by Shannah Jay
We’d hoped to leave you in the shadow worlds till you were older, but it was not to be. The sad truth is that our magical protection has almost worn off and at this very moment they’re preparing to kill you three.’
***
I don’t believe this, Kerril told himself. I don’t, I don’t. But he did really. You had to believe in magic when you were whisked away to a strange place by a dog that had grown twice as tall as usual and was suddenly able to speak. What sort of creature was Hallie, then? She had called her people Halishi. Ah, yes, the name Hallie must come from that!
He let out his breath in a long sigh, leaving the talking to his brother. This morning he’d been a mere servant lad but was now a prince—only he didn’t feel like one.
Hallie smiled gently. ‘See how you press together in the face of danger. Thus were you meant to face the world. Three in One. As the legend says:
Three in One shall save the day When danger threatens Azaray.’
‘But—that’s only a child’s song, a skipping game,’ Shayla protested. ‘I’ve played to its rhythm many a time.’
‘Children are always the ones who remember it,’ Hallie agreed. ‘Trouble has happened before and will happen again, for evil keeps trying to force its way into the worlds around the True Vale and even we cannot keep watch every single second.’
Kerril suddenly remembered seeing a drawing of something like this new Hallie in one of the old scrolls in the library.
Hallie gestured with one velvet-furred hand towards the beautiful valley below them. ‘Pavros alone in Azaray knows the True Vale exists, though he hasn’t been able to find how to get in. He itches to steal our magic to add to his own. We’re all depending on you to defeat him, I’m afraid. It’s a heavy responsibility.’
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5 THE GREAT TASK
Kerril shivered and exchanged quick glances with his brother and sister. How could it be possible that only they could save the day for the whole ring of worlds? He wasn’t at all brave, never had been. He’d far rather run from trouble than stand and fight.
When no one else spoke, he couldn’t hold the words back, even if they did make him sound like a coward. ‘But we’re only fourteen and I don’t even have a proper dagger, just an old kitchen knife. I wouldn’t know how to save anyone, let alone whole worlds.’
Hallie looked at him solemnly. ‘I’m afraid you must find a way, or perish. The three lords who raised you now intend to kill you.’
Kerril gulped. ‘ Lord Bezroll wants to kill me?’ He shivered. ‘Then I’m as good as dead already.’
‘Who exactly is Bezroll?’ Shayla asked. ‘I’ve heard the name before, but I don’t know much about him. My foster parents stop talking about him whenever I come into a room.’
‘Bezroll’s a giant of a man, a great warlord,’ Kerril told her. ‘And he has a very bad temper.’
‘I thought I was the younger son of Nezrim,’ Ronan said. ‘I’m glad I’m not. He’s dangerous, too, quick to strike at anyone who angers him.’
‘I didn’t know Ronan had any children,’ Shayla said. ‘No one ever spoke of them and they weren’t mentioned in any of the books in our library.’
‘No one in the service of Sevris dares speak of you on pain of death, but you three are indeed the lost royal children of Azaray.’ Hallie’s mouth curved up in a smile. ‘And very good children you are, too.’
***
Was this a dream? Shayla wondered. Would she wake soon and have to scramble to get ready for the evening meal? Only—if it was a dream, she’d lose her two brothers when she woke and she didn’t want to do that. She loved the idea of having a family of her very own.
‘I’m glad to be your sister,’ Shayla told them. Without thinking what she was doing she reached across to clasp Kerril’s hand, giving him an encouraging smile, then turned to squeeze the other boy’s shoulder.
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‘I think you’ll make a fine king, Ronan. You’re taller than us two already and will grow into a strong man, I’m sure.’
She turned back to Hallie. ‘Why is this rock the same in your world?’
‘It’s the Touchpoint and links all the worlds in this ring by magic, those that have emerged from the Shadows and those still to appear. Down there is the True Vale, the place where all good magic begins.
We Halishi have been the guardians of that magic since time began.’
‘I still don’t understand how we can stop evil men like these,’ Shayla said.
‘We aren’t sure exactly how you’ll do it, either. But we know that you’re stronger together, and in times of trouble three are always found to save the day. And of course, you’ll have the sword of Azaray to help you. It’s the most powerful weapon ever created. It took all the magic powers of the most evil wizard ever known to bind the sword and prevent it from defending your father. Even then, Pavros couldn’t destroy the sword and it took him years to recover from the struggle.’
Ronan smiled at his siblings. ‘My tutor Tevis says it’s good to have loyal companions beside you in a fight. How do we begin, Hallie?’
‘The three parts of the sword, scabbard, hilt and blade, are scattered across your worlds. If you can find the three pieces and re-unite them, you’ll stand a real chance of winning, because the sword brings strength and power to the rightful heir. And when people hear it sing out that you are the true king, they’ll follow you, not Sevris.’
‘Scabbard, hilt and sword,’ Kerril muttered. ‘Another three in one.’
Hallie smiled at him. ‘You aren’t as strong as your brother and you never will be, but you have an agile mind and other gifts. Use them well in the task before you, lad.’
Kerril stared at her, clearly not used to compliments. ‘Me? An agile mind?’
‘Yes, indeed. And you, Shayla, have a wise head on your shoulders. Your brothers will need that wisdom, too. Always speak out when you see the need.’
‘I don’t feel very wise.’
Hallie smiled. ‘Those who feel wise seldom have much sense. You also have the gift of binding people to work together.’
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‘What do I bring to this task?’ Ronan asked.
‘Courage—great courage—as well as the ability to plan and lead others,’ Hallie said. ‘You were, after all, born to rule.’ She let that sink in before she continued. ‘In Ronan’s world lies the scabbard, the hilt is hidden in Shayla’s world and the blade is waiting in Kerril’s world, which is the closest to Azaray itself.
Even Pavros couldn’t move it further away than that.’
‘I’ll help you find them, Ronan,’ Kerril said, forgetting his fears in the excitement of the moment. ‘But I’d better warn you now—I’m not very good at fighting.’
‘I’ll do what I can, too,’ Shayla said. ‘Of course I will.’
‘Now that you know the truth,’ Hallie said, ‘I’ll take you back to Ronan’s world so that you can start looking for the scabbard.’
‘So quickly!’ Shayla exclaimed in dismay.
‘We Halishi can do little until you have the sword. But there is one thing we can do to help: if you ever wish to travel from one world to another, come to the black rock and call for me. Your words will echo through the Touchpoint and I’ll always hear you.’
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6 RONAN”S WORLD
Everything around them faded and became a blur as the three young people made the magic journey back through the Touchpoint. When they regained their senses they were still lying on the black rock, but the valley below them had changed. Now it contained woodland and trees, with not a sign of the small village or the beautiful butterflies and birds.
‘I still don’t recognize the place,’ Shayla said, frowning down at the valley.
‘I do. It’s my home.’ Ronan pointed away from the valley and behind them to a rocky slope which led to a ca
stle built of pale golden stone. In the centre of the walls, which were twice as high as a tall man, rose a great keep, higher than the tallest tree, even in the True Vale.
‘That’s Lord Nezrim’s castle,’ he said quietly. ‘I hate the place.’
‘It looks more welcoming than Lord Bezroll’s keep at Sendalands,’ Kerril muttered. ‘Wait till you see that. Makes you shiver to look at it, it’s so grim. The stones are grey and inside it’s always dim, even on the sunniest day.’
‘Hadn’t we better get started? How are we going to look for the scabbard?’ Shayla asked.
Ronan frowned. ‘We’ll have to wait till it’s dark to do anything. Though where they’ve hidden it, I can’t imagine.’
‘Perhaps we’ll be able to sense it?’ Kerril suggested.
‘I never have so far and I’ve lived there all my life.’ Ronan looked up at the setting sun. ‘I must leave you now. I need to get back to my duties or someone will notice I’m missing and send out searchers.’ He could do whatever he wanted once he had finished his daily tasks, but let him miss the evening or morning roll call and there was instant uproar. He had found that out one day by lingering on the rock too long, and when they found him he’d been beaten soundly for being late.
‘Once everyone’s asleep, I’ll creep out and let you in by a side door.’ He pointed to the left. ‘That one over there, see. My room’s just above it in the west tower. It’s a bit draughty, but you can see out across the grounds and you can hear anyone coming up the stairs, so I like it.’ He looked at them both with THE MAGIC SWORD Shannah Jay 26
another frown. ‘Come further down the hill, but don’t move far from where I leave you or I won’t be able to find you again in the dark.’
Shayla and Kerril nodded.
‘When I’ve let you into the castle, we’ll hunt for the scabbard while everyone’s asleep. I know when the guards do their rounds and the dogs know me, so they won’t bark.’ Ronan cast another anxious glance at the setting sun. ‘I really do have to hurry now. I know a place where you can hide. You don’t want to stumble about on the hillside in the dark.’
He set off at a cracking pace and showed them a pile of rocks. ‘If you stay behind those, no one will be able to see you. Don’t make a noise, though. They send out patrols regularly.’
Kerril sighed as he and Shayla settled down and watched Ronan walk away. He felt hungry already.
He always seemed to be hungry nowadays. He heard his stomach growl and shot an embarrassed glance at Shayla. His sister! How strange that seemed! Yet how wonderful to have someone who really belonged to you. He smiled at her and patted his stomach with a wry grin as it rumbled again.
She smiled back at him. ‘I’m hungry, too. Isn’t this amazing? I can’t believe it’s all happening.’
‘Are you afraid?’ Kerril whispered after a while.
‘Of course I am.’
He was relieved. ‘I’m afraid too. In fact,’ he took a deep breath and said loudly, ‘I’m absolutely terrified. And I don’t know anything at all about fighting.’
‘Did you hear something?’ a man’s voice called.
Kerril gasped in dismay and clutched Shayla’s arm.
Another man responded, his voice carrying clearly in the still evening air. ‘Yes. It sounded as if there was someone over there among the rocks.’
‘It’s probably nothing, but better safe than sorry. Lord Nezrim would have us flayed alive if we let anyone through. Check the whole area carefully and don’t come back till you’re sure there’s no one lurking.’
Kerril put his mouth close to Shayla’s ear. ‘What shall we do?’
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‘Move backwards. Very quietly. Find somewhere to hide.’ It had all seemed very grand, planning to retrieve the sword and save Azaray from their wicked uncle, but now the harsh voices in the thickening gloom filled her with fear.
Kerril clutched her hand suddenly. ‘So we don’t get separated,’ he whispered.
She held on tight. The warmth of his hand was comforting. ‘Where shall we go?’
‘We have to find somewhere better than this to hide. If they walk round the rocks, they’ll see us straight away.’ He glanced in the direction of the men and their lanterns. ‘Hurry up!’
They crept slowly up the dark slope towards the castle, trying not to make any noise. Somewhere to one side water was gurgling down the hill. Nearby they could hear men trampling about and see glowing points of light coming gradually closer from each side.
Kerril found the stream by stumbling into it. Luckily a bush cushioned his fall and he managed not to yell out. Shayla followed his whispered instructions and climbed down more carefully, grimacing at the muddy water which welled over the tops of her soft leather shoes. ‘Which way should we go?’ she whispered.
Kerril looked back to see the lantern coming ever closer.
‘Don’t forget to look along the stream,’ called the same harsh voice.
Holding hands again, the two youngsters began to creep down the hill beside the stream. Once Kerril stumbled and would have fallen had Shayla not caught him. Another time, her foot slipped on something slimy—she didn’t dare think what—and she clutched him to stop herself falling.
Neither of the two moons had risen yet. Occasionally the clouds drifted apart and revealed a few stars, but not for long. It was chilly and damp, the sort of night where people preferred to stay indoors near a cosy wood fire.
Shayla halted and tugged Kerril’s arm. ‘There’s something ahead, a darker patch.’
He screwed his eyes up, trying to make it out, but in vain. ‘What do you think it is?’
She moved till her lips were close to his ear. ‘It looks like the mouth of a tunnel to me.’
Dismay flooded through him. ‘There isn’t a tunnel in my world, just small drainage pipes from the castle that run into a ditch. A stream of water runs along it when it rains and cleans things out.’
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‘There’s no tunnel in my world, either. There isn’t even a ditch. And the land’s not as rocky.’ She began to move forward to investigate.
He pulled her back. ‘I don’t want to go into a tunnel, Shayla. You never know what’s hiding in the darkness.’
She cast a glance behind them. ‘We have to. They’re getting closer and there’s nowhere else to hide.’
His heart sank as he looked round. ‘We’ll have to hope they don’t follow us into the tunnel, then.’ But he didn’t like the idea, not at all. He hated being shut in dark places, absolutely hated it.
Hardly daring to breathe, they moved forward, having to wade in the water now because the sides of the stream were too steep. It was growing deeper, almost up to their knees. As they came to the mouth of the tunnel, he shivered. Inside, it looked even darker.
But he followed Shayla inside because there was nowhere else to go. When he looked up as they passed through the entrance, he saw that the opening had not been formed naturally, but was made of rocks cemented together. It had a semi-circular top not much higher than they were and it was barely wide enough for the two of them to enter side by side.
By unspoken agreement, they paused just inside the entrance to look back, but the lantern lights were still moving towards them, while voices kept calling out to one another to check this or watch that.
***
Shayla led the way forward into the darkness because she could sense that Kerril was more afraid than he was trying to show. Stretching her free hand out in front of her, she tried to feel what lay ahead of them, but all she encountered was damp, chill air. Step by step they moved forward, wading through icy cold water, which was higher than their knees now.
Suddenly her hand encountered a barrier and she stopped.
Kerril bumped into her and let out a stifled yelp. ‘What’s the matter? Why are you stopping?’
‘There’s something barring the way. I think it’s a metal grill.’
He stretched o
ut his hand and felt the object almost immediately. ‘It is.’ He fumbled as far as he could in every direction, finding that the grill was cemented into the rocky wall. ‘Is there any gap at your side?’
he asked at last.
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She had already felt around her side. ‘No.’
‘We’re trapped, then. They’ll catch us and kill us. We’ve failed in our quest before we’ve even started.’
‘No, we haven’t. Not yet.’ She felt older than him, somehow. ‘There may be some way to get past it, even if we have to duck under the water. I’ll feel the bottom, if you’ll feel the top, I can’t climb very easily in these long skirts.’ Hers were wet now and were dragging heavily against her legs.
Kerril climbed up the iron grill easily enough, but found he couldn’t get far because it touched the tunnel roof an arm’s length above their heads. Thick metal it was, too, with criss-crossed bars forming holes only a handspan wide. ‘There’s no way past it,’ he whispered, feeling panic well inside him. ‘We’re trapped.’
‘And it goes right to the bottom as well, all the way across,’ she muttered. ‘What are we going to do?’
He stepped carefully down. The water seemed even colder than before and he jerked in shock as a light flared at the entrance to the tunnel. A curve in the walls hid them from sight, but wouldn’t for much longer.
A deep voice called out, ‘You’d better go inside and check. The tunnel would make a perfect hiding place.’
‘Check it yourself! I’m not getting wet. I still say there’s no one about. You just heard our own voice echoing.’
‘Do as you’re told or you’ll be on a charge when we get back—and given Lord Nezrim’s bad mood lately, that could land you in very serious trouble.’
There was a growl of anger and someone began to splash towards them, muttering angrily. It was only a matter of seconds before the guard found them.