I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT! Its totally a MEDIEVAL FORTRESS! He looked to me for confirmation of what his eyes were seeing. Yes, Diz, It is THE definitive medieval fortress. I couldnt really argue the point any further, with the proof staring us in the face. Dont worry. I wont make you eat your wave-form amplifier. He said laughing, Besides, we might need that thing some day! I couldnt believe that he had gotten the name right. He was messing with me for all those months. Oh well, ...Good old Diz. It was impossible not to love the guy! At least I didnt have to eat my accelerator thingy! We passed back into the trees of a wood that surrounded the Keep itself, and we could hear sound of the stream that was now flowing to our right. I could catch glimpses of it as we passed through the wood. Then we came to the walls of the Keep. The stream flowed right next to the wall there, blocking our path, as it came from left to right, in front of the massive walls. What I thought was a huge wooden door that must have been nearly forty feet tall, began to lower down, crossing the chasm where the stream flowed. The Keep had a drawbridge! A drawbridge! That was just, ...as cool as it gets! .... It lowered into place just as we reached it! .... It sounded pretty cool too, as we drove over it, with the thumping of the wooden planks and the water rushing by. This was totally medieval! As soon as we were passed, the bridge began to go back up, and we were in a stone courtyard, with grass growing between all the stones. There was a path lined with trees leading up to, yet another gate, that raised up as we approached it. We passed through this gate and into an inner courtyard of smooth polished stone. No grass here. It looked as if it was laid yesterday, but I already knew much better. I would bet real money that this place was ALMOST as old as Fitch. Boy did THAT sound weird! The scale of things in my life had really changed dramatically in twenty-four hours! We pulled up next to a couple limos, identical to the one we were in, and a couple of sportscars, and several SUVs, and came to a stop. Well young masters, let me be the first to welcome you to the Keep! Fitch said, and swung open his door. We both jumped out of the limo and into the courtyard, (that seemed to be made entirely of marble), ...you could barely see the cracks between the huge polished stones! There were twelve circular steps made of white stone, that led up to the huge wooden, front door of the castle, which also seemed to be made entirely of white stone. The Keep was really a beautiful sight to see, ...so tall that some of the towers seemed to be in the mist. There were two large lanterns on either side of the dark polished door of the Keep, that were burning with REAL FIRE! Real fire! It was a really nice touch. Even though it was still daylight, It made the place look even more ancient. The door, that must have been about ten feet tall, began to open as we made our way up the huge stairs, and standing there in the doorway was Mr. P , and a rather large woman, who I was assuming immediately to be Mrs. Watts. Then, something incredibly touching, ...and weird, happened. Diz ran right up to Mr. P , and got down on one knee, and said Sir Percivall!, and bowed his head. It was so touching, because I knew he actually meant this! He was a squire, arriving at a castle to be trained by a knight! This was his ultimate dream! I could tell he was for real, because he had that sparkly look in his eyes as he looked back up to Mr. P . There was silence for a moment as Mr. P looked at him frowning, and Mrs. Watts put her hand to her mouth, obviously quite taken with Diz already. How did he DO that! I thought. Mr. P s gazed softened and he spoke. Get up master fool! he said a little softer than usual, No one worships anyone else in this place! And, ...you might not feel the same after a couple of years under my whip! Diz got up and immediately put his hand out to Mrs. Watts You must be Mrs. Watts. he said, in his charming Diz way. The very same. She said, shaking his hand, You boys must be starved! Ill have Fitch draw you each a bath, and Ill expect you at the dinner table in one hour. I reached out my hand to Mrs. Watts, Its a great pleasure to meet you Mrs. Watts I said remembering my manners Very nice to meet you too, young master! she said shaking my hand. I cant remember when we had two such polite young superheroes at the Keep! She looked at Mr. P , as if asking him to agree. Yes, yes, they are very polite indeed! he said gruffly. I looked up at Mr. P . Well, ...have you something to say? he said casting his gaze upon me. Nice Castle! ....Sir Percivall. I said wryly. He looked at me sternly, from under his bushy eyebrows. Then he looked over at Fitch, who was politely standing off to the side, Fitch! Bring in their bags, and you and I will be having a chat later! Fitch looked rather alarmed as he grabbed our bags and rushed passed everyone standing in the doorway, but he DID manage a smile, before he disappeared into the Keep. Well, let us not stand in the doorway all night. Mr. P said, motioning for us to come in. Welcome to the Keep! he said, managing a faint smile. .... It was the first time either of us had seen him smile. ..... We entered into the Keep. - J. L. Lassiter Next installment on: 02/28/15 For previous episodes please go to my home page, and please, feel free to share with any human.
Posted on: Sat, 10 Jan 2015 06:16:36 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015