Atop the train in the trees Arthur stood ready for battle, Pridwen and the Sword in the Stone in his hands. To the right of him was Merlynna, her arms raised and ready to cast, a broomstick strapped to her back and Fury on her shoulder. And on his other side was Little Johnny, the Shoes of Swiftness tied tightly around his ankles and his staff pointing in the direction of the approaching gloom.
With a quiver, Arthur looked around at all the others who were there to fight with him. Children stood perched in the trees with bows at the ready. Phoenixes, pixies and other winged animals nestled like gargoyles, ready to take flight. Below, ground dwelling creatures and the ghosts of Robin Hood's good fellows stood side by side waiting to charge and all the water creatures waded in the lake like waves ready to envelope.
From within the train, where more children peered out the windows with bows, Esme emerged and walked over.
'We're all ready,' she said to Arthur. 'They're yours to command.'
Arthur looked at her sternly. 'I think you're more capable than I am.'
'Are you sure?'
'Very much.'
'If you say so,' Esme replied before taking a deep breath.
'Where's your weapon?' Merlynna had noticed Esme didn't have one. 'Were there no bows left for you?'
Esme shook her head.
'Take my sword,' said Arthur.
Shaking her head again, Esme replied, 'It is better in your hands. You are the only one who can wield its strength.'
'Then take my yo-yo again,' came Merlynna. 'You can keep it too. From now on it's yours.' The young witch reached inside her pocket but grabbed something that was not her toy. 'Hmmm. What's this?' She then pulled out a folded piece of parchment and unfurled it.
'That's Amzin's prophecy,' said Little Johnny.
'I completely forgot that I had it. And whoa . . . . look . . . there are more words written down. How strange.'
Arthur and Little Johnny huddled over to get a peek.
'You're right,' said Arthur, shocked.
'What does it say?' asked Little Johnny.
'After the three of us are mentioned,' said Melynna, 'it goes on to name everyone, every creature here with us right now. And it says together, we will defeat the Shadow.'
Despite what lay ahead for them and though they were quite puzzled by the mysterious amendment to the prophecy, Arthur, Little Johnny, Merlynna and Esme smiled.
Arthur then took the parchment and asked, 'But how is this possible? How did it change?'
'The forest and its magic I'm sure.' Merlynna took back the parchment and put it back inside her pocket before taking out her yo-yo and handing over.
'Thank you,' replied Esme as the sound of the redcaps scuttling towards the train in the tree grew to laughter. She then turned with a look of absolute confidence and yelled for all to hear. 'HERE WE GO! WAIT FOR MY COMMAND!'
Suddenly, Arthur could see branches and leaves flutter through the trees up ahead. Then, as if a horde of zombies were after them, he saw a wall of redcaps.
'WAIT FOR MY COMMAND!' Esme yelled again as the looks on the Children of the Forest and the Wild Children all around turned more dark and scared.
Arthur watched, waiting for the redcaps to get closer. And the second he saw several disappear into gnome holes, he tightened his grip on the Sword in the Stone. It was time.
'RELEASE THE TRAPS!' Esme screamed above the heinous squawking.
With a loud blatter, logs, balls of mud and nets swung and dropped from the trees, quickly ensnaring, plastering and pummeling.
'The defense is working!' Arthur shouted. And before long, the number of redcaps dwindled to a few, sending many children to howl in triumph, but the fight was far from over.
'WEREWOLVES!'
Just like that, they were charged at again with hundreds of the monstrous pawed beasts appearing from the undergrowth and bounding over the defeated redcaps.
'WAIT FOR IT!' Esme shrieked, and the moment the werewolves were within reach, she bellowed, 'LET LOOSE!'
All around Robin's bows twanged, their arrows morphing into tangled ropes, swarming bees and rocketing apples. Through the air they soared before descending, plunging towards their targets. As they neared, however, another danger appeared.
Arthur thrust his neck at the warning and saw a growing cloud of toothy, snapping winged critters racing over the trees.
'What are those?' Little Johnny burst out.
'Sprites,' Merlynna answered instantly. 'They're like mosquitoes but a hundred times larger and their bites even more so. Back at the Home for Enchanted Girls I had a run-in with a few of them.'
'ATTACK FROM THE AIR!' Esme yelled, and bows changed their marks.
Merlynna was quick to join in and began sending spells and hexes flashing towards the blackened menace.
Meanwhile down below, the werewolves had halted their attack. The bees from the bows had swarmed them all. And as they snapped their fangs and swatted their paws at the tiny heroes, more and more of the flying insects came. Then all at once, the wolfmen yelped, flung their tails between their legs and fled until all was relatively quiet on the forest floor.
Now back to the sprites, Arthur had swung the Sword in the Stone over his head. Despite the bees' success with the werewolves, they had no effect on the winged imps. There were just too many. And the tangled ropes and apples were as futile. Merlynna's hexes were working, but they were not enough.
'FLYING ALLIES, DO YOUR WORST!' Esme screeched.
Immediately, phoenixes, pixies and the lot sprang from their roosts and took to the air. And with a hiss and snarl, Fury joined in.
Though wanting to protest for him to stay with her, Merlynna let him go and continued sending hex after hex.
Arthur looked on as the charge met the sprites, with many of the evil blights dropping like flies, but many more got past the line and descended on the train in the trees.
'DEFEND YOURSELVES!' bellowed Esme.
At this, Arthur swung the Sword in the Stone, Little Johnny spun his staff and Merlynna began sending protective charms to all she could see.
In seconds, sprites were being struck from the air but it was soon becoming too much. Thankfully, however, all the water creatures were there to help now.
With a rush, jets of water zipped up through the trees, blasting the sprites as if they were being shot by the world's most powerful water pistols, and Nessie began chomping the air like a great whale eating krill.
Slashing the Sword in the Stone and taking out dozens of sprites, Arthur yelled, 'Keep at it They're almost gone.'
It was Little Johnny who took out the last but then came a rumble before trees began to fall and crash.
'OGRES!'
'THEY'RE COMING FROM BEHIND! THE SIDES TOO!'
'WE'RE SURROUNDED.'
Arthur whipped around to see as such. And it wasn't just ogres but other gigantic beasts.
'Are those Yetis?' squeaked Little Johnny, staring down at the bigfoots.
'They are,' replied Merlynna, as the unicorns, the ghosts, the gnomes and the other ground dwellers charged the threat.
Then all went dark as if the day had been turned to night.
Arthur, Little Johnny and Merlynna peered up and saw an even worse sight.
'DRAGONS!'
Suddenly, one of the scaly beasts dived down, tossing aside griffins and phoenixes, who soared to meet it.
'Everyone! Hide!,' Arthur yelled, sending Little Johnny, Merlynna, Esme and many others into the train.
He, however, did not follow. And as he glared at the dragon, he raised the Sword in the Stone higher and prepared for impact. The monster swept down with an ear-splitting cry and as blade struck scales, a dazzling shockwave burst out.
The dragon dropped from the air in a flash, smashed through the trees and crashed into the ogres below.
Arthur raised the Sword in the Stone once again as another dragon descended towards him, the monster's nostrils belching smoke. And knowing what was to follow, he raised Pridwen as well.
Flames then spewed, but the shield quelled the heat and sent the fire rocketing back. The dragon was hit and that was all of that beast.
Little Johnny, Merlynna and Esme were quick to rejoin Arthur as the battle continued to rage. But things started to turn for the worse.
'We're getting overrun,' yelled Esme. 'The Shadow's closing in.'