by David Wells
He sat down in the chair and broke the seal. The tingle of magic raced through him. For a moment he was alarmed but there didn’t seem to be any other effect, so he relaxed. When he opened the letter, he discovered that it was written in a language he didn’t recognize, but after a moment the words suddenly became clear to him.
He read the letter with a sense of awe and reverence. He knew it had been written two thousand years ago and left here for his eyes only.
“You are the heir to the throne of Ruatha, the first of your line to claim the throne in millennia. But you are much more than that—you are the greatest hope for the people of all the Seven Isles. Be true to the Old Law.
“I have fought Phane for decades and his father before that. He is cunning and evil beyond measure, but he can be defeated. His arrogance and self-centered narcissism are his weaknesses. He does not trust anyone and will betray those who are foolish enough to trust him. Use this to your advantage.
“If you are reading this, then you have found the first of the three Bloodvaults. The second is at the base of this tower. Your sword is there, along with several rings that will allow others to command the Keep. You will also find a book that will explain the workings and capabilities of Blackstone Keep. The seal on this letter has imparted the ability to read the book. Study it well, and the Keep will serve your cause.
“The third Bloodvault is hidden well and is for you to find. It contains the greatest treasure of all, but it will do you no good until you are ready to claim it. Only then will you have the insight to find it.
“I am sorry that I couldn’t spare your world the horror that you now face. I gave all that I am to this cause—and I failed.”
The letter was signed: “Barnabas Cedric.”
Alexander sat quietly staring at the letter. Cedric had sacrificed everything and accomplished a great deal in his lifetime, yet he went into the afterlife believing that he had failed. Alexander read it again with quiet sadness. The man who had given the future a chance deserved more than a lonely death with nothing but his regret to comfort him in his last hours. Alexander folded the letter and carefully slipped it into his tunic.
He returned to the little room below and found Kelvin sitting by the bookshelf carefully leafing through a book. Isabel was outside on the balcony looking at the horizon.
“Cedric’s remains are up there. He left a letter for me.” Alexander handed the parchment to Kelvin. The Guild Mage took it carefully and read it through, then read it again.
“It saddens me to know he died alone and with the belief that he had failed. I would give much to let him see the esteem he is held in today. For me, this letter only serves to deepen my commitment to defeating Phane.”
Alexander sat down. “Me, too … I found the letter in a room that isn’t really there. It’s like it’s a place in another world with a doorway leading from this world.”
Kelvin nodded. “It’s called a Wizard’s Den. Arch mage wizards are able to cast such a spell. Once cast, it creates a chamber separate from this world that can only be accessed by the command of the casting wizard. If it’s left open when the wizard dies, it will remain with the doorway open indefinitely. Did you see any books?”
Alexander nodded. “There was a small shelf with a couple dozen or so. Should we take them with us?”
Kelvin considered for a moment. “If he left them in his Wizard’s Den, then they were for you alone. It’s best to leave them there for now.”
They made their way back into the bowels of the Keep, taking care to close every passage in order to protect the libraries and workrooms Mage Cedric had left behind. Each would require more careful inspection another day. It was starting to get late, and Alexander wanted to be ready for the summoning of the fairy.
When they reached the entry hall, he ordered the sentinel to guard the central tower and prevent anyone from going either up or down from the main room. The sentinel obeyed without question. Alexander reached into the Keep Master’s ring and found the four doorways leading into the large round room at the base of the central tower. He sealed them with the magical stone that had filled them the day Alexander had discovered this place.
As they returned to the paddock, they found several other groups of explorers along the way. There was a great deal of excitement on the part of the wizards. They had discovered huge libraries filled with books and scrolls of spells, magical research, writings on magical theory, discussions of the nature of Wizard’s Dust and how it interacted with the consciousness and the firmament, histories of the war and the time before, and even stories and fables. By all accounts, it would take a thousand wizards a hundred years to pour through all of the volumes they’d found. The library wings were vast, and the books were all intact despite long years of disuse.
Rooms in another wing were clearly storerooms for items of magical power. The wizards were in agreement that those specific rooms should be carefully protected, first from thieves, but more importantly from those without the proper training to discern the purpose of any given item. Some items were apparently very potent and dangerous, but there were no labels explaining what they could do. It was agreed that careful and deliberate cataloguing of the items within that wing was of the highest priority.
Still other rooms were designed as laboratories. Lucky was especially excited about one in particular that he’d picked out to serve as his new workshop. He was nearly giddy with the possibilities it presented. It had clearly been used in the distant past by a practicing alchemist. It was well stocked with glassware and had plenty of table and shelf space as well as bins of raw materials. A few of the ingredients were even still viable.
Other rooms were laid out as classrooms and lecture halls. A few were sleeping rooms for wizards who were working late and needed a few hours of sleep to clear their heads. Small meditation chambers were interspersed here and there, and a number of cozy little study rooms where a wizard could be alone with his books and his thoughts were tucked in between the larger rooms.
A few rooms were set up as small cafeterias, meeting rooms, and storage rooms.
One hall in particular generated significant comment and discussion. It was lined with eight rooms, each with a heavy gold magical circle inlaid into the floor for containing summoned creatures. Within two of the rooms, creatures from the netherworld remained imprisoned even after all these years. In both cases, the demons were excited to see the descendants of their captors and made determined attempts to breach the magical circles. Fortunately, the containment fields held. Unfortunately, the creatures resorted to inhuman shrieking that sent chills into all within earshot.
Alexander discovered that he could erect a shield where each hall met the central Hall of Magic. He felt better knowing that no one could get to those rooms without his permission.
Chapter 6
A hearty dinner awaited them when they emerged from the Keep. There was a great deal of lively discussion and storytelling about the discoveries that had been made. Much had been learned, but, as was to be expected, there were now many more questions than before. The new questions, however, were more specific, and those who raised them had clear ideas about how to go about finding the answers.
With Isabel at his side, Alexander sat quietly and listened to the wizards recount the wonders of the Keep. Once dinner was done and darkness began to settle, he started to feel anxious about the summoning that would soon take place. It was a vital part of his plan—he needed the assistance of the fairies, but he had no idea what to expect from the reclusive little creatures. Until today, he had only heard about fairies as legend and story. They were the stuff of his childhood imagination and now his entire world might depend on the aid of a magical creature that, until very recently, he didn’t even believe actually existed.
He was lost in thought when Mage Landi quietly approached.
“Lord Alexander, may we speak about the summoning?”
Alexander looked up absently for a moment before the present came back
in a rush. “Please,” he motioned to a nearby chair, “sit and tell me what to expect.”
“I’ve made preparations on the other side of the paddock,” Mage Landi said. “Lucky has provided me with the required fairy dust, and I’ve done the preliminary work. This is a bit of a delicate process for a number of reasons, so I wanted to confer with you before we begin.”
“Anything I can do to help,” Alexander said. “Keeping the Sovereign Stone from Phane is vitally important.”
“The presence of the scourgling poses a problem,” Landi said. “Fairies are creatures that exist both in this world and in the aether. Within the aether, a demon that is in this world is represented as a rift that leads to the netherworld. Such a rift is a danger to a fairy; the one summoned will probably be afraid and extremely wary.”
“Will the summoning risk the fairy’s life?” Isabel asked.
“No, but she will be frightened nonetheless,” Landi said. “The only true risk occurs when a fairy actually touches a creature from the netherworld. In such cases, a fairy’s ethereal essence can be drawn into the netherworld and her physical form will simply wink out of existence. With the scourgling safely on the other side of the chasm, the fairy will be at no more risk from the beast than we are, but she may suspect that we are actually in league with the scourgling. It’s important to impress on her that we are aware of it and that we fear it as well.”
“That won’t be a problem,” Alexander said wryly.
Mage Landi smiled. “Indeed. The next issue is of a more personal nature. Fairies are creatures of the light. They respond to love above all else and they are quite sensitive to the aura of it. Please understand, my analogy is not entirely accurate, but I believe I can communicate the important points more readily by leveraging magic that you are familiar with.
“Alexander, when you read the auras of two people who are feeling love for one another, there is a different quality to their colors, is there not?”
Alexander nodded thoughtfully. “Sometimes when I saw my parents together, the quality of their colors was always more vibrant and clear than otherwise. I never fully understood the cause until just now.”
“The fairies can see love in much the same way and are drawn to it,” Landi said. “For that reason, I would like Lady Isabel to participate in the summoning. The clear bond of love between you will resonate with the fairy and put her at ease more readily than any other thing.”
A thought occurred to Alexander. “Does the summoning spell compel the fairy to come to you? Does it force her against her will?”
“No. There are different schools of thought in the field of conjuration and summoning. Some wizards, such as necromancers, follow a darker path. They use binding magic to compel service against free will. I bargain openly and honestly with those I summon. By offering that which a creature values, they come willingly and hear me out. If the price I offer suits the creature’s interests, we agree to help one another. If not, we part ways.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Alexander said. “Is there anything I can bring to the table that will add to our bargaining position?”
“Love for Lady Isabel and reassurance that the beast at our door is the enemy.”
Alexander stood and offered his hand to Isabel. “That I can do. When do we start?”
They walked to the far end of the paddock. In the corner, Mage Landi had cleared a patch of ground and drawn three circles in the hard-packed dirt, each overlapping evenly with the other two. In the middle of each circle was a blanket folded into a small square. A candle was burning at each of the three points of intersection which described a triangle. A heavy wooden stake about two feet tall had been pounded into the ground in the center of the triangle. Resting on top of the stake was a small silver saucer with a circle of white powder surrounding the center point.
Mage Landi directed Alexander and Isabel to each sit in a specific circle and he seated himself in the third.
“Do not disturb the lines of the circles,” he said as he cautiously opened a small paper envelope and gently tapped out a fine iridescent powder into the center of the silver saucer.
“I will need a single drop of blood from each of you. Lady Isabel, you must give your blood first. Prick the ring finger of your left hand and squeeze a drop onto the fairy dust in the center of the saucer. Lord Alexander, you must do exactly the same immediately after Isabel.”
They carefully followed the Mage’s instructions. Alexander could see Abigail and Jack watching from a short way off, but he paid them little mind as he focused on doing his part in the summoning.
“Very good. Now hold hands and do not let go until the summoning is complete. Focus on your love for one another and hold those feelings in your heart.”
Mage Landi closed his eyes and began chanting softly. He spoke in a language like nothing Alexander had ever heard before. It was intricate and soft with gentle and lilting intonations. The mage repeated a complicated verse seven times over, one right after the next. When he stopped speaking, Alexander could almost hear the words of the verse in his head. Mage Landi waited silently for the count of three breaths before speaking a word of power. The small ring of powder surrounding the fairy dust burst into flame and melted. As the contents of the silver saucer combined, the flame grew higher, burning brightly with iridescent colors for several minutes. Alexander held Isabel’s hand and focused on his love for her as he watched the flames dance.
Abruptly the flames died, and a scintillating ball of pure white light spun into existence. It floated gently down and quite suddenly transformed into a fairy. Standing on the little silver saucer was a perfectly proportioned, three-inch-tall woman with dragonfly wings. She glowed faintly with soft white light that undulated with just a hint of color.
Her aura was clear and strong and encompassed all the colors of the rainbow. She was beautiful and stood proudly, as if she were ten feet tall. She looked all around for just a moment before she spun into a little ball of scintillating light again. She was so bright that Alexander couldn’t look directly at her; she was so beautiful that he tried to anyway.
From the spinning orb of light, Alexander heard a clear, lilting voice with perfect pronunciation and just a slight accent that reminded him of what he always thought royalty should sound like.
“Darkness is near,” she said.
Mage Landi nodded to Alexander.
“The darkness is our enemy but you are safe from it here,” he said.
“Love is also near,” she said. “Your blood is sweet with it.” She stopped spinning and floated a foot over the little silver saucer, wings beating in a blur as she looked toward the scourgling. “The darkness is at bay. It does not approach.”
“The darkness cannot pass the chasm. You’re safe here,” Alexander said.
The fairy looked back to Alexander. “Why does the King of the small people call upon the fairy folk?”
Alexander was perplexed. Before he fully thought it through, he blurted his question.
“How are we small people when you’re only three inches tall?”
“You are small in time, not in stature,” she answered without affront.
“You mean you live longer than we do?” Alexander asked.
“Yes. Time is of no consequence to us, but this cannot be the reason for your summoning.”
Alexander felt a little foolish. He had far more important matters to discuss, and he was indulging his curiosity.
“I’m in need of your help. There’s an item of great power trapped in the aether. I need to retrieve it before another does or the world will fall into darkness.”
She spun back into a ball of scintillating light and floated another foot higher into the air.
“I cannot help you. I will not. The risk is too great and you are not ready.”
“Without your help, many will die.”
Alexander felt a shiver of fear race through him. He realized that this was yet another battlefield and he had no idea what the rule
s were.
“Those many will die anyway.” She stopped spinning and gently floated down to eye level again. “Death is the natural end of the small people.”
“That’s why we need your help so desperately,” Isabel said. “We’re doomed to die, and for that we love life all the more. There is one who would bring death to many before their time. Please help us stop him.”
“I felt him wake,” the fairy said. “Darkness follows him with hunger.”
“If he retrieves the Sovereign Stone from the aether, then darkness will fill the world,” Alexander said.
At mention of the Sovereign Stone, she spun back into a scintillating ball of light. “I have looked at the Stone you speak of. It has great and terrible power. It would be best to leave it where it is.”
“I wish we could, but Phane, the one followed by darkness, will not stop until he has it. I have to prevent that,” Alexander said. “I know of no way to do that other than with your help.”
She stopped spinning and floated close to Alexander. She scrutinized him for a long moment before she went to Isabel and looked at her just as closely. She floated back to the silver saucer and landed facing them. “You ask more than you know. The cost will be great, to both of you.”
Alexander felt Isabel squeeze his hand, and he squeezed hers in return.
“We’re willing to pay the cost if it will save the future from darkness.”
Isabel nodded her agreement.
“Very well. Both of you must come to our home in the Pinnacles and stand before the Fairy Queen. She will decide.” With that the fairy spun back into a scintillating ball of light—then she was gone, leaving them sitting in the dark of night.
Alexander and Isabel walked silently back to their quarters, still holding hands.
