The King glared at him. “Hallond, I have given you much leeway over the past five years. This glorious plan of yours is not without merit to me. But, I cannot allow you to usurp my authority by signing orders in my name. How often have you done this?”
“This is the only time, I assure you.”
“How I wish I could believe you. But I, of all people, know your trustworthiness. This has gone too far, especially when you search for a child. A child, Hallond!”
Hallond stood, upset by the King’s questions. “Sir, the child poses a dire threat to our plans.”
“Your plans, perhaps, but not mine. Not anymore.” King Anthony shook his head. “I have let this go too far.”
“What are you saying?” Hallond always feared a break of their agreement.
King Anthony threw the paper aside and stood. “Putting a priority call out for a child will bring about a civil war.” His voice boomed through the small chamber. “If the other Lords find out about this, they will sever all connection to the throne and we will be destroyed by the armies that should be serving us.” The King looked away in shame. “Hallond, I went to the Labyrinth yesterday, just after I was informed about your subterfuge. I wanted to convince myself that what we were doing was right. But I couldn’t. Those people deserve to live. Their lives do matter, and I do not have the right to destroy all of them for the sake of my own immortality.”
“But, sir, the plan…”
“Is no more! I order you to free the wizards and end this manhunt for that boy. I am the King, I should do what is right by the people. A king that rules through fear is no king, he is a tyrant. Hallond I…..ACK!” Suddenly, King Anthony was overcome by a wave of pain surging in his chest. He grabbed at his throat, unable to breathe. Falling to the ground, he looked up at Hallond, who had a dark mist seeping out of his palm, overtaking the King’s life.
Hallond leaned over and smiled at him like a snake about to feed. “You foolish old man. I was never going to grant you immortality; you're a lesser being of a lesser race. I admire your greed and grasp of control, but you're not worthy to rule. Only I will rule and it is time I take my place as leader of Gallenor.” He opened his mouth and a thick, black fog seeped from it, along with his eyes, nose, and ears.
The Wizard Council of the King gathered at the door of the chambers, responding to the sound of the King’s scream. Everyone in the Throne Room, with any sense of magic, could easily feel that something terrible had happening and it would be their duty to protect the King for the sake of Gallenor. And Holland knew it, preparing himself for battle.
“Guards! Open the door!” a woman of the council yelled out.
Guards pulled at the doors, but they were sealed tight. Holland sneered.
“Stand back!” the voice of an older wizard rang out. The tumblers of the locks along the door slowly began to release; no doubt from a disenchant spell. When the doors opened, they found the King on the ground with Hallond standing over him.
“Stop him! Kill him, he is trying to kill me!” King Anthony sputtered.
A wave of fire blasts slammed around Hallond until one finally hit its mark, sending him sprawling across the chambers and out the window down. He plummeted the three stories to the ground below.
***
The wizards and the guards came running in to help the King.
“Your Majesty! Are you okay?”
“What happened?”
“Can we help?”
They pulled King Anthony to his feet. “I think I will be alright,” he said, loosening his robe around his neck. “Oh my, he went mad. He tried to kill me.”
“He is dead,” one of the guards said from the window.
King Anthony waved a Guard near. “Send for the coroner to collect him, his body should not be left on the street among the people.”
“At once, sir.” The Guard dutifully ran off.
“What was he doing? Why did he go mad?” the eldest wizard asked.
King Anthony exited his chambers, followed closely by his loyal wizards and took is seat on his main throne. “Hallond was overtaken by the dragon statue’s influence. He warned me about this. Its darkness can seep into the hearts of wizards and turn them wicked. I am afraid he has been too close to it.”
“Oh my. None of my studies showed such things!” the librarian wizard said, searching her thoughts.
King Anthony reached for the staff leaning against the throne, and banged it twice. All Guards within an earshot of him assembled. Once they assembled he smiled to them and gave his order, “Guards, take the court wizards and secure them in the labyrinth.”
“But, sir, we can help!” the eldest wizard said, as a sea of murmurs filled the chambers.
“You mean well, I am sure. But, that statue could prove our downfall if it infects you too. I give you my solemn promise as leader of Gallenor,” the King vowed. “I will secure the Dragonwand and see that it is destroyed along with that statue. When the time comes, you will be freed with the others.”
The wizards bowed in submission. The Guards came to escort them out of the castle.
“Lieutenant!” King Anthony cried to the head of security.
The soldier came over and dropped to one knee before the King. “Yes, sire?”
“Send a decree to all provinces, and make sure Captain Morris gets this. I want the boy with the wand found. When he is found, kill him, retrieve his wand and anything he has with him that is magical.”
“A boy…sir?” The Guard seemed confused.
King Anthony scowled at him. “Did I not make the order clear enough, or do I need someone else who can obey the throne?”
“No, I understood. But, a child sire?”
“Trust me!” King Anthony yelled.
The soldier nodded. “I will get this decree out at once.” He bowed a little lower and then left in a hurry to fulfill his King’s wishes.
King Anthony sat back in his throne and enjoyed the sensation of power rushing through his blood. It was the oldest he had ever taken on in a new form and it came with so many grand perks.
CHAPTER 3: Darkened Days
After two days of traveling, the Barren Mountains remained very…barren. Jagged peaks surrounded by winding paths, fallen rocks, and sparse vegetation filled the horizon. A large river ran through the mountains and down into Gallenor with offshoots that made little creeks and rivers amongst the harsh mountains. A few scraggily plants that were hardly green enough to be noticed grew at the water’s banks. The sky was deep blue at day and shimmered with thousands of stars at night. Markus took it all in, appreciating possibly the only redeeming quality of the journey thus far.
He was often colder than the others, unable to grow a naturally thick coat of fur. Since he had not packed for the chilly winds of these tall peaks, the blanket he used at night also became a coat during the cooler times of day. He focused his attention primarily on reading Donna’s spell notebook for clues that might help him figure out the Codex. He knew her book would not have a direct answer, but the thoughts and notes of five years studying at college should provide some wisdom on this matter.
On five separate occasions they encountered Imp attacks with presumably more in the distance. Right now the four travelers walked along a natural path on the side of a mountain. They could look down into a thin river located at the base of two mountains. Across from where they walked was another cliff, only it was steeper and its peak much taller. The path itself was just wide enough for two people to walk side by side. But that didn’t keep either Kiin or Treb from holding Crystal’s hand as they walked, assuring her safety.
“There’s another!” Kiin called out as an imp rounded a large rock far off in the distance.
“It doesn’t see us, yet,” Treb said, ducking down. The others followed his lead finding cover behind some withered bushes.
“How do you know?” Kiin asked.
“If it did, it would've immediately attacked,” Treb
answered.
With the precision of a master, Kiin pulled out an arrow and shot it at the speck in the distance. There was a terrible yelp and then a bright green flash followed by a nasty popping sound.
“Look!” Crystal pointed at two others coming to investigate the sound of the first imp’s death.
Kiin was getting low on arrows, but she prepared another. Markus stopped her. “Wait, let me. Wand!” It appeared in an instant. He read from the book. “Prymja!” Waving his wand at the imps, a flash of light filled the area, as a crack of lightning descended from above, electrocuting them simultaneously. Two green flashes later only the sound of thunder remained, echoing throughout the steep cliffs.
Crystal smiled at him. “Wow! That was perfect.”
Treb wasn’t smiling though. “It was also noisy. You have to be careful about that. Not only will the ruckus attract more imps, it could give away our location.”
Kiin agreed with her husband. “We barely escaped Stillwater together, and Donna sacrificed herself for us. We cannot act thoughtlessly.”
Markus holstered his wand, a little annoyed at their lack of appreciation. “I was only trying to help. You're going to run out of arrows if I don’t do something.”
Kiin nodded and rubbed his back. “I thank you for your consideration. Perhaps you can find a less noisy spell to deal with the imps.”
Treb’s stomach began to rumble. Markus grinned at him. “Speaking of making noise, I think it’s about time we stop for dinner.”
Treb turned away to focus on the path, his face set without a single sign of hunger. “I’m fine.”
Crystal tugged on his arm, giving her father that look he could never turn down. “I’m hungry, too.”
“I guess we've been walking long enough,” Treb said smiling. “Let’s see if we can find a good place to stop.” He pushed onward.
Kiin followed him, taking Crystal’s hand as Markus followed. After only a short walk, Treb found a small depression in the mountain that was hardly a cave. But, it was enough to keep prying eyes from spotting them so easily. Though the Royal Guard had not been seen since they left Stillwater, it was always wise to keep hidden.
They made a temporary camp, dropped their bags and rested their feet. “So what’s on the menu this evening?” Markus asked, comically. He knew perfectly well what they had for food, and it wasn’t exactly gourmet.
Treb let out a sigh of disgust and rifled through his bag to find a small amount of deer meat and another potion bottle. He set out a cloth and placed the food on the ground between them. “Old meat and potion… yum.”
Kiin shook her head. “You know, I could really go for some of chicken stew right about now.”
Crystal picked up a morsel of the deer and put it in her mouth. “I could use some of that pepper oil.”
Markus shuddered at the thought of eating that hot oil. “I'm glad Donna gave us this potion. It’s perfect.”
Kiin picked up the bottle and spoon. She poured some of the potion into the spoon and tasted it much like someone might take a nasty medicine. “Sure, this is great.”
“Sarcasm at its best, huh?” Markus said, taking the spoon next. He poured some for himself. “Well, it’s better than going hungry. We really didn’t have the time to get food rations for this trip, and I haven’t seen anything but imps to hunt for the past two days.” With a reluctant frown, he took his spoonful and gulped it down. It tasted like a bitter metal with a bit of salt added. The texture was not unlike pure oil. This was a unique potion Donna made; each spoonful was enough nutrients for a meal. It kept them going, and that was important.
Markus handed the potion over to Treb and watched him intently. He knew his friend would do his best to skip the tasting, but didn’t say anything. Treb was hardly putting any of the potion on the spoon before taking a sip and then poured some a heaping spoonful out for Crystal. At first Markus thought it was the taste that Treb hated, but it didn’t take long for Markus to realize that Treb was sacrificing for everyone else. Admittedly, it seemed like the foolish thing to do, but he appreciated his companion’s nobility.
Treb corked the bottle and stuffed it back in the bag, “All right, we'll leave in five minutes.”
“Five minutes?” Crystal muttered.
Treb rolled his eyes as Kiin grabbed his arm to garner his attention. “Honey, why don't we rest a bit longer? Wearing ourselves out is going to do us no good.”
Treb huffed, but agreed. “Fine.”
“Well, back to the books.” Markus sat back and opened up the Codex and Donna’s spell book.
Kiin frowned at him while she read the title of the page in Donna’s book, “Why are you reading about destruction spells? I doubt that has anything to do with deciphering.”
Markus shrugged. “Everything I read might put me closer to the answer. I've read everything in here about breaking magical ciphers and so far it has garnered me nothing.”
Crystal came over and investigated the books. “Maybe I can help.”
Markus smiled at her, he would absolutely not say it in present company, but he had thought about kissing her over and over since that night. He loved the sensation, and he liked her just as much. He focused his thoughts back on more important things, and stuck his nose back in his books. “If you can figure anything out, I welcome the input.” He slid the books between them.
She cocked her head and turned the pages in Donna’s book back to the ciphering section. “I looked at this last night and found it interesting how every spell has its own key.”
“Yeah, Donna told us that herself. What about it?” Markus wasn’t catching on.
Crystal read a page and then turned it over. “No, not just a different spell, but a key. It says here that some encryption spells used enchanted keys as the cipher. It wasn’t just a spell, but an object that was the only method of breaking the encryption. You couldn’t simply enchant another key for it.”
“Wait a minute. Are you thinking that Tolen created a key that's hidden somewhere?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. It would seem logical though. If he encrypted this for someone else to find, long after he encrypted it, then he would need to provide the method of breaking the spell. What better way of doing so than through a key?”
Markus realized if what she was saying was true the key might be somewhere deep in Gallenor. He thought back to everything Tolen said, correlating it to what had transpired so far. “If you're right, then the key should be close.”
Kiin had to ask. “What makes you say that?”
“Think about it. So far, everything has happened in an orderly plan, other than being chased by Morris. I find the wand, I find the Rakki with this book, we come across the only free wizard that Tolen placed for us to find, and we're headed right for the Citadel. If he hid the Key, he would do so in our path so we could find it.” Markus lined up the logic for them.
Treb nodded. “It does make sense. Then, what is it? Where is it?”
Crystal flipped the pages again, finding the section on ciphers and keys. “I don’t see anything in here that could lead us to the key.” She shot Markus a serious look. “Think back to what Tolen told you. Did he hint at a key in any way?”
Markus looked out at the darkening night sky. “I wanted to find the answers to my strange dreams, and he said that I would find the answer in this journey. Maybe they have something to do with the cipher?”
Crystal was eagerly nodding. “Have you learned any ciphering spells in your dreams, or maybe seen the key?”
Markus thought hard about his dreams, which was an uncomfortable thing for him to sort through. There were unpleasant images and baffling things that were not concepts he wanted to spend much time thinking about. “I…I don’t think so. Maybe, but, if it was there, I missed it a long time ago.”
Crystal reached up and rubbed his ear again, a reflexive action of a Rakki. “It’s okay. If Tolen wanted you to learn this in your dreams, then y
ou will. I cannot believe he wouldn’t put that in our path now.”
Markus could not help but smile at her when she rubbed his ear. It felt odd, but it was a loving action on her part that sent prickles along his face and neck. It didn’t hurt that every time she did this, Treb’s upper lip lifted showing a few fangs. “Maybe I’m just tired. I've been reading this book and looking at the Codex all day.”
Treb concurred. “We have traveled a good distance today and we're all tired. A healthy night's rest would do you good.”
Markus affirmed his wisdom. “And, perhaps, I'll dream of the cipher tonight.”
Crystal stopped rubbing his ear. “Pay attention then.”
“I always do,” Markus said.
“I think this one will work.” Kiin rolled a large, smooth stone toward Markus.
Markus nodded as a peculiar smile split his face. “The heat stone spell doesn’t get warm enough for me. I don’t have all the fur you guys have. Maybe tonight I can wrap myself up in a Rakki blanket as well.” He raised his eyebrows twice in Crystal’s direction, teasing her. “Any volunteers?”
“Fine, I'll make the sacrifice. Come here,” Treb said patting the ground next to him, responding to Markus’ joke.
Crystal snickered at her father’s humor, but Markus wasn't laughing. “Maybe I’ll just use my blanket.”
Kiin and Treb decided on the order in which they would keep watch tonight while Crystal and Markus laid out the mats. Markus cast the heat emitting spell over a rock. Just more knowledge he gained from Donna’s book. It did the trick, without radiating any light. These mountains were cool at the best of times, but at night they got downright freezing. The heat from the stone was enough to keep everyone warm, although Markus liked it even more wrapped snugly in his blanket, awaiting the heat of the dawn.
Once the sun set and the stars peaked out from the dark skies, a figure scurried over a distant cliff. It was a Shlan scout, in full armor. They do not live in this area of the Barren Mountains, and they certainly don't hut over here. His eyes were searching for people.
Legacy of Dragonwand: Book 2 (Legacy of Dragonwand Trilogy) Page 2