The Shield Of Broverold (Book 1)

Chapter 12

"We have to tell Mr. Rowland about this!" John exclaimed. "But how? We don't have any mobiles. And if we sent the message though a bird, it will reach him too late!" I questioned. They ignored me and were concentrating on a nearby tree. "What are you guys doing?" I asked curiously. "I'm trying to call the Nature Spirit. It is the fastest way to contact him." John replied. I knew there was no point asking, so I watched. Everyone started to touch the tree with their hand and I too joined in. "O spirit of Nature, please answer my call!" Monica was praying with her eyes closed. Then suddenly, the tree moved, not because of the wind, but by itself. The air shimmered and a beautiful lady came out of the tree. The tree immediately lost its greenness and charm and looked as if it was wilting. The Nature spirit was transparent but she shone a light green, radiating power. "I am the Spirit of this tree, you summoned me?" It said in a beautiful voice, something like a nightingale. "Yes, we need you help to transfer a message to Mr. Rowland at Nature-Top hill." Monica said. "So be it!" The Nature spirit said and vanished into thin air. We waited patiently and soon the tree re-gained its beauty and greenness. There was a small black hole forming at the trunk of the tree and it was growing rapidly. Soon, the black color turned into a familiar picture, the castle at Nature-Top hill. Mr. Rowland was walking towards the castle when he turned around and saw us. "Well! I'm certainly glad you are all alive!" He exclaimed looking genuinely surprised.
"Hello Mr. Rowland, we rescued John from the Netherworld but there is something we need to tell you urgently." Monica spoke. Mr. Rowland's face immediately turned serious. "We escaped way too easily from the Netherworld! And I believe the Elder Lord is rising!" John shouted coming into the vision of Mr. Rowland. There was silence.
"What nonsense are you talking?" He asked completely bewildered. Monica took over and started explaining everything. I could see Mr. Rowland's face turning paler and paler as the story went on. There was more silence as Mr. Rowland took a deep breath.
"Ok, if the Elder Lord has risen, he would be plotting a way to hurl Nature and Vitomanus from their thrones wouldn't he? I wonder if it has anything to do with the Prophecy." Mr. Rowland told us thinking. "WHAT PROPHECY?" We asked altogether. Mr. Rowland came back to reality with a shake. "Oh, I'm sorry. You have the Shield with you?" He asked. "No." Lara said. "WHAT? HOW COULD YOU NOT GET THE SHIELD?" He shouted looking horrified. We told him the entire story for that as well.

"This is not at all good, we have been tricked! Get the shield and come here as fast as possible! Uralieus must be rising, the plan worthy of the Elder Lord! Curse him!" Mr. Rowland said looking terribly angry. The picture was getting blurred and the hole was decreasing. Soon, there was an ordinary tree standing in front of us as if nothing have happened. "Well, back to the bat and rat place, before the Elder Lord sets his hands on the Shield first." Lara said as we started to run to the familiar hill.

As we came towards the spot, the air started to get colder; there was a presence of something powerful and ancient. The sunshine was still there, but the coldness was more dominant. Monica, who was in front of us, stopped running and froze, she stood absolutely still. "What happe-" I was cut short. Before me was the stone door, nothing like how we left it disguised. The stone door was open. "Oh my God! We're too late!" Lara shouted. One by one, we crept inside the cave and were amazed to find that there was something inside already. A group of ugly looking monsters and some Understers were fighting with the endless amount of rats and bats! We didn't know what to do, whether to attack the intruders or to help them. "Let's kill some of these rotten intruders!" John yelled. The group turned back to see us coming in to attack. We attacked them with ease, as they were all confused of whom to attack, the guarding animals or us. We killed them all in no time and there was silence, except for our deep breathing. "Where are the animals?" I asked. "I don't know! Aren't they supposed to guard the shield from everyone?" Monica replied confused as the rest. We were about to walk ahead further into the cave, when the sounds of war-cries met us from the entrance of the hidden cave. I gulped. "I guess the Elder Lord won't allow us to take the shield without going through them first." I said. "No, we run further inside and if they meet us, we fight." John stated and we all began to run at full speed further into the cave. As we ran further, we heard the war-cries following us. There was a fork in the cave, meaning the straight way, became two separate ways making a 'v'. "Which is the right way?" Lara question.
"That way." I said, pointing towards the left way. The others stared at me. "How could you know that?" John asked.
"I don't know, I just feel like it is the right way...there is something like a tug towards that way." I said.
"Yes...he's correct...there is a tug towards that way." Monica confirmed. "Ok...why can't we feel that tug then?" Lara questioned. We heard the war-cries closer than ever and we moved forward into the left path. The cave was a long way, straight and we had been running for about a kilometer from the forked paths. We were exhausted and wondered how we were to fight to get back towards the entrance. But worst of all was that the journey back was upwards, we have been running downward all this time. Finally, we could make out an end, further down the cave. As we got nearer to the end, we saw a huge rock, or boulder that was growing from the middle of the ground and reached the ceiling on the top. We could go around it, but it was complete darkness ahead. As we approached the giant boulder, there was a noise from the wall. We stepped back, afraid and completely unaware of what was going to happen next. The noise ceased and we once again moved forward. I stepped ahead and walked on. Monica was beside me, the other behind. "Mark! Monica!" The cry was from Lara. She couldn't walk. I mean she can walk, but something held her back, then John too got stopped. "Why can't you come?" Monica asked sounding annoyed. "We don't know! Anyways, you guys go ahead... incase the intruders arrive, we'll fight." John told looking brave. We turned and confronted the rock. As we stood right in front of the rock, a gush of warm air surrounded us and gently pushed us towards the rock. We obediently moved in forward and touched the rock together. Immediately, the rock began to glow a green color. A sweet voice ten times sweeter than the Nature spirit's voice, which sounded so familiar, was heard in my head. "Mark and Monica, take the shield and keep it at Nature-top Hill safely." Then there was silence. I looked at Monica and knew that even she had heard it. "Nature." I heard her say. A piece of the giant rock came out, floating in mid-air. It was in the shape of a huge shield. It was glowing green and red one after other. The shield fell, and I caught it with ease. It was very light, for a meter long stone shield! I noticed there were symbols on the shield, but before I could notice what they were, Lara and John were shouting to us to join them. The attack was approaching. The shield immediately started to transform and soon I was holding a rock that just fitted the palm of my hand. I slipped it into my pocket and revealed my sword.