Deragan Sword Prophecy: Book 01 - Kainan

by Rosemary Lynch

  “Yes, I’m fine, but my head went a bit dizzy then.”

  “Mine too,” Arweyn agreed.

  “Come on let’s get going before anything else happens.”

  They continued for a while following the tunnel. It dipped in places, and at one point they felt like they were going downwards, then turning a bend sharply Arweyn suddenly stopped.

  “What is that noise?” she asked, turning to him, as deep ahead in the tunnel she could hear a rumbling sound.

  “I’m not completely sure, but I think it sounds like water,” he replied, taking hold of her hand.

  Slowly and cautiously they emerged out of the end of the tunnel. The two of them stood still and stared in utter amazement.

  “Wow!” exclaimed Arweyn. Kainan stood with his mouth open aghast. The tunnel had led them in to a vast natural underground cavern. Kainan lowered the torch and threw it to the ground, putting it out. The cavern was lit entirely by luminous glowing crystals which were embedded into the walls, sparkling and twinkling with an array of colour just as inside the tunnel. To the back of the cavern was a fantastic waterfall gushing over the top of a crystal rock face, sparkling with a rainbow of colours as the water pounded into a glorious crystal pool below.

  “I think we have found the Faerlings Kainan,” she whispered.

  “I think you may be…” he stopped mid-sentence. She looked at him then followed his gaze. There was something else in the cavern. Then from behind the waterfall emerged a tall slender female figure, her skin was pale and her hair long and dark. She wore a green gown, with long flowing sleeves emblazoned with tiny crystals. The young Prince looked at Arweyn, then back at the figure before him, and he thought how they bore a striking resemblance.

  “Welcome Arweyn, welcome Kainan.” The figure spoke in a haunting whisper.

  “You know who we are?” Arweyn whispered back. Strangely the woman looked familiar to her.

  “Yes Arweyn we have been expecting you both, please come.” She pointed to a pathway that led through the crystal rock and up into the waterfall. They both did as she asked following the pathway up towards her. As they approached the woman raised her hand and the water parted like a giant curtain.

  “Come, please.” She ushered them with her hand. Once through, the curtain of water closed behind them, becoming a waterfall once again.

  As they emerged from inside the mountain, the two stopped and stood in stunned silence. The landscape was absolutely breath-taking. A beautiful crystal castle of spectacular elegance and splendour sat nestled in the valley below them. It glistened like sparkling diamonds in the rays of sunlight which streamed out across the valley. The city was encircled entirely by a high crystal wall. It was fantastic; it almost looked like a city of ice. It was surrounded by lush green meadows which were full of bright colourful flowers. Deep blue lakes glistened in the sunlight, and trees dotted the hills all around it.

  “Welcome to the Faerling city.” The woman said smiling, her arm outreached towards the city below them.

  “It’s beautiful,” Arweyn replied in a whisper; she could feel her heart pounding. This was where she was from, where her mother had been born, Sarconia.

  “Indeed it is. My name is Sharlinger, I am your mother’s sister,” she said, smiling gently and lovingly towards her. Arweyn spun around and gazed at the woman; her eyes widening with disbelief. That is why she seemed so familiar to her; she had reminded her of her dear mother.

  “You are my aunt?” Sharlinger smiled, nodding. Arweyn beamed from ear to ear, she was family, all these years she had thought she was alone, but here were her mother’s people, they had found her through her dreams and brought her home.

  “Yes my dear. Come follow me I am afraid we do not have much time.” She began to walk down a pathway which led into the valley below. The two followed closely behind. It was an incredible place. The fields were bright and colourful, full of flowers and trees baring different fruits. They passed some animals grazing.

  “Unicorns?” Kainan asked curiously, slowing down to look at them.

  “Yes, they are the last of the unicorns Kainan. We rescued them during the Great War from Zyon many years ago. They hold great magical powers and are to be cherished.” The dozen or so unicorns lifted their heads as they walked passed and gently and graciously they lowered themselves into a bowing position. Sharlinger bowed her head back to them and smiled. Lapsing in to Faerling she spoke softly to them before continuing on. The young Prince looked at Arweyn; her face was glowing with happiness. He smiled, he knew how she felt it reminded him of the first time he had seen the castle at Malgar. This place was part of her, just as Malgar was part of him.

  Arweyn stared at the unicorns; they seemed so familiar to her. Then her aunt spoke to them in her own tongue. Arweyn frowned puzzled; she had understood the words, but how? For now she said nothing and continued to follow her aunt.

  The path led onto a wider road, which they followed for a while. Then they entered through the giant city gates. Kainan stared above as they walked underneath. “Are these gates made from crystal?” Sharlinger smiled and nodded her head.

  “Yes Kainan, as are the city walls. Crystal is a strong and powerful element. You will find it almost everywhere within the Faerling city.” They continued along the wide road and it wound round through the part of the city. The Faerlings houses were very elegant. Timber built and painted white, each had a neat thatched roof, and a small front garden full of herbs and flowers; a white picket fence with a gate, framed the entrance to their gardens. Arweyn smiled. It reminded her so much of Master and Mistress Cromer’s cottage back home. Faerlings poured out of their homes towards them, stopping and bowing at them as they walked past. “Why are they doing that Sharlinger?” Arweyn asked, smiling back at the people, giving them a wave.

  “Arweyn, I am the Queen’s daughter.” She stopped turning to her. “And you are the Queen’s grand-daughter. There has been much excitement in the city when they heard you were coming.” Arweyn’s mouth dropped. “I didn’t know my mother was a royal, she never told me anything apart from how she met my father.”

  “Arweyn, she was bound by secrecy. If anyone knew who she was, who you were, it would have put you in great danger. There is a great deal you do not know, but now you are here it is the time for you to learn.”

  “Sharlinger I don’t wish to be disrespectful but we really don’t have much time. The Gorzars are almost at Mennock Mountain, if they reach it before us they will open the portal and all will be lost,” Kainan interrupted. His thoughts were still with his men left back on Zyon. As much as he knew Arweyn needed to be here, he could not help but feel concern. Something in the back of his mind niggled at him, and the more he could not figure out what it was the more it troubled him.

  “I understand and we know why you are here. However, Arweyn must understand her powers, for she will need to use them in time to come. Do not worry we have time. Time you spend here is different to the time you left behind on Malgar.”

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “Kainan, you didn’t just pass through a mountain you passed through a time gate.”

  “A time gate?”

  “Yes. Did you feel strange at all whilst coming through the tunnel?”

  “Well … yes, we went sort of dizzy for a moment or two.” He looked across at Arweyn who nodded agreeing.

  “Well that was when you passed through the time gate. Our sun you see above is not the same as your sun. We are a different world to yours.” Kainan looked stunned, another world within a world?

  “You do not look convinced?”

  “It’s not that, it’s just….. Well so much has happened the last few days and every day just gets more and more incredible.”

  “Time will have only passed by a few minutes or hours on Zyon if you return through the same time gate.” She stopped and looked at his puzzled face. “It can only be used twice and it must be by the same people. Once to get here and once to leave. Then i
ts location will move.”

  “So what you are saying is that only Arweyn and I can go back through the tunnel?”

  She nodded. “Yes that is correct. The time line is connected to you two. If any of us were to travel with you we would reappear however many days you had been here.” Kainan scratched his head, he was still not sure. “If you stayed here for two days, you would return back to Zyon only a few hours later. However, if any one of us left with you we would arrive two days after you, do you understand now?” Kainan nodded, now he had grasped what she meant.

  “Sharlinger can I ask you, do all Faerlings have magical powers?” Arweyn thought how it could become quite a difficult place to live if everyone was able to perform magic. Sharlinger smiled.

  “Some have the ability to heal, but no Arweyn only those born with royal blood such as myself.” She nodded her head towards her. “And you will be able to perform magic.” Arweyn inhaled deeply and stood tall as she looked around at the people. That was a relief to know.

  As they approached the castle entrance Kainan leaned into Arweyn, whispering in her ear.

  “Wow! And I thought the palace on Malgar was big!” Arweyn pulled her dark hair away from the side of her face and back over her shoulders.

  “Oh, Kainan never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined how beautiful this place would be.” Kainan’s heart pounded as he saw how her eyes shone with happiness. He watched as Sharlinger began to climb the crystal steps to the entrance. Stopping he grabbed her waist. She turned to him startled.

  “What is wrong?” He smiled at her, and shook his head.

  “Nothing.” Raising his hand to her cheek he leaned forward and kissed her. She closed her eyes as she felt the warmth of his kiss. “I love you.” he whispered.

  “I love you too Kainan.” Slipping one had around his waist she ran the fingers of her other hand tenderly through his hair, and gazed longingly into his eyes. “Are you okay?” she asked. He nodded as he looked ahead; Sharlinger was nearly at the top of the stairs.

  “Yes, I just wanted to make sure you knew; before we go in,” his kissed her forehead. “Come on,” he said, and took hold of her hand.

  They climbed up the crystal steps together and walked through a large oak door and into the castle. As they continued along the corridor Arweyn’s mind suddenly flashed back to her childhood, to her mother’s bedtime stories of a princess who lived in a beautiful crystal castle. With walls that sparkled like diamonds. Her eyes were wide as she stared all around her. This was it, she was walking through her bedtime story! All the time her mother had been telling her about her home. Kainan watched as her eyes widened at each turn of a corridor. There was recognition in her eyes at what she was seeing. He reached out and took her hand.

  “Are you okay?” he whispered in her ear. She nodded turning to him.

  “All of this Kainan, I know it, I know all of it,” she glowed excitedly. He shook his head.

  “How?”

  She leaned into him as they walked. “My mother used to tell me stories as a child, and this is it, the castle, the unicorns everything. I even understood what she said to them.”

  “Arweyn she spoke in Faerling.”

  “Yes I know, isn’t it incredible. It was our special language, just between my mother and me. I hadn’t thought of it for years. Sharlinger told the unicorns that the princess had come home, she was talking about me Kainan!” She shrugged her shoulders excitedly. Kainan took her hand and squeezed it, she was incredible and he loved her so much.

  “Now, come we are here. Let’s go and meet your grandmother, the Queen.” Sharlinger ushered them quickly through the corridor of crystal. It was so clear it was like looking at ice. They approach a door and Sharlinger opened it and led them through.

  There sitting down by a fire was an elegant lady with fine wispy white hair let loose to her waist, she wore a green gown fastened tight to her neck with silver dragonfly shaped clasps. She sat with a book in one hand and a pen in the other. Stopping what she was doing she turned and looked up as Kainan and Arweyn walked closer.

  “Ah, here you are my granddaughter. Such a long time I have waited to see you.” Standing up she walked towards Arweyn with her arms open. Arweyn looked at Kainan. He raised his eyebrows towards her coaxing her to go forward. She was a tall woman and as Arweyn entered her embrace she reached only to her shoulder.

  “My dearest granddaughter.” She stood back and looked at her. “How alike to your mother you are.” She turned to Kainan.

  “You must be Prince Kainan, the King of Malgar’s first born son.”

  Kainan nodded bowing his head. “Yes your majesty. I am Kainan.”

  “I have seen great things about you Kainan, and you too Arweyn. It is your destiny that has brought you both together, and both of you here to me this day.”

  “We need the Faerlings help your majesty.” Arweyn explained.

  “My dear, please I am your grandmother, so let it be said.”

  “Yes grandmother I’m sorry.”

  “Arweyn you have nothing to be sorry about, all time has led to this day. I have been waiting and I am ready to guide and train you.”

  “Your Majesty. I do not wish to offend you or be rude but we are in a great hurry. The Gorzars are ahead of us and if they open the portal all will be lost.”

  “My dear boy,” she said in a low voice and with a gentle smile. “You must have patience. My granddaughter must learn the skills she needs to defeat them at Mennock Mountain.”

  “I cannot beat the Gorzars on my own grandmother!” Arweyn looked horrified at the thought.

  “My dear I would not expect you to do it alone.” She turned to the young Prince. “Kainan will be by your side. That is a fine sword you have there.” The Queen commented noting the sword in Kainan’s sheath.

  Kainan put his hand to the sword. “Yes your Majesty. My father said it was indeed a great sword and it has already proved its worth.”

  “I can see great magic within that sword. It is the Deragan Sword, is it not? You chose this sword yourself?” she questioned, one eyebrow slightly raised.

  The young Prince nodded. “Yes your Majesty, it seemed to call to me.” The Queen smiled knowingly. “Then Kainan you need never to fear its blade.”

  “Never fear its blade your Majesty. What do you mean?”

  The Queen walked towards the door, looking out the corner of her eye she smiled. “You will see young Prince, you will see.”

  Kainan looked bemused, and gripped the hilt of his sword. What did she mean? His thoughts were interrupted.

  “Come Arweyn I will take you to start your first lesson.” She turned to Kainan. “We will be gone a while, feel free to have look around and if you are hungry please see the cook, she will make you an excellent snack.” Taking Arweyn’s hand she led her out of the room. Arweyn turned to Kainan and shrugged her shoulders apprehensively and mouthed “See you later,” to him. Nodding, he winked and watched her leave.

  The Queen led her into another room. Arweyn’s eyes were wide as she looked around. A large fire roared in the corner and in front of her she could see a beautiful crystal chair.

  “Do you have your mother’s spell book Arweyn?” Her grandmother asked. Nodding she took out her mother’s book from her bag.

  “Excellent.” Reaching forward the Queen undid Arweyn’s cloak and took it off. She held it close to her chest as she thought fondly. “This was your mothers.”

  Arweyn nodded looking at her grandmother; it seemed that they had known of her after all. “Do you know what happened to my father and my mother?” She asked in a whisper. The Queen sighed sadly.

  “Yes my darling I do. We have been searching for her since that very day, three Zyon years ago.”

  “Then you believe she is still alive?” Arweyn choked as she stared at her grandmother. Nodding, the Queen placed her arm around her shoulder giving her a gentle warm hug.

  “Oh yes, I believe she is still out there somewhere, but wherever she is
, there must be a great magic around her that has stopped me finding her, but…” she smiled. “I will never give up my darling and one day I know we shall find her.” A tear ran gently down her face and she quickly wiped it away. Clenching hold of Arweyn’s cloak she sighed. “I gave this cloak to her when she was of age.” She released her arm from around Arweyn and carefully placed the cloak onto a chair.

  “I didn’t know if you knew I existed.” Arweyn said, watching her grandmother walk over to a large black and silver chest. Her grandmother looked back over her shoulder and smiled at her.

  “Oh yes my darling, I have been watching you since the day you were born. Your mother made regular contact with me and using magic I have been able to see you.” She hesitated for a moment. “The last I heard from her was her cry for help, that morning.” Arweyn felt tears suddenly sting her eyes, her grandmother’s face suddenly looked distraught as she recalled that fateful day. “She managed to communicate that she was being attacked, but before we could get to her we lost communication. Something blocked her from us, some powerful magic.” She shook her head, then took a key from her pocket and placed it in the lock, turning the key, and with a loud click the chest opened. As she lifted the lid it creaked; bending down she lifted out a beautiful forest green cloak, with emerald crystals emblazed on the collar. Arweyn noticed it had a single dragonfly clasp, the same as the ones on her grandmother’s cloak. The Queen turned and walked back over to her, carefully placing the cloak around her shoulders.

  “Now Arweyn, this cloak is for you. It has a different power than your mother’s. For a start you cannot use it to become invisible,” the Queen warned as she fastened the dragonfly clasp. “But should you so wish you can call upon the dragonfly and she will help you.” She looked at her grandmother. What did she mean call upon the dragonfly? Before she had a chance to ask her grandmother had already returned to the chest. Arweyn watched as she took out a large piece of silk cloth tied with a ribbon, slowly she undid the ribbon, and inside was a wand.

  “Now take a seat over there Arweyn, we have no time to lose.” Her grandmother pointed to the large crystal chair which had a high pointy back and long twisting arms and legs. Doing as her grandmother asked she sat down on the crystal chair. She was incredibly nervous, all this was happening so fast and she didn’t really understand what was going on.