The Lich
CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1 STEP INTO A NIGHTMARE
CHAPTER 6 THE TRUTH IS REVEALED
The sky was grey and cloudy over Princess Bubblegum’s castle in the Candy Kingdom. The princess decided to relax by meditating with her friends Finn and Jake on one of the castle’s balconies.
‘
OMMMMMM
,’ they chanted in unison, their legs twisted like pretzels on the yoga mat they were sharing.
‘Jake,’ Finn whispered to his canine companion. ‘What am I supposed to be meditating about?’
‘Don’t know,’ Jake admitted. ‘I’m thinking of pillows stuffed with spaghetti.’
Princess Bubblegum placed her hands on Finn’s and Jake’s heads.
‘Clear your minds,’ she said in a soothing, yet serious, tone of voice.
Finn closed his eyes and imagined himself as older and stronger, the bravest adventurer in the Land of Ooo, his muscles bulging on one arm. He imagined that his other arm was mechanical.
Jake closed his eyes and imagined Lady Rainicorn, his true love, riding a wild stallion.
When Princess Bubblegum closed her eyes, a dark, shadowy, horned creature appeared. Flames raged all around the creature. It murmured to the princess ominously. The princess opened her eyes, gasped and jumped off the yoga mat.
‘I have to go check on something,’ she said cryptically.
‘Can we go with?’ Finn asked.
‘Perhaps you are ready to go with,’ Princess Bubblegum replied, her brow furrowed with worry.
Finn and Jake pounded fists. They were always ready for a new adventure, and it looked like their time on the yoga mat had helped them find one. Who knew meditating could have such quick results?
‘Guys, you’ll need to put these on,’ the princess informed them.
Bubblegum unclasped the golden earrings she was wearing. The jewellery opened up into a golden circle with a green jewel inside.
‘Roll back your hat,’ she said to Finn as she placed the chain on top of his hair.
It immediately formed a protective bubble around Finn’s head. Then, just as quickly as the bubble had appeared, it disappeared. The same thing happened when the princess placed the other chain on top of Jake’s head.
Princess Bubblegum touched her crown and a bubble enveloped her head, too.
‘Stay close to me,’ she quietly advised them.
Then she clapped her hands in a rhythmic pattern and Peppermint Butler appeared. He blew a huge pink bubble around the princess, Finn and Jake. They floated up until they reached the tree that grew at the top of the castle. They weaved in and out of its branches.
‘At the heart of this tree is an ancient evil held in a prison of amber,’ Bubblegum explained. ‘The Lich.’
‘What’s that sound?’ Finn asked nervously.
‘He’s casting spells, trying to get in your head and control your bod,’ Bubblegum explained. ‘But these gems are protecting our minds from his influence. If we lost them, we’d be defenceless. He would have full control over us.’
‘That’s freaking nuts!’ Finn exclaimed.
While Princess Bubblegum and Finn were talking, a snail emerged from Finn’s backpack and waved at the Lich. The evil Lich possessed the snail and beckoned it toward the amber trap. Finn was powerless to stop it.
‘Beyond Iceberg Lake lie the ruins of the Lich’s tower, where he was converting the planet’s life force into unholy power to destroy all of Ooo,’ Princess Bubblegum continued. ‘But before he could, the legendary Billy attacked him and pummelled him into the resin of this tree.’
The possessed snail slithered over to the Lich and began to bang its head against the amber prison. A small crack appeared. As the snail butted its head against the amber over and over again, the crack grew until it was large enough for the Lich to ooze through it.
The ancient evil had been unleashed again!
Princess Bubblegum put her hands on her head and shrieked when she saw the Lich.
‘What the nuts?’ she cried. Her voice was a mixture of trembling fear and perturbed princessy petulance.
Finn and Jake turned around and gasped in horror.
The Lich was sprawled on the floor in front of them. His hands were made of bones, just like a skeleton. His face looked like a fur-covered mask. His terrible teeth were bared as he snarled at them. But his eyes were the worst. They were black pools of nothingness, and looking into them was like looking into the dark side of one’s soul.
‘Dude, be a big sword!’ Finn called to Jake, who had the magical ability to morph his body into any shape imaginable.
Instantly, Jake stretched out his torso into a sword shape. Finn lifted him and headed toward the Lich, who was at least ten times his size. Finn smashed the Jake-sword down on the Lich, who immediately vaporised. The evil thing then escaped by burning a hole in the side of the tree.
‘Quickly!’ Princess Bubblegum commanded. ‘To the other secret room!’
Bubblegum led Finn and Jake through the castle and into the other secret room. She used a key to unlock a wooden wardrobe.
‘There’s only one known weapon that can harm the Lich,’ she informed Finn and Jake. ‘The Gauntlet of the Hero.’
A blinding white light filled the room as Princess Bubblegum pulled open the wardrobe’s doors. The Gauntlet of the Hero was a long, large metal glove with an eye on the back of the hand and a sparkling blue jewel on the wrist.
‘Billy’s big old beef fingers,’ said Jake knowingly.
Princess Bubblegum lifted the gauntlet out of the wardrobe and held it in her arms.
‘Finn,’ she said solemnly. ‘You have but one chance. While the Lich isn’t at full power, you must smite him with this gauntlet.’
Bubblegum placed the gauntlet on Finn’s hand, and it magically melded in place.
‘His only desire is to destroy life,’ the princess said. ‘If you fail, you’ll kill everyone.’
‘No!’ Finn replied, as he clenched his gauntlet-covered fist. ‘That will
NOT
happen.’
Princess Bubblegum walked over to a trunk and lifted the lid.
‘There’s something else I want you to have,’ she said to Finn. ‘The Lich’s lair is supposed to be cold. I just don’t want you to get sick.’
The princess pulled out a pink woolen bundle from the trunk and handed it to Finn.
‘Take this sweater,’ she said. ‘I made it myself. I’m not great at knitting, but please wear it. I care about you, Finn.’
Finn took off his backpack and pulled the bright pink sweater over his head. Then he threw his backpack on over it.
