by B. J. Smash
Ian and Hugh watched on, their eyebrows raised.
Kepler stood on his hind legs and did a half circle while he oinked what sounded like “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”
We all ate while watching the pig do various tricks and acts.
“He’ll do anything for the likes of bacon,” Maximus said. When we were done, Mrs. Pumbleton gathered the plates and went about cleaning up, humming a tune. She must have slept well, regardless of her loud snoring.
“Let’s head outside,” Maximus said. Then he noticed my feet, which were unfit to be seen. My heels had begun to crack, and even though I hated to admit it, I should have brought shoes.
“Oh, I almost forgot. I’ve got you these here slippers for your feet.” Maximus went to the box that he’d been going through the night before. It sat in front of the fireplace. Rummaging through, he pulled out a pair of pearl-colored slippers and handed them to me.
They were almost like ballerina shoes but a bit pointed at the tips, and were so soft that I kept rubbing them with my pointer finger.
“Those were made by a friend of mine, long ago. She left them here and said that one day someone would need them. That’d be you.”
I was hesitant to put them on. I preferred bare feet, even if the ground was cold.
“Now don’t worry. You’ll still feel the earth beneath your feet—these slippers will just keep the chill from your bones.”
They were big and would probably fit a man, but reluctantly I put them on. Surprisingly they conformed to my feet, fitting perfectly. I was reminded of the time I had worn a pair of Drumm’s shorts; the shorts had been too big, but they had shrunk down to fit my body perfectly.
It dawned on me. “These are Elven shoes?”
Maximus shook his head. “Indeed they are.” His eyes crinkled at the sides. “Made just for you.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
We’d reached the top of the summit and stood before a rickety wooden bridge that ran between mountains. Way down below, a rapid river flowed over sharp, pointy rocks. Gushing at a steady pace, the water seemed angry.
There were four of us present: myself, Maximus, Kepler, and Lucian. Maximus stepped first, and then Kepler followed. Then, I followed slowly, as the bridge swayed. A few boards were missing every few feet and I shouldn’t have taken my eyes from the planks, but I noticed that Lucian hadn’t stepped up yet. Holding tightly to the side ropes, I turned slightly and asked, “Are you coming?”
His face had paled, and he looked sickly. “I don’t like heights much.”
“Lucian, we just traveled over the ocean on an Elven horse. We were much, much higher up than this!” I tried to reason with him. “And didn’t you tell me that you’d jumped into a river before?”
“I know. But this bridge isn’t that sturdy, and, well…I was in hellhound form when I jumped into the river.”
Maximus turned and informed him, “Don’t worry, boy. Have a little faith. If you fall, I could probably manage a bit of a spell that will haul you back up.” He winked, turned, and walked on at a steady, confident pace.
I waited and watched as Lucian bit his lip and put his foot forward. With his weight, the bridge teetered back and forth, but he persevered on. Below his breath I heard curse words that would cause my grandmother to wash his mouth out with soap if she were here. I’d seen her do it to someone before, and that person must have tasted soap for a week.
It took us longer to get across. Maximus waited at the edge, gazing at the pale blue morning sky with its orange-tinted clouds, while whistling a tune. When I’d reached the edge, he reached out a hand and pulled me in, then waited for Lucian and did the same. Lucian stumbled over and hugged the rock wall. Not wanting to seem like he was scared, he quickly stepped back and brushed the dirt from his shirt. “Not my favorite thing to do.”
“Just think, we have to cross the same bridge again in a few minutes,” Maximus said, teasing him. “Let’s move along now—the cavern is right here.”
He moved a few large tree limbs to the side, and before us was a deep cave. I made my way through the entrance first and waited. Kepler remained outside but when the other two were in, Maximus walked us forward, and with each step the cave lit up more and more instead of darkening. After about fifty steps, we rounded a sharp, rough corner and saw a scene befitting a king. Golden liquid flowed down a wall and tinkled into a pool at the bottom.
“What the…?” Lucian began.
“The fountain…of youth.” Maximus’s face beamed gold from the reflection. “Or one of the three. There are actually three in the world. This one is under my care, you see.” He stepped forward with a vial in his hand, and placed it under the cascading gold liquid. When it filled to the brim, he stepped back and set a wax cover over the top. He placed his hand over the wax, and the wax melted and stuck in place.
Lucian, mesmerized, reached out and stuck his pinkie in the pooled gold. Immediately he was shocked and shot back to sit on his arse. “Dammit.”
“Oh, and by the way, don’t touch it. To touch it or gather it requires a worthy purpose. The purpose has to be worthy of its curative properties. This vial is for your father. When you return home, he must drink it down all at once.”
“But I thought that I had to get to the land of the Elven for a cure—”
“It’s true they’d be able to help you. By sending you to me. But here you are now, and I will give you this to take home. Keep it safe. I’m only allowed to take one vial at this time.” He attempted to force a smile, but I could see that something troubled him.
“Thank you! Oh, thank you so much!” I gave him a big hug and stepped back.
“It is no problem, lass. No problem at all.”
Relief washed through my body as I accepted the vial. Lucian slowly stood, rubbing his backside. “Cool.”
“Maximus, how long have you lived on the island?” I asked.
“Many, many years, lass.”
I searched his face, and what I could see was calmness and lines of wisdom around his hazel green eyes. But the eyes themselves were deep, almost as if I could see into another realm—the past, present, and future.
There was something else. He was peace personified.
It was different than gazing into Izadora’s eyes. You could tell she was wise just by her actions and demeanor, but I never sensed anything like peace before. This man was different. I could sense the wisdom pouring out of his pores. I couldn’t place my finger on it, but it seemed like he had all the answers in life.
“Just who are you, Maximus?” I blurted out kindly.
Lucian perked up and leaned in to hear his answer. Maximus waited, as though he had to think of a proper answer. His half grin faded, and his eyes twinkled.
“I am who I am. But what’s more important is, who are you? That is what you need to focus on.” He waved us on, as it was time to leave.
Exiting the cave, I had to wonder…what did he mean by that?
“You see, once you have figured out who you are, and what you stand for…you too will be at peace.” He had answered my very thoughts, and by the glowing grin on his face, he knew he had.
***
Kepler followed after Maximus, who had already crossed half of the bridge. Stepping extra cautiously, Lucian went before me this time. I insisted. Carefully, he stepped one big foot at a time, holding the rope to help with balance. A slight breeze blew, and he had to stop and gather his bearings. A lone bird flew overhead; he paused and waited for it to pass. He babbled on about nothing, trying to keep his mind from what he was currently doing. Everything was fine until he couldn’t help himself from peering over the side and missed a step, slipping between a broad gap in the boards. He fell instantly, his arms flailing out to the sides as though he were a bird that could fly. Kepler, thinking this must be some sort of “fun time,” jumped after him. He made a squealing noise that sounded more like a high-pitched “a-weeeeeee.” He caught up to Lucian quickly and bit right onto the seat of his pants, slowing hi
m down.
Screaming, I held on to the side rope as they dropped fast, closer to the fierce river below.
Maximus kept to his word, and pointing his finger he recited something in Latin (I believe), and Lucian sprung back up to the end of the bridge. Kepler still held tight to the seat of his pants, only letting go when Lucian swatted at him. He only had to take a step from the bridge and he was on the land, beneath the trees. I hopped, skipped, and jumped to the end of the bridge and planted my feet to the earth.
Lucian fell to his knees and then rolled to his back. His chest heaved up and down. Maximus tried to contain a smile, but a dimple formed in the right side of his cheek, giving him away.
Being relieved, I laughed out loud, with a hearty laugh that brought Lucian’s head up to stare at me.
“Glad to see my near-death experience amuses you so much.” He grinned.
I fell to my knees and patted his chest. “Oh, Lucian. I’m just relieved, that’s all. You did look kind of funny when you fell. And with Kepler in tow…” I laughed louder. “But I wouldn’t be laughing now, if you got hurt. There is a difference.”
“I think you have a touch of the Seaforth twist.”
I knew the twist he talked about. A few of the Seaforths—namely Izadora, Magella, and Izaill, and my GG Edmund, who was questionable—all had a twisted sense of humor. But I was not to the degree that they were. They played cruel tricks on one another just to see who could outsmart whom. I could never see myself doing that.
I stifled my laughter. “I’m sorry for laughing.”
“No harm done,” Maximus said as he continued to smile. “It was rather amusing, wasn’t it?”
Lucian shook his head. “You people are crazy.”
Maximus held his hand out. “Time to get up, lad. It is time for Ivy’s training.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“The best warlocks and witches are scientists as well. You have to have a thorough understanding of science and laws of nature. You need to know which laws can be broken, which can only be bent, and those that are inviolate,” Maximus stated as we all stood outside the “summer house.” “As with any law, if you break it or bend it, there is usually a price to be paid. Safe magic is not breaking or bending any laws but making them work toward your goals. Safe, easy magic that can do no significant harm to anybody or anyone, only slightly changing outcomes.”
After this speech, Maximus insisted that I learn how to feel the weather in my palms. It didn’t stop there. I had to learn to bring it down and toward me by feeling the energy and the pull in my palms.
“If you raise your hands and focus on the energy, you can actually feel the power around it.”
The funny thing about it all is I could sense the very force he spoke of. Within minutes a wind began to blow.
“Light elves are naturals at this,” he said. “Because you are right-handed, you will receive with the left and shoot forth with the right.” He repeated it again to make himself clear. “Bring it through your left palm and let it exit to the earth through your right. The earth is a perfect ground—it can take all the electrical power you can throw at it. Should you find yourself overwhelmed by the power you have drawn down through your outstretched palm, you can easily let it exit to the earth through your feet. Try to remember to never wear rubber-soled shoes, as they break your electrical connection to the earth.”
Over the course of my training, Maximus brought up Drumm. “He’s one of my favorites. I’m quite fond of the boy. He has the heart of a lion.”
This made me feel good. Drumm was one of a kind, a true warrior.
I sensed a powerful force building in the air. Static electricity. Power coursed through my veins, running throughout my whole body. I felt primal. Giddy. Intense.
“The tingling vibration will eventually feel like real matter. It will feel as though you can almost sculpt it into a ball, maneuvering it to your bidding. Accept it, pull it down to your very being, and then send it into the earth.
“You’ve made the connection. You’ve taken your first steps along a path of immense power.”
When we finished, I was able to control but a small amount of the energy. He had things whipping about him; lightning bolts were maneuvered around, and shot up from his palms. I could manage only a purple orb the size of a large apple floating and drifting lazily above my palm.
All of this amazed me, and even though I’d probably never have to use this magic, I still appreciated the lesson.
“It appears that you’ve learned just enough to whet your appetite, Miss Seaforth,” Ian observed from the sideline. I was not sure just how long he’d been observing us. His forehead creased, and he himself began to practice along with us. He could actually form a ball of pale green light in his hands.
“I’ve been practicing with Maximus for years. And while I’m no pro, I know the basics,” Ian said. “Instead of just toying with small energy, why don’t you try to bring down the lightning as well?”
I could have kicked his chair. “I’m not ready for that.”
“Oh sure you are!” Maximus said.
Ian smirked as he rolled his chair back out of the way.
“As you concentrate, your left palm extended toward the sky, you will produce a leader—an electrically charged stream. You won’t be able to see it, but it will travel a winding, snaky path to the cloud. Think of it as an invisible piece of fishing line racing toward the sky. There it will meet its opposite electrical charge, and the lightning bolt will immediately flash down to your palm,” Maximus explained.
Standing with my feet apart and firmly to the ground, I leaned back, doing some yoga pose, arching my back. I felt the flow of energy zinging throughout my body. Standing straight, I held my left palm up and zoned in on the sky. After a time, I could see little white flicks of light in the air. Shooting with the energy in my right hand, I pulled in more energy until my whole body began to feel the vibration.
A single dark cloud formed above us, and thunder rumbled, echoing over the hills. I felt it coming before I saw it. When it hit, the burning sensation filled me, and lightning was coming through one limb and out the other. A light show.
I felt the power and couldn’t believe my own eyes, as I was mesmerized. Losing my focus, I lost the connection and was shot back with great force to the earth. I once had shot a double-barrel shotgun as a preteen. It had been my father’s idea. I had landed on my backside, and this was similar but with much more mighty a force.
They laughed at me, or rather, as Ian said, they laughed “with me.”
“Good job, Ivy,” Maximus said. “Keep practicing.” He ruffled my head. “You will have to learn to work with the elements.”
I spent the remainder of the day up at the castle with Lucian, playing some type of magical video game that Minimus had set up. We stood inside a large circle and were covered by a twenty-foot dome. We played some sort of ping-pong, tennis-type game. Colorful flowers that resembled chrysanthemums and were the size of grapefruits were shot at us, and we had to explode them with a crystal; if we missed, they would bounce off the sides of the dome. Each time we hit one of the flowers, it would burst into an array of colors and shower down upon us, disappearing before it hit us. What was uncanny was there were no cords, no televisions, and no gaming equipment. Just magic.
The others hung out and discussed future events, and by the end of the day, we were on our way to the ocean. Staying at Maximus’s had been a cool and nice respite, but now we would set out on a journey into the unknown.
Chapter Thirty
Saying good-bye to Maximus and the island was not easy. I had learned that the three-day journey to the land of the Elven was not because you had to stay at Hy Brasil, but it was because you didn’t want to ever leave. Being in Maximus’s presence soothed your very soul, and I’d even come to like the pig. Someday, I promised to come back with Drumm and spend a full three days here. I did not look forward to the battle at large.
Maximus had gifts fo
r the McCallisters. He handed out black robes that he’d blessed himself. “They’ll come in handy. Where you’re going, it can be cold—and sometimes you won’t need them, but better safe than sorry.”
He stood in front of me now, observing my hand. “Let me see.” He lifted my right hand to take a look at Izadora’s signet ring. Putting his glasses on, he whispered words above it. The ring grew hot briefly and then went back to normal. “Okay. Now you’re ready.”
That was weird.
He then continued on to a different subject. “My brother has his own journey to contend with. Your paths may cross again.” Maximus focused on Minimus.
Minimus now wore a black robe over his slacks and suspenders. With him, he carried a small bag and the reins to a donkey. The donkey had a few parcels atop his strong back and a place for Minimus to seat himself.
“Come along, Rhapsody. We’ve no time to snip at the grass.” He pulled the reins, but the donkey wouldn’t budge. “Don’t make me use magic on you, now. Come on.”
Before we commenced on our walk to the ocean, Kepler came running down the hill, with something large following behind. The ground shook with each step, and soon the culprit was revealed: an elephant.
I had never seen an elephant up close before, and the scene was surreal.
“Soi Dow, a Burmese word, which means, ‘beautiful woman,’ or something like that, I believe.” Maximus said.
She was beautiful and very friendly with her trunk, which kept patting me on the head.
They let me and Lucian ride her, bareback, down the path to the ocean. To mount the elephant, she set her great leg out for us to step up on. Even though we were so high up and she slowly swayed from side to side, the ride was smooth. I kept patting her big gray head, which had little black hairs on it. She kept swatting her ears and lifting her trunk up.