Zelspar and the Magicians

by Cheryl Rush Cowperthwait

  Caye watched as they threw open the french doors to the balcony. Her heart raced with the rhythm of the riders. Once you have ridden on the back of a Dragon, the excitement and anticipation flows in your blood forever. Memory allows even the watcher to relive the ride.

  Ms. Lenonne situated herself, then helped Forrest up. He would take the first seat, which he was thrilled to have. She leaned forward and placed his hands through the strappings and whispered, “Hold tight. As we leave the ground Yuri must climb quickly to dodge the mountainside. Keep your legs and knees pressed close to his sides. Soon you will be able to tell by the shift in his muscles if he is rising or descending. But most of all, Forrest, feel everything. Let it become part of you.”

  Had it not already been so dark, she would have seen his face in awe. He was ready. Goosebumps chased his excitement from his arms to the back of his neck.

  Yuri looked over his shoulder and grinned. “We fly!”

  Without another word, he lunged off of the balcony. Swooping down towards the ground, his wings beat furiously, and he gathered air beneath them, pulling up steadily. His muscles rippled underneath his riders. Plumes of smoke shot through his snout at his effort. He had been used to one rider and the added weight caused his muscles to work even harder to climb. The mountainside became a thick black wall as Yuri scrambled to get past it. His talons caught the side of the mountain, knocking rocks to tumble unseen, below them. He groaned under the pressure, but at last, rose and skimmed the top of the mountain.

  Forrest, who had been holding his breath, let out a “Whew!” and leaned into Yuri’s neck, heart racing. In moments, his pulse matched Yuri’s.

  The strain lessened as Yuri became accustomed to the extra rider. He found the hidden airstream and rode it with skill.

  Forrest began to tune in on the rumbles of Yuri’s fires within, the bunching and lengthening of his muscles, the tilt of his wings as they were turning. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He shot past the stars and felt he was a Dragon. The feeling crawled through his skin and within every molecule housed inside his body. He would never forget this feeling, not for as long as he lived.

  Yuri circled the Tor, his scales prickling as he sensed the Magic reach up like long fingers and scratch at his belly. He closed his eyes to envision the area in his days of youth and altered his course. Tiny shards of light glistened in the distance. A light most would never see, but for Yuri, not only could he see it, he felt its pull.

  He landed outside of a rock outcropping, covered in thick vines. Ms. Lenonne and Forrest slid off his back, trying to see their surroundings in the darkness.

  Yuri spoke in a low tone. “Stay here while I inspect our surroundings. I will make sure it is safe for us to venture forward. Stay silent, we do not know if any watchers have been posted. So much has changed --”

  Before either of them could offer up questions, Yuri’s arm sweep wide the curtain of vines. Hidden there was an entrance to either a cave or tunnel. After he passed through the opening, the vines closed behind him. He spewed a flame into the darkness to expose the narrow tunnel that would open up into a cauldron shaped room.

  Moving cautiously, he found his way into the room. He had been hopeful it had been left untouched, but it had not. Across the walls of the cave were numerous markings, some with drawings. The floor had a scattering of bones where some animal had pulled his dinner into the cave. His keen sense of smell detected no recent visitors which brought him comfort.

  He turned and made his way back to his riders. He told them, “It is safe to enter, come.”

  They joined Yuri and followed him as he led the way through the short tunnel to the room beyond. A shot of Dragon-flame lit the room. A fire pit stood neglected in the center of the room. Yuri lit the remains of wood logs and dung to keep the room in light.

  Ms. Lenonne was the first to speak. “Yuri, this is a perfect place. It is so well hidden behind the vines.”

  “Yes, it is well hidden and yet you can see,” he said, pointing out the inscriptions on the wall, “some have found this place in the past. There is no need for worry, however, as I do not pick up a scent of recent inhabitants. The tunnel will branch out up ahead. This is an entrance to a whole network of tunnels and caves. I’m going to clear the path for us. I’ll be back shortly.”

  Forrest wandered around the room, inspecting the bits of bones and broken pottery illuminated by the flickering flames. He turned his attention to the caves walls and the depictions chiseled there. Some merely showed an accounting of a herd of sheep, others had written their initials to be immortalized on the walls. His fingers traced the markings when something caught his eye. Initials had been carved over an ancient marking. One he knew remarkably well. It was the symbol for Zelspar.

  He shouted out, “Look!”

  Naomi hurried over to Forrest and her eyes followed where he was pointing. She gasped in surprise. “Can it be?”

  “You tell me, teacher. That is his symbol, isn’t it?”

  Her eyes were still brightly dressed in wonder. She didn’t speak but merely nodded. There was no doubt. Her eyes blinked rapidly, but the image remained the same. Zelspar, or someone knowing him, wrote his symbol on this wall.

  Yuri returned with good news. “The tunnels are clear as far as I could see. That means they have not been recently explored or exploited as some of the depictions on the new map of the area indicate with other tunnels.” He issued a warm sigh, happy in his findings.

  Naomi drew his attention to where Forrest was standing. “Look, Yuri. Look at the symbol.”

  She allowed him time to get next to the wall and watched as his body suddenly went rigid. That was the only confirmation she needed to know she was not imagining things.

  “Zelspar -- he passed this way.” His words were spoken more out of reverence than shock at the finding. His talon traced the lines of his ancestor, of his own bloodline carved into the wall. “Wait, look at this, below his symbol.”

  Forrest asked, “The waterfall thing? Showing the lines curving down from the cliff?”

  “It does resemble that, doesn’t it? But if you were familiar with the tunnel system, you would realize this means something else entirely. And due to where it is carved, I suspect it was put here by Zelspar.”

  Both Naomi and Forrest were looking intently at the carving but only saw a symbol for a waterfall, complete with its curving lines falling down from the cliff.

  “Here, let me show you.” He traced the symbol out for them. “What you see as the ground, or cliff, is really a wall. It designates the outside wall we came through. It doesn’t show the details of the first tunnel or this cave. It wouldn’t need to, since we are already here. Those who had not made it this far would need no markers to go further, right?”

  Slow nods met his eyes before he continued. “Those lines you see which could indicate water falling indicates the first three tunnels we will reach beyond this room.”

  “Yuri, you’re brilliant! I wouldn’t have seen that or recognized its meaning.” Ms. Lenonne was amazed at the description before her eyes.

  His smile was tender as he looked at her. “Nor should you have recognized its significance. It only holds meaning to those who have used these tunnels. And those, by the vast amount, are Dragons.

  He continued by saying, “My understanding of the image, is it shows which way Zelspar wants us to go. See the longer line? It was drawn that way on purpose. the other two lines are the same length, or close to it. The third line is longer. Not so much as to throw off the deception of the engraving but enough to show the path we should follow. Had I not seen this and its significance, I would have urged us to follow the central tunnel which would lead us near the Glastonbury Tor. But now, we will follow a different path.”

  Forrest didn’t try to hide his exuberance. “This is like a treasure hunt and following a treasure map.”

  Ms. Lenonne beamed brightly at Forrest. She loved his enthusiasm, as it mirrored her own. She turned to Yu
ri. “Let’s see where it leads us.”

  “We shall, indeed. Follow behind me, the tunnel will get lower ahead and I wouldn’t want it to scrape you of my back if you were to be sitting upon me,” he said.

  “Oh, wait,” Forrest called out. “I’ll go back outside and gather some dead vines and sticks to make us a torch to carry.”

  “I’m happy you are thinking, young Novice, but you’re here with a Dragon. No, I don’t plan to keep blazing fire to light our way. I will use the Illumination Magic. I simply need to create a ball of light which will travel ahead of us, to light our way,” Yuri said.

  “Whoa, will I be able to learn how to do that?” Forrest asked.

  “With enough training and practice, I do not see why not. First things first, we finish our journey.” Yuri winked before turning around. In a heartbeat, a blue orb appeared in front of him and led him through the tunnel.

  They came to the tunnel that branched off to the right. They passed without taking it. It took several minutes before they came to the one that branched off to the left which the glowing orb was already lighting up their path. They followed the light with a slow pace, checking the walls and ceiling for any hints of what to find. It was so quiet in the tunnel, they could hear their labored breath. They walked upon dirt and fallen rocks, making their way in a slightly upward direction. The next curve brought them into an oval space which was more suitable for animals or people, but much too low for a Dragon to walk upright.

  Yuri decided it was a good place to sit for a short while and rest. He leaned against the wall and brought his sphere of light into the center of the room.

  Ms. Lenonne took a moment to rub her calves. The walking uphill was taking its toll against her muscles. She glanced ahead. The tunnel picked up again and went past Yuri through a narrow arch. That is when she noticed it. It reminded her of the tunnel by the vault at her house, how some rocks would jut out enough to place the combination stones on them. She saw nothing that indicated a vault but the more she scrutinized the opening, the more she felt there was more to it than met the eyes.

  “Yuri, Forrest, please look at the archway to the tunnel. Does anything stand out to you as abnormal in the construction?” She had their attention immediately.

  Yuri moved his palm through the air, guiding the orb into the archway. He replied, “It reminds me of the area where the vault is, at home. The ledges that slightly stick out more than necessary. Do you believe there is a vault hidden in here?”

  “If so, then it isn’t anything we Teller of the Tales have been made aware of, but they’re certainly similarities.” She approached the arch and ran her fingers across the first jutting stone but felt no indentation to place a ‘trigger’ stone. The next stone was the same. Her hands worked their way across two more stones before her fingers detected a spot near the wall that had an indentation. She worked her fingertip over it and into the wall. It was a trigger. She pushed it. Yuri jumped.

  “What is it?” Forrest asked, leaping to his feet.

  “Something jabbed me in the back.”

  Yuri moved forward and turned his neck to inspect the culprit as Forrest peered over his back.

  “Look Yuri, a rock pushed out from the wall. Turn around.” Forrest was excited and that brought Ms. Lenonne beside them.

  Yuri shifted to his knees and felt around the stone. There was a cavity behind it. He reached in and his talons felt something. And then another. He pulled them out, one by one. The first was a small slab of rock, the second, a rolled hide. A scroll to be exact.

  Ms. Lenonne gingerly took the items from Yuri. She sat the slab down and turned the scroll over in her hand. Her head popped up. “It has a seal with Zelspar’s symbol. I can’t believe we have found this!”

  Yuri and Forrest huddled close. “Please, Naomi, open it,” Yuri pleaded.

  She broke the seal and unfurled the scroll. A flash of golden light spread across it making the symbols and letters shift and reorganize. A sudden intake of breath was all that could be heard for several heartbeats.

  Forrest ventured, “Can you read what it says, Ms. L.?”

  “Yes, I believe so. Give me a moment to get my bearings.”

  Yuri leaned so far forward that his snout was steaming the edges of the scroll.

  “Oh my --” Ms. Lenonne started.

  “You’re going to have to read it out loud or we won’t know what it says,” Forrest said, his voice cracking under the tension.

  “Yes, yes. I’m sorry about that. I wanted to make sure I could read it. It is a warning.”

  Ms. Lenonne cleared her throat and read:

  I write this so you should know the reason for the map. It is of utmost importance. It is time to gather the Dragons, if indeed, you find this in time. Take them to the place that has been made ready. The map will lead you to the sequence of portals. Follow it. There is a shortcut, but only those from the Qydrom Hail and those with them will be able to take it since it has my ancestral code.

  I write this to serve as a warning. When you see many Kingdoms across the world rise, you will also see the rulers in constant disagreement. It will grow until the threat of total annihilation is a constant worry. We will not allow that to happen.

  Study the slab of rock I have left for you. It shows the way to me, to Zelspar. Look closely and you will find the way.

  Join us. Already we have made a mighty Kingdom here, where banners fly with our own likeness. Many Dragons have found their way here from maps left through Time. Our Time comes soon.

  By all that is Dragon, we shall Rise!

  Tears rolled silently down Yuri’s face.

  Forrest, in a whispered breath said, “It is from Zelspar. We actually have found his map.”

  Ms. Lenonne caught her breath. Her heart hammered wildly within her as her mind flew off in many directions.

  After a pause that seemed like a lifetime, Forrest asked, “What do we do now?”

  Ms. Lenonne looked from Forrest to Yuri and smiled. “First, I think we should take Yuri ‘home’. You heard what Zelspar said, it is time to prepare for the uprising.”

  “Home.” Yuri said the word with a reverence Naomi had not heard before.

  “And Yuri?” she said.

  He turned his brilliant opalescent face towards her.

  “You will be able to live like a Dragon once more. When we have made sure all Dragons find their way to you and your new home, I will come to you.”

  “But, what about me?” Forrest asked.

  “You must become the new Teller of the Tales. You and I still have much work to do. We have to show all the Teller of the Tales how to get their Dragons home. Do not worry, all things take time and I will spend much time with you to show you your new path. You will also travel with me, escorting the Dragons home. You will always know how to find us.”

  Yuri beamed at them both. “You two seem to be forgetting something. The map shows several portals to take before we will find the way to the place Zelspar had made ready. It would prove to be an arduous journey by foot. It was designed as a pathway for Dragons.”

  Forrest spoke the words that suddenly crowded Ms. Lenonne’s mind. “How will I ever reach you? If all the Dragons leave, I won’t have a way to find you when the time comes.”

  Yuri scratched his muzzle and smiled at them both. “We will go to the place of Zelspar and take a quick look around. When we leave, for you certainly can’t get home without a ride,” he smiled, his eyes glistening. “I think it will be time for Forrest to meet the hatchlings.”

  “Dragon hatchlings? Like, baby Dragons?”

  Yuri let out a roar. “There is nothing baby about a Dragon when you compare it to a human. At this age they are around six to seven feet long. Perhaps one of the hatchlings will stay with you Forrest. And, of course, with Naomi until she finds the time, she can fully retire her works to you.”

  “So, you mean I will have my own Dragon?” Forrest asked, wide-eyed.

  Naomi squeezed his shoulder soft
ly. “That all depends. First you must meet them. We will tell them about Zelspar’s place for Dragons, and any wishing to leave with Yuri will be able to go. But, if one of the hatchlings chooses you, it will remain with you for your lifetime. Think of it this way, you won’t have a Dragon, but it may have you.”

  “That works for me. Let’s find those portals. I can’t wait to see where all the Dragons will be, and the Kingdom Zelspar wrote about in the scroll. But I’m just as eager to see the hatchlings.”

  “As well you should be, Forrest. The greatest honor is when a Dragon locks you in his or her sights and claims you as their own. A greater bond cannot be found, am I right, Ms. Lenonne?”