E ar-shots …

As the black sheep approaches the circle of stones with its' engraved signs and symbols in the mud in the front yard of Brompton Castle, the whole structure seems to start to glow in blue and orange lights with slight hints of gold.

»Ah«, the sheep sighs, »this reminds me of my city and towers of home.«

»Excuse me«, Claude Sideburns addresses the animal in a polite way, »am I right to assume that those symbols are somehow connected to the long sunken culture and island of Greenlion? I mean after all these improbabilities and coincidences finally … somehow … and in a most unrealistic way … a green treasure map with the old language of Greenlion has brought us here. And even if I am not a professor for archaeology treasure maps are still something like my field of expertise.«

»The demon sheep ate the treasure map«, the llama exclaims, »chewed it up and swallowed it! I remember that cleary now. Burn the demon sheep!«

»Step aside!«

The black sheep who claims to be a faun and wants to be called Mr Tumbleweed pushes the llama away with its bum.

»Let me talk to Mr. Sideburns. You might not be a real professor but you are my archaeologist and Lord of Brompton Castle at heart. You have read all these books about Greenlion and everyone laughed at you because you thought it was real. And you are right. The green island of Greenlion exists, home of the elves and fairies, fauns and centaurs, mysterious and magical creatures of all kinds and shapes and sizes. Kingdom of Oberon, King of the fairies, and his beautiful and ageless Queen Titania. Greenlion is sunken and lost in the oceans and mists of space and time. And nowadays only at special places and certain times in your world a connection to that Kingdom can be established. This circle of stones is one of those special places.«

»Goatshit!« the llama spits out.

I am getting nearer to my furry friend trying to pet the curly hair around its' long neck.

»Calm down, little fellow«, I whisper. »Let it happen. This time it isn't all about you.«

The black sheep goes on,

»Since we are only six days away from the next new moon and I only six days away from losing my magical powers including my abiliy to talk let me tell you about my past in Greenlion and how I got into your world and how I got stuck here.«

The sheep looks down to the stone-circle then up to the cloudy November sky and when it opens its mouth again out comes a bleated baaing.

Bored of the life in the City of Gold
He'd left and let nobody know.
Gone were the towers he had known from a child,
Alone with the dream of a life
He travelled the wide open road,
The blinkered arcade,
In search of another to share in his life.
Nowhere.
Everyone looked so strange to him.

They've got no horns and they've got no tail
They don't even know of our existence.
Am I wrong to believe in a City of Gold
That lies in the deep distance, he cried

And wept as they led him away to a cage
Beast that can talk, read the sign.
The creatures they pushed and they prodded his frame
And questioned his story again.
But soon they grew bored of their prey
Beast that can talk?
More like a freak or publicity stunt.
Oh
No.

They've got no horns and they've got no tail
They don't even know of our existence.
Am I wrong to believe in a City of Gold
That lies in the deep distance, he cried

And broke down the door of the cage and marched on out.
He grabbed a creature by the scruff of his neck, pointing out:
There, beyond the bounds of you weak imagination
Lie the noble towers of my city, bright and gold.
Let me take you there, show you a living story
Let me show you others such as me
Why did I ever leave?

They've got no horns and they've got no tail
They don't even know of our existence
Am I wrong to believe in a City of Gold
That lies in the deep distance, he cried
And wept.

And so we set out with the beast and his horns

〰〰〰〰〰〰〰

Today is Tuesday, the 7th of November 2023.

Brompton Castle