Chapter Eight

There was a sharp grating sound coming from the crypt. One guard turned to the other momentarily. "It's that lot down the stairs, again," he said with a frown. "I don't like the looks of 'em. Not at all! Can't trust them because, well... you know." The other guard pricked up his ears, "No, I don't. You're foolish to worry about prisoners who have already been locked up. The damned door is a strong metal, and I've done fastened the heavy lock in place with me own hands! There's no way they can get out, now." The first guard had a wary look. "What I speak of, you idiot, is that one of the prisoners is a high-ranking fellow in the Council. The story goes that he has strange powers, magic. You know, that would not be something I want to get mixed up in. I mean, I'm strong enough, all right, and I always when a fight, but in this case the odds would be stacked against me." The other guard assented, "Yes that would be the case. Then come off it, silly Mary, and let's go down there and show 'em who's boss, what? Give 'em a taste of pain to shut their mealy mouths! I'll go with you, since you're so plumb scared of 'em," he said, erupting in laughter. "Magic! Says he, magic and wizardry! Ha ha, that's a good one! A silly fairy story." With that, he tapped the first guard on his shoulder and said "Follow me. They'll stop making noise when I'm about!" The guard opened the outer door to the staircase, and the other guard followed him after the lock was opened, making a loud clanging sound. Winding down the spiral stairs, the grating sound had stopped, and all they could hear was the sound of their boots on each step. It was an eerie silence. When they got to the bottom, there was a flash of red light, brighter than flames, and they were both knocked back and they went into a deep sleep, in a prone position on the pavement. "Come on, you twits! I've gotten us out," said Lord Blakeney with a smile. "LeFleur's plot is foiled. The jig is up! And I have the upper hand, now!" With that, the other members of the Council followed the rather arrogant Blakeney up the staircase. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, the boy Pete Draenen followed LeFleur as they made their way through the forest. The sun had risen from the Western mountain range, yet there were mists in the forest that shrouded parts of the forest. It was clear to see the path in the immediate front and to the sides, but the rest of the woods were obscured, so it was somewhat slow going. As they wended their way down the path LeFleur knew by heart, Pete could think nothing of his family he had left behind. He was so fixated on the adventure that lay ahead, that was so exciting to him. He felt that life so far had left him untested, but now that there were so many variables to their journey, that it was rather unpredictable. He thought to himself that even their lives were in danger, and his thoughts then shifted to the strange feeling that they were being watched. Every now and again, he thought he saw an eye, a face in the woods. Then he would look more closely, and the eye had vanished, and he felt that was odd. "Why did we have to go through these woods?" the boy asked the wizard. "I mean, why not take the high road? It would have been much less dangerous." "Because then we would be more open to being caught," said the wizard. "Our plan is very important. If we reach our objective, we could wind up saving the world, you know. It's not every day that you get a chance to do that!" he said with a grin. "Yes. I suppose you're right. Though it seems we are being watched." said Pete. "Well we are, Pete. I told you about that didn't I? But don't worry, though they know we are in the area, the cloaking makes it indefinite, so they can only guess at our actual location. When they rush to attack, we will then clearly see them. Don't be afraid. That's why you have your sword and shield. And what a good gift that was! Old Chalmers is always so kind to anyone associated with me." ------------------------to be continued-----------------------------

Chapter Seven

The boy Pete Draenen awoke and looked about him. He was in Mr. LaFleur's friend Chalmers' house, and he saw Chalmers making some eggs over a small stove.

"Ah, you're awake!" said the wizard LaFleur. "I'm glad. We have a few things to discuss..."

"Er, over breakfast, of course!" said Chalmers with a grin. "I wouldn't have it known that I would let you both run off without it," he said, roaring with laughter.

"I like this fellow Chalmers," said Pete. "He's always in good spirits!" He moved closer and took a plate from Chalmers, and began to eat. "Aren't you going to eat?" he asked LaFleur.

"Well, I already have," said the wizard, "and now, I have important information to share, regarding the next step of our journey." The wizard sat down in a comfortable chair. "First, it is of the utmost importance that we ride out of these woods before nightfall. Were we to risk another night here, we would surely face the evil things which dwell in the forest here. Even though we could hold them off, it is still important also that we move further away. Next, you must know that we may be followed. We must press on, and make haste. Thirdly, we must disguise our trail so that we can shake someone off our trail. I will provide as much cloaking power as I can, but we will need to take additional steps, which I will detail when the time comes."

"I have to admit this is an adventure I never would have thought would happen to me," said Pete. "I am very excited to go along with you, Mr. LeFleur. But what is this cloaking power you are talking about?" he asked with a puzzled look.

"Yes, Pete. I will tell you when the time comes. You must trust me and know that time is of the essence, and that I will let you know once we are beyond danger. Just remember, for now, that things are well in control and I have high hopes for our journey. But be careful. The creatures will be watching, and you must be on your guard," the wizard said, extending a long finger towards the broadsword. "You must act swiftly and surely if anything should come to pass. I needed you for this purpose, and to make sure that I had adequate protection."

"There isn't a man who has ever bested me in my training with the sword," said Pete, elevating his chin a bit. "I'm by your side, through thick and thin, you can count on me should danger come. I'm not too afraid, but I am a little bit," he said with a sheepish grin.

"As you should be," said Chalmers with a cold look in his eyes. "Here me now, Pete! These creatures are ravenous and merciless. Some say they serve a dark master. Minions of his majesty the Dark One. Others don't believe these stories, and think the old ways of the past have died out. But the old magic is still alive, and well even here among the woods-dwelling tribe you saw last night. I have seen the magic used to smite some of the creatures. It is very powerful. But so are these creatures. Be on your guard, at all times, with a careful eye."

With that, Pete had some of the courage drain away, and he thought warily that he must try as much as he could to be strong. He wasn't sure he liked this bit about the magic and the creatures. Their power seemed to threaten him, and his bones were cold within him as he contemplated the future.

"And we go now, Pete," said the wizard, once the boy had finished his breakfast. "We must fly with due speed out of the reaches of this treacherous forest. Come."

They went outside and mounted their horses. Chalmers went up to the wizard and gave him a wink of the eye. "Here I give you two things, LeFleur. The first is a vanishing agent," he said, handing a small vial with a cap at the end to the wizard. "And the second is the Gift of Annuil, which was given to me by the last elf who stayed near here." he handed a small medallion to the wizard. "Use it when you need help the most. Others will hear you then."

Next he stepped to the boy, who was mounted on his horse. "Remember Pete, this broadsword may come in handy, but I have something here within the cabin. He walked inside, and came back with a gleaming shield. "This shield will protect you when the time comes for swordfighting." He handed it to Pete, who was glad to accept it. "Keep my old friend company. Don't stray too far. These woods can swallow a man up. Remember to be on your guide." He winked at the boy.

"Thanks, Chalmers," said the wizard. "And now we ride! Farewell, old friend! With that, he took off on his horse, followed by Pete Draenen on his mount, through the forest.

Chapter Six

It was on the sunny morning when Lord Blakeney found that the amulet he possessed was only a fake, a sham designed to trick him. His fury knew no bounds, and he was stalking round the council room while the council remained surprised.

"He... took the real amulet?" said a younger man with a pot belly.

"Yes, you fool! His powers must have been used to cloak the amulet he possessed, which would make it impossible for me to know it was really missing. This bought him some time, and we have no idea which direction he went. Blast him and his secrets!" the Lord said as he pounded his fist on the table.

At that moment the door burst open, and several men with broadswords entered the room. One of them held a dagger next to Blakeney's neck and said, "Better not to try anything, Blakeney... You've had your day in the sun. The time is ripe for a new rule! The revolution is upon you!"

Blakeney burned with wrath already, yet more bubbled to the top. But there was nothing he could do right now about this. The entire council was led down to the bottom of the Tower of Ittendom, where they were jailed in the crypt below the tower.

The room was black and Blakeney felt about with his hands. He called out, and was answered. He made his way over to the others. "The traitor must be up to something, he put them up to this!" he whispered with cunning, for he knew the young revolutionaries might be listening.

"Why do you think he is involved?" said another.

"You twit! Do you not know that he needs the time to get further away? He is bent on getting as far from us as possible. Of course he is behind it. That would make the most sense. Or are you not a rational man, but merely an idiot?!"

"Hmmm" said the other. "I see. Well then there is only one..."

"Only one thing to do!," interrupted Blakeney. "We must develop plans for an escape. And use the only thing we have as a weapon... our arts of magic!"

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(to be continued)

----continued below----


There was a knock at the door. Chalmers looked at the wizard, whose expression was one of surprise. Slowly, Chalmers grabbed his sword from his side and peered out the window into the darkness. Then, he moved his hand to the door, and opened it.

Outside was a group of people of a different race. Their skin was darker, their hair more coarse, and there were two men and a woman. The oldest man with a coarse, black beard leaned closer. He spoke in a different language to Chalmers.

Chalmers answered back in the same language, and they had a conversation. He motioned them into the house, which was already crowded as it was. They sat by the firelight and talked for some time. Finally, the oldest gave Chalmers something wrapped in a bundle, and the three walked back out into the night.

Chalmers opened the bundle. Inside was a small cake and three gold coins. "These are gifts from the people of this forest. Those were people of the Naneen tribe, which has been making their home in the forest here for many hundreds of years. They were here long before this land was settled by the people of our race, but even longer ago, the Elves once inhabited this forest. At any rate, they told me something important." Chalmers frowned and turned to the wizard.

"They said you bring a great evil through this land. They said their chief physician, who is to us, a kind of magician, had told them that the evil would pass through the forest tonight," said Chalmers.

"No one should know it is here!" said Lefleur. "I am the only one who knows. I've not even told Pete."

"But still, the item you must be bearing is creating some disturbance of sorts. I believe you should do what is right regarding this," said Chalmers.

The wizard nodded in assent. He held the amulet out in his hands, passed his hands over it in several motions, and spoke some strange words. Immediately there was a shock of light which shone in his eyes and exploded in the air between the boy and the wizard. As the sound was loud, Pete was shook up. The wizard nodded, looking tired, and said "There, it is done. Perhaps I should have taken more precautions. Yet I did not know there were any magicians of that caliber out this way," said the wizard.

"They are from another time. To them, we are strangers here. They learned from the Elves much about magic, but only on the light side. Not the dark. They are on the same side as you and I," Chalmers said, smiling benevolently. "Yet I fear that evil treads closer than you think. I assume you are making for someplace far away. Be careful on your journey." Chalmers lifted his hands up. "Even though it may be very hard to sleep after such an excitement, I think you and the boy should take some rest. Here, I will give you a sleep powder which grows in the high hills among the bushes. I will stand guard over you and watch, for I fear evil may follow you. So rest tonight, and in the morning we will talk more."

The wizard nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, Pete, try to get some rest. I will do the same. We have a hard day's ride tomorrow. Indeed we may ride through tomorrow's night! So gather yourself together, and rest."

Pete spoke up. "Well I've never seen anything so bright in my life as those sparks! I have many questions, but ... yes, thank you," he said as he took the powder in his hands and ingested it, following it with a cup of water which Chalmers handed to him. He gulped it down and began to speak. "But tomorrow I will.. ask.." With that, the boy began to fall asleep. The wizard moved his head to a small pillow and covered him with a blanket. The fire still burned and the room was comfortable.

The wizard spoke. "Chalmers, the boy is ignorant of so many things regarding our journey. I will tell you more about it tomorrow, before I leave." He took his own powder, and went to sleep in the corner of the room. Chalmers stood guard, peering out the window, listening to the night, his sword at his side.

Chapter Five

The boy Pete Draenen followed the cloaked wizard along the trails within the treeline of the forest. This was a path he had not ever taken, and he realized he was in strange country. Unbeknownst to Pete, but not to Lefleur, silent eyes watched in the forest. There were watchers in the woods, all their minds were bent on the amulet that Lefleur possessed. Sooner or later, there would be trouble brewing.

As they crested the hill they came to a small house. The roof was simple and the building crudely constructed. A light was lit within. Slowly, the door opened, a wandering eye peeped from the shadows. "Charles... Charles, is that you?"

"Yes, Chalmers. I come to you in need of counsel and a place to rest."

The big man named Chalmers laughed heartily. "Another fix you're in, I suppose. How many is it this time?" He laughed again.

"I would have you know it's been decades since the last time I needed your assistance," the wizard retorted.

"All the same, I am glad you've kept in touch." Chalmers laughed, "Because I know you're into something foolish if you're here on some purpose or other."

"Games, must we?" said the wizard teasingly. "We have just come from Dayhue. I've brought his boy along with me for his aid."

"Chalmers is the name," said the big man, one huge hand gripped Pete's in greeting. "As you may have guessed, I'm the person Charles comes to when he's in a bind. Which he is again!" and he roared with laughter.

"Pete. Pete is my name. I want to say, I've not been in these woods in my entire life. Are they relatively safe?"

"Well, I can see that you've taken precautions," Chalmers said, gesturing at the broadsword. "You'll need it in this part of the land. There are wild creatures about,
ravenous beasts who hunt for blood. Stay on your guard here, and no mistake," he said with a hard look on his face. "It is not safe to travel here."

"The woods - what are they called?" asked Pete.

"Well stop asking questions and come inside, for Pete's sake. Hey. Wait a minute, your name is Pete, and I've just said 'for Pete's sake.' " The husky man roared again. It was apparent that he was a good-natured sort of fellow.

"I've never heard that one before," said Pete sarcastically. "But I can feel the heat within. You've a fireplace."

"Yes, many years I've lived here in comfort. But I'm a tough man and can protect myself. I'm glad you've stayed with me this night. Otherwise you might have fallen at the hands of the beasts. I assure you that you're safe with me." said Chalmers.

The wizard sat in front of the blazing fire and rubbed his hands for warmth.

--------to be continued-------

Chapter Four

It was nightfall and Pete headed out into the darkness. He heard a single whistle, and ran again to the tree. There stood the tall figure of the man he knew only as Mr. Lefleur. Lefleur was a strange man and Pete didn't know much about where he came from. He only knew that as long as he'd lived in Dayhue, Lefleur had been a friend, almost a mentor to him. Now we wondered what was on Lefleur's mind.

"Thank you for coming, Pete. Times are before us in which we must be wise in all our actions. I must tell you that we must go, now. We must leave Dayhue behind. We've got to make for my friend Chalmer's town of Dunhollow tonight!"

The old man looked down and saw the glint of the broadsword. "We're going to need that," he said in a whisper. He seemed to be thinking to himself, almost as if he were pondering the blade. He began again.

"Mount up on the horse I've brought you. His name is Archus, and he's very fast. If you have all your things, we're off."

With that, Pete mounted up and took off, quickly following his friend through the clearing to the forest line beyond.

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The morning broke over the mountaintops of Darhad. Bathed in a rich glow, the meadows and trees surrounding the Tower of Ittendom made the area lovely. Inside his chamber, one at the top of the Tower, Lord Blakeney awakened from uneasy dreams. He sat up in his bed, his pulse racing. He scened out his dream: it was almost forgotten, but the bits he remembered were very clear. He saw the amulet before the Council, then he saw it turned to broken bits and scattered to the wind. The last thing he had seen in the dream was the face of the Wizard Lefleur.

Startled by this dream, he felt more or less at ease. He looked for the amulet in his bureau and found it still there. But he wondered. He remembered that the precious stone in the amulet was tough like a diamond, not easily cracked. So he got a large hammer and proceeded to pound on it. It smashed before his very eyes.

Burning with rage, he raced to the window, leaning out of it, he screamed "Lefleur! You traitor!!!"

By this time, the wizard and the boy Pete Draenen were miles beyond Ittendom.

Chapter First: Beginnings

Out of the brambles and brush, on the dirt road, a black steed came rushing after nightfall. Its rider was ushering the horse on with great speed. As it rounded the last few corners, the tall rider pulled it to a stop. Then he got down and secured the horse to a post. He strode towards the door of a large building and entered quietly.

Inside, he took off his hat and cloak and moved towards a long black table. Oil lamps burned in the alcoves. An even taller man with a grizzled white beard rose to greet him, then sat down. The rider seated himself and began to speak.

"I suppose you are as sure of yourself as you seem, but I can hardly believe the events as they have occurred. You knew danger awaited you, and to have sought and to maintain the item is folly. I mention also that you have upset the council. This madness is yours, Charles. I depart tomorrow."

The old wizard gazed down at his friend. After all, they had been kinsmen in life, and seekers of a new world. A world without strife. He reflected how close they had been, with no secrets.

"I meant to tell you sooner, Lord Blakeney. I had to make sure I could use the magic to find it. Many of the secrets of the amulet have been lost to fire and war, buried deep within books of ancient lore. The finding of the library of old was a surprise. Therefore, I could not have found it and told you immediately."

"And why not? As potentate over these lands I am entitled to all information regarding the well-being of my people. I could have introduced this evidence to the counsel and found..."

"Ah bah, the council would never have understood. And I believe you don't either."

"I do! I protest your insolent tone. Whatever you thought I did not know, I did know the amulet existed. It is not important what you think the council can understand. What you have done is very foolish. I must leave tomorrow, to inform the others. It cannot wait."

"I see. Perhaps you are right. Maybe it is the council's business to decide." The old wizard said in a hollow but believable measured tone. He knew it was in his best interests to stay calm. He felt it was important to keep the majority of what he knew hidden. It would simply be difficult to explain it all, and besides, he had a deep secret of intentions he knew must be kept silent.

He reclined and sat in his chair. The room was askew, with many documents on parchment upended and strewn about the table. Papers and writing implements were littering the floor. It had been Lord Blakeney's intention to find the amulet, and take it back to the council. So the wizard LaFleur had made a fake amulet. A decoy, until his plans could take shape. His grand plans of the future. A future in which he would be master of the amulet.