Legend of the Book Keeper

by Daniel Blackaby

  Cody vowed never again to fret over an oral presentation. He stood on the stage beside the royal family and other Under-Earth dignitaries staring out over thousands of black robes. As he had learned to do in all those school presentations, he stared straight at Jade who was standing in the front row. Stationed on a wooden podium at the front of the stage was the book—the decoy.

  The sound of trumpets signaled that the ceremony was to begin. The crowd parted, as the coffin sliced through like a knife. Six soldiers, decked out in elaborate uniforms hoisted the coffin into the air. As the mass parted, not a single head rose to view the body of their King. For the first time it dawned on Cody that he was participating in perhaps the first funeral any of the thousands of mourners had ever experienced. For many of them, they simply didn’t know how to respond or act.

  The casket reached the front. It was lowered slowly into the ground. Cia stepped forward, her fair skin amplified against her long black dress. “People of Under-Earth. This is a day that none of us ever wished to see. We are shocked, but we are not defeated. We do not mourn a death: we celebrate a life. I stand before you as your Queen by title; but as a grieving equal. You do not see a crown atop my head because today the royalty, the honor, the respect, belongs to my father, your King, all hail King Ishmael!”

  “All hail King Ishmael!” echoed the crowd in unison. Cia opened her mouth to speak but fought against her emotion; Cody saw with each passing second it was a battle she was losing. Her brother seemed to notice as well.

  “My father always did what he believed was right in his heart. His body passes, but his legacy lives on,” proclaimed Prince Foz boldly, “Now, what better way to honor that legacy than to have his body laid to rest by the one who has taken his torch. The Book Keeper, Cody Clemenson.”

  Cody suddenly felt very small. Foz motioned him forward. Cody stepped toward the front of the platform, his feet seemed like boulders. Dragging them across the stage, his foot caught the edge and he stumbled, nearly collapsing. The crowd didn’t laugh or gasp. It was even worse— they were silent.

  Cody looked down at the casket lying in the dirt. How odd that such a great man would leave the world in such a simple, wooden box. He deserved more; and Cody was going to give it to him.

  He took a deep breath and shouted, “Dastanda! Gadour! Gai di gasme.” The ground around the casket burst into a fury of motion. Cody raised his hands, and swayed them through the air. Dirt from the ground began spinning into a whirlwind, rising higher and higher. It stopped— and came crashing down like hail, concealing the casket in a blanket of earth. On the dirt was a stone ‘A’, marking the place. “Bauciv!” leafy vines burst forth from the earth, weaving across the grave and throughout the stone ‘A’. Tiny buds pushed their way out of the vine, blooming into bright red flowers. Time for the climax. “Illumichanta!” he yelled, and from his hands he tossed a ball of glowing light. The light flew through the air and stopped above the grave, exploding like fireworks.

  The crowd cheered. Cody bent over, gasping for breath and lightheaded. Creating without the Book’s power to fuel him was exhausting. Cody looked eagerly to see the response to his handiwork. Jade was smiling. He glanced to the sea of mourners, and frowned. Many of their heads were still downcast.

  One of the robed men in the front of the crowd looked up. A beam of light shot out from under his hood. Cody squinted his eyes, the light was not coming from in the hood—it was reflecting the light of the star. Reflecting off what? Cody focused his eyes—and his heart stopped. Suddenly everything hit him at once. The face under the hood smiled deviously—as the light glimmered off the gold platelets imbedded into the man’s facial skin. Cody threw up his hands and screamed, dropping to the ground; and not a moment too soon, as an arrow whizzed over his head.

  Atlantis was under attack.

  Ambush!

  Chaos claimed the courtyard. The sound of arrows whizzing and screaming filled the air. As the crowd de-hooded, rays of light blinded Cody’s eyes. What was going on? The men seemed to be glowing. Crawling on all fours, Cody reached the edge of the platform and rolled off. The sound of steel scraping together pierced his ears. He heard an agonizing scream and a thud. A body toppled over the stage and collapsed in front of Cody. The man’s face was familiar—he had been standing next to Jade in the crowd. A stream of blood was trickling from his mouth. He was dead. Jade.

  “Jade!” Cody forsook his cover and stood. Across the entire courtyard a battle raged. Citizens fled while Atlantis’ soldiers battled the glowing men. Already the ground had been stained red and littered with bodies—not all of which were soldiers. Cody looked to where Jade had been standing; in her place was now a pile of unrecognizable bodies. “Jade!”

  “Cody! The royal family. We must get them to safety!” Cody followed the voice to the wall where Dace was galloping down the stairs with sword in hand. An arrow whizzed toward him; he dodged it effortlessly. Two attackers charged up the stairs to block him.

  “Dace, look out!” Cody yelled. With lightning quickness, Dace sidestepped a thrust from the first attacker’s sword. Without wasting a moment, he threw his shoulder hard into the other attacker, knocking him off balance. Grabbing the falling man by the sword arm, Dace pulled it up to block another blow from the first attacker. Before the man could recoup for another assault Dace’s sword penetrated his neck. As the lifeless man collapsed, Dace pulled the other man forward by his arm. Twisting his wrists, he stabbed the man in the chest with his own sword. The sword vibrated, lodged into the man’s stomach. With a hard kick, Dace sent the man flailing over the side of the stairs where he flopped onto the ground below.

  “What’s happening?” yelled Cody, pressing himself back against the side of the platform and crouching out of sight as Dace made his way toward him. Looking over his shoulder as he ran, Dace called out orders to where three guards were running along the wall. In the group was Wolfrick, Cody’s old watchman, a bloody gash across his face. Dace ducked down beside Cody and instinctively wiped his bloody sword across his pant leg,

  “We’ve been ambushed! Golden Warriors from El Dorado, disguised as mourners. We’ve been set-up! All our troops are at the borderlands; we’re outnumbered! I need you to ensure that the Queen is safe. We can’t afford any more royal bloodshed! Can I trust you with this task?” Cody nodded; his heart was beating faster. “Good. If we can surround them, then we may still have a chance. Go, find Cia!”

  Dace stood and raced toward the crowd. Cody watched as two golden men pulled out swords from beneath their robes. Dace expertly parried the first swing; pivoting his body, he swung his sword back around and hammered it into the side of the other attacker. The man stumbled backwards, his hood sliding off his head. Without losing a step, he stabbed at Dace, unaffected by the blow. The solider was bald, with slabs of gold implanted into his skin like scales. The light from the Orb glittered against the smooth surface. The golden warrior brought his sword down upon Dace.

  Jumping out of the chaos, Sheets raised up his axe and blocked the attacker’s thrust just in time. Turned backto-back, Dace and Sheets’ weapons danced through the air, repelling the ferocious attack as the enemy closed in around them.

  From behind him, Cody heard a piercing scream. His heart stopped. Jade. Cody dashed toward the sound. Arrows flew past his head and blades whipped through the air all around him. He ducked as a sword whizzed over his head. A golden warrior jumped in front of his path. Cody winced as the warrior’s blade rose above his head. With a thud, blood splattered onto Cody’s face. An arrow was lodged into the attacker’s face. “These fiends can’t shield their eyes with gold, can they!” called Hex from across the clearing, refitting his bow with another arrow and letting it fly toward another attacker. The arrow collided with the man’s temple. The shaft snapped against the golden platelets and fell to the ground harmlessly.

  “Ahhhh!” The sound of Jade’s voice sent Cody back into motion. He jumped over several lifeless bodies and sidestepped an axe as it slic
ed through the air. “Cody! Help!” Jade was standing with her back to the wall, cornered by three golden warriors. Cody scanned the ground and snatched a sword from a dead man. The warriors spun to face their new attacker. At the sight of Cody wielding a sword, they laughed. Cody swung the sword uselessly through the air, the weight of it straining his arms. The soldiers approached, their unraised weapons by their side. Cody glanced around his surroundings franticly. He was no swordsman. Hand-to-hand combat with the warriors was suicide; but he knew he had one advantage . . .

  Cody fell to the ground, scooped up two more fallen blades, and tossed them into the air. For a split moment they floated weightlessly. “Byrae!” A violent gust of wind caught the blades in mid-air and sent them soaring. Shock seized the warriors for only a second before they collapsed to the ground, a blade impaled into each of them. Cody wasn’t sure how much more creating he could accomplish without the real Book. The Book!

  “Jade, I need you to find the royal family. They need to get to safety! And so do you, you need to get to the palace!” “What about you? Where are you going?” cried Jade, her voice quivering.

  “To get the Book! It’s still in the Monastery. We can’t let it fall into the hands of El Dorado!” Cody turned to run but stopped. Four golden soldiers holding jagged-edged weapons formed a semi-circle around them. Cody and Jade were trapped.

  “Quick, use the High Language again!” cried Jade as the four attackers inched closer. Cody and Jade were pushed against the wall.

  Cody shook his head, “I can’t do it again! I don’t have the Book. I’ve never used the Orb’s power without it; I don’t know my limitations. It could kill me.”

  “Then what do we do?”

  Cody had no answer. He reached down and pulled a blade away from the body of a fallen enemy. He knew he was no match, but he wasn’t going to let anyone hurt Jade while he was still alive to protect her.

  “Come get me, you golden wretches!” he taunted, swaying his blade back and forth in his hands. The attackers were more than happy to oblige. They raised their weapons and charged. “Dastanda!” With a quick shout one of the golden attackers disappeared—sinking into the pool of sand that instantaneously appeared below him. The other three attackers halted, glancing to each other uncertainly.

  “Stop, Cody! You said you couldn’t use the power, it’s too risky!” shouted Jade, grabbing hold of Cody’s arm.

  Cody looked to her with confusion. “I didn’t. That wasn’t me.”

  “If it wasn’t you, than who was it?”

  As if on cue, Tiana appeared out of nowhere, somersaulting in front of Cody and Jade.

  “Ti? What are you . . .” started Cody dumbfounded, but Tiana’s shoulder rolled to the side.

  “Seamour-fraymour!” she shouted. The ground in front of one of the soldiers bubbled, and a geyser of liquid burst out, drenching him. The man screamed, grabbing his face. The substance was lava. The golden scales on his body were glowing red; he collapsed to the ground still shouting. The remaining two guards looked to each other before charging at their new attacker.

  “Tiana, look out!” Cody closed his mouth, and watched in awe as Tiana charged straight at them. As she reached them, she suddenly fell to her back, sliding across the ground, and passing between the two soldiers. Reaching out her arms on the way past, she took out their legs, sending them tumbling to their backs. Before they could recover, Tiana was back on her feet. She flicked up a lone sword and expertly caught it with her hand. Another quick blur of motion and the two attackers had been dispatched.

  “Wh-w—what, what was that!” exclaimed Cody. “How are you so competent in battle! Actually, never mind that, you’re a Creator? I don’t understand. Why didn’t you tell me!?”

  Tiana smirked, and planted a quick kiss on Cody’s cheek.

  “Later,” cut in Jade, “we need to protect the royal family, remember?”

  Cody nodded. “Right, Tiana, take Jade and get Cia, Foz, and Eva into the palace. They must be kept safe. I need to get to the Monastery.” As he looked at the two girls standing before him, a well of emotions turned in his chest. He wasn’t sure what these emotions were; he only hoped that he wasn’t seeing either of the girls for the last time. “You two stay safe.”

  He turned and left without looking back, wanting to leave before his emotions took control. He had only gone a few steps when he heard his name, “Cody!” Cody turned to where Jade was still standing beside Tiana. Her eyes were large and her body shook.

  “Jade?” he called back, wishing he could forget the Book and return to her. Her green eyes locked with his. Instead of their usual fiery state they had a soft, tenderness to them.

  When she opened her mouth, her lips quaked, “Cody . . . I . . . I . . . I lo . . .” The sound of clashing steel echoed in Cody’s ears. A limp body fell against him. Cody shoved the body off and turned back to Jade and Tiana. They were gone.

  What had she said? Cody could not find them anywhere in the crowd. He bit his lip, please be safe. Pivoting around, he ran back into the chaos. The fighting had spread throughout the Inner-City, leaving a pile of dead bodies in its wake. A sickening feeling came over Cody; he couldn’t help notice that only a few of the golden warriors lay dead, surrounded by several dozen of Dace’s men. The battle crept up onto the walls, and down through some of the side streets.

  Dace ran past Cody, followed by several men. There was a deep gash across this forehead and blood was pulsing from a wound in his thigh. “Seal the gate! Must contain the enemy to the Inner-City! Regroup at the wall!” yelled Dace as he hurried by.

  As Cody approached the Monastery, he looked up to the towering Sanctuary of the Orb. He hoped Stalkton was correct and that the Book was indeed safe within the walls of the Monastery. However, despite his desperate optimism he couldn’t shake the sickening feeling in his gut that something had gone horribly, horribly wrong.

  The Silent Sanctuary

  The view from the Monastery elevator was alarming. The battle still raged below. Many bodies lay scattered on the ground, but from his distance, Cody couldn’t distinguish how many were Atlantis’ men and how many were El Dorado’s. Strangely, the attackers had not pressed toward the Palace or the Sanctuary of the Orb; they appeared content to battle in the courtyard. What was the purpose of such an attack? Cody didn’t have time to speculate, but hoped that Jade and Tiana had managed to reach safety in the palace.

  Jumping onto the balcony, Cody paused; the front doors of the Monastery were wide open. Something wasn’t right. Cody crouched down low and scurried to the entrance. All the lights were extinguished and an eerie silence rested in the room. Cody shuffled into the darkness, keeping his back against the wall. His feet bumped into something on the ground. Blinded by the shadows, Cody rubbed his eyes, urging them to adjust. Reaching down, he touched something wet. He brought his hand up to his face and gagged at the smell of fresh blood. Finally able to focus, Cody saw a face filled with terror. Cody recognized the man as Geoffrey, the elder monk who had defended Randilin during the trial. He was dead.

  The hushed patter of footsteps raced across the floor, invisible in the darkness. Cody held his breath; somebody had infiltrated the Monastery. Cody crawled on all fours silently toward the stairs, he needed to find cover, and quick. Suddenly the sound of scurrying feet sounded again. There was a loud crash followed by an agonizing scream, and then—silence.

  Cody’s palms were slick with sweat as he hastily scampered up the stairs. Reaching the top, he dashed to his left and dropped down low against a desk. Stalkton, where the blazes are you? Why wasn’t anybody fighting back? The monks were either hiding—or worse. Another painful scream cried out for only a second before the silence returned. Cody’s mouth was dry and sticky. He had to do something quick, but what? He came upon a strange, sickening smell. All at once things made sense. The drumming of his heart quickened. History was repeating itself. The Brotherhood Monks weren’t being attacked—they were being hunted.

  Somewh
ere in the dark Monastery, the Beast was slaughtering the monks one by one. Cody heard a soft purring noise. The Hunter was close. The soft footsteps were growing louder. The creature was sniffing the air. Cody had to move quickly! Jumping up, something collided with him throwing him back against the wall. “Ahhhh!” Cody screamed in terror, swinging his fist around and colliding with the attacker. There was a grunt.

  “Wait . . . is that . . . you, Xerx?” whispered Cody.

  “You idiot, you just gave away our position! Run! For heaven’s sakes, run!” A frantic Xerx grabbed Cody’s collar and yanked him from the ground. A piercing, hog-like squeal came from above. The Hunter had zeroed in on its next victims.

  “In here!” yelled Xerx. “We don’t have much time. Master Stalkton is hurt and I think the rest are dead. We need to hide!” Xerx pulled Cody through a door leading to the library. The Beast’s taloned feet scratched against the floor as it launched itself down the stairs. Cody frantically searched the room for a place to hide. He could hear the Beast approaching. Running down the long aisles of books, he came to a shelf of thicker, oversized books. “Xerx! Xerx? Where are you?!” he called. There was no reply.

  Cody feverishly pulled the oversized books off the row. Rolling himself onto the shelf, he hauled the books back to conceal his body. As he brought the last book onto the shelf the awful stench entered into the room. The game of cat and mouse had begun.

  The Beast moved like a ghostly wraith. From Cody’s position he only had a slim view of the large room between the spines of two books concealing his face. He couldn’t see any sign of Xerx or the Beast. He tried to hold his breath, but his heart was pounding like a gong. He fought desperately to stay calm.

  He heard the flaring of the nostrils. The Beast was standing just on the other side of the shelf. The sensation of panic began to pump through his bloodstream. Cody involuntarily twitched, bumping one of the books with his elbow. The book staggered for a moment, before falling back into place. Cody let out a sigh of relief before biting his lip. It hadn’t been quick enough. He heard the Beast lunge into motion from behind him.