by Mike Shelton
They placed the refreshments on a tray and headed back to the ready room.
In the doorway, before entering the room, Roland turned to Alli. “Sorry about earlier. I don’t know what got into me.”
Alli looked surprised. “I shouldn’t have been so jumpy. I’m sorry too.” Her smile seemed genuine, but her eyes mocked him still.
Roland motioned for Alli to precede him into the room. Then he leaned in and whispered, “But I guess you couldn’t help being drawn to my breathtaking looks and grand personality, could you?” Alli almost dropped the tray. Roland laughed from behind.
Roland noticed the Chief Judge standing in front of the group. Color had returned to his face. But he supported himself with the arm of the red stuffed chair next to him.
“You two seem to have made amends,” the judge spoke to the two apprentices. “Roland, I wouldn’t think I would need to remind my counselor apprentice of how to treat our guests.”
Alli eyed Roland and then cocked her head to the side, a grin slowly spreading across her face.
“The captain has been telling me how Alli helped tremendously in their battle against some of these King-men we have been hearing so much about. He was astonished, as was Gorn, at her strength and abilities. The captain mentioned her grace as she flowed over the battlefield.”
Roland’s blue eyes popped open wider. She wasn’t just a pretty face after all. Alli nodded her head to the Chief Judge and offered him a cup from the tray. He, in turn, motioned for Roland to serve the captain, Gorn, and Onius.
Roland silently fumed. He hated being treated like a servant—and, to make matters worse, right in front of this young female wizard. He clenched his jaw and sought control. When done serving the others, he set the tray down roughly on a side table and returned to stand next to Onius, as was his place in these types of proceedings. Then he glared at Alli, though she didn’t appear to notice.
Daymian continued, “Roland also has shown some amazing abilities these last few days. He saved my life yesterday, for which I’m of course grateful beyond measure.”
Now it was Roland’s turn to gloat. He thought he saw Alli looking at him in surprise, her face full of questions, but, when he turned his head, she had turned hers away just as fast. He smiled at her obvious interest in him.
“I have been invited by Wizard Kanzar Centari to visit with him in the Citadel,” the Chief Judge informed the small group. “The captain and a few of his men will escort me, along with Onius, Gorn, and you two.”
Both of the young apprentices’ eyes widened. They stood straighter, trying to make sure they had heard correctly. It would be a great honor to travel in the Chief Judge’s entourage and to meet the High Wizard. They shared a look and instantly forgot their earlier skirmish. Neither held in their smiles.
“The High Wizard,” Roland said under his breath. It must be a sign it was time for him to be tested.
“That is a name he uses for himself, Roland,” the Chief Judge said. “There is not a High Wizard title that I am aware of.” He looked to Gorn and Onius for confirmation.
Roland noticed Onius’s mouth tighten, and then relax. He didn’t think others had seen it, except for maybe Alli, who turned her head with a questioning gaze.
“It is a title he has earned through the years,” Onius said. “He is one of the most powerful wizards since the barrier rose. There is no harm in showing him respect.”
“He pulls too much power to himself, Onius. I will not be intimidated by him.” The Chief Judge sat down in the chair and took a few deep breaths. “We will leave in a week’s time. Prior to that, I want to gather as much information as we can on these so called king-men. Another judge has gone missing or has been murdered. That means two elections now that we must hold this autumn to keep peace among the people.”
“Sir, you must be careful,” Onius said. “We still do not know who tried to poison you.”
“That is why I am taking all of you with me. Surely this group of wizards can protect me.” Daymian looked at each one seriously.
Roland stood taller and nodded. He would protect the Chief Judge. This trip would be one more way to show Onius that he was ready to be tested.
The Chief Judge turned to his counselor. “Onius, please inform Bakari that he will be accompanying us also, and I want to know everything about the barrier before we leave. I need to be prepared to ask our esteemed High Wizard what he is doing about that danger, on top of everything else. You are all dismissed.”
CHAPTER SIX
Erryl Close strolled away from the wall that surrounded the city of Celestar. He knew he couldn’t go out of sight of the sentries at the gate. Another wall kept him from going too far, anyway—a wall that none of the guardians were allowed to cross. He carried his medium-sized frame lightly, even though he’d just finished his noon meal. The breads and fruits had tasted delicious, as always. All of the guardians—of which he was one of — were well provided for.
He climbed the grassy hill, which stood between the city and the outer wall, and breathed in deeply. The scent of pine grasped at his senses.
He found an enormous, thousand-year-old mountain spruce, its circumference wider than four men holding hands, and sat down a few inches from where the trunk met perfectly manicured grass. Streams of sunlight filtered through the thick branches far above, warming his closely shaved head. He leaned his head back against the thick, brown bark and gazed straight up through the never-ending branches.
Erryl always did what others expected of him, but he was wrestling with thoughts of boredom again. He understood the importance of the job he performed as a guardian of the Orb, but, as he grew older, he wanted more. Others around him seemed content to live lives of peace and tranquility up in the forests of the North. So he kept his restlessness a secret, especially from his parents, likewise guardians, who viewed what they did as an honor.
From his vantage point on the top of the hill, he stood and overlooked Celestar, the city he had lived in his entire fifteen years. The breathtaking white spires and domed glass roof of the building where the Orb sat rose over the gleaming white walls of the city. The sun sparkled off the rooftops of the other buildings and homes, creating an aura of white and gold hovering above the city. It was beautiful. Who wouldn’t want to stay here?
Pain and pride pierced his heart: pride, because he knew that, as guardians of the Orb, they performed a special duty for others throughout Alaris It was a secret and sacred duty that few outside of Celestar would ever know about, but a duty nonetheless. And pain, because, even though he realized it was wrong, he wanted more.
The power in the Orb had kept the magical barrier intact around the kingdom of Alaris for one hundred fifty years. The barrier was the final sacrifice of a small group of wizards before they died. The current guardians, although they had no magical powers of their own, were descendants of those wizards. Each new generation became guardians. The cycle had continued all of this time to feed the Orb’s ability to protect all within the kingdom.
Erryl rocked back on his feet, turned, and then walked around the giant tree to face away from Celestar. He gazed down the other side of the gently sloping hill. Soft, green grass filled his gaze until it met the outer wall. On the far side of that man-made barrier stood a mixture of spruce, pine, and aspen trees, leading to the magical barrier.
He wondered for the hundredth time what transpired on the other side of the barrier. They lived so close to it, here in Celestar. It was only a short walk away, physically, but felt so much farther otherwise. Nothing went in, out, or through the barrier. That’s just the way it was.
Erryl found himself clenching his hands and squeezing his eyes shut in shame. He felt embarrassed for wanting more. The guardians had everything they needed here. The city was bright and clean, and food was provided for them by the protectors, who took care of their every need. No crime or poverty existed, the weather was always perfect, and he had loving parents.
Physically fit and healthy,
educated in reading, writing, and the arts, he shouldn’t have much to complain about. However, he gazed intently toward the magical barrier and wondered what life might hold for someone normal, someone who didn’t have the burden of such a great responsibility.
Erryl wanted to leave Celestar and find out what existed in the rest of the world or, at least, the rest of Alaris. He was curious, a trait he found harder and harder to deal with lately. Leaving Alaris was not an option, with the barrier in place, but guardians were not even allowed to leave the city of Celestar. Ever. That was the accepted rule for all guardians. Their lives were too sacred and the location of Celestar too secret to let someone leave. There was the source of his pain.
Just then, Erryl was torn from his thoughts by a shimmer appearing around the farthest trees. He walked a few steps down the hill, shielding his pale blue eyes with his hands. Then the magical barrier became thinner for a brief moment. He squinted and tried to peer closer. He swore he could see something. A figure. No, two. They were tall and thin but appeared strong. They held bows across their backs and had long, silky hair hanging past their shoulders.
He took another step forward. “What should I do?” Erryl said out loud to himself. He knew they were not from Celestar. Maybe they knew about the outside world. His heart pounded, and a thrill ran through him. He took a few more steps forward. But, as fast as they had silently emerged, they disappeared, fading back again across the barrier. Then the barrier returned to its normal, opaque look.
A voice called to him from behind, back down the other side of the hill toward the city. He turned, walked back to the top of the hill, and saw Geran Armada, one of the protectors of Celestar.
A nice-enough man, Geran seemed content to live here in Celestar with his books. Geran was not a fat man but largely built nonetheless. He sported a speckled, thinning beard and round glasses and looked to be toward the end of his middle years.
But it was always so hard to tell with older people.
From what Erryl knew, Geran was a rather weak scholar wizard, a descendant of those wizards who first created the barrier.
Only one reason would send Geran out to the city walls to fetch Erryl. It must be time, time to fulfill his daily duty as a guardian. Erryl covered up a long sigh, forced a smile, waved, and then shuffled back toward his duty.
“Daydreaming again, young man?” Geran asked when he got close enough to be heard.
“What do you mean, Geran?”
“Come now, Erryl, I am not as naive or unobservant as you must think I am. I can see your restlessness and your desire to know more.”
“It shows, huh?” Erryl smiled more warmly at the protector this time.
Geran patted him on the back as they turned to walk back through the city’s northern archway. They walked silently for a moment. Gardens of bright colors lined either side of the paved streets. Everything was built in white. Erryl spotted a few gardeners working and waved to them.
“Erryl,” Geran said, “you understand the importance of being a guardian, right?”
“I have been taught about the Orb my entire life, Protector,” he replied.
“Then you know that what we do here is beneficial to all of Alaris, that the Orb gives life to the magic that keeps the peace of this land.”
“But, how do you know?” Erryl took an apple from a cart outside of the white building they were about to enter.
“How do I know what?” Geran stopped with his hand on the door.
“How do you know it’s so important? How do you know it keeps the peace? We never get to leave. How do you know we aren’t prisoners here? How do you know we wouldn’t be better off without it?”
Geran’s face darkened with alarm. He pulled on Erryl’s arm and took him around to the side of the building instead of entering. No windows appeared on this side, and the afternoon sun kept them in the shadows.
“Erryl, you ask too many questions. You must not say these things. This is blasphemy concerning what we do here. You are taken care of and live a good life, and you think you are a prisoner? These thoughts could get you into trouble, young man. I warn you because I care for you, but watch your wayward tongue.”
Erryl felt afraid of Geran, for the first time in his life, and afraid of what they did in Celestar. The protectors here also descended from minor wizards one hundred fifty years ago. Some possessed magical powers; others didn’t. They took care of Celestar and the Orb and, as far as he knew, did not ever leave either. They were as much prisoners as he was.
He now wondered about those who disappeared from time to time. Did they doubt also? Geran’s soft demeanor had lulled Erryl into confessing his innermost secrets. Now he would be watched more closely by the council of protectors.
“I’m sorry, Protector, for my foolish thoughts; I am still young and learning,” Erryl said humbly, hoping the incident would soon be forgotten.
Geran smiled again. “Yes, you are. My outburst was uncalled for, but I do ask you to heed my advice.”
“I will, Geran.”
They walked together, back to the double doors, and entered the building housing the Orb of Life. Even though Erryl held no magical abilities, he still recognized the pulsing of the Orb’s power as soon as he had entered the foyer of the building. He turned his face upward, still amazed at the sight. The ceiling grew taller as it worked its way to the building’s center. And the walls held grand murals, depicting various landscapes of the world. Erryl was always drawn to one mural of what he had been told was the Blue Sea. The picture of the water seemed so peaceful and so powerful at the same time. He doubted he would ever see it in person.
Other protectors, ones older than he, led them both into the inner sanctum. The ceiling, even higher here, was domed and made of glass, held up by far-reaching columns. Rather than repeating the murals of the foyer, here the walls bore no decoration other than that of the architecture itself.
The other guardians in his sector already stood gathered. He glanced around the room and noticed those he had grown up with. He remembered again that, over the years, some of the guardians had disappeared. His mother and father were also there, along with other older guardians.
As he had been instructed since he was ten years old, Erryl took his place among the others, holding hands with those to either side of himself in the circle. Until last year, he had always been with only the younger guardians and a smaller orb. A training orb they called it. Now he noticed that a few of those newest ones with him here in the circle today. Both guardians to either side were a year younger than he and gazed up at him with rapture and pride in their faces. He smiled back, trying to show an enthusiasm he didn’t feel.
They held hands and walked toward the Orb, bringing their arms down, close to their sides, as they moved closer together. He noted that the Orb had grown larger over time. It used to be the size of a large pumpkin, but now it was the size of a tall bush. It was round and smooth and sat on a golden pedestal, which, in turn, sat on a small red carpet that covered a portion of the white marble floor. It glowed with a soft, iridescent blue light. He wondered if its growth was normal or even expected.
Erryl closed his eyes, and the raw, pulsating power of the Orb reached deep into his breast. This instantly washed away his doubts, and he wondered how he could have been so foolish. Its power was mighty, and what they did was an honor among all men. He felt infused with love and compassion as they stopped walking.
Now, one by one, each of them took a turn, reaching their right hands to the Orb. To not break the chain, each guardian held hands with the person to the left, while one guardian fed the Orb his or her life source.
His turn came, and he reached his hand out steadily, settling it on the cold, smooth, almost glass-like surface. He still bore the feeling of peace, but he also felt his own energy leave his body and enter the Orb. Then he perceived gratitude from the Orb.
Erryl was young and strong, but each day the Orb took that energy into itself, leaving him feeling tired and wea
k for hours. He had noticed that it took longer and longer each time now to become fully drained and also longer to recover than when he had first started. What used to take an hour or two to recover now sometimes took several hours or even the rest of the day. And some guardians only came every other day as they got older.
He sensed something he’d never felt before: a presence inside the Orb. Not a person but something bigger and more powerful. He scanned the group to see if anyone else had noticed. They looked content, with no apparent traces of alarm.
It was time for Erryl to pull his hand away, for the next guardian to continue the routine, but he found that he couldn’t remove it.
Erryl, a deep voice said to his mind, and he almost jumped away. Only Erryl’s sheer determination kept his shaking hand in place.
“Erryl,” one of the protectors called out. “Let go. It is time.”
But he couldn’t. Not yet. Something had called to him.
Find him. Find the one. It is almost time, the voice whispered to his mind.
Who? he tried to ask back, wondering if whatever it was would hear him.
“Erryl,” said one of the protectors. “You must let go, or you will drain yourself.”
He opened his eyes and saw a protector walking toward the circle. Energy continued to drain from his body. His legs weakened, and his heart raced.
Who am I supposed to find? he asked the voice again, his mind barely able to focus now.
I will show you. The quiet, yet deep voice echoed deep inside Erryl’s mind.
A vision began to open up to him, but before he could see anything, his legs buckled and he slid down next to the orb. Guardians scrambled forward to stay with him and not break the link. Light from the Orb flared, and Erryl felt himself blacking out. He closed his eyes tighter, trying to see what he was supposed to have seen.
The vision had gone. But his pain did not leave. His head hurt, and his heart raced. He heard someone begin screaming. He slumped farther to the ground and then realized it was he who screamed.
