Freiyon Fables A Tail To Remember

Melody woke up to the smell of smoke and wondered why she was sleeping on a hammock tied to two trees.

She looked around, surprised, and saw a small campfire just in front of her which was nicely set up for three to sit at.

She hoped that she hadn’t been kidnapped by anyone, especially whoever was causing the strange disappearances in the mountain.

“Ah! You’re awake, that’s good. Better take it easy though, you’ve had a big day by the looks of things.” Someone said, startling Melody.

Melody looked towards the speaker and saw a young squirrel that had a lightning-tail like her dad, but she knew that he was just an ordinary squirrel like she was.

“Who are you?” She asked the squirrel.

“My name is Harvey, I’m a stowaway. I was on-board a ship that was captained by a nice possum named Brushtail. When the ship came close to this island, there was a huge, unexplainable storm which struck the ship and sunk it. Of course, everyone on deck was able to escape quickly, but because I was hiding from everyone, I didn’t know about it until it was almost too late. I swam out of the ruins when I could and made my way here, but I never found the crew from the ship. What about you, miss, what’s your name?”

“I’m Melody, I’m the daughter of a squirrel named Harriet and another named Micklang. I, too, was on a ship when we were struck by lightning, but I wasn’t a stowaway. When I arrived here, the first things I came across were a group of strange animals called the …”

“The Lightning-tails, yes, I met them too. They are an odd bunch, but they’re helpful, none-the-less. They told me that the mountain might be where the crew is.”

“That’s right, that’s what they said to my father, but they said the best thing for me to do was look around the island to find my mum or my friends.”

Harvey nodded and stoked the fire a little.

“Would you like some roasted nuts and fish? You look a bit hungry.”

“Thank you, that’s so kind.” Melody replied.

“No problem, really. I haven’t had anyone to talk to for a while. Oh, wait there for a minute; I have something to show you.” Harvey said, jumping up and going into the bush, leaving Melody to take care of the food.

“Oh, I hope Dad’s alright.” She thought to herself.

Yadi flew back to the mountain and crawled close to the cave entrance. If Micklang was still alive, maybe he could hear his voice calling for help.

“Help, could someone please help us! Anyone?” Several voices echoed through the cave.

Yadi, even though he didn’t recognize Micklang’s voice, knew that there were creatures in trouble in the cave. He flew around the mountain, trying to find another way in, going higher and lower, until he eventually came back to where he started. Little did he know how much time he had to save Micklang.

Micklang woke up and looked around. The room wasn’t full of the strange liquid that Medraut had made, it was still held above their heads in its small compound.

“He’s awake, oh thank goodness! Are you alright, mister?” The mouse-wife asked Micklang.

“I think so, but why hasn’t the liquid fallen down yet?”

The mouse pointed at one remaining cage, which seemed to have some stones in it for some reason. “Look at that, there’s only one cage that hasn’t been knocked down, but it doesn’t have much holding it there. Once that one falls, we’ll be doomed.”

“What about all the creatures that were in those cages, did they escape?”

“They’re trying to, but there’s a boulder in the way.”

Suddenly, there was a huge smash that echoed through the cave.

“What on earth was that?” A raccoon asked.

Micklang stared at the chain holding the cage up and noticed that it had loosened slightly from the smash.

“Stand as far away from the cage as possible. Once it comes down, that’ll be where the liquid comes out.” Micklang announced.

At that moment, to everyone’s surprise, a large eagle’s head appeared where the boulder used to be.

Micklang stared in surprise at his friend’s dirty head.

“Yadi not like digging!” Yadi exclaimed, spitting out some rocks.

Micklang was so excited; he was almost tempted to hug the brave, strong bird. But he knew it would only be a matter of time before the liquid fell.

“Squeeze through, Yadi. Get into the tunnel, but keep low. We’ve got to get out of here!” Micklang said.

Yadi nodded and pushed himself into the cave, but as he did it wobbled the cave a little and the chains started to creak.

“Oh, no! Everyone get through now!” Micklang cried.

The creatures ran through the tunnel past Yadi as fast as they could.

Micklang waited until every creature was out and signalled to Yadi to go.

“Yadi not move, Yadi holding up cage with head. Prison cage fall while creatures escape. You leave, Micky, I stay behind.” Yadi explained.

Micklang could see that Yadi was right, if he moved, the liquid would fall, turning both of them into stone.

Micklang sniffed as he bowed to the eagle.

“Thank you, Yadi, you’ve saved our lives, and I’ll always remember you for that.” Micklang said, wiping away a tear.

“Yadi would have enjoyed sailing, me thinks. Perhaps, before you go, you can tell Yadi a bit about it. Yadi can hold this for a little longer. Give creatures a chance to get out.” Yadi explained, struggling to keep in his place.

Micklang nodded and started to explain the experiences of being on a ship, which he noticed sadly that Yadi was enjoying very much.

Harvey came back after a few minutes carrying a large bundle in his hands, which appeared to be moving.

Melody looked at him with curiosity.

“What’s in the bag?” She asked.

“Guess.” Harvey smiled.

“Fish?”

“Nope, not even close.”

“It’s an animal though, right?”

“Yeah, but what kind?”

“Mouse?”

“Nope.”

“Raccoon?”

“Nope.”

“Squirrel?”

“Yep! Now, who is it?”

“My mum?”

“No.”

“My Dad?”

“Do you really think so?”

“Alright then, one of my brothers or sisters?”

“Yep, but which one?”

“Oh, come on Harvey, I have at least ten brothers and sisters, I can’t remember all their names.”

“Yeah, but I’m sure you can remember some of them.”

“Carter?”

“No.”

“Martin?”

“Nope,”

“Marion?”

“Nada,”

“Oh, come on! Geoffrey then?”

“Bingo!” Harvey laughed as he pulled little Geoffrey out of the sack.

“Melody!” Geoffrey cried.

“Why you little scamp! Where did you find him?” Melody asked Harvey while she hugged Geoffrey.

“Poor thing was almost drowned when I found him on the shore. I carried him here in my sack and he was quite comfortable in there while I looked for food and found you.”

At that moment, a sickening crash echoed through the forest, coming directly from the mountain where Micklang and the prisoners were.

“What was that?” Melody asked, looking at the mountain.

“I don’t know, but I don’t like the look of that strange stuff coming down the mountain.”

“Oh, my dad’s on that mountain. Oh, I really hope he’s ok.”

When Micklang finished telling Yadi about sailing, Yadi smiled with delight as he breathed deeply through his nose.

“Yadi can almost smell sea from here. Oh, thank you, Micky Lightning-tail. You true friend to Yadi. I’ll remember you always. But you must leave now; me head cannot hold this any longer. Before you go, you must get help from my eagle brother, Jethra. He was waiting nearby when Yadi came in to help you. Clap your hands loudly and he will come with help. He knows about the things that happened in this mountain more than me, so he will help you and prisoners escape. You must clap three times, that is the signal. Go, now, Micky, and farewell forever.” Yadi said, tears coming from his eyes.

Micklang had tears as well, and he regretted leaving his friend with all his heart, but he knew that if it weren’t for Yadi, he wouldn’t be alive.

“Good-bye, Yadi. I will think of you always.” Micklang bowed to the bird and walked through the tunnel.

“God speed to you, Micky Lightning-tail.” Yadi closed his eyes one last time.

Micklang ran through the tunnel as fast as he could, knowing that Yadi wouldn’t be able to hold the cage for long.

Because Yadi had come through the tunnel, he had widened it to his size, which made it easier for Micklang to find his way out without going under or jumping over anything.

Yadi sniffed as he used his final strength to push against the cage.

“Farewell… Micky!”

Then, with a sickening crash, the brave, strong bird fell to the ground with the liquid falling on top of him heavily.

Thus was the last time Micklang saw Yadi the eagle.

Micklang heard the crash and put on a bit more speed, realizing the tunnel was going down more than up.

Finally, he arrived at the entrance where the other animals were and clapped his hands loudly.

The liquid rushed through the tunnel and was catching up to them very quickly.

“What are we going to do?” The mouse-wife cried, hearing the horrible sound of liquid in the cave.

Micklang stared at the sky, hoping that Yadi was right.

“Come on!” Micklang whispered urgently.

The liquid had just gone around the second last turn and was making its way to the first.

“Come on!”

“EEEERRAAAKK!” An eagle’s cry echoed through the sky.

Micklang cheered as he saw nine big, strong eagles coming towards them.

“Yes! We’re saved!” The Raccoon cried.

“The liquid is coming, I can see it!” The mouse-wife exclaimed.

Micklang turned and saw the huge liquid flooding up towards them.

He started to wave madly at the eagles and they came down and hovered in front of them.

“Hop on its back, it’s alright! Quickly now!” Micklang said.

Once the first eagle had its load, the next eagle came, then the next after that one.

But the liquid was coming closer, and Micklang was desperate.

There were only ten animals left, including Micklang, and he quickly got all the creatures on the eagle.

“That’s all I can take, squirrel, and there’s no more eagles left!” The eagle warned.

Micklang shuddered as he saw the liquid seeping faster towards him.

“Go, take them down. That’s all that matters! Go!” Micklang ordered.

Micklang saw, sadly, that he was the only one left now, and there was no chance of escape.

He looked over the edge of the mountain and then back at the liquid.

Then he remembered Harriet and the children, Abrigail and his crew, and all they had done for him.

“Time to pay them back.” Micklang thought.

Turning around one more time, Micklang made a running jump and came off the cliff edge.

The liquid burst out of the tunnel and sprayed down the mountain side, following Micklang like lava.

The first eagle that rescued the animals saw Micklang falling and took off again into the air.

“No! It’s too dangerous!” Another eagle said.

The eagle flew in level with Micklang and dived down underneath him.

Micklang saw the bird dive down and realized that it was trying to save his life.

The liquid had started to fall faster, like a water-fall now, and Micklang came close several times to being completely turned to stone.

In one swift movement, the eagle managed to get right underneath Micklang and swooped him away from the liquid.

Just in time, for they were only meters away from the ground.

The eagle zoomed along, only meters from the ground, as the liquid rushed after them.

Dodging and weaving, the eagle was constantly followed by the liquid.

Micklang saw a bit of the liquid land on a small snail, and then it was completely still.

They flew right past the lightning-tails’ camp, who all knew what was coming.

For some, though, they were too late to leave.

Then, they passed Melody and Harvey’s camp, who didn’t know what was going on.

Micklang grabbed onto Melody’s arms and pulled her on, and she just managed to grab Harvey and Geoffrey before the liquid rushed through their camp.

Finally, the eagle came out onto the beach and flew out to the sea.

Hovering above the water, the eagle and its riders watched as the liquid seeped into the sea, turning most of it near the shore into stone.

Once everything had settled down, the eagle went back to shore and landed a few metres away from where the liquid had poured out.

“What was that, Dad?” Melody asked.

“I don’t actually know, Melody, but it could turn anything into solid stone by a single touch, like it did with the water.”

“And if it touched us, we would be dead.” The eagle said.

Micklang turned to the eagle and bowed.

“Thank you, Jethra. You saved my life and the lives of the prisoners in that mountain.” Micklang said.

“That is no problem, but did my brother, Yadi, make it out in time?” Jethra asked.

Micklang shook his head sadly.

“I’m afraid not, it was him that gave us the chance to escape. He risked his life for us, that brave eagle.”

Jethra nodded sadly.

“He was always a good soul, Yadi. His biggest dream was to sail the seas.”

Micklang sighed.

“Yes, I know, but at least we know now he is having his dream.”

Abrigail woke up next to Harriet, surprised that his arm was around her in a hugging position.

His crew, Oscar’s group and Harriet’s kids were scattered around him, but he noticed with surprise that they all had lightning-tails like Micklang.

Abrigail remembered the fact that Micklang could tell some of the future and he wondered why he couldn’t.

Harriet mumbled as she awoke as well.

“Where are we?” She asked Abrigail.

Abrigail looked around again, realizing they were right next to a forest.

“I don’t know, this is a totally new place for me.”

“Can you see Micklang?”

“I’m afraid not, looks like we’ve lost him again.”

Suddenly, from out of the forest, a large group of strange animals surrounded them and carried them into the forest.

Abrigail sighed as he heard Harriet try and break free.

“Here we go again!” He thought.

Micklang introduced himself to Harvey and vice-versa. The warrior squirrel was very thankful that Harvey had managed to find one of Harriet’s kids.

“You haven’t seen any of the others have you?” Micklang asked.

“I’m afraid not. You, Melody and little Geoffrey here are the only squirrels I’ve seen ever since I came onto this island. Excluding myself, of course.”

“Hmm, something tells me that our friends, the lightning-tails, have something to say about this. It’s going to be hard to find them, but with my fortune-telling abilities and Melody’s ability to hear others thoughts, we should be able to discover their whereabouts,”

Melody was about to ask how he knew that when she heard him answer it in his mind.

‘My little warrior self told me about that, Melody. Don’t worry yourself about it.’

Walking together back into the forest, they waved good-bye to Jethra who left to check on the other eagles and their riders.

“Something tells me we haven’t seen the last of that monster known as Medraut.”

“Who was he?” Melody asked.

“I don’t know fully, but something tells me he might, just might, have survived falling from the mountain top.”

Melody wondered what her dad was talking about, but then he looked at her and she knew it was a look that said “I don’t want to talk about it.”

She stayed silent for the rest of the journey, until they finally returned to the old Lightning-tails’ camp.

“Great! Now we have to find their NEW camp!”

Medraut’s body lay next to a large ants’ nest, one which had been disturbed from him falling down onto the ground. The ants were red ants, very poisonous and deadly if they bite. They surrounded Medraut’s body and carried him to the top of the nest, which was a very hard job to do. But a bat as evil as Medraut doesn’t die THAT easily, and he started to wake up; and he was very angry.

Feeling the ants’ antlers on his back, Medraut twitched his remaining claw slightly, trying to keep perfectly still, while the ants carried him.

It turned out he was too heavy for the ants and they started to leave him where he was and retreat into the nest.

Medraut took his chance and jumped up off the ground, away from the ants.

Unfortunately, he still had some ants on him, which started to bite him angrily.

Grabbing them where he could, he threw the ants madly onto the ground and stomped on them.

The ants came back with their full force, but Medraut had already gotten rid of all the ants on him and started to back away.

Medraut was able to get away from the ants quickly, even without his wings.

The ants angrily returned to their nest, cursing in their ant language that they had lost their luck.

Medraut ran and ran, pushing past branches and spider-webs as he went.

As he ran, he couldn’t believe his luck; by rights he should be dead right now.

Then another eagle zoomed by, carrying Micklang, Melody and Geoffrey on it.

He swore angrily as he realized the blasted squirrel managed to escape the cave.

Then he heard an awful noise coming towards him.

The liquid had turned against its creator.

Medraut gasped as it flowed towards him and then he ran. Had he been smart and fast enough, he would have turned away to avoid the liquid all together. But he was worrying about staying alive too much, and his mind just told him to run.

Running back the way he came, he smashed right into the ants nest again and stumbled over a twig, causing him to fall to the ground.

He turned and saw the liquid about to close in on him, but he couldn’t move, his right back leg was stuck under a log, and he couldn’t get out.

“No!” He screamed as the liquid encased him and took him on its path through the forest.

Medraut, the evil master-mind and murderous bat, was turned to stone and forced into sea. That was the last remaining moments of Medraut the bat.