Wizard's Key (The Darkwolf Saga Book 1)

by Mitch Reinhardt

  Jane looked at Geoff, his expression clearly indicated he wanted no part of the grisly task.

  “Well,” said Sawyer, “we probably need to decide sooner rather than later. We’re wasting time just sitting here waiting for…” His voice tapered off as he noticed Jane staring stoically at him with tear-filled, red-rimmed eyes. The unicorn shuddered and coughed, then tried to raise its head but fell back into Jane’s lap. She saw blood trickling from its nose and gently wiped it away.

  “Jane,” said Sawyer somberly. “It’s suffering. If it were a horse we would put it out of its misery.”

  “No,” snapped Jane. “Don’t you dare. Don’t even think about it.”

  “I agree,” said Geoff. “It’s too beautiful to kill.”

  “It’s already dying,” said Sawyer. “Hey, I agree. It is beautiful. It’s awesome. But look at it. It’s in pain and the only thing we can do is make it quick. Then we get rid of these guys and find our way back home.”

  Jane shook her head. “You aren’t going to kill it.”

  Sawyer threw his hands up in the air. “Okay, okay. Someone decide what we are going to do and let’s do it.” Jane was silent for a few moments, then she looked up at Sawyer.

  “You have the weapons, Sawyer. You just said we can’t tie them up and leave them here, so that means one thing.”

  “Yeah, it does,” said Sawyer. “You two probably shouldn’t watch.”

  He picked up the rusty sword and turned to finish the fallen humanoids. Jane leaned forward and kissed the unicorn on the side of its head, tears dropping from her face as she did so. She caressed its cheek and the unicorn slowly closed its eyes. Its breathing became shallower and more uneven with every minute that passed. Jane looked at Geoff, who also caressed the dying unicorn. His lower lip quivered and she saw his face was moist too.

  “It won’t be long now,” she said quietly. “At least we got to see a unicorn, Geoff. How many people can honestly say that?” Jane tried to force a smile but only managed to make herself cry more.

  “I thought they were just imaginary,” said Geoff between sobs, “but they are real, Jane. All the books I read about unicorns—I never thought for a minute I would ever see one in real life.”

  Jane shook her head.

  “Me either,” she said. “I doubt we ever will again.”

  Jane wiped her face and looked at Sawyer. He was standing over the largest of the humanoids preparing himself. She saw that he hesitated. Jane wasn’t sure he would be able to finish them. The hair on the back of her neck stood up again. The uneasy feeling of someone spying on them crept over her again. She quickly looked around, fearing the two enemies who ran into the forest had returned. She caught a glimpse of something overhead moving among the branches, but it was too fast for her to see what it was.

  “Sawyer!” she called.

  He looked over his shoulder at Jane.

  “Yeah, what?” There was a slight rush of air and something landed in the grass beside him. A figure crouched near the ground, a figure with eyes like emeralds.

  Chapter Six

  Ariel

  Geoff couldn’t take his eyes off her. The green-eyed figure was lean, yet muscular and athletic. She wore a green cloak and was clad in a brown leather jerkin with a matching short skirt. Her skin was the color of a golden sunrise and her facial features were angular. Two white feathers with vivid blue-green markings dangled from minibraids in her long, dark blond locks. She rose slowly, observing Sawyer, Jane, and Geoff as she did. Her sculpted figure tapered at the waist, and she wore a curved sword on each side. The leather jerkin stopped at her midriff, revealing a firm stomach. Several small pouches dangled from a dark brown leather belt.

  She stopped suddenly and stared at Sawyer, who still held the rusty short sword he had taken from one of the humanoids.

  “Sawyer,” whispered Geoff, “your sword.”

  Sawyer was so transfixed with the image of the Amazonian beauty in front of him that his mouth had fallen open.

  “Sawyer,” Geoff said again.

  “Hmmm? What?” Sawyer looked confused. Geoff motioned at the sword he was holding.

  “Oh! Oh, yeah. Sorry,” said Sawyer as he dropped it in the grass.

  Geoff’s gaze returned to the newcomer. She had relaxed a little after Sawyer dropped the sword. Her deep green eyes continuously darted between the teenagers. They reminded Geoff of the eyes of a bird of prey, never missing even the slightest movement.

  “Um…hi,” said Sawyer, trying to sound confident.

  The leather-clad figure walked toward them, maintaining eye contact with Sawyer. Her movements were catlike and graceful. She didn’t make a sound. She stood over Jane and the unicorn, watching Jane try to stop the bleeding from multiple wounds.

  Now that she was closer, Geoff thought she smelled like wildflowers and honeysuckle. Protruding from beneath her dark blond hair were pointed ears. Jane looked up.

  “Please,” she said, tears rolling down her cheeks, “can you help? I can’t stop the bleeding. It’s dying.”

  Geoff saw the green-eyed stranger tilt her head and regard Jane for a moment, but she said nothing. Then she knelt beside the dying unicorn and examined its wounds. With a single, quick motion, she removed the broken arrow shaft from its shoulder.

  “I think she’s a Vulcan, or maybe an elf,” Geoff whispered to Sawyer. “Look at her ears.”

  The stranger’s green eyes darted to Geoff, and he felt so uneasy he was unable to maintain eye contact with her. Geoff stepped behind Sawyer, who was still gawping at her.

  “Ye…yeah,” mumbled Sawyer as the stranger’s green eyes fell upon him. Geoff heard Sawyer clear his throat.

  “I’m Sawyer, that’s Jane, and the little guy is Geoff,” he said. “Who…are you?”

  The stranger only raised an eyebrow and returned her attention to the unicorn.

  “I told you,” said Geoff. “Vulcan. Hold your hand up like this and say live long and prosper.” Geoff held his hand up to demonstrate the split-fingered gesture.

  The woman brushed Jane’s hand aside and examined the most grievous of the wounds, the one inflicted by the attacker’s spear. As Geoff and the others watched, she reached into one of the small dark pouches on her belt and withdrew what looked like small dried leaves. She gently crushed them in her fingers as she spoke, “Ilinara tae ullnara taethos.”

  Then she sprinkled the bits of dried leaves over the wound and placed her hand over it. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Geoff was the first to notice that the unicorn’s wounds stopped bleeding and began to close. A moment later the unicorn’s breathing became less labored, deeper and more regular.

  “Wow! It’s like…like—” stammered Geoff.

  “Magic,” answered the green-eyed beauty as she opened her eyes and looked up at Geoff.

  “It is druid magic. Healing magic of the forest.”

  She gently patted the unicorn on the neck and scratched its ears before standing. She was every bit as tall as Sawyer, if not a little taller. She looked at Sawyer.

  “In your human tongue my name is Ariel.”

  Her voice reminded Geoff of a beautiful, harmonious tune. It was both soft and comforting.

  “How did you do that?” asked Jane as she looked up from the unicorn while wiping away her tears.

  Geoff saw Ariel raise an eyebrow again. She regarded Jane for a moment and then said, “I already told you. Magic.”

  Geoff watched as the unicorn slowly moved its front legs and then opened its big lavender eyes. It looked at Jane and blinked, then shifted its position and snorted. Its head still rested on Jane’s lap. Jane smiled and happily sobbed at its playful behavior as she stroked its nose and scratched its ears. The unicorn responded to Jane’s pleasurable touch by slightly stretching it
s neck, thereby giving her full access to rub under its chin.

  “What an incorrigible flirt you are,” Ariel said.

  The unicorn responded with another snort and a flick of its thick, bushy tail.

  “That was awesome,” said Geoff.

  “Thank you,” said Jane, smiling at Ariel.

  Geoff watched Ariel. While she didn’t attack them, she didn’t smile or otherwise appear to be friendly. He noticed her hands remained close to her weapons and she continued to observe their movements.

  “You’re an…elf,” said Geoff without thinking as he stepped from behind Sawyer. Ariel looked at Geoff and nodded once.

  “That’s impossible. There’s no such thing as elves,” Sawyer managed to say.

  “Or unicorns,” added Geoff.

  “Indeed,” Ariel said. Then she turned and pointed at one of the prone humanoids that had attacked the unicorn. “Or goblins.”

  “Goblins?” asked Sawyer.

  “This is so weird,” said Jane, shaking her head. “Where are we?”

  “You are in my forest, the Spirewood Forest,” answered the elf. “I am the custodian of this woodland.”

  “Spirewood Forest? We’ve never heard of that,” Jane said.

  “How did you come to be here?” asked Ariel, ignoring Jane’s comment.

  Sawyer turned and pointed at Geoff, who felt accused by the action. “He found a key and we got sucked through…an archway…in his dad’s study…and…”

  Geoff stepped back a few steps as Sawyer’s words trailed off.

  “Key? What key?” she asked.

  Geoff noticed Ariel had narrowed her eyes at him and seemed content to wait for an answer.

  “Go on, Geoff. Show her the key,” said Sawyer. Geoff swallowed hard and then reached into his pocket, but didn’t find the white alabaster key. Then he remembered he left the key back in the old ruined keep. His heart sank.

  “Oh, no. I…I left it back at our camp when Jane called for help. I better go get it.” Geoff looked around nervously and turned to go back to the keep.

  “Wait,” said Jane. “Sawyer, you better go with him. Remember two more of those…those goblin things are still in the forest somewhere.”

  “Okay. But what about these?” He motioned to the unconscious humanoids nearby.

  “And why were they hunting the unicorn?” asked Jane in an accusing tone.

  “They are a goblin raiding party and like you, they should not be here,” said Ariel.

  “Can you help us? We need to get home,” said Jane. “Our parents will be looking for us by now.”

  “And I have an algebra exam tomorrow,” Geoff said.

  Ariel’s demeanor became icy as she first stared at Jane, then him, then Sawyer. Geoff looked at Sawyer, who was looking at Jane with a questioning expression. The awkward silence made Geoff fidget. Is she going to help us? He didn’t think they did anything to offend her.

  “I will take you to the nearest humans. Perhaps they can help you find your way home.”

  “Humans? Woodland? Whatever. No one talks like that,” said Jane. “But yes! Take us there, please!”

  Another moment of awkward silence followed, and then the unicorn snorted and stood up. It looked majestic, thought Geoff. And it was, in fact, regal in its bearing. Its muscular flanks glistened in the moonlight. Jane rose with the unicorn and continued to rub its mane.

  Ariel playfully rubbed its nose and then grabbed each side of the unicorn’s head, “And you should go, my friend. These woods are not safe this night. Go.”

  Geoff noticed Jane frowned when she heard Ariel’s words.

  “Wait,” she said. “Does it have to go? Can’t it stay with us a little longer?”

  “He will be fine,” said Ariel. “Unicorns have homes as well.”

  The unicorn bobbed its head and nuzzled Jane one more time before it disappeared into the darkness.

  “You have made a friend,” said Ariel with a slight smile.

  “I guess I’ll go get the key now,” said Geoff, fearing he had loitered too long.

  “You say this key opened a portal to this world and you were drawn here?”

  Before Geoff could answer her, Sawyer cleared his throat and spoke.

  “Yeah, that’s right. When Geoff there touched the key he lit up and so did the archway. Pulled us all through.”

  Now Geoff felt Ariel’s green eyes looking at him again, as if they were probing him.

  “And how does a human child come to find such an item, much less use it?” Ariel asked as she continued to observe Geoff.

  Geoff’s eyes widened. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He didn’t know what to say, and he trembled slightly.

  “We…we…didn’t know it was a magical key,” he said finally. Ariel studied him for a moment.

  “A magical key? Are you a wizard?” asked Ariel.

  Geoff shook his head, and answered with a simple “No.”

  Ariel walked over to Geoff, keeping her gaze on him. She stopped a few steps away.

  “And you are not a wizard’s apprentice?”

  Again Geoff shook his head.

  “This is silly,” said Jane. “He’s just a kid. We all are. We aren’t wizards or goblins or whatever. We just want to go home.”

  Ariel ignored Jane, remaining focused on Geoff.

  “Do not be afraid,” said Ariel. “Curiosity at your age is a healthy thing. Get your key. I doubt it is the sort of thing to leave lying about.”

  Geoff picked up a torch that was dropped by a goblin and looked at Jane, then Sawyer, expecting them to join him as he made his way through the darkness back to the keep.

  “Go,” said Ariel. “I will not be far behind.”

  Geoff turned and ran to the keep. Sawyer and Jane followed several yards behind. Geoff thought he heard Ariel unsheathe one of her scimitars and begin the grim task of dispatching the unconscious goblins.

  “Do you think those ears are real?” asked Sawyer. “I think she’s hot.”

  Geoff glanced over his shoulder and saw Jane cast a disapproving glare at Sawyer. Geoff thought about what Ariel had said, that the key they found in his father’s study was not to be left lying around, so he ran faster.

  He didn’t realize how far ahead of the others he was until Jane called to him.

  “Hey, Geoff, wait up!”

  “I gotta get the key! I’ll see you at camp,” said Geoff without slowing down.

  Soon Geoff arrived at the stream and the first thing he noticed was no glow coming from the fire they had built earlier. He assumed the unattended fire must have died out on its own. He crossed the stream, easily hopping from one rock to another, and went into the keep. He began searching for the key in the faint light his torch provided, but suddenly an uncomfortable feeling came over him. Something was wrong.

  A huge tree trunk now stood where the fire had been and he saw no sign of the key. Wait a second, thought Geoff. That tree wasn’t here befo—. His thought was cut short when he saw a large hoof at the bottom of the trunk. It was a leg! He heard a low, deep growling coming from overhead.

  Geoff looked up as a gigantic clawed hand grasped him and lifted him ten feet off the ground. The movement was so sudden that he dropped his torch. The hand was almost as large as he was, and it felt like a vice. Geoff was trapped. A pair of malevolent black eyes peered at him in the torchlight.

  He screamed and tried to wriggle free of the giant’s grasp. In the giant’s other hand, Geoff saw the white glint of his key. He felt his chest becoming tighter as he gasped for air and flailed about helplessly.

  He heard voices as he struggled. Sawyer and Jane were calling his name. The giant stopped squeezing the life from Geoff and sniffed the air.

&nbs
p; “Ariel,” muttered the giant. It frowned and dropped him. Geoff landed on the stonework floor with a thud. As he lay there gasping for breath the giant changed its shape.

  Long black wings sprouted from its back and the thick body of the hulk became slender. In a matter of seconds, a dark, winged dragonlike creature with a fanged maw and barbed tail loomed over Geoff.

  Sawyer and Jane emerged from the darkness along with Ariel. As Geoff watched, the winged intruder launched itself upward. It flew straight through the rafters, exiting through the roof of the keep and disappeared into the night sky.

  Geoff coughed as he began to catch his breath, attracting Jane’s attention.

  “Geoff! Geoff! Are you okay?” asked Jane, kneeling down beside him. “Oh my god! What did it do to you?”

  Ariel also knelt beside Geoff. “Are you unharmed?”

  Geoff managed to nod. “Yeah. Yeah, I think so.”

  Jane looked at Ariel. “What was that thing?”

  “Not now,” she said, turning her head toward the forest to listen. “We must go.”

  “Go where?” asked Sawyer as he leaned on the spear he captured from the goblin leader.

  “We don’t even know where we are,” said Jane, “much less where to go. I feel like we’re in a video game or something and we can’t get out.”

  “Quiet,” said Ariel. “Geoff, can you stand? We must leave.”

  “Yeah, I think so,” Geoff said. “I just needed to catch my breath.”

  Geoff got to his feet with assistance from Jane and Ariel. Other than some bruising, he felt fine.

  “That thing,” he said between breaths. “It took the key.”

  Sawyer and Jane looked at each other and then at Ariel, who was already leaving.

  She turned and looked at them. “Come. We are in danger.”

  They looked at each other, trying to decide if they should trust her. Geoff shrugged, then went after Ariel, with Jane and Sawyer close behind.