Quest for the Arcane Crown

by Yajat Sharma

  This thought made him shudder. He prayed to Lord Arcane to help him.

  ***

  It was a bright sunny morning. Archer was cycling down to school when he heard someone calling his name. He stopped and looked back. It was his friend Daniel.

  “Hi, Daniel,” Archer said cheerfully.

  “Good morning, Archer,” Daniel replied. “You seem to be in a good mood today. Don’t you remember? We have the weekly math test today.”

  “Oh, I completely forgot!” Archer exclaimed. “Now I am feeling the tension!”

  Archer was eleven years old while Daniel was ten. Archer had black hair, bushy eyebrows and a long nose. Daniel too had black hair with sharp features. Studying in the same class, they both dreaded the monster that was mathematics.

  Lost in conversation, they bumped into a boy with brown hair carrying loads of books that came tumbling down as he fell too. “Hey, James!” exclaimed Archer.

  “Always in a hurry. Help me with these books,” an annoyed James grumbled.

  They helped him up and gathered all his books.

  “Studying for the final exams as expected,” came a deep voice from another boy coming through an alleyway.

  “Matt!” they yelled excitedly.

  Twelve-year-old Matt was an athletic boy who had more interest in sports than in studies. He had blond hair and a muscular body.

  The four children were like family. Their parents were good friends too and they all lived in the same neighbourhood.

  “Of course,” James said, nodding in reply to Matt’s question. “The finals are just around the corner.”

  “If around the corner means five months away,” Archer mumbled. The others laughed.

  Everyone knew how studious James was. And when he wasn’t studying, he was thinking about science.

  “Weekly tests are boring!” James complained. “They are so easy that I finish them in fifteen minutes, and then I fall asleep!”

  The friends laughed in unison.

  The four cycled their way to their schools, chatting on the way, when…

  “Luke and Robby!” Daniel said in dismay.

  Luke stood at the front gate, looking at them with a devilish smile.

  The nastiest bully in the whole school, Luke considered the four children as his enemies. His faithful companion, Robby, followed Luke everywhere and did exactly as he was asked.

  Luke advanced towards them with a snarl.

  Just then, their English teacher, Mr Robert, appeared. The children immediately followed him inside, flashing a smile at Luke, who stood there helpless with clenched teeth.

  The day went by uneventfully. Matt clinched a medal in athletics. As the children were walking back home, admiring Matt’s medal, the bullies popped up from nowhere.

  Luke growled, “You know the drill. The morning, you escaped, but this time, there’s nobody to help you. Give me your money, or else…” Robby pushed Archer menacingly. Daniel hurled a stone at Robby, injuring his leg.

  “RUN,” Archer yelled. As they sped off, they could hear Robby shouting, “Wait!”

  Luke and Robby were chasing them, “You won’t get far! I run very fast,” shouted Luke.

  Archer, Matt and Daniel were quick, but James was slow. His knew he was going to get caught in a few moments.

  “I am so dead, I wish for some miracle,” he moaned. “Although miracles are just coincidences. They are not logically correct in the realm of science,” he mumbled to himself.

  Mrs Williams, Luke’s mother, appeared as though some unknown force in the Universe had listened to his silent prayer. Robby deserted Luke as soon as he spotted her, taking cover behind a tree.

  Luke forgot all about James as Mrs Williams caught him and began scolding him. James eased his pace, silently thanking Mrs Williams for showing up on time. He caught up with his friends and narrated his narrow escapade.

  “Phew! We thought you were dead,” said Archer. “I was about to ask your parents to prepare for your funeral!”

  “Very funny,” James replied as Matt pulled out his spare key to open the door.

  “Strange,” Matt muttered.

  “What’s strange?” Archer asked.

  “Seriously, Archer?” James said. “Strange means something that is -”

  “I know the meaning!” Archer said. “I mean, what is it that Matt finds strange?”

  “My mother isn’t at home. She is usually back by the time I reach home.”

  “She must have gotten late,” Daniel said. “Don’t worry.”

  Matt nodded. He unlocked the door and stepped inside, beckoning his friends to join him. He led them to his room, where he had kept a large box on a shelf, and inside were all the medals that Matt had earned. There were about twenty, and Matt placed the latest addition on the top.

  Suddenly, the phone rang.

  Archer answered. “Hello. Who’s there?”

  “Hello, this is Daniel’s mother.”

  “Oh hello, I am Archer.”

  “Oh! Well, all of you come to Daniel’s house right away. There’s a surprise waiting.” She hung up.

  The curious four reached Daniel’s place and joined the parents at a large table. Archer had an uneasy feeling about this.

  He spoke first. “Why are we all here? Did we do something wrong?”

  “Don’t look so scared. It’s good news,” Archer’s father said. “Do you remember last month, when the ladies here, participated in the quiz competition on the National Geographic Channel? The ladies got all the answers right. Can you believe it? We have won the contest! The prize is six free tickets to Western Carpathians of Transylvania in Romania. Wow, Ciur-Izbuc cave is waiting for us!

  “So, we discussed and decided that you four will be going to the caves. Matt’s parents have volunteered to accompany you all. You will be leaving next Friday, when your summer break begins. It’s a two-week vacation, and we have made all the arrangements.”

  “What about Logan?” Daniel asked. Logan was Daniel’s irritating elder brother.

  “He is going on a college trip,” Daniel’s father said. “He can’t go with you.”

  Everyone cheered. Daniel was thrilled to evade the bullies and Logan for two weeks!

  Transylvania was not only famous for Count Dracula’s legend and its enigmatic, spooky surroundings, but also as a significant place in history that saw many battles.

  “I can’t wait. Only seven days to go!” exclaimed Matt.

  The next five days were full of excitement in anticipation of their journey. At school, they told everyone about the upcoming trip. Some of their classmates felt happy and excited for them and some a bit jealous; Luke and Robby were the only ones who gave them looks of pure hatred.

  All was going well until lunch break, when Archer came huffing and puffing. “You won’t believe what I just heard.”

  “What?” Matt asked, clutching him.

  “Luke, Robby and Logan have planned to attack us.”

  “What?” Daniel exclaimed, aghast.

  James smiled and whispered something to them as they put their heads together and bent low.

  ***

  “Heck, where are they…” snapped Luke, checking his watch. “They should be here by now.”

  Luke, Robby and Logan were hiding behind the bushes.

  They waited and waited, but no one came. Logan beat his head in frustration.

  “How stupid of us! They tricked us. They must have left through the back gate!”

  Daniel climbed the steps to the front door of his house, knowing his brother was home. Suddenly there was a loud clang. Daniel ran to the kitchen and found his mother laughing. When he asked her, she told him about how Logan was sulking that he had been outwitted by Daniel today. Laughing, he went into his room and avoided Logan entirely.

  His mother announced, “Daniel and Logan, it’s time for dinner. Come on.”

  “Mom, it’s only 4 o’clock!”

  “Don’t you remember the trip? We have to catch t
he early morning flight to Cluj in Transylvania!”

  ***

  The children, accompanied by their parents, reached the airport around 12:30 a.m., all weary-eyed and struggling to shake off the sleep. The parents gave them a long sermon on how to behave.

  Matt’s mother laughed. “Don’t worry,” she said. “We will take care of them.” Matt’s father took charge of the luggage and led them all to check in.

  The children fell asleep soon after boarding the plane.

  “Come on, wake up. We have reached,” said Matt’s mother. The children woke up yawning but were soon bubbling with excitement as the plane landed.

  Outside, a rented car was waiting to take them to their hotel. The drive to the hotel was breath-taking with an astounding view of the Carpathian Mountains.

  They settled comfortably in their room at the hotel.

  Archer asked, “When are we going to See-Your-Book cave?”

  “Not See-Your-Book, it’s Ciur-Izbuc cave,” corrected James.

  “Oh, whatever.”

  “We will leave at 6 a.m. tomorrow, so I suggest you sleep early.” Matt’s father was beaming with excitement.

  The children spent their day idling, romping all over the hotel lawns, enjoying the Scandinavian food and playing games. They went to bed early that night.

  ***

  The Scavenger could feel his excitement levels rising. In so many months, it was the first time he was feeling a strong intuition.

  He stroked his chin as he watched the children playing in the garden. They didn’t look hefty and fit to fight, except for the blonde one.

  But he trusted his gut feeling. He observed them a little longer and took out the images of the prophesied children Lord Arcane had given to him and…

  GOSH!

  The faces resembled the drawings… even the colour of their hair… it was unmistakably them.

  His shoulders drooped with relief. He could feel the burden of centuries being lifted. He had at last succeeded and found the prophesied children. His excitement knew no bounds.

  3

  THE CHILDREN HAD NO TROUBLE WAKING up the next morning. They quickly dressed up and got into the car. On the way, they enjoyed the spectacular view of the Carpathian Crags and their foothills. They even spotted a few brown bears, wolves, chamois and lynxes. They came across many thermal and mineral water springs.

  After about two hours, they reached close to the Ciur-Izbuc cave, where they hired a guide. The guide cautioned the group to remain together and not venture into forbidden areas inside the cave, which still had many mysterious and unexplored corners. The guide held a torch in one hand and showed carvings and footprints on the caves while telling them about the mysteries that surrounded them.

  Matt noticed brightly coloured arrows painted on the walls at every turn. The guide explained that these arrows marked the path they had to follow; else, they could get lost.

  The long talks on prehistory soon bored the children. They wanted to explore the caves deeper, and the guide was moving very slowly.

  “Hey, everybody,” Archer whispered, “Come here.” They all clustered around Archer.

  “Let’s do some exploring. What do you say?” Archer said, his eyes gleaming mischievously.

  “I’m in!” chorused Daniel and Matt excitedly.

  “I don’t know…” James said doubtfully. “I think we should just follow the guide. We don’t want to get lost.”

  “Spoilsport!” Archer groaned. “The guide is moving too slow! He is plain boring. Please, just a little bit of exploring. We can always find our way back following those arrows. Matt’s parents are busy being amazed. It is a perfect opportunity. Please…”

  Matt and Daniel echoed him. “Pleeeeeeeease!” “Okay, okay,” said James. “I am in…”

  “Which way…?” asked Matt.

  The children decided to turn right, away from the usual path. There was an empty chair lying there, probably belonging to a guard who was not around.

  If only they had read the sign hung above which read:

  ‘DANGER! UNCHARTED AREA. DO NOT ENTER HERE.’

  They turned right. Even though it was dark, the walls of the cave had a soft, eerie glow. The carvings in the caves entranced the children. They kept following them…

  “Wait!” James called. “Where are we?” His voice quivered.

  They all stopped.

  “I don’t know,” said Archer. “There must be direction arrows here.”

  But there were none.

  The children panicked and ran around looking for a way out. They took many turns, explored different pathways, but they only got deeper into the cave.

  “Noooooo!” wailed James, breaking down and sobbing. “What do we do now?”

  Even Matt, who was the bravest one, was terrified.

  “Stop crying,” said Daniel, looking around. “It’s not going to help us.”

  They followed a meandering passage, tried different routes, but they could not find a familiar spot or person.

  “Lost, aren’t you?” came a voice from behind.

  The children jumped with shock. They turned and saw an aged man.

  His hair and his eyebrows were white. He had crooked features, and his eyes glowed green in the dark.

  “Wh-h-h-o are yo-o-o-u?” James stammered.

  The man tilted his head. “Most call me the Shadow Warrior, though I am also the Protector of Light, the Harbinger of Storms and the Wasp.”

  “What do you want from us?” Matt demanded. He sounded firm, which was impressive, considering the situation.

  “Don’t worry,” the aged man said. “I will not harm you. I am here not to take, but to give.” The man closed his eyes and joined his hands in prayer.

  Nothing happened.

  Suddenly, the ground rumbled and a box surfaced from below. The aged man lifted it and handed it to the children. He said, “Take this. Now, listen carefully. You are the chosen…”

  The sound of sirens blared somewhere close.

  “Archer, James, Daniel and Matt, don’t be afraid. Your parents are looking for you. Just stay where you are,” boomed a voice from the speakers overhead. More sirens boomed.

  The aged man snapped his fingers and disappeared into thin air, leaving the children with no time to comprehend anything.

  The children stood where they were.

  Several torchlights started appearing. Someone came close to them. To their utter relief, it was Matt’s father, and next to him stood Matt’s mother and the guide along with some guards.

  Matt’s father appeared relieved but Matt’s mother was hysterical, of course.

  “WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! ARE YOU NUTS!? WHO TOLD YOU TO WANDER AWAY?” eyes brimming with tears, she shrieked.

  Matt’s father tried to calm her down. Matt smartly hid the box given by the old man in his pocket. The children nodded to each other signalling that they should not mention anything about the old man and the box to their parents.

  On reaching the hotel, the children quickly excused themselves and went to their room while Matt’s parents sat sipping their tea in the sunshine in the garden.

  “Where can we find a hammer?” Daniel asked as Matt placed the box on a table in their room

  “I don’t think we need a hammer to break the lock,” James said.

  “What?” Archer asked.

  “Yes. It looks ancient. A powerful kick at the lock, and I am sure it will break.”

  Matt backed away to the wall, ran, jumped, and gave a kick at it, but the lock did not break. Several more attempts of kicking went in vain.

  “Now what?” Daniel asked.

  They found a hammer over the ice bucket and tried it out, but even that proved to be useless.

  “This lock is too powerful,” Matt said. “I don’t think we can break it.”

  “Do you think we should take help from our parents?” Daniel asked.

  “Certainly not! Are you crazy?” Archer exclaimed. “They’ll think we stole it
. Let’s leave this for now and enjoy our trip.”

  They hid the box inside Matt’s bag and got busy exploring other attractions.

  The two weeks flew by and they returned to London. They never saw the strange, aged man again during the trip.

  Next day…

  They all met at Archer’s house to discuss and unveil the secret of the ‘locked box’.

  Archer sat on his bed with a serious look on his face. “Okay,” he began. “We are here to decide what to do with the box we found…” Suddenly, James gestured to them to wait for a minute and walked away. A minute later, he returned with a notepad that was lying on a table in the room.

  “What’s that for?”

  “For writing down notes, of course,” James said. “You see, I tend to be quite organized.”

  “Okay,” Archer began. “Let’s plan step by step. First, let’s -”

  Archer stopped, and a peculiar expression formed on his face.

  He almost cried with astonishment, “Youuuuu… what are you doing here?”

  The other three followed his gaze and almost fell off the bed.

  Outside the window, clinging to it, was the aged man they had seen on their holiday to the caves.

  He signalled them to open the window.

  They were frozen in shock and did not move. Matt jerked into action. After checking carefully, Matt opened the window, letting the aged man in.

  The man rubbed his hands and brushed his clothes. “Weird walls,” he grumbled. “Made of brick. Brick is terrible for climbing. It is hard, no grip and…”

  Then he noticed the children, their mouths agape.

  “Well, don’t you want to see what’s in the box?” the old man asked.

  “It won’t open,” Daniel said. “We tried.”

  “Oh, don’t worry. It will now,” the man said. “But first, I must tell you a story. A story of another World...”

  With a faraway look, he began, “Centuries ago, there was…

  The man told them all about the Dark World, the Crown of Magic, Lord Arcane and his son Mascae. He narrated all about the Death Lord, the potion of immortality, Lord Arcane’s dreams, the four prophesied children, the seven hidden pieces of the Crown, the trusted servant called the Scavenger and the task assigned to him.