by I. B. George
“Your Majesty, the sorcerer requests an audience with Your Grace”, he said reluctantly, as he couldn’t abide the one who poisoned his master’s mind and brought death to Fantasmagoria.
Tyreas agreed with a gentle nod and the captain left the room, allowing Elian to enter the chamber.
“What brings you here today?” asked the king when he saw the sorcerer.
Elian seldom left the rooms he had been given in the basement, as to avoid any nosy interference.
“Your Majesty”, said Elian coldly with a slight bow of his head, “I wanted to bring to your attention that the last descendant of the Eremon House is in our realm.”
Had the earth split open and swallowed him, King Tyreas would have been less astonished than he was now. He tried desperately to hide the pallor in his face and the tremor that took hold of him by leaning against the corner of a table.
“Are you absolutely certain?” he asked, his throat knotted with anxiety.
“Of course, King Tyreas, I saw him in the World’s Looking Glass. He is heading towards Fantasmagoria, aboard the Professor’s ship.
Tyreas clenched his fists in anger.
“Ah, had I not needed Radius still, I would have made my wrath known to this man who dares oppose my vision. However, he is an important pawn in my strategy to subdue Akros. What do you advise?” inquired the king, turning towards the sorcerer.
“There is no doubt that Prince Eremon’s presence in Fantasmagoria, precisely when the moon is approaching its fourth phase, strengthens the prophecy of the Oracle of Konaar. As a consequence, we must acknowledge that the boy is posing a real threat to Your Grace’s future. These are troubled times, King Tyreas, and troubled times call for drastic measures. I expect you agree with me when I say that this child must not set foot in Fantasmagoria.”
“So what do we do!?” shouted Tyreas.
“Assemble all the Cloud and Water Chosen. A terrible storm at sea could put an end to the prophecy. Imagine, Sir, if the people of Elementis heard of Ga’al’s heir returning to Fantasmagoria. That could be the beginning of an uprising which could delay your plans by at least a few years. On the other hand, if his body rested at the bottom of the sea, no one would ever learn how the prophecy had come to be only one step away from being fulfilled. I know, Radius shall also perish but I believe this is the price you have to pay for your own peace of mind”, the wizard concluded with a cold stare in his eyes.
Tyreas looked on seemingly absent-minded, thinking about Elian’s suggestion. The sorcerer was right: he had to put an end to the prophecy at any cost and if Radius was going to perish alongside Queen Neri’s son, then so be it!
He turned on his heels and called after the Guards’ Captain. He came in ready to take his orders from the king:
“Gather the Chosen in the Counsel Chamber at once”.
***
Aboard the Sea Dragon, Robert was watching the waves trailing softly across the blue stretch of sea. He had gone on deck for a while to clear his head after all that mass of new information. He’d asked the professor for a short break before continuing their talk. He didn’t even notice him as he came behind and touched his shoulder.
“Are you alright, Robert?” asked the Professor, his voice tinged with worry.
“Yes, Radius, I’m fine. It’s just that… I’ve learned so many new things and I’m a bit scared of all the responsibility that’s suddenly resting on my shoulders”, said Robert.
“That’s a good thing, prince, to be aware of the duty you have towards your people. That means you are a worthy scion of the Eremon House.
Robert looked on approvingly, the wind ruffling through his fair hair.
“Let’s go back to the cabin, Robert”, said the Professor. “I shall tell you more about the objects you have inherited from your father.”
They climbed back down to the cabin beneath deck and sat down. Robert took the bag with the items mentioned by Radius, but stopped himself before opening it.
“I have one question, Radius. How come you know about my father’s things but you never mentioned them the first time we met?”
The Professor smiled enigmatically.
“I was wondering when you were going to ask me that, my prince. During all those years after I separated from your father, I’ve watched you closely. When I wasn’t in Humans’ World, Akura stayed behind to keep an eye on you. For ten years I’ve waited patiently for the time of the prophecy to come. There is an unwritten rule among these prophets: you cannot hurry or interfere with the natural flow of events, else the prophecy won’t happen. Therefore, that day we met I couldn’t tell you about Fantasmagoria or about the objects your father had with him when he left Elementis. The only thing I could do was to kindle your interest and you took care of the rest wonderfully. That makes me more convinced than ever that the prophecy shall be fulfilled.”
“Now I understand… and I thank you”, said Robert looking at Radius with a tender gaze. “Thank you for allowing me to fulfil my destiny.”
“And I thank you as well for offering me the privilege to stand by you and honour the memory of your parents, Robert. And now, let’s move on to the more important matters on hand”, said the Professor. “Please take out the objects from your bag.”
Robert opened the bag and started placing on the desk, one by one, the items he had found inside the case in his grandmother’s house.
“Am I right to assume that you don’t know anything about these objects?” asked the professor looking at Robert who gave a short nod.
“This”, said Radius pointing at the notebook with blue pages “was your father’s journal. Its pages have been bewitched by Queen Neri’s alchemists so that no one could read what’s written inside, except your father and those from the Eremon House. I suspect that you’ve already noticed that when you undid the lock. Place your hand on the book’s cover, please.”
Surprised, Robert placed the palm of his hand on the journal’s leather cover for a matter of seconds. As he lifted his hand, the most extraordinary thing happened: all those bizarre symbols began to shift, as though suddenly alive. He watched with eyes full of amazement as each line changed its place and when everything came to a halt, Robert could read the inscription on the cover.
“The Journal of Aidan Anderson from the Wonderful World of Fantasmagoria”, he whispered.
“That’s exactly right, Robert, this is Aidan’s diary, as I have already told you. The alchemists’ magic worked. They wanted to protect Fantasmagoria in case the journal ended up in the Humans’ World or in Tyreas’s hands. The thoughts within this journal can be unravelled only here in Fantasmagoria, through your touch. You’ll have plenty of time to read your father’s notes at length, although I have already told you about most of his adventures.”
Next, the Professor held the black, glass-like stone.
“This stone, Robert, comes from a star that fell into the Kingdom of Fire hundreds of years ago. Two pieces were found. One was used many years ago. The other one was handed to your father by Queen Neri.”
“What’s it used for?” asked Robert.
“Your grandfather, your mother’s father, discovered quite by chance the properties of these rocks. When he was about your age he took both of them from his father’s chambers to play with. He went over to one of his favourite play areas, a few hours away from Sardar and threw one of the rocks into the air. What happened next gave him a good fright and made his father extremely furious. The stone fell to the ground with a deafening sound that made him cover his ears. At the same time, the ground started to shudder and crack where the stone had landed. Then, in a few moments’ time your grandfather watched how a huge mountain with black, glass-like faces rose straight up. Your great-grandfather became angry then because the mountain stood right in the middle of a trade route. From then on, all the merchants had to go around the Black Mountain and that lengthened their journey by two days. They decided to keep the remaining stone in the Crown Hall, only to be used in ex
treme circumstances which might have required it. And your grandfather was punished!” chuckled Radius.
Robert laughed too, imagining the scenes the professor was describing.
“What is this locket for?” asked Robert next.
“The locket and the compass were gifts from me. I gave them to Aidan when he fled the castle with you. I came across that locket on a stall at a fair in Sardar Castle and purchased it for a few pennies. You’ve noticed, I’m sure, the unusual craftsmanship which, I have to admit was what attracted me to it and made me buy it. What I didn’t know then – and I’m pretty certain the seller didn’t either – was that this pendant can open any type of lock. I discovered that by chance when struggling to unfasten a locked door. The only object I had with me was the pendant and, with the risk of breaking it, I tried it on the door lock. At some point I lost my temper and shouted: ‘Open, you blasted door!’ Immediately, the locket started moving in my hand and I could see with my own eyes how the lizard slithered along my palm and entered the lock. There was a click and the door opened, while the lizard came back to my palm and turned into a pendant once more. So, Robert, should you ever find yourself taken captive, this locket could save your life.”
“And the compass?”
“The compass I invented myself almost thirteen years ago. It can detect all the Chosen from every kingdom that are found in any direction from a distance of at least one day. That way you can find out in time what to expect and prepare yourself. At the same time, you can also learn of any Chosen near you who might say they are locals, but in fact they are from amongst the people of a different kingdom. “
Suddenly the ship gave a jolt, swaying on the waves, while dark clouds could be seen on the horizon through the cabin window.
“There’s a storm”, said the Professor. “Get all your things and follow me.”
Quickly, Robert gathered all the items, closed the bag and hung it by its handles across his neck, then rushed behind the Professor who was walking in long strides.
Once on deck, he could see the black, threatening clouds that approaching the ship at great speed.
“Just as I thought”, called out the Professor. “Tyreas knows you’re here so he commanded his Chosen to start a storm and sink us. I’ve been imagining that from the moment I saw the clouds from Elementis heading towards us so speedily. Lower the sails!” he shouted at the chief mate. “And keep the ship on the same course, towards the storm. Don’t let the wind hit us from the side!”
Robert heard the chief mate whistling and calling out orders. He then watched how the riggers climbed up the masts and pulled the sails with feline agility. The steersman secured the helm with a rope as he didn’t want to risk it being snatched from his hands by the storm.
Rain started pouring down. The deck was soon flooded and the ship was bobbing up and down like a nutshell. The wind was howling, amplifying the storm and the Professor proceeded to tie Robert up to one of the masts to stop him from being swept away by the gale and the waves that thrashed the deck.
All around you could hear the mariners shrieking as they were bashed against the sides of the ship or swept along by the waters. One of the masts broke midway and crashed onto the deck with a deafening noise.
Amid this chaos, the Professor was attempting to maintain order, calling out to the chief mate and the sailors around him. Everyone was trying to fight the storm, praying for the Sea Dragon to withstand the terrible waves and wind that battered her from all directions. A small fire started at the prow but it was quickly put out by the ceaseless waves.
The clouds were so dark that it felt like night time and the wind was growling, drowning the sound of the chief mate’s orders.
For several hours they battled the storm, powerless, trying to keep the boat on its course as much as humanly possible.
At long last, it felt as if the storm was beginning to recede and a ray of light flashed across the deck, exposing the damage caused by the dreadful calamity.
As the sky cleared eventually and the surging of the vessel stopped, the sailors began to assess the damage. Finally, the Quartermaster presented Radius with a full report on the devastation caused by the wrath of the storm.
“And the sailors?” asked the Professor, his thoughts going out to those remarkable people who served as his crew.
“Six missing and eight wounded”, answered the Second.
Radius felt saddened. He knew everybody on his ship by name. He was going to find out later who the missing ones were. There was no time for that now. He called out to the seamen to set up sails and the helmsman to adjust direction.
He then turned to face Robert.
“King Tyreas is afraid, prince. Still, we’ve come out well from a trying situation. I have faith that nothing can stand in our way now and that we shall fulfil the prophecy.
“And I, Radius, have faith in you”, said Robert.
Radius wanted to thank him for the trust he was showing but he was cut short by the sailor on watch in the crow’s nest[10] who shouted from the top of the mast where he was perched:
“LAND AHOY!!”
Everybody stopped and looked over the sides of the ship. Robert could distinguish the majestic outline of the Professor’s castle, just as he’d seen it sketched by his father in his journal.
Chapter 3
Flames and Sparks
The Sea Dragon was heading towards the dock near Arvinard Castle, where Professor Radius lived.
The castle resembled a large manor house, with walls surrounding a generous courtyard filled with well-kept gardens, making the place look like a peaceful oasis, rather than a fortress. However, due to the Professor’s various military inventions, it could have been successfully defended against a numerous army.
The seamen were relieved to have survived the frightening storm that had descended and were merrily singing sea songs about the joy of returning home. Robert was laughing too, caught in the general happiness that spread amongst the entire crew. They were singing loudly but at the same time they carried on with their daily chores faithfully so as to honour the memory of their fallen comrades. They forgot for a while about their injuries and the horror they had been through.
As they were approaching the shore they could make out the outline of those who stood waiting for the ship, ready to moor her.
Aboard the Dragon, the mariners were climbing the ship sails, gathering the remnants of the disaster or washing the deck carrying out these tasks at such an astonishing rate that Robert was amazed.
The helmsman manoeuvred the ship carefully, steering slowly towards shore.
When close to the dock, the sailors dropped the stern anchor while two of them hurled the hawsers[11] and the mariners on shore moored the ship skilfully by using some complicated knots.
The piercing sound of the chief mate’s whistle rang out and the sailors lined up in an even row, straightening up their outfits.
Then, at the Quartermaster’s orders, two of them fixed the wooden footbridge by the side of the ship to allow those on board to disembark.
The first to climb down was the Professor, followed by Robert and Akura, and behind them all the other sailors, together with the Quartermaster and the chief mate. Only a few mariners were left on board left to keep watch over the ship and who were going to be relieved the following day.
There were four horses waiting on the quay for Radius, Robert, the Quartermaster and the chief mate.
“Have you ever been on a horse before, Robert?” inquired Radius.
“Only once, a few months back”, answered Robert.
“You’ll manage just fine, won’t you?”
Robert agreed with a short nod. He had enjoyed the feeling of riding a horse, trotting, his hair flowing in the wind.
The horses were snorting, sensing the salty sea air in their nostrils. All four mounted and, followed by Akura, started galloping towards the castle. As they were approaching, Robert could hear the guards on top of the castle walls calling out
to the sentries in the courtyard to open the gates for the Professor.
The four of them stormed inside Arvinard Castle’s courtyard. The stable workers caught the horses’ reigns at once and quietened their agitation, allowing the riders to dismount.
Robert stroked his horse, a proud and magnificent stud, as black as ebony. He took the lump of sugar handed to him by one of the stable men and gave it to the animal who proceeded to munch gratefully, watching him with his large, gentle eyes.
“Follow me, Robert!” called Radius.
Robert followed behind the Professor, climbing up the wide stone stairs that led towards the wooden doors which guarded the entrance to the castle.
All around them, soldiers and workers everywhere made way for them to pass through and bowed their heads in awe. Robert guessed that they had been warned of his rank and they were showing him the respect commanded by a descendant of the Eremon House.
Radius and Akura led him into one of the palace wings, stopping in front of a black wooden door adorned with intricate carvings.
Radius opened the door and welcomed Robert in.
“Your chamber, prince, for as long as you shall do me the honour of being my guest”, he said.
As soon as he went in, Robert noticed with amazement the huge canopied bed which dominated the entire room. He then saw the wardrobe, the table and chairs, all drenched in the sunlight that flew into the room through a wide window.
Clean, fresh air, scented with jasmine and mint could be felt through the room, inviting him to rest. On the table there stood a bowl of fresh fruit which delighted the senses: red apples from the Kingdom of Clouds, big and juicy grapes hand-picked from the hills of Akros, oranges ripened by the warm sun in the Kingdom of Water and all sort of other kinds of fruit that Robert had never seen before.
“Akura will stay by your side, Robert”, said Radius. “If you require to eat something, pull that cord by the bed and somebody will come straight away to be at your service. I will be waiting in the library to allow you to refresh yourself and change your clothes. Akura will show you the way.”