by A. J. Medina
“I don’t think she will.” At least I hoped she wouldn’t.
After battling Ursala and her wolf pack, me, the knightlys and Neala snatched up our belongings and prepared to cross the magic bridge.
I stood at the edge of the water ready to say the magic words, when Thomas said something from behind me. “Did you see that?” Thomas said. “She lit them all on fire and froze that other one.”
“It was fantastic,” Davina said excitedly.
“It was alright,” Aednat groaned.
“Alright?” Thomas asked. “It was more than alright. How that woman thought she could defeat Alora is beyond me.”
A smile found its way onto my face. I wasn’t happy about killing the wolves. Nay, I wish I hadn’t had to do that. But I was happy that the others were safe.
My arms lifted into the air as I prepared to call out the magic words that made the bridge of stones rise up from under the water, when it occurred to me. I didn’t need the stones. I didn’t need to hop from stone to stone trying not to fall in. Not when I had the power to create my own bridge.
I knelt down and touched the surface of the water and commanded it to freeze. The water turned to ice and slowly spread from my hand across the river and to the other side.
“Impressive, but what happens when we slip and fall into the water?” Aednat asked.
I turned back towards Aednat with outstretched arms. Aednat jumped behind Davina hoping I wouldn’t hurt them both.
With eyes glowing, I turned back to the ice bridge and the dirt on the ground flew through the air and scattered across the full length of it.
I tossed a quick glance over my shoulder at Aednat who was still hiding behind Davina. “That should keep us from slipping.”
Pressing down with one foot, I made sure the ice bridge was sturdy enough to take our weight and then stepped fully onto it. I adjusted my satchel and waved for the others to follow.
Once across, I waited for the others. Thomas was the last to cross the ice bridge. The whole time he had his sword drawn and kept looking back just in case the woman with the black hair tried to attack us by surprise.
When Thomas stepped off the bridge and onto land, I knelt down and touched the bridge once more. Instantly, it melted and became part of the flowing river again.
“A fine day for a march,” Thomas said.
“Aye,” I answered, even if he wasn’t speaking directly to me. “Off to Kingsley.”
On the walk back to Kingsley all I could think about was if Lucah would be there. Would he be home? Would I be able to get an answer as to why he left without saying goodbye? And would he be happy to see me?
Chapter 24
Silas realized he could perform magic even though he hadn’t drank a potion. He thought long and hard, trying to figure out how it was possible, until he finally came up with an answer. When Alora had healed him, she must’ve transferred some of her power to him. But it didn’t make sense. He killed Tessa and she was still a child. Because of that, he shouldn’t be able to perform magic anymore.
Since he was now a full wizard, he wondered what his gift would be. He read, in the wizard Agbavitor’s journals, all about the different and powerful gifts other wizards were blessed with. One could control the elements: rock, fire, water and air. Others could bring people back from the dead. Some could heal even the worst of injuries. He wondered if that was Alora’s gift—she did heal him and made his hair grow back.
But there was a gift he read of that intrigued him the most. The ability to control a person’s actions. Agbavitor had mentioned once how the dragon wizard had that ability, but it only worked on the weak minded. Royalty and knights would not succumb to that gift, since their minds were much too strong for it.
Silas stepped back away from his metal cage door when he heard the footsteps. Fear enveloped him again. He didn’t want to be beaten anymore, he was still too weak from not eating and he had no weapons to defend himself against the knights.
When he saw the man dressed how the kitchen servants usually were — wearing a red tunic tied at the waist — he was relieved.
He had lost track of time and it was now time for his one and only meal of the day. A meal that consisted of one mug of water. It was no meal at all.
Silas thought the king was being extremely cruel to him when he was being fed only bread—starving him and giving him just enough to tease his senses and making him want more. His mouth salivated at the thought of the — burnt to a crisp — bread that would have normally been thrown away. But now, with only a mug of water barely keeping him alive, the king was more cruel than Silas could’ve ever imagined.
This time the male servant that brought him his water was unfamiliar to him. Silas had never seen him before. The servant carefully leaned in just enough so that Silas had to extend his arm through the dungeon bars as much as he could in order to grasp the mug.
Silas reached out and felt something. He couldn’t quite explain it. It was an odd feeling. Almost as if he was in the servant’s mind.
The servant released the mug when Silas’s fingers wrapped around the handle and he waited for him to drink it all.
Silas could feel the fear emanating from the servant. He laughed internally at the thought and then wished Alora was there. She would have snuck in disguised as Neala and brought him a proper meal. A stew perhaps or maybe even some of that goat cheese they enjoyed so much.
And then it occurred to him. It hit him like a blow to the head.
Silas’s eyes glowed and lit the dungeon. He tried to send his thoughts through the air, hoping and pleading that it would work.
The kitchen servant stepped forward, no longer afraid, and held out his hand. Silas handed him back his mug and watched as the servant left the way he had entered.
Silas gripped the bars with both hands and waited. A loud thump came from the entrance to the dungeon. A shout came next, and then silence.
Silas would know whether it worked or not depending on who came around that corner.
The servant wasn’t a strong man and it took a few moments before he appeared in view dragging the guard behind him.
Silas held his hand to the lock the way he remembered Alora doing, and with a click, he was free.
He bolted over to the knight on the ground. The servant had slit his throat and their was a trail of blood leading back towards the dungeon’s entrance.
“Help me remove his armor,” Silas commanded.
The servant obliged.
After Silas was fitted with the guard’s armor, he placed his helmet on and moved his limbs around. It had only been a short time, but the armor he now wore felt far too heavy. First on his list of things to do, eat more in order to regain his strength.
“Into the cell,” Silas commanded the servant.
After the servant entered the cell, Silas held his hand to the lock and it clicked shut.
Taking possession of the guard’s sword, Silas left the dungeon and headed up the stairs into the palace.
Since no one was in wait outside of the dungeon door, Silas sheathed his sword. With no magic potion and him being starved, no one must’ve thought him worthy of more security.
After climbing the long, winding steps up to the main palace level, he peaked out and checked left and then right. It was empty.
Silas knew where he was going, but as he passed the great hall, he stopped and looked at the passage that led towards the king’s chambers.
The king may or may not even be in there, he thought.
But even if Silas made it to the king, he would be too weak to fight and the king would win.
Nay. The king would have to wait.
Silas continued on toward the stairs that led to Alora’s chambers. He stopped at the base, looked upwards around the winding staircase, and made sure no one was coming. He paused a moment longer and listened for footsteps. When he was confident that no one was there, he climbed to the top.
Once there, he carefully peeked down the passa
geway. No one was around. Only the princess and Alora shared that level, and Princess Evelyn might be in her room. If she was, she would hear him walk past for sure. To make sure he wouldn’t be heard, Silas decided to remove his armor.
If the princess caught him now, how would she react? She would scream for sure since he wasn’t wearing any clothing.
Silas stepped lightly on his toes as he drew closer to the princess’ chamber door. Light emanated from the crack at the bottom. When someone blocked the light from the crack, Silas froze in his tracks.
He waited, wondering what was happening on the other side of the door, when he heard the knob turn.
Silas jumped against the wall closest to the door and waited. He hoped his dirty body would help camouflage him into the wall and he didn’t want to hurt the princess, she had always been kind to him. He lifted his sword and waited to see who would emerge, when he felt that weird feeling again.
“It’s no trouble,” the girl’s voice said. “I’m sure Alora won’t mind if I take one of her pails. I’ll replace it later.”
“Very well, Genevee,” Princess Evelyn said.
“I’ll be right back to wash you, Princess.”
The chamber maiden shut the door behind her and walked away from Silas and towards Alora’s room.
Silas didn’t move an inch, but closed his eyes so they wouldn’t light up the hall and thought of the girl. He pushed his thoughts to her and then opened his eyes. The girl stopped, turned to face him and waved him over.
When Silas tiptoed past the princess’ door, the girl turned and started towards Alora’s chambers again. She opened the door, stepped inside, and Silas followed her in.
Silas stepped aside and watched as she disappeared into the washroom and then emerged with a pail in her hand. She strolled right past him and shut the door behind her.
Silas quickly scanned the room. It was dark. He had spent enough time in the room to know where the candles were. He lifted his upturned palm to his lips and blew, causing the candles to come to life.
He glanced over at the washroom. He desperately wanted a bath, but he couldn’t risk being caught. What if someone found the dead dungeon guard? He needed to hurry.
Silas pulled open Alora’s closet doors and there it was, hanging up like so many nights before.
He yanked his second skin down and slid his feet through the leg holes and then slipped his arms in. When it was finally in place he said the magic words, “Apta magnitudine,” and it formed and shaped itself to his body.
Silas glanced at a pair of Alora’s boots and then at his bare feet. The guard’s feet were much smaller than his and the boots hadn’t fit him.
Alora’s certainly wouldn’t fit him either, so barefoot would have to do. He shut the closet door and pulled open one of her drawers, the one where she kept her hair ribbons and a few pieces of parchment. He snatched a green ribbon, pulled out two pieces of parchment and began to write down as much as he could remember on one and on the other one he wrote a note to his general — General Ugo.
When he was finished, he took the first parchment and glanced around the room, looking for a good place to stash it. It had to be someplace Alora would be sure to find it.
At first he placed it under her pillow, but then thought what if someone changed her bed sheets. Next, he went into the washroom. It would get damaged if it got wet and with the princess’ chamber maiden taking pails, it was too risky of a hiding place.
Silas opened her closet again. He had a few choices. One of her sleep shirts, her second pair of boots, or her shoes. If he pinned it to one of the three sleep shirts, what if she didn’t pick the correct one? If he placed it in her shoes, she might never see it, since she liked to be barefoot all the time.
He figured the boots would be his best option. After her journey to find the dragon wizard and then the return trip home, her boots would be covered in mud, dirt and grime and she’d be ready for a fresh pair.
He folded it and then slid the parchment into one boot, making sure it was secure in the toe area. There was no way she would put them on and not feel it.
And to make sure she didn’t choose the shoes, Silas took them, closed the closet doors and went into the washroom. He flung her shoes into the bathwater and readied himself to exit her chambers.
He pressed his ear to the door and listened for any signs of movement. When he was sure no one was in the passageway, he waved his hands to extinguish the candles, and opened the door.
Back in the dimly lit passage, he made his way to the falcon cages.
Arriving at the top of the turret, the night was quiet. Everyone was relaxing in their chambers and homes. Outside, the night wind blew its cool and chilling air. The floor was cold and wet under his feet. By the looks of the sky, a short snowfall had just passed. It mustn’t have been much and it wasn’t cold enough to make it stick.
With his feet splashing the water on the floor, Silas approached the falcon cages. He knew his falcons well, having trained them himself. The king never the wiser, for if he was, he would’ve released them long ago.
Carefully, he opened the gate and helped one of his falcons onto his forearm. He used a piece of string to tie the note for his general to its leg. Stroking the falcons chin, he whispered, “To General Ugo.” The falcon’s head twitched, recognizing the voice. Silas removed the leather cap covering the falcon’s eyes, dipped his arm and thrust upwards, releasing the falcon into the air.
As it flew out over the seas, Silas hoped it would get to the general in time. Silas was weak and he didn’t know how long he would last out there.
Next, was the green ribbon. He tied it to another one of his falcon’s legs and shut the gate to the cage.
“Lead her well, Dante,” he said, and then stepped up onto the ledge. In the quiet evening, he could hear the waves crashing against the bottom of the mountain that supported the castle city. He could hear them even over the roar of the falls in the distance. The moon reflected off the water just enough so that he would have to time his landing just right.
Taking a grip on the ledge with his toes, Silas held out his hand with his palm facing down towards the water. Alora asked him once if soaring worked the same on water as it did on land. He wasn’t sure, but he told her they would need to test it one day. That day had finally come.
With a deep inhalation of the cool night air, Silas bent his knees, squatted down and jumped off the highest point of the palace and down to the sea that waited below.
After plunging into the water, Silas started swimming to the west. He would need to tell Alora that while he was able to slow himself down a great amount, he still hit the water with such force that it hurt.
Silas swam for what felt like hours. He reminded himself that he couldn’t stop no matter how tired and exhausted he was. This was about survival, he had no choice but to press on.
When he felt as if he could swim no longer, he turned onto his back. Floating, he gently sculled with his hands and gazed up at the moon. The waves lifted and lowered him, rocking and lulling him the way a mother would.
“This is it,” he whispered. “This is how my story ends.”
Silas closed his eyes and stopped sculling, letting the water effortlessly hold him at the surface.
“I only wish I could’ve seen your face one last time. Alora, my love. Please see the king for the evil ruler he truly is.”
Silas stayed floating under the dim light of the moon, waiting, but the water wouldn’t take him. He wouldn’t sink.
“There he is! Hurry! Row!”
Silas knew that voice well. Without opening his eyes, he smiled.
“M’lord, are you...?” the voice asked.
Silas opened his eyes. “I’m still here, General.”
“M’lord, I thought we were too late.”
“You almost were.”
General Ugo reached out and helped Silas onto the small boat. There were three men seated in line holding oars and ready to get under way.
“Your orders m’lord?”
“To the castle. Also, no longer address me as such. My name from this point forward is Silas.”
“Aye, Silas.” General Ugo ordered the rowers. “Back the way we came!”
“Did you bring the food?” Silas asked the general.
“Aye, m’lor... Silas.”
General Ugo retrieved a basket of food and lay it at Silas’ feet.
Silas reached into the basket. “So tell me. What’s been going on while I’ve been locked in the dungeon? Has Lucah been training as I asked?”
“He has and he’s been using your wizard’s book. He has been able to replicate the potion, but he is unable to recreate the wizard suit he wears.”
“I believe it’s because he isn’t a full wizard, but lucky for us, I am.”
Silas took a chunk out of the goat cheese and half chewed it before swallowing. It was hard to swallow, but he was starving and weak. He took another bite—he needed to eat.
“Slow down Silas, you’ll fall ill.”
“I need to get my strength back, General. I must prepare for battle.”
Chapter 25
Lucah hadn’t been home and his entire family was getting worried. Even his father who kept saying Lucah was fine, couldn’t hide the worry that came through in his voice. They all asked me to let them know if I heard from him or if I heard of him from anyone, anyone at all.
After spending the night at Lucah’s home, we left to meet the carriage that would be waiting for us on the other side of Caskars Bridge.
Once on it, the scenery flashed by as the horses raced us back to the castle city. The driver had hurried us onto the carriage and said the king was awaiting my arrival.
The five of us had so much room in the large carriage—it could fit at least twenty people. It was driven by eight horses and bounced about as we sped home. At the speed we were going we would get there in half the time it normally took to arrive.
When we arrived at the castle city gate, the knights acted as usual. I guess I was expecting some sort of welcome home, maybe a crowd, or maybe horns announcing my arrival, but there was no such welcome.