Crystal cleared her throat and stood up from her kneeling position. She was standing right next to Markus. “Sir, if I might speak, please.” She was so scared, her tail was down between her legs, and she was visibly shaking. Both Treb and Kiin were shocked she even spoke at all.
Kellus tipped his head to her. “What would you say, child?”
She looked at Markus and then at her lord. “I’ve spent time with him. It’s only been an evening and today, but I’ve found a person who is kind and funny. He hasn’t done anything to harm me or show greed in any fashion, save perhaps a healthy taste for knowledge. He showed me some magic I had always wished to see, though it did startle Mora in the library. And when Mora came to ask him to stop, he was obedient.”
Kellus held his hand out to Markus. “So, Crystal, you vouch for this Humankind?”
She nodded her head, her tail still tucked and her hands shaking. “Yes.”
Markus looked at her with a friendly, happy smile. He had no idea she would say such things about him. “Thanks.”
Kellus stood up from his throne and bowed his head to Markus. “Then, you have my blessing for your quest.”
Treb muttered to Kiin, “His blessing because a sixteen-year-old girl likes this boy?”
Kellus gave Treb a knowing grin. “Master Treb, you may view your little girl as a mere sixteen-year-old child, but I have come to understand her scrutiny. She would not so quickly befriend someone, and I dare say she would need a good reason to show the courage to speak up in here when she did. This Markus must be a special boy to encourage that in this young lady.”
Markus bowed to Kellus. “Thank you, sir.”
Treb had the most embarrassed look on his face for being corrected in front of everyone. He had thought only his wife would hear his words.
Just then, Norl hurried in from another part of the Grand Hall. In his arms, he carried a large item wrapped in cloth. “I found it! I found it!”
Kellus looked back to see his first courtier come running. “And not a moment too soon.” He stepped down from his throne to speak with Norl, away from the others.
Treb and Kiin both stood up from their kneeling and approached Markus and Crystal. Treb had a worried look on his canine features, while Kiin was proud of her girl. No one spoke yet, for they knew Kellus was not finished.
“Markus, step forward.” Kellus stood at the side of his throne with a large, leather-bound book in his hands.
Markus straightened his shoulders and came over to the Rakki lord. “Yes, sir?”
Kellus held out the book. “This is for you.”
Markus wasn’t sure what to do or say as he took the book. The leather had words scribed into it, but he could not read them. He slowly opened the book, finding the pages filled to the brim with the same words, written in a language he could not read. “What is it?”
Norl answered, “That is the Wizard Codex. It was put together by an ancient wizard, just after the War.”
Markus was amazed at the idea of holding a book that could possibly be over a thousand years old. “Wow . . . what do I do with it?”
Kellus walked Markus back to the front of the throne with the others. “This was created as a means for future generations to harness the knowledge of the ancients. The wizard who crafted this gave it to the first Rakki lord, instructing him to keep it safe until a time came when the kingdom was threatened by dark magics. The Codex holds the secrets of the Dragon Citadel, and even some spells that have long been lost to the wizards of Gallenor. With this, you should be able to complete your quest.”
Markus looked at the book again. Opening it up, he tried to decipher the words. “I . . . I’m sorry, but the wizard who sent me on this journey didn’t take the time to teach me ancient wizard tongue. I can’t read this.”
“I know,” Kellus stated very frankly. “No one can. The words are written with a magic spell. The wizard who gave this to us said only ancient knowledge can unlock ancient knowledge.”
Markus rolled his eyes and scoffed. “What does that mean?”
Treb slapped Markus in the arm. “Show more respect.”
Kellus was chortling. “It’s okay, Master Treb. He is right to be frustrated.” He returned his attention to the young man. “Markus, no one has ever understood what that statement means. I am sure you will discover the meaning when the time is right. Fortunately, there is more to this than coded words.” He approached Markus and turned the pages all the way to the back. The very last page and cover were connected. The long page wasn’t simply more words. It was a map. “The wizard gave you this much information. See there.” He pointed to a small indicator over the mountains in the north. “That directs you to the Barren Mountains. This is the only known map that reveals any sort of location involving the Dragon Citadel. We have kept this secret for many generations, waiting for the day when an honest man came seeking it.”
Treb, unaware of this legendary book and map, asked, “Why haven’t you given this to the King? He has said many times that they’re seeking the Citadel.”
Kellus smiled at his warrior. “The King showed incredible foolishness by taking so many of our people. I felt he had not proven himself worthy of seeing this. After nearly fifty generations of waiting, we had to be certain of the person who was to be given this Codex.”
Treb scoffed and shook his head in disbelief. “And you choose a boy, a Humankind boy? What kind of logic is that?”
Kellus simply smiled, while Kiin just about swallowed her teeth at her husband’s outburst. “Master Treb, if you see reason to not trust this boy, please volunteer to go with him.”
“Huh?” Treb, Kiin, and Markus all responded in unison.
Kellus nodded to them. “If you are so worried about his intentions and worthiness of such a gift and task, then you should go with him, seeing to it that he completes this task to your specifications. I am sure he would welcome such a talented and noble warrior of the Rakki.”
Markus realized he was meant to answer. “Oh . . . uh . . . yeah. Any help would be welcomed.”
Treb frowned and looked at his wife. “Kiin?”
Kiin gave it a moment of thought and then honestly answered, “It’s the chance of a lifetime to visit the Dragon Citadel and help free our people.”
“So . . . you’re saying you want to go?” Treb was confused and a bit shocked.
Kiin looked at Crystal. She remembered the week after Crystal’s parents were taken from her—how she had cried and cried. The memory alone made Kiin’s heart ache. “I’ve waited too long to give this child back to her own mother and father. It’s about time we force the issue and rescue them ourselves. And, as I see it, helping Markus is the only opportunity we have ever had to finally see our friends again. To see Crystal home with her real parents once more.”
Treb’s mind momentarily ran with a flood of thoughts. There were questions and concerns about every aspect of this journey. He looked at Crystal. She was precious to him . . . a child who relied on him and Kiin for safety and support. They provided her with a home and family, but no one could truly replace her parents. It was time he gave her what she wanted the most in life. So, he set aside all his many questions and thoughts and simply nodded to Kellus. “Yes, I guess this is what I would want, too. I’ll go with him.”
Kiin took Treb’s hand and looked at Kellus. “We will go with him.”
Kellus smiled at Markus, who had two of the proudest, most skilled warriors of the Rakki standing behind him. “Go then, with my blessing, and bring my people back home.”
Chapter 7: Searching
Hallond left the city of Thendor and rode alone far into the countryside where the Desolate Mountains spread out. The mountains were dirty, barren, and considered as the badlands by many. The only prestige the mountains held was in their history. It was across these mountains that the ancient wizards had waged a war over a thousand years ago. Through battles and many terrible spells, the mountains were stripped of any use other than to keep the hars
h winter winds of the north from besieging Thendor.
To Hallond, these mountains were home. He had lived and fought here many times during the War. He rode higher and higher into the mountains, cutting through narrow passes at which the horse hesitated. Hallond had a destination in mind and a thin smile on his lips. Once he came to a sheer cliff that provided nothing but a dead end, he knew he was where he wanted to stop. He dismounted his horse and tethered her to a stump of a long-dead tree that had made a futile attempt at growing there. He pulled out his wand and approached a stack of boulders that were much too heavy for any person to lift.
“Vega!” he called out, and a blue glow surrounded the boulders, lifting them up as clouds into the air. Carefully, he stacked them around a newly revealed cave entrance. Once the blue glow was gone, he walked fearlessly onward.
The cave was not carved by time, but by magic. The cavern was huge and constructed with many large crevasses. Hundreds of boxes were scattered around the cave. Each held a person-sized object. As Hallond walked into the cave, torches on the walls instantly ignited and provided light. This illuminated the multitude of objects spread about the room. Mirrors, swords, shields, a few skeletons, crystals, and other various magical items, were all that remained of the dark wizards’ relics after the War.
“Who goes there?!”a ghostly voice echoed throughout the cave.
Hallond rolled his eyes. “Must we do this every time?”
“Announce yourself, or be destroyed!” the same voice said, threatening him.
With a bored expression and unexcited voice, he replied, “It is I, Hallond. No one else is with me.”
Suddenly, hundreds of ghostly people made of shadowy smoke that shimmered in red hues rose up from the boxes. It was like a great fire had been lit, though the cavern was colder.
A balding male ghost glared at Hallond. “Are you ready for us?!”
“No.”
Many of the ghosts began to speak, all angry with him.
He raised his hands to get their attention. “Silence!” The voices slowly stopped, but the anger was still present in their faces. “The plan is still on track. Once we obtain the Dragonwand . . .” The very mention of the word sent a wave of incensed growls and harsh words. Hallond continued despite them, “Once we obtain the Dragonwand, I will have the power I require to complete the spell.”
A woman hovering near a box that leaned up against a wall asked, “What of the bodies? Will we have enough?”
Hallond gave off a rather evil smile. “Yes. I have thousands of perfect bodies awaiting you. Each is carrying the wizard gene, so you will be able to seize it without worry.”
The first man to speak did not stop glaring at him. “Your own spell will break soon. If you do not complete this mission, you will no longer be able to walk with the living. All our plans, our triumphant return, will be destroyed.”
It never ceased to agitate Hallond to listen to someone describe how he could possibly fail. He stepped up to the ghost hovering over his own coffin. “I will succeed. Tolen has died, and no one stands between the Dragonwand and us. All that remains is locating the Dragon Citadel. Once the King’s Guards find the wand, all your concerns will be put to rest. Do not worry.”
“What of the King?” another man asked. “He suspects nothing?”
Hallond turned and walked around, a wicked smile playing delicately on his lips. “The King is a foolish, greedy human. The mere suggestion that I could make him more powerful only feeds the natural greed they all have. It has blinded him, just as I said it would. He will do anything for me, so long as I keep promising him immortality.” Hallond looked into a handheld, gold-lined mirror, sneering at his own face. “And, when I am done with him, I will discard him and take his place as King. I will gain control over Gallenor and herald the new future we were denied those ten centuries ago.” He was speaking more to himself than to the ghostly shadows.
The balding ghost looked up. “I sense Tolen’s power still at work!”
Hallond’s snarl turned to another eye roll. “You sound just like that idiot King. Tolen simply set into motion a plan to stop us. With his death, it will surely fail, and I will win. Do not worry.”
“I sense it, too. A wand . . . a wand endowed with ancient magic.” The woman by the wall cradled her head with her ghostly hands. The thought of what she sensed in Gallenor right now brought a level of pain.
Hallond turned around and looked at her. “What is this? You must be wrong.”
“The eye! Get to the eye!” An old woman pointed to a large ruby on the ground.
Hallond ran over and picked up the ruby, which was as large as a melon. He peered into it and said, “Tolen.” The eye lit up, and began to search Gallenor for any trace of the ancient wizard Tolen. Suddenly, a wand appeared, sitting on a table. It was the wand Tolen had given to Markus. “See, nothing but a relic of that old fool, nothing to worry—what is this?!” He then saw Markus’ hand reach down and pick up the wand. And every ghost in the cave knew that any wand enchanted with ancient magic was impossible to hold unless one was the wand’s owner.
“So, Tolen is dead?” the bald man asked sarcastically.
Hallond glared into the crystal. “Show me its user, dammit!” He couldn’t see the person holding the wand. It followed the wand itself, then turned blurry and stopped showing him anything. “Tolen!” Hallond dropped the ruby, as he suddenly realized whoever was the bearer of that wand was being protected by magic from the wizard Tolen. He couldn’t use magic to see the bearer.
A woman called out, “Destroy him!”
Another man yelled, “We are lost!”
The bald ghost held out his hand to silence everyone, and then he spoke. “Obviously, you underestimated Tolen’s foresight. He has found a way to continue his mission through someone else.”
Hallond gathered himself and responded, “Whomever that old fool decided to use will regret helping him. Do not forget: not only do I have every Guard and warrior under the King at my command, but I am still an ancient wizard. We will find them, and we will stop them.”
“While continuing the search for the Dragonwand,” the woman by the wall stated.
“Yes, of course,” Hallond scoffed. “All will still go according to plan. Do not worry, my brothers and sisters. We will not be stopped. The War is not yet over.”
“You should send a thousand guards to search each road,” the old woman said.
Another called out, “Call a fire demon to scour the lands until the wand bearer is dead.”
And another said, “Poison the water of all the villages. That will take care of it.”
Hallond turned around and simply walked out. The ghosts had not seen the light of day, or even the ground in front of their own coffins, for a thousand years. They did not know what to do, but he did. Even after stepping out into the daylight, he could still hear them giving him their ideas. With a swift swipe of his hand, the rocks around the cave all tumbled back into place and sealed them into their natural catacomb.
Mounting his horse once more, Hallond rode off out of the mountains. Even though he had an obligation to bring these ancient wizards back to Gallenor, he was pleased with the idea of being their ruler. Once all his plans were complete and he was supreme immortal King of Gallenor, all knees would bow to him—even these old fools.
Markus followed Treb and Kiin out of the village, heading north down a path opposite to the entrance he had come in. Once they were on the road outside of the main forest, Markus looked up to see the blue skies. Though he could see sky above the trees, it felt awfully closed in inside the village. Out here, he felt better.
Kiin had gotten Markus some extra clothes and helped him pack for a walking journey. Treb made sure they had food for the first leg of their trip. They would resupply as they came across markets. Otherwise, when the food ran out, Treb would hunt.
Ever since he had “volunteered,” Treb had worn a sour look on his face, as though he were unhappy with everything. Marku
s wasn’t sure if the fearsome warrior was angry at him, or just displeased with having to go along, but he had not braved asking Treb or Kiin about it. Markus was happy to have traveling companions, especially warriors who were very skilled. He wasn’t sure how to handle an imp attack if he came across one by himself. He had been lucky last time.
“So, uh, how far are we going to walk today?” Markus asked.
Treb did not look back to answer. “As far as we can get. We’re going to have to travel off of the main roads as much as possible, so it’ll take a little extra time.”
“Off the main roads? Is that safe?”
Kiin shook her head. “Not any less safe than running into a scouting party from Thendor. Wouldn’t want them to discover you and your wand and have them cart you off to the Pale Labyrinth.”
“Let us worry about what we encounter,” Treb stated spitefully. “You need to decipher that book, so we know what to do when we get to the mountains.”
Kiin stepped over to him and whispered, “Ease up. He didn’t do anything to you.”
Treb whispered right back, “We had to leave Crystal behind, by herself. She’s left to be worried about yet another set of parents while this boy has filled her mind with hopeful thoughts of seeing her real parents again.”
“That’s what we’re trying to do,” Kiin stated clearly.
“Yes, but . . . our little girl has been let down so much, I just cannot stand her having her hopes dashed by an unsuccessful journey.” His whispers were harsher than Kiin’s, and he was having a hard time keeping Markus from hearing them.
“Give him a chance. Crystal likes him, and he hasn’t done anything to hurt anyone. Besides, what makes you think this will be unsuccessful?”
“We’re pinning all our hopes on a young Humankind who hardly knows how to use the wand he was given, and doesn’t know how to read a book that’s all the information we have. And, none of us know what to expect at the Citadel, if we do find it.”
Kiin smiled at him. “Give him a chance. If you set in your mind failure, then we’ll fail. Show a little optimism. Besides, that little boy saved my life, didn’t he?”
Legacy of Dragonwand: Book 1 (Legacy of Dragonwand Trilogy) Page 8
