Chandeera

by Wolf Golan

  Max smiles again, harder.

  Max heard her shoes clicking away as she walked down the walkway in the moonlight, coming under the mountain-sized castle.

  Moments after Jenny left, Max felt so good he decided to climb up on the roof of the Stonehouse and stare at the stars. The bricks protruded left of the door, so he used them as a ladder and hoisted himself on top of the rough tiles. He carefully walked up it to the ridge and sat the in middle.

  The great starry skies with the giant moon lied before him and he relaxed to it. The moon was almost two times bigger than earth's and it lit up the night.

  Max sat silent with only the sound of the ominous ocean waves below the castle.

  He heard shoe clicks on the walkway and turned, thinking it was Jenny returning. He saw a female figure approaching, until he recognized the rest vest of Alexandra Parks.

  She was not in her dress anymore, but back into her wranglers, crimson suede vest, and black sweater.

  “Hi!” She yelled up.

  “Hi,” he said back down.

  She got to the house and immediately started climbing. She got to the brick and climbed up to step on the tiles.

  “Careful!”

  “I know how to crawl roofs.” She responded.

  She made her way to the top, balanced along the ridge, and finally walked to Max's side and plopped herself down by him.

  “How are you?” She said panting and smelling of perfume.

  “Fine, yourself?” Max replied.

  “Oh not bad,” She nodded and looked up at the stars with him.

  “You smell of perfume.”

  “You don’t like perfume Mr. Wilkes?”

  “Not when there’s a gallon of it on you.” He chuckled.

  She nudged him.

  Alex turned east to see treetops, distant mountains, and thousands of lit windows of Densmere city.

  “This is beautiful Max,” she quietly said.

  Max shifted his head with a toothpick in his mouth. He thought it was perfect too.

  “Yeah,” he replied. “I heard you didn't look too bad yourself tonight.”

  “The dress was a little uncomfortable, but it worked I guess.”

  “Jenny came by, brought me food, told me the story.”

  “That was nice of her.” Alex replied.

  “Yeah I thought so.”

  “What did she say?”

  “She's getting homesick, the whole crew is.” He threw a small broken piece of oak shingle down to the ground.

  “Yeah, I feel for them.” She said staring into space pondering.

  Alex got up and stepped across him and slowly lowered herself to saddle him. He smiled and blushed as she put her arms around him.

  “We're such Love Birds, it makes me sick.” Alex commented and shook her head.

  “Yeah I know, me too.” Max said caressing her face.

  She kissed him, and he returned it.

  “I missed you so much,” Alex whispered to him.

  She kissed him again.

  “I missed you too.” Max replied.

  Alex stroked his hair and kissed him again and again into the night.

  Chapter 22

  Dallas, Pae'drin, David, and J.T. were now ready to give the presentation.

  They were ready to show all of Chandeera and the crew how they were going to go home and destroy Kraakon. They decided to have it in Throne Hall, which had the capacity to house hundreds.

  Hundreds did pour in and the great room was filled quickly.

  Representatives from the Modas, Gentees, Waywongs, and Baeylins of all cities made up the crowd with the Doons in front. Dozens of nobles sat on chairs behind the Royals and dozen more Robes sat in back of the throne. Throne Hall always reminded the crew of the giant cathedrals of Europe with its lofty arched ceilings and styled buttresses.

  The crowds were a plethora of traditional brown yellow tunics and the bright colors of blue, red, and gray of the Nobles. The colors lit up the floor.

  Max showed up late and slowly made his way into the crowd and stood in back, watching. He saw the crew sitting on stools aside the thrones and a few at the presentation table in the middle of the floor.

  Dallas got up and led the presentation.

  Paedrin sat on a stool with maps and documents at the presentation table in the middle. J.T. sat with him wearing a navy green sweater. David sat on the other end of the table with his flannel shirt and brown pants. Dallas readied the Computer Projector on the table.

  The King's Royal Official Lodin was chosen to coordinate the entire presentation.

  “The meeting is now in order!” Lodin yelled.

  King Lae'din sat on his throne looking bored.

  Everyone began listening but quietly chattered and whispered among each other.

  Dallas finished the technical details and stood up straight, pushing her glasses up her nose, drinking a glass of water, and putting her hands behind her back.

  Paedrin gestured to Lodin and Lodin yelled:

  “QUIET!” He turned to the throne and bowed.

  “King Laedin of Chandeera.”

  Dallas, the crew, and the entire audience gently lowered their head for a moment, as he got up to speak. “For the past two moons, we have had visitors. News of their feats and technology has spread across our world and all of Chandeera is curious about these Strangers from the Stars. Here they are!” He gestured to them.

  David bowed everyone, and the crew joined him. Max walked out of the crowd and joined them. Hundreds of faces looked at him as he got nervous, but he smiled and bowed.

  “Come up here and join us Maxwell Wilkes.” King Laedin said to him from across the hall. Max felt a little strange to be singled out, but he slowly made his way up.

  The Nobles and Guards smiled and nodded to him on the way. He walked across the platform. The Wangs, Jenny, Ryan, and Alex smiled and welcomed him. He sat down by Donald at the end.

  The King smiled at Max one more time before continuing.

  “Our new friends have agreed to help us defeat Kraakon and my brother Luthrick. Freena's Rock has the power to destroy Kraakon but has the power to fuel their starship to get them home.”

  The crowd exploded into chatters.

  “ORDER!” The Royal Official yelled.

  “They have assembled a small team to retrieve the Rock and bring it back here to Densmere to power their ship and then use it to destroy Kraakon.” Laedin finished.

  Whispers, talks, and chatter continued.

  “The Rock has been lost for thousands of years, but we are aided by our friends to retrieve it.” King Laedin continued, “Paedrin will tell.”

  The King sat down.

  Paedrin stood up.

  “Thank you my King,” He bowed. “The tools the strangers bring us are magnificent. They have knowledge beyond our understanding, thousands of Moon Cycles ahead of us in knowledge and tools. They can bring us Freena's Rock.”

  The chatters and whispers continued, and soon turned loud.

  “SILENCE!” Lodin yelled to the crowds.

  The room fell quiet again.

  Paedrin continued, “The Rock shards are protected by evil forces from every dark corner of Chandeera, but our visitors can get them for us.”

  “How will they do that?” One of the Nobles asked.

  King Laedin nodded to Dallas.

  Dallas finally stepped forward and Paedrin sat down. She looked at the hundreds of faces and felt a little nervous but began her presentation.

  “Hello, my name is Dallas Zores. I am pleased to be among you on your fine planet.” She said smiling at the crowds. “Over time, my off-world companions and I have examined the design, mechanics, and mineral makeup of our ship. We've been working on it for months.

  We have concluded that our ship cannot be powered by any compound found in Chandeera.

  If we gather the lost shards of Freena's Rock, it may help us and Chandeera.”

  Dallas walked to her computer, hit a button, an
d a projected screen in the air. The crowd gasped and wondered at the visual. The Riven 5 ship appeared in the air.

  “Yes our technology is wonderful.” Dallas smiled at them.

  “This is our ship. Our main thrust-fires propel us into space, into the sky, that is not the problem. We can get into the sky. We have a web of funny little shapes we call a port; this port tells us all kinds of things. The most important thing it tells us is the language of our navigation system. The way you use needles to guide your ships on your seas and caravans around your world, we use the same to guide us through the stars. This is not a problem either.”

  She took a couple of steps to the side, so others could get a better look.

  “We have a problem with the Jump. We have to tear a hole in space like you tear a hole in your clothes. We have to do that in order to get back to our home world. We can't do this without a special kind of fuel called Jump Fuel Cells.”

  Max placed the end of his knuckle against his lips listening attentively.

  He looked to the side and saw the Riven Crew listening carefully too.

  She clicked up an image of Freena's Rock.

  “According to your sacred writings that Paedrin and I have gone over, again and again. This Rock can turn itself into a chalice and make water into any fuel we tell it to. If we get the Rock and tell it to turn itself into our Jump Fuel Cells, we can repower the Jump Reactor.”

  She noticed they were a little lost, so she attempted to explain.

  “To create a wormhole, the rip, we need power on a scale most of you will not imagine for thousands of years. The best I can explain is your world's rotational movement. You all know your world turns right?”

  Dallas' eyes widen, she realized they probably created a scientific revolution on their planet in that moment, but Paedrin calmed her fears.

  “Yes we know.” Pae'drin chuckled, holding his pipe out.

  She nodded to him and continued.

  “We need that kind of energy to create the hole through the stars to bring us home. The only energy source strong enough to do this, is our fuel cells we call the Jump Reactor Fluid. It seems only Freena's Rock can make it for us. Scientifically I can't explain it, but according to your scriptures, it can create anything we want to.”

  “Where are the Rock Shards?” asked a Noble.

  Dallas looked at Paedrin and stepped aside for him.

  He stood up and took over.

  “The first one is in the Groargon Fortress in Werzuck.” Paedrin replied. “The Raidins have been storming it for months now, but we believe it's hidden inside. The second one is on Grang Hill.”

  Chatters and yells erupted.

  “Order in the Court!” Lodin yelled.

  A Noble turned to his friends before getting up. “Are you mad? In over a thousand Moon Cycles, no man or army has gone within five leagues of the Hill!” Noble Griskor commented.

  “Yes we know. This is why we're going to take it from the air.” Paedrin told him.

  “Dallas will fill you in later.”

  He went on.

  “The Shard at Grang Hill is in a stone tomb at the peak. We're arranging a battering ram on the sky ship to knock it down.

  A Noble stood up and protested.

  “The Hills is full of Grangs who've killed and eaten any creature that's gone near it.” Griskor insisted.

  Max walked up and gestured to Paedrin that he wanted to speak.

  Paedrin sat down and Max stood up. He was never good in front of crowds, as hundreds stared at him: the King, Royals, Nobles, Robes, and Magistrates.

  Max cleared his throat and started:

  “I have water that can create fire and I can use it, as we hit the Hill from the top. I'm already coming up with ways to do this.” Max said, nodding awkwardly and sitting back down.

  Paedrin stood up and continued.

  “The next one is in the deep chambers of the Rourd Kingdom on Nah Koo.”

  “Nah Koo is the most dangerous land in Chandeera, no Baelyin has ever returned from its deep Wet Lands.” Noble Jant spoke up.

  Paedrin gestured Max again, he got up. Max got up and said:

  “I have these boots that can make me run really fast, if we can get our airship close enough, I can run into the kingdom and through them and grab the shard before they know it.”

  The crowds begin to talk amongst themselves.

  Paedrin got up again.

  “The next Shard is in the Fire Pit Kingdom of the Droegs.”

  It set off another eruption of chatter and noises.

  “The third shard is in the belly of the Sleeping Tarkoom.”

  A loud eruption exploded this time and Throne Hall went out of control with uproar. The two Nobles Griskor and Jant shouted in anger.

  “ARE YOU MAD!” Griskor yelled.

  “ORDER!” Lodin yelled out, but they continued to yell and chatter.

  “The Tarkoom has been asleep for three thousand years! Lady Freena put him to sleep herself, because he nearly destroyed Chandeera! Now you want to wake him?” Noble Jant yelled.

  The Nobles began speaking amongst themselves angry and confused, and some of the crowds began clamoring. “If you wake him, it will be the end of Chandeera!” Noble Griskor yelled.

  The crowds got louder with chatters and Baelyins yelling at each other. Lodin banged the staff against the floor.

  “ORDER! ORDER! ORDER!”

  The crowds started to die, but Griskor and Jant to yell and shoot them a mean stare before slowly sitting down.

  Paedrin stood up to speak.

  “We know the shard is in the Mountain Cave. We know it's a risk to wake the monster,” Paedrin eyed everyone seriously. “But saving our world and getting our new friends home is worth it.”

  The crowd quieted.

  Paedrin gestured Max up, so he got up.

  “Yes, I have skills that will make me quiet and fast. I can get the shard without waking it.”

  “If you wake it up, we are all doomed!” Noble Gri'skor replied.

  A deathly silenced followed his comment.

  “Krackon has been trying to wake it up with his witch Meir rok, because he knows it can destroy us all.”

  “I accept the gravity of the situation.” Max replied.

  He noticed many of them didn't understand. “I will accept the Quest and will do everything with my power to not wake it up.” Max finished.

  He sat back down.

  “The next Shard is in a cave in the Ice Mines deep in the North,” Paedrin continued.

  “The Ice Mines have over a hundred Baelyin slaves. They have been mining Prescon and Beadril for Kraakon's army.”

  “The last piece Kraakon has himself at the Dark Castle in the Great Wasteland.” Paedrin added.

  “This is madness!” Nobleman Jant said standing up.

  The chatter continued as the crowds started talking amongst themselves excitedly. Max and the crew looked around clueless as to how to react. King Laedin stood up and Lodin yelled out.

  “QUIET!”

  The crowd quieted, and the Nobles sat down.

  “I want to hear from Max Wilkes.” King Laedin said.

  Max saw his whole crew looked at him and then the audience too. He got up hesitantly and slowly made his way to the center of the stage. He heard the quiet fan of Dallas' Computer.

  “Hello everyone, I believe I can lead the team and get the shards.” Max said.

  “I'll go with you.” Lt. Retgor said standing up.

  “I'll go too.” David said standing up.

  The crew looked at him surprised.

  “Okay,” Max replied. “I'll bring Gadian, because he's been working on the Airship with me and knows the mechanics and is Knighted himself.”

  Max looked at King Laedin and the King looked happy and inspired, Max walked back to his seat and sat down.

  King Laedin stood up and everyone bowed.

  “Okay, we have our Quest Knights and crew.” He said with a glowing smile.

&
nbsp; “I would like to introduce my brother King Lorgae Redoren.” Laedin gestured to his left.

  King Lorgae stood up from a chair, a shorter, huskier and rougher looking man than his brother.

  “There's two Kings?” Alex said to Max.

  “I don't know,” Max replied, preoccupied with the quest.

  King Lorgae looked about nodding and smiling to everyone.

  “Is there anything else?” King Laedin said to everyone. There was no reply.

  “Yes,” Queen Ainera said standing up.

  “Before you take young Max on this Great Quest, I would like him to escort me to Trelindria.” She looked at Max from her throne. “It appears our old affiance with the Raidins is in question. I would like to see Eralon herself, as an act of diplomacy.”

  She eyed Max.

  “I would like Max Wilkes to accompany me.”

  She then asked him directly,

  “Would you Max?”

  Max felt nervous and unsure as he let out a slow:

  “Sure.”

  “Good.”

  She sat back down.

  “What is at issue with the Raidins?” Noble Griskor asked.

  “As you know, in each generation of Baelyin Rule, we've had to reforge our affiance with the Raidins, we have not done that yet. They are also bereaved over the war with Kraakon.

  Knight Guyin and others said they were hostile to Baelyins entering their territory, claiming we are bringing the carnage of war to Werzuck Forest.” Queen Ainera explained.

  “Why can't they help us with our war with Kraakon? Don't they know their Kingdom will parish as well!” Noble Griskor shouted.

  “As you know, the Raidins live almost ten times longer than Baelyins, so they involve themselves very little in matters of Baelyins.” Queen Ainera replied.

  “I still have to see Queen Eralon to strengthen the Old Alliance and to prevent any battles between our Kingdoms.” Queen Ainera looked around, but there were no responses.

  “Anything else?” the King stated, but everyone was still silent.

  “Alright this meeting is adjourned!” He got up.

  “ATTENTION!” The Royal Official yelled.

  Everyone stood to attention and bowed and left their heads sunk.

  King Laedin and Queen Ainera walked out.

  Everyone began chattering and talking among themselves.