Magic Prophecy: A YA Portal Fantasy (Legends of Llenwald Book 3)

by DM Fike

  Bedwyr did not so much as move a muscle. “You know who I am.”

  Desert Rose whipped out her sword so fast that Avalon didn’t see her unsheathe it. If it hadn’t been for Kay’s equally fast reflexes with his own weapon, she may have cut down Bedwyr where he stood. As it was, the fairy barely had leverage to parry Desert Rose’s sword before she raised it for a second blow.

  “He’s Avalon’s last Guardian!” Kay cried.

  “Last Guardian?” Desert Rose repeated with scorn. She stepped back to disengage from the fight, although her stance indicated she’d be ready to start again at a moment’s notice. “You must have traded your very soul for this human girl.”

  A fireball whizzed through the air. It would have struck Kay if Desert Rose had not changed its course with her magic. “I said stand down!” she screeched back to the line of knights. One of the dwarves shrank back, properly chagrined.

  Desert Rose scowled at Avalon. “If he’s your Guardian, prove it.”

  Avalon lifted her hands helplessly. “I can’t right now. I used every bit of magic I had to move the fortress.”

  “She needs to rest,” Kay insisted.

  “Convenient as always,” Desert Rose sneered. “You want me to open our doors to two traitors to Emerged Falls in the midst of a war that they themselves started.”

  Bedwyr regarded her with cool regard. “I came to help stop this madness.”

  Desert Rose rounded on him, Kay wedging himself in-between with his left side. “You mean the fire dragon? As you can see, we managed to defeat him on our own. We had an excellent strategy, in fact, before your fortress showed up and forced us to retreat. So aye, thanks for all your help.”

  Bedwyr raised an eyebrow. “You might be able to stave off a dragon or two, but I doubt you can defeat the Child herself. Rest assured, that dragon noticed Avalon. It will bring Scawale back to your doorstop.”

  “And you think you can stop that?”

  “Perhaps with this.” Bedwyr dug into his tunic pockets. Startled, Desert Rose swung her sword in his direction, but Kay batted it aside. Bedwyr pulled out the gold-threaded bag and, in one fluid motion, tossed it in Desert Rose’s direction. It sailed past Kay, and she caught it one-handed, the other deflecting Kay’s last defensive swipe. She stepped back and peered inside.

  An emerald hue lit up the relative gloom around her face. Desert Rose stared in dismay at the contents of the bag.

  Bedwyr smirked at her discomfort. “You know what that is. I have shown it to you before.”

  Reluctantly sheathing her weapon, she said, “This must be all the pieces of the statue you ever collected.”

  “All but the ones I used at Saluzyme. We’ll need it to stop the Child.”

  Desert Rose took a good hard look at him, then over at Kay. Kay nodded emphatically.

  “Fine,” she said. “I’m listening.”

  CHAPTER 36

  WHILE DESERT ROSE didn’t seem particularly thrilled with their plan, nor did she really believe Avalon had suddenly been granted healing powers without proof, she also couldn’t argue with a bag full of Jaded Sprite Statue in her hand. Bedwyr allowed Desert Rose to keep it in exchange for her trust in his sincerity to defeat Scawale.

  As Desert Rose escorted them through the torn streets, evaporating pools of lava as she went, she gave her own brief recap of what had happened to Emerged Falls. With the original five Guardians comatose, the lack of leadership had left Desert Rose in charge by default. Their Aossi allies had offered no assistance, and nearby human settlements had no resources to spare, so Desert Rose had fortified the castle herself. The fire dragon attack, while a surprise, had also been anticipated. The dragon had been unable to make a scratch against the castle’s defenses.

  Nobody scoffed at this. “You’re telling me a fire dragon couldn’t blast through a few knights and knock over a tower or two? Were you fighting the same dragon we were?”

  Desert Rose gave him a half-smile. “You of all people should know a fire dragon can’t get through our defenses.”

  As they approached the gate guarding the next district, Avalon wondered why the haze here grew thicker. While the air still contained demolition debris, it had slowly settled during their brief walk. Despite their wider view of the valley below them, though, the castle appeared foggy as ever, the smoke deepening the closer they came.

  A line of stoic uniformed knights guarded the gate. Dead center among them was an Aossi with matted pinky-purple hair wearing jeans and a plaid shirt. His hands waved like a mime up against invisible glass.

  He took one look at them and shrieked, “Nobody, it is!”

  Nobody did a double take. “Mutt? Is that you?”

  Mutt lowered his hands, and the smoky fog dissipated like a puddle of water oozing over a flat surface, creating a wide hole that a crowd could walk through. He ran forward to throw his arms around a stunned Nobody, squishing Vimp between them. The darkness wasn’t a fog at all, but a dark magic barrier cast by the gremlins. This one extended over the last inner wall to encompass the entire castle grounds.

  “You’re alive, so happy I am!” Mutt yelled.

  With Mutt wrapped around his neck, Nobody pointed a knobby finger up at the dome. “You guys made that?”

  Mutt cackled, withdrawing and letting Vimp squeal as he dropped to the ground. “Impressive, you think that is? Bigger one, we made before.”

  Desert Rose derisively patted a gaping Nobody on the back. “No elemental dragon is getting through that.”

  Nobody’s eyes grew watery. “I heard tales of my dad and his buddies doing stuff like this during the war.” He rounded on Mutt. “You are extending this through the ground for a possible earth attack, aren’t you?”

  “Sphere it is, into ground it goes,” Mutt replied. “Fool, I am not. Learn from history, I do.”

  “Nice! So, what did they give you in exchange for this miracle of dark magic?”

  Mutt straightened his shoulders proudly. “Shelter and food, they gave.”

  Nobody slapped his hand over his face. “Oh, honey, we really need to work on your bartering skills.”

  Desert Rose snapped her fingers, interrupting them. “Enough banter.” Desert Rose whistled a set pattern, and fairy knights flew from atop the gates’ towers to salute her.

  “Ho!” they yelled in chorus.

  Desert Rose returned the greeting. “We got a jump on the fire dragon. Not a kill, but he fled. I doubt he stuck around, but I need an aerial confirmation. Search well past our borders. I’m keeping everyone on full alert until we confirm the dragon is gone.”

  “Aye, Lady Desert Rose!” they yelled in unison, then, like bees exiting a hive, they took to the air and scattered. After their departure, Mutt lifted his arms to close the gap in the dark magic barrier.

  They strode into Eza, the rich neighborhood at the border of Emerged Falls’ final castle wall, where the cobblestones shone a bit brighter and the house sizes reflected the wealth of their owners. Mutt remained behind to strengthen the dark magic barrier, although he gave Nobody one last fierce hug, chattering how glad he was to see him.

  As they trudged up the last hill to the castle itself, Desert Rose explained that they had moved the entire city’s population into the castle itself and the mansions of the Eza district. This meant the gremlins had to maintain a much smaller dark barrier, which they did in four shifts over the course of the day. The wealthy had grumbled, of course, over the occupation of their houses, but it was either that or they were given the option of leaving the city.

  Everyone had stayed.

  Avalon’s entire body ached in protest as they climbed through the last gate into the courtyard. It was jam-packed with knights and guards scurrying about, readying themselves for battle. Horses pawed at the ground, their riders standing at their sides. At the edges, a few people sharpened swords and even took a few practice swings at each other where room allowed. Robed Aossi conjured bits of magic, throwing them at boards propped up by haystacks. Swea
t and anticipation hung over the crowd, some with faces anxious to meet it, others just anxious. Desert Rose spoke briefly to a few Covert K knights, their heads bowed and voices low over the din of battle-ready excitement. A few guards watched Nobody suspiciously, his green hair and purple outfit well-known to Emerged Falls. One of the knights talking to Desert Rose waved at Nobody, but Desert Rose scowled, gesturing back at the dark magic barrier above them, and he fell silent.

  Curiously, no one seemed to throw Bedwyr, who scrutinized everything without bothering to hide his face, a second glance. Avalon puzzled at this discrepancy until she realized Bedwyr had spent most of his time on Earth, away from Llenwald. Scawale had been the face of his army. It’s possible very few people knew what he even looked like.

  Inside the castle itself was another world entirely. Unlike the bustling courtyard, the castle felt eerily deserted. Normally, staff would be bustling about, but only a handful of guards running to their posts occupied the halls. Most of the doors inside the main hallway had been barred shut, although the sounds of talking and stirring behind them drifted into the hallway. The castle had been on lockdown before, when Scawale had attacked with Bedwyr’s Army.

  Nobody stretched his arms up over his head. “So nice of you to escort us directly to the castle. If you’ll show me the nearest bed, I swear I won’t cause any trouble.”

  Avalon shook her head. “Bedwyr should examine the Guardians.”

  Bedwyr gave a curt nod. “I am happy to do what I can.”

  Desert Rose frowned at Kay. “Are you sure this is the wisest course of action?”

  “Has Jalamir healed them yet?” Kay countered.

  Desert Rose could not argue this point. “Fine, then. Although I insist that Jalamir monitor all Bedwyr’s administrations.”

  Bedwyr turned to her. “Even after giving you the statue pieces, I still haven’t gained your trust?”

  “You need Avalon alive for your own personal reasons,” Desert Rose pointed out. “Emerged Falls has been your enemy for years.”

  “I bear no grudge against Emerged Falls,” Bedwyr said coolly. “Everything I did, I did for the dryads. I understand Lord Emerson was only doing the same for his people. However, I accept the scrutiny while I examine your leaders. It does not bother me in the least.”

  Nobody yawned. “This better be entertaining, or I’ll fall asleep standing.”

  “Oh yeah,” Vimp sighed in his arms.

  At the end of the hallway stood a set of paneled doors, a space where citizens could speak to Lord Emerson on official business. Avalon had only been inside it once, when it had been converted into an auditorium during the Gathering. It appeared mostly empty right now, no chairs before the stage and thick curtains drawn toward the back. Light seeped in at the curtain edges, and soft footsteps indicated people behind it. Desert Rose marched up to where the two curtains connected and pulled them aside.

  The stage had been converted into a makeshift hospital area with six beds spaced equally apart. All were occupied, mostly with the Guardians, laying on their backs with arms folded over their chests like corpses. Jalamir and Gonait leaned over Symphony, murmuring in hushed tones. Isolde, dark circles under her eyes, sat in the corner, surrounded by a stack of books, flipping idly through the pages.

  Avalon drifted in after Desert Rose, and Isolde immediately spotted her. The elf jumped up from her cross-legged position, flinging herself across the room and wrapping her arms around Avalon in a fierce hug. “Praise Omni, you’re well!”

  This brought the healers’ heads up. Jalamir’s mouth made a little ‘o’ at the sight of Avalon, but he quickly buried it back under a veneer of professionalism.

  Isolde launched a series of questions at Avalon. “What happened? Did Bedwyr really heal you? Where is Kay?”

  “I’m right here,” Kay said. Isolde made a happy squeak when Nobody showed up, but before she could rush forward to greet him, Bedwyr strode onto the stage, observing the beds with a scientific patience.

  Isolde grew pale. “Why did you bring B—?”

  “We don’t have time to chat,” Desert Rose cut her off. “My apologies, Jalamir, but Kay has brought another healer to examine our patients.”

  Jalamir surveyed their dusty attire. “Excuse my skepticism, Lady Desert Rose, but these people are too dirty to aid sick people.” He did not seem to recognize one of the greatest enemies of Emerged Falls, confirming Avalon’s suspicions.

  “We will get them cleaned up first,” Desert Rose promised.

  Jalamir continued to squint suspiciously as Desert Rose used her communicator to call for fresh clothes and a large tub of water. When these provisions arrived, Isolde followed Avalon to the other side of the curtain to change away from the male spectators. Avalon chose a corner of the large room far away from the curtains so she could talk freely to Isolde. As she changed into fresh clothes and scrubbed her dirty limbs, she gave Isolde the briefest summary of what had happened in Hamad and their loose plan to take care of Scawale. In return, Isolde told her how she’d been searching for a way to help the Guardians. Until the dragons attacked, she had barricaded herself in the library, reading through all the lore about the Child of the Statue, searching for any clue how to help, to no avail. Unfortunately, there was no precedent for this situation. The Guardians were granted powers from Gaea to protect the Child, not attack her.

  Isolde and Avalon had to leave to let Kay, Nobody, and Bedwyr clean up. Once the men had tidied up, they returned to the patients’ bedsides, ready to begin. Gonait prepared bowls of oil for Bedwyr as Jalamir stood off to one side, straightening his spectacles serenely to observe. Kay and Desert Rose took a position behind the healers while Avalon and Isolde stayed out of everyone’s way. Not interested in the outcome, Nobody stretched back against a wall, tilted at an angle where his locked knees supported his weight. Vimp snuggled down in his folded arms like a cat snuggling into a warm blanket.

  Bedwyr viewed Halicia first. Gonait placed a high stool near her waist for Bedwyr to sit upon. He dipped his hands in the oil, light shining through his veins, then slowly ran his fingers up and down, inches above her. He seemed so fluid, a conductor over an orchestra. His face betrayed no emotion as he thoroughly examined his patient.

  He repeated the process four more times, each by reapplying oil to his hands. He never gave any sort of diagnosis. His poker face would have been the envy of gamblers anywhere. Jalamir monitored his every move.

  Finally, Bedwyr wiped his hands with a towel Gonait provided. “They are soulless.”

  Jalamir took immediate offense. “A body does not survive without a soul. They are merely in a deep slumber, far beyond our reach.”

  Bedwyr glowered. “Trust me when I say I know all about deep slumbers, where a person hovers between life and death. You can always feel the slightest twinge of life. A fingerprint of who they were stays in their blood, like an echo of themselves. These five have none of that.”

  Avalon remembered Braellia pulling green light from all the Guardians. “Is it possible Braellia took their souls from them? The way the Guardians once pulled her soul away from Kryvalen?”

  “That actually makes perfect sense!” Isolde exclaimed. “The Child and her Guardians have a direct link to Gaea, accessing her magic from the same source for the same purpose. If the Guardians were able to bind the Child before, it stands to reason she could do the same to them.”

  Desert Rose shifted her weight. “Does that mean the Guardians are inside Scawale along with Braellia?”

  “I guess?” Isolde shrugged.

  Jalamir shook his head in frustration. “This is utter nonsense. Elemental magic cannot bind to people’s souls. That sounds more like light or dark magic, and very advanced magic at that. The Guardians are breathing. Their hearts beat. Nothing lives without a soul.”

  Bedwyr did not betray an inch of derision when he said, “Nothing you have ever seen.”

  As Jalamir launched into a tirade against Bedwyr, Isolde whispered in Avalo
n’s ear. “If our theory is true, we would need to untangle the Guardians from the Child and back into their own bodies before we bind her to the statue fragments. Otherwise, they’ll be lost forever.”

  Avalon felt a rising swell of helplessness. She had no idea if they could bind Braellia back to the statue in the first place. Freeing additional prisoners seemed like an insurmountable hurdle.

  Jalamir slapped his hands together as if in prayer, pointing them directly at Bedwyr. “If you are such an expert, then tell me, what is wrong with our last patient?”

  Bedwyr approached the sixth bed, separated from the others. A small body nestled underneath a thin blanket, laying to one side in the fetal position. Bits of caramel-colored hair poked out from atop the pillowcase. Avalon recognized the orphan that had saved her long ago in Jentry.

  “What happened to him?” Bedwyr asked.

  Gonait moved the stool over to the boy. “He was caught in an explosion while Jentry was under dragon attack.”

  Avalon bit back regret. The boy had helped her once, but she had never returned the favor. “I thought he was supposed to be on the mend.”

  “He should be,” Jalamir said. “He seems well enough physically. His mind though, refuses to open, and he remains in this sleeping state.”

  As Bedwyr adjusted his tunic sleeves back above his elbows, Desert Rose sighed. “How will this help us against Scawale?”

  Kay shushed her. “The boy deserves to be healed.”

  Desert Rose glowered at the fairy. Kay ignored her. Avalon suppressed a chuckle.

  Bedwyr bent over the boy, hands dipped in oil and lit up like a Christmas tree under the skin. The boy’s face glowed under the intense light. Bedwyr hovered his hands over the boy’s torso and down over his angled legs, face expressionless. Then he slowly worked his way back up to the boy’s arms and neck, finally drifting over his head. He paused there, frowning.

  Avalon opened her mouth to ask what was wrong but stopped herself. She knew better than to interrupt, but she desperately wanted to know why Bedwyr suddenly showed concern.

  Bedwyr’s eyes shut, brows furrowed in concentration. After a long, tense minute, a gurgling sound arose at the back of his throat. Alarmed, both Desert Rose and Kay took a step forward.