chapter 1
into the crypt
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ECHOES FROM UNSEEN singers fi lled the cavernous space inside
the United States Naval Academy Chapel. Row after row of precisely
aligned dark wood benches were broken up by a single swath of navy
blue carpet running the length of the church. The perfectly blended
voices seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere in particular.
Ryann, who had just celebrated his thirteenth birthday, was drawn
into the melodic a cappella song.
Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave.
Who bidd’st the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep.
O hear us when we cry to Thee
For those in peril on the sea.
Goose bumps popped up along his arm in the silence that followed.
He felt alone, yet he was one of the hundreds sitting stiffl y upright
in the ornately fashioned pews. Squirming in the hard seat, he tried
to displace the chill running down his back. He peered forward over
the unmoving heads packed into the hundreds of rows in front of
them. The white shirts with black and gold shoulder boards, identifying
the rank of each midshipman, dotted the otherwise drab congregation.
Focusing further ahead into the base of the circular, domed room,
his eyes widened to capture the openness rising heavenward from
the brown pulpit. Ryann jerked as blasts sounded from massive golden
pipes shooting up from both sides of the altar, cracking the eerie
silence. Windy bellows cascaded around the dome, two hundred feet
up. The novelty of such an instrument held his attention until the
rays of the early morning sun began illuminating the stained glass
mural outlined by the pipes. The face of Jesus radiated with the
morning glow as He walked calmly across the tossing blue-green waves.
Above the stained glass were the words “Eternal Father, Strong
to Save.”
Without moving his head, Ryann glanced left down the pew. He had
positioned himself perfectly, or so he thought, with his sister,
Alison, next to him, followed by his brother, Henry Jr., and then
his parents. To his right was an open aisle. As the white-robed
pastor
strode purposefully from his highback chair to the podium, Ryann’s
hand crept along his pant leg with the stealth of a spider. Reaching
into his pocket, he pulled out his cell phone, suppressing a smile
as he silently congratulated himself on picking out one so small.
He was grateful his parents had bought the phone but struggled with
the rules that had come with it, like their prohibition against
texting in church.
The sound of the pastor’s voice launching into the sermon
provided the perfect diversion for him to slide the phone down the
side of his leg. A quick glance provided the needed confidence to
continue, and Ryann’s thumb moved with robotic precision to
select his two best friends and then type out a quick message.
here
in academy chapel. wuu2?
Ryann had received the phone as a gift for moving up to seventh
grade. Liddy’s and Terell’s parents had quickly followed
his parents’ lead, and now the three of them could get in
touch with each other at any moment. Being scattered around the
country for summer vacations didn’t seem quite so bad when
they could quickly share moments with their best friends.
Ryann put his father in the category of “techie” and
patiently sat through his instructions on all the features of the
cell phone, but the real education came from his friends. He was
going to be taking his first year of Spanish when classes began,
and Ryann figured it would
actually be his third language after English and texting. He smiled.
Who would have known a month ago that wuu2 meant, “What are
you up to?” Sliding the cell phone under his leg to keep it
hidden, he
shifted in the hard bench and sighed, waiting to see if there would
be a response.
Bzzzzz…
Liddy’s back pocket buzzed as she followed her parents down
the white marble stairs of the grand foyer. She slowly reached around
to pull out the hot pink phone as her parents and other tourists
listened to the tour director.
“The Breakers is the grandest of Newport’s summer cottages
and a symbol of the Vanderbilt family’s social and financial
preeminence in turn-of-the-century America. Commodore Cornelius
Vanderbilt established the family fortune in steamships and later
in the New York Central Railroad, which was a pivotal development
in the industrial
growth of the nation during the late nineteenth century—”
Liddy rolled her eyes. Cottages? Who are they trying to kid?
This is the biggest mansion I’ve ever seen. Flipping
open her phone, she read Ryann’s message and quickly responded.
at
huge mansion in rhode island. doin 3.5 mile hike along ocean cliff
trail later today. cya
Liddy enjoyed the change of scenery as her family took their annual
summer vacation to Rhode Island to stay with her grandparents. With
the trip winding down, her parents had suggested a day trip to the
famous Newport mansions. It sounded boring to Liddy until they mentioned
the ocean cliff walk. Two-thirds of the trek was supposed to be
fairly easy and scenic, but the last third was described as “treacherous”
in the colorful brochure her parents had given her.
Seventy-foot drops off the rocky shoreline into the turbulent ocean
waves sounded exciting to her. The abrupt silence of the tour guide
erased her vision of the future, and Liddy’s thoughts turned
to Terell. Her thumbs glided across the black keys, typing out a
quick message.
wuu2?
last few days cw2cu
Bzzzzz…
Terell jerked in his seat, his elbow jabbing his mother in the ribs.
Glancing about, he ran his hands up and down the top of his pants,smoothing
them out. His mother’s upturned palm came down on his leg.
Busted, Terell thought, pulling his cell phone out of his
pocket and handing it to her.
Terell watched his mother flip it open so only she could view it.
As he looked up into her face she mouthed the word later. He leaned
back and tried to focus on the sermon. His mom was pretty consistent
about quizzing him about the content later in the day.
“Terell, you know you’re not supposed to have your cell
phone on during church,” his mother began as they headed out
to their car.
“It’s a distraction.”
“I know, Mom, but it’s probably important.”
“Well, when you become a doctor and you’re on call,
then you can have it on during church. Otherwise keep it off or
don’t bring it.”
Later as they reached the car, he asked, “Can I have it back
now?”
His mother fumbled around in her purse, then handed it to him. “By
the way, what does ‘cw2cu’ mean?”
“Mom! That’s ‘can’t wait to see you,’”
Terell breathed exasperatedly while shaking his head.
“Watch it, Terell. A cell phone is a privilege, not a right.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he acknowledged while flipping
open his cell to get the message.
He quickly scanned the text and typed back.
have
fun. church is havin end of sumr dinner picnic at evans park. cul8r
Ryann strode hastily down the granite steps outside the chapel doors
with Alison trying to keep up. Red brick walkways running parallel
to orange and yellow flowerbeds greeted him. The famous Herndon
Monument his father always spoke of towered off to the left.
The twenty-one-foot, gray-speckled obelisk sprouted out of the ground
in stark contrast to the rich green grass and brown oak trees surrounding
it. He tried to picture hundreds of sweaty midshipmen scaling the
greased monument to replace the plebe “dixie-cup hat”
on top with a midshipmen cover. This marked the official end of
the difficult first year and an elevation from plebe to midshipman
third class. As his father had recounted numerous times, legend
held that whoever replaced the dixie cup hat was destined to be
the first in his or her class to become an admiral, although in
reality it had not yet occurred.
“Hey, Ryann!”
He turned in time to watch his older brother, Henry, race down
the steps two at a time. “Dad’s talking to some old
classmates of his and will be down in a few minutes. He’s
got our schedule laid out for the whole day.”
“Really?” Ryann replied in mock sarcasm. “Who
would have thought?”
“He wants us to check out John Paul Jones’ crypt before
we go to lunch,” Henry said, ignoring Ryann’s comment.
“What’s a crypt?” Alison asked.
“It’s where his bones are buried,” Ryann said,
widening his eyes and curling his fingers like monster claws.
“Oh, gross!” Alison replied, scrunching up her face
and turning away.
“Where is it?” Ryann asked.
Henry turned to lead the way. “It’s underneath the chapel.
Come on, let’s go! He said the entrance is around the side.”
The two boys raced along the narrow sidewalk outlining the left
side of the chapel.
“Hey, guys! Wait for me,” Alison cried out from behind
them.
Rushing down the steps, Henry and Ryann slapped the thick wooden
doors with open palms, jolting the heavy entrance open. Pushing
their way in, they stopped just inside at a sign with old typeface,
pointing the way to the crypt.
“Hey!”
Both boys jumped as the high-pitched yelp echoed around the small
foyer entrance.
“Shhh,” they whispered in unison, glaring at their sister.
“Sorry.” Alison shrugged her shoulders, the light dimming
quickly as the bulky doors swung shut with a loud bang.
“Do you think it’s open to the public?” Henry
whispered.
“The door wasn’t locked, so it must be, right?”
Ryann hesitated momentarily. No one besides the three of them was
in sight, but that made the exploration more intriguing. “Come
on, this way.”
The small room’s walls hung with ornate religious symbols.
A large black wooden door beside an altar caught Ryann’s attention,
and he rushed to examine it.
“Well, Mr. Know-it-all, what next?” Alison asked in
her snootiest voice.
“We go through the door, of course.” Pushing the door
open,
Ryann expected to be at their final destination, but instead the
door’s echoing groans resounded through a hollow chamber.
The catacombs of the chapel basement seemed unending, and the more
up-to-date style of this room appeared nothing like a crypt.
“Are you both sure John Paul Jones is down here?”
Alison continued with indignant pessimism.
Ryann’s and Henry’s eyes locked briefly, and Henry winked.
“Sure, he’s just down the hallway here. C’mon.”
Another rustic black door with an ancient doorknob awaited them.
Henry reached it first. He turned the ornate metal doorknob and
pulled back firmly.
Creeeeaaaaaaak!
Ryann glanced over his shoulder and gave Alison a sinister grin,
hoping to increase her anxiety. A dimly lit room of swirling black
and white marble awaited them. He followed his brother into the
room and nearly collided with him when Henry stopped. Pushing him
aside, Ryann grinned at the sight. A massive, almost totally black
coffin dominated the center of the room. The base, rising out of
the...
back to top
chapter 9
broken beyond repair
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WHAT ARE ANNALS?” Terell asked.
“They’re like journals or archives, reporting on things
that have happened over a period of time,” Liddy answered
matter of factly.
Terell shook his head. “Thanks, Miss Dictionary.”
Ryann grinned at their banter. “You know, guys, this book
could tell us something about the history of Aeliana.”
“Let’s take a look and see,” Liddy said, moving
in closer to Ryann’s right side, while Terell moved in on
the left. Daylight poured in from the entrance, providing more than
enough light for them to see the decorative script as Ryann carefully
turned the next page.
By authority of Aurelia, princess of the elven clan,
as ordered by Aodan of Myraddin, these are
the
recordings of Inwë Silimaurë, scribe
and keeper
of the annals of Aeliana. No words may be
taken
away from this book, and new chapters may
only be added through the testing by the
fire of the Word most high.
Book Two—The Aodan Y ears
Chancellor Aodan was inaugurated in front
of
the Tree of Life upon the departure of Madawen,
the first overseer of Aeliana. Madawen was
called by the Word to set sail across the
Morganwyn Sea with fifty others, and to be
fruitful
and multiply in a new land. It was
upon the watch
of Aodan that darkness and death
entered
Aeliana, which is recorded in this book.
Liddy stopped reading. “Chancellor Aodan
was the head of the high counsel when we were here, but I don’t
recall Inwë.”
Ryann’s eyes grew wide. “Do you remember
what Aodan told us the last time we were before the counsel? He
was going to have Princess Aurelia’s elven clan record everything
that had happened—in a book!”
“This must be the book!” Liddy squealed. “I
can’t believe we’re actually holding it!”
“Ahem!”
Ryann and Liddy turned to face Terell. “Aren’t
the two of you forgetting something?”
“What?” Ryann asked.
“I may not be the brains here,” Terell
smiled, “but if she recorded what happened during Aodan’s
life, then that means that the three of us should be in this book.”
“Genius!” Liddy squealed a second time. “Scan
ahead and see, Ryann.”
Returning to the open book, Ryann moved his finger down the page.
Seeing nothing, he flipped to the next pages and continued the
effort. “It looks like the beginning is an account of Aodan’s
rulings and decrees as the new leader.”
Liddy reached over. “Here, let me look.”
“Okay,” Ryann conceded as he moved
it over to her lap, “I seesomeone’s a little impatient.”
Liddy flipped to the next page. “Here it is!”
“Hey, I was almost there,” Ryann said.
“No need to get upset,” Liddy grinned.
“Okay, here I go.” She cleared her throat.
Raz the Raccoon and Esselyt the Leopard were the
first to encounter the human boy from another land.
His name was R yann Watters and he hailed from
Mount Dora, Florida. He was sent by the Archangel
Gabriel and tasked with finding the King’s
sword. As proof of his calling, he had in his possession
three gifts from the angel for assistance in his
travels: a metal staff, a glowing ring, and an ancient horn.
As Liddy read further, her animated expressions made for an exciting
recounting of Ryann’s first visit to Aeliana. “Ooh,
here comes the good part—when I come in!”
“Oh, brother,” Terell sighed. “I saw that coming.”
“Ahem!” Liddy cleared her throat again
while lifting up her nosein a display of superiority. “And
now, may I continue before I was so rudely interrupted?”
Terell shook his head. “Sure, whatever.”
Liddy tried to suppress her grin as she read about her first visit
to Myraddin.
Upon his second visit, Ryann Watters returned
with L ydia Thomas, also of Mount Dora. The two
of them, along with Raz and Esselyt, attended the
one hundred and forty-fourth feast of the Word at
Myraddin. The truths from the Word are recorded
in the Proclamations of the Feast by another scribe
from our clan, Amroth Silimaurë.
Screeeech!
They jumped at the unexpected noise. Ryann swiveled like a gunfighter,
pointing his staff toward the cave entrance. Liddy and Terell hunched
over, low to the cave floor, behind him. Surprised by how quickly
he moved, Ryann figured his reflexes from previous
visits had returned. Creeping forward on his hands and knees, Ryann
peered just outside the cave and scanned the skies for the creature
that had emitted such a powerfully shriek.
“There!” Ryann whispered forcefully, pointing off to
their left.
Large brown wings flapped in a heavy sweeping motion, propelling
the creature away from them. The size of the wings seemed no match
for the golden-brown body of a lion, to which they were attached.
Screeeech!
The winged lion turned its head to give them their first glimpse
of its lion-sized eagle head. “If I have my mythological creatures
correct,” Liddy whispered, “I believe it’s a griffin—half-bird,
half-lion.”
“Whoa, I–I wouldn’t want to get in its way,”
Terell said as the griffin flew away.
“Guys, check this out!” Ryann said, motioning them forward.
Liddy and Terell edged forward outside the shadows of the cave,
stopping at Ryann’s outstretched arm. Together they glanced
down in the direction he was looking.
“Ahh!” Terell gasped, backpedaling until he fell awkwardly
on the ground. “I hate heights!”
Ryann and Liddy peered down to the sandy beach a hundred or so feet
below them. Waves crashed onto the shoreline then flattened as the
seawater ran up to the beach and immediately retreated backwards
to start all over again. Looking up the cliff, the craggy rock face
continued at least the same distance in the opposite direction.
“Now what?” Liddy asked, clutching the book to her side.
back to top
chapter 14
dragon rider
click image to download pdf
KEEPING THE RIVER to their left, they traveled for
an hour before Ryann stole one last glimpse back at Myraddin. He
thought he could still see a lone tower rising up above the horizon.
The image was so small he wondered if he would have mistaken it
for mountain peak if he hadn’t known any better. The Elan
River fl owed rapidly in the same easterly direction they had traveled
on their previous adventure. While the town of Myraddin
had proliferated into a vibrant city, along the river Ryann could
not see any evidence that four hundred years had passed.
As they trudged along the riverbanks, visions of Drake’s army,
bows in hand, resurfaced in his memory. He recalled the horde coming
out of the thick brush along the shores, his narrow escape, and
that further down the river the scenery would open up in rocky,
barren areas with patches of dried grass. Thin trees with broad
willow canopies had sprung up along the banks of the river, providing
welcomed shade as they walked single-fi le into the desert. Off
in the distance to the south lay miles and miles of sand and rocky
wasteland. If he had his directions correct, eventually past the
desert there would be the Pedr River and beyond that the transition
to the mountainous region.
Ireth stopped under one of the larger trees. The shady covering
extended out over the river. “Let’s get a drink and
rest here for a few minutes.”
Ryann dropped to the sandy bank and took off his boots. They fit
perfectly when he first put them on, but the angry red spots where
they were rubbing told a different story. The sounds of Terell slurping
at the river water carried up the embankment as he turned his boots
upside down and watched the sand pour out like an hourglass. He
looked around for Liddy and saw her sitting downstream at the river’s
edge dangling her feet in the cool, rushing water. The scene reminded
him of one of his family’s vacations out west to Arizona and
resting along the rocky sandbanks of a sparsely shaded Sedona stream.
He welcomed the few minutes to drink his fill of water and massage
feeling back into his toes. Ireth waved them over, and they gathered
in a circle along the top of the riverbank at the base of a sturdy
oak tree. Ryann noted Terell hd the prime seat with his back resting
against the tree trunk, legs limply splayed out in front of him.
“We shouldn’t be too far away now,” Ireth began.
“From what I gathered from my contacts in Myraddin, this dwarf
they speak of is at the edge of the ancient canyon where you found
the sword on your previous visit.”
“You read that in the book as well?” Ryann asked.
Ireth nodded.
“I feel like a historical figure that’s
come back to life,” Liddy said.
“I mean, can you imagine having someone we’ve read about
in history class coming to Mount Dora?”
Ryann turned to Ireth. “How many Aelianians have read about
us?”
“Oh, very few, and then it is just those in my clan.”
“That’s good.”
“But—” Ireth hesitated.
“But what?”
“There are always legends, rumors, and stories passed down
from generation to generation. Historical accounts can be good and
bad depending upon whose point of view it’s coming from. That
magnifies the importance of having the written word from firsthand
witnesses. It conveys the truth about what happened and cannot change
from
storyteller to storyteller over time.”
Nodding, Ryann shifted his attention toward Terell. His friend’s
eyes were wide open and his mouth formed a large oval.
“G–gu–guys!” He raised his
shaking hand to point behind Ireth.
Knowing Terell only stuttered when he was very nervous
or excited, Ryann turned in the direction he was pointing. An enormous
white creature the height of the tree stood quietly watching them.
“Dra–dra–dragon!” Terell finally
spat out.
Ryann glanced at the others. Liddy had a quizzical
look on her face, and Ireth showed no fear.
“Sorcha?” Liddy asked meekly.
They stared at the imposing dragon silently gazing
back at them with frosty blue eyes. Stunning white scales adorned
her massive torso. Her wings stretched out thirty feet on both sides
and, except for the frayed edges tinged a pinkish blue, were equally
brilliant
white. The dragon’s streamlined head began with a small pointed
beak at the tip of her snout and arched back over crests that staggered
to its scaly neck. A few teeth protruded from her closed mouth,
which curved slightly upward. Ryann wasn’t sure if she was
grinningor not.
“Greetings,” the great white dragon replied.
“Surely you can’t be the same Earth children I met four
hundred years ago?”
“Oh, but we are,” Liddy eagerly responded.
“We’ve come back only a year older, but time has passed
much faster here. How is it that you’re still alive? Uhh,
no offense.”
“None taken. It is the privilege and curse
of being a dragon. When we first met, I was only a juvenile dragon
of twenty-five years, and now I am an adult. So many friends have
come and gone, the creator choosing to give them shorter lives.
For some reason, He allows
dragons to live a thousand years or more.”
Liddy turned to Ireth. “And elves? I had read somewhere that
you’re immortal and live forever.”
“If you mean our souls, all of us live forever,
for the soul cannot die. Only our location changes,” Ireth
explained. “We either spend eternity with the Word in heaven
or with Abaddon in the place prepared for him and his followers.
If you mean our current life forms—like the Creator choosing
to allow dragons to live in their temporary body
for a thousand years—then yes, He gives elves one hundred
years to live here, and then we cross over to our final destination
without having to die in this one.”
“So you can’t be killed?” Ryann asked.
“It’s certainly possible, but it requires extreme measures
to do so.”
Having regained his nerve, Terell joined the conversation. “Let
me just say how much I appreciate this being a happy reunion and
that we’re not her lunch,” he said, pointing to Sorcha.
“But I don’t recall meeting you on my last visit.”
“Nor I you, dark one. A dragon’s memory
is quite keen. I do recall meeting the other two briefly. I believe
it was at the ninetieth feast of the Word.”
Ireth’s ear twitching caught Ryann’s attention, and
he watched her hesitate, glance across the river, then make eye
contact with Sorcha and nod her head in that same direction.
Sorcha’s mouth opened wide. Terell yelped as a cone of white
frost erupted from her mouth with a loud, windy rush. Shooting across
the river, the freezing blast expanded, blanketing an entire row
of bushes in a thick mass of ice.
“Whoa, that was cool!” Terell shouted.
Ireth’s eyebrow raised. “That is stating
the obvious.” Ireth started down to river’s edge, motioning
to the trio as she said, “Follow me.”
At the edge of the stream she stopped and turned
to the dragon. “Sorcha? If you please,” she said, pointing
toward the water.
Sorcha hopped into the middle of the river, the water
rising up to wing level. She spread her wings wide, forming a bridge
from one side to the other. Ireth started across and motioned for
the others to follow. Ryann didn’t hesitate after watching
Ireth step across
with ease but was surprised at the sturdiness of Sorcha’s
wings. He expected to sink down with each footstep, like stepping
onto a trampoline. Instead it was more like walking across a flat
wooden bridge with barely any noticeable give. Once they had crossed,
Sorcha rose
out of the waters, shaking like a dog to rid herself of the cool
river water.
“What was that all about?” Liddy asked.
Ireth waved them forward, leading them around to
the back side of the eight-foot block of ice. Frozen within was
the body of a Hugon, mouth open in shocked surprise, his last moment
encapsulated in the block.
Liddy gasped, “Is he—”
“Dead?” Sorcha finished the question. “No, not
dead; just frozen in suspended animation for a few hours until the
ice melts away. In this heat, it might be a little quicker.”
“What was he doing?” Ryann asked.
“He’s one of Narcissus’s Peacekeeper
spies,”
Ireth answered, displaying a rare grin. “This
will slow down his report on our whereabouts.”
Liddy looked from the frozen Hugon to Sorcha. “I take it you’re
not on good terms with Narcissus?”
back to top
chapter 30
falling short
click image to download pdf
RYANN WAS SURE if they took a vote, no one but Carwyn
would choose to go to Myraddin. The previous evening, they had relayed
stories of the past two years. The Chosen had traveled throughout
all the known lands of Aeliana. Some citizens had welcomed them,
while others viewed them as crazy hooligans, ignoring anything they
had to say. It was apparent to Ryann that Garnock, Ireth, and the
bulls struggled with Carwyn’s teachings of tolerance, while
Sorcha, Adain, and Rowan admired that about him. Sorcha was adamant
no one in Aeliana could teach the way Carwyn did. The sage dragon,
who had lived so much longer than any of them, was unable to counter
the unicorn’s discernment and new way of looking at things.
These new ideas he brought up, seemingly out of nowhere, were what
caused ongoing debate among them. They did seem to be united around
the miraculous wonders Carwyn performed.
Ryann stumbled on the narrow path as they descended from one of
the foothills in the shadows of the Marrow Mountains to the grassy
plain below. With Liddy in front of him and Terell behind, they
peppered him with questions concerning his meeting with
Carwyn prior to breaking camp.
“Why do you think you were completely dry when you returned,
despite being in a waterfall?” Liddy asked.
“For the third time, I don’t know.” Ryann rolled
his eyes. “One minute I found it hard to keep my balance because
of the amount of water pouring over me, and the next I was walking
alongside Carwyn completely dry.”
“I’d be trippin’ out if that happened to me,”
Terell said.
Ryann held his nose and blew gently to clear his ears as they descended
to the rich green grass of the valley plains. “I’m ready
to walk on flat ground.”
“Yeah, it’s easier to talk walking side by side,”
Liddy said.
Walking next to one other, they navigated a short
rise, which took them between two massive boulders spread about
ten feet apart. The sound of galloping hooves approaching took them
by surprise.
Ryann pointed in front of them as they passed through the boulders.
“Look.”
Two fauns raced back and forth across the plain, so focused on what
they were doing that they hadn’t noticed the large party moving
up on them. A few steps later, the surprise was gone. The two stopped
to study the intruders.
Terell provided his own commentary. “Look! They’re shootin’
arrows.”
“Sheesh,” Liddy chided him. “We call that archery,
genius!”
The half-human, half-goat creatures closed the short distance between
them in a frenzied gallop. Eager smiles adorned their faces as they
came to an abrupt stop in front of Carwyn and Adain. The rest of
the Chosen bunched into a small crowd as they caught up to their
leader. Turning away from their new acquaintances, Carwyn announced,
“I would like everyone to meet Jasper and Jett, two young
brothers who appear to be engaging in a little competition today.”
A mixture of hellos and “nice to meet you’s” were
followed by Jett responding to Carwyn’s statement with a broad
grin. “It’s actually not much of a competition, but
we’ll call it that for the sake of argument.”
“I like him,” Terell whispered to Liddy and Ryann.
“You would,” Liddy snipped back.
Both of the fauns had bows slung over their shoulders
and across their backs. In the distance, a bold target painted on
a large haystuffed sack sat like a little island in a sea of green.
“Would you mind a small audience?” Carwyn asked.
“Ha! We don’t mind. Do we, Jasper?”
“No, I suppose you wouldn’t.” Jasper mimicked
his brother’s enthusiastic voice. “Jett’s the
archery champ in these parts, so a little exhibition should suit
his ego just fine.”
The Chosen gathered in a semi-circle behind Jasper as Jett raced
out to position the target in front of them. Jasper pointed toward
his brother, who was arranging the burlap sack, and explained the
rules. “The red outer circle is worth one point; the inner
white circle counts for three points; and if you hit the black spot
in the middle, you get five points.”
“Sprit,” Ireth said.
“That’s right,” Jasper spoke to
her. “The game is called sprit, and whoever scores the most
points with three arrows wins. Have you played before?”
“A time or two,” Ireth answered with
no hint of emotion.
“Yeh, don’t let her fool ya,” Garnock said. “Elves
are raised with a bow in their hand.”
Jett galloped up with a broad grin on his face. “Ready to
go, brother?”
“Looks like you have some competition today,”
Jasper replied.
Jett looked his brother up and down. “What?”
he sneered. “Did you get a quick lesson from someone while
I was settin’ up the target?”
“My brother, your humility is only surpassed by your quick
wit.”
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chapter 33
evil unleashed
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RYANN RACED BACK the way they had come with Liddy
and Terell close behind him. Springing past the last trappings of
the forest’s protection, they landed in the midst of a raging
battle. Ryann’s head swiveled trying to assess the calamity.
Hugons were pouring into the clearing from the eastern woods, clubs
swinging. Snarling growls lashed out from behind their jagged teeth.
Three were encapsulated in ice from the freezing breath of Sorcha.
As Ryann watched, the white dragon’s tail swept behind her,
sending several others fl ying through the air. Taran and Mellt
stood back to back, surrounded by a dozen Hugons. Their adversaries
stood out of harm’s way, carefully eyeing the bulls’
pointed horns.
Adain’s back hooves kicked out with blinding
speed, catching one of the gray-skinned Hugons in the chest. Hurtling
backward, two other dragon-men were taken down.
Off to his right, Ireth plucked arrows from her quiver in the same
rhythmic motion she had shown in the bow competition. Fifty feet
in front of her, arrows stuck out of the arms, legs, and torsos
of a horde of twenty to thirty dragon-men. Ryann could see she was
going to run out of arrows soon. Rowan stood just behind Ireth,
nervously gripping her wooden staff.
“Come on.” Ryann motioned to Liddy and Terell. “Follow
me.” Racing toward the greatest need, Ryann raised his metal
staff and aimed toward the closing gap between Ireth and the advancing
Hugons. He pushed button 2, unleashing a stream of fire. The fiery
trail barely missed Rowan, sizzling into the grassy earth just in
front of the gray-skinned monsters. As the turf erupted into a wall
of flames, anguished cries rang out from the surprised Hugons. They
fell backward, clamoring away to a safe distance.
“That should hold them!” Ryann shouted,
advancing until he was alongside Ireth.
“Thanks, Ryann. I was almost out of arrows.”
“What?” Terell boasted. “You’ve got three
left. You had those uglies right where you wanted ’em.”
“I’m really glad you three showed up,” Rowan confessed.
“I didn’t relish having to take them on with my regular,
wood staff.”
Over the shouting of the battlefield, a commanding voice bellowed
from behind them.
“Enough!”
Heads turned to the sound of Carwyn, his head held
high as he continued his slow stroll up to the Tree of Life. “It
is time to stop fighting.”
Sorcha hesitated just before releasing another breath of frost.Ryann
released the pressure on the button, and his wall of flames dissipated
into a smoky mist. The Hugons cautiously advanced, waiting for the
unicorn’s next words.
“All who rely on violence will die violently. Don’t
you know that I can call upon the Word, and He will at once send
legions of angels to my defense? This isn’t the way the Prince
of Peace will redeem his people.”
“Yes! You should listen to him!” a mocking voice shouted
from behind the Hugons.
“Ekron!” Ryann seethed.
A sly, curling smile spread across the dark angel’s face.
With a swoosh, his black, feathered wings fanned out behind him
as he continued in his leering tone, “They don’t intimidate
me. I recall leading those legions before I chose to leave.”
“Your mind has become clouded since your fall from grace,”
Carwyn stated. “You did not choose to leave. You were banished
from heaven.”
Ekron glared at the white unicorn. “Better to reign in the
fires of hell than to serve in heaven.”
“That’s the same deceitful lie you tried
to perpetuate on Earth, Ekron. And having failed there, I see you’ve
moved on to new territories. The result will be the same.”
“I think not,” the dark angel raged. “Have you
met my little friend here?”
Garnock stepped out from behind Ekron’s expansive wings. “I
think he wants to have a word with you.”
The weary-looking dwarf stepped forward, avoiding
Carwyn’s eyes as he walked toward him.
Sorcha took a deep breath, glaring at their betrayer.
“Don’t freeze him, Sorcha,” Carwyn
cautioned. “I’ll talk with Garnock.”
The Chosen, Ekron, and the Hugon guards looked on as the river dwarf
approached the white unicorn and conversed for several minutes.
Garnock bowed, stepping backward as Carwyn held his head high and
announced, “I am innocent of any charges of conspiracy
against the throne of Aeliana that may be levied against me. And
as such, I will go quietly with them to Myraddin.”
Ekron smiled. “Seize him!”
The Hugons hesitated, looking from the white dragon to Ryann and
his staff.
“Now!”
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