The Persephane Pendrake Chronicles_One_the Cimaruta

by Lady Ellen

  “Yeah, yeah,” he muttered. Persy gave him a sideways scowl.

  Vadoma went on. “Your Cimaruta is in the room, but I can barely detect it. She must have a masking spell on it, knowing we’d try something like this. And if that’s the case, it’s amazing I can pick it up at all. Just confirms how strong its magic is.”

  Vadoma moved her hands over the crystal ball, over and over in hopes of picking up a clearer picture of where the Cimaruta was.

  “Can you sense where in the room the Cimaruta is?” Thaddeus asked. Persy looked anxiously at Vadoma.

  Vadoma closed her eyes, scowling in deep concentration. She didn’t answer Thaddeus right away. After a few minutes, she replied. “I sense it is at the edge of the room like on a wall or shelf. The problem is the room is covered in shelves, loaded with all kinds of books, boxes and some rather disgusting specimens.” Her head spun with visions of bottled body parts, dried animals and insects and ominous-looking extracts and herbs.

  Vadoma let her hands fall to the table. She sighed. “It’s no good, I need a clearer picture.” She rubbed her eyes with her fists looking exhausted.

  “How can we do that?” asked Persy, “Once we are there, I doubt we are going to have time to snoop around. We’re going to have to go directly to the Cimaruta and get the heck out of Bodesnoir.”

  “That’s for sure,” said Thaddeus. Benson nodded.

  “I know,” said Vadoma. “There is only one thing which will penetrate the masking spell and give me a clear view of the Cimaruta.”

  “What’s that?” asked Persy. “Why aren’t you using whatever it is?”

  “My Hagstone,” replied Vadoma. “It was stolen a few years ago by a Chinese wizard; a master of sorts of the Black Arts.”

  “So what’s this Hagstone?” asked Benson. “Oy, I’ve known a few fellers whose wives could have been called that.” He smirked, waiting for a response.

  Vadoma looked at him with a slight upward turn at the side of her mouth and proceeded to tell the story.

  “A Hagstone is a stone in which nature pierced a hole through it...usually by water. They can’t be made, they are created. Mine was given to me by an old shuvani who was with our tribe for some time, when I was a small girl. It enhances my visions in the crystal ball when I look through it and into the ball. If I had it now, I’d be able to see past the masking spell enough to pick up the exact location of the Cimaruta.”

  “But how was it stolen?” asked Persy.

  “Ridiculous, really,” Vadoma started, “this wizard must have heard about the Hagstone somehow, and he Time-Linxed here with the sole intent of thieving. He probably watched me for some time because the only time it left my neck was when I bathed down stream from here. I expect he figured out where I went to bathe by watching where I took water from the river for cooking and drinking. Anyway, on this one day, after I finished, I came out of the water and the Hagstone was no where to be seen. I knew it was gone, its energy was completely absent.”

  “Do you know who he is?” Thaddeus asked.

  “Yes,” answered Vadoma. “I hunted him down by tracing the stone’s vibration in my crystal ball. He was living in 1850 BCE when Buddha was here. He’s a big follower of the Evil One, Mara, believing in self-indulgences, power, control. All the negatives of life. He’s currently in Beijing 1422. He likes the Ming era. He sees Melanthios as a prime adversary, so he’s traveling all around accumulating anything he believes will help overcome her. So, on one hand he’s doing the same as us, but for greatly different reasons.”

  “Well then, there’s no question, we are going to have to get the Hagstone back,” Thaddeus said.

  “‘Ow you fink you’re going to do that, then?” said Benson. “You fink you’re going to walk up and ask him pretty please and ‘e’s just going to pop it into your sweaty little palm? Do ya?” He rolls his ocular network upward as he muttered, “Crikey.”

  “I know, Benson,” she said aloud. “Thaddeus is not saying it’s going to be easy, but we’ve come up against a brick wall with the masking spell on the Cimaruta. Getting the Hagstone back is the only way Vadoma can help us any further.”

  Thaddeus turned to Vadoma. “Just what’s this wizard’s name?”

  Vadoma replied, “They call him Master Ling. His first name is Krak.”

  That was it for Benson, high emotions and adrenaline mixed to make him burst out in loud guffaws.

  “Krak Ling? Are you kidding me? ‘oo’s going to fear a guy with a name like Krak Ling?” he sputtered between outbursts.

  “Don’t ask me about his name, Benson,” said Vadoma “I’m not his mother. But know this. He’s VERY much a wizard to fear. Believe me, no one there makes fun of his name.”

  They sat deep in thought while Benson slowly regained his composure. Persy put her head in her hands, with her elbows on the table in an effort to ignore Benson and try to puzzle this next hurdle out.

  Deciding that a light-bulb moment was not about to occur, she looked up at Thaddeus and Vadoma and said, “Well, I think we should Linx back home and see what Mom can come up with. I’m sure there is a way to get the Hagstone back.” Her confidence brought a grin to Vadoma’s face and Thaddeus shook his head.

  “I’m glad you’re so sure, Persy,” he said. “Ok, then, let’s head back.”

  Thaddeus and Persy got up and Benson lit on her shoulder as they prepared to leave.

  “Thanks so much Vadoma, for trying to help us. We’ll return as soon as we can with the Hagstone,” said Persy.

  “You must take extreme caution, you three. Master Ling is not one to be toyed with. If he suspects for a moment that you are there to steal anything from him, he will not hesitate to use his worst black magic to stop you,” said Vadoma as she put her arms around each of the kids’ shoulders. “I’ll walk you to the Time-Linx portal and get you back to your Munz world,” she added.

  They stepped outside on the vardo’s small landing and put their shoes on. They then descended the steps and turned left to the bushes where they had been led in by Vadoma.

  “This Master Ling, does he work alone?” Persy asked as they walk along.

  “He had two sons,” replied Vadoma. “One, the oldest was killed in a war, and it’s told, was a very large, muscular type; a great warrior, highly skilled and the apple of his father’s eye. The other boy is the complete opposite. It’s said he is sickly, small in stature and an outright coward.”

  “Does he do magic?” Thaddeus asked.

  “Yes, but I don’t think he’s all that powerful,” Vadoma replied.

  They reached the edge of the Time-Linx portal and just as Persy is about to step in with Benson firmly ensconced in her pocket, she turned and asked Vadoma, “What is the younger son’s name?”

  “Sniv,” Vadoma replied with a wry grin, “Sniv Ling.”

  With Friends Like This

  Persy and Thaddeus came to a skidding halt, turned and headed out from under the falls. Robert and Angelica were there to meet them, anxious to hear about their visit with Vadoma.

  “Oy,” complained Benson, shaking his head. “Wonder if I can book off the next few of those rides. You may not know this, but I’m a little green around the gills.”

  “You’re always green around the gills, Benson. It’s your colour,” said Persy. “And you don’t HAVE gills.”

  “Well, I should have. I’m definitely greener around that area than anywhere else.”

  Angelica smiled at Benson and asked Persy, “How did it go? Was Vadoma able to help you?”

  They walked back to the house, Persy and Thaddeus explaining what they learned.

  “We now have to find this Hagstone of Vadoma’s for her to get a clear picture of where the Cimaruta is within Bodesnoir,” Thaddeus said.

  “Yeah, but the fun part is that we have to go to Beijing around 1422 to find Krak Ling, the Chinese black sorcerer who stole it,” added Persy.

  Both Robert and Angelica looked at Persy intently. Persy knew they were not keen on this
new glitch. The group walked along the lane way back to the house; Benson buzzed back and forth trying to get his land wings back.

  Persy looked up at the sky, a rich dark blue, dotted with bright sparks of emerging stars. How she loved living here. And although these new adventures thrilled her inner Magical One, she knew she’d always return here. This was home.

  “Persy,” Angelica said, interrupting Persy’s reverie, “I’m going to take some time to check this Krak Ling out. I’ve heard of him in some of the older Magical texts, but we are going to need details about him, what level of black wizard is he, who he’s associated with, basically anything I can find out. You’re going to have to be well prepared and armed both intellectually and magically before you lot are ready to face this one, no question there.”

  “What can we do to help, Mrs. Pendrake?” Thaddeus asked.

  “Angelica, please,” replied Angelica. “You should attend school and keep as normal a profile as you can. If Biddy Mayfair sees you, there’ll be rumours galore and that’s exactly what we DON’T need.”

  “Who?” quizzed Thaddeus.

  “Biddy Mayfair,” said Persy, “lives a couple of doors down from us. Spends all her time snooping into other people’s business and spreading her version of it all over town. If the stories aren’t juicy enough, she embellishes, until she feels she has something really worthwhile. If she was a descendant of Pinocchio’s, her nose would stretch from here to the Florida Keys.”

  Thaddeus chuckled. Benson zoomed back onto Persy’s shoulder.

  “Blinking menace, that one,” said Benson, adding his two cents worth. “Thought I was going to hurt Persy once, when she was a mite, sitting on her blanket in the garden, and I was buzzing around her, talking to her in Silent Speak. The old bat comes flying through the hedges trying to whack me with a broom, screaming something about ‘the insect that would give the baby a disease’ or some rot. Nearly creamed me, too. Pity we dragonflies don’t sting, could have done a fine number on that hag with no regrets, I’m telling you.”

  Thaddeus and Persy burst out laughing and as they continued on to the house, Persy told Thaddeus a couple more stories about the noxious nose of Biddy Mayfair.

  Conversation returned to more serious talk over dinner.

  “Where are you going to look for information on Krak Ling, Mom?” asked Persy as they began eating.

  “Well, I don’t have much on Asian Magicals here in my own books, so I’m going to have to go to the Source--The Magical Tomes Collection outside of Rome. That place is the library of libraries. Anything ever written on magic throughout all time is there. I’ve been known to spend days in there. Fascinating place,” said Angelica.

  “It’s in Bellarya’s Rome, then. Right?” asked Persy.

  “Yes.”

  “I remember going there once with Laurel,” said Thaddeus. “We were studying some obscure spells on legal and courthouse magic to help some of the witches caught up in the Witch Hunts. It’s massive. I think we walked around for over an hour until we found exactly what Laurel was looking for.”

  Persy looked over at Thaddeus, listened to him, but obviously couldn’t follow his thoughts in any detail. She had never been to the Magical Tome Collection that she could remember.

  Angelica noticed her glazed-over look. “You were there, when you were very small, about three years old. I was doing research on reversing cloaking spells, to find people who disappeared. I took you with me, as your Dad was working and you were impossible to find a babysitter for. You kept making your stuffed animals and toys speak out loud. Darn near gave one poor lady a heart attack until I came home and did a Memory Erase on her.”

  Angelica grinned and Robert chuckled while taking a sip of tea, choking and laughing at the same time.

  “You OK, Dad?” Persy jumped up and patted his back.

  “Oh, sure,” Robert responded, patting his chin with his napkin. “I remember that, poor old dear was horrified. Thought she was really losing it—AND--babysitting the child from hell. I tell you Persy, dear, you, most definitely were an interesting kid to raise.”

  Angelica picked up her wand. “Here, dear let me help you remember the Collection.” She tapped Persy on the forehead. “Recordatio.”

  Persy’s upper eyelids immediately became leaden, falling softly on her lower ones. In her mind’s eye she perceived a misting, like morning fog, over a cool pond. Within seconds it cleared and she saw herself and her mother standing in front of a flattened part of ground on a hillside. On the hill was a circle of uniform looking rocks, each the size of soccer balls, making a ring which stretched about twenty feet across.

  Angelica pointed her wand at the centre of the ring. “Ingressum!”

  The ground they were standing on shook, as the centre of the ring dropped away, revealing a wide, downward spiralling staircase. The walls along the stairs were embedded with white and light blue crystals giving enough light for them to negotiate the descent.

  There were three full spirals to climb down before they came to a wide landing, leading to a bright corridor, at the end of which were two very tall, heavy wooden doors. Along the walls of the hallway, were glass covered bookcases depicting sections of the Collection. Angelica read the plaques above each case.

  “There’s Italian Magic, Celtic Magic, Druid, Fairy, Ancient Egyptian, Gypsy-Rom, Voodoo, Kabbalah, Shamanism, The Tarot, Necromancy, Astrologic, Sumerian, Babylonian and even Atlantean--just to name some of the subjects you would be able to learn because of this prestigious Collection.”

  Three year old Persy was wide eyed studying in all the books and artifacts associated with each Magical pathway.

  They walked to the end of the corridor to the front of the wooden door, where they were met by a wizard in flowing deep purple and black robes. His shoulder length white hair blended perfectly with his equal length beard giving the effect that his twinkling green eyes and nose are peering out from a silvery-white balaclava. His mouth was only visible when he spoke.

  “Good day ladies,” he said “Just step up here please.”

  When Angelica and Persy stepped up in front of him, he produced a wand that was made of clear quartz crystal, not wood. He proceeded to run the wand up and down Persy and Angelica’s bodies, about four inches away. It hummed gently throughout this check.

  “Ah!” he declared, “Angelica Pendrake and her lovely daughter, Persephane, both First Order Magicals. Welcome. Welcome.” With that, he turned around and pointed at the doors with his quartz wand...calling “Ingressum” and the doors slowly creaked open.

  “Thank you, Nestor,” said Angelica. She took Persy by the hand and walked into the Collection.

  “My pleasure, dear lady,” Nestor replied. He turned back to sit at a small desk which was hidden behind his robes when he stood before it. Nestor resumed reading a very large black book.

  On crossing into the Collection, Angelica and Persy came to a large, twenty by twenty foot directional map embedded into the floor. On three sides of the map, not connected to the main doors, were hallways stretching out in all directions, similar to the spokes of a wheel. Each hallway’s floor had a single row of coloured mosaics, each row a different colour from those in the other hallways, leading back to the central map. At the end of each coloured row on the map was a list of the subjects to be found in the hallway it corresponded to. The map was made of gold and silver mosaic background with the coloured mosaic lines coming in from the hallways. In its very centre there was a large square, about six feet by six feet, where all the subjects were listed in alphabetical order with a single coloured mosaic tile beside it, indicating which coloured hallway to follow for that information.

  Angelica knew the information she needed was Druid. She found that subject in the listings in the centre and saw that she needed to follow the purple pathway to find everything Druid. She took Persy’s hand and proceeded down the appropriate hallway.

  Slowly Persy’s vision cleared and she returned to the present, her family
and Thaddeus.

  She blinked several times and said, “Wow! Now I remember the Magical Tome Collection. What a place. Thanks, Mom.”

  “No problem,” replied Angelica. “I think you’ll find that you’ll be using the Collection more and more. The Time-Linx portal brings you right in front of the rock circle where the stairs start.”

  They finished dinner and Persy took Thaddeus up to the guest room where he was staying.

  On the way up Thaddeus said to her, “Going to be fun spending a few days in your school. Although I’ve Time-Linxed a lot through these decades it’ll be cool to do the day-to-day thing.”

  “Well, you’re bound to find some of the subjects completely useless to you, but it’ll keep things looking normal, and give you something to fill in the time until we go after Krak Ling. At the very least, it should be entertaining for you.”

  They walked together into the guest room. Thaddeus flopped on the bed and Persy sprawled over a deep, comfortable tub chair.

  “What school do you go to? Do we have to take a bus?”

  “It’s called Mannington Public School. I’m in the last year, Grade 8, and we walk, just a few blocks from here,”

  “Do Rix and the Downing brothers go there as well? Oh yeah, and Morton and the boys?”

  Persy had taken her wand out and was idly twirling it through the fingers on her left hand.

  “Yup...the whole enchilada.” Persy flipped her wand around, and grabbed its handle end, pointing the tip at a spider she spotted crawling up the wall behind Thaddeus. She twitched the end up and down and the spider began bouncing up and down the wall. Sparkles spurted between Persy and the spider.

  “Knock it off!” screeched the spider. “Can’t you see I’m busy?” she added, most disgruntled.

  Thaddeus turned around to see where the voice was coming from, even though he could only hear it in his head. His mouth broke into a slow grin as he realized what Persy was doing.

  “Ya think I’ve got nothing better to do than provide the entertainment around here?” hissed the spider.