The Journey to Northumberland and the Rise of the Undertoads Read online

  The Journey to Northumberland

  And the Rise of Undertoads

  Author:

  Kenneth J Mullinix

 

  ~Contents~

  Chapter 1: A Fairy Circle...........................................................................6

  Chapter 2: Frank Fatbottom Junior..........................................................16

  Chapter 3: Walpurgis Night and the Widdershins Dance........................37

  Chapter 4: Digger the Blue Moon Hare...................................................64

  Chapter 5: Atamo the Astral Fairy...........................................................88

  Chapter 6: T?ngara Spadefoot, the King of the Undertoads..................106

  Chapter 7: Noctuid the Black Witch......................................................127

  Chapter 8: Spydos (Arachnide Trarantulos)..........................................137

  Chapter 9: Morr?gan the Stone Troll......................................................160

  Chapter 10: The Journey to Morpeth Falls

  and the M?jebro Runestone...............................................174

  Chapter 11: Hydrarchos the Water Serpent...........................................192

  Chapter 12: The Land Draug of Hagby Tower......................................208

  Chapter 13: T?ngarar Spadefoot and the Rise of the Undertoads.........247

  Chapter 14: Back to the Fairy Circle.....................................................274

  Chapter 15: Back to Centerville.............................................................300

  Preview of the Entire Trilogy of Charlie the Great White Horse...........309

  ~Chapter 1~

  A Fairy Circle

  "Molly don't step into that fairy circle!" loudly proclaimed a discomforted Louis, "you might not be able to get out, you could fall under an evil spell of a wicked fairy."

  "What fairy circle...what are you bellowing about Louis?" asked an alarmed Molly as she quickly stepped backwards away from Louis, and his disapproval of her.

  "See these small mushrooms growing here in this circle? These are called by many names such as: the mycena galericulata or common bonnet mushrooms. Or they have been known to be called the toque mycena, or the rosy-gill fairy helmets."

  Louis pointed about the large, flat grassy field, to the left then towards the right. He gestured for Molly to move backwards even further.

  "Yes, I see them...and your point is?"

  "Let me explain in more detail. Look again about the field here. I have been working on this for weeks now."

  Molly stepped backwards another tentative step, seeing more worry now appearing in Louis's eyes.

  "You see Molly, this is known as an: elf circle, elf ring, fairy ring or a pixie circle. This is thirty three feet in diameter...the common size of a fairy circle...I researched it. Now listen. This is a naturally occurring ring of mushrooms or fungus. The scientific word for mushrooms is fungus. A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus. Did you know that?"

  "No so what? You sound so serious, knowing all the names of the mushrooms and everything. All boys, they just care about the silliest things."

  "This is not silly, be serious Molly. This is important. Now, you see the mushrooms are seeking food from underground, and I am helping them grow the best I can. I have been watering them, since I first found the circle a few weeks back. I have been spreading mulch on the ground below each mushroom. If you look in the middle of the fairy circle, the grass is dead or as us "Fairy Circle Tenders" call it...the necrotic zone.

  "Have you gone daft again...what are you up to now Louis? Every time you start some new hobby or craft, or get interested in something, you get in trouble. BIG trouble, I might say. Or create trouble for everyone else.

  Remember in Miss Tremble's science class last winter, when you blew up your class project, that ice sculpture that Chug and you spent so much time on? You had used Mr. Beamer's ice making machine to make it, and it was loaded with some stupid methane gas and you...you...you almost burned down the schoolhouse."

  "Oh...don't bring that up again. Miss Tremble gave me an F in that class for that, and man was my mom mad."

  "Please don't tell me you're at it again, doing something dangerous? Now what am I looking at again?"

  "Are you asking the renowned "Fairy Circle Tender" a question?" asked Chug Martin as he emerged from the nearby watering-hole dripping wet.

  Louis smiled slyly at his best friend Chug Martin, he then back to face Molly. He continued to speak.

  "Well, listen for a minute, and let me explain what you are looking at. Molly this is a gateway to an elfin kingdom, or at least it will be on Walpurgis Night coming up on the last day of April, the first day of spring, in a few days. We are going to go Widdershins during the full blue moon, and open the fairy circle up, and see what comes out."

  "Molly listen to Louis, he knows what he's doing. He knows all about fairies and elves and the like. And a lot about mushrooms, for that matter, you see he found an odd book in Mr. Beamer's attic, that explains all about how should I say it...um...it's Black Magic" said Chug as he grabbed a nearby towel.

  "We are going to do what? This is an elf kingdom, what? Louis you've really outdone yourself this time. And Chug you are a part of this as well. Oh, please keep going, there has to be more, why stop now?"

  "Molly, Chug is just my helper on this, all "Fairy Circle Tenders" need helpers, or he is more like my trainee. Now listen up, this is very...very...important. If we do the Widdershins or as it is sometimes called by other names: Withershins or a Widershine dance correctly, an elf or fairy will appear and dance with us. We will have to dance in a counter-clockwise direction or to the left, then we..."

  "A Widdershins dance, I am sure that will be sweeping the country soon enough. All of our friends will be doing that just as soon as they hear about it. I can't wait to start" said Molly as her words dripped with sarcasm, while she performed a little jig to the amusement of Chug.

  "Nice dance Molly. Now don't interrupt me, listen up now. After we do the dance correctly a fairy or elf will appear, then we will be able to capture the fairy if you want. Wouldn't you like to have an elf or a fairy as a friend or for whatever?"

  "Louis fairies don't exist. You know that, and if they did, you or I surely are not going to be able to capture one. The only thing you have ever caught or captured is a stupid cold."

  Louis gave Molly a look of irritation at her disbelieving his story, and about what he was try to achieve. Molly smiled lovingly at Louis as she playfully jumped upon his back. Both tumbled into the tall, soft grass as Louis looked deeply into his young girlfriends dark green eyes.

  "I will always love you Louis, even if you are a daydreamer, and even if you do have the strangest and weirdest hobbies."

  "Well I will always love you as well Molly, but this is going to work. You just watch. I have been reading about these fairy circles, for quite some time now, and about elves and witches and the like from a book I found up in Mr. Beamer's attic, just as Chug said. You've been up and about there, you have seen all that strange stuff he has, and all the odd goings on," said Louis as he rolled Molly on her back then proceeded to sit on top of her thin chest.

  Molly tried her best to break free as she spoke again, "Louis you just let me know when the Widdershins dance is to begin, and I will be there. I will bri
ng Tessie Whitman, Becky, Short Stack and Growlin Harry, and a few of our other friends from school. We can all dance together and see if we can communicate with your fairies or elf's, or whatever else you are going to...so called...raise from the dead."

  "Not the dead Molly...but...the un-dead...up from under the ground below us" said an amused Chug.

  "That's right Chug...the...the...un-dead, or semi-dead. Are you scared yet Molly?" inquired a bemused Louis who smiled right along with Chug.

  "No I am not scared at all boys. Remember I've accidentally smelled your dirty socks before, talk about being scared. Alright, it sounds like a fun night, let me know when again and what night you want us all here" understood Molly as she finally pushed Louis off her.

  She quickly rose to her feet; lightly she brushed the dried grass out of her hair.

  "I am heading over to Tessie's house for afternoon tea. Heck I am late already. Don't stay out here too long or your mom will get mad at you Louis, and that goes for you as well Chug, your mom's will ground you both again for the one-hundredth time.

  Oh and by the way Louis has you ever thought about whom or who, started this circle growing in the first place, it might not just be a natural occurrence you know? You said you just found it and started to tend to it. It's just a thought Louis, just a thought."

  Louis showed a perplexed look on his face as it contorted up in deep thought.

  Was Molly right?

  He had never thought about that before. Under his breath he rambled on a bit as Molly rode off on her bike. Louis then shrugged his shoulders as he turned away from Molly and back towards his work for the day.

  Molly slowly disappeared from the clearing by the watering-hole. She looked back and called out once more. "Just make sure you know what you are doing Louis, because if you raise any evil-spirits or evil-elf's, dark-fairies or worse, I will never forgive you Louis...never. If you raise a foul-fairy, did you know that they can cast spells upon all who enter the fairy circle, or in your case being the "Fairy Circle Tender", they can cast a worst and horrible spell upon you."

  Darn her, thought Louis as he spun about in disbelief at what he had just heard. She is so smart and what if I do get in trouble or worse...raise trouble...he thought.

  "Boy I never thought of that either Louis, oh man, oh man...what if she is right?" dead-panned Chug.

  Molly finally disappeared out of sight down the last bend in the dirt road.

  "Now how did she know that Chug? I thought she didn't believe in fairies or fairy circles and knew nothing about all this stuff" inquired Louis as he shook his head from side to side, "she never fails to amaze me. I guess that is why I love her so much."

  "She is very smart Louis, you should take her words to heart, but this sure is going to be fun. I cannot wait to scare the heck out of her, and her friends in a few days. By the way did you notice all the tadpoles in the watering-hole? They are big and everywhere. I wonder what's going on with that."

  "Yeah I did notice that. Remember it is springtime so maybe that's just normal. Just like beavers come out this time of year as well" said Louis.

  "Come to think of it I saw a beaver over there as well and he sure was ugly. He had oversized front teeth, they were all broken up and he was one of the biggest beaver's I have ever seen before. I saw him by the wooden dam at the far end."

  "Glad I did not see that Chug" said Louis as he scrunched up his face, raised his fingers under his chin, wiggled them, then made a beaver face.

  "Let's get back to business again Louis, is our plan still in place?"

  "Yep...it sure is" replied Louis as he winked at Chug.

  Chug went about getting out of his wet bathing suit, changing into dry clothes, then finding his lunch, located in his backpack as Louis's mind began to race once more.

  Louis went back to work lost in thought. His attentions were darker and more worrisome now than before. Even though Louis mostly wanted to play a trick on some of his friends, in the back of his mind he thought there really might be something to this fairy world that he had been reading about lately. His visions earlier of good fairies, good elf's or what else he might raise from the underworld quickly vanished from his mind. His mind churned, it was just consumed with worry now. To himself, he started to run an on-going stream of alternate visions and images.

  He spoke to himself once again, "What if it's not a cute little white fairy or a fairy at all, that rises up from below? I better start reading a little more about this before I get in "real trouble". Maybe Molly is right after all...what if...?"

  Louis searched about the tall grasses found all about him. He located his backpack. After grabbing a sandwich...like Chug had...he sat down on a large rock found nearby. Chug ate his lunch then proceeded to lie down in the wild-grass to take a quick nap, and warm up in the afternoon sun. After his quick lunch Louis once again began searching about his backpack, after a moment more he found inside what he was looking for. It was an old, well-worn, and very strange looking, leather-bound book that he had borrowed (without permission of course), from Mr. Beamer's (his next door neighbor) library, which is found up in his attic.

  Mr. Beamer was a likeable older gentleman that all the kids in town knew very well. He had lived in Centerville, Indiana his whole life, so of course all the local townsfolk were acquainted with him and highly respected him.

  As for Mr. Beamer's attic and the fantastic baubles, trinkets, strange artifacts, ancient books and relics, stored there, all the kids in town often wondered what real secrets his dusty old attic harbored. Any chance Louis or any of the other kids in town could get up there either by a personal invite from Mr. Beamer, or when he and his wife were out of town, they would sneak up there to investigate what strange treasures they could find.

  Mr. Beamer was well known for the strange goings on up in his attic, but he was also very popular because of his out of this world storytelling, and his bizarre long-winded stories. Most Friday nights in the summertime he would gather most of the children in town to his back porch, to drink hot cider or hot chocolate, and when the time was right, off he would go with one far-fetched story after an another, of his travels around the world, or of strange other-world beasts or out of this world places he had discovered in his travels, all to the glee of the local children.

  Mr. Beamer would light his corn-cob pipe, draw his over-sized straw hat down closer towards his soft inviting eyes, and recline in his old rickety rocking chair; the stories would just flow out of his mouth like a Sunday sermon delivered from the revered Reverend Howard Honestman.

  Louis was by far the most stupefied and enthralled by the bizarre and wonderful stories told on these Friday nights, because Louis had a out of the ordinary interest for daydreaming and lucid night dreams himself.

  The odd stories told on these warm summer nights seem to be spoken directly to Louis himself at least that is how, in his mind it was. It was as if Louis had a better understanding of the natural world and the un-natural world for that matter, that Mr. Beamer presented to him, from his stories, and from inside of the books Mr. Beamer would let him borrow from his library, and from the books he sometimes would not let him borrow.

  Louis delved into the fanciful book held in his arms this day once more as the inviting, warm mid-afternoon sunshine bore down on his boyish shoulders. Lost inside of the pages as he sat in the tall grasses, his mind opened up like a flower's peddles to the warmth of a spring sun. His imagination began to grown once again.

  "Now let me see, the chapter headings, oh here they are" Louis turned each page slowly and with eagerness in his thoughts. As the chapter headings un-folded like spring leaves before him, he felt that he was truly a fairy circle tender. He needed to understand more the ways to make the magic held inside of the fairy ring besides him come to bear.

 

  Chapter #1

  Swamp & Bog Monsters
>
  all you need to know about them

  Chapter #2

  Forest, Mountain and Stone Trolls

  how to know the difference/ how to outwit them/ how to stay out of their bellies

  Chapter #3

  Leprechauns

  how to contact one when needed and how to avoid an evil one

  Chapter #4

  Witch Smellers

  what are they and do you really need one

  Chapter #5

  Water Serpents

  how to stay on their good side and out of their bellies

  Chapter #6

  Can Animals Talk

  spells/ incantations/ and magic to make your animals talk

  Chapter #7

  Abominable Snowmen/ Yetis and Big-foots

  how to stay out of their bellies and on their good side

  Chapter #8

  Hobgoblins

  how to turn the semi un-dead back into the dead

  Chapter #9

  Undertoads and the Underworld

  there and back- how to survive the underworld and hungry toads