Swanheart

Chapter Seven

Stone By Stone

Alannah leaned back in her chair and rubbed her burning eyes tiredly. The past few days she had been spending more time in the library than any other room of the castle and it was beginning to take its toll on the princess. Exhaling sharply, she reached back to rub her neck, which had stiffened up.

The desk in front of her was in chaos. Books and scrolls, parchments and other papers lay in several heaps and disordered piles.

Alannah leaned forward, supporting her head on her hands. "What a mess," she muttered, exhausted, "and all for nothing." For days, she had been trying to find information about the prophecy that had been mentioned in Tanith's desperate message to King Zaylan, but whenever this prophecy had been made, it must have been a long time before Chitaan recorded its history. "Maybe they'll know at the great library of Shircon." Stretching her tired limbs, her gaze traveled to Cerulia.

The white wolf was curled up on a soft cushion on one of the windowsills. Her head rested on her front paws and her ears were twitching slightly. From time to time, a quiet whimper or growl erupted from her chest. She was caught in a dream, probably chasing a rabbit or something else.

Alannah smiled and remembered how many hours she had sat in the same place the wolf was now laying. When Leigh had come to live with them at the castle, she had often joined her, listening enraptured to the princess' voice while Alannah made heroic characters from books come to life, or told her stories that she had made up herself.

Lost in pleasant memories, the princess never heard the door open.

Leigh stuck her head through the crack and found the one person she had been looking for. On her tiptoes, she slowly crept up to the woman that had her back to her.

Alannah jerked in surprise as she found her view blocked by two hands that covered her eyes. "Guess who?" a cheery voice whispered into her ear, causing a shiver to run over her back. The sensation wasn't unpleasant and a big grin formed on the princess' face. She reached up and pulled the hands off her eyes, but she held on to one. The urge to place a tender kiss on the palm was strong and it took all her willpower to stop herself from guiding the hand to her lips in order to do just that. She thought it would cause the knight to feel uncomfortable if she would do it. Instead, she pressed it for a moment over her heart, gave it a soft squeeze and then let go.

Leigh stepped around her and lowered her frame into another chair that was close by. "Hello Princess," the knight greeted her best friend, grinning from one ear to the other. Her eyes were shining with utter happiness and her dimples were visible, something that the princess found very charming and adorable.

"Well, if it isn't my brave, little knight. How are you doing?" Alannah replied, her grin just as big as Leigh's. Ever since her friend's return, the smiles came easier to her face.

"I'm fine," she answered. "How are you?"

"I can't complain."

Leigh's left eyebrow rose at that, indicating that she didn't believe her. "You look tired. Have you been bending over these books the whole day again?"

Alannah sighed heavily. "Yes," she confessed, "but it didn't help much." Leaning back, she stretched her arms over her head and could barely stifle a yawn.

The knight's grin widened. "You definitely need a break and you need to get out of this room. Some fresh air and sunshine will help, I'm sure. Say, would you like to join me on a little adventure?"

"An adventure?" Alannah looked at her questioningly, but she was intrigued and curious. An adventure sounded interesting.

"Have you ever been riding on a dragon?"

Alannah knew immediately what the other woman was planning. "You mean you want to go on a trip with Firetail?"

Leigh waggled her eyebrows. "Yes."

"And you want me to come with you?"

"Yes. Come on, you know it will be fun."

Was it just her imagination, or did the knight sound pleading? "I don't know…" Alannah hesitated.

Leigh poked out her lower lip a bit and batted her eyelashes. "Please?"

The princess laughed. If she would have to describe the look, she would use the term 'cute', knowing that it would make the knight blush and grumble under her breath. A tease was on the tip of her tongue, but she didn't speak the words. "You had that begging look down as a kid and you still do now," Alannah remarked.

"Really? Is it working?"

"I don't think there is anybody, who could resist that look."

"Does that mean you'll come with me?" Leigh inquired hopefully.

Smiling, Alannah nodded. "Yes. You are right, I need to get out of here and I've never been on a dragon's back before and if Firetail won't mind…"

"Oh, she won't. You know how much she loves showing off her flying skills," Leigh interrupted quickly. Excited to go on a flight with her friend, she rose from the chair, grabbed Alannah's hand and dragged her from the library.

Cerulia didn't raise her head. The wolf continued to slumber peacefully in the warm sunlight that fell on her white fur.

They were halfway to the courtyard, when Alannah pulled them to a stop.

"What's wrong? Are you scared? Nothing will happen. You're safe with me and Firetail will fly carefully," Leigh promised, worried that Alannah had changed her mind

The princess shook her head. "No, I'm not scared. I just think I should put on some other clothes. It won't be good if my robes get blown all over the place." Alannah turned and hurried to her chambers. "Wait here," she called over her shoulder. "I will be back in a few minutes."

*****

The old man softly hummed a melody, while he turned the sapphire in his wrinkled hands, looking at it from every angle. He reached for the magnifying glass and intensified his inspection of the stone. "Beautiful, simply beautiful," Krymm praised and placed the gem on a pile of sapphires in front of him. "Such a nice blue it is. You would make a very pretty pendant. A master piece you would be."

If the High Sorcerer of Kentaara had one passion then it was jewels, gems and stones of every shape and form. They fascinated him greatly. The old magician didn't like to socialize with anybody else. Most of his servants would say that he was just a gruff, grumpy man, who never smiled and who didn't like the company of others. His wife had been so different, but unfortunately, she had passed away a few years ago. Ever since that day, Krymm bore an indifferent face to the world, closing off his emotions. He didn't remarry and he became cold towards his children, who fled from the man that he had become. Shutting out everybody around him, he retreated deeper into the mountain caves of Kentaara. Only in the presence of his precious stones, his eyes would sparkle with happiness. Krymm felt at peace when he could sort the gemstones and he loved to spend his time creating jewelry. Stones would stay with him forever. They wouldn't leave him and for that the sorcerer loved them dearly.

His hand hovered over a large emerald when a sudden knocking at the door made him jerk. "What is it?!" he groused, twirling his fingers through his long white beard, a sign that he was annoyed. "I said I don't want to be disturbed!"

The door opened a crack and the pale face of a frightened girl appeared. "I beg your pardon, High Sorcerer, but somebody is anxious to see you," she replied. Carefully, she opened the door wider.

A black and white bird hopped into the room and the door was shut behind the animal. In her pointy, black beak, she held a silver ring. Spreading her wings, the magpie flew up and sat down on the table, right next to the jewel piles.

"Buttoneye," Krymm exclaimed happily, regarding the bird fondly. "Where have you been so long, my beauty?" Extending his hand, he tenderly brushed his fingertips along her feathers. "Oh, you brought me a gift? Let me see what you got there, precious."

The magpie walked closer to him.

Unexpected, Krymm felt a sharp tug at his heart as he looked into the bird's eyes. They were tiny and round like buttons and of the deepest black. His wife had named the magpie for that reason.

Buttoneye waited for him to hold out his hand. Once he did, she dropped the ring into his open palm. Man and bird had bonded over their passion for shiny objects. While the magpie had picked up the ring because of the gleaming silver, Krymm was more interested in the small jewel that was imbedded. Scrutinizing it through the magnifying glass, he felt tears burn in his old eyes, and he quickly blinked them away. "A ruby," he gasped. "You would have loved it… Oh, by Harkon, I miss you so much, my beloved…"

Another banging against the door had him jump in his seat. "WHAT IS IT NOW?!" he roared, angry at the disturbance.

"High Sorcerer, a message has been delivered for you. It looks highly official," a thin voice answered reluctantly through the closed door.

Grumbling, Krymm lifted his right arm and snapped his fingers.

The door flew open and the scroll was ripped from the servant's hands. He stared wide-eyed at the parchment that sailed through the air and came to rest on the sorcerer's lap.

"Is that all?" the magician inquired snappily.

"Yes, please forgive that I had to bother you, High Sorcerer."

Impatiently, Krymm brandished a hand, his eyes fixed on the scroll. "You may go."

The servant bowed three times and almost tripped over his own feet in his haste to leave.

"Let's see who wants our attention, shall we, Buttoneye?"

Curious, the magpie cocked her head.

The magician turned the scroll so that the seal was visible. "The High Council of Shircon… It has been a few years since I last got a letter from them." Holding his palm over the violet wax, he muttered a few words. The enchanted seal cracked and fell apart. He brushed the pieces from his gray robes and unfolded the letter. Carefully, his eyes scanned the written lines, taking in each word that stood out in violet ink and mulled it over.

Krymm read the message several times. With each time his frown increased and the line between his eyebrows deepened. In the end, he crumpled the letter and flung it over his shoulder. "A meeting at Shircon… prophecy… masked sorcerer… attacks… What a wagonload of horse dung!" he scoffed. "As if I care."

Krymm held out his hand and Buttoneye jumped up, landing on his index finger. "Nobody will attack Kentaara. My people and I are safe, here in our mountains. We continue our tradition of keeping to ourselves like we did all these past centuries. If they want to debate about what heads to bash, let them do it. There will be no war on my land."

*****

"So what do you think?" Firetail asked. Folding her wings, she turned her head back to look at her two passengers, who climbed out of the saddle, after the red dragon had landed again in the courtyard of Chitaan's castle.

Leigh helped Alannah, while the dragon continued, "Is it not the most incredible feeling to sail through the air, having the wind carry you, stroke the clouds, touch the sky, encountering the ultimate freedom?" Firetail had not been flying too fast, because she didn't want to frighten the girls that had sat on her back.

"It was awesome," Leigh announced. She still bore the happy grin that had formed on her face. "Thank you so much for this wonderful experience."

"Anytime, my friend," the dragon replied, winking. "I am looking forward to the next time."

"We are too," Alannah responded, just as excited.

Firetail showed her teeth, giving them a dragon smile and a little goodbye wave with one of her claws.

Side by side, the women walked back to the castle, both of them lost in memories of the flight. Both their cheeks were glowing slightly red from the wind that had caressed their faces.

"Thank you," Alannah said, reaching over to give Leigh's hand a tender squeeze.

"For what?"

"That you suggested this trip and for taking me with you."

The knight intertwined their fingers. "You don't have to thank me. You know that I love sharing everything with you. It was all my pleasure."

'You don't know how much pleasure it was,' Alannah thought, recalling how wonderful it had felt to sit behind Leigh and hold her. The whole time she had kept her arms wrapped around her waist, her front pressed to the other's back, looking at the world from a bird's view over Leigh's shoulder. She had inhaled her sweet scent, wishing that she could hold her like this forever. Three special words had fallen from her lips then, but the rushing wind had carried them away before they could reach Leigh's ears. A part of Alannah was grateful for that, because the time wasn't right. Other matters needed their attention at the moment and her thoughts turned to the Animorph. "Have you been able to talk with Terrulli?" the princess asked.

Leigh's face fell. The expression of happiness was replaced by one of profound sadness. "Unfortunately, no," the knight confessed. "She is shutting everybody out. Wyan has been trying to cheer her up too, but without success. The only one she's been exchanging a few words with is Loreen."

"This is all so sad," Alannah responded. "The whole time we have been telling her to have faith and hope, that not all is lost and now? Her father is dead, her mother and brother are missing and her land has been rampaged by some unknown magic-user, who is still somewhere out there, probably planning more evil. Do you think that the High Council will be able to solve this situation?"

"It's hard to say. The messages have been sent out. A reply from Shircon should arrive any day now, declaring if the meeting, which your father asked for, will take place. From there on, we will have to wait and see. I just hope they will not waste time with unnecessary discussions."

"Alannah! Leigh!" Ranib came running towards them, interrupting their conversation. "It's good you're back. King Zaylan has been asking for you."

Leigh patted his shoulder in thanks, before she and the princess quickened their steps, dashing off to meet Alannah's father.

*****

Krymm cowered in the darkest corner of his chambers, looking up at the looming shadow above him. Trembling from shock, he pressed his hands tightly over his ears. He tried to drown out the screams that were all around him. Men, women and children, they all were terrified and looked at him for help. But he was unable to protect them. His magic didn't work. No matter what spell he cast, it was just wasted energy that the masked sorcerer absorbed without much effort.

"Are you giving up now?" the deep voice asked from behind the demonic helmet.

Krymm's throat felt dry. He swallowed a couple of times and his mouth opened and closed several times, but no sound could be heard. His mind was whirling with thoughts, the most prominent one being where the attacker suddenly had come from. How had he managed to get inside the mountains of Kentaara without anybody noticing?

"That is a good question," the masked sorcerer replied scornfully. He had been reading his victim's mind. "If you give me what I want, I might let you live long enough to try and figure it out."

Still there was no response. Krymm just stared at the hypnotizing silver eyes that glowed brightly down at him.

"You do know that there is another option, don't you?" It was just a rhetorical question. The dark wizard didn't expect an answer to be forthcoming and he wasn't disappointed. "I can just kill you and take what I want anyway. It is up to you. Do you want to live?"

That question shocked Krymm out of his frightened state of mind. Was there anything he had left that was worth living for? His wife was dead, his children had left him. All he held dear was a magpie and his stones. Would anybody care if he would die? He took his hands off his ears, hearing the outcries of his people and the noises that the foreign soldiers and golems caused. If he owed it to anybody that he would fight, then it would be the folk of Kentaara.

He felt the presence of his opponent in his mind and quickly erected a barrier, shielding his thoughts. Resolving to deal with this dangerous situation as would be expected from a High Sorcerer and leader of the country, he felt new courage enter his heart and a plan slowly formed in his head.

"I am waiting and my patience is running thin, so I'm warning you, don't test it!" the masked sorcerer snarled, angered that he no longer could read the other's thoughts. He knew that the old magician was planning something, but he also knew that Krymm would be no match for him. "Keep defying me and I'll make you pay! Show me where the stone is, old man!"

Slowly, Krymm rose to his feet. He had to crane his neck because he was one and a half head shorter than the dark wizard. A new fire blazed in his eyes as they bore into the ones of his enemy. "Good. I'll show you. Follow me," the old man ordered, his voice sounding firm and strong as if it was him, who was in control.

"Don't try any tricks or your life is forfeit!" the dark wizard growled dangerously while he followed Krymm out of the chambers.

*****

Leigh stood in front of the high doors that led to the throne room. Trying to smooth her wind-blown hair, she waited for the princess.

Alannah arrived only a moment later, having changed back into her white robes. She grinned as she saw how the knight ran both of her hands through her hair again and again.

"It's hopeless," Leigh complained.

Alannah grabbed one of her hands and pulled her into the room as the doors opened. "Stop it," the princess admonished when she saw the knight's other hand fly up to touch her hair. "It's adorable."

Leigh glared at her for the use of that word, but she bit down on a reply.

"Oh, there you are," the king greeted, waving at them to come closer.

The women took their seats side by side, opposite to Zaylan and High Sorceress Ranya, who sat beside him.

"I take it you had a good time with Firetail?" Chitaan's ruler inquired smirking.

"It was wonderful, Father. Thank you," Alannah answered. "Can we have a dragon too?"

Zaylan laughed, poking Ranya in the ribs. "See, what did I tell you? I knew that she would ask. You owe me a piece of gold."

"I should have known better than to bet with you," Ranya chuckled and produced a golden coin from a pocket of her robes, holding it out for him to take. "Here you go."

He grabbed it, placed it into his right palm and made a fist. Zaylan blew three times on his knuckles. Uncurling his fingers, he showed that the piece of gold had vanished.

The High Sorceress of Urdgard rolled her eyes. "Show-off!"

"I know. It isn't my best trick though."

Ranya snorted. She really had missed her best friend from school days. He had always done things like that to cheer her up or just to make her laugh.

"Ranib said, you wished to see us," Alannah interrupted the happy banter between the magicians. "Is there news from Shircon?"

Zaylan nodded, regarding his daughter fondly. "In fact there is. That is one of the reasons I wanted to talk with you. The chairmen of the High Council have listened to my plea for a meeting. They see the seriousness of the situation. Invitations have been sent out to the rulers of all magical countries in Yuron."

Leigh frowned. "I'm sorry to interrupt you, my King, but why only the magical countries? Shouldn't the non-magical countries be informed too?"

"You are right, Leigh, they should be informed as well and I told that to the High Council," Zaylan responded. "Unfortunately, they don't deem it necessary to worry the other countries."

"Why not? If it is a prophecy will it not concern all of Yuron?" Alannah wanted to know.

"And that's exactly the point," Ranya chimed in. "We don't know anything for sure at the moment. All we have are speculations."

"But Tanith's letter…"

"It's still no proof of anything. Yes, her words say that she took in refugees from Ashkyhra, who told her that they think a prophecy came true and that their country was attacked by the masked sorcerer…"

"That's ridiculous!" Leigh remarked. "We sent Saberclaw. We saw that the country was attacked and destroyed. Everything points at a magic-user."

"That is true," Ranya said, reaching over to pat Leigh's hand. "But we can't say for certain that it was a demonic creature from an ancient prophecy, who declared himself the 'Deliverer of Peace'."

"The survivors of Ashkyhra said so," Alannah pointed out dismayed. "Do the chairmen think that they are a bunch of liars?"

"No, but they want to keep the matter quiet right now, before words of a prophecy that people think is coming true will wreak havoc all over the land. Fear is a powerful thing and scared people do crazy things. For right now, the High Council wants to collect information, do an investigation and keep everybody calm, preventing a full blown panic," Zaylan explained. "There is still bad blood between some of the magical and non-magical countries. If word gets out that a magic-user is setting out to conquer the world… I don't think I need to go into detail about the pandemonium it would cause."

Leigh crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I still think it's not right to keep the other countries in the dark."

Zaylan smiled, once more impressed by the knight's thoughtfulness, the strongly developed compassion and sense of responsibility. 'So much like your parents. They would be so proud of you.' Out loud, he said, "I know and we will tell them. Tomorrow, Ranya and I will fly to Shircon for the meeting. We will take Terrulli with us."

"I would like to come too, Father," Alannah chimed in. "I have been trying to gather information concerning that prophecy, but I was unable to find anything in our library. I thought that maybe at the big library in Shircon…"

"My precious, I'm sorry, but we can't take you with us," Zaylan cut her off. "Commander Leander, Ranib and Wyan will stay here in Chitaan while we are gone and I would like for you to accompany Loreen and Leigh to visit the Elves."

Caught speechless, Alannah's eyebrows rose in astonishment and Leigh's face bore the same expression of surprise at the rather unexpected announcement. The princess stared at her father and asked, "You want us to go with Loreen to Ilumera?"

"Yes," Zaylan replied. "I want you to go there as representatives of Chitaan. No matter what the Spirits and fate have in store for us, we might need the help of the Elves."

Leigh looked at the king in utter bafflement. "You want a treaty with the Elves? Since the 'Century of Distrust' nobody has been talking with them. In hundreds of years, no human had set foot on their lands."

"That is correct and even more a reason to change that, don't you think?" Zaylan replied calmly.

"I don't mean any disrespect, my King," Leigh continued, "but it was the humans after all, who fought them and almost drove them completely out of Yuron, because they were too scared of their powers. It took years until people quieted down and let them live in peace. Considering all that, what in the name of Ossyr makes you think that they will help us, or even want to help us? Why should they even care?"

"Because they are Elves, and they feel compassion for every living being, be it human or not. I understand your worries completely, Leigh. But they are not going to shoot you on sight or kick you off their land without listening to you first."

"How do you know that they will believe us? They have no reason to trust us."

Zaylan smiled. "Loreen will go with you. She is quite anxious to see the land of her mother and I also will give you a message for King Mandylor. As soon as the meeting in Shircon is over, we will join you in Ilumera."

*****

"Stupid old fool!" The harsh remark was accompanied by several heavy kicks from a booted foot. Bones cracked with crunching noises under the onslaught and a groan escaped Krymm. He had failed and now he would have to pay the price.

The dark wizard bent down, grabbed the gray robes in the front and lifted the man until they were face to mask. Then he wrenched a weakly glowing, gray gem from the other man's hand. "Didn't I tell you not to try anything? I didn't think you were dense. Apparently, I was wrong about that."

Krymm felt blood gather in his mouth and he spit it into the face that was hiding behind the demonic mask. "May the Spirits have mercy on you when your day comes," the old man rasped.

Calmly and taking his time, the tall man wiped a gloved hand over his helmet, freeing it from the sticky fluid. "You really think the Spirits care what happens to us mortals?" He chuckled cruelly. "You really are stupid, old man. Why did your precious Harkon not appear to save you and help you, when you tried to use the stone against me and failed? Look at you. You are at my mercy, lying in a pool of your own blood, powerless in the face of my magical strength."

Krymm smirked. "There will be others, who are going to resist. You will never rule over Yuron."

A roar of fury was torn from the masked sorcerer's chest and he pushed the old man away from him. Pressing his right palm over the fallen magician's heart, he snapped, "We will see about that."

The dark wizard uttered a few words and all color drained from Krymm's face. He wheezed, trying desperately though in vain to fill his aching lungs with oxygen and a wave of terrible pain exploded in his ribcage. It felt like the hand had reached inside his chest, squeezing his heart. Agonized, his fingers clawed at the ones that pressed down on his upper body.

"How do you like that, old man? Can you see the Spirits already, huh? Give them my greetings when you see them."

Gasping and seeing dark spots dancing in front of his eyes, Krymm couldn't defend himself. His wife's name was the last word that fell from his lips, before his heart ceased to beat and his breathing stopped. A gentle smile was frozen on his rigid features. He was at peace now.

Releasing a deep sigh, the masked sorcerer rose, eyeing his latest victim one more time. "Stupid old fool," he said once again, shaking his head. Then he turned around and left the chambers to join his army and return to the Plains of Darkness.

Silence wrapped around the mountains of Kentaara after the last soldier had passed through the magic gateway.

Nobody saw the magpie that spread her wings and flew from her hiding place. She came to rest beside the corpse of her fallen master. Buttoneye regarded the unmoving body. She brushed her beak tenderly against a wrinkled cheek, waiting for some kind of reaction that would never come.

Krymm was dead and his soul began its journey to the Different World, where things would be better.

Buttoneye rubbed her head against his cheek in farewell. Picking up the crumpled scroll that lay behind Krymm's throne, she left the mountains of Kentaara and flew east.

*****

Lost in thought, Leigh slowly walked through the corridors of the castle. She still couldn't believe that King Zaylan was sending them on this mission. If it would be a success was unsure and there were many factors that caused the knight to feel uncomfortable. They had no idea what would await them. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained," Alannah had replied when Leigh told her about her worries. "Everything will be fine. You know that my father wouldn't send us if he thought there would be problems. Don't you feel excitement? We will be the first in many decades who will speak with the Elves."

"Yes, I am excited," Leigh muttered under her breath, picking up her pace. "If only my mind would shut up about the problems we could encounter."

"We will cross that bridge when we come to it."

Leigh looked up and found Alannah at her side, who smiled ensuring. "Good morning, my Princess."

The words caused Alannah's smile to widen and her heart skipped a beat. "Good morning, Leigh. You know, they say that talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity."

"Well, nobody will know if you don't tell them," Leigh whispered conspiringly.

"Your secret is safe with me," the princess replied with a wink. "What can we do about the worry lines on your forehead though?"

The knight sighed. "They will go away, I promise."

Alannah reached over and gave her friend's hand a tender squeeze. "All will be well."

They stepped into the courtyard and for a moment they were blinking their eyes rapidly, getting adjusted to the bright sunlight that fell on them.

Loreen had her back to them and watched a few servants attending to Firetail. They filled saddle bags with all needful things for the three passengers. A few steps away stood three horses. Two servants were taking care of Mican, Uruth and Loreen's mare Sunhair, preparing them for the journey they would soon undertake.

"Good morning, Loreen," Alannah and Leigh greeted the healer.

"Good morning to you," came the quick reply. "Our horses will be ready in a bit and we can leave."

"How long do you think it will take us to reach Ilumera?" Alannah wanted to know.

"Two or three days, depending on how much ground we can cover in a day."

"Good morning," a small voice sounded from behind them and they turned around.

Pale and large dark circles under her sad eyes, Terrulli stood there, looking as if she had aged many years in the past few days. Ever since she had found out that her father was dead and that he would not come back, she was broken, only a mere shadow of her former self.

Without saying a word, Loreen pulled her into a comforting embrace. "Are you sure that you want to go to Shircon? You know that you don't have to…"

"I know," Terrulli whispered, tightly holding on to the healer.

"Awww, I so don't like goodbyes," Ranya said, walking up to them, grabbing Alannah first and then proceeded to pull Leigh into the bear hug as well. "Take care, my precious girls and good luck with the Elves. We will come to Ilumera as soon as we can, I promise."

"Don't you worry, Auntie Ranya," Alannah responded. "Everything will be fine."

King Zaylan, Ranib and Wyan joined them, while Commander Leander kept a respectful distance. He didn't like the fact that neither Zaylan nor the princess wanted to take a few men with them on their journeys. He wasn't so much worried about the king because he could look after himself. Zaylan was deemed the mightiest sorcerer of Yuron and in the company of a dragon and a High Sorceress he should be more than safe. Sending Alannah into unknown territory though was a different matter. The commander had begged and pleaded, first with the princess and then with the king, that at least ten men should go with them, but he had been denied that wish. Now, he could only hope and pray that the Spirits would watch over them and that none of his concerns would come true.

After having said her goodbyes, Ranya assisted Terrulli to climb into the saddle and fasten the straps over her legs and chest that would keep her secure in her seat.

Firetail cocked her head, regarding all the people coming towards her. "My, my, so many want to see us off?"

"Well, you're popular, didn't you know?" Wyan remarked smartly with a quirky grin. "I'm going to miss you."

"Yeah, because she has the same kind of humor as you do," Ranib commented, patting his twin brother's shoulder. Then he turned to Firetail "Bring them all back safely, do you hear me?"

The dragon winked at them. "You can count on that. Keep Chitaan safe while we are gone. Here is the only castle where the courtyard is big enough for me to land so that I do not have to stay outside."

Wyan nodded. "You can bet on that."

"Zaylan, we are ready," Ranya called out to the king, who was hugging his daughter.

"One minute," he shouted over his shoulder and pulled something from his robes. He gave it to Alannah.

Gazing at the piece of insignificant, brown parchment, which the princess held in her hands, Leigh wrinkled her forehead. "What is that?"

"Our way of communication, in case of an emergency or when we need to get in touch, we can leave each other instant messages," Zaylan explained to the girls. He reached into another pocket and produced a white quill and a tiny vial with black ink. "I have a scroll just like this one. They are enchanted. Whatever you write on your scroll, using that ink and quill, will appear on mine as well and the other way around."

Leigh whistled through her teeth.

"Keep it safe and use it wisely," Zaylan said, pulling each of the girls and Loreen into his arms for a final hug. "Take good care of each other. Like I said, we will join you in Ilumera as soon as we can." He gave Ranib and Wyan an encouraging pat on the back and then hurried to mount the dragon.

Ranya helped him with the straps. As soon as everybody was settled, she gave the command and Firetail rose on her feet, unfolding her wings.

The others in the courtyard stared up into the sky, waved and shouted "Good luck!" while the dragon gained height and slowly disappeared from their sight in direction of Shircon.

Loreen clapped her hands. "Alright girls, let's have breakfast and then be on our way too."

"I can't believe it!" Alannah groused under her breath as they followed the healer back to the castle.

"What are you upset about?" Leigh inquired.

"The scrolls!" the princess answered exasperated.

"What about them? I think it's neat. I wish we had had something like that during the three years you were at the university and I was with Master Yan."

"Yeah, that's exactly what I mean," Alannah sighed. "I asked Father if he had any and he said no."

Having heard it all, Loreen turned around, grinning from ear to ear. "You have to forgive your father that little white lie."

The princess poked out her lower lip a little bit. "I don't think I want to. He lied to me."

"He only wanted what was best for your both. And please, put that lip away before you trip over it."

Leigh snorted, which earned her a harsh poke of Alannah's index finger right into her side. "Owww!" she complained, rubbing the area to soothe it. "What was that for?"

The princess rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. That couldn't have hurt with all the muscles you have. Loreen, please tell me how it could have been good to keep me and Leigh from writing each other?"

"Well, isn't it obvious? If you two had had these scrolls, all you would have done all day long would have been to talk with each other. You wouldn't have concentrated on your studies."

"I guess you're right," Alannah confirmed reluctantly.

"Besides, absence makes the heart grow fonder. So, stop complaining," Loreen remarked cheekily.

Leigh was glad that they had reached the castle and she quickly entered, hoping to keep the others from seeing the blush that spread over her face after that comment. Her heart was definitely very fond of Alannah.

*****

Unmoving, he sat in his chambers. The dark room was illuminated by a few torches and the crackling fireplace. The dancing flames created interesting shadows on the bare stone walls, but the fire was not enough to chase the strange cold from the room. It didn't bother the dark wizard. Still wearing his armor, he sat cross-legged on the floor. The demonic mask lay beside him. He had taken it off because nobody would dare bother him now, while his blood still sang the song of a battle just won.

His hands rested on his thighs, each of them holding an irregular-shaped gemstone. They pulsated with a weak glimmer, one gray, the other golden. He regarded them with a satisfied smile, caressing their surfaces with his thumbs. "Mine," he whispered. "Pavan and Kentaara are down and their stones are mine. Soon, all pieces of Asram's stone will belong to me, giving me ultimate power and all of Yuron will realize that I am the 'Deliverer of Peace'."

He felt a stirring in the back of his mind, a presence. Closing his eyes, he opened his mind further, willing it to enter. His smile grew as he heard the hissing and whispering. "I have been waiting for you," the dark wizard admitted.

"You did a remarkable job. Kentaara has fallen and another piece of the stone of creation is yours."

"Yes, just as you have foreseen," the dark wizard replied, feeling strangely aroused by the praise. "What is next?"

Instead of an answer, the torches and the flames of the fireplace flared up, glowing in a ruby red. "Do you know this color?"

"Yes, it's the color of Urdgard, the land of fire," the magician replied. Then he nodded grimly. "I understand. They are next."

Laughter was heard from the voice at the cold statement. It was a weird sound that echoed cruelly and loudly through his head, making his ears hurt.

His face contorted from the piercing pain. He placed the gemstones on the floor and his hands flew up to hold his aching head.

"Yes, turn your attention on Urdgard next."

"It will not be easy," the dark wizard muttered to himself, already planning ahead. "Ranya will have the stone well guarded and she is very powerful. It might take several days."

The voice was silent, letting him work out the details.

"But I have the Shadow Warriors. I have the golems and the combined powers of two stones. They won't know what hits them until it is too late. And once I have control of the fire… I will be unstoppable. Stone by stone, I will get them all and then I will deliver peace to all nations and create a new Yuron."

"Yes, you have the power to take it all. Bend it and shape it as you see fit. The world is yours, and finally, they all will acknowledge that you are the chosen of the Spirits." With that the voice disappeared, but the flattering words kept reverberating in his mind. "The chosen of the Spirits… I like the way that sounds." Closing his eyes, his thumbs began to caress the jewels again.

The flames of the fireplace and torches flared up once more, before turning back to their original color.

*****

Continued...