Freiyon Fables: The Rochester Runes

Well, it seemed like nothingness for a few minutes, but then the kids and Frebil were quite shocked when they were no longer falling, more floating, and what they could see now was ocean wave after wave of every colour in the Universe.

“Weird! It’s like a hippy convention, except without all the music and the smoke!” Robert exclaimed.

“I don’t feel very comfortable like this, floating on nothing! What do we do now?” Frebil complained.

“I guess we just make wishes,” Charles scratched his head as he thought of one. “I wish we had helpers to give us a hand in this quest.”

The colour waves spun in a small tornado and suddenly Joe and Jasper appeared through the tornado, along with Jarryd the otter. Joe and Jasper, of course, didn’t know what was going on. But Jarryd noticed The Rochester kids straight away and knew what was going on.

“Well, I THOUGHT I would see you three again. And if it isn’t little Frebil Cathunter. Thought I’d never see YOU again. Captain Abrigail doing alright?”

“I haven’t seen him for some time, Jarryd. Do you know these three?”

“Well, I know those kids are the Rochester kids. But who are those two?”

Joe and Jasper stared at Charles, Sarah and Robert in surprise.

“Charles?! What on earth is going on? We heard about what happened to your Mum, but no-one seemed to know where you guys were. Jasper and I actually came together to pray for your safety, but it looks like we’ve some-how ended up some-where totally different!” Joe marvelled at the funky waves of colours as he spoke.

“Joe and Jasper! I might’ve known the stones would choose you two.”

“You know these two, Charles?” Jarryd and Frebil asked.

“Does he know us? Little talking ... rat? And ... Platypus? ... We’re his best friends!” Jasper answered.

“Charles, what is going on?” Joe asked.

“Yeah, Charles, what’s the deal with these little talking guys and all these funky colours?”

“Yes, Charles, I think you have some explaining to do.” Jarryd pointed out.

“Well, Jarryd, you knew we were looking for the rune stones when we met you, well we found them all and placed them back where they belonged.”

“Ah, so what does THIS have to do with the stones?”

“Hold on, talking platypus ...You’ve lost me, Charles. Rune stones? What’s that all about?”

Charles smirked at Jasper. “He’s an otter.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Jasper, that’s a talking otter and mouse right in front of you, not a platypus and a rat.”

Joe, who was obviously smarter in the animal department, turned back to Charles. “So, what IS the deal with these Rune stones you mentioned? Some kinda weird occult you’re planning to join, because I thought we were strict Christians.”

“Nothing like that, Joe ... although I kinda think Christianity would find it hard to explain the last three days. It all started on Monday, the day we moved to our Rochester home.”

While Charles explained everything the best he could for the new arrivals, back in the human world the Rochester Kids’ mother was trying to show the police Chief something important. Mary had just come back with Chief Jay Witt to show him the tunnel when a sword almost cut her head off in the process. She jumped back in fright, realising only too late that they still had the staring Soldier to deal with.

Jay stepped forward and shot a bullet at the soldier’s eye-slot, but the soldier somehow reflected the shot with its fist and pushed Jay away violently.

It turned its face to Mary and made a robotic snigger.

“You Survived My Master’s Planned Bomb, But Now You Must Deal With Me!” It threatened.

Mary stumbled back, frightened to death of her living child-hood night-mare.

The soldier’s arms turned into cutting saws and they started to swing wildly at Mary. Mary retreated to the steps, watching in terror as the soldier tore apart everything in its way. It was at that very moment, in the Freiyon world, when Sarah made a wish that insured their mother’s safety.

The spinning saw knocked a pole off the side of the steps that collapsed onto Mary, knocking her to the floor but not hurt. And, just as the saw came in to finish the job ... The soldier suddenly stopped ... Just seconds away from Mary’s neck, it stopped with a jerk and a rattle and didn’t move anymore. Mary opened her eyes carefully, and then saw how close the saw had been to killing her. She stared at the soldier and it stared at her. It seemed to struggle to try and get the saws to start again, but it could still move. Forcefully, the soldier changed its hands back to normal and then lifted the pole off Mary. Then, as Mary tried to struggle away, it grabbed her leg and pulled her off the stairs.

“Now You Die Without Anyone To Save You.”

The soldier threw Mary into the lounge-room, intending on her hitting a wall or smashing out of the unbroken windows. But instead, Mary miraculously hit the comfy chair of what remained of the lounge. She bounced off it and was back on her feet for a few seconds, but then fell back onto the chair with a thud. The soldier stomped towards her with a sword-hand prepared to kill. It was only seconds away from Mary when Jay opened fire from his gun at it. The soldier stopped and jerked around to face Jay.

“Is That The Best You Can Do?”

Jay tried to fire another shot at its eyes, but he had no more bullets. The soldier thrust a hand out and grasped Jay’s neck tightly.

“Now You Will See My Best!” It announced.

Throwing Jay into a glass cabinet, it turned back to Mary and made a small robotic laugh.

“I’ll Be Back For You In A Minute!”

Mary acted fast. Taking out the gun Jay had given her earlier, she shot at the soldier’s eye-slot. The bullet got inside the eye-slot just as the robot was turning around, hit the side of the helmet, and then smashed the weakest point of the soldier. The ‘eyes’! The soldier shuddered for a second, beeped once and then collapsed in a heap on the floor. Mary shivered as she stood up and saw, with huge relief, that the soldier was defeated. She jumped over to Jay and helped him up, smiling with slight insanity.

“I finally defeated my number one child-hood night-mare! I killed the staring soldier!” She laughed nervously.

Jay nodded, still trying to get his strength back.

“Well done. Now, let’s go find your kids!”

With a single whistle, Jay called all of the police force to him as the two of them headed back into the lounge-room.

“They are in there and they need our help. Let’s go and get them, shall we?”

‘A man after my own heart.’ Mary thought and then said to Jay. “Right you are, Jay Witt!”

They had barely waited four minutes when there was a new sound. A car pulled up to the house and three people stepped out. Lex’s wife: Alice Rochester; Great grand-mother Helen Rochester, and (quite a surprise and shock to Mary) the Rochester kids’ ex-father.

“Jonson? What are YOU doing here?” Mary asked.

“My home! What happened here?” Alice cried.

“What’s going on h-here?” Helen struggled out of the car, helped out by Alice.

“Mary! I heard about your accident. Are you ok?” Jonson asked as he, too, got out of the car.

Mary crossed her arms angrily. “I’m fine, but since when would YOU care? And what about our children? You probably just us for some younger, PRETTIER woman, one that would feel sympathy for you in regards to what you’ve been accused of.”

“Things didn’t work out with the two of us, Mary. I’m by myself now.”

“Good. Then maybe you should stay that way. Why are you here?”

Jonson turned to Mary’s mother. “I called him up, Mary. What else could I do? I was home alone, with nothing to do, and fearing the worse for you, Lex and the children. Helen just called me up and said she wanted to see her old home again. Although, there doesn’t appear to be much of it left.”

Helen adjusted her glasses on her head, even though they were sitting in her hair, not on her eyes. “What has happened here? Why is the m-manor wrecked? It wasn’t that staring soldier, was it? And the c-children, please tell me they are ok. Charles and that other one ... Robert? They seemed quite afraid when they came to see me on Monday.”

“So it was them that came to see you then. Well, that makes sense now. But what still doesn’t make sense is why you, Jonson and Helen had to come out here, Mother.”

“Alice! You got my call! Oh, thank goodness you’ve come.” Lex suddenly appeared at the lounge-room door, running to embrace Mary’s mother.

“Father? You called up Mother? Why?”

“Mary, this is serious! We need all the help we can get!”

At this point, Jay stepped in. “That is a very good notion, Mr. Rochester, but three old people adding to our ranks just wouldn’t work. I appreciate Mr. Jonson being here, although I’m not sure if this is the best time for him to be here. Except for you, Mr. Rochester, I’m afraid you could all be behind the attempted murder of Miss Rochester here and also the possible kidnapping of her children. But that’s only if we don’t find them in this tunnel.”

Mary nodded. “Jay’s right, Mum. Until we get my darlings back, you can’t really do anything! I’m afraid you’ll just have to go.”

“We could stay here and take care of the manor.” Jonson suggested.

Mary turned to him. “You have done enough. I’m still trying to work out if it was you or not. As of this moment, you are not in any-one’s good book.”

Jay spun around to see his police force joining him. “Tell you what, Mrs. Rochester. I will leave you with four of my police force to watch over you, Mr. Jonson and your step-mother. She IS your step-mother, right? Well, that’s settled then. George, Blake, Fiona and Donna, could you stay behind and assist these four with cleaning up the manor? We have made quite a bit of mess, and I want what WE didn’t cause to be photoed as evidence. In the meantime, the rest of us will look for the children, assuming they are in this tunnel.”

“Excuse me Chief. Did you say ‘these four’? Are you counting me as well?” Lex asked.

“I can see you want to help as well, but your place is in here with your wife, taking care of her and your mother. And (whispering) keep an eye on Mr. Jonson there. We aren’t positive it’s him, but you can never be too careful, right? I think you can take care of that.”

Lex nodded. “You bet I can chief!”

Jay and Mary turned back to the tunnel. “Let’s get your children, Miss Rochester.”

The two of them, along with ALMOST all of the police force, switched their torches on and then started to walk down the long, dark, spider-web filled tunnel.

The wish, at the right moment, that had come from Sarah in the Freiyon world had been. “I wish for Mum’s complete safety, wherever she is and whatever she is doing.” Everyone else was still bickering, chatting and arguing about things going on with Charles when she made her wish, however. So they didn’t know she made one.

“Are you seriously telling me that this whole thing is to do with that supposed curse I’ve heard about?” Joe asked Charles, really shocked and still unbelieving about it all.

“Hey, Sarah, I think that wish worked. Can I have one now?” Robert asked Sarah.

“This is getting confusing now. I don’t think I like this at all!” Jasper complained. Charles put his fingers to his mouth and whistled for silence.

Everyone suddenly turned and looked at him, surprised.

“Jasper and Joe, listen to me carefully. You have been chosen to help us try and get rid of our family’s curse because of seven rune stones that we collected. Now you can believe the stones sent you here, or you can’t. But you are here now and there’s nothing you can do about it. Now we need as MUCH help as we can get, but we’re not going to get anywhere unless you two get it in your heads that this is actually happening. You’ve always helped me have imaginary adventures at school, it’s high time we have a REAL adventure! Jarryd and Frebil, these are my human friends, called in obviously to help. Now, we don’t have much time, but each one of us has to make a wish that will help us get rid of this curse. Since Sarah and I have already made our wishes, it’s time for you all too. Robert, you’re next.”

Robert shrugged and floated forward. “I believe this is not our world and definitely NOT a dream now, Charles.”

“Took you long enough, Robert.”

“Well, you remember I said I’d believe it once it was proven those stones WERE magical. Well, you’ve done that, Charles. I think my mind would NEVER dream up something THIS wild!”

“Hey, watch it Robert! Don’t try reverse-psychology on ME! Do you or do you not believe this place is real?”

Robert cursed himself for thinking his brother would fall for that trick. It was a very old trick, but he thought it would work.

He sighed. “I guess there is no other explanation for all the crazy stuff that’s been happening. I mean, my mind didn’t even know about these stones or the curse, so how could it be a dream? I DO believe that this place and curse is real. Having said that, my wish is that we can change into anything in both this world and our own without the pain. I mean, I really quite enjoyed those times we were something else. So that would be nice.”

Charles nodded wisely. “Well, go on.”

“But I just wished for it!”

“Robert, it’s not a wish unless you say the right words.”

Robert said the wish properly and a screwed up piece of paper smacked him in the head. He opened it up and looked at it. “Granted. Ok, that’s cool. Frebil, you’re up!”

Frebil scratched his head, trying to think of something. “I wish that Freiyons from around our world that haven’t been caught or tortured or killed would rally together to help us fight the Grabbers when we needed the help the most.”

A paper came out to him, informing him that this would be granted just as he said. Frebil smiled and turned to his friends, happy to have thought of something.

Sarah turned to Jarryd. “Guess it’s your turn, Jarryd.”

Jarryd didn’t really waste much time in making his wish. Clearly, he was desperate. “I wish we had more weapons to help us against the villains.”

This was granted the same way Robert’s wish was. Another paper flew out and landed in Jarryd’s hand. “‘The weapons will be given to you once you have all made your wishes.’” He read.

“Jasper or Joe, your turn.”

Jasper didn’t know what to do or say. One moment he was in his house, praying for Charles’ safety with Joe, the next minute he was taken, Joe with him, into a weird colourful tunnel where they appeared to not be touching anything. He still found it incredibly hard to believe but… well if this was all real he may as well think of something.

“I wish ... I wish that the adults were stopped in coming into this world because I want to have fun without the adults involved.”

Charles and Robert chuckled. “Typical Jasper, you had to wish for that didn’t you? But I guess it would be better if the adults left us alone for a while. But we don’t know WHERE they are! They could already be in this world.” Charles pointed out.

Jasper shrugged but smiled when another note came out and he read it. “Well, it says ‘granted’. Not much we can do about it now. Joe, your shot.”

“I wish we all knew HOW to use those weapons without any training. It makes it easier for us to fight when the time comes.” Joe noticed everyone’s stare.

“Oh ... That was actually a good idea, Joe. And look! It must have been granted! Don’t bother reading the paper, Joe, it obviously says granted.”

Without warning they stopped floating and landed in a heap on the grassy ground. Charles was the only one that noticed the wavy, colourful tunnel vanish into the stone-wall/door and the stone-wall/door crumble into dust. Joe was still holding the paper he had got from his wish as he got up and groaned in pain.

“Ok, did NOT see that coming! Hey, where’s the door?” Robert complained.

“Charles! The trees are coming for us! Those Guadian trees! That’s not good!” Sarah warned as she stood up.

“Why would they come after us NOW?” Charles jumped up with Robert, Jarryd and Frebil in fright.

“Maybe the Grabbers convinced them WE were the Grabbers.” Robert suggested.

“No ... This is something else. Jasper, Joe! Get up! We’re in trouble!”

“Are those trees moving by themselves?” Joe stared in disbelief.

“Look, unless you want to be squished or even eaten, get UP!”

The ground beneath them rumbled and shook as something dug underneath their very feet.

Creepily, everything stopped and became too quiet.

Charles, Frebil, Jarryd, Robert and Sarah took the new weapons and looked around, trying to figure out what was going on.

“Have they gone?” Robert asked.

Something whipped out of the ground and attacked Sarah, but Sarah did a spin-cut with her rapier and made the attacking thing retreat back into the ground.

“What was THAT?” Joe asked nervously.

“I’m not sure, but it LOOKED like a ... WHOA!” Charles jumped back as another thing came out from the ground right in front of him and tried to snap his neck.

Charles chopped at it, realising what IT was.

“They’re ROOTS! Like from a ... tree ... Oh, no!”

Everyone turned to see a whole group of roots digging in the ground, coming right for them.

“We’re not getting out of this!” Sarah screamed.

A tree root burst out of the ground, trying to grab Joe, but Joe leapt up and grabbed a sword, slicing the root just as it attacked him.

“Well, it looks like my wish came true. We seem to have picked up extraordinary fighting habits rather quickly.”

“They won’t be enough to kill those trees. Believe me, I fought one before, and it was not easy.”

“What are we gonna do? Those trees will definitely kill us and they out-number us by more than twenty! We need help!”

It was interesting that at that moment, when Charles just happened to whistle a little tune that sounded vaguely like a ‘Help please’ whistle, a flock of swans suddenly appeared above their heads and flew down towards them.

“Watch out! They got birds attacking us now!” Robert shouted.

“No, wait! I know whose swans those are! It’s Hero-glider and his group! The Lord must’ve sent him out to get us!” Frebil announced.

“What? We’re meant to ride them away from danger? Well, can’t be any worse than those attacking trees! Alright, everyone, jump onto one of the swans as they come down. I just hope you’re right, Frebil.” Charles sliced at another root.

The first swan that came down collected Charles, the other seven got everyone else quite quickly.

The swans took the group high away from danger, but the Grabbers and trees tried to bring them down again with arrows and rocks.

The swans did a good job of avoiding the attacks, and soon they were out of harm’s way.

As they flew high in the sky, Charles shifted himself in a better position on the swan.

“Please be careful, I have a very tender body!” The swan complained.

“Sorry. I’ve never ridden a swan before.” Charles replied, sheepishly

“Aren’t you surprised I can talk?”

“No. Not in the least. Pretty much everything here can talk, so I’m not shocked or surprised. I’ve sorta got used to it.”

“I see. And what is your name, my friend?”

“Charles ... Charles Rochester.”

“Rochester? Yes, that means I got the right children after all. The lord will be pleased. My name is Hero-glider. Now hold on, please, because we need to get back quickly or the Grabbers will find out we’re Freiyonians. Here we go!”

Hero-glider suddenly spurted forward, causing the other swans to do the same as they finally out-sped the Grabbers’ attacks.

Within a matter of minutes, the group were so high and far away that Charles could no longer see the ground; only clouds.

He stared back at the others when Hero-glider suddenly announced. “Grab onto me!”

Charles turned and begun to ask. “What for?” But only got as far as the ‘o’ before Hero-glider suddenly plummeted downwards.

They all sped through the clouds again, heading straight towards the ground.

“Hero-glider!”

Just after they came level with a mountain, Hero-glider levelled out and turned straight for the cliff-face of the mountain.

They slowed down immensely and floated slowly down into a cave hidden in the cliff-face of the mountain.

Once Hero-glider landed in the cave, Charles carefully dropped down onto the hard floor and looked back.

“The others haven’t caught up yet.”

“Don’t worry. My swans will get your friends here safely. Never lose faith, that’s what I say. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must inform the lord and the king of your arrival.”

“There’s no need to *cough!* inform me, Hero-glider. I can see Charles Rochester for myself now.”

Charles turned around slowly to see the person or animal that had spoken and was shocked by what he saw. In front of him stood an enormous, purple-robe wearing Brown bear. Charles shivered in fright, knowing the reputation of brown bears.

“Charles Rochester as requested, my lord.”

The bear lord nodded and dismissed Hero-glider. Charles went to follow the swan but the bear stopped him.

“Why are you so afraid of me, young Charles?” The Bear asked, choking violently.

“How do you know my name? You aren’t a Grabber, are you?”

The bear lord seemed to struggle to breathe as he answered.

“You ask the right questions.*cough cough!* I’ve known who you were even b-b-before you came into this world: Charles the adventurer; that’s what you always wanted to be. *cough cough!* M-my name is Lord Libertas and I am Lord of all Freiyon.”