Chapter 13: Quattlebom the Courageous

As the magic whirlwind dissipated, the desperate cry of a princess was replaced with the desperate cry of a prince! Nathan had not been knocked unconscious or killed by the giant’s final blow and had come to his senses in just enough time to realize what was happening and witness the final horrible moments of his sister’s sacrifice.

Though pushed to utter exhaustion and unable to move moments before, reserves of energy now surged into his body as he scrambled to his feet and lunged for the rapidly dispersing cloud of magic. But it was too late. All he caught as he reached the spot were wisps of trailing mist.

Collapsing to the floor, he struck the stone with both fists and howled in anguish. After all he had come through to save his sister, he had failed in the end and the realization that she was lost crushed him to the cave floor with more force than any giant’s fist ever could.

Nataleigh was gone!

Each time he had thought his nightmares had been undone, that he had defeated his worst fears, and that his dreams had been proven wrong, but like the worst kind of nightmare, this one kept returning until it had finally claimed the victory. He could not stop the inevitable and now bitter sorrow overwhelmed him. He was not strong enough. He had failed in his task and now the ultimate price for his weakness had been paid.

The prince could think of nothing else at that moment and would have remained there for maybe hours in brokenness had his grief not been interrupted by the sudden arrival of his friends.

Only seconds passed before the flapping sound of giant flippers were heard dragging a huge scaled body up the tunnel and Mama and Papa sea serpent burst into the tunnel junction with Vonkar on their back. Seeing the obvious signs of conflict and mayhem in the area, Vonkar bounded from the serpent’s back, axe held high and peered about for enemies.

None were found.

“By Foegrin’s Metal,” exclaimed the Viking, “what fierce battle has been waged here?”

“Shhhh!” hissed Mama as she noticed the miserable state of the prince on the cave floor before them.

“Oh, the poor, little dear,” she soothed. “Something horrible has happened, Papa.”

“Eww, I know, I know!” An all-too-familiar voice hailed them from the far side of the tunnel. Looking in that direction, they saw Flindee and Frangen bound together with rope. Vonkar ran to them and cut their ropes with his axe.

But before they could get any answers from the jester, he leaped free of his bonds and ran toward where the prince still knelt on the floor. But just before he got to Nathan, the little dwarf, dropped to the floor himself and scooped up his little puppet friend.

“Quattlebom, speak to me!” He cried. “Are you ok, little buddy? They didn’t hurt you did they?” Cradling the puppet he listened for an answer and then prompted it with a little shake. “Q, can you hear me? Come on, don’t do this to me. You can’t be dead. You’re tougher than that. Q?”

But apparently no answer came for Flindee suddenly burst into tears, hugging his little wooden

friend tightly and rocking back and forth on his knees. “No, Q. This can’t be the end after all the adventures we’ve been through and all of the performances we’ve done and all of the Ice Cream we’ve shared. You can’t leave me like this!”

The little dwarf pulled his hat from his head and buried his face in it as he dropped to the floor near the prince wailing pathetically.

“Oh, the poor, poor dears.” Mama looked as if she might cry as well and reached out a huge flipper to pat them on the back.

Even Vonkar was sobered as he approached his two miserable friends along with Frangen. The Viking tried, very awkwardly to comfort the jester.

“Now come along, Laddie.” He said a bit gruffly. “We’ll have no grieving over valiant lives lost. You’re wee little… er, wooden, um, friend there, gave his life bravely in… battle?”

He looked to Frangen for quick confirmation. The inventor nodded gravely and Vonkar continued. “And if in battle he met his end, then we shall remember him in song and generations to come will sing of the courageous Quattlebom and his final eh… end.”

But Flindee would have none of Vonkar’s comfort. The more he spoke, the louder the jester wailed in anguish until the warrior dwarf became so desperate to quiet him down, that he leaned in close and even tried to mimic a high pitched puppety voice. “Aye, Flindee, I’m ok. Vonkar’s right.”

The jester’s head popped up and he scowled at Vonkar.

“That’s not funny, you barbarian!” He scolded. “Don’t you think I know my best friends voice? (You did have me going there for a second, though. You do a very good imitation.) But he’s gone and nothing you say will bring him back! He died a hero, giving his life for the… did you say a song?”

Suddenly Flindee jumped to his feet and faced Vonkar with a gleam in his eye. “Do you mean it? Do you really think ol’ Q here was THAT good? You’d actually write a song for him? WOW!”

Vonkar jumped back as if he were evading a sudden attack by the Jester. “Well, uh… now wait a minute. I didn’t say that I would be the one to…”

“Can I help you?” Flindee continued with new excitement and puffed out his chest as he began.
“Against the mighty dragon spawn,
Stood the Jester and his pawn.
The dragon raged but Flindee fought,
As little Q his moves he taught.
Until the…”

Suddenly he stopped short and cocked his head toward Q then said matter-of-factly. “What to you mean, I’m giving you too small a role in your own death dirge? Well that’s gratitude for ya. I’d think that you’d be happy to have your name mentioned at all after I ended up doing all of the work, you little ungrateful…”

Again he was interrupted by an unheard voice and then continued.

“Oh sure, so just because you’re the one who died, you get all of the credit? What about my black eye and missing tooth?” There was another pause and then. “Oh, I see how it is. You always were such a glory hound, Q! You never give me any of the credit.”

Vonkar stuttered in shock at the sudden turn around.

“But I thought he… IT… was dead.” He shouted in exasperation. “Now suddenly he’s alive?”

“Well of course!” Flindee agreed. “He had us all fooled pretty good, huh? It’s called acting and Q is one of the best. Magnificent performance don’t you think? He’ll probably get an Oscar, the lucky stiff!”

“Why you mad, little…”

But before Vonkar could finish, Mama sea serpent intervened, drawing all of their attention back to the prince and the situation at hand.

“Oh, let him be, Vonkar,” she said, “Can’t you see that there’s another one here who’s lost someone? Now’s not the time for squabbling.”

Then turning back to Nathan she continued. “There, there, your majesty. Everything will be fine. We’re here now.”

But the prince would not even look up from his misery.

Vonkar, forgetting his irritation with the jester, turned back to his friend. “Come now, Lad. Tell us what has happened and we’ll make it right. Did those villains escape with your sister? Not to fear! We’ll catch them and make them pay! Just show us which tunnel they took!”

Still Nathan did not answer.

Finally Frangen spoke up, his voice low and sad.

“They escaped, but not with the prince’s sister. She is…” and then his voice broke, “…gone! She destroyed the Serpent’s Eye to stop the great dragon from killing her brother, but it… took her with it!”

For the first time, Papa spoke.

“The great dragon? You mean Snagglefang was here?” Papa huffed. “He’s not that great. I could take him and he knows it!”

“Well that’s not important right now, dear.” Said Mama.

“Yes it is!”

Suddenly the prince jumped to his feet and looked up at the giant sea serpent, his face blotched with grief and anger. “Where were you when I needed you? Where were all of you?”

They all took a step back at his sudden outburst except for Vonkar who put a hand on his shoulder. But the prince shrugged him off violently and whirled to face him.

“I suppose you were off fighting with every little dwarf you could find to show what a great warrior you are while the big fight that you’ve been looking for was in here and you MISSED it! What good are…”

But before Nathan could say anything else that he might regret he was interrupted by someone shouting from one of the tunnels.

“Stop! You can’t do that! You don’t know how to operate it!”

It was Heindel! And it sounded like he was struggling with someone. Then the sound of a splash echoed up the tunnel followed by a loud creak and a metallic thud.

“Their stealing our Submersible!” Frangen shouted in alarm.