“Something makes me uneasy about what he said.” Crystal said, “‘I have something I have to do,’ is what he said.”
“Well, that Gavril fellow seemed like he could handle his own,” Leldor assured.
“Yes, he is very strong.” Crystal agreed, “He’s always been there for me and has never once let me down.”
“I’m sure he’s fine,” Orwynn assured.
“Yeah, it would take more than a few of Bogdan’s guards to scare that guy.” Blaze muttered, “He’s a tough old man.”
Crystal laughed, but then cleared her throat and continued speaking.
“So why do you think Malcolm said that I would need to find the answer to using holy magic in the Lost Realm?” Crystal asked the elders.
“It could be a number of things.” Halmez answered her, “No one knows what lies in there, so the only way to find out is to actually go there.”
“But do you guys know where it is?” Blaze asked.
“I’m afraid not,” Halmez replied.
“But we will do research on the subject and as soon as we can figure something out, we will get you both ready for the journey,” Orwynn said.
“Thank you elders,” Crystal gratefully said.
After they finished eating dinner, which was more delicious than they had eaten in a long time, Blaze and Crystal followed Bredewig to the library. He instructed them to sit at a table in the corner of the room and then started thumbing around on the shelves. They watched for several minutes as the elder pulled the spines of several books and replaced them after concluding that they were the wrong one. Finally, after several minutes of scanning shelf to shelf, Bredewig muttered, “Aha!” and pulled a book off of a dusty shelf.
He walked over to the table Crystal and Blaze were seated at and plopped it open with the pages facing upward. As he flipped through the pages, Crystal recognized it the same book Thaddeus found the tracking mark spell in and, just as Thaddeus said, the counter spell for the mark was on the next page.
“Here it is!” Bredewig said, pointing to the page.
“Do you need help gathering the supplies?” Crystal asked.
“I could use some help, actually. Thank you,” replied Bredewig.
Crystal then helped Bredewig find all of the ingredients listed in the book. The plump elder even complimented her knowledge of magic ingredients, stating that Thaddeus taught her well. Once they both had armfuls of ingredients, Crystal and Bredewig walked back to the table and placed the bottle carefully onto the surface.
“Now then, this tracking spell requires a handful of fire sand as the primary ingredient, so this frost powder is needed to counteract it. I also need this willow leaf here, oh and a pinch of . . .” Bredewig continued muttering as Crystal handed him what he asked for.
Within the next ten minutes, Bredewig was sprinkling the blue powder onto the tip of his staff, and even though Blaze braced himself for a frostbitten shock, when the staff touched his skin, it was cold, but Blaze didn’t even have to wince. He saw steam rising out of the corner of his eye, and he watched Crystal’s expression of amazement as the staff pulled away.
“Is it gone?” Blaze asked.
“Yes, the mark is, but . . .” Crystal responded.
“I’m afraid the mark usually does leave a scar like that, at least from what I have heard,” Bredewig replied.
“Scar?” Blaze said. He then looked around and saw a mirror, so he got up and looked at his reflection. Sure enough, there was a scar that matched the pattern of the tracking mark on his neck. Where solid black had been on his skin before, there was wrinkled skin that looked like a healed burn that never went away with time. The skin turned whiter where the scar traveled, and all Blaze could say was, “Damn.”
“I apologize. The counter spell is fairly recent, so no one that I know of has discovered a way to prevent a burn scar from forming where the mark was,” Bredewig replied.
“Don’t be sorry, Elder. At least Saitar can’t see his actions anymore,” Crystal assured.
“Yeah.” Blaze said, turning around, “Thanks, Elder.”
“Yes, thank you so much,” Crystal added.
“You’re both quite welcome,” Bredewig responded while adjusting his glasses.
Just then, Elder Ydon walked into the room.
“Are you finished, Bredewig?” he asked.
“Yes, Ydon. We just removed it,” Bredewig replied.
“Well done,” Ydon replied, bowing his head to Bredewig in respect. He then said, “I was just coming to walk our guests back to their rooms.”
“Very well.” Bredewig said, “I’ll clean up here. You two go on ahead.”
“Are you sure you don’t need help?” Crystal politely asked. After the plump elder assured her that he had everything, Crystal and Blaze thanked him again and followed Ydon out of the library.
Even though they both found it odd that the Elven elder was walking with them to their rooms, Blaze and Crystal didn’t mention it. After stopping at Crystal’s door, she wished them both ‘good night’ and retreated inside.
Blaze’s bedroom was a little further down the hall, and when he opened his door and turned to thank Ydon, the elven elder spoke first, “I was hoping to get a chance to speak with you privately.”
Blaze leaned against the door frame and asked, “About what?”
“I told you how I read Crystal’s mind when I first met her, but I also read the mind of the man you called ‘Gavril,’” Ydon replied.
Blaze straightened up slightly. He paused, waiting for the elder to speak again, but instead spoke first, “What did you see?”
“First, I want to tell you that when I saw your thoughts earlier, I saw that not only had you changed from a dangerous and cunning prince to a brave, noble warrior, but I also saw that you changed mainly because you fell in love with Crystal,” Ydon told him.
Blaze took a deep breath and slouched a little and faced away from the elder, a little peeved at the thought of the elder possibly knowing his entire life story.
“I also saw that she returns you feelings and I truly wish you both the best. That is why I want to warn you about something,” Ydon said.
Blaze looked back at him and asked, “Warn me about what?”
“I didn’t want to say this in front of Crystal, because she was already worried about Gavril enough, but when I read his thoughts, I saw . . . a certain event from his past. I am afraid, however, that it is something quite personal, so it is not my place to reveal it to you. After Crystal told us that he stayed behind in the castle to ‘take care of something,’ I became worried that . . .” Ydon explained. He trailed off at the end and took a deep breath.
“That . . . what?” Blaze asked.
“Based on what I saw in his mind, I can honestly say that you need to prepare to be there for Crystal and comfort her because I do not believe Gavril will be leaving the castle alive,” Ydon replied.
“WHAT?” Blaze exclaimed. He spoke so loudly that Ydon had to hush him so that no one else would here. Blaze then continued, “Why the hell would you think that?”
“As I said before, I am not at liberty to say what I saw. I need you to promise that you won’t tell Crystal what I said and just be there for her should the worst happen,” Ydon said.
Blaze calmed down enough to reply, “All right.”
“Good. Rest well, Blaze. You will have a long journey ahead of you starting tomorrow. We elders will be researching the Lost Realm and will try to determine the location of the entrance,” Ydon said. With that, he walked off down the hallway and Blaze retreated into his bedroom. He rested his head on his pillow, his thoughts buzzing around one question; what happened to Gavril in Daldussa that would cost him his life now?
CHAPTER 19
For the past several days, Bogdan yelled and cursed at everyone who could hear. Still angry over his soldiers allowing Blaze and Crystal to escape and even angrier that no one could figure out how they escaped, everyone tried their best to avoid th
e king. Even those who had no choice but to face him trembled violently, unable to speak as he stared them down. Even Saitar and Valamar avoided Bogdan at all costs, Valamar mainly because of the horrible bruise and busted lip that Blaze left him. Lucky for everyone, the fearful reactions Bogdan got seemed to give solace to him.
The one thing, however, that angered Bogdan the most was the fact that he had one shard missing from fusing together the Eye of Gaull. He had heard rumors that the rebels had three shards, but the army that raided the hideout returned only with two. Orodan had brought him the one he lured the rebels into the trap with from the ruins of the Elven Forest. So now, there was one shard unaccounted for and he had no idea where to look for it next.
Saitar finally approached Bogdan in his study one day and said, “My King, may I speak with you a moment?”
Bogdan was hovering over a map of Cierith marking the places his soldiers already looked when he heard Saitar speak.
“What?” he snapped without looking up.
“I-I . . . I mean, uh . . .” Saitar stuttered, but when Bogdan gave him a mean look, he straightened his speech out quickly and spoke again, “There is a prisoner that was taken to a separate cell from the other inmates after surrendering in one of the corridors. He’s been requesting to talk to you for several days, but . . .”
“But WHAT?” Bogdan barked.
Saitar gulped loudly and continued, “But you’ve been rather busy, so we didn’t bother you. Then he told us a moment ago that he knows where the last shard is and he will not say a word about it unless he talks directly to you.”
Bogdan straightened up. His large stature made Saitar cringe and tremble. And he nearly fainted when Bogdan spoke again, “Who is he?”
“His name is Gavril Fletcher.” Saitar responded, “He is second in command of the rebels.”
The name “Gavril” seemed oddly familiar to Bogdan, but he brushed it off and said, “The poor fool is tired of taking orders from a woman who abandoned her comrades and so he wants leniency in exchange for telling me where the last shard is. Very well, bring him here if he wants to talk to me so badly.”
“Yes, my King,” Saitar replied. He then bowed and left.
Fifteen minutes later, Bogdan turned to see his door open and reveal two guards escorting the rebel, Gavril, inside with his hands cuffed behind him. Bogdan had seen this man, who he didn’t think was many years younger than himself, during the incident at the City of Magi and he also remembered him as the rebel that escaped the ambush at the temple. He stood before Bogdan now with all of his equipment gone; all the rebel wore was his long-sleeved, white shirt, his pants, and his boots.
Gavril stared at Bogdan with a stone face and a stiff body. The two men stood in silence staring at one another, and Bogdan sensed that the rebel was hiding tension. He stood in front of the rebel with his hands on his hips.
“So then,” Bogdan said, “I understand you demanded to speak with me?”
Gavril straightened up and swallowed hard, but for some reason, Bogdan didn’t think it was out of fear.
Then Gavril spoke, “Yes.”
“Okay. Do you know where the last shard is?” Bogdan asked.
“Yes, but that’s not what I am here to talk to you about,” Gavril replied.
“Well that’s what I demand you tell me,” Bogdan replied with an unusually calm tone.
“I have something to tell you that I can assure you that you will want to hear more,” Gavril replied, “but I will need my hands to be free before I continue.”
Bogdan stared at the rebel for some time, and then he nodded at the guards. They immediately unlocked his iron cuffs and Gavril shook his wrists to get the feeling back. The guards then stood on either side of him with their blades drawn.
“So then, what do you want to tell me, rebel?” Bogdan asked.
Gavril ignored the blades pointed at him and responded, “I want to offer you a deal. You don’t harm the other rebels in any way and in exchange, you can take all of their punishments and your anger out on me.”
Bogdan burst into laughter. He looked at Gavril, who continued to stare at him stone-faced and emotionless.
“And why would I do that?” Bogdan taunted.
“I take it you don’t remember me then,” Gavril said coolly.
“What are you babbling about? I know you are second in command of the rebels, but to me, all of you rebels are the same. Why are you so much more important for me to punish than the rest of them?” Bogdan said.
“I’m not talking about the rebellion at all, Bogdan,” Gavril retorted sharply.
The guards winced when Gavril referred to the king by his name, and even Bogdan became annoyed, but he was too intrigued to care.
“What do you mean?” Bogdan asked.
“You and I go way back. I’m surprised you don’t remember, but then again, you’ve destroyed so many lives that I’m sure it’s hard for you to keep track of everyone. It was a very long time ago too, but I remember every detail of that night. I thought I could forget and run from what happened, but every time I turn around, my demons from the past find me. I have decided to face them head on and end this once and for all,” Gavril remarked.
Bogdan was very irritated at this point, but he spoke anyway, “Care to elaborate further instead of boring me with your self-realization nonsense?”
“I suppose just showing you what you did to me that night will jog your memory,” Gavril replied. He then grabbed the bottom of his shirt and was about to lift it when the guards straightened up and moved their swords closer to him. Gavril paused, but once Bogdan gestured for the guards to step away, he continued. Once he pulled his shirt off, the color drained from Bogdan’s face.
On Gavril’s abdomen was an enormous scar. It was about the size of a knife wound and still dark in color. The skin around it resembled the remnants of a horrible burn. Bogdan remember the rebel, All right, and he remembered the very day he gave him that wound. Bogdan’s wan face suddenly became beet red with anger and a vein on his forehead threatened to burst.
“You . . .” Bogdan growled.
Gavril smirked and replied, “I knew this would jog your memory.”
Bogdan took several deep breaths, and once he could speak without screaming, he said to the guards, “Leave us!”
The guards obeyed and shuffled out of the room quickly as if to avoid an explosion. Now the two men were all alone.
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Gavril said smoothly.
Bogdan pointed a finger at Gavril and bellowed, “You are supposed to be dead!”
“Well, obviously, I’m not.” Gavril muttered sarcastically, “I see that you’re scar is looking well too.”
“Because you did this,” Bogdan pointed at his white eye when he said the word “this”, “I had to relearn my sword play with half my vision! I don’t know how you are still alive, but I guarantee that you won’t be after tonight.”
“But that would be too easy, wouldn’t it?” Gavril said, “Why just kill me? I already told you that I know where the last shard is, and I am the only one who knows. Now, I’m daring you to beat, torture, or do whatever it takes to get it out of me, but only if my friends and the other rebels are left alone. If they are unharmed, you can do whatever you want to me, and maybe I can be convinced to reveal where the shard is.”
“And how do I know you aren’t bluffing about the shard?” Bogdan asked.
“That’s true. I could be lying about the shard, but even if I was, you and I both know damned well you would still have fun trying to get it out of me. You’ve already caused me more pain than most people could even imagine, so you can’t do much worse,” Gavril said.
Bogdan chuckled, stared Gavril down within inches of his face, and in a growling whisper, replied, “Believe me, I will enjoy nothing more than proving you wrong.”
****
After waking up in the City of Magi, Crystal and Blaze thanked the elders over and over again before preparing to leave for
their journey. Each of them had their clothes cleaned and brought back to them so, before leaving, they changed out of their borrowed clothes and garbed their own.
The elders had stayed up several hours longer than they had, and of course, Crystal felt terrible that they did the research while she and Blaze slept. She found the elders in the library waiting for them when they awoke.
“You are the ones who have to go on this journey.” Orwynn assured, “You need all the rest you can get!”
“Besides, we may have found something,” Ydon added.
The elders then explained how there was an area just outside of the southeastern border of Cierith that was unclaimed territory. As Bredewig told it, the area was nothing but a wasteland of dead forest that no one dared to venture near. He then read an entry from one of the books aloud:
As I looked upon this cold forest, I stared at the dwelling of death itself. I gazed at the rotted trees that still somehow had dead leaves attached, and as I tried to inch closer, my steed jumped back in terror. This cold, gray place did not seem worth my curiosity, for I feared I would go mad if I spent more than a minute in its deadly grasp, I would go mad.
“That was your ancestor, Crystal,” Bredewig explained after closing the book. He then added, “He was known as Mortimer, King of Cierith over three hundred years ago. He was not the first who fled from this forest, nor was he the last.”
“So, do you think that this is the Lost Realm?” Crystal asked him.
“Not the Realm itself, but after reading this book here,” Bredewig then carefully picked up a very old book, “I believe the entrance is in the forest. You see, this book is well over a thousand years old. It is a diary, to be precise, and it contains an entry about someone who actually went to the Lost Realm to free a loved one of his.”
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