by L. EE
Alden laughed. “You’re not crazy. And yes, cow farts chase the fog away. The only problem is the smell.”
“I’ll say!”
Alden continued, “I’ve heard that when the curse first started, farmers found that the pastures where the cows grazed were fog-free. They started using cow farts to clear away the fog when there’s an event.”
“It’s a great idea, but someone needs to invent something to kill the stench. It’s awful!”
“And that’s exactly what Odor-Be-Gone will do!” the man proclaimed.
Andy picked up the device. It reminded him of eyeglasses, except instead of lenses, a wire holding a small sponge extended from the bridge. You could fill the sponge with whatever scent you liked best—mint, lavender, or lilac. Andy put it on. It pinched the bridge of his nose, but he smiled as the fresh aroma of mint filled his nostrils.
“How much?”
“Two spannings for the device. Four quirts for the scent. We’re taking orders.”
Just as Andy finished placing an order, a trumpet called everyone to the amphitheater for the closing ceremony.
On the way, Alden pulled out the gold medal from under his tunic. Andy smiled. Alden shot back a grin, his expression reflecting more than just happiness at winning an award.
The arena was packed when they arrived. A dozen stages circled the space, and the bands that had performed throughout the festival came together for one final jam session. People were laughing and having a good time, tapping and jumping to the music. Andy spotted Marta and Hans and waved to get their attention before heading over to join them. On the way, the boys greeted Henry, Max, and Oscar, along with their wives and kids, as well as several other castle servants. It seemed as if everyone had turned out.
After several minutes, the governor of the city of Oops mounted the center stage, quieting the crowd. “I’d like to thank you all for attending the Festival of Oomaldee this year. Your participation, your cheering for the competitors and enjoying the bands—” the crowd interrupted with applause and hoots “—has produced another successful event. I feel privileged to have hosted the festival in our fair city. It will certainly be the highlight of my year!”
The crowd started whistling and hollering once more.
The governor motioned for quiet. “I see it will be a highlight for you as well.” He smiled then continued, “On a more serious note, as we draw the festivities to a close, I do want to take a moment to remember Uma Flopol, a competition judge. She was killed after being struck by a poison dart during the Tower Chase judging.”
Gasps sprinkled the crowd.
“If not for the quick thinking and courageous actions of Andy, Son of Smith, it is probable that others could have been killed as well. Is Andy, Son of Smith, here? If so, please come up to the platform to be recognized.”
Hans shouted, “He’s right here!” and motioned wildly at Andy.
No! Andy shook his head emphatically, but several folks standing nearby heard Hans. He surrendered as they began pushing him toward the stage, all the while his face warming. He hesitated and surveyed the crowd when he reached the foot of the steps.
“Way to go, Andy! Way to go!” Chants compelled him upward.
The governor shook Andy’s hand vigorously when he at last reached the stage. “That was a heroic thing you did. You ignored your own safety and acted to prevent harm to others. I understand you got hurt and spent three days recovering from your injuries.” Andy gave a slow nod as his gaze darted across the crowd.
“On behalf of the Festival Committee and everyone here, thank you.”
A volcano of applause and whistling erupted, covering everyone within earshot.
“Is there anything you’d like to say?” the governor shouted above the roar, restoring quiet.
Andy drew a hand to the back of his neck. “I’ve never done anything like that before. I just saw the guy about to hurt my friend and I tried to stop him.”
“A hero, and humble!” the governor praised. “Well done, Andy!” He threw an arm around Andy’s shoulders, then became solemn. “Now, I ask everyone to join me in a moment of silence as we remember Uma Flopol.”
Everyone grew quiet.
After a minute, the governor intoned, “Thank you. And now, would the medalists in the athletic competitions please join me on stage to be recognized.”
Andy tried to step away and dodge the attention, but was stopped short when the magistrate kept his arm firmly in place. “Please stay here. Your actions deserve much recognition.”
Only as the hundred or so medalists mounted the stage did the official release Andy. He fidgeted until Alden joined him.
The governor then invited the winners of various other contests—such as the jams and jellies competition, the apple pie eating competition, the turkey calling competition, the kite flying competition, and the goat herding competition—to the adjoining stages.
“Please join me in recognizing all of our winners!” the official invited. The crowd again responded.
“Thank you all for attending. I now declare the Festival of Oomaldee complete for this year!”
At this, the bands all started playing a raucous tune while fireworks erupted from the back of the main stage. Cheers went up and people started dancing and swaying to the music.
Wow! I’ve never seen people party like this! Andy marveled as he spun around.
Andy and Alden rejoined Marta and Hans amid hugs and more celebration. As they danced out of the amphitheater and all along the way home, folks stopped Andy and shook his hand.
Out of the corner of his eye, Andy noticed Alden glancing over at him. While his friend wasn’t exactly frowning, he wasn’t smiling like Marta and Hans either.
What’s wrong? Why’s he looking at me that way?
Chapter Ten
Gift in a Gold Box
They arrived back at the castle in time for dinner. After washing up and changing back into his comfortable T-shirt and jeans, Andy joined the King and Mermin in the dining hall. He recounted everything he had seen and enjoyed during the festival. Then, remembering the dragon scale, he pulled it out.
Handing it to the King, Andy said, “Alden and I found this earlier today. Do you know what kind of dragon it’s from?”
The King passed it to Mermin to examine. The wizard held it up to the light, turning it over several times. He then put it up to his mouth and rubbed it against his front teeth, much like testing a pearl.
“Andy, why did you bring this back?” the King questioned.
“Well, I doubt whether Merodach would have told us if there was a red dragon at the festival. So I figured if this was the scale of a red dragon, Alden and I wouldn’t need to go retrieve one from the Dragon’s Lair.”
The King chuckled. “I’m not surprised to hear you say that about Merodach. Even though he seems questionable in character, in all my dealings with him he has never once lied to me.”
“You’ve dealt with him before?”
“Yes, a few times.”
“And?” Andy probed.
“And…I think Mermin has finished his inspection,” the King evaded.
“They only bwing male dragons to compete at the festival. It’s the scale of a male cwimson dwagon. No mistaking it. See here, there is a vewy light colored gway stwipe at the bottom of the scale. Cwimson dwagons are gway under all their scales. Male wed dwagons are wed under their scales and don’t have this gway stwipe. Some say wed dwagons are angry all the way thwough, which is why they are the fiewcest.”
Mermin handed the scale back to Andy. He could just make out a light gray band along the bottom of the scale where it would have been attached to its owner. “You really have to know what to look for, don’t you?”
“Mermin has studied dragons for many years. He knows every species,” praised the King.
Andy forced a smile as the sovereign glanced his way.
The wizard raised a hand. “Sir, if you will excuse me, I need to attend to the expewiment
I have wunning up in the labowatory if it’s to be weady for tomowwow.”
“By all means.”
As soon as the mage had left, the King asked, “Andy, is something bothering you?”
“Well…”
“What is it? Tell me.” The King locked eyes with Andy.
“Well, sir—” Andy’s gaze moved to the table and he hunched his shoulders. “You see, sir, I’ve never battled a real dragon, and the Forest of Giants, well…”
“Ah, I see. You’re afraid.”
The matter-of-fact summary made denial impossible and Andy pulled back.
“Andy, that’s to be expected. Under the circumstances, I would be surprised if you weren’t. But don’t let your fear cripple you. This is not a normal quest you are embarking upon. You have been brought here to break the curse. It’s not every day you get a message sphere saying you’ll become a leader here. I have every confidence you’ll not only get this dragon scale but you’ll do far more.”
The King brought a hand over and rested it on Andy’s shoulder. “Always remember you are here for a very important reason.”
Confidence again flowed through the King’s hand and Andy met his gaze. I want to believe him.
“You’ll do well. I believe in you.”
Andy gave a slow nod.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a few matters I need to attend to.”
Despite the encouragement, Andy’s stomach clenched and he exhaled loudly. More mulling did nothing but make his insides churn.
I wonder what Mermin’s working on. The rogue thought offered a welcome diversion.
“I believe I have it!” the wizard exclaimed as Andy closed the door to the lab behind him. “All I need to do is a final test outside to make sure it works. I’m going down to the porch to test it.”
“Can I come?”
“Please do. If this is as powerful as I think, it could completely change life in Oomaldee.”
Mermin threw a towel over the shiny dome that was the size of half a soccer ball and picked it up. As they headed toward the door, Andy noticed that his mailbox still stood sentry, but it was open and a gold envelope stuck out.
“How long has this been here?” Andy asked as he grabbed it.
“It must have just awwived. There was nothing in there earlier.”
This gold envelope was also addressed to Andy, but now it said: To Andy, Son of Smith, He Who Shall Overcome His Fear.
Why am I the only one who doesn’t believe that?
It contained two letters this time. Andy read the first aloud:
“The guide for true steps,
To make your path straight,
Lies in invention,
Of words that negate,
Fear, that is tempting,
To harm and misstate,
The control that you hold,
Beyond armor plate.”
The words did little to reassure him, and Andy rubbed an arm, trying to stuff down his anxiety.
“Sounds like whoever wote this knows you’ll do fine on this mission,” Mermin affirmed. “What does the second letter say?”
Andy read:
“In your provisions make lie,
The key that is golden.
But take not its cover,
Lest enemies embolden.
The right path you’ll follow,
Ne’er alone on your quest,
To bring you a journey,
The end that is blessed.”
“Sounds like you need to bwing that gold key you found. How ‘bout that, a packing list for your twip!” Mermin chuckled.
Andy gave a weak smile. But it mentions emboldening enemies. Great, we have enemies before we even start.
As the pair headed down to the porch, Andy motioned toward the object Mermin carried. “What’s it do?”
“It should wemove fog for long distances.”
“Really?”
Mermin nodded.
“You mean without cow farts? They smell so bad! What are you calling it?”
“‘A New Beginning.’” A corner of Mermin’s mouth edged upward as he patted the top of the contraption.
Andy caught the wizard’s meaning. It really will be, won’t it?
They emerged onto the porch into dense fog, more dense than Andy had yet seen. He could barely see the wizard standing three or four feet away. Mermin set down the bundle on the floor and pulled off the towel. Then he tipped it up, inserted a small metal sphere into the bottom, and set it back down. Andy watched and waited for something to happen.
“Give it a minute or two for the weaction to begin.”
Andy was just beginning to wonder why the King had such confidence in Mermin’s abilities when the wizard began to come more clearly into focus. A moment later Andy saw the porch railing appear.
“Mermin! You’ve done it!”
A few minutes later, Andy could see the moat that surrounded the castle. And then he could start to see the faint outlines of the closest buildings in the city of Oops.
“This is excellent, Mermin! Until this moment, I didn’t realize how gloomy the fog makes me feel. I think I understand why the King wants to break the curse so badly.”
“That is a small part of it, Andy,” the King interrupted from behind, joining them.
The pair turned to acknowledge him.
“Someone told me you two were out here. The fog has oppressed my people for hundreds of years. Most times we like to think that the harder we work, the further ahead we’ll get. Hard work, while required, is no guarantee of success. In this case, my people have labored harder but it has not helped. We have lost our technological advantage. We are behind our neighbors in innovation and are, therefore, vulnerable to their attacks.”
The King paused and gave a heavy sigh. “My stupidity has caused irreparable harm to this kingdom. I just hope it doesn’t cause our final demise. We must break the curse as soon as possible.” He turned and looked directly into Andy’s eyes. “You had nothing to do with the curse being cast upon the land, but I’m counting on you to help break it.”
“I know you are, sir.” Andy swallowed. “I’ll do my best.”
After lunch the next day, Andy headed up to Mermin’s library to retrieve the gold key as instructed by the letter. He knocked, but Mermin was not there, so he walked over to the shelf where he had left the gold book, picked it up, and brought it over to the large table. Clearing away some of Mermin’s clutter, he set it down and lifted the cover.
As before, the only page was blank. Opening the compartment behind it, he found the golden key still there. But now a second gold object lay next to it. It looked like the hilt to a sword. Andy picked it up and turned it over. Four carvings had been inlaid around its circumference: one was a bunch of clouds with puffed up cheeks, another was a giant wave, the third was a flaming ball of fire, and the last was a pile of rocks. While the detail was beautiful, Andy had no idea what the symbols might mean. Near the top, two stones were set on either side, one pure white, the other ebony. Andy gripped it and pretended it was a real sword. He assumed the pose of a knight in his video game and slashed down, fighting an invisible dragon. A shiny blade shot from the hilt! Andy nearly dropped it.
Andy brought the blade close and examined the full length. He ran a finger down the edge but jerked back when it drew a bead of red.
“Cool…”
Andy resumed his stance then jabbed and thrusted, jumped and bobbed all around Mermin’s library. His opponent was quick, and he had to dodge more than one blast of imaginary fire, but in the end, Andy plunged the sword into the dragon’s heart and watched the beast collapse. He danced in victory, whooping and hollering.
“Andy?” the King stuck his head in the door of the library.
“Oh, hi sir.”
“May I ask what you’re doing?”
“Just fighting a red dragon with my new sword!”
“May I see that?”
The King’s eyes grew large and his mouth dropped
opened. He gasped.
“What’s wrong, sir?”
“Where did you get this?”
“Right here, in the book. I was getting the key to pack it for my trip, and I found the hilt next to it.”
The King handed the sword back to Andy and took a knee before him.
“Wait…what are you doing, sir?”
The monarch bowed his head. “I am your humble servant, Andrew, Son of Smith.”
“What do you mean? What are you doing? Stop it! Get up!”
The King unfolded himself and slowly stood. “Andy, this sword is named Methuselah. It is the sword that divides good and evil everywhere. That’s what the black and white stones on front and back represent. The fact that it’s gold is significant, for most believe gold embodies excellence, wisdom, light, and perfection. The carvings—wind, water, fire, and earth—are representations of the foundations of physical and spiritual perfection.”
Andy inspected it more closely. Whoa. “But who would have put it in this book…that only I can see?”
“Until now I thought Methuselah was only legend. Many stories have been told about the battles it has fought to execute judgment and justice.”
Andy stiffened.
“Legend says it appears only when there is a significant showdown about to happen. And it only presents itself to the one who has been judged worthy to wield it in victory. I’ve never seen or heard of it appearing in my lifetime. For it to show up now, and to you—I don’t know what we’re up against…” His voice trailed off.
Andy waved his hands, trying to make the King stop. “Please, don’t say any more!” He grabbed the gold key, slammed the book shut and reshelved it, then bolted for the door.
Out in the hall, the blade retracted back into the hilt, again making Andy jump. Only quick reflexes prevented it from hitting the floor. He raced to his room, heart galloping.