Markus had to get out of the house and away from the guards—that was obvious. He slowly walked through the house, each footstep taken so carefully that he hardly made a sound. When the floor squeaked even in the slightest, he lifted his foot and stepped somewhere else. It took quite some time, but he finally made it to the door. He could see both Guards from the windows and, to be safe, waited until the right time when both Guards had walked far enough away. He opened the door, slipped out, and closed it without making a sound. One step after another, he walked down the three stone steps and placed a careful foot onto the grass.
He was terribly proud of himself, right up until he heard a distinct crunch. Markus gasped and then held his breath. He looked down, seeing that his foot had landed on a small pile of large, dry leaves.
Both Guards turned and looked at each other. Markus hoped they would decide the other had made the sound, but they didn’t. With furrowed brows and curious eyes, they came to investigate. Markus continued to hold his breath and stood perfectly still. They approached, each getting so close to him, he could feel their breath on his skin. They looked down to the leaves, not realizing that the squashed leaves that had made the sound were still under Markus’s foot.
If Markus was visible, he would have been blue. The lack of oxygen made his head go woozy and his stomach a little queasy. After what seemed like hours of staring, both men peered around once more, looking for a squirrel or rabbit that might have made the noise.
“Must have been a nut,” the Lieutenant declared and nodded to his fellow officer.
As they walked back to their posts, Markus took the opportunity to flee. Their feet were making just as many crunches as his. He was finally away from the cottage and ran as best he could into the trees. Once he felt his noises would not get their attention, he hit the ground on his knees and gasped in air. He hadn’t even considered that he might have been able to breathe while running away; he was just too scared. It hurt to breathe, and he was lying on the ground, feeling like a boulder had dropped on him.
Looking at his hand, he realized he was no longer invisible. When he had finally come to a stop and lost focus on everything but getting some air, he had lost control of the spell. He waved the wand and tried to make himself invisible again, but it was not possible. Whatever Tolen had done, Markus was not able to do without knowing the words or instructions. It would be nice to turn invisible now and then, but he would have to find that spell later. For now, he was just going to lie down and gather himself.
Chapter 2: Diving Right In
Markus walked for two more days, pondering how he might finish his mission for the great wizard. Should he go back home and get help from his family and friends? No, he thought. His father would be angry with him for even taking such a dangerous mission.
“Dang it, old man! Why me?” He looked at the wand. “What do I do?” Then he had an idea. In one of his dreams, he was able to fly and go to faraway places using a spell. Perhaps, if he tried, he could get to the Dragon Citadel quickly. What was that word? The spell only had one word. Finally, he remembered. He held the wand up and said, “Fjuka!”
The marble on the top of the wand flashed brightly, and Markus lifted slowly into the air. A breeze wrapped around him and carried him up and up. For a moment, and only a very brief moment, he was amazed and marveled by the feeling of flight. Then, the spell took off. Markus blasted forward as though the wand was directing his path. To where, he really didn’t know; he was too busy being thrown about like a leaf in a storm.
Left and right, the wand guided him through the forest, dragging him through the air. He barely missed three trees and came dangerously close to crashing into a large boulder before he flew right over the mountain. Looking out, he saw the Great Plains, tall mountains to the north, and distant oceans of the west of Gallenor. It was beautiful, exquisite, and the most amazing thing he had ever seen. He would have admired it more had he not looked down and realized he was being taken higher and higher into the breeze.
“Okay . . . uh . . . YAHH!” he shouted.
While considering his next move, he hit turbulence. The wand seemed to understand his need to land and directed him toward the ground. With his hand firmly gripped around the wand, Markus was tossed to and fro in the winds, while the ground quickly approached. This was bad. He just might have sealed his own fate with his first attempt to help Tolen.
Below, he saw a large body of water—a small lake or huge pond. It might have been enough to break his fall. But how could he maneuver himself toward it? The wand appeared to hear his thoughts, and it turned his descent towards the water. He hit the surface with a hard smack, skipped a few times like a flat stone, and then skidded right into a deeper part where he immediately sank. The wand had flown clear of his hand and vanished.
Markus was hurt and sinking fast. He looked up to see the light above him and started to swim to the surface. It was a burdensome challenge with what felt like a broken arm.
“What was that?!” he thought. Something had just shot into the water, then another. Arrows! Someone was shooting at him!
Cresting the water and gasping in a harsh breath, Markus saw that two Dogkinds were aiming arrows at him from the shore. The Dog People of the Blue Forests were expert marksmen and would not miss, unless that was what they intended.
“Get out of our waters, imp!” a female voice yelled at him.
Markus continued to breathe hard and struggled to keep himself afloat. Moving was even harder, since he only had one good arm. “I . . . I can’t! I need help!” he garbled out as loud as he could while the water began to envelope him, the pain in his arm too great to hold himself up.
The canine woman with light brown fur looked at the male next to her. “He may not be an imp. Rescue him before he drowns,” she commanded, and the male Dogkind dropped his bow and jumped into the water.
After a swift swim and quick rescue, his hero laid Markus on the shore. He coughed while doing his best not to show he was in pain. “Thank you, whoever you are,” he said weakly. Then he heard the stretching sound of a bow and an arrow being readied. He looked up to see the point of it directed at his face.
The dog woman flashed her fangs. “What sort of being are you?”
“Human,” Markus quickly stated while holding his good arm up in defense.
She glared at him and then released the arrow. It struck the ground right next to his head. He had actually felt the shaft of the arrow brushing up against his ear.
“What are you doing?!” Markus tried to scoot away from her, but his broken arm prevented the escape. “Ow, ow, ow!”
She lowered her bow and leaned over to look at him. “If you were Impkind, you would have transformed back and flown away.”
His eyes bugged. “Imp! You thought I was an imp?!”
The male Dogkind held out his hand to help Markus up. “We’ve been tracking a rogue imp through these trees for a week now. It has played many devious tricks on us to lull us into a false sense of security.”
“I can assure you that I’m no imp. I’m human—and in a lot of pain.” Markus rose to his feet and held his broken arm.
The male Dogkind looked at Markus’s arm and then nodded toward the trees. “Come with us. Our healer can mend that easily.”
“Thanks. Where do you live?” Markus asked.
“These forests are our home,” the male replied.
“So, what’s your name? I’m Markus of the Valley.”
The male Dogkind answered, “I’m Treb, and this is my wife, Kiin.” Treb noticed that Markus was getting a good look at his wife’s backside, her tail in particular. “Have you not seen my kind before?”
Markus looked up, embarrassed at having stared at Treb’s wife. “No, in fact, I have not. I know of your people, however. You’re Dogkind.”
Kiin shot Markus a glare. “That is the human name for us. We are the Rakki.” She was proud of this title and made sure he knew it.
“Rakki it is, then,” Markus
affirmed. A glow of green light caught the corner of his eye and he looked just in time to see it coming. “Watch out!”
Treb grabbed Markus and pushed him out of the way, just as the bolt of energy blasted the ground near them. Both Rakki grabbed their bows and notched arrows, ready to fire. Flying around was a small, demon-like creature with bat wings. It was an imp—a mischievous pest that had no feelings for what it destroyed.
Kiin launched arrow after arrow at the little monster, only to miss. She was good, but the imp was faster and could evade her with ease. Cackling, the imp lobbed more energy balls. With a well-placed shot, it threw Kiin across the ground and partly into the water. She was out cold, but still breathing. Then it turned its sights toward Markus.
Without hesitation, Markus held out his hand and said, “Wand!” It appeared on command. He logrolled to the side, dodging a green energy blast and yelled, “Eldr!” The wand produced an impressive ball of fire destroying the next incoming energy attack, and continued on to blast the imp out of the air.
When the little creature hit the ground, Treb sent one last arrow at it, piercing it through. Within seconds, the imp exploded in a flash of green.
Markus sat for a second, shocked by his own power. He had never created a spell that well and that powerful before.
“Kiin!” Treb ran over to his wife and found her on the ground, out cold.
Markus got up and quickly joined him. “Is she okay?”
Treb looked her over, sniffing her with his nose. “I don’t know. She’s still breathing and does not look hurt, but she won’t wake. Damned imp spells.”
“What can we do?”
Treb looked at Markus and then at the wand. “You’re a wizard. Can’t you do something?”
Markus shook his head and stepped back. “No, I . . . I’m not a real wizard. I’m not even an apprentice.”
“Come, we have to return to the village. The healers can help.” Treb gently picked up his wife and carried her in his arms.
Markus took up Kiin’s bow and carried it as he followed right behind them.
Within the walls of Thendor, the Capital of Gallenor, was a large courtyard that had a single statue in it. It was a three-story-tall dragon, appearing as though it was still in the throes of battle. The statue had not been created by just any artisan; it had actually been a real dragon centuries ago. The last known dragon during the Great War had been mysteriously turned to stone. The head wizard under the first King had explained that the dragon was dangerous and should be feared.
For centuries, the people of Gallenor ignored it, but never forgot the threat the dragon had once posed. Should it return to life, all the people of Gallenor would be in danger. The current head wizard under King Anthony discovered that the statue was, in fact, the real form of the Head of the Wizardry College. Tolen the Wise, who was known to be an Ancient, was actually the last dragon. He had found a way to separate himself from the statue to live as a man all those years.
Tolen had denied the allegation, but the facts proved him to be a liar. Hallond, the head wizard, explained that the seal that kept the dragon at bay was breaking, and when it broke completely, the dragon would return. The only hope of stopping it would be to find the Dragonwand, the instrument all dragon wizards used to perform their most powerful spells. With it, they could destroy the statue and secure peace.
At that moment, King Anthony and the court wizards approached the dragon statue. The elderly king sat atop a beautiful white horse and anxiously waited good news. Though the dragon statue was within the walls of Thendor, the area around it was given a wide berth and no buildings had ever been built close by. The only reason the wall was built around it was so the statue would always be under the watchful eye of the Royal Guard.
The Captain of the Guard, Morris, approached and knelt down on one knee before the King. “Your Highness, the guards have reported in. Tolen is truly dead. We were unable to locate his Dragonwand. It must have died with him.”
The King, an old man with a white beard, dressed purple robes lined in gold, nodded to his loyal Captain. “Then everything is as it should be. The last ancient wizard has passed, and this statue can finally be destroyed.”
“If that is your command.” Morris awaited the final order.
With another nod, the King gave the command. “Court wizards, do your duty!”
Fifteen wizards approached the huge dragon statue, and each produced a single ball of fire. In unison, they proceeded to destroy the statue. A great and powerful fireball encompassed the stone beast, yet the dragon was unscathed. It remained standing, its claws still out, maw open, and eyes fixed upon the palace.
“What is this?!” the King demanded, furious.
The head wizard approached the King and knelt down. “Your Majesty, the protection spell around the statue is still in place. We cannot destroy it. There must be an active Dragonwand in this world, or the spell would break.”
The King let out a disappointed sigh. “Captain Morris, set up a garrison around this statue to protect it from being touched by that wand. Then prepare your finest legion and scour the kingdom for that Dragonwand.”
“As you command, Your Majesty.”
Markus was led into an amazing city hidden within the forest. Homes, shops, and other buildings were built among the trees. Some were on the ground, while others were high in the branches. A massive system of rope bridges connected the structures and created a web-like appearance.
Treb carried his wife through the city to a hut. Inside were the healers: an old man and his daughter, as well as another young girl. The youngest was about Markus’ age and very shy when she first met the human. Her name was Crystal, and she had something in common with Markus. She could use a little magic.
Markus sat in the hut and watched the old man and his daughter tend to Kiin. They used some talismans to disenchant the spell the imp had placed on Kiin. It was not hurting her, other than keeping her from waking. Neither the old man nor his daughter were able to use magic, but they were brilliant with healing herbs and potions. They were well trained with the talismans they had obtained from real wizards.
Crystal looked at Markus’ arm, feeling up and down the magically mended bone to be certain her spell had worked. She looked like all the other Rakki he had met. All over her body was thick, light brown fur. She had a fluffy, reddish brown tail with a white tip like a fox’s. Her ears were set a little higher on her head than a human’s, and were tall with the fur creating points at the ends. Her hands and feet were shaped like a human’s, as were all the Rakkis, which surprised Markus. He had imagined they would look more animal-like in their appendages.
Her face, though, had a touch of canine to it. The upper lip was puffier with some whiskers growing out on either side. The nose was cold, dark, and wet. Her eyes were brilliantly blue—the reason she was named Crystal—and they shone like gems. Markus found her attractive, more so than he thought he would a furry dog-woman. Unlike Treb and Kiin, who both wore a unique Rakki armor, the rest wore very simple clothing. Their clothes were not unlike what everyone else wore, but had allowances for their tails.
“Your arm—it’s healed,” she said.
He held up his arm and felt it. “Oh, thanks. Where did you learn your magic?”
“I taught myself.”
This highly intrigued him. “Really! How?”
“Rakki are lore keepers. We have a vast library from all over the known world. We have a few old spell books. I’ve been studying them.”
Markus, doing his best to be charming, grinned and asked, “Can you show me this library?”
Crystal shyly returned his flirty smile. “I can take you there. But you must wait until tomorrow. The library does not have its doors open after dark.”
Markus was very eager. “Okay. Then, when can we go?”
“Tomorrow morning.” Crystal stood up and closed the little notebook she kept her spells written in.
“Oh, well, I was hoping to get going by to
morrow. I have an important mission, and I just need to see if your library has a map. Though, looking at a spell book or two could be fun.”
Crystal turned around, the same shy smile on her face. “We Rakki have a saying, ‘Chase tomorrow and you lose today.’ Why don’t you spend the evening here with us and learn more about our kind? I would love to know more about you and your amazing wand.”
Markus frowned. He had not had his wand out since he came into the village. “How did you know about it?”
“Treb’s my father. He told me about your wand.”
Markus had not expected to hear that. “Treb’s your father? I didn’t think he would be old enough to have a daughter your age.”
“It’s a long story. Perhaps I’ll tell it to you over dinner. You do eat food, Humankind?”
“It’s just human, though you may call me Markus. And, yes, I do eat food. I could use some right about now. I haven’t eaten since I arrived nine hours ago.” He got up off of the bed he had been sitting on. With another flirty smile he said, “After dinner, maybe you could show me around. Tell me more about this place, about you.” He slipped the last part in quickly.
She blushed under her fur. “Sounds like fun.”
Crystal walked with him toward the door. He stopped where Treb was sitting next to Kiin’s bed and patted the burly Rakki’s shoulder. “Thanks for saving me.”
Treb forced a smile. “Sure.”
“Will she be okay?”
“She’s a strong warrior. This isn’t the first imp we’ve battled, and it won’t be the last.”
“Glad to hear that.” Markus continued out with Crystal at his side. He noted that Treb was sort of giving him the stink eye just before the cloth door shut behind them. What had he done?
Chapter 3: Unexpected Discoveries
“That was good. I haven’t had chicken made like that before. It was really . . . spicy.” Markus was still cooling his mouth from the heat of the spices used in the dish Crystal had just served. He would’ve preferred it to not be so spicy, but he didn’t want to offend her.
Legacy of Dragonwand: Book 1 (Legacy of Dragonwand Trilogy) Page 3