King Diarmait

Across a lake that never thaws, through a garden filled with poisonous plants, sits a tree. A tree carved by time, once filled with golden pears along its branches. Those who dared venture through the icy wasteland and the garden that offered intoxicating petals like a curtain of death would find the pear tree. If plucked from its outstretched arms, the fruit would grant the devourer one step forward or backward in time. A year of seasons, known or not yet known. The victor could spend but one day in this time before the pear and all its mystery wore off on the lips of the brave soul that dared search such a prize. Many had sought the tree, but very few had returned home. The tree held protectors close at hand, not made of this world. Throughout history, only one man and one woman reached the tree intact. The tree offered but one pear every ten years; three souls among many stood on the frozen lake's edge- their sights set on retrieving the pear for themselves.

King Diarmait dragged his boots back and forth on the lake's surface, trying to see further than the blackened bramble of the poisonous garden. Running his hand through his greying beard, his two most trusted generals offered up strategies in hushed whispers of how best to proceed. Lost to his own mind, King Diarmait could think nothing of their soundless suggestions or the somewhat unsavoury parade the land of Sete had thrown for their King in the vain of luck he would bring the pear home. The King thought only of his son, Oistin.

Princess Sidonic and Morta of land Tigin stood, but a stone's throw away from the King, both battle conscious in their own right. Princess Sidonia was one of the fiercest warriors of Tigin, and her sister Morta prevailed at constructing the sharpest battle strategies her land had ever witnessed.

All three souls, no matter their honours or wit, had lost something dear to them; the golden pear promised them a way out. A reprieve of the past.

Among the nobility stood others, intent on claiming the pear. For once every ten years, the bramble would blaze a scarlet red, indicating the ripening of the pear, and for one day, the path would be worthy in peril.

Setting his eyes on the bramble, King Diarmait stretched his legs; the race would begin soon. A hush settled over the crowd as the sun dipped lower on the horizon, and in its breathtaking beauty, the bramble blazed like a match in the dark, and with it, a roar arose. Legs pounded across the lake- armour clattered against bodies. For a moment, the lake remained steady, the only sound being the barbarous call of humanity, but as the lake awoke, so did its protector- deep in slumber. A sharp crack tore its middle, sending twenty or so men to its icy depths, and with it, a scaly creature hooked its claws onto the lake, taking ten breaths of fresh air after all this time. A snake-like creature with ten heads bound along the lake, despite its size, the lake held steady against its colossal body. Bounding at the humans with a roar, the creature threw bodies upward and into its many hungry mouths, its razor-sharp teeth tearing the screaming people into tatters. Gaining ground King Diarmait skated around the beast, barely missing a swipe from its long taloned hands. The two sisters matched his pace, an unnerving set of determination ran through their clenched jaws. Reaching the garden's edge, King Diarmait dared a glance back; the crowd had more than halved, fifteen or so sprinted towards the garden, and with it so did the creature. Moving at a frightening speed, all ten pairs of eyes seemed to settle on the King; blood spilled from some of its mouths while others held the remains of what used to be people minutes before. With one last look, the King disappeared into the cover of the garden, the princesses right behind him.

The screams and calls of the creature silenced; for a moment, the King thought he had perished at the bottom of the lake, and he had passed over. A blur of colour filled the garden, plants of all shapes and sizes grew along a cobblestone path, lemon, chocolate, strawberry, even the seaside struck their noses. The stories they had been told all these years held no ounce of truth; the garden wasn't some poisonous monster but a paradise to the senses. Closing his eyes, the soft lap of running water called nearby, and with it the calming birdsong that pushed the ten-headed creature from Diarmait's mind. His son. The pear. Fell. Until there was nothing but…

'Sir, Sir, you shouldn't touch that.' Diarmait opened his eyes to a lush purple plant, his hand on one of its many leaves, and at the centre of his palm laid a berry he hadn't remembered picking. 'We need to get out of here.' His only remaining general, Olsman, shook him hard on the shoulder, making him drop the berry.

Many, it seemed, had taken the same fate; men and women laid eyes open on the cobblestone, foam dripping from their open mouths.

'The princesses?' King Diarmait asked.

'Already gone, I heard something too; I don't think we're alone in here, Sir- best to get a move on.'

'Yes, quite right, quite right. I swear I heard birdsong, but…it must be.'

'The plants. They can't be trusted.'

And neither could King Diarmait, thought General Olsman, grabbing him roughly by the shoulder, he pushed him forward- deeper through the garden. 'Don't listen to the songs; just focus on getting out of here.'

After what felt like hours of walking, they came to a bridge, one slick with moss and frogs- sitting in its middle was another creature that made the King stop. One could liken the thing before King Diarmait to a large man, except for the hundreds if not thousands of eyes that scored his body head to toe. Blinking in unison, the creature smiled from a thin slit in its face. The two princesses stood at the base of the bridge, a look of annoyance on their faces.

'It won't let us pass.'

'It won't let us pass.' The creature mimicked, his smile returning.

'It keeps doing that, repeating everything we say.'

'It keeps doing that, repeating everything we say.' The creature mimicked.

King Diarmait sized the creature up, standing at least the height of two large men he doubted they could overpower or outrun him. They would have to play him at his own game.

'Come here.' King Diarmait whispered to the princesses, and in return, the creature repeated his command.

Speaking low so the creature couldn't hear them, the King told them to repeat what he said so they could all get past.

'Why help us?' Princess Sidonic asked.

The King smiled for the first time in a long time. 'Because like it or not, the rest of us,' he looked around at the small group left, 'us four are in this together. At this point, I just want to be able to see that pear.'

The two princesses exchanged a glance only sisters would know, and after a moment, they nodded in agreeance.

King Diarmait stood at the lip of the bridge, the many eyes darted back and forth, taking him in. Clearing his throat, he began, 'I am the owner of this bridge.' A chorus of voices repeated behind him. 'And I grant you safe unharmed passage forward.'

The creature smiled; its many eyes continued to blink. 'As you wish.' With a wave of its thick arm, the creature moved, unblocking their path. With quick steps, the King went. First, certain the creature would snatch him and break him in two, but as they hurried forward, the creature remained still, all the while blinking and smiling as they went. Crossing the bridge, a sheet of grass stood in their way; walking forward, the King stepped beyond, and like all the stories he had been told as a child, the tree stood.

A gasp escaped his body; here it is, the thought, the tree, and the one lone pear ready for the taking. The creature that wrapped itself around the base of the thick tree stopped all of them in their tracks; with the body of a leopard and the head of a snake, none dared to take another step towards it. Its large chest rose and fell as it slept; just above its scaly head laid the pear- shining like a diamond at the bottom of the sea.

'Why are you here?' King Diarmait asked the princesses, careful not to wake the creature.

'That's our business.' Princess Morta hissed.

'Please. Just tell me why you're here.'

Rolling her eyes, Princes Sidonic answered for the both of them. 'A year ago, someone from our own house betrayed us to the Gestin army, leaving us in ruin. They gave my sisters battle strategies that nearly wiped out our people.'

'And you want to find out who did it? How?'

'One of our horses was unaccounted for; I've narrowed it down to the Twisting Forest; if we can just get back there at the right time and stop them then….'

'You'll save your people.'

'Why do you want it?' Morta asked, one hand on her sword- ready to attack.

King Diarmait sighed, 'My son. The fever took him, and all I want is to see him for one more day.'

'Then I guess all that's left is seeing what's worthier, King Diarmait, one boy or the lives of thousands.'

Without another word, the group ran at the tree; the creature woke at the sound- coiling its neck upward, the snake struck at the sisters', venom poured from its mouth. Lunging out of the way, Princess Morta sliced at its stomach; the sword made barely a scratch as it reared its head back and struck her torso- sending her flying. Setting upon Princess Sidonic, her end came just as fast; King Diarmait took the chance to make for the pear just as the creature sliced General Olsman in half, reaching for the peach it brushed his fingertips. Jumping as high as his body would let him, the pear fell from the tree; bringing it to his mouth, Diarmait sunk his teeth into the skin. A burst of light enveloped him. All he saw was white.

A sharp knock on King Diarmait's door woke him from his desk; taking in the room, he shook his head free from the wall of white that threatened his vision. Striking the encounter to nothing more than a dream, Diarmait stood from his desk, the taste of fruit-filled his mouth- staring down at his hands alone golden leaf stuck to the inside of his palm. Reaching for paper, Diarmait scrawled a warning to the Princesses, enclosing the leaf as proof of the ordeal.

Racing from the room, Diarmait headed to the old wing in search of his sons' room; throwing it open, King Diarmait had to stop his legs from giving out.

'What is it?' His son asked from his bed, a look of concern struck his pale face.

'Nothing, my son, nothing at all.' Coming to his side, all King Diamait could do was weep, letting his son hold him; the taste of pear remained on his lips.