Heart of the Wild Part IV: Felix
Little brown bat. Photo by Ann Froschauer, courtesy US Fish and Wildlife Service.
A fantasy serial by Mackenzie Dysinger
The pillars of Blackburn Keep seemed large from a distance but up close they were gigantic. Intricately carved, the stone pillars stood as a beautiful gateway into the fallen Keep. Animals of all kinds lingered about staying near the pillars.
“Blackburn has awakened and so have some of its powers, although for how long they can stand and how strong those powers are we don’t know” the moose said, almost reading my thoughts. “The pillars send out a field of defense that keeps anyone with ill-intent away from the castle.”
“Like a villainous dark spruce?” I asked.
“Yes, like that,” She replied, slowly dipping down for me to jump off. Something flew about my ear, making a tinkling noise like laughter. I swatted at the air and suddenly a small creature fluttered in front of my face.
“Stop throwing a fit! It’s not nice to hit!” The chuckling voice had come from a small cinnamon brown creature with a black nose like a button. He had curved pointed ears and strong black wings. As he fluttered in front of my face I realized with delight he was a bat.
“Felix is the name! Finding treasure is my game!” He gave me a wink as he made a loop around Mika.
“Felix will be your guide into the castle,” the moose spoke from behind me. “For years the Keep has been asleep. No one has been able to go into Blackburn since the last great stand of the Warden. The doors of the castle have remained locked and protected with layers of magical defense, but since you fell into our world the doors have opened. No creature has dared to enter; most are wary of what lies behind the threshold. That is, nobody but this crazy guy.” The moose used her antlers to gesture towards the bat that was zipping around.
“Night or day, I’m not afraid. This bat knows where to go when treasure glows!” Felix chitted delightfully.
“Treasure?” I questioned, “What could be in the castle? Why can’t you or the High King go in?” I took a step back as I spoke searching for a way to run from all this madness. The fox from the gathering came striding towards us. The animals were all watching attentively as we spoke.
“Felix has an uncanny ability to find treasure, no matter how lost it is,” spoke the fox in a slow deliberate voice. “And yes we can go in, but the cost of any animal or tree laying their hands on the Heart of the Wild would be too high.” The orange animal came to a stop right in front of me. Mika growled, we were both skeptical of the sly animal's loyalty. The fox laughed, “Trust me pup, I would love to get my paws on that gem. But time has proven again and again that in the hands of a beast or tree the Heart of the Wild only destroys. We can’t control it, but for some reason...” the fox paused, cocking his head to one side as he examined me, “...for some reason two-leggers can restrain themselves. Especially the young ones.”
“Let’s go! Let’s go! Treasure is calling to come home!” Felix grinned as he sang and zipped towards the stone door.
“The dark spruce are coming,” said a lynx bounding from the woods. “The High King has fallen. There are few trees left standing.” The cat hung his head low after delivering his news. A feeling of defeat penetrated the air. Mika looked at me and whined. I knelt down beside my companion as she gave me an encouraging kiss. Barking emphatically she began following Felix. Standing up I faced the stone doors where Felix flew about waiting for me. Summoning all the courage I could find, I began walking towards the eccentric little bat.
“Lead me to the Heart of the Wild,” I told him.
“Come follow Felix deep--deep into the depths of Blackburn Keep!” Mika and I stepped through the ancient stone doors and disappeared into the mountain.
If you missed the first three installments of Heart of the Wild, you can catch up here:
Part I: Fall of Blackburn Keep
What happens next?
Part V: The Last Stand is available now!