Swanheart

Chapter Four

Winged Messages

The weapon chamber was located one level above the dungeons. Dozens of big torches illuminated the room and whatever weapon a warrior's heart desired could be found within these walls. Daggers and swords, spears and sabers, javelins, throwing knives and other blades, they all had a place on the shelves and racks that made up the main part of the chamber's interior, as well as several magically enhanced devices. But those could not be wielded by the common soldier. They needed to be used by a being with magic blood.

As Burak entered, he found his Lord standing quietly in the middle of the room.

The masked sorcerer was already in full battle armor and his demonic helmet was in place, hiding his face from those around him.

Burak had never dared to ask why he was covering his features. He just kept on thinking that it was to evoke even more fear in the wizard's enemies. Not wishing to contemplate this matter further, he knelt on one knee. "My Lord, you asked for my presence. I am listening."

Soundlessly, the dark wizard turned around to look at the commander of his army. "Burak, the time has come. Get the men ready. We will launch our next attack." The sound of his voice revealed that he was looking forward to the next battle.

"The men will be awaiting your orders as usual, my Lord." Burak swallowed hard, trying in vain to suppress a shiver that raced down his back. He was feeling very uncomfortable but he knew that the next question needed to be asked. "My Lord," he began, swallowing again for his throat felt as dry as the deserts of Urdgard. "Will we need the aid of our… uh… special… troop?"

Unseen to Burak, the masked sorcerer smirked behind his helmet. Yes, the 'special troop' made many a living man greatly uncomfortable. "If I didn't know it better, I would say that it is fear."

Burak frowned, not understanding. "My Lord?"

"That emotion that's coming off you in waves, right this instant… is it fear?"

The soldier chose not to answer because he knew that whatever he would say, his master would twist the words until they fit perfectly into his little mind game.

"I know about your dislike of the Shadow Warriors," the masked sorcerer continued matter-of-factly. "Rest assured. For this battle we will not need them."

Burak almost breathed a sigh of relief but refrained from it in the last second. No, it was not fear that he felt whenever he thought of the Shadow Warriors but it was a weird feeling that came over him every time he saw them. He believed that it was wrong to raise the souls of dead warriors from their final resting place and force them under control with the help of dark magic. Burak didn't know much about virtues or codes of honor and he most certainly didn't care. Quite frankly, he would be the first to admit that he was an unscrupulous man but there were a few things that even he considered wrong and the Shadow Warriors were one of such things. In his opinion, they shouldn't exist. According to some people though, Shadow Warriors would be the perfect soldiers. They could not be killed since they were already dead, there was no need for them to rest or eat and they would not demand any kind of payment for their service.

Burak softly shook his head, bringing his mind back to the matter at hand. Expecting the masked sorcerer to continue with his orders, he drew his eyebrows together as he became aware of a weird noise. Looking up, he found his master had walked over to another part of the weapon chamber.

The dark wizard stood in front of a wooden work tale, holding a curved blade. With smooth strokes, he guided it over a staff of dark ebony. "Yes, yes, I understand… I will do as you say…," the magician mumbled quietly, listening to the voice he heard hissing.

Burak's frown deepened. Even though the purpose was a riddle to him, at least he now had found the source of the sound. It was the blade that scraped along the wood.

The masked sorcerer stopped for a moment, the blade hovering over the staff. He turned around, his silver eyes fixed on Burak. "You are dismissed for now. Have the men gather in the Grand Hall. I will speak to them later."

Nervously, the other man licked his lips. He felt torn because he wanted to know more about his master's plans, but on the other side he couldn't wait to get out of the weapon chamber. Being in the eerie presence of the dark wizard was becoming more and more of a challenge. Burak rose and bowed, saying, "As you wish, my Lord." Then he left.

Alone again, the masked sorcerer closed his eyes, giving himself completely to the voice that was whispering so clearly in his mind. Behind his closed eyelids the image of an ebony staff formed. It was six feet long and on top shone a golden jewel.

"This will be the tool to unlock the powers of all stones," the voice whispered. "With this staff, you will be able to gain access to each stone's magic and you can use it against your foes. All you need to do is fit one of the gems to the top."

An evil smile stretched the lips of the dark wizard behind his demonic mask. His silver eyes flew open again and he turned back to his task of carving the staff. His hands moved as if they had a will of their own, the image in his mind guiding them to fulfill the necessary tasks in creating this powerful weapon. The blade in his hands moved swiftly across the staff, scraping along, chipping away the wood, carving runes and lines in a zigzag pattern along the shaft.

Once he was done, the masked sorcerer regarded his masterpiece almost fondly.

The voice spoke again. "Now, for the enchantment…"

His palms began to glow in a dim red light and he guided them over the weapon, mumbling softly, repeating the words that the voice projected into his mind, placing a spell on the staff. The runes and pattern began to gleam in the same red color. The wood absorbed the magic, taking it deep into its core.

"It is done. Pavan is waiting. Victory will be yours."

Taking his newly forged weapon, the dark wizard whirled it in a few graceful arcs to get a feel for the staff. "Yes, Pavan is waiting. Well, Tanith," he muttered under his breath. "Soon, we are going to see whose magic is more powerful, yours or mine?"

*****

Saberclaw had stopped only once to rest for a few minutes and have a bite to eat before he swung himself back up into the air.

Flapping his wings, the majestic eagle continued his scouting mission that Zaylan had sent him on. Nothing escaped his sharp glance, while he made his way up the Kildiv River and further north to where the country Ashkyhra was located.

It was a nice, bright day and the wind helped to carry him across the land. Below him the water was calm and there was absolutely nothing that disturbed his vision or could hold him back from fulfilling the scouting trip. Systematically, he scanned his surroundings. The eagle's gaze hovered more closely on certain spots whenever the voice of King Zaylan told him to do that.

So, Saberclaw flew on, following the curvy path of the river. It would not be much longer until he would reach Ashkyhra.

*****

Leigh walked up to the high double doors that would lead her to the throne room. Using only little force, she pushed them open and entered. Her clear, green eyes looked around and came to rest on King Zaylan.

Bearing an expression of high concentration on his face, the ruler of Chitaan stood next to a slender marble column, which stood in the middle of the room. His hands cupped a crystal ball and he stared intently into the swirling dark blue mist that moved like twisting fog through the crystal ball.

Leigh cleared her throat softly to get the king's attention.

Zaylan looked up and gave her a brief smile, his hands never leaving their position on the magical device that kept him connected to Saberclaw. "Leigh," he greeted. "What can I do for you?"

"I am very sorry to disturb you," the knight replied, "but, I was wondering if Saberclaw found something? Alannah is with Terrulli for the moment and as you can guess our guest is very anxious to know if there is any news of her family."

"Yes, I do can imagine how the poor girl is feeling. Though, until now nothing has been revealed. Saberclaw is following the flow of the Kildiv River up north. He has not reached Ashkyhra yet, but it cannot be much longer."

Leigh walked over, glancing into the crystal ball as well. The view was slightly blurry around the edges but in the center the image of the snaking river was very clear. Looking at the king, she wanted to know, "May I ask a question?"

A quirky smile appeared on Zaylan's face, taking away the slight frown that had marred it before. "You know that you can ask me anything and I will do my best to give you an answer, little one."

The knight blushed slightly and she felt her heart warm for the endearment touched her deeply. He had started calling her that when she came to live at the castle and he tended to use it still from time to time even though she was an adult now. "How do you know Terrulli's parents?" Leigh asked.

"Oh, we were students at the Wizardry Academy in Shircon. We lost sight of each other after they were proclaimed King and Queen of Ashkyhra."

"Were you close friends?" the knight inquired further.

"I think that my wife was closer to them than I was. There were others that I had more in common with such as Ranya, Samira and Cibor. Don't get me wrong, I did get along with Rovannah and Xandir, they were nice people. I guess we all should have made an effort to stay in contact but it seemed they were wrapped up in their own little world. It is weird that friends sometimes can drift apart so easily."

"I think it's rather sad," Leigh replied.

The king agreed with a nod. "It is. But we cannot dwell on it. Our first concern right now is trying to find out what happened and what's going on."

"Did Saberclaw discover any traces along the Kildiv so far?"

Zaylan shook his head. "Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary."

A hesitating knock sounded.

"Ah, more visitors," said the king, smiling. "Come in."

Slowly the doors opened and Alannah entered, followed closely by the Animorph. "Any news yet?" the princess inquired.

Shaking his head, Zaylan answered, "No. But if you want, you can stay here. Saberclaw will soon have reached his destination."

Clasping her hands nervously, Terrulli mumbled, "I hope everything will be well."

Gently, Alannah patted the anxious girl's shoulder, while Leigh and Zaylan looked at her compassionately. "Soon, we will know more."

*****

It was almost silent in the hall. The gathered men stood at attention, waiting for their leader to reveal the battle plan.

The sound of footsteps echoed throughout the stone walls and the soldiers straightened even more. Closer and closer the noise of heavy boots came. Then the door was flung open with a mighty kick. It almost flew from its hinges and shattered as it crashed into the wall.

Burak stepped in and took a stance in front of his men, his stern glare flitting from one face to the next.

Another tall figure entered behind him and immediately the troop fell to their knees in respect as they recognized the dark wizard.

The ever present horned helmet concealed his features but his silver eyes were clearly visible, glowing dangerously from beneath the mask. Drawing back his blood-red cape, he slammed the end of the ebony staff, which he had carved and enchanted, hard on the ground. "Rise, all of you, my trusted soldiers!" his voice boomed.

Quickly, the men hurried to carry out his order. As soon as they were all standing again, they waited with bated breaths for their master's next words.

"Tonight, with the fall of darkness, we will set out to conquer Pavan. This country is smaller than Ashkyhra and that's why I don't deem it necessary to be accompanied by the Shadow Warriors tonight."

Nobody dared to voice the relief they felt but the men shared knowing glances.

"The aim of our mission is clear," the masked sorcerer continued in his powerful voice. "Our first priority is the discovery and recovery of the golden piece of Asram's stone." He began to walk around the lines of soldiers that were in front of him, making sure he would look each and every of his men straight into the eye.

A few flinched and averted their eyes, others just stared back blankly, but the majority returned his gaze fiercely with the gleam of anticipation shining in their eyes. They were looking forward to battle for they believed that it was the right thing to do.

Satisfied with what he saw, the dark wizard continued, "The jewel will be well hidden and it will be well guarded. Nonetheless, when the battle is over, it will be ours. Beware of Pavan's leader. Though female and small in stature, Tanith is a mighty sorceress. As it was the case with Xandir and Rovannah, she too has pledged her life to keep the stone safe at any cost. Do not for even one second underestimate her. That for sure would be your doom. Kill whoever tries to defy us but accept those that wish to join us and our course with open arms. There can only be one to fulfill the prophecy. There can only be one, who will unite all countries and make them into one land again. There can only be one, who rules all. That is the only way to have peace." He paused for the dramatic effect and to give his words time to sink into the hearts and minds of the gathered soldiers. "And here, right in front of you, I stand. The one and only, who can accomplish all that. The one and only, who has the powers." He reached with his arms for the ceiling and raised the staff that began to glow in a dim red light. "Here I am. The one and only, who is in contact with the Spirits. I am their chosen. I am the 'Deliverer of Peace'."

The soldiers cheered him, hitting the ground with the end of their spears or using their swords to bang them against their shields. The noise was deafening.

Closing his eyes, the dark wizard sunned himself in their praise. In the back of his mind, the hissing voice chose the moment to get his attention. "Don't waste more time with foolish words. Seize the moment. Get the portal ready and move right into the heart of Pavan…"

He waved his arms, abruptly cutting off the applause. "Everybody knows what they have to do. The portal will be ready soon."

Burak bowed to his master. "Everything will be carried out as you wish, my Lord."

A gloved hand shot forward, grabbed the man at the front of his armor and drew him closer.

Beads of sweat appeared on Burak's shaven head as he suddenly found his face real close to the demonic mask.

"Commander, I trust it that this time nothing will go wrong," the masked sorcerer purred in a dangerously low voice. "I want the golden gem. I will not allow another failure. Is that understood?"

Burak nodded. He refrained from speaking because he was far too scared that the words would come out in a very weak squeak, making him the laughingstock of the troop.

The dark wizard shoved him away roughly. "Good." Without saying more, he left the room.

As Burak turned to the soldiers, he saw himself confronted with quite a few amused glances. Greatly angered by that, the commander scowled but it was not having the desired effect.

Instead, the grin on some faces actually widened.

*****

The gasp escaped her before she could stop herself and Terrulli covered her mouth, shaking her head slowly in denial. Tears welled up and burned in her eyes, causing Alannah to wrap a comforting arm around the Animorph.

Saberclaw had reached Ashkyhra; or better, he had reached what was left of it.

Zaylan, Alannah, Leigh and Terrulli had gathered around the large crystal ball, taking in what the eagle saw. It shocked them to their cores.

The once proud castle of Ashkyhra lay in ruins. Here and there, smoke still drifted from the blackened stones. Small villages that were located close by had also been burnt to the ground. The land seemed barren of any forms of life.

"It is gone… everything is just gone…" Terrulli sobbed in despair, sagging against the princess, whose arm was the only thing that kept the girl from just sliding to the floor. Her home had not only been destroyed. It was almost wiped completely off Yuron's face. The tears spilled over, running down her cheeks. "Who could have done something like that? And why?" Her searching glance turned to Zaylan.

"I wish I knew," the king responded. "Unfortunately, I don't have any answers. To tell you the truth, the whole matter puzzles me greatly."

Leigh bent forward, squinting slightly to get a better view.

"What are you looking for?" Alannah asked.

Drawing her eyebrows together, the knight cocked her head, before looking at the princess. "It doesn't make any sense but…"

"What?"

"There are no traces of an army."

Now it was Alannah's turn to frown. "What are you talking about?"

"What do you mean, 'there are no traces of an army'? In fact, there SHOULDN'T have been an army at all!" Terrulli chimed in, obviously very upset about the last statement. "We are peaceful people that always kept to ourselves. We didn't pick a fight with anybody. But soldiers came and destroyed us! Or how else can you explain this?" She scowled fiercely, pointing at the crystal ball.

Raising her hands in a calming gesture, Leigh responded, "I never said that there wasn't an army. It is just strange because there are no traces of one. From the extent of the damage that was done, I figure it must have been several troops. There is no place where they could have camped without your people knowing that they were approaching. There are no traces of supply wagons. It seems like they just appeared out of nowhere and vanished just the same after they destroyed everything."

"Magic-users," the king muttered. "That's the only explanation."

"I know that some magicians are very powerful. But to make a whole army appear and disappear would need a lot of energy," Leigh said. "It is said that you are the most powerful of all living wizards. Would you be able to do that?" she asked the king, who shook his head.

"But why set out to conquer a country without claiming the spoils? I mean, whoever did this just destroyed everything. Shouldn't there be now someone who would proclaim themselves the new ruler of Ashkyhra?" Alannah interrupted. "They must have been after something. If it wasn't to rule the country, then what did they want?"

Zaylan's face paled as a thought came to him. "By the Spirits…"

"What is it, Father?"

Instead of answering, the king closed his eyes in concentration. Mumbling softly under his breath, he cast the spell that would make the eagle return to the castle.

The image in the crystal ball blurred even more until it vanished completely and was replaced by the gently swirling dark blue mist.

"I need to talk with Ranya this instant," Zaylan said, leaving the throne room hurriedly, his white robes floating behind him.

Helplessly, Terrulli looked from Leigh to Alannah. "What is going on?"

"I would like to know that too," the knight replied.

Alannah nodded. "I agree. I've never seen Father acting like this before. Whatever it is that's bothering him so much, it must have frightened him. And if he is asking for Ranya's aid then we will have a major problem on our hands. That is for sure."

"You know what, Princess?"

"What?"

"I really do like it an awful lot when you sound so positive," Leigh responded sarcastically, adding a little grin afterward to try and lighten the mood since the air was suddenly heavy with tension.

Alannah gave her a brief smile, acknowledging her good intension.

Terrulli just looked at them completely confused.

*****

It was late afternoon, as the sun sent out her last golden rays for the day, shining through the large windows, illuminating the wide room that contained mostly bookcases as far as the eye could see.

Brushing aside a strand of long, blonde, curly hair, Tanith, High Sorceress and leader of Pavan settled her body more comfortably against the soft cushion. She looked up from the scroll, which she was studying with great interest, as she heard a noise.

It came from outside the library that she occupied for the moment. Desperate voices rose in volume, but she was unable to make out the actual words.

Wondering what was going on, Tanith rolled up the parchment and put it on the table that was already loaded with books and documents in all shapes and colors.

"Please, please, we need to talk with her. The matter is of great importance," a female voice declared.

"Wait here. I will check and see if she has time to have an audience with you." That gruff, impatient answer came from one of the guards that stood outside the library's door.

Rolling her eyes and sighing deeply, Tanith rose. She really wished that the guards would be friendlier and would stop seeing everybody as a threat. Her sand-colored robes floated gently around her small frame as she walked to the door.

At the same time, the door was pushed open from outside, admitting the guard. The tall man bowed hastily. "High Sorceress…"

He did not get to finish whatever grand speech he wished to hold because a woman brushed past him and fell to her knees in front of Tanith.

The sight of her caused the sorceress' heart to constrict painfully. Her dress was torn and dirty. Part of it was also stained with blood. Leaves and tiny twigs clung to her hair and her face that appeared as a mask of fear was streaked with tears and dirt. Teary-eyed, the woman stared at the sorceress, her lower lip trembling slightly as she begged, "Please… please… you need to listen to us…"

At the final word, Tanith tore her brown eyes away from the woman and looked towards the door. There she found a group of people that stood huddled together, their gazes darting around nervously and frightened. Their appearance and the state of their clothes were not better off than the woman's, who was still kneeling. Something awful must have happened to them.

Catching a movement out of the corner of her eye, the sorceress turned her gaze from the group. Seeing that the guard was about to march over and roughly remove the woman from the library, Tanith intercepted him, holding up a hand. "You may leave," she told him. "Send in the others, bring food and drink and see to it that rooms will be set up for our guests." She stressed the last word.

"But, High Sorceress…" He closed his mouth abruptly and bowed again as he found her stern glare directed at him. "As you wish, High Sorceress," he saluted briefly and left the library.

"There is no need to kneel before me," Tanith said softly, reaching out to the frightened woman and helping her back to her feet. Her eyes fell on the pendant that the woman wore around her neck. It was a tiger, hanging from a delicate silver chain. For the first time, she realized that these were no people of Pavan. They were from Ashkyhra. Then her gaze turned to the group that consisted of four men and three women. Two of them were holding a small child pressed close to their chests. One of the men was wearing armor, showing that he was a soldier. But, as was the case with the others, his armor too had seen better days.

With a gentle smile, the sorceress indicated for them to enter the room. "It is alright. You are safe here."

Still hesitating, they slowly stepped into the library.

Food and water was delivered by a few servants as soon as Tanith had seen to it that everybody had a seat and a healer had had a look at the wounds that all of them bore.

Like a pack of starved wolves, the men and women tore into the food. It was obvious that it had been a few days since their last meal.

The sorceress waited patiently until they were done before she inquired, "What happened to you?"

"I wish I knew where to start, High Sorceress" the woman that had flung herself at Tanith's feet answered. "I still hope I wake up and find that everything has just been a horrible nightmare."

"There is no need to call me 'High Sorceress'. To tell you the truth I'm not as fond of that title as everybody is thinking. It can get very annoying at times. My name is Tanith and that is what you can call me," the sorceress replied with a gentle smile that seemed to take away the woman's nervousness. "As for where to start… it is always best to start at the very beginning."

The woman nodded but was still hesitating.

"Why don't you start with telling me your name?"

That broke the ice and after taking a deep breath, the woman began. "My name is Indira and this is my husband Xeros," she said, pointing at the man, who wore armor. Then she introduced the other men, women and children before she continued. "A few days ago, Ashkyhra was attacked… Everything was destroyed… Everything is gone…" Her voice broke and the rest came out in a whisper, "The prophecy has come true. The masked sorcerer has appeared."

Tanith paled. "Are you certain?"

Nodding, Indira looked at her husband, who went on with the tale. "I am… I was part of the Royal Guard. They attacked us with the fall of night. The army just appeared out of nowhere. We have no clue where they suddenly came from. They were just suddenly there, accompanied by a troop of Shadow Warriors. Chaos broke out all over the castle. We had no way of stopping them. The Shadow Warriors marched right through our defenses, clearing the path for the army and for him. I saw him with my own eyes, wearing black armor and a blood-red cape, his face hidden by a hideous mask, bearing features and horns of a demon. He was after the Royal Family." Xeros swallowed hard as he recalled the horrible memories. "We don't know exactly what happened, but King Xandir is dead."

"What about Queen Rovannah and the children?" Tanith asked horrified.

"They are missing. After the army had left we searched the ruins of the castle… their bodies were not among the dead."

Silence fell and Tanith tried to process what she had just heard.

"Please, you have to believe us," Indira insisted, fearing that the sorceress wouldn't.

"I do believe you," Tanith assured the woman. "Are there more survivors on the way to Pavan?"

"We don't know," Xeros answered. "Many were killed, many were captured, some were too scared to oppose and so they joined his ranks. Some tried to flee to Livos and I pray to the Spirits that they will make it."

Tanith rose. "There are things that need to be done in case more survivors come here. Rooms have been prepared for you. I hope you can rest up from your ordeal."

"Thank you for your kindness," Xeros replied. "We didn't know what to expect when we came here but we are very grateful that you didn't send us away. We will forever be in your debt, High Sor… uh, I mean Tanith. Thank you for your help."

The sorceress smiled. "I always thought that people should be there for each other in times of need and I will always regret that our countries did not stick close together from the beginning. It is sad that it needed a tragedy to make us friends, but I promise you that we will see this through together and when all is said and done, Pavan will help with the rebuilding of Ashkyhra."

The group was touched deeply by Tanith's words for they could feel that she was honest with all that she had said. That vow was all it took to form an alliance between two countries that once were apart even though they were already so close to each other in proximity.

*****

Pacing impatiently and nervously in front of Saberclaw's pole, King Zaylan was waiting for the eagle's return. In his hands he held a scroll. The parchment was sealed with an enchantment. Only the recipient had the skills to break the spell, enabling them to read the text.

Inwardly, Zaylan was still shocked about the terrible destruction of Ashkyhra that Saberclaw's scouting mission had revealed. Many a question but no answer whatsoever was circling through the sorcerer's mind.

He stopped his pacing and looked at the sky as he heard the familiar cry of a large bird of prey. Closing his eyes in relief, he waited for the eagle to land on his pole in the garden.

Blinking his intelligent eyes, Saberclaw regarded the tall man.

Zaylan reached out with one hand, rubbing the bird's head. "My friend, it is good to see that you have returned safely. Nonetheless, I need to send you out again after you had only little time to rest. But we cannot wait. Every moment that passes without us doing something might bring the whole land closer to doom."

Saberclaw cocked his head and the king knew that he could feel his tension and understood everything that he was told.

"I need for you to fly to Urdgard." Holding up the parchment, Zaylan continued, "This scroll needs to be delivered to Ranya."

Flapping his wings eagerly, the bird gave another shrill cry.

The king chuckled. "My, it seems you are not tired at all."

As an answer, Saberclaw gently nibbled on Zaylan's finger. Then, he held out one foot, waiting for the man to tie the rolled up parchment to his leg.

With great care, Zaylan adjusted the leather strings so that they wouldn't be uncomfortable for the bird but at the same time assured that the scroll couldn't fall off. "Have a safe flight, my friend and may the Spirits watch over you." Using the back of his hand, he stroked the eagle's chest for a minute and then took a step backward as Saberclaw soared up into the sky.

*****

Staring intently at the hourglass, the dark wizard's silver gaze never wavered from the tiny grains of fine sand that slowly but steadily trickled from the upper part to the lower part of the time device.

His army was gathered in the portal room, deep below the 'Plains of Darkness'. He had thought that name fitting for the land he ruled and as soon as every other country of Yuron had been conquered and any kind of resistance was crushed under his leather-covered fist, he would raise a new capital right here instead of Shircon.

Turning to a huge wooden rectangle that stood in the middle of the room, he reached out, tracing his fingertips along the runes that had been carved into the frame. He smiled under his demonic mask. Nobody knew about this way of transportation, or better said, nobody knew how to use it and therefore nobody expected that the old system was still working. But the masked sorcerer knew. The voice had led him to it.

It was an ancient transportation system that had been used during the time as the Spirits had created Yuron and given the gift of magic to the humans. Decades and centuries passed, things changed and people changed. Terrible occurrences came to pass, making people distrustful of each other. Wars and battles were fought. Most of the time the reasons for them were absurd but that could not prevent people from bashing each other's heads. For example, the 'common humans' felt very jealous of the 'magic-users', who, at times, felt quite superior to everyone else. Other countries had been envious of the resources that their neighboring country harbored. Such and other reasons could start a war out of nowhere. Magical devices and other treasures were destroyed or got lost, never to be recovered again. More time passed and people forgot about the transportation system that linked their lands since they were being too busy with rebuilding their countries and trying to install and uphold peace between each other.

But one had been reminded of the magical portals and the dark wizard had already used the system to launch his attack on Ashkyhra. Among the chaos that his strike had caused nobody had figured it out. He had taken them completely by surprise and tonight it wouldn't be any different.

He had another look at the hourglass.

Unstoppable, the sand continued to trickle until the last grain fell into the lower part.

"The time has come, my soldiers," he declared and stepped right in front of the ancient doorway. Mumbling words in a strange-sounding language, the runes in the frame began to glow in a golden light. The ancient magic worked and soon a slightly pulsing and humming energy field in the same golden light filled out the wooden rectangle.

Gripping his staff tightly, the dark wizard announced, "The portal is open. You have your orders. Let us be victorious and bring 'peace' to the country of Pavan." He was the first to march through the energy field and the evil laughter that erupted from his throat was drowned out by the cheers of his soldiers. The noise was reverberating throughout the room for a long time. Even as the last man had stepped through the portal, it could still be heard.

*****

With soft scraping noises, the quill flew over the yellowish parchment, leaving a trail of letters in black ink behind. After reading the note one more time, Tanith signed it and rolled up the miniature scroll. Holding the palm of her right hand over the small letter that lay on the desk in front of her, the sorceress closed her eyes and mumbled a few words, sealing the parchment with an enchantment.

She rose from her chair and crossed over to a corner of her study where a golden pole stood.

The small white dove that sat on top of it began to prance slightly and flap her wings in excitement, regarding the woman with bright black eyes.

Tanith couldn't help but smile as she saw that. "I know, Goldbeak," she addressed the bird. "It has been a while since I sent you to deliver a message."

The dove cooed in agreement.

Using small strings that had been woven from silky threads, Tanith tied the tiny letter to Goldbeak's leg. "We cannot afford to lose any time. If it is really true that the prophecy came to pass then we have to hurry. We need the help of the greatest magician of all time. Carry this message to Chitaan. King Zaylan will know what has to be done." After a short pause, she added, "He just has to."

The dove cooed again, fretting impatiently on her pole until Tanith had opened the window. Then she swooped off and flew into the dark night that had embraced the land.

Tanith watched her leave before turning her thoughts back to the matters at hand. There was still a lot that needed to be done, in case more survivors from Ashkyhra had managed to flee to Pavan. Also, she needed to check upon the magical defenses that would ensure the safety of the golden piece of Asram's stone.

At first she didn't hear the desperate outcries that suddenly rang through the hallways of her castle because she was so deep in thought. She jerked in surprise as a guard stormed into her study with an absolutely terrified expression on his face. "High Sorceress! The castle needs to be evacuated immediately! We are under attack!"

Tanith's brown eyes widened as a red blast of energy hit the man and whirled him face first into the next wall. His lifeless body sank to the carpeted floor.

As the sorceress looked up, she stared at the features of a nightmare that had come to life.

A tall figure, clad in black armor and a blood-red cape entered. "Hello Tanith."

The deep voice caused shivers to run across her back. Something about this imposing figure was familiar. It was not the fact that he looked exactly like it had been proclaimed in the ancient prophecy. No, there was something else, but she couldn't quite grasp it.

The masked sorcerer walked forward until he stopped only two steps away from her. He cocked his head, fixing the dangerous glow of his silver eyes on her small frame.

Though she was about two heads shorter than him, Tanith stood her ground and didn't back away. "Who are you and what do you want?" Her voice was steady and without any trace of a tremble, not betraying any of the fear that she felt inside. Carefully she reached out with her mental power, trying to gauge the thoughts of her opponent.

Chuckling softly at the attempt to enter his mind, the dark wizard reached under his cape and revealed the carved ebony staff. "Let's cut the little game, Tanith. You know what I want and you know that I will get it because you are no match for my powers. You never were."

The sorceress scowled at him and rolled up the sleeves of her robes. "We will see about that. Shall we?"

Mocking her, the masked sorcerer bowed. "We shall, Tanith."

The runes on his staff began to glow in a dim red light.

*****

Continued...