by Gregory Heal
“Jen, listen to Gavin! Please!” Mira pleaded.
Jen ignored her friends as tears rolled sideways into her hair. She would not leave them behind. “I can’t lose you,” she whispered, thinking of Victor.
As Skarmor sped back toward Watercress, it became unsettlingly quiet—just before a blinding explosion rocked the steep bluff overlooking Lac Cravath, sending out a shock wave that crumbled the entire middle section of the castle. Not believing her eyes, Jen yelled, but her voice was lost over the resulting cacophony from the demolishment of the once-regal Sorcery Guild headquarters. The shock wave quickly overtook Skarmor, buffeting his flight.
As the world spun around her, Jen fought to stay on. “Get us to Camelore, Skar!” Saying the words hurt Jen more than she could have ever imagined.
The mighty griffin acknowledged her with a mournful call, stabilizing before flying off into the night’s full moon. Looking behind her, Jen found it difficult to tear her eyes away from the smoldering wreckage that was once Watercress Castle. Mira put a consoling hand on Jen’s shoulder, saying more than any words could.
Not knowing if she and her friends were the only surviving sorcerers left, Jen prayed that more would make it back to Camelore. As the wind dried her tears, she clutched the shoulder bag which held the keys to finding the Halostone, while the other held the curled-up form of Treeow. In that moment, Jen had never felt more alone and overwhelmed.
That was when, on the fifteen hundredth anniversary of the Great Battle, Jennifer Lancaster’s new life teetered on the brink of collapse and she had no idea what to do next.
About the Author
Gregory Heal is the first one to admit that he has an over-active imagination. Everything from writing to painting, he is constantly finding outlets to express himself.
He is a frequent guest of Walt Disney World, and you’ll find him with his family in the Wisconsin outdoors either on a lake or a ski hill, depending on the season.