The Legend- Revealed

by Cheryl Rush Cowperthwait

  “N-noo,” the guard stuttered. “They landed in our ward! I … I was surprised and … Regclive fainted. I blew dust at them. I was so frightened, I didn’t even say a charm but they fell into a heavy sleep. Quick, before they wake! We must … must….”

  King Togar stepped through the massive opened doors. There in his vast ward, lay four sleeping Dragons.

  As soon as the guard had ran through the massive doorway, Zelspar had said, “Feign sleep until we see a threat. They are small people, Faery folk, only grown to this stature by their environment. Their dustings brush off, our own Dragon Tears reflected any magic they could muster. We must learn more. Do not startle them. Keep your eyes closed and ears, attentive. Zlemtec, no matter what we hear, stay silent.”

  “But what if….” Zlemtec began.

  “Shhh, they return.” Zelspar warned.

  Togar looked upon the massive beasts sleeping in his ward. Amazing, he thought. Dragons have not been in this realm for longer than his memory. Only the tales of Dragons lived on.

  He took a cautious step forward. No movement was seen from the Dragons. He took another step. His curiosity of the marvelous creatures before him drove him closer still. He stood just feet away from a blue and gold colored Dragon, his head resting upon his chest, breathing deeply in his sleep.

  “King Togar, I’ll get your bow and poison arrows. Get rid of them,” called out the guard.

  Zlemtec flinched.

  King Togar held up one hand, “Shhh … Do not wake the sleeping Dragons! His eyes squinted at his guards. “Even you must recall what is said of waking sleeping Dragons? I want to learn more about them and why they came here.”

  The guards shuddered in remembrance. One guard found his voice and sputtered, “Queen Jengar said it is because of those Uplanders! A scout said a Dragon will come for the girl. They will burn us up!” The guard’s eyes were wild in fear.

  Zelspar knew he could not contain Zlemtec’s silence and sat up.

  King Togar’s mouth dropped open. Fear and shock robbed his tongue of words.

  “Zlemtec, sit slowly. Tell them we mean no harm, we are searching for Kaida,” said Zelspar.

  At Zelspar’s voice, all Dragons opened their eyes and sat up. They knew the Faery folk could not speak charms to bind Dragons but they kept watchful eyes. Arrows can find their way through their armor.

  Zlemtec said, “We didn’t come to do any harm to you. We are looking for Kaida, a yellow haired girl. She may be here with a few others. They fell through the Urthe and disappeared.”

  Zlemtec stopped speaking. He recognized the look of shock in the man’s eyes. It was similar to the way Molakei looked at him the first time. He waited for King Togar to digest his words.

  King Togar looked at the Dragons, then spoke. “My sister queen has said the one you look for, an Uplander, is on the way here. She said they are coming to make war against us.”

  Zlemtec jumped up to full height, excited to hear word of Kaida.

  King Togar scuttled backwards, fearing he had upset the Dragons.

  Zlemtec continued, at Zelspar’s urging. “I’m sorry I startled you. We only want to find those you call ‘Uplanders’ and bring them home. Trust us, Kaida and the others do not wish to war. They are looking for the way home. We are here only to lead them back. We will not bring harm or war to you, that is, if they are not harmed.”

  King Togar dropped his head for a moment in thought. “It may not be safe for you … or for them.”

  Zlemtec’s eyes flashed out in warning. “What do you mean?”

  King Togar replied, “I have no quarrel with you or the Uplanders. It is the Queen, she has war in her blood. She looks for reasons to battle when there are none. She … she is angry at her birthright.” He ran his fingers through his auburn locks.“We have mingled blood. Not just Faery but also of Nomliacs, blood of the Giants mix with ours. She would cut it away, if she could. I do not understand her anger or shame but it has made her … quarrelsome. Now, she sees the Uplanders as threats. She went to find them.”

  Before Zlemtec could inhale a lung full of air, the King of the Faeries said, “Shhh … I feel Queen Jengar!” He slid his feet across the ground and said, “They have turned back. She flies with her full Squadron back to Rutenthrall, our castle. The Uplanders are still far away in the Vale of Valdross, the land of the Magicians. Something has turned them back. Did they see you?”

  “I don’t know,” said Zlemtec. “Where is this Vale of Valdross? We must go there!”

  “I ask you to wait. She is unpredictable. She has made poison arrows and I know what great harm they would do, even to Dragons. You could take shelter behind the castle. They will come in from the front and never see you. Let me diffuse this and tell her why you are here. It could save us all from a fight none of us want.”

  Zlemtec told his companions what King Togar said and they agreed to wait in hiding. They slipped over the walls and fell back behind the towering Rutenthrall Castle. The Mursei Dragons used their Invisibility Magic and hid their colors. Zelspar conjured a spell and blended in with the rocks. They would wait.

  Hastily King Togar ran back into the castle barking out orders. “No one say a word about the Dragons! Put me back into the Keep, Queen Jengar will come to me. We will bring no harm to the Dragons or the Uplanders, understood? Give me time to convince her, if I cannot … I order you to overpower her and lock her in the keep!”

  The guards nodded and were relieved to hear the King stepping in. Queen Jengar must be stopped before her fury brought an end to them all.

  Chapter 16

  Kaida jumped up from the table. “There! Did you hear him?”

  Molakei said, “No Kaida. Did you hear your friend?”

  “Yes! He is here somewhere, I heard him call out to me.”

  Perthorn stood and looked cautiously around. “Who is here? Where?”

  Molakei said, “Kaida hears her friend, a Dragon, call her name. She thinks he has found the way inside, to lead us home.”

  He tilted his head and spoke to Kaida. “Remember Kaida, what I told you before. If Zlemtec is down here, he will find us easier than us rushing out to find him. We must take a rest, eat and learn the path out. Agreed?”

  “Yes, Molakei.” She sighed heavily. “It’s just that I hear him. It seems he is close to me but … I … maybe it’s because I want him to be close.”

  Molakei smiled to her. “It is all right, Kaida. If he is close, he will find us. If he isn’t, we will find him.”

  Kaida found her seat again, her heart still fluttering. She would know Zlemtec’s voice anywhere.

  Perthorn cleared his throat. “If you have ate your fill, I’ll remove the clutter and get out our Book of Days.”

  With a ‘whoosh’ of his arm, the table was cleared. Kaida grinned watching the Magician.

  Perthorn made his way around the table, back towards the wall. He mumbled some incoherent words and pushed the wall. A portion of the wall slid back and he reached deep within the cavity and brought out a large book. A hush filled the room as he placed it on the table.

  It was a fascinating piece of work with its deep green color emblazoned with golden scrollwork running a border around the edges. Perthorn took his sleeve and brushed away the dust to let the wording show their dynamics.

  All at the table crowded forward to look upon this relic. Light gasps filled the pause in conversation. Silence has a sound and reverence is its name.

  The cover of the book was moving. Symbols danced slightly above their imprint. The Magic radiating from the book sent sparks flying up to the rafters. Perthorn placed his hand over the cover. Symbols and words of sizzling gold crawled up his hand to his arm and around his neck. They slithered across his face and touched his lips.

  All eyes were open wide, mesmerized by what was unfolding before them. All but Perthorn. He spoke to the book. “It is I, Perthorn. Grant me entry as the keeper of the Book of Days.”

  The letters and symbols gathered across h
is mouth. “You may enter, Perthorn.” After they spoke, they slid back down his neck, his arm and hand. They fell onto the book’s cover and disappeared inside. The sound of three locks being sprung open rang loudly in the sudden silence.

  Perthorn reached down and pulled the cover back, exposing the first page.

  A loud clap hissed in the room, of lightning contained and squeezed down into a smallness unaccustomed, went suddenly free. Stools slid back, scraping the wooden floor. Flames from the candles leapt into the air and danced in frenzy before settling back to a normal glow.

  Perthorn’s face took on an eerie glow, illuminating the room. Kaida latched tightly onto Molakei’s arm. Perthorn whispered, “This page chronicles the beginning of Magic. It is known only to the Magicians.”

  Eyes reverently turned away, but Kaida saw it. It will forever blaze in her eyes. The outstretched hand … the spark, the touch. She was in awe. She shivered next to Molakei, even though the room felt hot.

  Perthorn slowly turned the pages, looking for the particular entry. Words danced up from the book, rising to meet him, feeling his familiarity and embracing him. It was as if they hungered for him to read their words, to say them out loud, to release their Energy. As he would lift to turn the page, they collapsed and fell back into the page, once again held prisoners by the book.

  Perthorn looked up from the pages and to his guests. “I must always start at the beginning. This is the full account of all Magicians. The Book of Days is our history, and our Future. As anyone will tell you, the Future is never written in stone. It weaves and rearranges itself, like the words you just saw dance from the pages. When there is a change, or a new element given Life, the Future rearranges itself to accommodate. Now, let me find where the entry of the Dragons leaving is written.”

  The crackling of the ancient pages turned one by one. Words leapt from the page, longing for utterances. Perthorn scanned the entries, his eyes ablaze with archaic symbols twined with letters, words, and paragraphs.

  His long bony finger suddenly stopped at the bottom of page seventy-five. The words gathered and encircled his finger.

  “Here it is!” Perthorn announced.

  Upon his acceptance, the words flowed like a river uphill, finding a course to his mouth and rested across his lips.

  The heads of all five leaned closer to the page, its smell pungent with the aroma of Time. The entries were illegible to the guests, the constant swirling of letters making it impossible to read.

  Kaida whispered a question, “What does it say?” Her blue eyes were held open wide by awe, wonder and a dash of fear.

  “This is the part marking the Dragons departure. It reads, ‘The sky became filled with a moving cloud of fanning wings. Not clusters, nor squadrons but legions of Dragons, called the Sky Warriors, moved rapidly to the east. Middle Ground was in its shadow, for the mass of Dragons blocked the light from above.’ It continues on the next page,” said Perthorn, licking the tip of one bony finger before turning the page.

  “They flew and the air was split by wings and roars, casting away the days of being the overseers of Middle Ground, to become the co-creators in the land above. A new opening was birthed beyond the Rutenthrall Castle and above Mount Leonju. All on Middle Ground stood witness as the Dragons skimmed the side of the mountain and appeared to be inhaled into the thick, cloud-capped top.” Perthorn looked at those gathered around the table, and smiled.

  As his eyes returned to the page, golden letters fell down from above their heads and showered the page. They formed and reformed and then shot like an arrow to Perthorn’s eyes. He sucked in his breath. The Book of Days shook on the table and bounced up and down. A whirl of wind cycloned above it, then calmed.

  Perthorn stammered, “A new entry has been made!”

  Kiel asked, “How, who made a new entry? We were all here and watching.”

  Perthorn said, “Then you bear witness. The Future has written the entry. Did you not see the letters falling from above your head?”

  Kiel was at a loss of words, as were the guests around the table. Slack-jawed faces stared at Perthorn, even their eyes had forgotten how to blink.

  A slow smile crept up the corners of Perthorn’s lip. “Here is the new entry. Watch for the return of Dragons. They carry Change upon their wings. Middle Ground will be your home but up above, you now shall roam. A young one meets the old, a remarkable Future is now foretold. So, your Dragons coming here is in our future as well, Kaida.”

  Perthorn stared down at the newest entry, then closed the book. He reserved the rest of the entry for another Time and place. The Time is at hand. He gave a silent thanks to his lucky stars to have been born for this Time.

  Chapter 17

  A loud buzzing drifted through the air, the Dragons kept hidden, but ready. As the noise grew closer, Zlemtec could barely contain himself. He did not like this Jengar who wanted to harm Kaida and her companions.

  As soon as the Squadron and clusters landed, Jengar slid off her mount and threw open the doors of Rutenthrall yelling, “Bring me Togar!”

  Behind her, the Solteriem folk slowly lit upon the ground. Nerves were on edge, visible by the shimmerings of wings, anxiously waiting for the Warrior Queen’s next move.

  King Togar marched through the door with the remaining guards who stood watch over Rutenthrall’s castle. Before he could address Jengar, she quickly discharged her venomous accusations.

  “Togar! You did not believe me when I told you those unruly Uplanders were teaming up with the Magicians—and yet—they are on their way here. Here! To our Rutenthrall. If that isn’t enough for you to grasp our dire situation, perhaps knowing that they called upon their Dragons. I’ve seen them with my own eyes! The whole thing has been a plot from the beginning, they are coming to take our castle. They seek to take the whole of Aghar Found-land. They must be stopped!”

  “Jengar. Calm yourself. Your rant regarding the Uplanders does not make sense. For that matter, nor does your fear of the Nomliacs or the Magicians.” Togar paced in front of his sister-Queen, his jaw clenched.

  “How dare you speak to me in this manner! I have always had to look after our Kingdom because you refuse to rule jointly with me. You never see the threats that surround us. You believe our Kingdom is simply the land of butterflies and Faeries, but it is not so.”

  “It once was, Jengar. Before you decided we should rule our Kingdom with your bronze fists. Remember? Think back. Think about our heritage, remember the fun our Solteriem folk used to enjoy?”

  “Stop. You make my blood boil with your talk, brother. Guards, escort Togar back to the Keep. Lock him away!” She spit her words out as a poisonous venom, her eyes boring holes at her brother king.

  No guard nor Solteriem moved. A silence settled over Rutenthrall Castle, such as was never heard before in memory.

  Jengar turned. Quickly she spouted, “Dissolve the Wings of Flight, I remove your power and Might!” Her hand quickly cast the dust into the air to attack all those present.

  Thunderous roars came from behind sending a shock wave through the ward. The massive Dragons flew up over Rutenthrall’s walls and froze the airborne dust to fall harmlessly and shatter on impact.

  The Solteriem folk and Dragonflies buzzed in anxiety as the Dragons circled the ward.

  Jengar pointed a finger at Togar, staring back at the Solteriem folk. “See what he has done? He has brought the Dragons down upon us! How can you not see the threat he brings against us? Don’t be persuaded by his pathetic ploys. Seize him!”

  Then slowly, first one and then a few more moved forward until the Solteriem folk all joined in the advance forward. Jengar could not hide her delight. Her eyes flashed their brilliant green at her brother until the moment they surrounded her.

  “What? No!” She lashed out, “Dry up to a bag of bones!”

  Before she could toss the dust in the air, Zelspar was ready. With one swift movement, he turned the Draga Stone towards her. It burst in a flash of Lightning and
shrunk the whole Solteriem folk down to half a talon length. All but King Togar and his guards were shrunk.

  The Dragons landed.

  Zlemtec spoke to Togar. “We had to, er … minimize the threat. Zelspar can undo the Magic of the Draga Stone.”

  After the sudden shock of the sight, Togar’s face split wide in a smile. “I will take your offer under consideration,” he answered. Then he burst out in laughter.

  The Dragons couldn’t help but join in too.

  Togar eased his way forward towards the cluster of buzzing wings. As he approached, the Solteriem folk moved away from Jengar, leaving her helplessly exposed. He reached down carefully and snatched up the kicking Queen and deposited her into an empty Faery dust bottle.

  Jengar kicked and fluttered inside the bottle mouthing muffled insults and threats to her brother. He responded by slipping the bottle back into a small bag fastened to his side.

  He looked softly upon Zlemtec and said, “Give my deepest thanks to the great White Dragon. He has quickly stopped the constant threat our Kingdom has been ruled under for hundreds of years. There has always been a split in the Kingdom due to the threats Jengar held against our Solteriem folk.”

  Zlemtec told his friends how grateful King Togar was for their help.

  King Togar said, “If you fly due East from here, you will reach the Vale of Valdross. I am certain you will find the one for whom you search. The journey should not take but a day with the great distance your wings can carry you. There is a way to the upper world, behind me. I realize you entered another way but I ask of you to come back this way. It will give me time to set things right again in our Kingdom. I will know by your return if I wish you to change Queen Jengar and our folk back to size. This requires some thought.”

  Zlemtec winked a sparkling purple eye at King Togar and asked his companions their thoughts.

  The King of Mursei made his thoughts known. “He does not ask more than our ability to give. It is good to have bonds with the peoples who live in this world inside of our world. Zelspar? Your thoughts?”