by Blair Drake
From the bridge, he could see there were three levels. One level at the bridge, a level above the bridge, and a third level that would be a basement. They walked across the bridge toward the house, then down a flight of stairs to a landing, then down another flight of stairs. When they stopped on the landing, Dylan looked around and noticed on every gable and level of the house, there were birdhouses. The tiny birdhouses were all the same colors as the main house, which was the same color as the bridge, a dark ivory. The only reason Dylan noticed the birdhouses at all was the small holes at the center of each house. When he looked at the long rectangular windows of this gorgeous home, he saw the shades at all different levels, and he saw a troll in each of three windows on the second floor. In the fourth window, he saw what looked like a stuffed bear.
Woli lovingly touched one of the birdhouses. “You still babysit pixies?”
Jervis shook his head. “Come, come, King Riata is waiting.”
Jervis moved fast for his size. They reached the bottom level of the house and walked around the far side where an arched door stood open.
“Welcome. If I’d known we were having company, I would’ve cleaned up.” King Riata spread his arms in a warm and generous gesture of welcome.
They were in a well-used kitchen with dishes in the sink, and a pot on the stove. King Riata picked up all four corners of the red tablecloth on the table, lifting all the dirty plates, empty glasses, and silverware with the cloth, then walked over and placed it gently in the sink.
“We usually only clean the kitchen after dinner. With so many of us, it’s not worth cleaning during the day because it’s dirty again ten minutes later.” He pulled out a chair. “Please, sit.”
Woli sat. The king pulled out another chair for Dylan.
“Thank you, Your Highness,” Dylan said.
The king laughed. “King is fine. I feel like King is my first name, anyway. And what shall I call you?”
Remembering his manners, Dylan put his hand out to shake with the king. “I’m Dylan Streetman.”
King’s eyes went wide. “Don’t tell me you’re Augie Streetman’s son?”
Now Dylan’s eyes were wide. “I am.”
How crazy was this? The king in Craydusk knew his father. He felt proud and confused at the same time. This made him wonder even more why his parents hadn’t told him about his abilities. Then he thought about how rebellious he was when he was twelve. Would it have been smart for him to know the power available to him?
“He was a fine chap. Used to come around and visit quite often. I haven’t seen him in ages.” There was a sadness in his voice.
Woli stood. “They call me Woli. So nice to meet you.”
The king took Woli’s hand and kissed it. Woli giggled.
“You’ve met Jervis. Sorry if he was gruff. We don’t get much company, nor do we encourage visitors."
“I’ve heard it’s difficult to get across the bridge,” Dylan said.
“We don’t encourage passage along this route. It’s our home. Crossing the bridge is like having trespassers. There are plenty of routes to River Ruin.” Jervis sounded defensive.
Dylan looked to see the king’s reaction to Jervis’ statement. Nothing. He couldn’t quite call the king handsome. His flat face was good-looking and had a beauty to it Dylan couldn’t explain. Maybe it was his warm welcome giving him more beauty. Dylan wasn’t sure, but he was sure his feet were tired, and he was glad sit down.
Jervis scurried across the room, and King Riata bent over so Jervis could whisper in his ear.
Something told Dylan all was not right with the world. This man was too excited to see them. Way too friendly for a man who was in exile. And then there were the hairs standing up on the back of his neck.
Or maybe it was when he looked out the windows and saw at least a dozen trolls, all who looked like versions of Jervis, standing with either a staff or bow and arrows in their hands.
Chapter 9
The trolls stood at the ready, as if waiting for them to do something terrible, or preparing to advance on Dylan and Woli. What could they do? They were in the king’s home, sitting at his table. They were surrounded. Not that Dylan could see their faces behind their hair, but they didn’t look happy.
Were there any girl trolls? If so, he hoped they weren’t as hairy as the men, or as smelly. Dylan looked at Jervis, who took position near the door.
King Riata paced in a circle around the table.
“Here’s the thing: I know Tully, and I’ve been hunting with Augie, but I don’t know you two. And I don’t know any reason you’d feel compelled to come out to the forest to interrupt our happy lives.”
“This is a happy life?” Dylan uttered.
“Excuse me, young man?” King Riata leaned down, getting in his face.
“Are you happy?” Dylan asked.
King Riata straightened and spread his arms wide. “Do you see this lovely home I share with twenty-seven trolls? How could I not be happy? I could be living in an underground tunnel. But alas, I have this home.”
“What about the palace?” Dylan asked.
The trolls all took a step forward at once. The king seemed to stop breathing.
“That was a lifetime ago. We don’t speak of it. Living in the past is a waste of energy. You can’t go back to fix what was. You can only go forward.”
His words didn’t ring true.
“I’m sorry we interrupted your happy life, King Riata, but our realm may be in danger,” Woli spoke quietly, not nearly as excited to be there now.
“Ha! We are in the shadows. Nothing encroaches on us. We are forever safe.” He pulled out a chair and sat. “Why are you really here?”
Dylan placed both hands on the table, palm up, then looked at Jervis. “Jervis, you’d love to serve us a pitcher of fresh, cold water with glasses for Woli and me.”
Jervis placed his staff on the counter and left his post at the door. He walked to the old-fashioned ice box, opened the door, and walked inside. When he came out, Woli, Dylan and King Riata stared as he placed a crystal pitcher of ice water, along with two wooden cups on the table and said, “Would you like me to pour?”
Dylan grinned. “No thank you, Jervis. You can go back to the door.”
Jervis walked back to the door, picked up his staff, and took up at his post.
“You’re a lippy,” King said. “I need you to leave. Now.” He stood so quickly he knocked his chair over.
The trolls stepped another pace closer to the house.
“I meant no harm, King Riata. I just wanted to show you I’m for real. We are in danger. Professor Tully said you’d know of Gray Cliffs Academy.”
He didn’t pick up his chair or sit back down, but he did nod.
“Gray Cliffs is in trouble. Tully said you might be our only hope. Strix stole my grimoire, and we think he gave it to the queen. There’s a darkness engulfing the island, and Tully saw it’s encroaching on the horizon of Craydusk. He looked in his books, and that’s when he sent us here.”
King Riata finally took a deep breath, picked up the chair he knocked over, then sat back down. Looking out the window, he called out, “Muffus, bring me a basin of water. Just a small basin will do.”
Woli found her voice again. “The professor said you’re a scryer.”
“That I am, but I haven’t used my skills in a very long time.” He looked around the room. “I only use magic when I’m on the far side of River Ruin. I don’t want to bring any harm or grief to my queen.”
“When was the last time you saw Queen Gaanne?” Dylan asked.
The muscles in the king’s face tightened. “Too long. We do communicate via messenger, though. I can’t go beyond the wards she placed around the palace.”
The tension in his face didn’t jive with his words as far as Dylan was concerned.
“They keep you out?” Woli asked.
“They keep magic out. I could pass, but it exhausts me. And I have no way to bypass the wards even though
I’d never use magic around my queen ever again.” He looked out the window.
“We think Queen Gaanne is holding Strix at the palace. We don’t know for sure, but we do know he was caught with white mice, and he stole my grimoire from Henry to give to the queen.” The words rushed out of Dylan. “I need to get home, back to Gray Cliffs Academy, and I can’t get back without the grimoire.”
King Riata rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I see. Well, just go ask for it. Queen Gaanne is a reasonable woman.”
Jervis nearly choked, then stifled his cough.
“You hush over there,” King said
“She does have Strix on the castle grounds, and normally he’d morph into his owl state and be gone, but his abilities are nil beyond the moat.” Jervis took a step forward. “I know Strix is there because Nally had to remove his car from the front of the gate where it was abandoned.”
“Nally is still doing grunt work for the queen?” Woli asked.
“It’s not considered grunt work, Woli. It’s an honor to work for the queen.”
Dylan looked at King Riata. “Your Highness, you want to help us and take the palace back from your wife…”
Before he could say, “Don’t you,” King Riata slammed his hands down on the table.
Woli looked at Dylan like he’d done something very bad.
“Enough with the crap about it being an honor to work for Gaanne. I’ll stop pretending she’s the love of my life. Let’s just all be honest for a moment. Gaanne hijacked my territory and I’ve been too weak to take it back.”
You could have caught one of the cow-fish in Woli’s mouth, it was open so wide.
Dylan frowned. What happened to change his attitude in a heartbeat? The hairs on Dylan’s neck tingled again.
“But…” Jervis started to protest.
“I’m done with it.” King Riata pushed up from the table. “You trolls don’t wait on me, and I don’t wait on you. It’s a team effort, as it should be. And as it was before I was mesmerized by Gaanne. I’ve had too many years to consider this, but the overwhelming pain of the magic leaving my body kept me at bay.”
The troll called Muffus stood in the open doorway, looking afraid to enter the kitchen. “Sir…”
King Riata walked across the small room and took the basin of water from the troll, who turned and scurried out of the house.
Somehow Dylan didn’t believe these trolls lived in peaceful harmony with the king. They were his servants, and it didn’t look like he appreciated them as much as he should. Could a king who ruled everything appreciate the people he ruled? He sometimes wondered if the government of the country he lived in cared about the people.
King Riata placed the basin on the table. “I need complete silence.”
Dylan, Woli, and Jervis stared. Dylan stopped breathing for a moment, then decided it was better to keep breathing, since he had no idea how long it would take the king to see something.
“Don’t look at me. I’m rusty, and I don’t need the added pressure,” King Riata snapped.
This man was a king? He seemed more like a spoiled boy who never grew up. He’d let his wife take over his kingdom, choosing to live with the trolls. Dylan found it hard to believe he just decided to go back and take the kingdom back from his wife.
Then again, he suggested it to him, right? He hoped the suggestion would stick, and that his lippy skills were getting better with each determined use even though he hadn’t meant to use them on the king.
Chapter 10
King Riata spent several minutes chanting under his breath while looking into the basin of water. Dylan watched the changes on his face. Confusion, interest, back to confusion, then what looked like a revelation, as he grinned from ear to ear.
He wanted to ask, “What do you see?” but he didn’t dare utter a word, for fear the king would get upset and kick them out.
Finally, King Riata looked up and said, “It’s all good. There’s nothing to fear but fear itself. The darkness is far, far away, even though it is very near.”
What the…he wasn’t making any sense. Nothing to fear but fear itself? What the hell did that mean? Was he a history buff, quoting Franklin D. Roosevelt like that? Or had he actually been there for the speech?
“So this means we’re going to recover Dylan’s grimoire?” Woli asked.
“Jervis, bring the car around,” the king said.
As if it was automatic, Jervis gave a slight bow, then scurried out of the kitchen.
No sooner had Jervis left the room when the group of trolls outside the house got into a huddle. Dylan couldn’t be sure, but he thought maybe Jervis was in the middle of it. What was going on?
“Sorry we interrupted the peace and routine of your lives,” Dylan offered. “It seems a nice, quiet place to live, out here in the forest.”
King Riata stood from the table and walked to the door, tossing the basin with the water out into the yard. “It’s boring out here, but at least I can travel, which I love to do.”
“Do you travel by car?” Woli asked.
King Riata laughed. “I travel with my mind. Whatever would magic be for if we couldn’t use it for the things we love?”
Now Dylan was confused. “I thought magic was forbidden in Craydusk?”
“Not forbidden, just discouraged,” Woli corrected.
“I’m the king,” he snapped. “I make the rules. And I forbid magic of the highest order, but little magical spells never hurt anyone, did they? Everyone performs a little magic here and there. It’s like getting pulled over for driving 122 in a 120 zone. Hardly worth the effort to pull the individual over and give them a ticket or imprison them. Besides, how would people travel to work and back? Our bubbles don’t take directions without help. I’m afraid you’ve been hearing nasty rumors.”
“So magic is okay, so long as it isn’t something huge? Like turning a frog into a stone, or mixing a potion?” Dylan felt like he was in France and didn’t speak French or know the laws.
“Something like that.” King Riata grabbed something off the kitchen counter. “Jervis has the car. And speaking of potions, we’ll get into that palace and find some powerful magic indeed.”
“He just said he doesn’t travel by car,” Woli whispered.
“How else would I travel with pri…guests?” The king had apparently heard her.
When they stepped outside, all the trolls except Jervis were gone. Jervis sat in the driver’s seat of a long, banana yellow, four-door, convertible looking straight out of 1950.
King Riata walked around to the driver’s side. “Scoot over, I want to drive.”
Jervis looked nervously at Dylan and Woli, then slid across the seat.
Dylan and Woli stood on the path, not sure if they should get in the car or walk behind it.
“Get in,” Jervis snapped. “You think we have all day?”
Didn’t they? What else were they going to do besides harass people wanting to cross the bridge? And hadn’t they left a couple of dozen other trolls behind to do that job?
Woli tried opening the back door of the car, but it wouldn’t budge. Dylan gave it a try, thinking Woli might be too weak to budge the stuck door. It didn’t move for him, either.
“Climb over,” Jervis said.
Woli climbed in first, then Dylan followed. He wasn’t even all the way in when the king put the pedal to the metal and gunned it out of there. Woli reached out for Dylan, and he grabbed at her arms, pulling himself the rest of the way into the car as it sped down the narrow burgundy path in the forest.
Woli leaned over and whispered, “Did the path get wider, or did the car just shrink?”
“I can hear you,” King Riata called over his shoulder, but he didn’t answer her question.
They flew past the trees, leaving a trail of dust behind them in the desert as the car whizzed over the sand with no effort, then skidded around the corner leading them back into town. People and creatures, not to mention bubbles and elephants, dodged out of the way as
the car went barreling down the main road through town.
Dylan looked behind the car to see the people unruffled, as if this were a regular occurrence. Then he remembered Woli’s admonition to not look directly at the people, and he turned back to the front just in time for the car to come to a screeching halt at a gate that must be at least fifteen feet tall.
King Riata reached his arm out of the window and snapped his fingers.
His gesture somehow summoned a creature, who was taller than the gate, out of the dirt. The lumbering creature, made of dirt and sticks, walked toward them. It grunted.
“Yes, open up, my dear man, open up,” King Riata said in a pleasant, yet authoritative voice.
Woli leaned over and whispered, “Have you ever seen a golem before? I have but only once.”
A golem? He didn’t even know what a golem was. But if this was it, they smelled. Maybe worse than the troll in the front seat.
“Tell my queen we’ve arrived, and we have special guests,” the king called out as he drove past the muddy creature, who didn’t seem as if he would do anything, then he melded back down into the ground as the gate closed behind them.
The grounds inside the gates were beautiful, with a canopy of the same oversized cypress looking trees covering the road to the palace. On either side of the road were immaculately maintained gardens like he saw at the castles in England when his parents took him there. These gardens were oversized, and the bushes and flowers in full bloom seemed to follow them as they passed.
He could see bees tending to the flowers-thousands of bees.
So much for no magic, Dylan thought. But then this may be the natural order. He did see two monkeys playing chess earlier that day.
When they arrived at the entrance to the palace, they were greeted by a litany of soldiers, who looked like giant cats, standing on their hind legs and wearing military uniforms. Each bowed as the car came to a stop and the king climbed out.
