Sapphire of the Fairies, Book 1 of Sword of Heavens

by Richard S. Tuttle

  Chapter 26

  Crown of Light

  Everyone except Tedi was in the sitting room discussing the various approaches to getting the Crown of Light when Niki walked in humming to herself. Garth immediately turned towards Niki and frowned while shaking his head. No one sensed Garth’s displeasure at seeing Niki and everyone greeted her warmly when she asked what was going on. Arik summarized the events of the day for her and waited for some revelation on how they could retrieve the Crown of Light. Instead, Niki sat down on the floor and leaned her head against the wall.

  When the discussion continued, Garth tapped Kalina lightly on her arm and led her outside. When they were far enough away from everyone, Garth stopped walking.

  “I think the stalactite may be the key,” Garth declared. “If it passes through the roof of the vault, it is the only place where the vault is not solid. Is it possible to melt the stalactite without causing harm to the mountain?”

  “It would certainly be easier to shatter it,” Kalina replied. “I can do that without causing the mountain to drop on us. It will be extremely loud, but the vent looked big enough to allow the pressure to escape. I think I can do that.”

  “It is just getting dark now,” Garth mentioned. “Why don’t we ride out towards the mountain so we are alone. As soon as it is dark we can enter the vent unseen.”

  “Okay,” Kalina replied. “Get a lantern from the stables. I don’t want to waste any energy with a mage light while we are down there.”

  Garth and Kalina mounted their large horses and rode towards the mountain. Within the hour, darkness was complete and Garth checked to make sure no one was around.

  Okay, Kaz, we’re ready. Let’s go play where the dragons live.

  Kaz snorted as the mindspeech registered and the black stallion’s wings appeared. Gone, too, was the illusion spell, which hid the unicorn’s horn. Alongside Kaz, Yorra was performing the same transition. Together, Garth on his black unicorn and Kalina on her white one, they rose into the sky and headed for the vent at the peak of the mountain.

  It has been too long since you have let us spread our wings, Alex. Yorra and I have missed the thrill of flying.

  I am not sure that I could stand the hero worship of the Children, Kaz. Even without Alex around, they can’t stop talking about all of those ridiculous tales they have heard.

  It was Yorra’s turn to snort. The tales are not ridiculous, Alex. Just because you refuse to acknowledge your contributions, there is no reason to belittle the Children for wanting to believe in someone good.

  Jenneva gave Yorra a pat on the neck. Stop it, you two. Alex has enough problems with the Children and their hero worship. Don’t you two start on him. Just get us down the vent so we can do what we’ve come for.

  The unicorns circled the mountain peak once before Kaz led the way down into the vent with Yorra close behind. At the bottom of the vertical shaft, the unicorns landed in the dragon’s lair. Alex and Jenneva dismounted and Alex lit the lamp he acquired at the stables. Ignoring the piles of gold and silver objects, Alex hoisted Jenneva onto the roof of the vault to examine the stalactite.

  After examining the stalactite, Jenneva shook her head. “I can’t tell if it goes through or not. The easiest way will be to shatter it and see what happens. Let’s find something to provide cover. When it shatters, pieces of rock will be flying all over the place and I won’t have any shields up.”

  They scampered off the roof onto a pile of gold and slid to the floor of the lair. Alex found some full-length silver shields and dragged them to the opposite side of the lair.

  “I can hold the two of these and we can hide behind them,” Alex declared as he indicated to Kaz and Yorra to leave the chamber. “Will they be sufficient?”

  Jenneva nodded and focused on the stalactite. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of Alex’s head stood out and he looked around frantically to see if someone else was in the lair. High above him, he picked out a small pair of eyes just as Jenneva yelled, “Down!”

  It was hard for Alex to tell which was worse, the concussion of air and rocks smashing against the two shields as he strained to hold them away from Jenneva and himself, or the absolutely deafening sound that reverberated off the walls of the lair. The reverberation lasted for over half a minute. The ringing in his ears lasted much longer. Jenneva ended up prone on the floor with Alex on top of her. The two shields lay on top of both of them. Pushing the shields off, Alex looked up to find the pair of eyes, but the chamber was so full of dust that he could see nothing past the shields.

  Jenneva slowly got up and started another incantation. Within seconds, a whirlwind was created in the vent and started twirling violently. Gold and silver coins started to rise off the floor in the center of the lair to be caught up in the whirlwind, but quickly dropped back to the floor. What did get caught in the whirlwind was the dust and within moments Jenneva was able to see across the chamber again. She turned towards Alex and saw his lips moving, but all she could hear was a ringing in her ears.

  Mind speech is the only way we will be able to communicate for a while, Alex.

  You didn’t mention that we would go deaf, Jenneva.

  I’ve never quite done this inside a mountain before, Alex. It won’t last long. Let’s see if we have an entrance hole.

  Alex again hoisted Jenneva up onto the roof of the vault and they crawled to where the stalactite had been. Alex smiled when he saw the hole in the roof. It was too small for him to fit through, but Jenneva would be able to make it. She obviously had the same idea because she was already lowering herself into the vault. Alex grabbed her hands from the lip and stretched his arms into the vault as far has the hole would allow him. She dropped the short distance remaining and Alex lowered the lamp down to her. She was soon gone from his view and Alex turned his attention back to the vent where he had seen the small pair of eyes. He hoped it had not been Kaz or Yorra coming back down the vent. He would know soon enough because the unicorns would return when the dust stopped flowing out of the vent.

  Having nothing to do for a while, Alex slid off the roof and scooped a couple of handfuls of gold coins into his pouches. Kaz and Yorra returned and settled down on the floor.

  How did you and Jenneva avoid getting hurt down here? inquired Kaz.

  We hid behind some old silver shields. Did you see anyone in the vent on your way up? Alex asked.

  Nobody, but the concussion blew a bird out, an osprey I think, though it was hard to tell. Poor little thing must have been frightened out of its wits. Is Jenneva in the vault? Yorra snorted.

  I am and I would like to come out now, Jenneva answered.

  Alex scrambled onto the roof and stuck one arm in as far as he could. He heard something scraping along the floor and then felt Jenneva’s hands grab his arm. Steadily, Alex hoisted her up until she could grasp the rim of the hole. Repositioning himself so he was squatting over the hole, he reached down and grabbed her arms again and straightened his legs until she could stand on the roof of the vault. She reached into her pouch and extracted the Crown of Light and smiled at him. Replacing it into her pouch, she slid off the roof and mounted Yorra. Alex quickly followed her and mounted Kaz and the two unicorns leaped into the air and spiraled into the vent.

  On the short flight to the top of the mountain, Alex’s ears began to clear and he could hear sounds now, although the level was still low. Upon landing, the unicorns invoked the spells that hid their wings and horns and looked like large horses again. By the time Garth and Kalina returned to the mansion, their hearing was restored and the ringing was gone.

  “I shall never belittle the ability to hear properly again,” chuckled Garth. “I wonder how the Children are doing? What are we going to tell them, anyway?”

  “I will tell them that we retrieved it magically,” stated Kalina, “and when they ask how, I will tell them that they are not ready for that lesson yet. What does it matter, anyway?”

  Garth and Kalina strode into the sitting room and found Ar
ik talking with General Fernandez. “Where is everybody else?” Garth asked.

  “We don’t know,” Arik answered. “Somebody noticed that Tedi was missing and everyone is off looking for him. We didn’t realize it, but no one has seen him since we came back from the cave. Tanya thought he might still be there trying to figure a way to get into the vault. Fredrik and Niki left separately. I think Fredrik searched the mansion and then went outside. I am not sure where Niki went. I am supposed to stay here in case Tedi returns.”

  “I think that is an excellent idea,” Kalina responded. “Garth and I will ride out to the cave and see if the others are there. If anyone returns here, tell them to stay put.”

  Garth and Kalina ran back outside and mounted Kaz and Yorra. Swiftly, they rode to the cave and entered. Tedi was laid out on the floor with Niki kneeling next to him. Tanya was sitting with her left sleeve and left pant leg rolled up and Fredrik was cleaning scrape wounds she had incurred. When Garth and Kalina dismounted, Fredrik rose to meet them.

  “Thank goodness, you’ve come,” Fredrik blurted out. “Tedi was stuck in that tunnel when there was an explosion of some type. We think he may be deaf. Niki is trying some spell that she learned from one of those healing books you purchased in Melbin. Tanya had to crawl into the tunnel and drag Tedi out. She got scraped up pretty badly.”

  Garth retrieved some ointments and bandages from his saddle pouch and tended to Tanya, while Kalina went to check on Tedi. Kalina bent down and examined Tedi’s ears. Niki moved aside, but did not say anything. After the examination, Kalina sat on the floor of the cave.

  “I think it is just a temporary nerve deafening,” Kalina announced. “He should be all right in a day or so.”

  “Of course, he will be all right,” announced Niki boastfully. “I have fixed him up with a healing spell. He will be able to hear fine in a day or two.”

  “What spell did you use?” Kalina asked as she shot Niki a sideways glance.

  “Nerve Crescendo,” Niki answered smugly. “He would have been deaf if I did not. The spell must be used before the nerves go totally dead. By the time you got here it would have been too late.”

  Kalina smiled grimly. “Very well, Niki,” she said. “Let’s get him back to the mansion and get him to bed. Are you well enough to ride, Tanya?”

  Tanya just nodded and rolled her pants and sleeve back down over the bandages that Garth had applied. Everyone rode back in silence and Kalina dropped back so far that Garth went to see if there was something wrong with Yorra. When he got alongside Kalina, she put her finger to her lips.

  “There was no damage to his ears,” Kalina whispered. “That fool girl may well have started him on the road to insanity. His ears were probably affected about the same as ours were. His hearing will improve now, slowly at least, but eventually it will be hard for him to stand the noise. His hearing is going to be so sensitive that his own breathing will be like the roar of the wind in a thunderstorm. If we do not find a way to deaden the nerves, he will go crazy.”

  “Isn’t there a counter-spell or something that will put him back to normal?” asked Garth.

  “If there is,” Kalina sighed, “I do not know of it. I certainly wouldn’t expect to find such a spell in a healing book. We must bear in mind that he will know what everyone in camp is saying. We will have no secrets from him unless we mindspeak. It may be time to reveal our true identities before they find out on their own. If they do not hear it from us, they will have reason to doubt whatever else we say. I know it will be hard on you, but you are going to have to learn to deal with it.”

  “General Fernandez has already given me reason to let Garth and Kalina disappear,” Garth stated. “We are being hunted as Garth and Kalina as much as we are as Alex and Jenneva. We could probably adopt some new disguises, but they know about the Children, too. So, even though we might hide ourselves from Sarac and his minions, we cannot also hide the Children. The time for disguises and hiding is over. It will actually be a relief to become Alex and Jenneva again.”

  “Not to mention getting this hair dye off our heads,” laughed Jenneva. “Did I tell you that I love you as a blond?”

  “Does that mean I have not been lovable since I’ve had my hair black?” Alex teased.

  The other riders were glancing back now that Alex and Jenneva allowed their voices to pick up so they quit their bantering and rode to join the rest of the group. When they arrived back at the mansion everyone assembled in the sitting room. Jenneva, in one of her last appearances as Kalina, announced that they would be leaving in the morning. She announced that they had what they had come for and suggested that everyone save their questions for the morning and get to sleep as quickly as possible. Without further words, Garth and Kalina retired to their room and began the arduous task of removing their hair dye.

  In the morning Alex asked one of General Fernandez’s men to summon the General and have breakfast sent up for Jenneva and himself. The General smiled as he walked in and saw the old Alex and Jenneva couple. Alex told the General about the new hole in the vault and suggested that the tunnel, which Tedi had been stuck in, went through to the dragon’s lair. With a little work the tunnel could be widened and the General would have access to the riches of the vault. The General knew enough about Alex and Jenneva to not bother asking how they had accomplished their goal. Alex’s accomplishments had always impressed the General and Jenneva was known as perhaps the most powerful magician in the world. Neither of them would divulge how the task had been completed.

  The General thanked them for coming and promised his support in any way that it would help. Alex knew the General was quite sincere and thanked him. The Rangers were already assembled outside when Alex and Jenneva came out and the reaction to their new look was astonishment. Alex and Jenneva both had beautiful, blond hair done up in braids that hung to their waists.

  “It is time for you to know the truth,” Alex declared. “We have been traveling in disguise because the Dark One seeks to kill us and we could not accomplish our goal of finding the Children with Dark Riders following us. You have been found, and the Dark Riders are after you as much as they are after us. When they come we will meet them with steel. The Alcea Rangers ride with Alexander and Jenneva Tork. Let’s ride!”

  Alex and Jenneva took off for the street and the rest of the Rangers followed with their mouths hanging open. Niki looked like she wanted to bolt and run away, but the rest of the Rangers just appeared dumbfounded. General Fernandez personally escorted them to the city gates and bid them farewell. No one spoke until they were well clear of the city. Tanya was the first to approach Alex and she had a hard time trying to determine what to say.

  “Alex, . . . ” began Tanya, “I am . . . so sorry for giving you such a bad time as Garth. I thought for some reason that Garth hated you and so I pushed all the more. Was your hatred of Alex part of your disguise?”

  “It was not hatred that you were sensing, Tanya,” Alex sighed. “It was a dislike for people making things out to be more than they are. I am no more a hero than you or any of the other Rangers. We all face the same perils and we face them together. People like to make stories out of surviving these perils to live another day, but people just do what they must to survive. Am I a hero because I have survived, or are the men who gave their lives trying, the real heroes? I do not perform my tasks to gain fame or riches. I only do what must be done and because I am capable of doing it. You are the same type of person as I am. Do you yearn to have minstrels write songs about your achievements or do you kill people to live another day?”

  “I guess I did not understand you as well as I thought,” admitted Tanya. “I have no great desire for fame, but I would not get angry with those who look up to me. You not only got angry with us, you sounded like you would like to take Alex’s face and rub it in the midden. Surely, that must have been part of an act.”

  “Perhaps,” Alex sighed, “I am just not as thrilled with some of the decisions in my life as others are.
Others get to hear stories about my great deeds. I get to view everything about my life, the bad as well as the good. You could not understand.”

  “You mentioned something about giving your child to the Black Devils,” Tanya probed. “You do not appear to be the type of person who would give anything to the Black Devils except the point of your sword.”

  Alex glared at the young woman and moved off towards the front of the procession. “You still push him too hard,” Jenneva advised. “A man will carry his own burdens whether or not you approve. I suggest that is one area which you should not mention again.”

  “Well, it was your child, too,” pushed Tanya. “Do you really expect me to believe that you both gave up your child?”

  Jenneva sighed and shook her head sadly. “We were busy trying to save the world when the Black Devils attacked our home,” Jenneva related sadly. “They killed a young girl who’s only crime was that she was in my house. They took our baby and Alex will never forgive himself for not being home at the time. You must not mention it to him again.”

  “And how do you feel about it?” inquired Tanya.

  “Damn you!” Jenneva shouted. “You want to know how I feel about it? I feel like I want to cast a Tree Mine into the throat of the next person who mentions it and perhaps I will.”

  Jenneva galloped off to join Alex at the front of the procession. No sooner had Jenneva left than Arik pulled up alongside Tanya. “I don’t know any magic, Tanya,” Arik pointed out, “but the next time you press them on this, you had better be prepared for a practice session which you will never forget.”

  Tanya watched, stunned, as Arik dropped back alongside Fredrik. Fredrik’s face told Tanya that he had heard the conversation, as well, and his feelings were the same as Arik’s. For the rest of the journey back to the fairy village, Tanya was fairly well isolated by the others. She was not excluded from conversations, but her actions had created a certain distance between herself and the other Rangers.