The Realms of Faerie. Linda Massola

Suddenly, the air around the forest clearing began to shimmer. A huge ball of protective light surrounded the fairies.

      Drabon, Ratbonia and the Whorls stopped in mid-air. Angrily, they clawed the space around the fairies.

      ‘The queen has put a protective shield around her fairies,’ Drabon called to his Whorls in frustration. ‘No matter, we have the babies! To Gloomia, To Gloomia!’ he shouted to them. ‘Don’t forget, we have the cook! Ratbonia told him in satisfaction.

      As Drabon, Ratbonia and the Whorls took to the sky, Mab made her way quickly towards the castle. Oberon was sitting with his head in his hands. ‘We are too late! We are too late!’ the fathers of the babies said over and over. They had arrived just in time to see Drabon’s especially chosen Whorls rising up in the air with the babies in their claws.

      ‘No!’ screamed Mab. ‘No!’

      The Whorls headed out into the night with the still sleeping babies. Eventually, they came to a clearing where Drabon awaited them. Most of the babies were now crying loudly. Drabon was not overly fond of crying babies, so with a flick of his wrist, he threw a silencing spell over them. ‘Quick, we have no time to waste!’ he told his helpers urgently.

      ‘Couldn’t we just keep one?’ his head Whorl, Oblong asked with a grin. Oblong was a particularly devious goblin. Unfortunately, he was cross-eyed and when he looked at someone, they were never quite sure if he was looking at them or not. Everyone knew not to upset him as he had a very nasty temper and on occasions had done much damage to friend and foe alike.

      ‘This one looks so tasty!’ he drooled over the baby closest to him. ‘Fool! Unless we exchange these babies with mortal ones, we do not have a hope of taking over the Kingdom of Fairy in the future!’

      Oblong’s grin disappeared quickly as he tried to focus his eyes. ‘Of course my Master, of course!’

      Drabon then summoned his six especially chosen goblins from the A to E group who would be taking the fairy babies to the Land of Mortals to exchange them for mortal babies. Abductor, Abandon, Abuse, Abscond, Abstract and Acid from this group were the slyest and most treacherous, but also the most talented group of goblins. They were the cleverest, the nastiest and the most deceptive. Brilliant thieves, they never got caught and did quite well making minor spells, usually directed at each other out of spite. If Drabon needed anything of importance to be done, these were the goblins of his choice.

      He instructed Oblong and his helpers to hand the babies to the goblins. The goblin, Abuse, peered into the eyes of the baby he had been given. The baby quickly closed his eyes. Abuse scowled. Drabon reminded him that the child was to be quickly taken to the Land of Mortals and exchanged, unharmed.

      ‘Of course, My Master, of course,’ Abuse lowered his eyes. He did not want to risk upsetting Drabon. He was in the top group of goblins who received many favors. Drabon directed the six goblins to face the moon, while holding the babies in their arms. Then stretching out his large bat wings, he began his special spell which could only be performed on Midsummer’s Eve. He spat on his long spindly claws until they were dripping, then he began to claw the air in front of him. To the Land of Mortals – To the Land of Mortals he spat at them, flicking the drool from his claws towards the six goblins holding the babies, until one by one, they disappeared from sight.

      As dawn broke, an eerie glow began to emanate over the Kingdom of Fairy. One by one, the six colored feathers which stood for each of the babies slowly disappeared from the battlements of the castle, until there was only one standing – Queen Mab’s violet feather.