Air Keep
Page 30
Gleaming white teeth appeared inside the cowl as the master leaned forward. For just a moment, Caelum thought he caught a glimpse of what was inside the hood; his knees quivered.
“If she returns, the gates of the underworld will open. The fourth member of our group will join us, and we will rip a hole between Earth and Farworld that will never be closed.”
He squeezed the arms of his throne until blood dripped from between his fingers. “And then Earth and Farworld will be ours. Imagine the fun you can have with a a new world to play your tricks on, Caelum. Imagine a whole new world of knowledge at your fingertips, Nizgar-Gharat. Technology beyond your understanding. Weapons more powerful than anything Farworld has ever seen.
“And you,” he said, turning to Tide. “You will be ruler over all of them. How will it feel to have millions—no, billions—kneeling at your feet?”
Tide squeezed a small fish between his fingers, then popped it in his mouth, crunching it between his teeth. “That sounds very good indeed.”
Glossary
Air Magic: The most fragile of all elemental magic and yet the most versatile. It can deflect projectiles as a powerful shield, knock down doors, reveal the location of hidden objects, and even shift time. Defensive air magic can heal even the most grievous of wounds.
Amulet: Kyja wears an amulet given to her by Master Therapass on her eighth birthday. It has the same image as the one on Marcus’s shoulder.
Aptura Discerna: A magical window that looks into the user’s heart. Kyja can use this device because it doesn’t require any magic, and it casts no spell on the user.
Aster’s Bay: A city located along the Noble River.
Augur Well: The oracle that acolytes desiring to become land elementals were required to seek.
Bella: The head cook in Terra ne Staric.
Bonesplinter: A Thrathkin S’Bae of the Dark Circle.
Broomhead, Breslek: The high lord of Terra ne Staric. He replaced High Lord Umquit after the battle with the Keepers of the Balance.
Cascade: A water elemental who controls all moving water. He agreed to join Marcus and Kyja on their quest to open a drift. He was sent on an unknown quest by Master Therapass.
Cave Trulloch: A tall, humanlike creature found in the Windlash Mountains and other high-altitude climates. See Screech.
Dark Circle, The: A group of dark wizards intent on stopping Marcus and Kyja from opening a drift between Farworld and Earth.
Dawn Chimes: Small, bell-shaped flowers which sing at sunrise in Farworld. Not everyone can understand their words.
Doors of Eternity: The doors which lead to the land elementals.
Drift: The magical doorway Marcus and Kyja must create in order to save their own worlds.
Elder Ephraim: The head of the Greek Orthodox monastery where Marcus was found as a baby. Elder Ephraim gave Marcus his name. He died when Marcus was still young.
Elementals: Beings which control water, land, air, and fire magic. They are difficult to find and do not work well together.
Everwood, Char: The wife of Rhaidnan Everwood. Kyja watched her children when Rhaidnan went missing.
Everwood, Rhaidnan: A hunter who was captured by the Unmakers and rescued by Marcus and Kyja. When the Keepers of the Balance held his wife and children hostage, he betrayed Marcus and Kyja, but later gave his life to save them from Zentan Dolan.
Fallen Ones: The army of undead creatures raised by Summoners and led by Thrathkin S’Bae.
Farworld: A world where everyone has magic. It is where Marcus was born, and where Kyja was brought as a baby.
Fein Ter’er: The inner sanctum of the master of the Dark Circle.
Fire Magic: The most powerful of all offensive magic, it can call down meteors from the sky and summon raging lava from the deepest crevices. Fire magic can also be used to change the look, feel, and shape of inanimate objects. Defensive fire magic also protects—defusing or reflecting other magic.
Fontasians: Another name for water elementals.
Forest of Before Time: A forest of mammoth trees located at the edge of the Borderlands.
Frost Pinnois: A flying water-magic creature made entirely of ice. See Zhethar.
Galespinner: A mist steed summoned by Master Therapass.
Golden Rope: When Kyja pulls Marcus from one place to another, she usually pulls a golden rope she sees in her mind.
Goodnuffs: The family who raised Kyja after Master Therapass summoned her to Farworld. They were killed by a pair of Thrathkin S’Bae.
Graehl: Originally a Keeper of the Balance, Graehl was changed into a cave trulloch named Screech for speaking out against their practices. After Zentan Dolan was destroyed, he turned back into a man and vowed to help Marcus and Kyja. See Screech.
Harbinger: Fairy creatures in Land Keep that were turned into monsters by the Dark Circle. They were later returned to their fairy forms by the land elementals.
Heartstrong, Tankum: One of Terra ne Staric’s greatest warriors. He helped Master Therapass save Marcus from the Dark Circle, but gave his life in the effort. A stone statue erected in his honor was brought to life by Lanctrus-Darnoc to fight the Keepers of the Balance.
Icehold: A Borderlands city located near the ruins of Windshold.
Innoris a’Gentoran: A gauntlet of immense power brought to Terra ne Staric from the realm of shadows.
Ishkabiddles: Small fuzzy creatures who can sense danger by spraying sparkling dust from their feelers.
Jaklah: A boy from Aster’s Bay. He met Marcus in the cavern near Land Keep and later refused to give up his magic to the Keepers.
Kanenas, Marcus: Originally born in Farworld, he was targeted by the Dark Circle because of an unusual scar on his shoulder. Marcus was sent to Earth by Master Therapass, who believes one of Marcus’s parents is a creature of shadows.
Keepers of the Balance: A group of wizards who believed in taking magic from the poor and weak and redistributing it to the rich and powerful.
Knowledge Illuminator: A librarian in Land Keep.
Kyja: Born on Earth, she was brought to Farworld to even the scales of balance when Marcus was sent to Earth. Just as Marcus is key to saving Farworld, Kyja is key to saving Earth. Being from Earth, she cannot do any magic and is immune to its effects.
Lake Aeternus: A large body of water located along the edge of Water Keep that flows into the Noble River. It is located roughly at the same point in Farworld where Lake Michigan is located on Earth.
Lanctrus-Darnoc: A land elemental composed of a boar and a fox. He joined Marcus and Kyja in their quest to open a drift between Earth and Farworld and was sent on an unknown quest by Master Therapass.
Land Keep: The home of the land elementals.
Land Magic: The oldest of all magic, it can commune with all minerals from the smallest rock to the tallest mountain, as well as learn from and aid plants and animals. Land magic has the ability to tear down walls and create massive barriers. Land magic wielders are the world’s greatest teachers and students. The most powerful users of land magic can transform themselves into the form of a plant or an animal—especially if the plant or animal has had an important impact on the caster’s life. Land magic can also bring life to stone and other minerals.
Lusia: A game played by Farworld children.
Master of the Dark Circle: The only dark wizard powerful enough to command Summoners. He wears a gold ring that bears the same symbol that is on Marcus’s shoulder and Kyja’s amulet.
Melankollia: A tree with leaves that make people feel sad.
Mimicker: A creature that can look like anything else, including creatures others are thinking about.
Mist: The water elemental who controls fog and mist.
Mist Steed: A magical mount with a body taller and broader than a horse. It has a birdlike head covered with golden scales and a gauzy mane.
Morning Dew: The water elemental who controls dew.
Mr. Z: An odd little man who owns a racing snail.
N
oble River: A river flowing from Lake Aeternus to the Sea of Eternal Sorrows.
Olden: The oldest tree in the Westland Woods.
Plains of Thayer: The flat open area between the Windlash Mountains and the Noble River.
Raindrop: The water elemental who controls rain and storms.
Realm of Shadows: A mysterious gray area between Earth and Farworld. Marcus and Kyja’s bodies become trapped here when they are in the other world. Master Therapass believes one of Marcus’s parents may be from the realm of shadows.
Riph Raph: A small blue skyte. Kyja rescued him when he was a baby, and he was one of Kyja’s few friends when she was growing up. When Kyja and Marcus jump to Earth, Riph Raph is temporarily changed to another Earth animal.
Screech: A cave trulloch. See also Graehl.
Sea of Eternal Sorrows: The sea into which the Noble River flows.
Singale: A one-armed man Kyja found outside the gates of Terra ne Staric. He may be romantically involved with Bella.
Skytes: Small dragon-like creatures with floppy ears and big golden eyes. They can blow small fireballs and do limited magic. See Riph Raph.
Snifflers: Large insect-like creatures brought to Farworld from the realm of shadows to draw magic from humans.
Summoners: Terrifying creatures of mythic power created from the souls of twisted wizards. They have red serpentine bodies, wings, and spearlike teeth. They are rumored to be able to create intense storms, hypnotize others, and raise the dead.
Teagarden, Principal: The principal of the Philo T. Justice School for Boys, which Marcus was attending before he was brought back to Farworld.
Terra ne Staric: Capital of Westland. Home to Kyja and Master Therapass.
Therapass, Master: A powerful wizard who saved Marcus’s life by sending him to Earth and accidentally trapped Kyja on Farworld.
Thrathkin S’Bae: Literally translated as “Masters of the dead who walk,” these wizards of the Dark Circle use corrupt magic to force the elements to obey their will instead of asking for their help.
Throg: A long-necked water creature that echoes what it hears.
Tide: The king of the water elementals, he controls large bodies of water.
Trill Stones: A game using colored stones and a circular board. Also the stones themselves. The red stones change into valuable gems when transported to Earth.
Ty: A boy from Chicago who helped Marcus and Kyja when they were trying to enter Water Keep.
Unmakers: Creatures from the realm of shadows. They are nearly invisible to humans. Unmakers feed on humans—first sucking away all emotion, then magic, and ultimately their will to live.
Valdemeer: A country located in the eastern borderlands.
Water Keep: Home to the water elementals, its geography on Farworld is roughly the same as Chicago on Earth.
Water Magic: The most graceful of all magic, it can transform water, mist, or ice into any object or creature, and animate it as long as it remains nearby. Water spells tend to focus on the power of vision and discernment, seeing long distances or through objects, and occasionally even delving into visions and dreams. Defensive water magic cleanses by removing curses and poisons.
Westland: The area of Farworld between the Windlash Mountains and the Borderlands.
Westland Woods: Home to the Weather Guardians, which are huge talking trees.
Windlash Mountains: A very tall and dangerous mountain range dividing Westland and the Plains of Thayer.
Windshold: The city where Marcus was born. It was destroyed completely by the Dark Circle.
Y’sdine’s Feint: A strategy used in Trill Stones where one player learns the other player’s attack strategy and sets a trap for him.
Zentan Dolan: The leader of the Keepers of the Balance, he was actually a demon from the realm of shadows.
Zhethar: A frost pinnois who carried Marcus and Kyja to the walls of Water Keep. See Frost Pinnois.
Discussion Questions
1. Marcus and Kyja enter the Is, the Was, and the Will Be. If you could spend a day seeing the future, visiting the past, or hanging out in the present, which would you choose and why?
2. Before Marcus goes into the Will Be, he is told that seeing his future will lock it in place. If you could see one version of your future, knowing that would mean that version of the future was unchangeable, would you take the risk? Why or why not?
3. Master Therapass tells Kyja to wait before pulling Marcus to Farworld, but she disobeys and does it anyway. Have you ever done something you weren’t supposed to do? What were the results?
4. Marcus and Kyja are surprised to learn they will be traveling by snail. They expect the snail to be very slow, but it ends up being fast. Have you ever expected one thing to happen and been surprised when something much different occurred? What did you learn from the experience?
5. On their way to Air Keep, Marcus, Kyja, and Riph Raph encounter a number of creatures with names that are actually puns (words that can have more than one meaning depending on how you think of them). Some of the pun creatures they face include a “frost bite,” a “fruit fly,” and a “rope burn.” Can you think up any of your own?
6. The air elementals see almost everything as funny. They say they would rather laugh at something than cry over it. How is seeing the funny side of things good? Are there times when laughing at something, or someone, is not right?
7. In Air Keep, Caelum and Divum try to trick Marcus and Kyja into opening the box. Would it have been better if they had been honest about what they wanted in the first place? Has anyone ever tried to get you to do something without telling you the whole truth? How did it make you feel?
8. Marcus tells Kyja that he thinks her magic is getting people to help her. She tells him that people are nice to her because she is nice to them. Who do you think is right and why?
9. Marcus is afraid to tell Kyja what he sees in the future because he thinks she will hate him when she sees what he is going to do. Have you ever been afraid to tell someone the truth because you thought they wouldn’t like you? What happened?
10. The air elementals are unable to open the box because they do not trust others. How would our world be different if no one trusted anyone else?
Acknowledgments
This book has been a longer time coming than I, or my publisher, would have liked. Sometimes—especially when we’re waiting on pins, needles, and other sharp sewing implements—things don’t move as fast as we’d like them to. To those of you who have been hanging in there, thanks so much for your patience. Hopefully this book, and the two that will follow, will have been worth the wait. If it is, here’s who you can thank.
Chris Schoebinger, Lisa Mangum, Heidi Taylor, and all the other amazing people at Shadow Mountain. Thanks for believing in this project and for all the incredible art, formatting, editing, advice, and encouragement.
Annette Lyon for turning rocks into diamonds.
Brandon Dorman for another cover that totally rocks. Thanks for peeking into my head and capturing the dreams there.
The women (and man) of Wednesday night: LuAnn, Sarah, Michele, Annette, Heather, and Rob. After more than a decade together, you guys are still the best critique group, bar none.
My family: Jennifer, Erica, Scott, Jake, and Nick. Thanks for being patient with all the hours I spent up in my office and for all your love and encouragement. Best. Family. Ever.
And lastly, to all you readers who waited with patience (and impatience) for this book to come out. You are the real reason I write. You are my inspiration. Thank you!
Table of Contents
Books and Beetles
A Change of Plans
Dropping In
Missing Reflections
Window to the Soul
The Is
The Was
Good Advice
The Will Be
The Time of Shadows
Pain
Return
Who's at the Door?
No Time like
the Present
On the Trail
An Unexpected Ride
At the Speed of Snail
Icehold
Fire and Ice
Decisions
Something to Chew On
Very Punny
Air Keep
All Hail the Fuzz Ball
Ultimatum
A Dark Vision
Traitors?
Fun and Games
Finding the Truth
The Referee
Exsalusentia
One Way Back
Golems and Gallons
Graehl’s Return
Memories and Messages
The Trill Stones Strategy
A Wet Return
Flying Hot Dogs
Attack
An Old Friend
The Trap
The Never Was
A Cold Ride
The Time for Truth
Trust
The Battle
The Flying Weasel
Good-bye
The Cell