The Path Of Peace (The Cremelino Prophecy Book 3)

by Mike Shelton

  Christine smiled and almost laughed for the first time in a week. This lady liked to talk. Maybe she could get some information out of her. She already knew what the doctor would find. She just hoped she could keep it secret from the general a while longer.

  “So nice to have someone else visit me,” Christine said. “What is your name? Mine is Christine.”

  The woman frowned. “Oh, I don’t want to know your name, young miss. The general swore me to secrecy, and I don’t want to disappoint him. You can guess what happens to people that disappoint the general.” The woman didn’t stop for an answer. “They disappear. Bad thing, I say. Now let’s take a look at you.”

  The lady ran her hands over Christine’s body. A power from the lady tingled over her body. “You’re a wizard?”

  “Of course I’m a wizard. All doctors in Gildan are wizards. Where are you from, anyway, that you wouldn’t know that?” Again, she didn’t stop for an answer. “Oh, I can see by your blonde hair that you are not from around here. Where are you from? No, don’t tell me. I can’t know those things.”

  The woman smiled, told Christine to stand up, and ran her hands over her belly. “Well my dear, there is nothing wrong with you.”

  “Oh, I know that.”

  The doctor seemed surprised by the admission.

  “You’re pregnant. You’re going to have a baby. Can’t tell if it’s a boy or girl yet. Strange, but I should be able to tell by this point, but I’m getting mixed signals. Do you know who the father is? Well, of course you do. But don’t tell me,” the lady babbled.

  Christine knew who the father was. It could be none other than Darius, the only man she had ever been with. Drops of moisture fell from her eyelids. He would be so happy at the news.

  The old wizard doctor came over and patted her head. “Now, dearie, don’t cry. You’ll be fine. I’ll make sure you take some herbs that will help the sickness and keep both of you healthy. You must eat well and exercise and stay positive.”

  Christine sat up. The doctor had misunderstood her tears for sadness other than her memories of Darius. “How can I exercise? I am locked in this room all day long. How can I stay positive? I am being held prisoner. My husband doesn’t know where I am, and the general has threatened to use me to take over the Realm.”

  “No, no, no,” the wizard wailed. “You cannot tell me these things; I told you that.” She held her hands over her ears. “Now I am doomed. I know too much.”

  Christine took the woman’s hands in hers, looked her directly in the eyes, her own still full of tears, and whispered, “You could help me escape.”

  “No, no. I can’t do that. Were you not listening to me? I won’t live another day if the general finds out.”

  “My husband can protect you. He is also friends with Prince Mezar.” Christine wiped her tears away, feeling hope for the first time since being taken.

  The lady put her fingers to her lips. “You must not mention the general’s son. He has done something and escaped.”

  “Please help me?” Christine begged the lady. “Don’t you think it would be wrong for my husband to never see his child?”

  “And who is your husband?” The doctor paused. “No. Don’t tell me,” she amended.

  “He is Darius DarSan Williams, King of the Realm.”

  The lady, for being a wizard and all, didn’t have much control. “Oh no. No, no. What have you gotten me into?” Her face contorted with anguish.

  A knock sounded on the door, and a servant entered. “My lady.” He spoke to Christine. “The general would like you to dine with him tonight.”

  Christine looked afraid and glanced at the doctor for help.

  The doctor took a deep breath and tried to compose herself. “Inform the general I will dine with the two of them tonight also. The lady needs to take care of herself. I will work with her to make sure she is eating properly.”

  The servant nodded and left.

  Christie hugged the doctor. “Thank you.”

  The doctor smiled in a resigned fashion. “Pray your husband finds us soon. I don’t know how long I can keep myself alive.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  HISTORY OF THE CREMELINOS

  Darius paced the library in the governor of Sur’s office. It had been commandeered for his headquarters while staying in the most northwestern city of the Realm. A week ago, a sudden early winter storm blew down from the north. Temperatures plummeted, and the snow fell at a rate unheard of this time of year. The entire region was shut down.

  The King was frustrated and anxious to find his wife. Between the time traveling to White Island, Sur, and the battle, it had now been almost two months since he had last seen her. He had made amends with Mezar and had apologized for his distraught behavior. While Darius had slept that first day, Mezar rode out and inspected the attack area himself. Instantly obvious to him by hoof prints in the earth, the horses were indeed from Gildan and not from Arc. The horseshoes used in Gildan, especially in the royal stables, showed a very distinct design and a slight altered state to a common shoe.

  Upon hearing of this news as well as Mezar’s account of what he overheard his father and the other men in Gildan saying, Darius was relieved at least to have a direction to go in. He also felt remorse for the battle that had ensued in the mountains with Prince Bronwyn over the apparent abduction. The Gildanians under Mezar’s father had done a very fine job of trying to lay blame on the Arcs.

  Darius had expressed his apology to the High Wizard on this accord. Wizard Olan, however, had told the King that although his reason for battle may have been misled, the intent of the prince was to sow discord and invade. This made Darius feel a little better for his somewhat-reckless behavior. Men had still died on both sides, and as King, he would have to hold at least some responsibility for that.

  Once in the last few days, Lightning communicated to Darius she had felt a strong surge of feeling from Christine. Immense joy followed by sorrow. She tried to establish more of the link, but once again the bonding crumbled. The good news was she was still alive.

  “Please sit down, Sire,” High Wizard Sallir said. “I am an old man, and you are making me tired just watching you wear out the carpets.”

  Darius gave a short smile and flopped himself in a large chair in front of the roaring fireplace. Looking out the window nearby, all he could see was white. The flakes decreased, giving him some hope, but the ground would need to be cleared or melted before they could travel again.

  Olan continued. “That is a fine gift you gave to my apprentice. I am not sure if she is ready for it yet.”

  “It is not my choice, High Wizard. The Cremelinos have a mind and will of their own in these things.” Darius felt amusement float through his bond with Thunder. “What do you know about them anyway?”

  “The Cremelinos?” The High Wizard thought for a moment, apparently accessing knowledge learned long ago. “The Cremelinos are originally thought to have come from the eastern kingdoms a thousand years ago. At the time, those in the east were enlightened with magic and lived in peace with the land and each other. Fairies and other magical creatures, like the Cremelinos, flourished in this environment. All the land was ruled by a wizard’s council, the wisest among the land. The population grew and spread across lush forests, deserts, highlands, and into the mountains. The unique abilities of the Cremelinos to communicate with each other and with those they bonded with were used by each of these groups of people to stay connected.”

  “How did a Cremelino choose who to bond to?” Darius asked, enthralled with the history.

  “It is said each wizard was chosen by the herd for a specific Cremelino to bond with. This bond could not change except upon death of the wizard or the horse.” The High Wizard paused to take a drink.

  “That makes sense,” Darius agreed. “They told me which Cremelino to take for Christine as well as the others that came with me from the island.”

  Mezar, who had been dozing off on the far side of the room,
joined the two of them. “But how did they get so far from the eastern kingdoms?”

  “You are jumping ahead, my friend.” Olan winked. “As the groups of people spread across the eastern lands, they began forming kingdoms of their own. The wizards tried to keep a common governing body, but after a while, it became more and more difficult to control everyone. As the population grew, need for land, cities, and food grew. This started small skirmishes and even battles. A few wizards even began to side with these kingdoms in their own exclusive relationships, dragging their Cremelinos into the fray.”

  Roland came into the room and interrupted the story to tell the group clear skies were seen to the north and west, and the storm should be gone by the end of the day. The governor invited all of them to join him for dinner that evening.

  “Finally, we can begin to make plans.” Darius let out a sigh. “Now let’s hear the rest of this story.”

  The High Wizard continued, “The Cremelinos were goodhearted creatures. They could not be tempted or turned to evil; however, some of the wizards were. In order to gain favor and wealth from their benefactors, men set themselves up as kings in these new lands and delved into the darker side of sorcery. They created spells and creatures that should have never been. Through the bond, the Cremelinos felt this evil and could barely stand the pain to their pure hearts.”

  “As you recall, I said a bond was made that could only end at death. Some of the Cremelinos started to find ways to put themselves in danger, to seek death as a means to escape the evil hearts of their masters. However, their masters found out about this and held them more in line. They started using their evil magic on them to control them and force them to communicate their evil plans with others. These wizards even drew energy from their Cremelinos to increase their powers. This was unholy and disgraceful.”

  Darius felt sadness through his bond that almost overwhelmed him. He swooned to the side, almost collapsing.

  Mezar reached out a hand to steady him. “Darius, are you sick?”

  “Thunder, my Cremelino, was not aware of all these events.” Darius straightened. “He is grieved for his kind.”

  “The wizard council stood intact, although they lost some prestige and power over the land.” Olan seemed to enjoy the storytelling. “They formed a plan with the Cremelinos without their masters knowing. They would lure them to a battle in which the wizard council would take the evil wizards captive, killing them, and destroying the evil bond. The council laid a plan to invite all the wizards in the land to an event at the Wizards’ Conclave. It was thought to be an invitation to expand the council and let the other wizards take more power. All of the Cremelinos who were bonded came with their masters. Those that were not bonded were told to gather on the western shores of the land, where some of the most powerful wizards would meet with them.”

  “At the Wizards’ Conclave, something went wrong. A traitor among them thwarted their plans to capture the evil wizards. A battle ensued, one of power and magic. Wizards on both sides died, Cremelinos perished, and the land around the conclave was left utterly desolate. Many of the Cremelinos at this time, seeing their plans to eradicate the evil wizards to be a lost cause, turned against their masters as a last resort. This was thought impossible, but their grief and pain was so deep through the bond. They reached out and, with personal pain to themselves, severed the bonds and destroy many of evil wizards’ minds. At this point, the wizards took to killing their own Cremelinos before they could be destroyed themselves.”

  “What about those that fled?” Darius asked.

  The High Wizard smiled. “Almost there, Sire. In the end, the Wizards’ Conclave fell. This organization for wizards had been intact for a thousand years, helping to bring stability to these kingdoms; however, greed won out. It was supposed that some good wizards and Cremelinos had escaped but not many. Those that turned evil, though they lost their Cremelinos, became victorious and returned to their separate kingdoms with a loosely agreed upon set of rules. For many years afterward, the eastern kingdoms struggled and battled for lands and kingdoms. There are many stories from that time until now that describe how they grew into the great continent they are now, but those will have to wait for another snowstorm, I am afraid.”

  “So?” Darius asked again.

  “So, Darius, those Cremelinos that escaped to the western shores of the continent were loaded on large ships by a few remaining wizards, men and women. They sailed across the Eastern Sea until arriving at what we know now as White Island. There were no inhabitants of the island at that time, there was fresh water and land for growing grass and grain, and it became a refuge and a place of repair for the horses for many years. Soon the herd grew, and the wizards began venturing out into the western lands. The Cremelinos’ abilities were kept in strict confidences from the rulers of these early primitive lands.”

  Darius sat on the edge of his seat opposite the old wizard.

  Olan took a sip of wine before continuing. “Gildan was much smaller then, the Realm had not been formed, and the Kingdom of Arc was basically bands of nomads. Once the original wizards died out, their descendants became the caretakers we have today. Some of them most likely have power flowing in their veins and, though not full wizards, are able to care for the horses.”

  “My wife is not a wizard, but she communicates with her Cremelino.”

  Thunder’s voice answered Darius’s statement before Olan could. It was done as a favor to you, young wizard, as part of the prophecy. Your wife has enough wizard blood flowing through her veins for us to communicate with her. We needed Lightning close to you to watch over the prophecy. We recognized in you the one from the prophecy, the one that would bring us back to our glory. Now we communicate with all wizards as needed. It is a time of changing for all of us.

  Darius relayed this information to Mezar and Olan.

  “Tell me the prophecy,” Olan said.

  Darius smiled. “I am not sure I know it all. The Cremelinos can be a little secretive. It seems I am only given bits and pieces.”

  Thunder sent a wave of amusement to his mind and asked Darius to touch both Mezar and Olan so he could communicate to them all.

  Darius did so and Thunder spoke to them all.

  Forgotten lines of ancient magic

  and the power of the throne.

  One will make them both his own

  if his heart sees the true power.

  He will bring light to fight darkness

  and love to fight hate

  if he reaches into the power of his heart.

  He will find new allies, turn enemy to friend, and

  find the binding of all power on the path of peace.

  Olan sat back and smiled. “Amazing. Amazing. So this is how you speak to them?”

  Darius nodded.

  “I wonder what it means to ‘find the binding of all power?”

  Darius shook his head. He didn’t understand most of what the prophecy said until after each part was fulfilled.

  The High Wizard looked wistful. “You gave a very great gift to Danijela and to our kingdom. King Anwar will be happy and proud to meet with you and enact any treaties you desire. We would be happy to have you visit our esteemed capital.”

  Darius smiled, then frowned and sighed. “All in good time, my new friend. First, I must rescue my beloved and help Mezar reestablish peace in his empire.”

  Mezar bowed his head slightly to his neighboring King. “At your coronation, I pledged my support to you until the end of my days, Darius. I do not take that lightly. At first light, I will ride with my men back to Gildan. I will find your queen for you.”

  Darius’s eyes misted over, and he thanked his good friend.

  Soon Roland came back in to call them to dinner. They walked over to the large festival hall, where other nobles from the city were gathered. Cray and some of his officers had also been invited. What surprised and somewhat worried Darius was when he saw Danijela enter, hanging on Sean’s arm. Sean looked his way an
d smiled. It was not the scornful smile he usually had for Darius through the years, but a smile of peace. Darius still didn’t trust the man who had betrayed him too often and who had caused much pain to him personally. For now, he would keep a close eye on him and especially his interest in the young wizard girl.

  The feast was a scrumptious affair with roasted pork and gravy, freshly baked bread, fall vegetables, and plenty of drink to go around. The group on the whole seemed to enjoy themselves, though Darius sat a little somber, thinking of his wife and kingdom.

  Mezar excused himself early, saying he was firm on his pledge to leave in the morning. Darius followed him out to inform him that the Cremelinos requested his presence in the stables. With mild curiosity, the two friends did as requested.

  Once there, a young male Cremelino strode toward Mezar and nuzzled up against him. Mezar’s face registered shock.

  “He has chosen me. I never thought . . .” Turning to Darius, he asked, “Did you know?”

  Darius shook his head. “I was asked to bring these Cremelinos with me, but they wouldn’t tell me why. One went to a young wizard girl in Mar, one to me, one to Danijela, and now one to you. Each has chosen us in turn.”

  “I wonder who the remaining two are for.” Mezar said.

  Darius did not know. “What will you name him?’

  Mezar thought a moment and then said, “Star. He shines like the brightest star in my homeland.”

  Darius and Mezar spent a few more minutes with all of the Cremelinos. Thunder had communicated recently with Radiance and informed Darius of Kelln’s findings on Alessandra’s mother. Kelln still didn’t know how to reach the Preacher without getting himself killed. Darius was just happy that, for the time being, the Preacher seemed to not be more of a problem, though he still felt uncomfortable with not having the man in a prison.

  “So now we are able to communicate in Mar with Tali and Kelln, here in Sur or Arc with Danijela, wherever you go in Gildan, and with me.” Darius mouth went wide in a broad smile. Things were definitely looking up.