She laughed at him as she listened to him breathe a little heavier to cool off his tongue. “Rakki love hot food. The spicier the better.”
Markus hung his tongue out a little and practically panted, which drew even more eyes on him from the passing people. Fortunately, it was not an insulting gesture, but awkward.
Crystal had decided to take him on a stroll through the trees to show him her village. She was proud of her home and it showed. While she was a shy, quiet person when he first met her, she beamed with pride when she spoke about the Rakki’s village and their accomplishments.
“So, are there any other Rakki villages around Gallenor?” Markus asked.
Crystal nodded. “A few. None this large, but all inside forests. My kind enjoys being around the trees.”
Markus noted the multitude of small farms inside the city that were populated with many chickens. “I see that poultry seems to be popular among your kind.”
“Oh, yes. Chickens, ducks, geese—all kinds. Fowl makes up most of our meat. Do the Humankind eat a lot of birds?”
“Yes, but not quite as much as the Rakki. We eat a lot of vegetables and fruits. In fact, where I am from is a large farming community that mostly grows fruits and grains.”
“Do you not have much food other than plants?”
“The Lizardkind that live outside of the main villages raise pigs, cows, ducks, and goats. So, we get meat, though most of the animals are raised primarily for what they produce. Milk, eggs, manure.”
She shuddered. “I can’t imagine eating just plants.” Brushing it off, she asked, “Did you use your magic to help the farmers?”
“No.” He laughed at the thought. “In fact, I was sort of an embarrassment to my family. I was supposed to inherit the farm, just like my father and grandfather. So, I grew up in the dirt.”
“Your people did not encourage your craft?” It was a stunning revelation to her.
“Not really. I’m from a simple farming community. You do what is expected of you.” He kicked at the ground a little. “It didn’t help that I learned just enough magic to be a menace.”
“Huh?”
He laughed at himself, considering how foolish he had been. “I found an old book that had some spells in it. I tried to learn how to use them. I set more than one fire and caused a few sonic booms. Nothing was ever destroyed, and I did no real harm, but I scared people. Wizards haven’t been seen in the valley for decades. So, to those old farmers, magic is scary.”
“To the unwise, magic can appear dangerous and frightening. I know some of our own are scared by my abilities. But, my ambition is to be a healer, so I never set any fires or created booms.”
“You’re lucky you have been able to train.”
She frowned at him. “But, you now have a powerful wand? Father said you cast a huge fireball at the imp and helped stop it. Surely, only a wizard would have a wand like yours.”
“An old wizard gave it to me, along with a mission to follow, after he passed on. The wand is powerful, but I am not a real wizard yet. I am not even an apprentice. You’re better at this than I.”
She laughed and shook her head. “I am a mere novice, not a real wizard yet. I wish I could learn more about magic, but it is forbidden.”
Her admission caught his attention right away. “Forbidden? What about the college?”
“Don’t you know? The Royal Guards have been rounding up wizards for years. Magic lessons have been banned and the college closed. My parents were taken four years ago, and I’ve not seen them since.”
“I guess that’s what Tolen was referring to when he told me the King was paranoid about magic and wizards. I didn’t realize how bad it was.” Suddenly, he realized something else she had said. “Wait a minute.” Markus stopped walking. “Your parents? I thought Treb and Kiin . . .”
“They’re good friends of my family. When my mother and father were taken, they took me in.”
Markus was still in shock and began to become angry. “Have you not thought about going after them? Freeing them?”
“I want to go and find them. Many nights, I’ve dreamed of sneaking into the prison and setting them free. But, I was a little girl when they were taken from me. I cannot go alone.”
“What about the rest of the Rakki? Are they all right with this ludicrous order? If anyone invaded the valley and stole people, I’m sure my friends would—”
Crystal stopped him. “With what?”
“Huh?”
“The Royal Army is large and powerful. If we went in to get back our kinfolk, they would crush us in an afternoon.” She looked like she was about to cry.
Markus took her hand and held it. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you sad.”
She mustered a smile and looked him in the eye. “It’s all right. I know you didn’t mean anything bad by it. You simply don’t understand.”
“No, I’m afraid I don’t. Wizards don’t come around the valley much. My family members were about the only ones still left in the valley who could use magic, but they never trained or practiced, so I guess we were ignored when this gathering of wizards happened. The only wizard left was Tolen, and he had been evading the Royals . . . apparently.”
She let go of his hand and sat down on a bench. “It was an awful night. A legion of the Royal Army, led by this tall Humankind in fancy armor, came and asked to speak with our leader. Everyone was worried about what was happening. I was so scared. I heard people mention war, dragon attacks, and many other terrible things.”
Markus sat next to her. “When did they take them?”
Her lip quivered, but she forced herself not to cry. Gulping in a breath, she continued, “The Rakki couriers came to each home of the known wizards and announced they were to surrender themselves to the King at Thendor for the good of the kingdom. I didn’t understand. I only knew they were taking away my family. My father came to me and fell on his knees. He put his arms around me and held me so close, I could feel his heart beating. My mother put her arms around both of us, and they cried. I had never seen tears in my father’s eyes before. Then, they told me to conceal my abilities and not to tell anyone for at least a year I was able to use magic. My father and mother walked me over to Treb and Kiin’s home and asked them to watch over me until they returned. Mom told me to respect Treb and Kiin as I would my own parents. Then . . .” She paused to collect herself. “Then, they told me they loved me and would return. With that, they surrendered themselves to the Royal Guards and were taken away with the rest of the wizards.”
Markus put his arm around her. “I’m so sorry. My mom and dad frustrate me some days, but I can’t imagine watching them be taken away as prisoners.”
“Of all the wizard families in our village, I was the only child that could use magic. I waited a year for them to come back, hiding my abilities. Once we were sure the Royals were not looking for wizards among our kind any longer, I began to study and taught myself magic. I would become a healer and make my mother and father proud once they returned. But . . . they haven’t.”
“Yet,” he said, trying to be positive. “They haven’t returned yet. They’re still alive and . . . and you will see them soon.”
“Really? How do you know?”
“Wand!” he called out, and his new wand appeared in his hand. “An ancient and powerful wizard gave me this wand and a mission. I’m to find a Dragonwand and return it to a statue. The Ancient said a darkness was coming to Gallenor, and my mission would protect us from the darkness. Once I’m done, I’m sure the wizards will be freed.”
She was stunned. “Is this true?”
He smiled at her charmingly to revive the smile she had lost a while back. “I have no reason to lie.”
Crystal giggled and looked into his eyes. It was probably him doing his best to flirt with her, or it could have been all this talk about seeing her family again, but she was beginning to really like this Humankind.
Markus asked, “I’ve heard you call Treb and Kiin y
our mother and father—why? Shouldn’t you just call them by their names? They aren’t your real parents.”
“No, they aren’t,” Crystal affirmed. “But to me, they’re my parents right now. I love and respect them as my mother and father. If they had any children of their own, those children would be my brothers and sisters. I show Treb and Kiin respect by calling them Mother and Father.”
“That’s sweet,” Markus said, and then twirled his wand around. “Hey, I think I remember a fireworks spell. Wanna see me try?”
“A-HEM!” a voice interrupted, breaking up the little exchange of glances. Both children looked to see Treb standing before them, still in his armor, his muscular arms folded, and his eyes fixed on Markus. “What is going on here?” he demanded.
Crystal stood up while gently removing Markus’ arm from around her shoulders. “My new friend was just telling me about his wand.”
Treb, still glaring at Markus, asked, “Was that all he was doing?” The insinuation in his voice was unmistakable.
Crystal gasped, “Father! Don’t be rude. He was just being friendly.”
Treb gave Markus one last, over-protective-father look, and then turned. “Come, it’s getting late, and Kiin needs a little help from your magic to sleep tonight.”
Crystal waited a second for her father to move a few steps away. Once he was, she quietly said, “Thanks.”
“For what?” Markus asked.
“For trying to give me hope. I had forgotten it was still in my heart, but it’s right where I left it.”
Markus restated an old line from a poem he had read once. “Hope is frail, but hard to kill.”
“Rest well tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll show you the library. It’s quite something to see.”
Treb yelled out when he noticed Crystal wasn’t walking behind him. “ Hey! Aren’t you coming home tonight?!”
She smiled at Markus one last time. “Good night.” With that, she turned and ran to catch up to her adoptive father.
Markus watched her walk away, her tail wagging. She was certainly cute, which was something he never imagined he would have thought about anyone with a tail.
Markus settled into his room at the inn. Treb and Kiin had kindly arranged for him to have a place to stay—a reward for him helping save them from the imp attack. He was happy to be sleeping on a soft bed and in a warm room. Since he had left home, he had been sleeping under the stars. That kind of life had its charm but lacked some of the comforts he was used to.
All throughout the evening, what Crystal had said to him played on his mind. Wizardry was outlawed? Why? Wizards were usually kind helpers who utilized their talents to enhance the lives of everyone. Markus wanted to use his magic to assist the farmers with their crops, and even protect the village from the infrequent bandit attacks. But that had all changed now. He was considered a fugitive just for having magical powers.
Sitting at a small table in the room, he pondered everything. This mission already had its difficulties, but now it was looking to be impossible. What if he was discovered? How was he supposed to find this Dragonwand, all by himself, in a land that now wanted to imprison him for being a wizard? Taking a deep breath, he realized how late it was and that he had to get some sleep. He would figure things out tomorrow.
After snuffing out the candles, Markus lay down on his bed. He smiled at the feeling of feathers beneath him. The mattress, pillows, and comforter were all stuffed with chicken feathers. Probably a by-product of all the chicken farms in the area. It was a much softer bed than what he had expected.
For well over two hours, he tried to sleep, but he couldn’t. It wasn’t the words Crystal had said to him, but his feelings that had stirred him. She had lost her parents in a terrible way, and missed them dearly. What if his mother and father were gone? He began to think of the day before he had left.
His mother had been angry as ever at him. She had expected all of her lectures about being a member of the family and tending their farm would have sunk in. His father wasn’t as angry, but filled with disappointment. Both of his parents had spent the better part of the past year trying to control his life and tell him what his future would be. They both ignored his worries about his strange dreams. His father, a person who denied his own magical side, had said the dreams would go away when Markus finally gave up on his goal of learning about magic. But Markus had not been convinced.
From the time he was ten to the day he turned fifteen, he had apprenticed to Farmer Joel, a friend of the family. It was tradition that Markus would spend five years working in the field his father chose for him, but not on the family’s field. Joel was a nice old man who raised strawberries and even a little silk grass, a plant used to spin into fabrics. Markus had planted, tended, and harvested like a good farmhand.
He wasn’t half bad, which was to be expected, considering he had spent his life on a farm. But, in his down time, he practiced what little magic he could. At first, his father tried to teach him how to suppress magical abilities in the same ways that he had. But Markus wasn’t going to hear of that. Magic wasn’t a burden; it was a gift.
What surprised Markus the most was that Farmer Joel had encouraged him to learn magic. He was the oldest farmer in the valley and had known that wizards had used to help farmers. They could help heal ill cattle, remove swarms of bugs, and bring water during dry times. After a lifetime of struggling as a farmer, Markus finally realized he could help ease the struggles of his fellow farmers, especially his family. But they were still stubborn about their beliefs. He wasn’t going to learn magic if they had their way.
A month before any boy turned sixteen, he was allowed to go out into the world and decide what he wanted to do with his life. It was an old tradition most children avoided, especially those sheltered in the old farm communities. Unlike the other children, Markus seemed to be born with ambition in his blood. He wanted to learn and grow, to see the world outside of the valley. This tradition allowed Markus to go the school of his choosing, and he chose to go to a Wizardry School. His mother and father were angry with him. They told him he was not allowed, but Markus found the town magistrate and affirmed that once he turned sixteen, he had the right to go to college. This only made the situation worse at home. His parents were now extremely determined to keep him home. The fights became so bad, it had nearly come to blows between him and his mother. His father hardly spoke to him. When his father did speak to him, it was all about keeping the family tradition alive, tend the farm . . . and nothing else.
The day before he set out was the worst day of his life with his parents. The screaming match got so bad that a family friend who had walked by their home ran to get the magistrate. She was certain the family was at each other’s throats, and she was nearly correct. When the magistrate arrived, he only found a heated family argument. However, he had told Markus’ parents that they had no legal right to keep their son at home, though he had advised Markus to listen to them. It seemed everyone outside of Farmer Joel was against Markus leaving. But his teenage stubbornness wanted to prove them all wrong. He made up his mind, packed himself up, and left. He should’ve brought more with him, but he was ready to leave.
Considering all he knew now, he realized why the magistrate had encouraged Markus to learn how to suppress his magical side. Byron was a kind old man who had served the valley community for over twenty years. He had protected Markus from the wizard law. It was likely he had expected Markus to fail in finding a wizard to write him his letter, and that was why he hadn’t stopped him from going. Now, Markus was out here, and there was so much against him, he almost wanted to go home . . . almost.
Looking back, Markus was still angry at his parent’s attitude. But he was also a little worried. What if something happened to him? What if something happened to them? They might have been angry at each other, but he still loved them and knew perfectly well they loved him. He could go home right now and they would be there. Crystal did not have that option. She only had her memories and a vagu
e hope. He wanted to tell his parents he was sorry. He wasn’t sorry for believing in his abilities and his own future, but he was sorry for yelling at them. He was sorry for not telling them he loved them before he left. His heart ached. He had felt so grown-up since he left home, but right now, he felt like he was six years old.
For the rest of the night, he lay in bed and did his best to convince himself not to go home tomorrow. He still had a mission and would complete it. Once that was done, however, he would go home and make sure his parents were all right. This mission wouldn’t take too long, and then all would be right. At least, that was the logic he used to sate his fears.
Chapter 4: Courts and Wizards
A young assistant walked alongside the King’s personal wizard. They approached a large rock structure near the outskirts of the Capital.
The Pale Labyrinth was a place built to house wizards who were deemed too dangerous to be allowed to go free. It held thousands of people, each in an alcove of stone that was enchanted to put the person into a deep, permanent sleep. Over the centuries of its existence, the Pale Labyrinth was used for no more than one hundred wizards at a time. Now, it was pushed to its limits. Thousands of wizards rested in the space meant for far fewer, almost none of them guilty of anything but being born.
“Uh, sir, what happens if we find more wizards?” the assistant hesitantly asked.
Head Wizard Hallond touched a magical barrier that was placed in a doorway to the outside. It flashed against his touch, showing him it was still at full strength. The old man looked up at his fellow wizards in their deep slumber. “We can house fifteen more before the labyrinth becomes full.”
“I know. What then, sir?”
“Then, young Horace, we will have to construct more alcoves and enchant them as these were. That is assuming we do not find a way to end the threat and finally release them.”
Legacy of Dragonwand: Book 1 (Legacy of Dragonwand Trilogy) Page 4
