Zelspar and the Magicians
Book Three
The Legend of the Dragon Child
© Cheryl Rush Cowperthwait 2019
Graphic Designer Lily Dormishev
Print ISBN 978-1-79891-2-331
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Dedication
To the lovers of Magic, for that is what books are, MAGIC!
To those who read words and see entire worlds go streaming by.
To my husband, Norman, for your constant love and support of my dream. Who listens to me with every idea, dilemma and catastrophe that comes with the production of writing books. The man who daily strives to make my world full of the fantastic, I love you.
To my children and grandchildren. I love you more than words. That says a lot because of my deep passion for words!
To my family, for your love, support. You make this journey a beautiful experience.
To my friends, for always being there for me and cheering me on. Without each of you, I know this journey would not have taken place.
And to you. The seasoned readers of my books and I see you, too, the newest readers of my worlds. Thank you! I love hearing from each of you, and how the books touched your life and made it an adventurous journey.
Chapter 1
“So, are you telling me you believe the stories you tell?” Forrest raised his brow to Ms. Lenonne.
“That is for each of you to decide on your own,” she said with a wink. Merriment danced in the twin green sapphires of her eyes. “I am only the Teller of Tales from a long line of Storytellers. Mercy me, that line winds down so long, you can’t see the end!” Her hand lightly slapped her bended knee as she gazed up through the tree branches. Her eyes searched the sky.
“I know, you read from that all the time,” he said, pointing to the heavy book of yellowed pages propped open in her lap, “or pretend to be reading.”
“Pretend? I do no such thing.”
“Then why can’t I read it?” he asked.
“The language is quite old, ancient in fact. I’m only able to read the lost language because it was taught to me from the last Storyteller entrusted with the book. You see Forrest, I am one of the Tellers of the Tales, and as such, we are selected and groomed from our early years and schooled on the language written in this book. Only those trained are able to read what resides within the pages.”
He squinted, his lips pursed out in doubt. He turned his attention behind her and wondered why she lived up there alone. Behind them sat a massive stone structure that jutted out from the mountain with its rough-hewn slabs of rock. It could very well be considered a castle, but instead of turrets it had several wide balconies all along the highest floor of her home. “Why don’t we go inside when you tell your tales?”
Ms. Lenonne strummed her fingers against the open page. “Full of questions today, you are.” Her eyes cocked a look at him. “As I have told you and the others before, it is an old place which I inherited. Due to neglect through the years, it really is much too dangerous for others to enter. It’s not much but it suits me fine. Rather a nice backdrop for Storytelling, don’t you think?”
His answer was a garbled mumble.
“If you are done with you queries, shall I begin today’s Tale?”
“Oh, all right. But if you think you’ll convince me what you tell is true, you’re wrong.”
Her laughter was music which filled the air. “I have no need to convince anyone, I am simply a Teller of the Tales. Now, where were we? Right. This is the story of Zelspar and the Magicians, and it happened just as I will tell.”
Forrest shook his head and smirked but held fast his tongue, afraid Ms. Lenonne might abruptly slam the book to a thunderous close. He didn’t know why he kept coming to hear her stories. At fifteen, he was too old for this nonsense. But there was something about the way she told the stories. He could picture them so clearly in his mind, it was almost like he was watching a private movie screening. He shrugged his shoulders and settled against the oak tree which towered above while the others gathered close to Ms. Lenonne.
“Does everyone remember who Zelspar is?”
A chorus of “yes” rang loudly in the air.
“Very well. Then I shall begin…”
“When last we left off, the Dragon Child known as Kaida, and her Dragon, Zlemtec, returned from her birth parents planets to Urthe through the portal. They had discovered the location of the wicked Magician Flegmorr and his sidekick, the Flaptail known as Glik.”
Sandy stared into the swirl of Ms. Lenonne’s mysterious green eyes. “Ms.L.? I forgot what a Flaptail is.”
“How could you forget that creature?”she said in mock-shocked surprise. “Glik is a combination of a bat-type creature with a long snake’s tail, tipped with all those rattler things.” Ms. Lenonne grimaced and caused Sandy to giggle.
“Now, Kaida and Zlemtec, her blue and gold dragon partner, had used their Invisibility Magic to disguise their flight and when they drew closer, Flegmorr was facing the cave he had exited from. He cast a Dark Spell of Explosion. The cave crumbled, sending up plumes of dirt and rocks. They were absolutely terrified by his Dark Magic, and high-tailed it towards home. They desperately needed to inform their friend Perthorn.”
“Even though Perthorn was named the Master Magician of his home in Inner Urthe, Flegmorr never accepted it and wanted the title for himself. He wanted that, and the Book of Days, which carried the whole line of Magic from the first spark until present.”
She paused and looked at each of those surrounding her. They were rapt with attention at the telling of the tale. “You see, Flegmorr wanted to dispose of Perthorn by any means. He had already made one failed attempt, and that attempt ended poorly. He actually struck the wise old White Dragon named Zelspar. Flegmorr’s Magic clipped Zelspar on his wing, sending him and his riders, Perthorn and his apprentice Kiel, spiraling down to be dashed against the boulders far below.”
Sandy’s hand flew over her mouth. Several others gulped down their breath. Forrest squirmed against the hard bark of the tree and pitched pebbles across the ground.
Ms. Lenonne softly patted Sandy’s crisscrossed legs and gave her a quick wink, then continued. “Ah! But little did Flegmorr know, Zelspar’s dear friends from the Mursei Hail of Dragons acted swiftly to save Zelspar from the perilous fall. Thus, they saved Perthorn and Kiel at the same time.”
Her voice changed to a whisper as she scanned the soft faces upturned to hers. “Zelspar was gravely injured and his friends all drew in close to him. They thought his long days had finally ended. They’d forgotten that he had been rewarded by his Ancestors, and the very Great Ancestor of all Dragons, to always continue. You see, when other Dragons give up their spirits, they go to live with the Ancestors to watch over the living Dragons. It is not be the same for the Noblest Dragon of All.” She paused.
“Remember when I told you the story of the Historian Wyrtregon? The Keeper of all Dragon histories? He was a huge three headed Dragon with the red piercing eyes … Yes, I can tell you remember him well. I trust you have not forgotten the Deceiver, Dargenoin who had created all that havoc with the Dragons. He tried to annihilate them from the face of Urthe!”
Wide and glassy eyes were fixed on the Teller of Tales.
She shuddered. “Zelspar had been forced to create a new Magic to dispel the poison Dargenoin had used to muddle the minds of the Dragons and cause terrible chaos. The Dragons were so afflicted that their tears were turned to stones. That is what started Zelspar on h
is journey for the remedy for the Dragons and the Cleansing of the Dragon Tears, so they could be worn as great Protection Magic. Anyway, it was during that time when Dargenoin snuck up behind Zelspar … Oh, but I get carried away, you’ve heard that story.”
“C’mon Ms. L., you know we don’t come for stories every day. Sometimes we need a reminder.”
Noel turned his chin up decisively, which urged her to continue.
Ms. Lenonne enjoyed the interplay with her listeners because it showed their interest in the Tales she told. Her eyes glinted as the sun peeked through the leaves. She watched her listeners like a bird of prey, not for any nefarious reasons, but for personal ones. Her gaze drifted over her blooming garden.
Meanwhile, the inquisitive minds of the children reached toward the long-ago places and far away worlds.
She thought: There is young Landon and Tad, ripe with hope and full of Magic themselves. And Noel, how I love watching the faraway look in his eyes as he listens. Always with his sketchbook in his hands, pencil poised to record what his mind sees. Hmmm, I wonder if he sees how wonderful an artist he is. Young Natalie, so full of energy! Just look at how Sandy treats her as a little sister, quietly finger-combing her wild hair. Then there is Forrest. I never know about that one. A bag full of skepticism, but a Magic seeps in to harness all that logic he touts. I can tell he tries to bridle his interest in these tales I tell. For, in logic, they have no place to be but in Magic? Yes, it is that spark which drives him back again and again.
“Ms. L?” Noel said, jostling her from her meandering thoughts.
“Oh, yes, Noel. Sometimes it is a long walk between one story and the next. So, here is the way it happened.”
Chapter 2
“Zelspar was deep into a high cave and had laid out all the collected Dragon tears to be cleansed. He held tight to his staff, still equipped with the Draga Crystal, the very crystal that allowed him to reduce the stone tears to make them much easier to transport. With a flourish he swirled the staff high into the air gathering sparks and blue flames within the Draga Crystal. He turned to the stone tears and chanted his Cleansing Spell over them. His special herbs emitted smoke, adding to the purifying process.”
Ms. Lenonne suddenly threw her arms wide and her voice rose. Her eyes shone like full moons. “Dargenoin snuck up behind Zelspar and aimed to kill him! He threw insult after insult against him, taunting him, ridiculing him, setting him up for the kill.”
“You see, Dargenoin knew Zelspar had lost the help of his Ancestors because he had been tricked by Dargenoin himself and played into his trap. The Ancestors shunned Zelspar for such an atrocity and that was just the way Dargenoin wanted it. The great and noble Zelspar separated, with no help he could rely on.”
“To make the very long story short, during the surprise, the Ancestors did show up, catching Dargenoin off guard. Zelspar pointed the Draga Crystal right at him. Do you know what happened next?”
Landon exploded with the answer. “He got shrunk!”
“Right you are!” Ms. Lenonne stifled a grin. She could feel the heat radiating from the necklace she wore tucked inside the bodice of her billowing blouse. “A most amazing thing happened all in a quick blink of an eye,” she said, snapping her fingers. “Zelspar had forgotten that his own packet of tears were still clutched in the hand which held onto his staff. In the same moment he pointed the staff at Dargenoin, a blinding flash of blue lightning erupted from the crystal itself and Dargenoin vanished.”
“Where did he go?” Natalie asked, shocked.
Ms. Lenonne smirked a crafty smile. “It was said he shrunk right up and was trapped in one of those Dragon tears Zelspar held in his hand.”
“Did he die?” Sandy asked. Her jaw hung open.
“No, my darlings, he didn’t because he couldn’t. He is an Immortal. Which is a way of saying he lives forever, and nothing can kill him. That is why what happened was an act so outstanding, so magical, Zelspar was proclaimed as the greatest Dragon ever known to live. When he opened his hand, his packet of tears had been charred. He stirred the stone tears and looked closely at one of them. Dargenoin had been trapped inside of a Dragon tear. Now, for as long as he remained trapped within the Dragon tear, he was defeated. He could no longer render chaos to the Dragons or the peoples of Urthe.”
“Wow!” Ms. Lenonne heard from all those caught up in the tale.
Finally, the question came, as surely, she knew it would.
“What ever happened to the stone? The Dragon tear that holds Dargenoin?” Forrest asked, as he lobbed another pebble across the grass.
Ms. Lenonne looked down at the ancient book, and her hand softly ran down the symbols on it. “It doesn’t say.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Being so long ago, it is most probable that all the Dragon tears were swallowed up in the great quakes and lie buried deep under tons of dirt.”
She looked up and gave a mischievous grin. “Or, perhaps, the Dragon Tear has been in safe keeping, passed down from one Keeper of the Stone to the next. Who’s to say what happens to things so ancient?” She watched as the powerful energies stirred, glassy eyed listeners all pulled into the Magic of what ifs.
“Now, you all are caught up on why Zelspar is such an amazing Dragon. Why, even though he looked to be dead after Flegmorr’s attack, he wasn’t. That is when the Ancestors gathered in swirls of mist and clouds and the Ancestor of All Dragons appeared. Oh, this appearance above the Dragons was a fearful sight and his voice thundered loud enough to make the Urthe tremble. He pointed a finger of swirling mist at Zelspar and a lightning bolt shot out and hit Zelspar’s wingtip. Its blue electricity wound around and around his body. It healed his injuries and returned his strength to him.”
“Ha! I bet he got right up and took off after that Flegmorr and toasted him up good,” Sandy said with her fists balled up and dramatically placed on her slim hips.
“Unfortunately, that is not how the story goes.” Ms. Lenonne said through pouty lips. “The Ancestor of All Dragons prohibited the Dragons from exacting revenge at that point in time. Something much greater had evolved.”
Enchanted faces looked up into hers as she continued.
“The Dragons had a way of looking at their world and the Laws of Balance. For everything there was always an opposing force. If there was light, there also was dark. It was the nature of all things. And here is where it became tricky. Perthorn, the Master Magician, decided to join the Dragons as they escaped from within the Inner Urthe with Kaida. Together they brought a new Magic to the outer world of Urthe. The balance tipped.
Then, Flegmorr found his way to the outer world. One force will always battle against the other, each seeking dominance. That is why the Dragons must allow the battle to happen. It is the nature of all things.”
“Who won?” Tad asked.
Laughter chimed from Ms. Lenonne. “You are getting ahead of the Tale. I’ve only just now caught you all up on the whys and wherefores.”
“Then tell us what happened next,” urged Noel as he swiped a hand through his long black hair to clear his eyes.
Ms. Lenonne picked up her cup of tea and took a long slow sip. She placed the cup back onto the saucer, then traced a finger along its thin edge. “Very well. Get comfy and settled everyone. It’s time for the Teller of Tales to read from the book once more. Ready?”
Yesses rang loudly to the air.
Chapter 3
Zelspar looked out from his training rooms high in the mountain. Joining in the daily trainings were Dragons, the Faery King, Togar with the faeries, also known as the Solteriem folk from Inner Urthe, and the Urthe peoples. Off in the distance, his keen old eyes detected movement. He leaned against his staff and watched the speck enlarge as it came closer.
“By all that is Dragon,” he burst out in disbelief. “It’s Zlemtec and Kaida returning home!”
Everyone hurried to the cave entrance to see. They jostled one another to get a better look.
Zelspar said, “Friends, climb up, we fl
y down to welcome them home. No more training today.”
Dust flew as the Dragons launched from the ledge and landed close to the entrance to the Mursei network of caves. Zelspar hurried in and bellowed to all inside. “Starleira, Rynik, Galdean, All -- Come quickly, Zlemtec and Kaida have returned!”
The explosion of noise was deafening. Every Dragon inside the cave network thundered the news to the furthest reach of the tunnels and caves. Everyone made haste to reach the outside and watched their return.
The Queen of Mursei, Starleira, was the first to join Zelspar. Soon thousands of Dragons were sweeping out from every mountainous opening to cluster behind her.
Rynik, the King of the Mursei Hail, had been off with Galdean fortifying the Magic barrier to keep them safe from the Dark Magician. They heard the commotion and hurried to find out what happened. Soon they landed next to Starleira and Zelspar.
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