Legacy of Dragonwand: Book 1 (Legacy of Dragonwand Trilogy)

by Daniel Peyton

  “Hello?” came a squeaky little voice out of his mouth. No response. He cautiously took a step into the cabin, cleared his throat and said again, “Hello? Is anyone here?”

  “Morris, is that you?” a weak, raspy voice called out.

  “No, it is I, Markus.”

  “Markus? I know no Markus. Is this a trick? I warn you, I can still do great things!”

  Markus gulped. “It’s no trick, sir. I’m truly Markus of the Valley. I’ve come to find the wizard Tolen, to make a request of him.”

  “You speak with honesty, young Markus. Come in.”

  Markus carefully stepped in and looked around. The voice was weak, yet vibrated throughout the house, so he wasn’t sure where to find the wizard. The door closed behind him with a slam and then latched itself locked.

  Looking around, Markus was astounded by the magic. The room was filled to the brim with crystals, plants, bright colored liquids, and odd bits of sculpted metal. It was like stepping into a dream, his dream of magic.

  As he continued to look around, Markus saw a wind chime hanging in the middle of the room. He was captivated by the workmanship. With incredible artistic metal sculpting, the chime was made up of stars and other celestial objects, arranged to simulate an actual starry night.

  “Wait there, Markus,” the voice commanded.

  Markus stopped directly beneath the chimes. “Sir? What do you want of me?”

  “Markus of the Valley, what does your heart desire?”

  Markus thought before answering, “My fondest desire is to be a wizard.”

  “Ah, I see. For good, or for evil?”

  “I don’t know. A good one, I guess. I’ve never thought about it much.”

  “There is more, I think. You need answers for something and believe becoming a wizard will provide them.” The old voice spoke with great wisdom.

  Markus cleared his throat. “Since I was young, I’ve had dreams of magic. My father told me they were merely the effects of an overactive imagination. But a few years back, I discovered I could actually perform some of the spells from my dreams.”

  “You are afraid of your dreams. I can sense your hesitation over them.”

  Markus looked up at the chimes, curious about what they could be doing to him. “Not all of them, but some. I’ve seen dragons in my dreams, evil wizards, and even war. I don’t know what the images mean. But I want to find out.”

  “When you do, what will you do with this information?”

  “I don’t know. It will depend upon what the information tells me. I do know that whatever I learn, my goal is to come back to the Valley and help the farmers by becoming the local wizard. We haven’t had one in a long time and they need one. That’s all.”

  “That’s all?” The voice repeated his last words as if studying them, perhaps even entertained by them.

  Just then, the chimes began to turn on the arms and strings holding them up. The metal parts met each other and made a perfect chord in the key of A. The old voice laughed. “I see, I see. You truly are an honest boy. But, you do not know your potential. You are to be a wizard, and a great one at that.” There was a harsh coughing, and then he continued. “Come to me. I wish to bestow upon you what you need.”

  Markus was pleased. He was going to get his letter. He glanced around, hoping to see something to point him to this person. There, in a far corner, an old hand waved for him to approach. With a much more confident gait, Markus moved about the mystical cabin and found a very old man lying in a bed. The bed was in a cove with a window to one side.

  The old man smiled at Markus. His ancient face was nearly bone and skin, nothing more. A heavy quilt covered most of him, except for his head, chest, and one bony arm.

  “Young Markus. Do you know who I am?”

  Markus shook his head. “I’ve heard you’re Tolen, the wizard. But I don’t know if this’s true.”

  “It is.” He coughed hard with a heavy rasp and then continued. “I am Tolen the Wise. Once the head wizard over the college. I founded that college just after the War.”

  “The War? There haven’t been any wars in centuries.”

  “Yes, this is true. But what I said is also true.”

  Markus thought about the wizard’s answer and then put the numbers together. “Then you must be over a thousand years old!”

  Tolen seemed to be embarrassed. “I should have passed on centuries ago, but my work was not done. Now, child, you must help me. Age has caught up with me and I cannot continue.”

  “What can I do for you, sir?”

  Tolen pointed to the wall where a strange object hung. It was a long stick with a marble at the base end. Around its shaft, a twisted golden metal cord wound all the way to the top and was crafted into a strange, half-moon shape with the points at the ends coming together to hold onto another marble. It was a wand. “Take that, please.”

  Markus was scared. It was considered illegal for a non-wizard to hold a wand. “Sir, I’m no wizard. I’m asking to be allowed to learn. If I take this wand in my hands, I’ll be breaking the law.”

  “Do not fear. I would not ask you to do this if it were not important. You will understand.”

  With a thumping heart and a fearful gulp, Markus did as he was asked. He reached up, grasped the wand by the shaft, and lifted it from the nails keeping it up on the wall. He held it for a moment and marveled at its lightweight, yet firm construction. It was beautiful, wonderful, and fearsome. He had dreamed of holding a wand, but only after training and the proper allowances.

  With wide eyes, he asked, “What now?”

  “Hand it to me,” Tolen commanded.

  Markus carefully gave the large wand to Tolen and waited. Tolen looked at the wand and then at the boy for a long time. He seemed to size him up as though he were not sure of him. Then a smile grew slowly across his face. He held out the wand, pointing it at Markus. “Markus of the Valley, I pass this wand to you.”

  The wand glowed, and then a ball of white energy flung toward Markus. He flinched, but felt nothing.

  “Now, take it,” Tolen said, holding out the wand.

  Markus fearfully took the wand. “But, sir, I’m not yet a wizard. You must have me confused with someone else. I’m a boy from the farming village in the Valley. Not a great wizard. I don’t even know many spells, and the ones I do know are sloppy and terribly weak,” he rambled.

  “You have within you a great deal of power.” Tolen spoke firmly, saying, “This wand will provide you the strength you need.”

  Markus quickly replaced the wand on the wall and stepped back. “I’m sorry, but this is too much. I only wanted a letter.” As he stepped back, the wand vanished from the nails it sat upon.

  “This wand will lead you to the answers you seek,” Tolen insisted.

  This caught the boy’s attention. “It will show me what my dreams mean?”

  “Not by itself, but it will lead you to what will. Your dreams are very important. They are a key to your past and your future. If you do not unlock their meaning, you will live the rest of your life seeing their images in your sleep.”

  Markus looked around for the wand, becoming a bit panicked. “The wand!? I can’t find it!”

  “Worry not, young one. Calm down.” Tolen tried to wave his hand at Markus, but he no longer had the strength to lift his arm. “Call it into your hand.”

  Markus frowned in confusion, but obliged. He held out his hand and said, “Wand.” In a flash, the wand was in his hand. “What . . . how . . . did I just do that?”

  “Yes. You do not even have to say it aloud.” Tolen paused from the weakness that was turning deathly, and then continued to explain. “Simply think of it being in your hand, and it will appear. You cannot lose it, nor can anyone else hold it. It will slip through their fingers as a shadow.”

  Markus began to realize what had just transpired. He set the wand down on the bed and backed away, saying, “I . . . I . . . I . . . am not ready for this. I need training. This is too m
uch. I can’t . . .” As he stepped farther away, the wand vanished again.

  Tolen shook his head against the pillow. “No, young Markus. I chose you long ago. When I heard your heart calling for magic, I knew you would be the one I required.”

  “Months ago? How did you know?”

  “I know much, child. I sent the call to your father’s heart, and to your grandmother’s, but they were afraid of magic and chose a simple life. You heard me and came.”

  “I heard nothing. I was simply seeking a wizard to give me a letter of sponsorship. Not this!” Markus was upset. This wasn’t want he wanted. The wizard had given him an amazing responsibility by simply handing a wand over to him. Markus was young and afraid of being forced to grow up so fast.

  “I know what you believe of yourself, but trust in your heart. You are capable of great things.” He gave Markus a serious look. “Do you no longer wish to know the meanings behind your dreams?”

  Markus thought for a moment and decided that his desires were still firm. “I do.”

  “What of learning about the magic within you?”

  His answer came without a single hesitation. “Yes. I want to learn.”

  Tolen closed his eyes and struggled to take a breath. He opened his eyes again and looked upon Markus. “Child, you are the key to the future of Gallenor. Without you, this land is doomed, and all that we know of will be lost. Your dreams have a deeper meaning than you can possibly know. Use this wand to find the answers.”

  Markus’ heart raced and his mind filled with every question imaginable. He made the choice to grow up and trust this man’s words. With more confidence in his voice than he had displayed during the entire visit, he asked, “What do I do?”

  “Complete a task of mine. During the journey, you will learn answers to your dreams and your life.”

  “What’s this task?”

  Tolen smiled, knowing he had his champion. “There is an ancient wand in the Dragon Citadel that needs to be retrieved and brought to the statue of the last dragon near Thendor.”

  “What’s so special about this wand?”

  Tolen let out a sorrowful sigh. “It is the last Dragonwand. Its power is unique and can be used to stop the dark tide that rises in Gallenor. I was on the cusp of finding it when the King suddenly became paranoid of wizards—me in particular. I was not allowed to finish my task, leaving the wand in the precarious position of being found by the wrong person.”

  “Do you think the King wants to find it to use it?” Markus found that hard to believe.

  “I do not know what goes through that man’s mind. I do know he is not to be trusted, nor are any of his loyal guards. Once the Dragonwand is with the statue, the destiny of the last dragon will unfold and all will be saved.”

  Markus laughed sarcastically. “So, this simple task is just to evade Royal Scouts, go into the infamous Dragon Citadel, find an ancient wand, bring it to the Capital, and present it to a statue?”

  “Precisely” Tolen replied, mirroring Markus’ sarcasm, which surprised the boy.

  Markus sighed hard. “What about dragons at the Citadel? What if I’m caught?”

  Tolen put his hand on Markus’s arm. “I have faith in you, Markus of the Valley, or I would never have sent you the call. You are good enough to evade the foolish Guards that help the King, and there haven’t been any dragons in Gallenor since the end of the War. You can do this. I know it. Without you, all is lost.”

  “How will I be allowed to study magic if I’m to go against the King? Why I should trust you? You might be the evil one, sending me to find the wand.”

  “I know you dream of dark wars. I know because I have seen them. The evil that is coming has turned your dreams dark. I have tried to help, to keep you from being traumatized, but I was not able to stop it all.”

  Markus realized that, in all of his dark dreams, something had come to rescue him, to keep him from being harmed. “It was you in my dreams?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  Tolen managed a smile and carefully took Markus by the hand. “You are a child, an innocent person who has only worried about the struggle of growing up. I needed you to be my champion and successor, but I also cared about your well-being. I am no villain trying to use you; I only ask what is necessary, because I know what true strength lies hidden in you. I do not have much strength left; my life is almost spent. I must know that you accept this journey, or I will die in vain, and all of Gallenor will be lost.”

  Markus looked at the old man and gave his words a lot of thought. He knew in his heart this wizard would not ask such a thing of him if it were not of the utmost importance. He had two paths to choose from: the path home or the path to a bigger life. Swallowing his fear and concerns, he nodded. “I accept.”

  “Good. You will do great things, young Markus of the Valley.”

  Markus smiled, his stomach feeling a little queasy and his body shaking at the prospect of journeying alone toward the unknown. “Do you have a map, book, or something to help me find my way?”

  “The wand I gave you. Use it and you will learn secrets of the past. But remember, the only place to start is the beginning.”

  Markus frowned. “What does that mean?”

  Tolen was about to answer, but the pounding of hooves rumbled outside. He looked up with real worry in his eyes. “Take the wand, and I will hide you from the Guards.”

  “Guards? Hide . . . what?”

  “Now, or you will die under the blade of the King!” Tolen managed enough strength to yell, but he was fading fast.

  Markus held out his hand and thought of the wand. It appeared in his palm, and then Tolen pointed a finger at the wand and said something so faint, Markus could not hear it. Suddenly, Markus saw the room through a blue haze. He was invisible to the rest of the world. The wand in his hands cast the spell, and as long as he held it and concentrated on the notion of invisibility, he would remain unseen.

  “Tolen, we’ve found you! Come out, or we will break this door down!” the deep, commanding voice of the Captain of the Guards called out.

  “Come, fool,” Tolen commanded, and the door opened.

  In walked a Guard in shining silver armor. Captain Morris of Thendor was famous around Gallenor; not just for his rank and fierce devotion to the throne, but for his dashing smile, piercing blue eyes, toned body, and confident swagger. He was a human and the highest ranked military commander under the King. With him were two other Guards, each holding his sword in readiness for whatever the wizard had waiting for them.

  Captain Morris looked around, batted a few dangling things out of his way, and found the location of the wanted wizard. Stomping across the wooden floor with his heavy metal boots, he came right up to the bed and glared at the ancient man. “Tolen, it’s time for you to come with us.”

  Tolen smiled feebly. “I would be happy to oblige your orders, Captain, but as you can see, I am near death. You will have to be satisfied in observing my final breaths.”

  Morris glowered at him. “No tricks, old man. We won’t abandon our duty simply because you’re attempting to distract us. Come, the King summons you for justice.”

  “Your foolishness knows no bounds, Morris. I have no strength left to lift myself, and in mere moments, I will no longer be with you. Report this to your King. Report that I, Tolen the Wise, have perished under the enemy of old age. My spells, and studies of what you call forbidden, are done. My search is finished. Farewell, young Morris. May your kingdom strive to rise above fools such as you and your King.”

  “You are the fool, old man. Your plans have failed, and now I’m here to see that you’re brought to justice.”

  Tolen turned his head and looked directly at Markus, though Morris believed himself to be the object of Tolen’s sight. “My goals are yet realized. Once the Dragonwand is in the correct hands, your King’s persecution of the wizards will be no more.”

  Morris sneered at Tolen. “Your pompous words will do you no good, ol
d man. Prepare yourself. We will take you if we have to carry you.”

  “Carry me, then, for you will carry a dead body all the way back to your King.” And, laughing softly, Tolen faded into death.

  Morris shook the dead body. “Tolen . . . Tolen, no trickery!”

  “Sir, I believe he’s dead,” one of the younger officers said as he approached the angered Captain.

  Morris stopped shaking Tolen’s body and looked around. “Don’t let him deceive you. This old wizard has pulled many spells over our eyes these past five years.”

  “What do you want then, sir?” The Lieutenant waited for orders.

  Morris snarled one last time at Tolen. “Stand guard around the house. I’ll report to the King. If anything happens—anything—report immediately.”

  “Understood, sir.” The Lieutenant nodded.

  Captain Morris began to walk out when he heard something odd. A rattling sound out of nowhere gave him pause. He walked toward the corner in which Markus waited and stopped for a second to listen.

  Markus was so scared, he was shaking, and the little marble held in the wire on the top of the wand rattled against the metal. Slowly, he moved the wand closer to him and pressed it up against his chest, in hopes of stopping the sound.

  “Sir?” the Lieutenant asked, breaking the silence.

  Morris stood up straight to walk out again. “I just thought I heard something odd. Tight nerves on my part. Take your positions and be vigilant. I’ll leave immediately.”

  “Yes, sir.” The junior officer left with his Captain and commanded the other Guard to take up a position at the far end of the house. They would watch the house as long as their Captain commanded them to.

  Captain Morris mounted his horse and galloped away for the castle in Thendor.

  What now? Markus thought to himself. For a few moments, he waited and watched Tolen in hopes that the old wizard was, in fact, using some sort of magic to appear dead. But the old man simply lay in the eternal slumber. There was a slight smile on his face, as though he had won his final argument and everything was going to turn out well. That was easy for him to smile about. He wasn’t the one being sent on a mission without many tools to accomplish it.