Natalie said, "Aww. It is just so beautiful and serene here."
Charles and Caroline went to Virgil's front door and knocked.
Virgil folded the paper in his hand and placed it in his trouser pocket. He walked out onto the front porch and greeted them. "Welcome, welcome family!"
His face was lit up with a smile and his eyes shone. He took Caroline’s hands in his. "You are back so soon, my dear. Your visit makes me very happy!" Virgil shook hands with everyone.
He looked at Charles and said, "Come with me, lad. I have something spectacular to show you! Everyone, right this way."
They followed Virgil as he walked to a lookout point.
Charles and Caroline were the first to see it. Charles pointed in the direction of a large building in the distance. Scaffolding surrounded it with workers who were diligently laboring together.
Caroline's mouth dropped open. "Charles. Oh my goodness, it can't be true! Pinch me. Is that the castle?"
Bev had her hand above her eyes looking into the glare of the sun. "My dear, I think you are right!" Airabelle and Airasten took off in flight to get a closer look.
Wayland let out a loud: "Whooooa!"
Virgil said, "I'd like to take you closer. I’m sure you would like to look at the site." They turned to walk back to his cottage.
Virgil continued to tell the group about what was happening in the kingdom. "It was Gabriel's idea to rebuild the castle. He drew up the plans. I was amazed by his architectural designs, and how closely they resembled the original castle. Needless to say, the queen was impressed. She sent workers to assist in the building. Amazingly enough, some of them have fallen in love with the kingdom and have asked to stay on as citizens. A group of descendants from the original villagers have also requested to live in the kingdom." They all agreed Virgil was sharing good news.
When they returned to his yard, Virgil walked to a quaint potter’s shed and went inside. He came out with a bag of the most beautiful, pink fruit they had ever seen. Virgil said, "These are called Paruiedahs. They are absolutely delicious." He whistled and his clonsayee creatures came from the forest toward the group. Virgil took his pocketknife from his jacket to halve the fruit for the creatures. The animals began bumping each other to reach the treat first.
Wayland asked if he could take a bite of one of the Paruiedah. Virgil rubbed one on his shirt and smiled as he tossed it to the Journeyman.
Wayland took a bite of the fruit and said, "This my friend is the original fruit! I have never ever tasted anything as good as this." He gave Natalie a bite.
Virgil repeated, "The original fruit?"
Natalie kept trying to take another bite of Wayland's Paruiedah. Virgil, seeing the squabble, took another one from his pouch and shined it up for Natalie. "Here lass." As he threw it to her, a clonsayee let out a protesting whinny.
Virgil petted her feathered mane and said, "Now, plenty more where those came from for all of you. You're spoiled anyway."
Once he finished feeding the creatures, Virgil went in the shed, grabbed the riding gear and prepared the animals for riding. After they mounted the creatures, the group rode in the direction of the castle through the forest.
Airabelle landed on Charles’ shoulder. "Wait until you see this!" Airasten kept flying a circle pattern above them.
As they came out of the forest beneath a bower of trees, they saw the beginning stages of a truly majestic castle in the distance. Although it was a work in progress, it was far enough along to be truly impressive.
Virgil turned to Caroline. "Welcome home to your Kingdom of the Last Dragon." He pulled a small folded picture from his pocket and showed it to Caroline. "This, Your Majesty, is what your castle will resemble when it is finished. A perfect replica of what once stood here; only better, if I do say so myself."
Caroline gazed at the picture, amazed. "It's lovely. May we ride closer?" Virgil nudged his creature forward and they followed.
Caroline was speechless. After a moment she said, "Virgil, it's so majestic. Far beyond even a fairy tale." Charles pointed out specific architectural details to her.
Caroline whispered to Charles, "I've never seen a real castle up close before." She didn't seem to mind that Airasten had landed on her shoulder.
Virgil began talking about his plans for the castle. Charles’ clonsayee moved alongside Caroline’s creature. Once Charles was close, he reached over and held Caroline's hand as they rode.
When the group reached their destination, they stopped and gazed up at the stone magnum opus. They dismounted their clonsayees and Virgil took the role as tour guide. As the group explored the site, the workers continued to work and sing.
"What is that song they are singing?" Natalie asked.
Virgil turned and looked at her. "My song, my dear."
Bev said teasingly to Virgil, "You have all this and a song too?"
Virgil nodded. "I'm afraid so. So much has been given to me. Shall we head back to the cottage and prepare for dinner?" Everyone agreed. They remounted their clonsayees and followed Virgil back to his cottage.
Once they reached the potter's shed, Natalie and Wayland volunteered to help with the creatures. Everyone else followed Virgil. They walked around the cottage to the front yard and stopped. The knights and their families had transformed the yard with covered tables and chairs. A large animal, resembling a pig, was roasting on the spit in the fire pit. There was enough meat for an army. The aroma was incredible.
Virgil said, "If it is one thing we know how to do right in the kingdom, it's preparing a feast for everyone!" He winked at the children and laughed as they ran around him playfully.
A lady came by with a covered dish. She teasingly said with an Irish brogue, "Virgil, I’m happy you have returned. We were all getting worried you'd run off."
Virgil offered to give her a hand setting the table. He took the dish and followed her. Other helpers came and visited with the guests. One by one everyone had a job helping until the work was completed. Airabelle and Airasten found a safe perch on a canopy that was out of the way. They watched the festivities from their bird's eye view.
The musicians began setting up and tuning their instruments. They played upbeat music while everyone finished the work. As the music faded, the trumpet player belted out a tune and people came from out of the woods to join them. It was almost too much fun to stop and get a plate for the meal. As soon as Natalie and Wayland joined the gathering, Virgil assembled everyone into one large group and encouraged them to go through the line to fill their plates.
He began making an announcement to the crowd. Everyone, with the exception of the small children who were still chasing each other, became quiet and turned their attention to Virgil. "We have important visitors tonight. I will introduce them one by one starting with Queen Caroline..." After the introductions he went on to tell everyone, "Please speak with our visitors after they eat. Then join us for a bonfire in the yonder field." The crowd erupted with jubilation.
Dinnertime was cut short, as Virgil was aware of the fact that Caroline's time was drawing near for her to return home. He had his helpers gather the crowd to the field where the knights had started the bonfire. Virgil asked one of the knights to seat his guests in a place of honor, while he went to prepare for the night’s entertainment. Virgil was an entertainer at heart, and he knew just what he was going to perform. Something very special that no one would ever forget. He gave music instructions to the musicians and crept off into the night to gather what he needed in the forest.
While everyone was taking a seat, Charles felt an unusual gaze fixed upon him. The back of his neck began to tingle. He turned and looked around into the dark forest.
Caroline looked up and asked, "Charles?" She pulled on his shirtsleeve. "Charles, what's wrong?"
He smiled at her and said, "I don't really know. Maybe nothing."
She scooted over. "Sit here by me. This ought to be a crowd pleaser. Remember the last time we were here for Virgil's perfo
rmance around the fire?" Charles nodded. He felt uneasy, yet he couldn't explain why he felt that way.
Bev looked around. "Where's Virgil?" Carson pointed to a cloaked figure talking to the knights.
Charles stood when he heard a twig crack. He turned and looked into the dark forest. He thought he saw a figure pacing back and forth. Then it disappeared when Virgil began to speak.
The crowd became silent. Even the children stopped playing. They sat on the ground in front of the chairs. Virgil, wearing his black velvet hooded robe, was hidden in the shadows. There was a puff of purple smoke that emerged from the flames. The musicians began softly playing the music they had been instructed to perform. The crafters in the village had constructed a large beautiful three sectioned puppeteer stage with life like props and amazing puppets. This was their debut performance. The crowd went wild as the puppeteers worked their magic to coincide with Virgil's tale. At certain times the tale would unfold in Virgil’s smooth soft voice. Then in other sections of the tale, Virgil’s strong dramatic storytelling voice drew in and held the audiences’ attention. That night the former king told a special story.
Virgil began: “This is a love story of a young knight who fell in love with a princess from a faraway land. Their families promised to wed their two children to each other when they became of age. It came to pass that the children grew to love each other as they matured.
“The princess' kingdom fell under attack because of the unwise and hasty alliances her father made. The beautiful princess was captured by the invaders and taken to their kingdom. She was forced to perform the duties of a servant for a member of their royal family, who lived in a palace across the kingdom. For many years the knight searched the world over for his princess because it was rumored that she was seen alive. Finally he ceased his inquiries, believing she was dead.
“One day the knight visited a palace with his king. The king intended to form an alliance with the royal family. During this visit, the knight went for a walk on the grounds. He saw a fair young lady walking through a breezeway carrying a basket of flowers from the garden. The young man was captivated instantly by the way the sun lit up the young lady’s hair and by how gracefully she walked. She was truly a radiant beauty. He followed her, not knowing it was the princess he had loved so many years ago.
“Later in the evening, he glimpsed her standing alone in the garden. He walked near the lady and convinced her to talk to him. As he was conversing with her, he discovered she was actually his lost love and was overjoyed to have once again found her. He made an oath he would never again be parted from her. They held hands and talked about the years they had been apart.
“A sorceress was watching the couple. She overheard the knight’s declaration of love and became curious about the young couple. The sorceress left the palace in search of an old gypsy who lived in a nearby town. She knew the old woman had lived in the knight’s kingdom years before. The gypsy revealed the secret identity of the knight, that he was truly the royal prince.
“The king returned to his land after an alliance was made. The knight was left behind to continue working with the royal family. During this time, the sorceress executed chance meetings with the young man. She began to gain his trust by setting up secret rendezvous for him with the princess. She observed that the knight loved the princess with all his heart. The sorceress wanted the life he promised to the princess for herself. She fell madly in love with the young man. So much so, she was willing to do anything to make him love her in return. The sorceress began to plot and set her scheme in motion. One night she overheard the princess admit to the knight that she too loved him. The next morning the sorceress made a bargain with the knight to help him escape with his love.”
Virgil carefully fanned the flames of the fire to add drama to his performance. At certain times Virgil would create shapes with the colored smoke. The music enhanced the performance so much, that it made the audience believe they were actually witnessing the scene itself.
“The sorceress’ bargain declared that in return for helping the lovers escape, she wanted the prince to vow that if he was ever mortally wounded, he would give her permission to have his beating heart. The prince agreed to the bargain and the two lovers were able to escape back to his kingdom.
“Time passed. The prince became king and the princess became his queen. The new king went to war, while his queen was giving birth to their first-born child. While he was away fighting at war, the queen died in childbirth. When the king returned to his kingdom, he learned of her death. The grief stricken king made plans to end his life. The sorceress learned of his deadly plans by a confidant in his court. She watched the king closely to be sure his plans were not fulfilled. After several months, the sorceress decided it was time to remind him of his oath. She warned the king if he succeeded in killing himself and if she didn't receive his heart before its last beat, she would take the heart of his infant son.
“The sorceress’ sister learned of the king's loss and that the kingdom was in mourning for the death of the lovely queen. Several days later, the sorceress went to her sister's cottage on the moor and confided in her what happened to the queen and explained to her sister the details of her evil plot. The sister then traveled to the far away kingdom and requested an audience with the king. She convinced him life was worth living; that he should continue to live for his son. She placed in his hands a secret potion to drink if he decided to live. One day as the king watched his son playing outside pretending to be a knight; he decided it was time to live. He drank the potion.
“Weeks later, an old gypsy saw the king in the village and informed him that by drinking the potion, he would now live forever and that he had foiled the sorceress’ wicked plan.
“As the sister was leaving to return home, the king went to thank her for his life. They had time to converse about the joy he found in raising his son. The sister then returned to her cottage.
“Months passed and the king continued to think of the lady who saved his life. He traveled in disguise to the distant village that was closest to the sister’s home. Once there, the king searched until he located her cottage on the moor and asked her to return with him. She did and eventually they fell in love. Ultimately he made her the queen of his kingdom.”
When the play ended, Virgil performed a few magic tricks. After he finished, Charles’ group had just enough time to thank Virgil, and to talk with a few of the villagers before leaving.
Caroline thanked Virgil and said, "We shall be back soon to see your progress. It is absolutely amazing what everyone has accomplished."
Virgil walked them to their Passageway at the clearing in the woods. Airabelle and Airasten flew ahead and perched on a nearby tree waiting for the others. Once the group arrived, they knew they had to hurry, or Caroline would be late getting home. Everyone waved goodbye to Virgil before they entered the Passageway, returning home.
Charles grabbed Caroline's bag. They said their goodbyes before they left in his car. Natalie and Wayland went with Bev to have cookies and ice cream in the kitchen. Carson cleaned up the office and waited for Charles to return.
**********
Virgil turned around and made his way to the path. Once he began walking, he saw a cloaked hooded figure standing in front of him, blocking his way. Virgil kept walking toward the slender figure. She raised her right hand and a ball of fire lit up like a lantern, the burning orb was then released to float in the air. She pulled back her hood revealing her face. Once he reached her, the two looked into each other's eyes.
"I knew you would be returning," Virgil said. Eustoria didn't say a word.
He asked, "Would you like to join me on my walk back to my cabin?" He offered his arm and she took it. They walked with their arms touching, back to his cabin.
"You could have told the real story."
"I could have, and I may someday. This just seemed like a better tale for tonight."
Eustoria tenderly squeezed his arm. "How is Stella?" she
asked in almost a whisper.
Virgil took in a shallow breath. "I'd say she is in bed right now, it is past her bed time."
Eustoria smiled. "You are really good with her."
Virgil didn't answer at first, and then he said, "She has a proclivity toward spells and potions."
Eustoria pondered this for a moment. "Perfect." She slowed to a stop, looked around and then focused on Virgil. "If you accept her as your apprentice, then I suppose she can be under your guidance for a longer duration. However, you must agree that I will have her for a time as well."
"For what purpose?" Virgil asked.
She straightened and softly said, "I'd like to be able to teach her. What's the harm of that? We will talk more about this subject later."
With a single word Eustoria put out the burning orb that had been lighting their path.
Virgil and Eustoria entered the cabin. Virgil took her cloak and hung it on the wooden hall tree. Virgil smiled. "Now about continuing the real story..."
Chapter 124
Alexander decided to check out the rough part of the Hub later in the day. While he was out on a walk earlier, he overheard two punks talking about a big meeting that was going to be taking place. They were betting on the outcome of a dice game off in the outer area. The punks were so excited they forgot to be careful about what they were saying, thinking the surroundings had been secured.
Looking for a project to occupy his time, Xander glanced over the routes for the day. He decided to reassign Craig, giving him the area in the better section of the Hub.
Craig checked the assignment chart when he came into the office and said, "Sweet. Today is my lucky day! Ah ha... I don't have to worry about not going home tonight."
He high-fived Brian, who patted him on the back and said, "You lucked out! Miracles do happen my friend."
"Get busy you two before I change my mind and give you Shane and Talon's punk watch!" Alexander teased. Craig and Brian didn't take a chance that he might change their assignments; they left immediately to work.
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