The Watcher Key (Descendants of Light Book 1)

by Troy Hooker

  “It’s okay, Miss Karpatch. Really,” he answered, but more out of the desire to end the conversation than to console her.

  Miss Karpatch sighed.

  “In Lior, please call me Sarah.”

  Sam poked at an oversized bug with a stick and finished off the rest of the cake ball, his muffled words barely heard as the moist dessert filled up most of his mouth.

  “Sure Miss Karpatch,” he smiled awkwardly at her.

  They packed up their lunch remains and headed back down the trail toward the dense forest that led out of the valley. As they walked, Sam thought he caught glimpses of the huge Northropi gliding through the air in the distance, but they were good at blending into the scenery behind them.

  As they traversed the winding trail through the dense pines, wildlife began to appear more frequently now. Some animals he was used to—squirrels, deer, and the occasional bright yellow finch— and a few he wasn’t—oversized woodland birds, giant green and silver dragonflies that swooped around their heads curiously, and even a Rhynio insect, thought to be one of the oldest extinct insects known in the scientific world.

  He looked over at Gus, who was puffing his way through thick undergrowth that had begun to snake over the path, and thought about a short break to chew on some jerky Mrs. Sterling tucked into his pack, but he knew nothing was going to stop Mr. Sterling’s goal of reaching the City by nightfall. It was a long trek yet, but doable if they didn’t stop for unnecessary breaks.

  Suddenly ahead of them, a yellow lizard-like creature the size of a small fox with a curious domed head paused to size them up as a possible meal. At the sight of Gus’s looming frame, he decided against it and scurried quickly into the dense underbrush to the right of the trail.

  “That one is a Lotio,” Emma whispered while pointing to the bit of yellow that poked out from an extra thorny bush. “He’s an extinct lizard. Don’t worry, he’s more scared of us, but I still wouldn’t go sneaking up on him.”

  Then, immediately ahead of them, there was a loud crashing in the brush that sounded like a bulldozer plowing through the trees, but as soon as it started, the noise was deadly silent.

  “Everyone get hidden and be quiet!” Mr. Sterling turned and hushed the group frantically before ducking into a small clump of brush to the side of the trail.

  Before Sam realized it, Emma had pulled him off to the side of the trail and was busy searching for a suitable place to hide. But they obviously didn’t move fast enough, for out of the trees ahead stepped a large grey and tan lizard with teeth the size of spearheads and skin that glistened as though he had just been through a creek. As its gleaming tangerine eyes surveyed its surroundings, it calmly purred as though a cat would, but in predatory fashion.

  Turning its sleek head to and fro, for a moment it spotted movement near Sam and Emma and charged suddenly within five feet of where they stood, glaring at the two immobile shapes in front of him.

  “D-don’t M-move,” Emma hissed through her teeth.

  Sam obeyed. Not only was he terrified of the agile monster in front of him, but also his foot was caught securely in the exposed roots of a scraggly tree next to him. For a moment he remembered his backpack stuck in the chair in Miss Karpatch’s classroom and cursed the untimely irony under his breath.

  The creature eyed them both, turning his gaze upon Sam, as if waiting for a move, and then Emma. He clawed the ground with his gigantic feet as if to elicit some response from either of them, then seeing none, turned and quickly disappeared through the trees.

  “That,” Emma’s heart galloped as she clutched Sam’s shoulder, “was a Sarse.”

  “A what?” Sam was still trying to free his foot and figure out what had just happened.

  “Are you two alright?” Mrs. Sterling looked panicked as she rushed to their side, closely followed by Gus, Lillia, Miss Karpatch, and Cooley.

  “Oh man, I thought you were goners,” Lillia shook her head.

  Mrs. Sterling grabbed her daughter and looked her all around as if searching for invisible wounds, while Mr. Sterling had pulled out his binoculars and was scanning the trees for any sign of the creature’s return.

  “We’re fine, mom, really. It just scared us, that’s all,” Emma finally succeeded in controlling her breathing.

  “That was a young Allosaurus. We call them Sarse’s, but very rare in this area nonetheless. You and Emma were lucky,” Gus patted Sam on the back.

  “Allosaurus?” Sam had finally freed his stuck foot. “Now I know I am dreaming.”

  “It’s not even that unthinkable, if you consider how young the Earth is,” Miss Karpatch added. “Lucky for you two, Sarses are pretty thick skulled.”

  “Doesn’t matter what or where it came from if it is going to have you for dinner,” Mrs. Sterling huffed.

  “That was a close call,” Mr. Sterling turned from his guard. “I have never come across a Sarse this close to Warm Springs before. They must be migrating for some reason. We need to be on our guard always, and close together as a group from now on.”

  “Agreed,” Mrs. Sterling pronounced resolutely. “I want adults in front and back of the line, and you kids in the middle.” She snapped her fingers sharply and pointed in front of her.

  No one argued with her request, and instead picked up their packs and began to file in line back on the trail.

  “Welcome to the neighborhood, newb,” Lillia snickered as she brushed past.

  They walked a while before seeing the first sign of water, which was good timing since their canteens were nearly dry. He could tell the rest of the group was beginning to worry about getting lost as the afternoon waned, but Mr. Sterling seemed confident he knew where they were.

  A beautiful waterfall emerged as they rounded one of the more dense portions of the forest, and Sam was once again stunned by how beautiful Lior was.

  “We need to keep up the pace, gang,” said Mr. Sterling as they filled their canteens in the icy cold mountain water. Sam had already noticed the change in pace after the encounter with the Sarse dinosaur, as most of the group had.

  “How long until we get there, Daddy?” Emma dropped a rather large looking rock out of her boot.

  “Oh, I’d say we have a few miles left—maybe a few hours at most,” said Mr. Sterling as he surveyed the forest around him.

  Sam was hiding an uneasy feeling, like he figured most were, but it was rather obvious by the look on her face that Mrs. Sterling was upset that the children had been put in danger in the forest.

  They walked on in silence until they saw the forest begin to thin out into long grassy slopes and meadows of wild blue and yellow flowers. It was there that the trees allowed a view of the full majesty of the snow caps surrounding them. They were higher than Sam had ever seen, including the Rockies. Massive cliff faces boasted their sheer elegance within the valley depths, and for a moment, Sam thought he could see the shadows of the Northropi as they glided gracefully on the upward winds. It was a truly humbling sight to behold.

  As he admired the scenery behind them, however, Emma slid up next to him and thrust her hand into his, sending another icy but pleasant chill down his neck. She grasped his hand tightly and spun him around to see the meadows descend into the forested valley where it crashed into the shores of a large body of water.

  “That over there,” she pointed toward an open space in the valley forest, “is the City of Lior.

  Chapter Six

  Lior City

  In front of them lay the tiny outline of a city perched neatly on the coast of a picturesque sea, whose waves were rolling in perfect patterned surf for miles in either direction. The mountains and the forest behind them and the valley in front of them was an incredible sight to behold. The sun was just beginning to set before them, sending brilliant beams of light to the City spires that rose skyward in an almost holy glow. The group of travelers stood quie
tly in awe of the beauty for several moments, almost disappointed that they would have to leave such a moment. It was almost as if the most beautiful scenes on Earth were all placed together into one perfect scene.

  But something else drew them—the sights and sounds of a city on the verge of a great celebration. Even from a distance, the sound was easily heard but not distinguishable, except for a loudspeaker that could almost be comprehended every so often as the voice rang out through the hills.

  Exhausted from the many miles they had already traveled, they trudged on through the tall grass toward the City in the waning light, wondering if the tiny buildings in the distance were ever going to get closer. The muffled sounds from the loudspeaker died out as a grassy knoll now separated them from the City. As they walked, the grass emerged into a rather large wheat field where there were neat pathways cut through, like the corn mazes back in White Pine.

  Mrs. Sterling perked up the more they distanced themselves from the forest, relieved that the danger was behind them.

  “We’d better hurry if we are going to catch the opening ceremony!” she said, glancing toward the sun as it dipped beneath the watery grave of the sea.

  Mr. Sterling too seemed happy to be rid of the forest as his pace became more brisk through the maze the closer they got to the City gates, which were now visible in the distance. As Sam struggled to keep up with him, he glanced at the iridescent spires gleaming like massive blue stalagmites rising out of a cavern floor. They seemed to complement the magnificence of the City perfectly.

  “It’s often called the City of Illumination,” Mr. Sterling said, refusing to slow his pace, “partly because of its natural beauty—as you can see—but also because of its ability to dispel Darkness.”

  “Darkness hates Light,” Sam muttered, remembering seeing it in a book he had read the previous summer.

  The city entrance stood largely before them, with four smaller spires lining a great stairway leading upward through the City walls. Larger-than-average Wollemi trees stood as grand living guards along the length of the massive walls to either side of the steps, making it difficult to see the edges of the City. The walls rose nearly a hundred feet into the air, and protruding from the exterior were winged creatures carved into the light-colored stone.

  At the top of the stairs was a great iron gate illuminated by the glowing spires, where two robed men with hoods stood solemnly, watching as people entered the City. Mrs. Sterling hurried them through the last bit of wheat and toward the stairs, urging the rest of the group to stay close.

  There were families surrounding the stairway to the City, with children eager to get inside and attempting to prod their parents along before their turn. All of them wore robes of various colors like the adults they accompanied, but the closer he looked he noticed only the adults wore a thick leather armband that glowed blue under their robes. It was then that Sam noticed Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, Miss Karpatch, and Cooley’s bands under their deep red robes glow blue like the others, a small stone embedded in the armband barely peeking out from Mrs. Sterling’s robe. The light from the stones seemed to intensify the closer to the City they came.

  As they waited, Sam also began to notice differences in the people around them. Although they all dressed similar, some were of Asian descent and wore uniquely-patterned headbands over their long braids and handmade leather shoes, while others were shorter and darker-skinned with black hair and deep brown eyes. Still others had the appearance of refined fishermen with chiseled Slavic faces, each carrying a long dagger on the outside of his or her robe and smelling a bit like seawater.

  “They are from different regions of Lior,” Miss Karpatch whispered as they neared the midpoint of the line to enter the gates. “That family—” she pointed to the light-haired family behind them with a tall boy who wore his dagger awkwardly, “is from Telok, the lake country. And they—” she gestured discreetly toward a family with two younger boys and an olive-skinned girl who was eyeing her mother’s purple stone on her armband, “are from the mountains of Nais.”

  “What about them?” Sam was curious about the shy dark-skinned family with an older daughter who was finishing the braids on her younger sister. She reminded Sam of what Pocahontas would look like in a green robe.

  “Themane. The forest region. A strong, but very quiet people,” she said, almost before he could ask. “But even though different, they are all people like us.”

  He wanted to probe her for more answers, but the line moved quickly as the robed guards hurried families through the gates. Emma squirmed her way back to where Sam was and grabbed his hand just as the group made it to the checkpoint.

  “What do I do?” he said, suddenly nervous.

  “Nothing. They will just want to see that you are with us,” she said, pulling him closer to her.

  “What are they checking for?” he asked as the guards surveyed Mr. Sterling up and down in an almost mechanical motion.

  “Traces of Darkness. They are Seers, trained to make sure Metim, or dark creatures, don’t get into the City. But don’t worry, they can only see everything you’ve ever done …” she smacked him and smiled when he looked horrified at her words.

  “Don’t worry, newb. If Em’ can forgive you, they certainly can.” Lillia turned around to level her eyes at Sam, having obviously heard their conversation.

  Emma was next in line and stood between the two guards, keeping her body perfectly still as they walked around her, looking her up and down. She stood facing straight forward, hands at her side while they probed her with their hooded eyes.

  Suddenly above them there was a flash and a rushing noise, like that of a powerful gust of wind.

  Sam looked up in time to see the remnants of the blue light streaking through the night sky.

  The brief distraction caused him to forget momentarily where he was, and when he realized it, the guards were facing him and Emma was calling his name loudly beyond the gate.

  “Move it Sam! They won’t wait on you!” she yelled.

  He moved into position quickly and suddenly felt a warm rush come over him, much like when crossing through the gate from White Pine. He froze as the guards moved around him, the warmth intensifying as they drew closer to him, searching him up and down with their hidden eyes, like they were peering into his soul. Around and around they circled him, like vultures waiting for his last breath to be taken. It seemed like they probed him forever, but then they backed away slowly, the warm feeling disappearing as they concentrated their efforts on the dark-haired boy from the lake country behind him.

  “Kinda weird, the first time,” Emma said as they walked inside the gate.

  Just inside the gate were two more hooded guards, but with swords strapped at each of their sides. They paid no attention to Sam or Emma, but carefully watched the happenings at the gate entrance with the Seers. Above them, the blue trail of light was just beginning to fade from the sky.

  “Was that the Lightway that just went over us?” Sam remembered them discussing it at the cabin.

  She nodded.

  “Yep. Last minute Council member or Protector, I suppose. For most everyone else it is shut down during the Light Festival, but certain government officials are allowed to use it any time.”

  They climbed the second set of stone steps between massive pillars of white stone that formed the entrance foyer of the City. Seeing the interesting markings on the pillar, Sam reached out suddenly and brushed the intricate markings with his fingers, matching every stroke. Arches with three legs and winged creatures made patterns up the side of the pillar. His eyes followed them as they curved upward to where they formed a massive arch above their heads.

  One in particular caught his eye above him—a simple shape, almost like a wing, hovering over the creatures as though a parent protected their young.

  “It’s called an Irin, I think.” Emma watched his gaze. “The Watche
r wing.”

  Sam suddenly knew the symbol from the cavern back in White Pine. The one he had been drawing from the moment he arrived in the tiny northern town.

  “The wing has always meant something of significance to the Descendants,” Emma said as she traced the patterns with her own fingers carefully. Then, seeing Sam’s confused look, she only smiled and pulled him away from the pillars and up the stairs to rejoin the others.

  ***********************

  Main Street was bustling with every kind of vendor one could imagine. There were sugared doughnut carts, meat and vegetable pastry trays, two story chocolate drizzle contraptions for cake pops and exotic fruit sticks, beverage carts with all sorts of herbed teas and colorful fruit juices, carts with giant cheese sticks and smoked meats, and even candy carts with flower suckers and glowing dragon candies the size of your hand, not to mention the coffee carts, whose fresh roasted flavors were the first smells that hit Sam’s nostrils.

  They maneuvered through the stone streets around crowds of festival goers, buying large-topped festival hats, spiral glowing balloons and bracelets, and shining silver jewelry.

  Sam was so entranced by the interesting shops of strange items for sale and delicious looking breads and cakes that he hardly noticed the huge white building in front of them, magnificently standing above the thousands of people gathered around its exterior.

  In the center of the building stood one of the enormous spires of brilliant luminescent rock that glowed in the darkening night sky above it. Inside the stone structure was the most magnificent display of light flowing and swirling in different colors. It reminded Sam of the enchanting brilliance of the arch back in the cavern, except that it glowed with white, green, purple, and red. He wasn’t the only one staring at the spectacle, as hundreds of others began to herd toward the edge of the building as if the spire was signaling the beginning of something.

  “That’s the City Center!” Emma had to shout over the cheering and people around her. “The Council is about to send up the Watcher signal!”