Wizard's Call

by Luna Lais

  "Of course," Harold said. "You will have a thousand men. I want these men only loyal to you and your task. Once you leave they will be your army, no longer under the rule of the King of Hokaren." Moraken looked as if he wanted to say something, but instead he remained silent at Harold's words.

  "Cate" Harold called. Alli remembered for the first time that the captain of the royal guard was in the room with them. He had heard everything discussed since she and Moraken had entered the room. "See to it that she has her army cut from our best troops. Make sure each understands that henceforth they belong to her, not Hokaren. They will follow only her orders regardless of what her orders may be." Cate nodded in understanding and quietly slipped out of the room to carry out Harold's wishes.

  "Thank you father," Alli said softly. "I can not tell you how much this means to me. Since having this vision I have had the uneasy feeling that we will not see each other again. I fear this task will be my last. The only one I have ever left unfinished." Alli knew her words troubled both her father and Moraken, but after all the support they had given her over the years she owed them the truth.

  "You must do your best then," Moraken said with conviction. "If this vision is to take your life, make it fight for it."

  "Moraken is right my dear. Remember us and do what ever it takes to allow you to come home to us again." Harold said. He was truly proud of the courage his daughter possessed. He only hoped it would be enough to see her through the trials ahead.

  "Come see me in my chambers before you leave," Harold instructed Alli. "I have something that belonged to your mother that I should have given you a long time ago." Alli only nodded wondering what that might be.

  "Moraken" Harold said redirecting his attention, "I want you to leave for Calandoria right way. Collect your bride and bring her back. I want to see you wedded before the month is out."

  Moraken only smiled at his uncle's words. He had been thinking the same thing.

  Chapter 5

  In the heart of Calandoria deep within the Colondone Forest sat the Temple of the Moon's Soul. The tall Eurasian Maple trees concealed all except the uppermost portion of the chapel from view of the nearest road. History teaches that the priest of the Moon built the Temple of Moon's Soul centuries ago using only white stone and marble. During the full of the moon the entire temple will glow an eerie mystic blue that can be seen over the top of the trees for Moran. During the bright light of day the building reflects the light making it appear to sparkle like a diamond.

  For those lucky enough to be allowed to travel to the Temple to pay homage to the Moon the first thing they noticed is the pristine whiteness against the deep green shades of the forest. The beauty of the temple is unmatched in the known world.

  Standing on a base fifty feet in height is the main chapel of the Moon. This is the only portion of the temple those not in the Order of Colondone are allowed to see. In order to visit this chapel and receive the Moon's blessings those deemed worthy ascend the steep stairs that wrap around three sides of the base. On the fourth side stands a large wall equal in height to the chapel's roof and circling the rear of the temple in a one mile radius. This barrier hides the secrets within from the eyes of those not of the Order.

  Once the top of the platform is reached there is an expanse of 50 yards filled with statues carved by the masters. Each statue is of an individual who did great deeds for the Moon's Glory and has been immortalized for all eternity for their actions. Of these statues none are of a male.

  The entrance to the chapel itself is considered a masterpiece in architecture. The large double doors were made of the wood of the Eurasian maple then overlaid with ivory. Carvings of ivory and gold depict the ongoing battle between the Moon and the Sun for dominance in the sky. To each side of the double doors huge columns rise to the height of the chapel. Along the base of the columns vines cast in silver circle their way up the columns until they disappear from site where the column meets the over hanging ledge of the flat roof.

  This temple was built centuries before the Order of Colondone came to reside within its holy walls. Before the Order forced the priest from the temple, murdering those who would not leave on their own. Men are no longer welcome on the sacred ground. All men are forbidden within a mile of the temple. If a man is found within the boundaries of the guard towers hidden within the forest they are immediately executed. For this reason any female joining the Order will seldom ever see their male relatives again.

  This is the price the Moon's Soul requires for the Art of the Moon. The great Acumen prophecy dictated this price and more from the Order. It is said that if one of the Order were ever to have a child the heart of the Moon would vanish forever. Daughters of the Moon are only allowed to communicate with a male relative though letters, they are forbidden from contacting any male not related to them by blood. Only the most devoted of the Sisters of the Moon are ever allowed to leave the temple. This is only done occasionally and under the direst of circumstances. Prior to leaving the temple the Mothers will drink special herbs that prevent pregnancy in the event that they are rape during their journey.

  These laws, sets forth by the Moon do not deny men of the Art of the Moon or the Moon's many blessings. Men are only denied the Glory of the Moon hidden deep within the temple walls. Instead smaller temples were established throughout Calandoria for the male priest to administer the Moon's will to man.

  Despite the history of the temple and the laws of the Order, Lissandra Raven embraced the path of the Moon and entered the Order of Colondone of her own free will.

  Lissandra willed her lantern out as she took the narrow stairs that led to the Glory of the Moon. The hour was late or rather early and it was unlikely any of the others would be awake, but she could not take the chance. Midnight had past and it was still a few hours before dawn. While the corridors of the temple were dark, she did not required light for her purpose this night. The underground halls had been her home for four years. At the age of nineteen she had made the decision to leave her home and her title of Princess of Calandoria to join the Order of the Colondone. It had only been these past few weeks had she needed to resort to sneaking through the halls at night.

  During the last full moon when the Holy Mother of Colondone touched Lissandra's head to place a few drops of the blessed water upon her so that she might receive the Moon's blessing an odd thing had occurred. The Mother screamed when she touched Lissandra and withdrew her hand in agony the mere brush had caused. The Mother's hand looked as if she had held it in a flame. Deep burns marred the skin and the smell of scorched flesh hung in the air. The other Mothers in attendance had dismissed the rest of the Order immediately ending the ceremony of the Moon. From that moment on Lissandra's activities had been restricted.

  She had been barred from entering the Glory of the Moon. Lissandra found it somewhat humorous that before that incident she could have entered the room at anytime, but never did unless forced by one of the Mothers as part of her training. Now she desperately need the knowledge hidden somewhere in that room. She was growing more terrified of never finding what she sought, but she was not the only one scared at the temple.

  The events during the Ceremony of the Moon a few weeks before had the Mothers worried as well. One of them constantly watched her during the day. In the evenings they would lock themselves behind the doors of their private sanctuary to discuss Lissandra. Truthfully she had been amazed they did not perform the ceremony that would strip her of her powers and then ban her from the temple at the time of the incident. She had even asked them to once when she thought she could no longer stand the solitude of her room or the whispers of the other sisters. After mentioning her leaving the Order she had be confined to her chamber for three days to reflect on how she had failed the Moon in its decision to chose her as a sister.

  During those three days of reflecting Lissandra learned more than the Mothers had hoped, she learned she had abilities that were not of the Moon. Abilities that only those gifted with the S
un Arts possessed. Her Moon Arts were no less than before, which puzzled her greatly. Both the Sun's and the Moon's laws were well known to all, a person could not possess the power of both.

  Lissandra sensed the Mothers knew what was happening to her, but they said nothing. The only place left for Lissandra to find answers was the now forbidden Glory of the Moon. She had spent the last couple of weeks combing through the sacred volumes looking for some clue of what was happening to her. If she did not find an answer tonight she would be forced to leave the temple without ever knowing.

  Earlier this very day as she waited outside the meeting chambers of the Mothers, Lissandra's new found abilities revealed a plot to end her life. She had been summoned so the Mothers could ask her more questions. After waiting for hours she began to wonder what they might be discussing. She had secretly wished that a tiny hole in the wall would appear where she might be able to overhear the conversation within. As she thought it a small hole, no bigger in width than thimble, appeared in the wall by the door. She quickly held her ear against it.

  "Then it is agreed" the Mother Norah said, "Tomorrow Abby will began administering poison to Lissandra."

  "Careful to only add a little amount" the Mother Claudette instructed Abby. "It must look as if she becomes ill for sometime before her death. It will not do to have the King looking for foul play."

  "I still think the faster it is done with the safer we are. What can the King do?" Mother Abby said. "He is forbidden by law to come and investigate himself and the people of Calandoria would revolt if he did anything that might interfere with the Moon's blessings."

  "Yes that is true Abby, but you know the Raven's do have female relatives that we can not bar from the temple. For all of our safety we must proceed with caution. Remember the words of the Acumen." Mother Claudette had said frantically.

  That was when Lissandra moved from the small hole. It had disappeared as soon as her ear left it. She was scared and confused about what was happening to her and now the Order sought to murder her. Lissandra was not yet ready to die, not even for the Moon, in which she had devoted her life to. She could not stay at the temple any longer. If she did not find an answer tonight she would flee back to Rorgrim and seek refuge with her brother the king.

  She slowly pushed the dark blue hood of her robe off her head as she entered the room and moved to the only shelf she had not gone through. It was the first shelf of books, right next to the door. She had began her search at the back of the room working her way to the front, assuming the most important secrets would be buried in the back, out of casual sight. Lissandra soon learned there was no reasoning to the order of the volumes on the shelves. Unless you already knew which volume you were looking for you would probably never find the information you sought.

  Lissandra willed the torches on the walls to light. This was one of her knew abilities, her Sun Arts. The Moon Arts only commanded water, the Sun Arts fire. She removed her blue robe and folded it over the back of one of the chairs that surrounded a large table in the middle of the room. Underneath it she was wearing the only garment allowed for one of the Order of Colondone to wear. Her silver dress hugged her body from neck to foot. The tightness of the garment made it impossible for anyone in the order to walk hurriedly. Only extremely small steps could be taken. It was designed to instill patience in the sisters and encourage them never to make hasty decisions. That was the first lesson taught to young girls entering the Order of Colondone. The dress was also sleeveless often leaving Lissandra cold and thankful she had the soft blue robe to cover with. Lissandra pulled the first volume from the shelf and sat in the chair next to her robe. She only had until dawn to look.

  After a few hours, half way through the shelves, Lissandra had become engrossed in one of the volumes. After only reading it for a few minutes she held hope that it would hold the answers she sought. Once she had read half way through she looked up from the book and glanced around the room, an expression of shock and disbelief on her face. It was time for her to leave; she could not wait any longer. She willed the seam of her dress apart down both sides beginning at her upper thigh all the way to her feet. She had to leave right now as fast as she could. She would need the quickness of her feet to carry her to safety. She quickly donned the robe and hid the book within its folds. She put out the torches using only her thoughts and began her quite journey out of the room. She stopped every few minutes as she worked her way through the temple to listen for signs of someone approaching. In the end she was able to maneuver the dark corridors leading to the vast courtyard behind the main living corridors without gaining noticed. She took in the cool predawn air as she stepped from the structure. One look at the sky told her that dawn was fast approaching and in only a few minutes the sky would begin to lighten.

  She stared at the thick wall made of moonstone towering well over fifty feet in height. This task would test her newly found abilities in ways she never imagined, but it was her only hope. She quickly ran for the western side of the wall not wanting to waste another minute. It had to be this way. She could not take the chance of trying to exit through the chapel and have the light of the early morning sun shinning on her before she finished the last step from the platform and was on the road leading up to the temple.

  After taking a few quick deep breaths she closed her eyes. In her mind she could see the long tunnel forming in the wall opening before her, showing the forest beyond. She just had to separate the stone as she had her dress moments ago in the Glory of the Moon. Minutes passed before Lissandra began to feel the warmth of the Sun Art radiate through her. When she opened her eyes the tunnel in her mind lay before her in reality, beckoning her freedom.

  She slowly walked through the tunnel and turned south. Her original plan was to go east to Rorgrim and her brother. Now Lissandra knew what she sought was in the South.

  Chapter 6

  He hid in the shadows of a wagon that had been denied entrance of the cities gates after dark. The wagon's owner slept nearby snoring ever so often and breaking the silence of the night. The wagon had been parked just outside the gates of Rorgrim the Royal City of Calandoria. At last he was home. He looked down at the black robes he wore. There were tears and smudges of dirt from the perilous mountain trails that had brought him from the Sun Realm into Calandoria. He knew a layer of dirt covered his face as well. He had been tempted to stop at a nearby pond and bathe that morning, but even a few minutes delay from home was too much for him to spare.

  He wondered what kept him hidden in the shadows now instead of taking those final steps that would lead him to his family. "Fear after what you have lived through" he whispered to himself. If he waited any longer the morning sun would be upon him. He could see the turrets of the castle glowing with fire in the distance. Makren could see the black and blue banners of the Raven's streaming down and flutter in the wind. He smiled; in only a few minutes he would be embraced by his father and brothers once more. Tonight for the first time in twelve years he would sleep in his own bed. Makren began walking towards the gates. He might appear a beggar, but he knew the gates would open to him. He could feel the cold metal lying against his chest that would guarantee his entrance even at this hour.

  He could not wait to see Rachel again elated by the thought. His twin's memory had kept him alive all these years. They still had a connection and he was sure it was her love that willed him to survive.

  "Hold" the gate guard, shouted at Makren. He removed the hood of his cloak and pulled the chain from around his neck.

  "Rest easy my man" Makren held the gold medallion of Raven for the guard to see. "The youngest prince has returned home and wishes to see his king."

  The guard stood in astonishment and held his lantern closer to Mathew's face. Cold gray eyes stared back at him. "Open the gate" the guard shouted running to see that those who stood guard with him were quick to the task.

  "Thank you" Makren said skyward as he took the medallion and replaced it under his robe. "Send a runner ahead
to the castle," he said as he passed the guards. "Let my family know that I come."

  "Right away, sir," the guard replied hurriedly carrying out the order.

  Makren walked slowly down the main street of Rorgrim towards the castle that sat in the heart of the city. It was just how he remembered it to be. Stores and houses sat in neat rows and stone covered the streets to prevent mud from bogging down wagons during the rainy season. As he came closer to the castle the homes were larger. These homes belong to the noblemen of Calandoria and this is where they stayed when visiting the capital city or the King's court.

  He could have requested a horse or even a carriage to take him the distance, but he needed these last few minutes to prepare himself. He had already decided that he would not tell his father of Descartes or the prophecy. He would not prepare the way for the Destroyer. In order for the prophecy to be fulfilled he had to tell the rulers of the known world of Descartes impending invasion. Makren simply refused to have any part in Descartes rise to power. He would tell no one of the Acumen vision that had at last freed him.

  Makren slowly walked through the gates of the castle's outer wall. The guards standing by the gates having already been warned of his coming did not challenge him. He took in the changes to the castle that had occurred since his childhood as he entered the courtyard. The stables had been moved from near the entrance to where Makren could not see. The guardhouse had been empty and no guards patrolled the wall, but Makren did notice two guards by the entrance of the castle doors.