by Troy Hooker
There it was again. The phrase. Malek Eben. So it meant Watcher Stone.
“Long ago in the old city of Lior, many artifacts were kept that were said to contain great power of various purposes. Most were collected safely in the moments before the old city was destroyed, but the Watcher Stone went missing. It was considered destroyed or taken by the Dark Watchers.”
“Was it?” Sam asked. “Taken by them, I mean.”
“Good question. Actually, we have recently discovered that at the time of the invasion of the City, the Stone had been moved to a different area in the City. An inventor named Jerma Bogglenose was going to study it, but was never able to.”
“You think it’s still there?”
“It’s possible. The Office of Research said everything in the old city had been destroyed, but something tells me otherwise … then again, I could be wrong and the Dark Forces have had it all along.”
“You want me to go find it.” Sam stared at the man before him.
“I would not ask if it wasn’t truly necessary.”
He couldn’t be serious.
“Why not talk to the Sons of Light or get the PO to go?”
Mr. Sterling sighed heavily, as if reluctant to reveal any more information.
“There are some of us in the Protector’s Office and in the Council that suspect there are some among us who have turned to the Darkness, and they may have infiltrated some of the highest positions in the City.”
“But why—”
Mr. Sterling held up his hand for Sam to be patient.
“We are being watched, all of us. As Descendants with our own Eben stones,” he slipped his cloak back to reveal his bracelet and Lazuli stone, which glowed softly the same color as the moon, “we risk losing the element of surprise if we are to find those spies among us. But to the Seers and other Lior departments, those your age are—well—invisible until you go through Mentorship. For this reason, I am unfortunately unable to aid you in preparing for your journey, should you choose to go. But I believe Gus will be very helpful in your endeavors.”
“Sir, can’t you just take off the Eben stone so they couldn’t track you?”
Mr. Sterling passed his hand over the stone softly, making the Eben stone glow brightly for a moment. “Our Eben’s are a wonderful gift from the Creator, and we are bound by the laws of Light to wear them. It is something you will understand when you go through Mentorship yourself.”
Strangely, Sam understood. It was more than a bracelet with a stone, it was part of who they were. Perhaps the same was true with the Watcher Stone.
“How will the Stone help Lior?” He asked.
“The Watcher Stone is said to have many gifts, one of which being that we believe it can reveal the Darkness from great distances, even if it is being purposefully hidden.”
“Why would the Dark Watchers want the Stone?”
Mr. Sterling lifted his head to the breeze that was suddenly upon them.
“Some Dark Watchers also believe the Stone will somehow unite the Darkness, but no one is quite sure why they believe that.”
“So it depends on which side finds it first,” Sam said bluntly.
Mr. Sterling nodded.
“If the research around the Prophecy is true—which I am believing more and more that it may be—the Stone could have the power to show the Council the need for …”
Mr. Sterling paused, as if he had already said too much.
“Well, never mind that.”
Sam remembered the Chancellor’s office and the Light alarm going off when he and Talister Calpher stepped through it. Could Talister be part of the ones fallen to the Darkness and now a spy? Or could Sam have set off the alarms because of his dreams?
“I just don’t understand why you want me to go.”
Mr. Sterling sighed.
“I trust your judgment. And—as much as it pains me to let my daughter and her friends be put in harm’s way, I believe it would be necessary for them to go with you.”
Mr. Sterling rubbed his eyes, looking longingly toward the cabin as if he couldn’t wait to get in and get some much needed rest.
“Without you, the others will not go. I know my daughter, and even if I asked her, she would not believe me,” he said quietly. “Sam, you may not see it now, but there are some who believe you are special to Lior’s future.”
Suddenly, Sam understood why he was being asked. Not only could Sam and the others get away without being tracked because they hadn’t gone through mentorship, but also Mr. Sterling was indirectly saying that it would be best if he were out of the City while the Council decided his fate …
Sam gazed off into the moonlight that was casting rays over the seemingly boundless sea.
“Mr. Sterling, is there something wrong with me?”
Mr. Sterling glanced briefly at the same cascade of light Sam gazed at, but then turned to face Sam directly.
“I assume you mean because of your dreams,” he said with compassion. “No, my boy, that is not the case.”
“How did you—”
“Gus told me.”
Mr. Sterling, in a genuine gesture, then put his arms around him. While hugs were not normal to him, Sam let it happen. He trusted this man for some reason—his family, what he stood for.
“Whatever dreams you are having are part of the Creator’s plan. I believe that with all my heart. What that purpose may be is still unknown,” he smiled. “But that conversation is for another day. We must get in and get some rest. You will need to leave for the old city as soon as possible.”
Sam stared at Mr. Sterling as part of a shadow of the trees beside them covered half of his body. It was a strange sight, half of his body visible from the light of the moon, but the other half doused by the shadow, showing no detail of that part of the man before him. It was a perfect symbol of what Sam believed Mr. Sterling was telling him was happening to Lior. If there truly was a curse that covered the Descendants from seeing the Darkness before them, they would be totally unprepared for what the Dark Lords had in mind.
“I’ll do it, Mr. Sterling,” he said finally. “I’ll go to the old city.”
Chapter Eleven
Office of Research
No. No way!” Emma jumped up and began pacing the nearly lifeless fire pit at the pavilion the next morning after Sam told them what Mr. Sterling had told him.
“He just wants us to go to the old city alone? Why would daddy ever do such a thing? Doesn’t he know we haven’t even gone through mentoring? And there’s Darkness surrounding the City—”
“Right. No way daddy would send his little angel out.”
“Shut up Lil! You’re just mad because your parents aren’t here!” she spouted angrily.
It was the first time Sam had ever really heard Emma be nasty with her words.
“This isn’t helping,” Gus offered. “Didn’t Mr. Sterling ask us to go?”
“He said Lior is in danger,” Sam said quietly. He wasn’t quite ready to tell them his thoughts about the Council.
“I heard you. I just don’t—”
“Believe me?” Sam finished her sentence.
“No! That’s not it at all,” Emma huffed. “It’s just strange, that’s all.”
Emma paced the fire pit even faster, the coals showing only the occasional wisp of smoke from the previous evening’s fire.
“The Watcher Stone … it’s ridiculous,” she spat. “There’s no evidence that it’s still in the old city.”
“Your father believes it is,” Sam said gently, at which point Emma softened, but the scowl did not leave her face.
“I can’t believe he would ask us to do such a thing.”
Lillia, who looked elated with the prospect of adventure, turned to Gus, who had been thumbing through his journal
“How dangerous of
a trip will this be?”
Gus did not look up from his journal.
“The Darkness surrounding the old city is residual. While it is significant, it is also fifty years old and does not have the power it once did.”
“That’s stupid,” Emma threw up her hands. “It’s still Darkness, Gus.”
Gus nodded.
“But contained. I think our biggest danger will come from any Dark creatures or Metim still residing in that area, of which there haven’t been any reports lately.”
“Whatever, Gus. Of anybody I would have thought you to be the reasonable one.”
Gus nodded grimly.
“I can’t deny that it there would be some risks.”
There was no fire in the pit, but Lillia stuck her hands out as if expecting the imaginary flame to warm her hands.
“I’m up for it,” she said suddenly.
For a few moments, no one spoke as they digested Lillia’s decision. She was certainly the most reckless of the bunch, but now the rest had a decision to make.
“Has anyone thought about how we would get to the old city?” Gus broke the silence. “I hate to say it, but the terrain between here and there is quite perilous. It would take weeks with the best equipment under the best conditions.”
“Boggle would know how to get us there,” Lillia said quickly.
Jerma Bogglenose. Sam remembered his conversation with Mr. Sterling the night before.
After another few minutes of arguing the craziness of the task they were given, Emma and Gus began to come around to the idea, even though Emma still planned to talk with her father about the whole ordeal.
“Gus?” Emma said quietly. “Do you really think this is a good idea?”
Gus sighed, finally looking up from his journal.
“Your father believes it, Em’.”
The words struck Emma silent. Her father, a man she desperately trusted, was now asking for their help. All for a Stone that may or may not be there.
She stood and paced the fire, looking deep into each of their eyes. For her, this would be more than just a little leap of faith; it would be a monumental one. Everything she had been taught since she was young about being safe was now being tossed out the window. Her parents were allowing her to go into an unknown situation in a dangerous place, with three others her age, none of them proficient with the gifts.
But they had always reminded her there could be a day when she would have to make some really tough decisions on her own, apart from her parents’ guiding. It was a difficult transition for her to accept, but one she knew she needed to do.
“We will need to do some serious research about the City, and the Stone if we go. Boggle and the Library are good places to start,” Gus told them while Emma paced.
“I can’t believe I am even considering this,” Emma plopped back on the bench, “and what for? For a Stone that may or may not help Lior?”
Lillia smiled.
“Come off it Em’. It’s about time you had some adventure in your life.”
She sat silently for a few moments, and the others were perfectly willing to let her work it out in her mind, perhaps because they too were considering the consequences of such a journey. But there was one thing none of them could deny. Mr. Sterling had asked them to go.
“When do we leave?” Emma said, finally, drawing nervous chuckles from the group.
***********************
Heeding Mr. Sterling’s warning about leaving quickly, Gus, Emma, and Sam immediately went to the library to see if they could dig up any more information about the old city and its secrets, and Lillia went to see Bogglenose, the old inventor they had all been talking about.
They knew they couldn’t talk about it, and they would likely not be getting help in preparing to go, but it was exhilarating nonetheless, and even Emma began to show signs of being excited. But it was still going to be up to them to make arrangements, including planning for all provisions they would need for their journey.
That morning, Mrs. Sterling had left in a hurry to go see her Uncle Osan at the robe shop, but promised to have chicken and dumplings ready for dinner that night, while Mr. Sterling and Cooley went back to the Protector’s Office. Miss Karpatch announced that she would take a walk down the path by the shoreline.
Before Miss Karpatch left, however, she had pulled the four youths aside and asked them to keep her informed about what they found. Already she seemed to know what they had been asked to do, but didn’t seem privy to all that Mr. Sterling had told them.
“While I cannot be a part of your plans directly, I can still help you figure this out. You might be surprised to know that I can provide some needed assistance where you might not expect,” she told them, to which all of them agreed to keep her apprised of anything.
At the Lior library, which stood nearly fifteen stories high and had large stained glass windows flooding light in from the sun and the blue glowing spires of the City, Sam, Emma, and Gus searched for anything that could represent more information about the Watcher Stone, old Lior City, or of the dreams Sam had been having.
He felt it necessary to recount the details of his dreams to Gus to aid them in their research, although it wasn’t the least bit pleasant. He had enjoyed a few nights’ break from them, but he could still see them vividly as if the dark figures were still hovering above him and the cold wind licked at his face. Even now walking through the tall stacks of books, the eeriness of the whole thing gave him chills up his neck.
But he had learned to block out the feeling most times, and he focused on looking through the dusty old books in front of him. Each book was labeled with three letters and a number sequence, just like the Dewey Decimal System in White Pine.
I suppose some things are the same no matter where you are, he thought.
“Can I help you with something?” a smaller old lady with spectacles and bright silver hair appeared behind him suddenly, sounding very suspicious.
“Uh, no thank you. I was just looking around for—well the history of Old Lior for uh—a personal project,” he fibbed.
“Oh! Well then!” she suddenly changed her tone. “We have plenty to choose from, however, you are not even close to being in the right area. Why don’t you follow me?”
He shrugged at Emma as she peered at him through the shelves, watching him follow the woman.
“There are hundreds of books on just the history of the City, from the four occupied territories of Lior until the first Chancellor was chosen.”
“Uh, well, I was looking for more of an overview of the City.”
She nodded approvingly and led him over one more row to a long shelf of neatly stacked tubes.
“If you are looking for layouts of the City, these scrolls will have to do.” She immediately picked out one of the tubes and handed it to Sam. “You may check them out for five days, but be aware, they are expensive to replace.”
Sam thanked her and hurried back over to where Gus was nose deep in a thick book with yellowish pages, and Emma was gazing at the light creeping up the spires outside the window.
“What is that?” she asked when he plopped down beside her.
“Layouts of the old city,” he said proudly.
Her face lit up.
“Gus! Look at what Sam has!”
“Perfect,” he said as he thumbed through the rolled up pages, which looked like they were newer copies of the originals. “I wasn’t turning up much over here.”
“Yeah, I think you pretty much covered every book in here too,” Emma rolled her eyes playfully.
They checked out the scroll at the front desk with the smiling lady with the enlarged spectacles and headed out toward Bogglenose’s.
After passing the stadium where busy preparations were being made for the games that evening, and after stopping twice for a meat stick and a bag of
candied marshmallows for Gus, they passed through a clump of trees and climbed up a long, steep path toward an old iron gate buried deep in the brush.
Sliding around a small hole where the brush met the gate, the three continued on the overgrown path until they reached a large rock ledge looking over the sea. Half buried and partly perched on the ledge stood a somewhat dilapidated old building with hastily built sections clinging to the main structure high up the rock face.
“Who lives here? Frankenstein?” Sam snorted when they rounded the last tree and got a clear view of the place.
“Hey I read that book!” Gus said. “It was a classic with elements of the romantic era and was considered one of the first science fiction stories.”
Emma flashed a look at him immediately that made Gus trail off into silence. She rapped on the old metal door and waited until they heard high pitched but inaudible yelling from inside the building. Then there was a huge crash, and the door opened slowly to reveal a very light-skinned older man with long, wavy, unkempt graying hair that looked like it had had a run-in with a light socket. Around his neck he wore a contraption that was emitting a very bright blue light, and he wore dark oversized goggles, which made his eyes appear bug-like.
“I told you to leave me alone!” he slammed the door suddenly, and then after a few moments of rather loud commotion inside, a tiny holographic blue image suddenly popped out of the wall next to them.
“Wha—?” the image of the man turned around suddenly behind him, arguing with an unknown subject in the background.
“Ah! I should’ve known!” the little blue image of the clumsy inventor said from the wall. “Lillia told me it was you three at the door,” he snorted loudly. “Well come in already! You don’t need to knock!”
“It’s locked, Bogglenose,” Emma rolled her eyes at the now blank wall. The sound of nervous fumbling with the latch could be heard behind the door.
“Oh yes! I forgot. Silly me,” said the bug-eyed inventor now standing in full form before them. “I have been having some unwanted visits from the ODA lately. They claim my place is unsightly! What would give those ignorant bureaucrats that idea? Ridiculous I tell you!”