Macy Vickers and the Book of Spells

by Paul R. Melia

  “Who said anything about being fair — life isn’t fair?” Kraken looked to be more than a little bored with what he saw as a tedious conversation with nothing more than an awkward child. He smashed his fist down onto the balustrade that ran the length of the balcony. “I have no time for this. Resume your place, now. Otherwise I will have you removed and taken back to the dungeon.”

  No sooner had the words left Kraken’s lips then Jack leapt from his seat, raced over to Macy and grabbed her by the arm. “Put a sock in it, will you. There’s nothing any of us can do. It’s up to Romulus, and only him, to do his stuff.”

  Though bored, and in a hurry to restart the tournament, Kraken had one further surprise up his sleeve. He bent down and leant around the back of his chair, and resurfaced moments later clutching a gold and diamond-encrusted birdcage.

  “What do you think about this, Romulus?” Kraken raised the birdcage high above his head.

  A gasp of both shock and disbelief went up around the battle arena. Not even Kraken’s own loyal supporters could believe what he was brandishing before them. It was not the birdcage itself which had set the crowd talking, but what lay inside ... Zorax and Helena to be precise. Sensing the swing in atmosphere coming from the grandstands he lowered the birdcage and placed it once again behind his chair.

  Romulus ground his teeth together, sniffed a throat full of phlegm, and spat it out onto the sawdust floor.

  “If I win, we all go free — including my mother and father. Do I have your word on that?”

  Kraken stroked his chin. “Humm. But your little friends don’t think my word counts for very much — so what good is it to you?”

  “Never mind what they do or don’t think. This is between me and you,” Romulus shouted. “Do I have your word?”

  Kraken gave a less than convincing reply. “Yes, you have my word — for what good it will do you. You’re not going to win. My trusted and most loyal friend Gordrick will see to it, I’m sure. Now, if that is all, let the tournament continue.”

  Gordrick had not wasted any time, eager, as he was to get on with the job in hand. He had left Romulus and Kraken to go over the finer parts of what the tournament meant to the winner and had already made his way down the back steps of the balcony, and over to his starting position.

  A shout from Macy made Romulus aware of what Gordrick was up to, and he raced over to his starting position.

  A flurry of activity distracted both fighters as latecomers to the main event took up their seats in the grandstands. But soon a deathly hush fell upon the battle arena as the crowd finally settled, in anticipation of what was to come.

  “You are a brave young man indeed, Romulus,” Gordrick steadied his restless Loomanator with a sharp tug on its reins. “Who knows, if things had been different and we hadn’t been born on opposite sides of the divide, maybe we could have been friends?”

  Romulus licked his top lip and puffed out his cheeks in a lethargic expression of doubt. “I don’t think so. You and Kraken are cut from the same cloth, where power and evil prevails. When they made you both they broke the mould ... and deep inside you know it.”

  “Yes, you’re probably right.” Gordrick smirked and lowered his lance into position. “Who cares, anyway? Your life will be cut short soon enough. So, all thoughts of what might or might not have been are immaterial.”

  Gordrick lowered the face grill on his helmet into place, leaving four tiny slits to see out of, and dug his spiked heels into the sides of his Loomanator. It was like hitting the accelerator om a racing car and the Loomanator made its way through its gears and set off at a trot, a canter, and then a gallop, on its way to death or glory.

  — CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX —

  A Test of Loyalty

  An almighty roar from the amassed crowd filled the Great Hall yet again as they engrossed themselves in the Chandrapaul tournament, and a deafening chant of, Gordrick … Gordrick … Gordrick rang out all around.

  Gordrick’s impromptu head start had caught Romulus by surprise. He had been waiting for Kraken to get the proceedings underway by dropping his handkerchief. But with the terrifying sight of Gordrick bearing down on him, under a full head of steam, Romulus had to act fast. He lowered his lance into position and thrust his heels into the Loomanators ribcage.

  It was lucky for Romulus he had acted as quickly as he had, for within the blink of an eye Gordrick was on him. Romulus barely had time to get his Loomanator up to a canter before both lances collided head on and splinted into countless jagged pieces.

  The force of the impact was such that both Romulus and Gordrick were thrown from their respective Loomanators and hit the sawdust floor with equal bone crunching thuds, leaving both of them momentarily stunned. And as a hush descended over the battle arena Romulus was first to get unsteadily to his feet.

  It took a few seconds for him to shake the fuzziness from his head and control his wayward, jelly legs. Finally, he regained his composure and reached for his ball and chain, held in a sheath around his Loomanators neck. He also managed to feel underneath the Loomanators stomach and pulled out a shimmering gold battle shield.

  Somewhat slower off the mark, Gordrick regained his footing, and as Romulus had done, he made straight for his Loomanator and the weaponry strapped to it. Though it wasn’t just his weapons Gordrick had been foraging for whilst fumbling with his Loomanators undercarriage.

  Unknown to Romulus, he had also collected a fist full of sawdust, and dispatched in Romulus’s face. Temporarily blinded and with his helmet knocked to the ground he was at Gordrick’s mercy.

  Romulus was in mortal danger and with his vision blurred he raised his shield above his head to protect himself from the sickening blows raining down from Gordrick and his ball and chain. Two, three, four heavy hits landed on shield — Gordrick was relentless in his desire to get at Romulus and new it was only a matter of time before the shield would be rendered useless.

  “Do you yield?” cried Gordrick.

  The force of the blows on his shield drove Romulus deeper and deeper into the sawdust floor and he knew he didn’t have much time left to find a way out of the plight he was in.

  “No, I will never yield to you, or Kraken.” His voice was weak and the effort he had used to hold the shield and protect himself was beginning to take its toll.

  Suddenly, a high-pitched cry sounded out. Romulus turned to his left, and with limited vision spotted the Spell Keeper. “Use the Hat of Invisibility.” The Spell Keeper had managed to hide it from his Goblin captors the night before.

  Gordrick had been distracted by the Spell Keeper and it gave Romulus the window of opportunity he needed to make his move. In a flash he rolled away from Gordrick’s legs and jumped to his feet. Still partially blinded by the sawdust in his eyes, Romulus wiped as much of it away as he could.

  Once again, he looked over to the Spell Keeper and had not been prepared for the Hat of Invisibility to be thrust his way. A sickening thud, followed by a whimpered yelp of pain, reverberated around the battle arena as the hat thundered into Romulus’s face. The momentum and speed of it sent him sprawling once more, onto the sawdust floor, much to the horror and embarrassment of the Spell Keeper.

  Down, but not out, Romulus regained his senses, including his vision — dusted himself off — retrieved the hat … and placed it on his head.

  As Gordrick and the crowd looked on, Romulus disappeared... All except the Hat of Invisibility.

  “What is this, sorcery?” Gordrick shouted out. He corkscrewed his body and unleased his ball and chain directly onto the Hat of Invisibility. “I may not be able to see you, but I can see enough of a target to guess where you are.”

  Macy let out a squeal of dread and panic. She feared the worst as the Hat of Invisibility fell to the ground in a crumpled heap.

  With the Hat of Invisibility knocked from his head, Romulus reappeared and looked visibly shaken. But unlike Macy had feared he had not been injured, fatal or otherwise, by Gordrick’s well-aimed an
d meaty blow. Luckily, the hat had taken the full force of the ball and chain and Romulus was unscathed.

  Gordrick hadn’t spotted Romulus’s reappearance and celebrated as though the tournament was over. It never entered his mind that his despised enemy could survive what he thought to be a well-executed hit to the head. With his back to Romulus, he raised both arms in the air and worked the crowd for all the adulation he could get.

  “It’s a little early for you to be claiming victory, Gordrick,” shouted Romulus.

  Gordrick spun around and a look of disbelief registered on his helmetless face. Fearing the wrath of Kraken if he failed in his bid to beat Romulus, Gordrick sprang into action.

  “It would have been better for you if you’d stayed invisible. But, if you want more punishment, then more you shall have.”

  Gordrick charged towards Romulus and swung his ball and chain high above his head, and with the force of a charging bull, he aimed it at Romulus’s head once more.

  What happened next was something totally unexpected, and caught everyone in the Great Hall, including Kraken, by surprise. It was an instant reaction from Romulus and one that would bring a decisive end to the Chandrapaul tournament.

  Romulus managed to dodge Gordrick’s onslaught with a nifty sidestep and followed it up with well-aimed dropkick to his chest. Both of them fell to the ground, but it was Romulus who got to his feet first.

  Romulus picked up his golden shield, and as Gordrick rolled onto his knees, he slammed the shield into the side of Gordrick’s head. Gordrick rocked back on his heels and keeled over. He hadn’t been killed but had been knocked unconsciousness … and as such was in no fit state to defend himself.

  Macy, Jack, Olivia, Hangaku and the Spell Keeper rushed forward to the centre of the battle arena to greet a victorious Romulus. In a scene reminiscent of a football goal celebration, Romulus was pounced on and sent crashing to the ground under the weight of his excited and adoring friends and family. But it was a little early to think that all was well, even though he had won the tournament. Kraken was far from happy with the outcome and made his feelings known to all in the Great Hall.

  “This tournament has been a travesty from start to finish,” he cried in a raised and grinding voice. “I overturn your victory, Romulus, and banish you and your co-conspirators to the dungeon for the remainder of your miserable lives. Never again will you be allowed to walk amongst the people of Tormencer.”

  Romulus broke away from the celebrations and looked up at the balcony. “I won fair and square, and you know it. Look around and you’ll see … even your own people know that the victory is mine.”

  Romulus was right, Kraken’s followers were less than impressed by their leader’s comments. Their reaction was unexpected, but welcome, as they vented their feelings with a vocal ear bashing of whistles and boos. But Kraken was unrelenting and ordered his Goblin Guards to seize Romulus and the others.

  Romulus picked up his ball and chain in preparation for what he thought was going to be a full-on confrontation with the Goblin Guards. Ushering Macy and the rest of his friends and family out of harm’s way, he resigned himself to the very real threat he now faced. But what unravelled before his eyes was nothing short of a miracle. As Romulus looked on in astonishment, a dozen Goblin Guards made their way onto the balcony and placed Kraken under arrest.

  The Goblin Guard at the helm was the same one who had tormented Romulus right before his first Chandrapaul fight. It was Solidor’s brother, Dragor.

  “Dragor, what do you think you are doing?” Kraken reacted angrily to his disobedience. “Take your hands off me, now, or face the consequences.” Kraken managed to free himself from Dragor’s vice like grip and attempted to grab hold of the Book of Spells.

  “Is this what you want?” Dragor reached the book first and held it high in the air.

  Whilst Kraken had been preoccupied with the antics of Dragor, two further Goblin Guards took a firm hold of him and removed the Ring of Power from his finger and handed it to Dragor.

  “Give me them here, Dragor,” Kraken’s voice took on a low, less aggressive mode as he pleaded for Dragor to hand the Book of Spells and Ring of Power over to him.

  “They belong to the people — not to a sole ruler for his own gratification,” replied Dragor aggressively.

  “Don’t be stupid! I’ll make it worth your while,” pleaded Kraken. “I’ll make you rich beyond your wildest dreams. I’ll give you land, more than you could ever imagine. What do you say?”

  Dragor pondered for a moment and his arms started to lower. Then, as if snapped free from a trance, he burst into voice. “Good people before me. I know you are unsure of what is happening here today. I must admit, I’m not sure how I should continue … and need your guidance. I, and most of the military cannot stand by any longer and watch as Kraken destroys the land we love and anyone who dares stand up to him. For too long now he has ruled us all with fear as his choice of weapon. Today, someone stood up to him, and that someone was Romulus. He is a true leader, who won the tournament fairly. And his freedom and that of his friends and family should be assured at once.”

  A generous round of applause rang out as Dragor threw the Book of Spells and Ring of Power down into the centre of battle arena, right by the Spell Keeper’s feet.

  “I don’t believe I’m hearing this — is he for real?” said Olivia.

  Macy was more trusting in Dragor and reacted with ecstasy. “You better believe it — it’s happening.”

  Dragor caught the eye of Romulus. “Do as you see fit with us. But do not take out your anger and want for revenge on the good people here today. It was the military who carried out any wrongdoing you may have heard about. The rest of the population had nothing to do with the takeover of Tormencer and imprisonment of your mother and father, and those loyal to them. They were simply pawns in the hands of the wicked and evil tyrant who stands before you.” Dragor pointed towards Kraken.

  Romulus looked up at the balcony. “From what I have heard from you today, Dragor … it was all of us, including the military, who were pawns for Kraken to do with as he wished. If you want to be pardoned, then you and your men will have to prove yourselves. You must decide whether life under Kraken’s rule, or loyalty to my father and mother is where your obedience lies?”

  “Dragor!” Kraken had heard enough. “Think very carefully about your next move, as your life may well depend on it.” He rolled back his hood to reveal his repugnant face. “You know me well and know I will bring revenge upon you and all who support you without mercy, if you disobey me any longer.”

  “Keep quiet,” Romulus seized the initiative back, and spoke again to Dragor. “You haven’t answered my question. It’s a simple one, and the choice is yours...”

  “There is no choice, Romulus,” replied Dragor apprehensively. “Zorax and Helena are the rightful rulers of Tormencer and myself and my men will obey them as our new leaders.”

  Romulus nodded in a gesture of acceptance. “Well, you can start to show your loyalty by taking Kraken and Gordrick to the dungeon. I’m sure they could both do with a sit down to gather their thoughts, after what has happened here today.” He gave a sneaky smile in Kraken’s direction, and turned to the Spell Keeper, who had by now retrieved the Book of Spells and Ring of Power from the sawdust floor of the battle arena.

  “It will be a pleasure,” replied Dragor meaningfully. He waved his arms to a detachment of Goblin Guards and soldiers, and Kraken and Gordrick were swiftly placed in leg irons and led away, under protest.

  “Mark my words, Dragor—” roared Kraken, “—You will pay for your cowardice and disloyalty.”

  Gordrick had by now regained consciousness, though still a little dazed and confused … and added his piece too. “You are a Goblin Guard, loyal to Kraken, and Kraken only. I will have my revenge, and for as long as I live, I will make it my sole purpose in life to bring you and all your men to your knees, Dragor.”

  Dragor response was swift and dec
isive. “I’ve heard enough of your pathetic whining. You don’t tell me or the men under my command what to do anymore.” He tore two strips of silk from one of the huge banners hanging over the balcony and handed them to one of the Goblin Guards. “Gag them both — they’re starting to annoy me.”

  “It will be a pleasure, sir,” said the Goblin Guard entrusted with the task of muzzling Kraken and Gordrick.

  Macy and Jack left Olivia in the safe hands of Romulus, Hangaku and the Spell Keeper and made their way to the balcony, where Kraken had moments earlier been removed and taken, along with Gordrick to the dungeon. Once there, Macy searched in between the chairs for any sign of the birdcage holding Zorax and Helena.

  Jack had not been keen to follow Macy. He thought there was still a chance some of Kraken’s Goblin Guards and soldiers might feel some sort of loyalty towards their former master.

  With that in mind, even climbing up to the balcony was a particularly dangerous and potentially life-threatening move. But then again, what could he do? When Macy made her mind up to do something, she generally saw it through to the end, no matter what. He couldn’t let her wander off on her own, even if he was a little scared. Instead, he hung back a few metres, and opted to be a lookout, ready to call for help at the slightest sign of any trouble brewing.

  “Here they are,” Macy sprang up from a crouched position. In her hands was the golden birdcage, and she held it aloft for all to see.

  “Splendid,” shouted the Spell Keeper as he placed the Ring of Power on his finger, and then flicked through the Book of Spells. “Here we are … the enlargement spell. This ought to do the trick.”