CHAPTER 9:
Earron and Coita sat under the wood shelter near the bonfire with Kyhawn by the small campfire next to them. They were now relaxing after cutting and gathering firewood. Kyhawn stared at the empty cup pressed between his hands. He felt a connection between him and Washburrn. Somehow he knew Washburrn was well, which made him feel calm. He stretched his arms and breathed in deeply the ocean air, then reached for the coffeepot sitting on a heated flat stone and poured himself a another cup of coffee.
“Hey you guys, it’s not raining.” Earron got to his feet and went to the hillside. “Let’s get started on that sandcastle. Maybe a key will appear this time,” he added with a doubtful looked. “Besides we don’t have anything else to do but chuck wood in the fire. And keep an eye out for another ship.”
“Won’t be a ship in these waters for another week,” Coita said. “I heard Captain telling one of his crew.” However, he put his cup of tea onto a flat rock and went to join Earron. Kyhawn stayed behind and peered through the looking glass for any signs of a ship’s night lights. He laid the looking glass next to his cabac, tossed a few logs in the bonfire, emptied his cup, and went to the hillside. He playfully slid down onto white sand beach, then dropped to his knees and began scooping sand with both hands to create a foundation for his sandcastle.
Earron dragged his dagger over the top of the pile of sand he’d already gathered. After he felt it was smooth enough, he started packing his cups of sand. He looked excited as he placed one cup of pressed sand on top another. Coita sat on his knees beside him, filled his cup with sand, then poured it out as if he didn’t care. He turned to Kyhawn. “What makes you think that weird key will be here in the morning? I heard it came from that peg-lock chest. Anyone could have taken it from there and kept it for themselves. It’d have to be a magic key to jump out of that chest by itself. And I doubt it’s magic.” He pressed his hands to his hips and stared at Kyhawn. “A crystal with a spell is one thing, but a magic key …?” He shrugged. “I don’t think so.”
Earron stopped what he was doing, “Yeah, Coita is right.”
Kyhawn sat in front of his sandcastle and looked at them somewhat sadly. “I’m not sure if I believe in magic either.” He brushed his hair away from his eyes. “But we don’t have much time here. We should at least give it one last attempt.”
Earron picked up his cup and jabbed it into the sand. “Come on, Coita. At least it’s fun making them.”
“Whatever.” Coita jabbed the sand with his dagger.
The time slipped away as they enjoyed the moment. Before long Earron and Coita had completed a knee-high square sandcastle with six towers and a few narrow windows. For a final touch, Earron added a star-shaped leaf as a door facing the ocean. “I think it’s wild.” He smiled, hoping the leaf might cast a spell on the dagger-key. “I believe in magic,” he said as the star-shaped leaf sparkled for a brief moment reflecting the moonlight. He sat in quietness taking in the brief but magical moment. He was indeed confident in himself and all that he did, something Kyhawn admired in him.
“With any luck, it won’t rain again and wash them away before the tide has a chance to flood them.” Coita turned to Kyhawn. “Isn’t that how it works?”
“What? Oh the rain, yes … let’s hope it doesn’t rain,” Kyhawn replied as he carved the last few details of his round castle.
“The way it rains around here,” Earron said with a chuckle, “it’ll take some magic for that to not happen.”
Coita and Earron burst out in laughter while Kyhawn remained quiet. He leaned back to get an overall view of his three knee-high towers with a dome-shaped centerpiece as the main structure. He seemed in his own world as he leaned closer and carved another window into the dome. Then he smacked his arm where a bug had just bitten him and down one of its towers went. Kyhawn leaned back and threw his dagger at the hillside as he got to his feet.
Earron and Coita tried to hold their tongues, but Coita couldn’t take it any longer. As soon as he started, they both burst out laughing again.
“All right, so my elbow decided I only needed two towers.” Kyhawn slipped his dagger back into its sheath and went to have a look at their sandcastle. “By the way, I like the leaf idea,” he said with a nod before turning and beginning the climb back up the hillside to the bonfire.
Moments later Earron and Coita followed, and except for a few passing clouds, they had moonlight throughout most of their watch. They enjoyed themselves sitting around the campfire, as Kyhawn explained to them that one of his dreams gave him the impression the dagger-key would bring them wealth. Though Coita wasn’t sure if he should believe him or not, Earron, Kyhawn, and he did have fun passing the time telling each other about all of the fancy things they were going to buy if indeed the dagger-key appeared and opened a door to hidden treasure. Every so often they went to the hillside to see if the tide had flooded the sandcastles. On their fourth look, the sandcastles were completely gone. All was well between them, at least until Kyhawn mentioned something about attending the trade school in Chamquinil.
“There’s nothing wrong with trade school,” Earron said. “Besides, I’ve often thought about going to the Chamquinil School of Thought myself.”
Coita looked at Earron, somewhat saddened. “What about our plans to own our own fishing boat?”
“They’re dreams. Maybe someday.” Earron slung his arm around Coita. “But I’m not sure how when we only live from day to day.”
Coita gave him a hopeful look. “We’d just have to start saving our tiallup.”
Earron shrugged. “Even if we did have enough tiallup … I’m still thinking about attending trade school.”
Coita pushed Earron’s arm away and got to his feet. “I’m going over there if anyone needs me.” He glared at Kyhawn as he went to the edge of the shallow cliffs and sat down.
Kyhawn looked at Earron as they got up and tossed wood into the bonfire. Earron glanced at Coita, then turned to Kyhawn. “I’ve changed. I wish I could make him understand.” Earron sighed. “Don’t tell him I told you this, but I’m sick and tired of fishing for a living.”
Kyhawn tossed a log onto the small campfire. “Earron, you’d like it. You get to meet different Zacs from different regions. Military training isn’t much fun, but I guess it could come in handy the way things are going. I mean, with those Grongels and pirates and all.”
Earron turned to his cabac and reached inside for some tea leaves. He looked over again at Coita. Torn between his dreams and Coita’s, he tossed some more sticks in the small flames.
“What would you study?” Kyhawn got to his feet. “Fishing is all you know.”
“Not sure,” Earron said as he shrugged. “Something, anything.” He poured hot water into his cup.
“Look you guys,” Coita whispered. “Dragonflies. A bunch of them over there,” he pointed. Not getting there attention, he tossed a pebble at Earron. Getting him to notice, he waved for them to come quick, but at the same time he motioned with his finger over his mouth for them to be quiet.
The three of them quietly watched as the dragonflies appeared to be eating seaweed. Every so often one would dive down to the water and grab a bit of seaweed, then fly off somewhere into the darkness of the night. “Bekim and I saw them out here the other night,” Kyhawn told them.
“Quiet. We don’t want to scare them off,” Coita insisted.
As they began getting bored watching this, a headed tentacle swiftly emerged from underwater and with its mouth wide open, it bit hard on the dragonfly taking it under.
“Wild—did you all see that,” Earron’s eyes widened with surprise.
“We’re right beside you. Of course we seen it,” Coita nudged his good friends shoulder as if he was telling Earron, what do you think… we’re blind or something?
Moments later another dragonfly dipped its legs into the water for some seaweed, and once again a headed tentacle snapped at it, and took it under. But when a third attempt was made on yet a third dragonfly, the s
ea creature wasn’t so lucky. The dragonfly that was ascending its catch of seaweed must had seen the sea monster coming. Just as the headed tentacle sprang from beneath, the lucky dragonfly dropped its catch and flue away unharmed. Shortly afterward, the dragonflies departed and all became quiet as the time passed and Earron and Coita fell asleep under the wood shelter. So as to not fall asleep himself, Kyhawn picked up the looking glass. Under the moonlight, he held it up to his eye and viewed the ocean, but when he was unable to see anything but water, waves, a few dragonflies, and darkness, he put it away and went over to his bedding.
When he found himself fighting to stay awake, he gave Earron a nudge. “You ready to keep watch for a while?”
Earron opened his eyes and yawned. “Sure.” He stretched and got up.
Kyhawn lay back on his bedding, and they spoke for a while until Earron decided to venture to the hillside with his cup of tea and a lantern. As Earron thought about trade school, Kyhawn found himself thinking about the dagger-key. How did it escape … if no one’s opened that chest?
It seemed like only a few seconds had passed when Kyhawn found himself using his parchment pad as a pillow. He sat up and looked around. Earron and Coita were gone. He rose and stared into the flames. Zacs were screaming, crying. Omakohak was in flames. His eyes glowed with distress. Sweat ran down his face, or was it blood? He heard an eerie cry from behind him and turned, but nothing was there. He shook off the thought and ran to the beach.
“Earron, Coita—come on you guys! Where are you?” Suddenly he saw a ghostly image emerge from the ocean, changing colors with every move it made. In its hands it held a small wooden object. Kyhawn was paralyzed. He struggled to move, but it was no use. The ghostly image changed into a lantern floating above the water, then within the blink of an eye it changed back again.
“Do not be afraid,” the ghostly image said. “I’ve come to give you a gift.”
“What … who are you?” Kyhawn rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn’t dreaming.
The figure placed a box on a lump of sand next to him. When Kyhawn reached for the box, it turned into something else. He wasn’t sure what it was at first as it was too bright to look at. The object glimmered in the moonlight. The moment felt like it lasted forever before it melted away, and the ghostly image of many colors vanished.
Kyhawn stared in puzzlement, twisting his body. He struggled to move his feet, and eventually broke free, falling on his rear end next to the lump of sand. A moment later the bright light blew out like a candle. “No one’s going to believe this,” he said as he reached for a beautiful colored stone. His hand almost touched it when a colorful gust of wind swept in and around him, a rainbow surrounding him in a protective light. The bonfire blew out like a candle without a shield.
Kyhawn felt a chill throughout his entire body. When he touched the colored stone, the chill was gone. The sandcastle instantly appeared as though it had never been touched by the tide. Seconds later the sky turned dark gray. Even stranger, the sandcastle appeared real, like none he had ever seen before. It was large with many rooms, towers, and staircases. For a moment he felt like he was in it somewhere, lost inside.
Seconds later he found himself sitting next to the sandcastle staring at the colored stone. He reached for it, and this time he managed to grasp it in his hand. While he held the stone, it turned into a small wooden box. Startled by the change, he let go and got to his feet. He took a deep breath, put his fears behind him, and picked up the box. The lid came loose and fell on top of the sandcastle, which crumbled. He peered into the box. “There’s nothing inside,” he said as he tilted the box to one side. As he did so, it transformed itself into sand and crumbled between his fingers. In a daze of disbelief, he threw his arms outward. Seconds later the ground beneath him disappeared. He found himself falling from a waterfall.
“This can’t be happening!” he shouted as he was consumed with fear. He glanced down to see hundreds of colored stones in a pool of water beneath him.
He landed gently in waist-deep water and quickly grabbed a handful of colored stones. Though they were small, he felt he was carrying the weight of the world.
A tentacle emerged from underwater and arched high above him. He moved in slow motion, struggling to reach a narrow ridge before him. The tentacle vanished. As soon as he reached the ridge, the scene changed to one of a beautiful day. All that he felt was good seemed to shine upon him. He stared at the stones, and they transformed into a small wooden box. The lid disappeared. “The dagger-key—here it is!” he shouted. The ghostly image of many colors stood before him again, but when he went to touch it, the image of many colors vanished.
“Kyhawn, Kyhawn, it’s me, Shellean,” she said. With all that has happened, I knew he’d be sleeping. She smiled slightly and glanced over at Earron who stood over the small campfire, cup of tea in hand. She gave him two bowls of fruit salad speckled with dried bugs from the caygeo fruit tree. She then looked down at Coita opening his eyes. As she crouched next to Kyhawn, she glanced at the horizon. Sunlight had started to pierce the night sky.
Though all seemed well as the morning mist started to thin, back at the old camp, tied to the tree between the two cabins, Luxton blinked his eye. “This is our chance to escape,” he said as he tapped Stubton’s arm.
“Let’s be off then,” Stubton whispered, waving a kitchen knife at his female friend. And as he helped to cut her free, down at the beach Shellean turned to Tobben, Zeal, and Alil who were coming up behind her.
Earron glanced around at everyone, then rushed down the hillside. Out of curiosity, Alil followed him.
Shellean tapped Kyhawn’s side. “What a wonderful night keeper you make,” she said as she tapped him again.
“What … Mom … just tell them to come on in.” Kyhawn sat up and rubbed his hair.
“Look handsome, I’m not your mother.” Shellean knelt beside him, thinking the young detective was going to fall back asleep, she tapped his side again.
“What…? Oh, it’s you, Shellean. I must have been dreaming.”
“I’d say you were,” Zeal chuckled.
“No, I didn’t mean that. I mean the dream I just had. It was about that dagger-key. Anyway,” he gazed at the fruit salad, “is that for me?”
She nodded, handing the salad to him. “I thought you might want a good meal to start off your day.”
Kyhawn took a bite.
“Kyhawn come quick!” Earron shouted.
The young detective laid the bowl aside, and jumped to his feet. “The dagger-key?” He ran to the beach where Earron was leaning over Kyhawn’s washed-out sandcastle. Alil stood beside him. She grinned at Kyhawn, then shook her head from side to side in disbelief.
“The dagger-key—it’s here!” Kyhawn knelt beside them. He took a deep breath and reached for it, hoping it wouldn’t disappear. He grasped it firmly. “Earron, here it is!” He waved the dagger-key for all to see. “Maybe I do believe in magic.”
Earron was speechless. He turned to Kyhawn. “I don’t understand how you figured it out?” His round face lit up. “It must be a magic key.”
When Coita held the dagger-key, his plans of owning their own fishing boat flashed before him. He too held it up for all to see.
Shellean thought, I’ve never seen them so excited, and all over some old key. She handed Kyhawn back his fruit salad. “I need to head back. I guess this means you’ll be going to that cave?”
Kyhawn, Earron and Coita stood together, and with great big smiles and a nod, Coita replied, holding the key out at her, “Of course we are.”
Alil opened her cloak revealing a pistol. “The Captain asked me to give this to you,” she said as she reached into her pocket for some powder and pellets.
“Take these swords along too,” Zeal said with a smile. “As Willow used to say, ko-la-ton e-moss-lon. It means may the luck of the gods be with you.”
The Dagger-Key and The Lost Treasures of Kebadon Page 35