I put a hand on her arm. “I think that would be a beautiful end. A long, long time from now. That’s what I’m hoping for myself.”
Cara looked at me and looked away.
“Chaos below, there you are!”
I nearly jumped out of my skin. The voice was behind me. Behind me, where there was supposed to be nothing but empty air. I leapt up and whirled, brandishing my plate like a weapon and spilling eggs all over the wall.
The adrenaline rush faded as I recognized Greystone at the exact same moment that my mind processed the sound of his voice. He was hovering there in the air before me, five feet out from the battlement, his robes billowing about him in the breeze. The gusts of air he was supporting himself with kept blowing the hem of his outfit dangerously high, revealing a pair of skinny, wrinkled, hairy old legs.
“What are you doing there?” I shrieked, still too startled to care how my voice sounded.
“What are you doing up here?” he cried, waving his arms like a madman. “Who eats breakfast on a wall?”
“I wanted a view!” I said, because it was true and I couldn’t think of a witty comeback.
Greystone sighed and buried his face in his palm. Then he spun his staff, and the gusts of air raised him up to float over the wall, setting himself down on solid stone.
Cara, meanwhile, hadn’t moved through the whole exchange. She took another bite of bacon as she looked up at me, and her eye sparkled playfully.
“Well, I have been searching the entire Runehold for you ever since I was first told you had woken,” Greystone grumbled. “And if you think these old bones are meant for running up and down cold stone hallways, then I invite you to live for nine hundred years and tell me how much you enjoy it.”
“I didn’t know I was supposed to check in with you,” I growled. “You want me to report in when I go to the bathroom, too?”
“If you come up here and do it over the edge of the wall, then yes!” Greystone said sternly. Then he sighed, closing his eyes and raising his face skyward. It looked like he was muttering to himself.
“I need to speak to you,” he said. “It is a matter most urgent, and one that I had no wish to speak of in front of the others. My first intention was to speak to you at the end of the day, after the others had left. Now that you are here early, however, we are presented with a unique opportunity.”
“Okay,” I said warily, folding my arms. “So speak. What’s the big secret?”
Greystone looked furtively around. “Not here. Too exposed,” he said ominously. “Come. We will converse in the library.” He turned to Cara, still sitting on the wall, still trying to keep a smile off her face. “You should attend this as well, Captain Gaskill, unless you are too busy chuckling at a joke that only you seem to hear.”
Cara shook her head. “No, Watcher. I would not dream of missing a proclamation from such a pretty little bird.”
Greystone stared her down, his mouth twitching as though he’d blast her off the wall. Then he spun on his heel and swung open the trap door with a wave of his hand, leading me down the stairs and back into the Runehold.
I followed him along the cold and narrow passageways back into the great hall, then down the side hallway that took us to the library. Once inside, he beckoned Cara and me in and then shut the door tightly behind us, securing it with a latch. Then he gestured with his hands. I felt a faint breeze pick up in the air around us, stirring my Realm Keeper’s robes and ruffling my hair.
“What are you doing?” I asked, confused.
“Casting a curtain of air,” he said. “What I am about to tell you is of the utmost secrecy, not fit for any ears save our own.”
“Then maybe you want to tell that guy to get out of here,” I said, pointing.
Greystone whirled. A portly scribe who looked like a marshmallow in a robe stood dumbfounded halfway down the bookshelf on the left wall, gaping at the three of us.
“Get out!” Greystone roared, slamming the bottom of his staff down on the floor and sending a pillar of flame skyward. The scribe leapt in the air like someone had stuck him in the butt with a pin, running for the door. He was so flustered he tripped on his robe right before he reached it, but he bounced back up like a beach ball and disappeared through the doorway.
I stepped forward to close it behind him and re-secure the latch. “Now you can do your curtain thing.”
Grumbling, Greystone went through the motions once more. I felt the same breeze stir the air. Soon I began to see a shimmer appear around the edges of the library, growing especially concentrated at the doorway. Soon Greystone stopped moving his arms and muttering, and turned to me with a sigh.
“There,” he said. “We are alone. Now there is much to be said, none of it simple and all of it of terrible importance. What you are about to hear is known to less in Athorn than you can count upon a single hand. Indeed, it is doubtful if it is known among more than a dozen humans in all the world.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Well…okay, then.”
Greystone blinked. “That is all you have to say?”
I shrugged. “Hard to say more until I know what it is.”
Greystone shook his head. “Children,” I heard him mutter. “Still such children.” He sighed. “The tale is long. We should sit.”
I followed him to a wide wooden table in the center of the room, the same one upon which we’d drawn our plans for travel to Faya. The map we’d used was gone. In its place was a single, heavy tome bound in red leather. There were no words on its cover or spine.
Greystone, Cara and I took our seats around it. Contrary to the usual hard wooden chairs scattered around the library, these were three wide armchairs with soft, plush cushions. I settled deep into the depths of my chair, enjoying the soft feel of its velvet upholstery. Greystone settled himself, pulling his pipe from within a hidden pocket in his robe. With a snap of his finger, flame sprung to life in the pipe. He puffed twice, and a plume of white smoke drifted up. The intoxicating, sweet scent of tobacco filled the air.
“In the beginning,” Greystone said, “there were six races. Humans, such as us. The elves, the dwarves, the dragons, the magi, and a sixth race whose name is lost to history. These six races existed before time began, each of them formed from the substance of a component of the universe. The same six components that form the basis for the power of the Realm Keepers.
“The races of old were at war with each other. None could find peace with each other any more than fire may find peace with water, any more than the earth may find peace with the sky, the lightning storm with the thoughts in your head. They were driven by the base urges from which they had come. An joining of any of the races was inconceivable. This is not to say that they were forever at war, for there were times of peace as well as conflict. But trust was a thing reserved for one’s own race, and no others.
“And yet, each of the races were of this universe, and so each of them contained a trace of every component of this universe. All of them breathed the breath of life, though Air was the domain of the dragons. All of them were warmed by the fire of our bodies, though Fire was under the sway of the magi. And liquid ran through all of their veins, though men were of Water and always had been.
“Thus was the balance of the world awkwardly held, under the sway of almighty Destiny.”
Greystone paused for a moment, taking a deep puff of his pipe. “Are you following me thus far?”
I thought for a moment and gave a little shrug. “I guess. It sounds like a story of how the world was created. The sort of thing that would be in myths and stuff back on True Earth. If you’re asking if I believe you, I guess I’d say no, but every myth has a kernel of truth.”
Greystone’s eyes flashed brightly, and he smiled. “A more clever answer than I might have expected to hear from many of the Realm Keepers I have known over the centuries. All knowledge must be approached with caution, and more so the more ancient it is.”
He sighed and settled deeper into his chair. “
For the purposes of this conversation, let us take for granted that all of this is fact rather than fancy. For thousands of years the world was in relative balance. Turmoil in one part of the land was balanced by peace in another. And so it went.
“In time, some of the races began to delve into magic. It was dangerous. They were each tampering with powers that spanned the six elements, though they were, each of them, descended from but one.
“They say that the dwarves began it. They saw the way the magi could manipulate fire with a word and a gesture. They longed to do the same. Once they began to learn the skill, they strove to bend stone and iron to their will. And so they became the first and greatest of craftsmen.
“The workings of magic then turned to the elves. Elves and dwarves have always felt a kinship to each other. They had what was, at the time, the closest thing to a true friendship that had ever existed between two races. They spent much time together, and there were many elves and dwarves that were strong friends. Men still sing songs of their exploits, though the truth of them is as murky as any events from those long-gone days.
“But when men acquired the skill and use of magic, we devoured it. Only some precious few of us possessed the ability to manipulate the elements, but within a few short centuries those few among us — who were soon called ‘wizards’ — had far surpassed the elves and dwarves who came before. Short-lived as we were, ambition drove us to ever greater heights of sorcery that the races who were their elders could not hope to match.
“After the humans came the magi. Though they had always been able to manipulate fire using their minds, the magi were the last to come to a true understanding of magic. They were a superstitious people, and at first the widespread use of other elements was seen as a dark omen, an invitation for plague and destruction. By the time such childish notions had passed from their people, they were millennia behind.
“Little is known of the nameless race and the dragons where magic is concerned, save only that the dragons saw its use as an abomination. The dragons are a race obsessed with purity. Freely combining the use of all six of the elements was seen by them as a terrible crime of the soul.
“And then Chaos came.
“I have already told you how Malus foresaw the coming of Chaos, a prophecy only attainable through his mastery of Mind. But when Malus tried to raise the human kingdoms against the onslaught of darkness, he failed. What I did not tell you before, because I did not grasp how important it might be, was that in desperation he turned to the other races.
“He strove to sway the minds of the elves, but they laughed at him. They could not believe that a human had gained such power over Mind that he could have foreseen an event that their own seers could not.
“He sought to convince the dwarves in their mountain strongholds, but they turned him away. The dwarves are an honorable but stubborn people, resistant to change, and the concerns of the world above ground concerned them little. I believe they simply could not conceive that such a massive change could take place in a world that had remained the same for so long.
“Malus asked the magi for their assistance, but received an even colder welcome than with the dwarves. As I have said, the magi were superstitious, and they saw Malus as a prophet of doom. In their minds, allowing him to speak his mind invited the events he spoke of, rather than helping prepare for them.
“The nameless race had long since faded from the oldest books save as a vague mention, a rumor in the darkness. And so Malus had only one hope for salvation.
“He turned to the dragons, though the dragons had long ago cut all ties with humanity. They lived in their mountainous homeland, unconcerned with the affairs of the earthbound races. They had been so long gone that they had already faded from memory. They were a legend, a bedtime story told to children. A ‘myth,’ as you put it.
“Malus sought them anyway, knowing that the power of the Six would not be enough to stem the tide of Chaos. And after months of searching, during which he very nearly perished several times, he found the great home of the dragons. He found Wyrmspire.”
I found myself leaning forward, hanging on Greystone’s words. The old guy could tell a story, I’d give him that. “What’s Wyrmspire?” I asked.
“It is the ancestral homeland of the dragons,” Greystone said. “The first dragon was said to have swooped down from the sky, formed of purest air, and landed upon its smoldering peak. So great was his power that when the mountain spat its angry fire at him, he opened his mouth and subdued it with tornadoes. The mountain fell chill and dark forever, and the first dragon built his home there. In time his children grew up among its lofty spires and high peaks, and there it stands to this day, a home to hundreds of terrible and glorious beasts.
“When Malus found Wyrmspire, the dragons nearly slew him on sight. But he reached out with the power of Mind and stayed the dragons’ claws. He placed his own vision in their minds, and they saw what he had seen: a black tide of Chaos about to sweep over the world and cast Earth into darkness.
“Malus had said the same words three times already to the other races, and three times he had been turned away. But fourth time pays for all, as they say, and this time he was believed. Not by all, for as with all decisions made by a crowd, there was no full accord. Many continued to doubt Malus’ words, and the dragons fought and argued. Ten days and nights their battle raged, fought with word and with claw. But in the end, the greater part of the dragon race agreed to join Malus in his bid to save Earth from destruction. They were not willing to cast their lot in with humanity, you understand. They only answered to Malus.
“Malus returned to the human kingdoms and assembled the Six. And with him, it was said, he brought dragons. With the five most powerful wizards the world had ever seen at his side, and an army of dragons at his back, Malus wrought terrible destruction amongst Chaos when first they burst upon Earth. It was not enough to stem the tide, but it held them off. It gave the Free Peoples of Earth enough time to muster their armies. Soon all five of the remaining races were entrenched in a bitter war against Chaos, each fighting individually to keep themselves alive. Only Malus and the dragons were united in their purpose, and so united they were unstoppable.
“I would spend a year if I were to tell you the full tale of all great deeds done in those days, the mighty victories won. But the losses were terrible as well. The entire race of the magi was wiped out, and then there were only four races of Free People left to resist Chaos. But the forces of Chaos could not be contained.
“And so Malus and the Six created the great barrier as, again, I have already told you. When it was done they had at last a stronghold that would hold the enemy at bay, and the barrier was far more vast than you can imagine, stretching across the whole of the kingdom of Athorn and neighboring kingdoms besides.
“But apart from merely creating Midrealm and the barrier, the Six also created the magic that would summon the Realm Keepers. The rest of the war progressed well, and the Free People banished Chaos to the far corners of the world. They did not eradicate them, for we will likely never be truly free of Chaos. But they were beaten back, and for a time there was another peace. Of a sort.
“But centuries passed, and in the course of those centuries old wounds began to resurface. In time, the Six passed from this world. As they did, the Realm Keepers arose to take their place, each of them drawn from True Earth just as you were. And when the Realm Keepers rested, their minds returning to their bodies on True Earth, they could rest easily knowing that the dragons were there to watch over their sleeping bodies, and to protect the world while they were away.
“But in time, the Realm Keepers of old grew arrogant in their power. They began to see the dragons as mere servants, beasts to do their bidding. Needless to say, the dragons were not exactly appreciative of this state of affairs.
“There was a great division, and when it was over the dragons left humanity behind them and returned to Wyrmspire. And in these many hundreds of years, no living woman
or man has caught so much as a glimpse of the dragons or their ancient home.”
Greystone leaned back, taking another deep pull on his pipe. “And there you have it. The tale and the truth of the dragons and Wyrmspire.”
I nodded. “That’s pretty fascinating, actually. But I’m trying to understand your reason for telling me this. Do we think the tombs are being guarded by the dragons? Or is one of them near Wyrmspire? What does this story have to do with the tombs?”
“It has nothing to do with the tombs,” said Greystone, “because I never meant for you and the others to search for the tombs in the first place. That was merely a diversion in case word of our plans were to somehow reach the ears of Terrence, who I suspect has spies everywhere. No, your actual quest must be carried out with the utmost secrecy.”
He leaned forward once more, his bony elbows resting on his bony knees, and he pointed at me with the stem of his pipe. “The six of you, and the Deathwatch who are bound to you, must travel a road not taken since Malus in the days of old. Walk the road and seek to mend the friendship that was broken, said Aurora. This is the friendship that was broken, and this is the road you must walk. You will journey across Midrealm to mend the alliance with the dragons in their ancient homeland. You will journey to Wyrmspire.”
MILES
“MILES!”
I SIGHED, CLOSED MY locker and turned around, hoping against hope that I didn’t know the tone of Clarissa’s voice as well as I thought I did. But the look of annoyance on her face was unmistakable.
“Hey, babe,” I said, smiling weakly.
“Where were you this morning?” she demanded. “I waited out in front of the school until, like, thirty seconds before the bell.”
I shrugged. “I was late. Like, late to school. I got a warning from Coach and everything.”
That seemed to calm her a little bit, but then her eyes narrowed. “Why were you late? You’re never late. Especially since track is first up on your schedule. You never miss that.”
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