The Dagger-Key and The Lost Treasures of Kebadon
Page 43
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When they arrived at the clearing, Tobben and Zeal were playfully sword-fighting with one another. Just down from them, Tailk, the captain, Treb, and Shanel were installing a mast in the center lifeboat. It was ingenious, Kyhawn thought as he studied the seven lifeboats loosely tied together; three made up the center, while two rested on each side. Kyhawn joined in and helped while Shellean sat near the bonfire to watch.
The time passed, and before long, the mast had been completed. The day became night as the sun began to rest on the horizon. The moment gave life to one of the most beautiful sunsets Kyhawn had ever experienced. Every color he could imagine was there as clouds spotted the sky like an artist’s unfinished painting. One Kyhawn would never forget, but like life itself, nothing lasts forever but memories we hold inside of us. He looked at Shellean and smiled. She leaned close and gave him a kiss. “Thank you for his enjoyable evening.” He continued to smile while returning the gesture.
Soon after a campfire was lit off to one side of the clearing. Many of them enjoyed the remainder of the night sharing stories about what they were going to do on their return home. While Zeal and Tobben along with Shanel sat close together enjoying Washburrn’s mogg juice, Kyhawn and Shellean were sitting on the opposite side of the campfire enjoying some of the juice as well; laughing at each others jokes as they handed the bottles around. And at Nevets bragging about the way he’d fought off one of the sea creatures. This too was quite funny until he reminded them of the sea creature that bit off his leg. A moment of silence chilled the air, when Alil, Coita and Earron had walked up the hillside from the beach and joined in on the fun. Before the night had ended two more bottles of mogg juice were empty.
The next few days flew by with much sun and only spots of rain. As Washburrn recovered, everyone able helped move the camp to the clearing. As no one knew exactly when a ship might pass, the make-do shelters near the wood shelter were strengthened for the wait. Though some of them remained at the old camp, most of them chose to camp at the clearing.
The bonfire burned strong. As Kyhawn, Earron, and Coita sat near the flames, Kyhawn drew a picture of Earron and Coita. Next he drew a few pictures of the wood shelter and some of the other Zacs. Then he drew one of Luxton, who had been tied to a stake near the center of camp. Luxton didn’t like it, but most everyone else thought he was getting more than he deserved. It was during this time Captain Joenf, Alil and Washburrn were talking about what Kyhawn had told Washburrn about leaving the chest on the island where no one would ever find it again. The captain kept the idea between them a secret. However, he hadn’t made up his mind rather to take it with them or leave it on the island. What better place to hide the ancient artifacts, he thought. We can always come back and retrieve the chest on a ship fit for battle … if needed.
Later that evening the lifeboats were secured to some trees just down the hillside from the clearing on the white sand beach. Kyhawn tied off the last of the four ropes holding them. As he stared at the rising moon, a celebratory feast began. Before long all of them were eating; followed by many of them dancing on the beach to folk songs performed by the two musicians and their string instruments. Even the stars seemed to dance as Kyhawn, Earron, and Coita and others danced in a circle around the bonfire singing along with the music.
By this time Kyhawn, Earron, and Coita had recovered their colored stones from the waterfall lake and were telling everyone about their entire adventure at the cave. The magic of the dagger-key was described repeatedly while the copy Kyhawn had drawn of the invisible ink map was passed around. For Washburrn and Tobben had decoded the message on the map, which indicated the dagger-key would be needed to unlock yet another door behind the waterfall. Though the message didn’t say what was behind the door, an X on the map marked which waterfall it was behind. Most of them agreed there was sure to be treasure behind the waterfall, which was near the temple ruins on the far north side of the island. As the thought of discovering a treasure behind the waterfall filled their hearts with hope, the captain, Alil, Werdna, Treb, and Bekim as well as others decided to construct their own sandcastles to see if the dagger-key would return.
The captain’s eyes lit up as a sparkle of youth overtook his irritable mood. He laid his weapons aside, dropped to his knees with his empty cup in hand, and began building in the sand.
Washburrn sat with the group on the beach near the trees where they had a campfire going. As he sipped his coffee, he told them about a friend of his in Chamquinil who appraised stones. “He might even be able to sell them for you.” Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his chest. “Too much excitement for one journey.” He chuckled, trying to ease the pain.
The captain glanced up at them with a nod as he piled sand on top of sand, then pressed one cup of sand next to another. “I sure wish there was a way to keep that dagger-key from disappearing. We need to take it with us when we leave.” He smiled. “It needs to be hidden somewhere safe, and I have the perfect place.”
“Yeah, where’s that?” Werdna wondered, along with many of them.
“At my home, in my collection of old curiosities.”
“If Dylc and Willow were with us,” Washburrn announced, “I know they’d be willing to venture to that waterfall on the far side of this island for a treasure hunt.” He spit out a zuetia leaf he’d been chewing on, took another sip of coffee, and glanced at Earron and Coita who were sitting across from him. “I’d go, but I’m afraid I better not.”
While most of the passengers remained in the clearing dreaming about going home to their lives of luxury, Kyhawn and Shellean joined in on constructing sandcastles; Zeal and Tobben next to them look over at them with a smile and a cup of sand. And as two small campfires gave light on the beach that chilly night, all of them felt younger. They started seeing who could fashion the tallest and most complex sandcastle. Even the captain continued to smile—at least until his collapsed.
“It’s been a while. What do you expect?” he asked. “We used to make them,” he held his hand out just above his head, “about this high when I was a young lad.”
The time passed, and though Zeal, Tobben’s sandcastle ended up being the tallest, Werdna’s sand boat turned out to be the most interesting. A stick for a mast and a piece of cloth for a sail gave it a charming appearance, Kyhawn thought. However, as he and Shellean sat next to their sandcastle, Kyhawn started to think again about the dagger-key. I want to know more about it. Could it be the lantern of hope? He shook off the thought and turned to Shellean, but she wasn’t there. Oh well, he thought as he went and sat next to Washburrn.
The night went on, as did the stories about how they were going to spend their loot. When the tide was starting to reach their sand sculptures, Captain Joenf looked back and forth from Werdna’s sand boat to the mast on his wrecked cruise ship, which stood only a few feet above the waves. He stared down the beach to his left, but could barely see it from where they were sitting. He couldn’t help but think about that night. He looked at those around him. “What is my wife going to say?”
For a moment, no one said a word. But as Washburrn gazed at the natural arches, the waves breaking around the ship’s mast caught his attention. His eyes followed them as they disappeared into the sand. He looked at the captain. “Joenf, by now your wife probably thinks you’re at the bottom of the ocean. Don’t worry—she’ll be pleased simply to see you alive.” He slowly broke out in laughter followed by the others.
Soon after the laughter faded into the night air, they began going back to where the sand and trees met, and their blankets awaited them. And like a boat on the high seas sailing into dreamland, one by one they slowly drifted off to sleep.